The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. &nbsp;

The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. &nbsp;

The nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,790 while the active caseload has touched 5,90,611, accounting for 1.66 per cent of the country’s total confirmed cases. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-state-maharashtra-imposes-new-restrictions-night-curfew-from-jan-10-443242" hreflang="en">Indian state Maharashtra imposes new restrictions; night curfew from Jan 10</a>

The tally of the Omicron cases in the country is also witnessing an upward trend. It has climbed to 3,623. Around 1,409 of these people have been recovered or discharged from hospitals. &nbsp;

So far, a total of 27 states have reported the new variant, the Ministry said. &nbsp;

In the last 24 hours, 40,863 patients have also recovered. The cumulative tally has reached 3,44,53,603. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covaxin-booster-offers-long-term-protection-against-severe-covid-infection-bharat-biotech-443236" hreflang="en">Covaxin booster offers long-term protection against severe Covid infection: Bharat Biotech</a>

The recovery rate of India till now is 96.98 per cent. &nbsp;

A total of 15,63,566 tests have been conducted across the country. &nbsp;

Owing to the sudden spike in new cases, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 6.77 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 10.21 per cent. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday.

The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. The nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,790 while the active caseload has touched 5,90,611, accounting for 1.66 per cent of the country’s total confirmed cases. Also Read: Indian state Maharashtra imposes new restrictions; night curfew from Jan 10 The tally of the Omicron cases in the country is also witnessing an upward trend. It has climbed to 3,623. Around 1,409 of these people have been recovered or discharged from hospitals. So far, a total of 27 states have reported the new variant, the Ministry said. In the last 24 hours, 40,863 patients have also recovered. The cumulative tally has reached 3,44,53,603. Also Read | Covaxin booster offers long-term protection against severe Covid infection: Bharat Biotech The recovery rate of India till now is 96.98 per cent. A total of 15,63,566 tests have been conducted across the country. Owing to the sudden spike in new cases, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 6.77 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 10.21 per cent. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid’s rise continues: India records 1,59,632 fresh cases, 327 deaths in 24 hours  

The world is changing at a rapid pace. What was special earlier is common nowadays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Space travel has also seen it lately. In the past, only scientific explorers used to venture out in space to find several answers but now, it has become a way to spend leisure time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Due to the advancement and commercialisation, space tourism has become a reality.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Several big conglomerates have entered this arena, which is highly lucrative.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spacex-sends-detergent-to-space-to-help-astronauts-wash-clothes-439990" hreflang="en">SpaceX sends detergent to space to help astronauts wash clothes</a>

Not just this, the competition in the industry has already heat up. Nowadays, Elon Musk's SpaceX has been running missions for sending tourists to space. It has also been working on several other missions in coordination with NASA.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin have also completed their maiden flights. Many billionaires, such as Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa, Branson and others, have already visited space.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Apart from billionaires, several others have also reached space or the International Space Station.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A US-based firm Space Adventures, which is headed by Tom Shelley, have sent around eight tourists to the ISS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-finally-revolutionary-james-webb-space-telescope-scales-sky-on-christmas-439928" hreflang="en">Watch: Finally, revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope scales sky on Christmas</a>

The industry is also facing significant criticism due to its carbon footprint. This comes at a time when the world is looking to fight climate change in a do or die situation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Some companies are using cleaner fuel for space travel but some are not.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Virgin Galactic has said that it looks to hold 400 flights a year in future. It shows that the popularity of space tourism will surely increase manifold.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

This may lead to huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions. So, it is important to find a fine balance between advancement in the form of space tourism and solution of climate change issues.&nbsp;

So, this kind of&nbsp;tourism may help in transportation of people to other planets but it may result in destruction of the Earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The world is changing at a rapid pace. What was special earlier is common nowadays. Space travel has also seen it lately. In the past, only scientific explorers used to venture out in space to find several answers but now, it has become a way to spend leisure time.

The world is changing at a rapid pace. What was special earlier is common nowadays. Space travel has also seen it lately. In the past, only scientific explorers used to venture out in space to find several answers but now, it has become a way to spend leisure time. Due to the advancement and commercialisation, space tourism has become a reality. Several big conglomerates have entered this arena, which is highly lucrative. Also Read: SpaceX sends detergent to space to help astronauts wash clothes Not just this, the competition in the industry has already heat up. Nowadays, Elon Musk's SpaceX has been running missions for sending tourists to space. It has also been working on several other missions in coordination with NASA. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin have also completed their maiden flights. Many billionaires, such as Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa, Branson and others, have already visited space. Apart from billionaires, several others have also reached space or the International Space Station. A US-based firm Space Adventures, which is headed by Tom Shelley, have sent around eight tourists to the ISS. Also Read | Watch: Finally, revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope scales sky on Christmas The industry is also facing significant criticism due to its carbon footprint. This comes at a time when the world is looking to fight climate change in a do or die situation. Some companies are using cleaner fuel for space travel but some are not. Virgin Galactic has said that it looks to hold 400 flights a year in future. It shows that the popularity of space tourism will surely increase manifold. This may lead to huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions. So, it is important to find a fine balance between advancement in the form of space tourism and solution of climate change issues. So, this kind of tourism may help in transportation of people to other planets but it may result in destruction of the Earth.

Weekend Special: Will space tourism's phenomenal rise benefit world?

India saw a single-day rise of 25,072 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 160 days, while active cases declined to 3,33,924, comprising 1.03 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, according to the union health ministry data updated on Monday.

The tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,24,49,306, while the death toll has climbed to 4,34,756 with 389 daily fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

Watch | Vietnam COVID-19: Over 11,000 cases and 737 deaths in 24 hours

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The active cases have declined to 3,33,924, the lowest in 155 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.63 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.

A reduction of 19,474 cases has been recorded in the total number of active COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours. 
Also, 12,95,160 tests were conducted on Sunday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 50,75,51,399.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-rolls-out-its-first-indigenously-made-covid-19-vaccine-407790">Taiwan rolls out its first indigenously made COVID-19 vaccine</a>

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.94 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 28 days. 
Weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.91 per cent. It has been below 3 per cent for the last 59 days, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,16,80,626, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

The 389 new fatalities include 145 from Maharashtra, 69 from Odisha and 66 from Kerala.&nbsp;

India saw a single-day rise of 25,072 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 160 days, while active cases declined to 3,33,924, comprising 1.03 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, according to the union health ministry data updated on Monday.

India saw a single-day rise of 25,072 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 160 days, while active cases declined to 3,33,924, comprising 1.03 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, according to the union health ministry data updated on Monday. The tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,24,49,306, while the death toll has climbed to 4,34,756 with 389 daily fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. Watch | Vietnam COVID-19: Over 11,000 cases and 737 deaths in 24 hours × The active cases have declined to 3,33,924, the lowest in 155 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.63 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said. A reduction of 19,474 cases has been recorded in the total number of active COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours. Also, 12,95,160 tests were conducted on Sunday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 50,75,51,399. Also Read: Taiwan rolls out its first indigenously made COVID-19 vaccine The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.94 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 28 days. Weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.91 per cent. It has been below 3 per cent for the last 59 days, according to the health ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,16,80,626, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. The 389 new fatalities include 145 from Maharashtra, 69 from Odisha and 66 from Kerala.

India sees single-day rise of 25,072 new Covid cases, lowest in 160 days

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 157.2 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.27 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.&nbsp;

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 157,250,537 and 3,278,007, respectively. &nbsp;

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 32,685,864 and 581,511, respectively, according to the CSSE.&nbsp;

In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 21,892,676 cases.&nbsp;

The other countries with more than two million confirmed coronavirus cases are Brazil (15,145,879), France (5,829,166), Turkey (5,016,141), Russia (4,816,331), the UK (4,448,808), Italy (4,102,921), Spain (3,567,408), Germany (3,520,392), Argentina (3,136,158), Colombia (2,985,536), Poland (2,829,196), Iran (2,640,670), Mexico (2,361,874) and Ukraine (2,169,650), the CSSE figures showed.&nbsp;

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 421,316 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 50,000 are India (238,270), Mexico (218,657), the UK (127,863), Italy (122,694), Russia (111,097), France (106,438), Germany (84,668), Spain (78,792), Colombia (77,359), Iran (74,241), Poland (74,524), Argentina (69,866), Peru (67,042) and South Africa (54,687).

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 157.2 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.27 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 157.2 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.27 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 157,250,537 and 3,278,007, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 32,685,864 and 581,511, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 21,892,676 cases. The other countries with more than two million confirmed coronavirus cases are Brazil (15,145,879), France (5,829,166), Turkey (5,016,141), Russia (4,816,331), the UK (4,448,808), Italy (4,102,921), Spain (3,567,408), Germany (3,520,392), Argentina (3,136,158), Colombia (2,985,536), Poland (2,829,196), Iran (2,640,670), Mexico (2,361,874) and Ukraine (2,169,650), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 421,316 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 50,000 are India (238,270), Mexico (218,657), the UK (127,863), Italy (122,694), Russia (111,097), France (106,438), Germany (84,668), Spain (78,792), Colombia (77,359), Iran (74,241), Poland (74,524), Argentina (69,866), Peru (67,042) and South Africa (54,687). (With inputs from agencies)

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 157.2 million 

There was a slight dip in the daily caseload of coronavirus but daily deaths set a new record as 1,761 people died on Monday. It was the highest 24-hour spike since last year. All the talk is about mutations as India has not just reported double mutations, but a triple mutation.&nbsp;

It is highly contagious. The mutations are most certainly driving India's second wave but India's prime minister is confident that the country can pull through. The PM has ruled out any lockdown. He said India is better prepared to face the second wave compared to last year. &nbsp;

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Many countries have decided to halt travel from India. The first advisory came from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. Americans have been asked to avoid all travel to India. Even vaccinated citizens have been asked to delay their plans after the US, Britain put India on the red list.&nbsp;

From April 23, people who have visited India, will not be allowed to enter the UK. The only exemption is for British citizens. So essentially, the UK has banned travel to and from India. Hong Kong and New Zealand have done the same. It is not India's caseload that is scaring countries but the mutations. Will the vaccines work against mutants? Will the efficacy come down? These are some of the big worries.&nbsp;

The vaccines will continue to work, but their efficacy rates could fall as the double mutation in India could make it harder for vaccines to create antibodies but this is not an excuse to not take one.&nbsp;

Even against the mutants, vaccines will offer you some level of protection. Both Covishield and Covaxin were impressive in fighting off variants, but they are untested against the double mutation. The same for Sputnik V. The Russian vaccine maker says it is equally effective against the original virus and the variants. &nbsp;

The only empirical evidence we have is for Pfizer. Israel has studied Pfizer's effect on the double mutation. The jab is at least partially effective. So, the double mutation does not make vaccines completely useless, but they won't be as efficient.&nbsp;

Vaccines teach our body to recognise spike proteins and this is the outer coating on the virus. But when the virus mutates, the spike protein changes and that makes it difficult for your body to identify the virus. Difficult but not impossible, which is why vaccines are less effective, not useless.&nbsp;

We can overcome this by updating our vaccines. This might sound challenging but it's actually pretty common. Flu vaccines for example are updated every season. The idea is to stay one step ahead of the virus but simply updating the vaccine is not enough. It must be transported and administered. This is where India's biggest challenge lies. From May 1, Indians aged 18 plus will be eligible for jabs. That's an additional 500 million people. Do we have enough shots for all of these people?&nbsp;

The answer is no. India needs at least 10 million doses per day and India is producing less than half that number. Vaccine makers are struggling to expand capacity and now they have a new worry, lack of raw materials. India sources a large part of its vaccine raw materials from the US but the White House has curbed these exports. It wants to retain these raw materials for their own use and America's vaccine nationalism is hurting India's rollout. The second problem is this vaccine wastage.&nbsp;

Until April 11, 100 million doses were rolled out and out of these, 4.4 million were wasted. Around 2 million people could have been vaccinated by these wasted doses.&nbsp;

This indicates a lack of planning. Doses have to be tallied with local population. Doctors must oversee the inoculation process to avoid wastage. But what about the government?&nbsp;

It must strike a delicate balance between vaccination and treatment. Both the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech are set to receive funds from the government. Reports say Rs 4,500 crore have been sanctioned. This should help expand capacity ahead of phase 3 and if the Sputnik jabs arrive before May, India could avoid a disastrous scenario. Simultaneously, the government will have to prop up the medical infrastructure. &nbsp;

The oxygen expresses have already started running. Oxygen plants have been set up at 100 hospitals and cylinder filling plants can now work 24x7. Oxygen is number one on India's wishlist and it looks like even the stock market honchos have realised this. Looking at the surging demand for oxygen, they rushed to scoop up shares of Bombay Oxygen, the company's shares soared 133% but guess what? Bombay Oxygen doesn't even produce oxygen. It works in the finance industry. &nbsp;

But really, will the government response be enough?&nbsp;

There was a slight dip in the daily caseload of coronavirus but daily deaths set a new record as 1,761 people died on Monday. It was the highest 24-hour spike since last year.

There was a slight dip in the daily caseload of coronavirus but daily deaths set a new record as 1,761 people died on Monday. It was the highest 24-hour spike since last year. All the talk is about mutations as India has not just reported double mutations, but a triple mutation. It is highly contagious. The mutations are most certainly driving India's second wave but India's prime minister is confident that the country can pull through. The PM has ruled out any lockdown. He said India is better prepared to face the second wave compared to last year. Many countries have decided to halt travel from India. The first advisory came from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. Americans have been asked to avoid all travel to India. Even vaccinated citizens have been asked to delay their plans after the US, Britain put India on the red list. From April 23, people who have visited India, will not be allowed to enter the UK. The only exemption is for British citizens. So essentially, the UK has banned travel to and from India. Hong Kong and New Zealand have done the same. It is not India's caseload that is scaring countries but the mutations. Will the vaccines work against mutants? Will the efficacy come down? These are some of the big worries. The vaccines will continue to work, but their efficacy rates could fall as the double mutation in India could make it harder for vaccines to create antibodies but this is not an excuse to not take one. Even against the mutants, vaccines will offer you some level of protection. Both Covishield and Covaxin were impressive in fighting off variants, but they are untested against the double mutation. The same for Sputnik V. The Russian vaccine maker says it is equally effective against the original virus and the variants. The only empirical evidence we have is for Pfizer. Israel has studied Pfizer's effect on the double mutation. The jab is at least partially effective. So, the double mutation does not make vaccines completely useless, but they won't be as efficient. Vaccines teach our body to recognise spike proteins and this is the outer coating on the virus. But when the virus mutates, the spike protein changes and that makes it difficult for your body to identify the virus. Difficult but not impossible, which is why vaccines are less effective, not useless. We can overcome this by updating our vaccines. This might sound challenging but it's actually pretty common. Flu vaccines for example are updated every season. The idea is to stay one step ahead of the virus but simply updating the vaccine is not enough. It must be transported and administered. This is where India's biggest challenge lies. From May 1, Indians aged 18 plus will be eligible for jabs. That's an additional 500 million people. Do we have enough shots for all of these people? The answer is no. India needs at least 10 million doses per day and India is producing less than half that number. Vaccine makers are struggling to expand capacity and now they have a new worry, lack of raw materials. India sources a large part of its vaccine raw materials from the US but the White House has curbed these exports. It wants to retain these raw materials for their own use and America's vaccine nationalism is hurting India's rollout. The second problem is this vaccine wastage. Until April 11, 100 million doses were rolled out and out of these, 4.4 million were wasted. Around 2 million people could have been vaccinated by these wasted doses. This indicates a lack of planning. Doses have to be tallied with local population. Doctors must oversee the inoculation process to avoid wastage. But what about the government? It must strike a delicate balance between vaccination and treatment. Both the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech are set to receive funds from the government. Reports say Rs 4,500 crore have been sanctioned. This should help expand capacity ahead of phase 3 and if the Sputnik jabs arrive before May, India could avoid a disastrous scenario. Simultaneously, the government will have to prop up the medical infrastructure. The oxygen expresses have already started running. Oxygen plants have been set up at 100 hospitals and cylinder filling plants can now work 24x7. Oxygen is number one on India's wishlist and it looks like even the stock market honchos have realised this. Looking at the surging demand for oxygen, they rushed to scoop up shares of Bombay Oxygen, the company's shares soared 133% but guess what? Bombay Oxygen doesn't even produce oxygen. It works in the finance industry. But really, will the government response be enough?

Mutations continue to drive India's Covid second wave  

Gold imports, which have a bearing on the country's current account deficit (CAD), rose by 22.58 per cent to USD 34.6 billion (about Rs 2.54 lakh crore) during 2020-21 due to increased domestic demand, according to the Commerce Ministry data.&nbsp;

Silver imports during the last fiscal, however, dipped by 71 per cent to about USD 791 million. Imports of the yellow metal stood at USD 28.23 billion (about Rs 2 lakh crore) in 2019-20, the data showed.&nbsp;

Despite growth in gold imports, the country's trade deficit narrowed to USD 98.56 billion during 2020-21 as against USD 161.3 billion in 2019-20.&nbsp;

Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Chairman Colin Shah said that increasing domestic demand is pushing up imports of gold. &nbsp;

The demand for gold would further increase on account of forthcoming auspicious Akshaya Tritiya and marriage season which could increase the CAD.&nbsp;

The CAD is the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign exchange. India's current account swung to a deficit for the first time in the current fiscal, with the gap coming at USD 1.7 billion or 0.2 per cent of the GDP in the December quarter.&nbsp;

India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of jewellery industry. Gems and jewellery exports declined by 27.5 per cent to USD 26 billion in April-March 2020-21.&nbsp;

In volume terms, the country imports 800-900 tonnes of gold annually.&nbsp;

The government in the Budget reduced the import duty on the yellow metal from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent (7.5 per cent customs duty plus 2.5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess).&nbsp;

Gold imports, which have a bearing on the country's current account deficit (CAD), rose by 22.58 per cent to USD 34.6 billion (about Rs 2.54 lakh crore) during 2020-21 due to increased domestic demand, according to the Commerce Ministry data.

Gold imports, which have a bearing on the country's current account deficit (CAD), rose by 22.58 per cent to USD 34.6 billion (about Rs 2.54 lakh crore) during 2020-21 due to increased domestic demand, according to the Commerce Ministry data. Silver imports during the last fiscal, however, dipped by 71 per cent to about USD 791 million. Imports of the yellow metal stood at USD 28.23 billion (about Rs 2 lakh crore) in 2019-20, the data showed. Despite growth in gold imports, the country's trade deficit narrowed to USD 98.56 billion during 2020-21 as against USD 161.3 billion in 2019-20. Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Chairman Colin Shah said that increasing domestic demand is pushing up imports of gold. The demand for gold would further increase on account of forthcoming auspicious Akshaya Tritiya and marriage season which could increase the CAD. The CAD is the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign exchange. India's current account swung to a deficit for the first time in the current fiscal, with the gap coming at USD 1.7 billion or 0.2 per cent of the GDP in the December quarter. India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of jewellery industry. Gems and jewellery exports declined by 27.5 per cent to USD 26 billion in April-March 2020-21. In volume terms, the country imports 800-900 tonnes of gold annually. The government in the Budget reduced the import duty on the yellow metal from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent (7.5 per cent customs duty plus 2.5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess).

Gold imports rise by 22.58% to $34.6 bn in 2020-21 

How will we remember the coronavirus pandemic? Surely, as a source of great hardships but in the larger scheme of things, the virus was a pivot. It didn't just change our lives. It turned it upside down.

We realised that home can be work and work can be home. Same for schools. Our mobile phones became the rudders of our life, our source of entertainment and our source of livelihood. &nbsp;

The pandemic taught us that meet and greet is over-rated. Is isolation any better? Not really, but the pandemic made us more flexible. More open to changes. They say the post-pandemic world will be different.&nbsp;

For us, yes. Things will be a lot different but what about the power brokers of our world?&nbsp;The politicians, the spiritual gurus, the athletes, etc. Will things truly change for them?&nbsp;

In most countries, politicians were first in line for the vaccines. The virus tested leaders and their credentials. What would their message be? How quickly would they act?&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Some leaders simply did not have the answers and they were promptly voted out. There's one underway in Peru and this is the scene at polling booths. Massive crowds turned up because voting is mandatory there. Every citizen must vote. Co-morbidities and life-threatening conditions are not entertained as excuses. What a great sense of civic duty? Contrast that with Peru's pandemic response: 55,000 reported deaths and a health system in complete collapse. &nbsp;

Eighteen presidential hopefuls were in the fray and six of them ended up getting the virus. Maybe, these public rallies had something to do with that. Lockdowns for people, but rallies for politicians. &nbsp;

And it's not just Peru, it is election season in India as well. Every single political party has staged public rallies. Thousands of people attended these, right in the middle of a second wave. Elections are important, nobody is denying that but campaigning must be responsibly done. &nbsp;Right now, everybody seems happy working from home, except the politicians. &nbsp;

Keep the mask on, say the courts, even if you're alone in a car, because your car is a public space. No such rules for election campaigns, clearly.&nbsp;

Our second talking point is religion. It's given solace to millions in these tough times but it has also given us difficult scenes.

In Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, nearly a million devotees are there.&nbsp;All of them are heading to the banks of the Ganga. Taking a dip in the river during this time is considered auspicious but there are concerns. &nbsp;

And looking at these pictures, it is clear what those concerns are: no masks, no social distancing and one common body of water. It is a guaranteed super-spreader. Right now, India is hosting the biggest T20 league in the world, the Indian Premier League. It is being played behind closed doors. Only a handful of stadiums are hosting matches and even with such strict measures, a few players have got the virus. What if this cluster expands?&nbsp;

Remember, it's not just the players inside bio-bubbles, there is a huge support team, such as umpires, ground staff, broadcasters, etc. Just last week, 14 members of the broadcast team tested positive. So, here's the question? Is the IPL essential?&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Depends on how you look at it. For the sponsors and the cricketing board, yes but in the middle of a second wave, the risks are just too high. Not just cricket, club football, basketball, baseball and others have returned. Some with limited audience. There's a reason they call it a bio-bubble. It is not iron clad. One let-up and we could have a full-blown crisis in Indian cricket. So, what's the solution here?&nbsp;

It's simple rule of law. What happened in Norway recently? The prime minister was fined more than 2,000 dollars. Because she hosted a birthday party that violated virus controls. The PM apologised and agreed to pay the fine.&nbsp;

This spirit must be replicated everywhere. Politicians must be held accountable for their massive rallies. Sports administrators must answer for staging these massive leagues. The virus infects without discrimination. So, our response too must be sans blinkers.&nbsp;

How will we remember the coronavirus pandemic? Surely, as a source of great hardships but in the larger scheme of things, the virus was a pivot. It didn't just change our lives.

How will we remember the coronavirus pandemic? Surely, as a source of great hardships but in the larger scheme of things, the virus was a pivot. It didn't just change our lives. It turned it upside down. We realised that home can be work and work can be home. Same for schools. Our mobile phones became the rudders of our life, our source of entertainment and our source of livelihood. The pandemic taught us that meet and greet is over-rated. Is isolation any better? Not really, but the pandemic made us more flexible. More open to changes. They say the post-pandemic world will be different. For us, yes. Things will be a lot different but what about the power brokers of our world? The politicians, the spiritual gurus, the athletes, etc. Will things truly change for them? In most countries, politicians were first in line for the vaccines. The virus tested leaders and their credentials. What would their message be? How quickly would they act? Some leaders simply did not have the answers and they were promptly voted out. There's one underway in Peru and this is the scene at polling booths. Massive crowds turned up because voting is mandatory there. Every citizen must vote. Co-morbidities and life-threatening conditions are not entertained as excuses. What a great sense of civic duty? Contrast that with Peru's pandemic response: 55,000 reported deaths and a health system in complete collapse. Eighteen presidential hopefuls were in the fray and six of them ended up getting the virus. Maybe, these public rallies had something to do with that. Lockdowns for people, but rallies for politicians. And it's not just Peru, it is election season in India as well. Every single political party has staged public rallies. Thousands of people attended these, right in the middle of a second wave. Elections are important, nobody is denying that but campaigning must be responsibly done. Right now, everybody seems happy working from home, except the politicians. Keep the mask on, say the courts, even if you're alone in a car, because your car is a public space. No such rules for election campaigns, clearly. Our second talking point is religion. It's given solace to millions in these tough times but it has also given us difficult scenes. In Kumbh Mela at Haridwar, nearly a million devotees are there. All of them are heading to the banks of the Ganga. Taking a dip in the river during this time is considered auspicious but there are concerns. And looking at these pictures, it is clear what those concerns are: no masks, no social distancing and one common body of water. It is a guaranteed super-spreader. Right now, India is hosting the biggest T20 league in the world, the Indian Premier League. It is being played behind closed doors. Only a handful of stadiums are hosting matches and even with such strict measures, a few players have got the virus. What if this cluster expands? Remember, it's not just the players inside bio-bubbles, there is a huge support team, such as umpires, ground staff, broadcasters, etc. Just last week, 14 members of the broadcast team tested positive. So, here's the question? Is the IPL essential? Depends on how you look at it. For the sponsors and the cricketing board, yes but in the middle of a second wave, the risks are just too high. Not just cricket, club football, basketball, baseball and others have returned. Some with limited audience. There's a reason they call it a bio-bubble. It is not iron clad. One let-up and we could have a full-blown crisis in Indian cricket. So, what's the solution here? It's simple rule of law. What happened in Norway recently? The prime minister was fined more than 2,000 dollars. Because she hosted a birthday party that violated virus controls. The PM apologised and agreed to pay the fine. This spirit must be replicated everywhere. Politicians must be held accountable for their massive rallies. Sports administrators must answer for staging these massive leagues. The virus infects without discrimination. So, our response too must be sans blinkers.

Time to tread cautiously as Covid cases rise 

Bitcoin extended its recovery in holiday-thinned trading on Tuesday, rising 10 percent to be up more than a third from last week&#39;s lows below $12,000.

Bitcoin, the world&#39;s biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, fell nearly 30 percent at one stage on Friday to $11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013. At 0445 GMT, it was quoted around $15,049 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange.

The biggest and best-known cryptocurrency has risen around twentyfold since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000 to as high as $19,666 on December 17 on Bitstamp and to over $20,000 on other exchanges.

While bitcoin investors and analysts believe the decline in its value was a natural correction after a heady run-up in prices, there have been further warnings from market regulators and central banks.

Bitcoin fell nearly 30 percent at one stage on Friday to $11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013

Bitcoin extended its recovery in holiday-thinned trading on Tuesday, rising 10 percent to be up more than a third from last week's lows below $12,000. Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, fell nearly 30 percent at one stage on Friday to $11,159.93 and, despite a late recovery, had its worst week since 2013. At 0445 GMT, it was quoted around $15,049 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange. The biggest and best-known cryptocurrency has risen around twentyfold since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000 to as high as $19,666 on December 17 on Bitstamp and to over $20,000 on other exchanges. While bitcoin investors and analysts believe the decline in its value was a natural correction after a heady run-up in prices, there have been further warnings from market regulators and central banks.

Bitcoin rises 10 percent, recovers from last week's brutal selloff

Disappointment over the timing of&nbsp;Apple&rsquo;s iPhone X release hampered further gains for world stock markets on Wednesday after an easing of concerns about North Korea sent indices to record highs.

While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI&#39;s main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe&#39;s main markets were flat.

Apple&nbsp;suppliers including AMS and Dialog fell by 1-3 percent in morning trade in Europe, with traders citing the later than expected Nov. 3 shipping date for the new iPhone. British semi-conductor firm IQE Plc sank more than 6 percent.

Apple&nbsp;shares, which finished with a small loss on Tuesday, fell another 0.4 percent in pre-market trade. Wall Street overall was seen opening slightly lower.

&quot;It would appear that a running start to the week and fresh record highs in the S&amp;P 500 has proven a little much for some traders, with profit taking seen ahead of Wednesday&rsquo;s open,&quot; said Craig Erlam, an analyst with online broker Oanda.

The pan-European STOXX 600 dipped 0.1 percent as weakness in chipmakers was compounded by a drop in miners.

Chipmakers have been the best-performing among Europe&#39;s tech&nbsp;stocks&nbsp;this year, accounting for a large chunk of the sector&#39;s outperformance. AMS shares have gained 165 percent year-to-date.

&quot;The economics of the&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;announcement are interesting because it will really test this theory that inflation is going to be weak,&quot; said Mike Bell,&nbsp;global&nbsp;markets strategist with JP Morgan Asset Management in London.

&quot;With the iPhone coming in around $1,000 it will be interesting to see how healthy demand is. If it&#39;s relatively healthy I think it shows that there is still quite a lot of pricing power for U.S. companies and consumers have confidence.&quot;

In currency markets the dominant trend this week has been a recovery for the dollar and sterling. The dollar hit a 12-day high above 110 yen in Asian time before easing back as traders awaited U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday.

Britain&#39;s pound hit a one-year high above $1.33 and a six-week high on a trade-weighted basis before falling back after weak wage data that may undermine any threat the Bank of England might make about raising interest rates.

&quot;Now it&#39;s &#39;Wait and see&#39; for U.S. dollar investors,&quot; said Esther Reichelt, a strategist with Commerzbank in Frankfurt. &quot;Everyone&#39;s waiting for the inflation data tomorrow and the Fed next week.&quot;

After a soft start, oil prices were around half a percent higher after the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the&nbsp;global&nbsp;oil surplus was starting to shrink due to robust&nbsp;global&nbsp;demand and an output drop from OPEC and other producers

While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI's main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe's main markets were flat.

Disappointment over the timing of Apple’s iPhone X release hampered further gains for world stock markets on Wednesday after an easing of concerns about North Korea sent indices to record highs. While a broadly weaker yen pushed Tokyo higher, MSCI's main indicator of Asian shares outside Japan fell back from a 10-year peak and Europe's main markets were flat. Apple suppliers including AMS and Dialog fell by 1-3 percent in morning trade in Europe, with traders citing the later than expected Nov. 3 shipping date for the new iPhone. British semi-conductor firm IQE Plc sank more than 6 percent. Apple shares, which finished with a small loss on Tuesday, fell another 0.4 percent in pre-market trade. Wall Street overall was seen opening slightly lower. "It would appear that a running start to the week and fresh record highs in the S&P 500 has proven a little much for some traders, with profit taking seen ahead of Wednesday’s open," said Craig Erlam, an analyst with online broker Oanda. The pan-European STOXX 600 dipped 0.1 percent as weakness in chipmakers was compounded by a drop in miners. Chipmakers have been the best-performing among Europe's tech stocks this year, accounting for a large chunk of the sector's outperformance. AMS shares have gained 165 percent year-to-date. "The economics of the Apple announcement are interesting because it will really test this theory that inflation is going to be weak," said Mike Bell, global markets strategist with JP Morgan Asset Management in London. "With the iPhone coming in around $1,000 it will be interesting to see how healthy demand is. If it's relatively healthy I think it shows that there is still quite a lot of pricing power for U.S. companies and consumers have confidence." In currency markets the dominant trend this week has been a recovery for the dollar and sterling. The dollar hit a 12-day high above 110 yen in Asian time before easing back as traders awaited U.S. inflation numbers on Thursday. Britain's pound hit a one-year high above $1.33 and a six-week high on a trade-weighted basis before falling back after weak wage data that may undermine any threat the Bank of England might make about raising interest rates. "Now it's 'Wait and see' for U.S. dollar investors," said Esther Reichelt, a strategist with Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "Everyone's waiting for the inflation data tomorrow and the Fed next week." After a soft start, oil prices were around half a percent higher after the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the global oil surplus was starting to shrink due to robust global demand and an output drop from OPEC and other producers

Apple takes shine off global stocks rally

Oil&nbsp;prices rose on Friday as the US&nbsp;petroleum industry braced for Hurricane Harvey, which may become the biggest storm to hit the US mainland in more than a decade.

Harvey became a category 2 storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 105 mph (169 kph), 220 miles (355 km) off Corpus Christi, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.

The hurricane is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday between Corpus Christi and Houston, both important&nbsp;oil&nbsp;refining centers.

US light crude, also known as West Texas Intermediate or WTI, was up 30 cents at $47.73 a barrel by 1015 GMT. Brent crude was 30 cents higher at $52.34.

Energy companies have pulled workers from offshore&nbsp;oil&nbsp;platforms and halted onshore drilling in south Texas.

Just under 10 percent of offshore US. Gulf of Mexico crude output capacity and nearly 15 percent of natural gas production had been halted by midday on Thursday, government data showed.

&quot;Damage and flooding to refineries and shale fields, disrupted production in the Gulf of Mexico and infrastructure damage is unlikely to be bearish for WTI,&quot; said Jeffrey Halley, market analyst at brokerage OANDA.

US gasoline prices have risen almost 10 percent since Wednesday to a high of $1.74 a gallon, their loftiest since April as refiners shut down in preparation for the storm.

The Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, was closed to vessel traffic, a spokeswoman for the city&#39;s Port Authority said.

Oil&nbsp;refineries in the city run by Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy Corp, and Flint Hills Resources also began shutting down.

Beyond the storm&#39;s potential impact on the&nbsp;oil&nbsp;industry, crude remains in ample supply globally despite efforts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to hold back production in order to prop up prices.

OPEC, together with non-OPEC producers including Russia, has pledged to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) this year and in the first quarter of 2018. But not all producers have kept to their pledges and supplies remain high.

A joint OPEC, non-OPEC monitoring ministerial committee said on Thursday that an extension to the supply-cut pact beyond March was possible, though not yet decided.

Part of the reason for the crude glut has been rising U.S. production, which has jumped by 13 percent since mid-2016 to 9.53 million bpd, close to its 9.61 million bpd record from June 2015.

Harvey became a category 2 storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 105 mph (169 kph), 220 miles (355 km) off Corpus Christi, Texas

Oil prices rose on Friday as the US petroleum industry braced for Hurricane Harvey, which may become the biggest storm to hit the US mainland in more than a decade. Harvey became a category 2 storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 105 mph (169 kph), 220 miles (355 km) off Corpus Christi, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday between Corpus Christi and Houston, both important oil refining centers. US light crude, also known as West Texas Intermediate or WTI, was up 30 cents at $47.73 a barrel by 1015 GMT. Brent crude was 30 cents higher at $52.34. Energy companies have pulled workers from offshore oil platforms and halted onshore drilling in south Texas. Just under 10 percent of offshore US. Gulf of Mexico crude output capacity and nearly 15 percent of natural gas production had been halted by midday on Thursday, government data showed. "Damage and flooding to refineries and shale fields, disrupted production in the Gulf of Mexico and infrastructure damage is unlikely to be bearish for WTI," said Jeffrey Halley, market analyst at brokerage OANDA. US gasoline prices have risen almost 10 percent since Wednesday to a high of $1.74 a gallon, their loftiest since April as refiners shut down in preparation for the storm. The Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, was closed to vessel traffic, a spokeswoman for the city's Port Authority said. Oil refineries in the city run by Citgo Petroleum, Valero Energy Corp, and Flint Hills Resources also began shutting down. Beyond the storm's potential impact on the oil industry, crude remains in ample supply globally despite efforts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to hold back production in order to prop up prices. OPEC, together with non-OPEC producers including Russia, has pledged to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) this year and in the first quarter of 2018. But not all producers have kept to their pledges and supplies remain high. A joint OPEC, non-OPEC monitoring ministerial committee said on Thursday that an extension to the supply-cut pact beyond March was possible, though not yet decided. Part of the reason for the crude glut has been rising U.S. production, which has jumped by 13 percent since mid-2016 to 9.53 million bpd, close to its 9.61 million bpd record from June 2015.

Hurricane Harvey hits US mainland, oil prices increase

Pop superstar Katy Perry re-emerged on Friday after a quiet spell with a song of unity as part of the television coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics. 
 
The singer - one of the most successful artists of her generation - offered her first new music since her blockbuster 2013 album Prism with the song &#39;Rise&#39;. 
 
A midtempo electronic track, &#39;Rise&#39; takes on a triumphant tone befitting sports competitions, a change from the giddier pop feel of Perry&#39;s biggest hits. 
 
&#39;When you think the final nail is in / Think again / Don&#39;t be surprised / I will still rise,&#39; Perry sings on the song. 
 
The song will feature in the coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony on August 5 on NBC television, which has the lucrative contract to broadcast the summer games in the United States. 
 
A video for &#39;Rise&#39; produced with NBC will also appear before movies in more than 20,000 cinemas across the United States, her label said. 
 
Perry said the song had been &quot;brewing&quot; inside her for years but that she saw it as timely in light of troubles around the world. 
 
&quot;I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite,&quot; she said in a statement. 
 
&quot;I know that together we can rise above the fear - in our country, and around the world.&quot; 
 
&quot;I can&#39;t think of a better example than the Olympic athletes, as they gather in Rio with their strength and fearlessness, to remind us how we all can come together, with the resolve to be the best we can be.&quot; 
 
Perry released the song on Friday as an exclusive on Apple&#39;s iTunes and the tech giant&#39;s streaming service Apple Music. 
 
At age 31, Perry has already achieved phenomenal success and is the most followed on Twitter, with more than 90 million followers. 
 
She has released a string of viral singles including &#39;Roar&#39;, &#39;Teenage Dream&#39;, &#39;Firework&#39; and &#39;Last Friday Night (TGIF)&#39;. 
 
But Perry has had a comparatively quiet 2016 as she works on a new album. 
 
She finished a 151-date global tour in October last year in Costa Rica, although she has since then performed to support Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 
 
(AFP)

The track takes on a triumphant tone befitting sports competitions, a change from the giddier pop feel of Perry's biggest hits

Pop superstar Katy Perry re-emerged on Friday after a quiet spell with a song of unity as part of the television coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics. The singer - one of the most successful artists of her generation - offered her first new music since her blockbuster 2013 album Prism with the song 'Rise'. A midtempo electronic track, 'Rise' takes on a triumphant tone befitting sports competitions, a change from the giddier pop feel of Perry's biggest hits. 'When you think the final nail is in / Think again / Don't be surprised / I will still rise,' Perry sings on the song. The song will feature in the coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony on August 5 on NBC television, which has the lucrative contract to broadcast the summer games in the United States. A video for 'Rise' produced with NBC will also appear before movies in more than 20,000 cinemas across the United States, her label said. Perry said the song had been "brewing" inside her for years but that she saw it as timely in light of troubles around the world. "I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite," she said in a statement. "I know that together we can rise above the fear - in our country, and around the world." "I can't think of a better example than the Olympic athletes, as they gather in Rio with their strength and fearlessness, to remind us how we all can come together, with the resolve to be the best we can be." Perry released the song on Friday as an exclusive on Apple's iTunes and the tech giant's streaming service Apple Music. At age 31, Perry has already achieved phenomenal success and is the most followed on Twitter, with more than 90 million followers. She has released a string of viral singles including 'Roar', 'Teenage Dream', 'Firework' and 'Last Friday Night (TGIF)'. But Perry has had a comparatively quiet 2016 as she works on a new album. She finished a 151-date global tour in October last year in Costa Rica, although she has since then performed to support Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (AFP)

Katy Perry returns with Olympics anthem 'Rise'

India&#39;s headline inflation probably stayed near a two-year high in June even as industrial production in May likely contracted, increasing the odds that the central bank will keep interest rates on hold next month. 
 
Consumer prices in June are estimated to have risen 5.73 per cent on an annual basis, according to a Reuters poll, a tad lower than May&#39;s 5.76 per cent - the fastest pace since August 2014.&nbsp;That would be a worry for outgoing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan, who wants inflation kept below at 5 per cent by March 2017. 
 
The Aug. 9 policy meeting will be the last for Rajan, whose three-year term ends in early September. Between January 2015 and this April, he cut the repo rate by 150 basis points, to 6.50 per cent.&nbsp;After holding rates in June, the governor said the central bank was looking for room to reduce them further, but it remained concerned about pressure on food and commodity prices. 
 
Demand-driven pressures are likely to be stoked by the hike of salaries and pensions for about 10 million government employees and pensioners. Vegetable prices, meanwhile, have surged due to seasonal supply disruptions. 
 
While a pick-up in summer monsoon rains in recent weeks is expected to cool food inflation, most analysts don&#39;t expect another rate cut before a new governor is on the job. DBS in Singapore expects a rate cut in the October-December quarter. 
 
New Governor, New Mechanism 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to name a new governor before July 18. Government sources say the race is mainly between former RBI deputy governors Rakesh Mohan and Subir Gokarn. 
 
The government has to also constitute a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to set interest rates by a majority vote, a departure from the current regime where the decision effectively rests with the RBI chief.&nbsp;It aims to name the six-member committee before the August policy review. Three members of the MPC would be RBI insiders, headed by the governor who would have the casting vote in the event of a 3-3 split. 
 
Three external members would be chosen by a panel comprising Modi&#39;s cabinet secretary, the RBI governor, a top finance ministry bureaucrat and three outside experts named by the government.&nbsp;India&#39;s statistics office will release retail inflation data and industrial production data at 1200 GMT today. 
 
Analysts surveyed by Reuters expect output at factories, mines and utilities to shrink 0.4 per cent in May from a year earlier compared with a surprise 0.8 per cent annual contraction a month ago. 
 
(Reuters)

According to a Reuters poll, consumer prices in June rose 5.73 per cent on an annual basis, a tad lower than May's 5.76

India's headline inflation probably stayed near a two-year high in June even as industrial production in May likely contracted, increasing the odds that the central bank will keep interest rates on hold next month. Consumer prices in June are estimated to have risen 5.73 per cent on an annual basis, according to a Reuters poll, a tad lower than May's 5.76 per cent - the fastest pace since August 2014. That would be a worry for outgoing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan, who wants inflation kept below at 5 per cent by March 2017. The Aug. 9 policy meeting will be the last for Rajan, whose three-year term ends in early September. Between January 2015 and this April, he cut the repo rate by 150 basis points, to 6.50 per cent. After holding rates in June, the governor said the central bank was looking for room to reduce them further, but it remained concerned about pressure on food and commodity prices. Demand-driven pressures are likely to be stoked by the hike of salaries and pensions for about 10 million government employees and pensioners. Vegetable prices, meanwhile, have surged due to seasonal supply disruptions. While a pick-up in summer monsoon rains in recent weeks is expected to cool food inflation, most analysts don't expect another rate cut before a new governor is on the job. DBS in Singapore expects a rate cut in the October-December quarter. New Governor, New Mechanism Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to name a new governor before July 18. Government sources say the race is mainly between former RBI deputy governors Rakesh Mohan and Subir Gokarn. The government has to also constitute a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to set interest rates by a majority vote, a departure from the current regime where the decision effectively rests with the RBI chief. It aims to name the six-member committee before the August policy review. Three members of the MPC would be RBI insiders, headed by the governor who would have the casting vote in the event of a 3-3 split. Three external members would be chosen by a panel comprising Modi's cabinet secretary, the RBI governor, a top finance ministry bureaucrat and three outside experts named by the government. India's statistics office will release retail inflation data and industrial production data at 1200 GMT today. Analysts surveyed by Reuters expect output at factories, mines and utilities to shrink 0.4 per cent in May from a year earlier compared with a surprise 0.8 per cent annual contraction a month ago. (Reuters)

India's retail inflation expected to remain high in June

It&rsquo;s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me.&nbsp; 
 
It doesn&rsquo;t. 
 
The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society &ndash; xenophobia and racism. 
 
I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born &ndash; an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. 
 
We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there&#39;s doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best.&nbsp; 
 
His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. &ldquo;They don&rsquo;t like us. They don&rsquo;t want us,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
We are &ldquo;the other&rdquo;. 
 
The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. 
 
It has gotten ugly &ndash; fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs&rsquo; Council. &nbsp; 
 
There&#39;s been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them &ldquo;Polish vermin&rdquo;, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to &ldquo;go home&rdquo; -- she swiftly retorted, &ldquo;I AM HOME&rdquo; -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools.&nbsp; 
 
It all makes me sick. 
 
Then I wonder if this &ldquo;sudden&rdquo; surge of hatred for immigrants &ndash; &ldquo;the other&rdquo; &ndash; has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? 
 
If this is the real Britain, well, I don&rsquo;t love you either and in this break-up, it&rsquo;s not me &ndash; it&rsquo;s you.

UK has seen a 57 per cent rise in racist abuse since it decided to exit the EU and Clark, a Canadian, suddenly finds herself as 'the other'

It’s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me. It doesn’t. The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society – xenophobia and racism. I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born – an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there's doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best. His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. “They don’t like us. They don’t want us,” he said. We are “the other”. The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. It has gotten ugly – fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. There's been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them “Polish vermin”, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to “go home” -- she swiftly retorted, “I AM HOME” -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools. It all makes me sick. Then I wonder if this “sudden” surge of hatred for immigrants – “the other” – has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? If this is the real Britain, well, I don’t love you either and in this break-up, it’s not me – it’s you.

If this is the real Britain, then I don't love you

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{222}" paraid="738038165">On&nbsp;March 23,&nbsp;Abhishek Jalalabad&nbsp;spent the day&nbsp;practically praying&nbsp;that he did not&nbsp;see a whale in the waters of&nbsp;Palolem&nbsp;beach in South Goa. A day earlier a local branch of the conservation group, World Wild Fund, got in touch with him. It was a distress call.&nbsp;They wanted help rescuing an eight-foot&nbsp;dwarf&nbsp;sperm whale.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{235}" paraid="1162057803"> 
Jalalabad, a marine scientist,&nbsp;rushed to&nbsp;Palolem&nbsp;beach. By then, tourists and lifeguards had managed to release the whale into the Arabian Sea. But&nbsp;he&nbsp;stayed back on a hunch&nbsp;and his worst fears came true at about midnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{05f3f4ba-6c27-4e34-b44d-90488c3797f0}{247}" paraid="416318180"> 
The eight-foot whale returned to the shore in the dark of the night. Roughly 20 minutes after Jalalabad and his colleague, assisted by tourists, sent it back into the water, the&nbsp;whale beached&nbsp;again. This&nbsp;time, it lay still, dead.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tm514WannqY" width="560"></iframe>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{1}" paraid="7873198"> 
This was one of the roughly 90 reported cases of whale and dolphin&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;along the Indian shores in the past&nbsp;16 months.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{13}" paraid="1319860927"> 
More than 13,000&nbsp;kilometres&nbsp;away from Goa is California&rsquo;s Pacifica Beach. Nicole&nbsp;Strasser&nbsp;was heading home from working the night shift at the hospital, but in the parking lot she noticed a nasty stench. Something was afloat on the beach. To her dismay it was a dead whale --&nbsp;the second she&nbsp;saw in a matter of weeks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{25}" paraid="1458958582"> 
When WION spoke to&nbsp;Strasser, she was anxious. Last year she had spotted hundreds of whales in the sea. This year she has only seen dead ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{44}" paraid="109128051"> 
More and more&nbsp;mass whale and dolphin&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;are being reported the world over. Once beached, they face the risk of injury and death from dehydration.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;January&nbsp;was especially baffling for marine scientists in India. More than a hundred short-finned&nbsp;pilot whales &ndash; a species of dolphins &ndash; were found stranded along a 15-kilometre&nbsp;stretch on a beach on the East coast&nbsp;of which 45&nbsp;died.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{61}" paraid="19417065"> 
N&nbsp;Vasudevan, a conservationist&nbsp;for the&nbsp;Indian state of&nbsp;Maharashtra that flanks the western coast,&nbsp;told WION,&nbsp;&quot;The numbers are&nbsp;unusually high. Earlier, we rarely saw so many whales being washed ashore. We cannot say what is causing this.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{88}" paraid="1509952067"> 
No marine scientist can pinpoint the exact cause behind cetacean&nbsp;stranding. Giuseppe&nbsp;Notabartolo&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;is the&nbsp;president of Tethys Research Institute in Milan&nbsp;that is a non-profit&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;marine conservation through science and public awareness,. &quot;The news about whales and dolphins washing up dead in India in increasing numbers is worrisome. In India, it is clear that there isn&#39;t a single agent at work, but multiple causes, and each event has its own story,&rdquo;&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{102}" paraid="1559345755"> 
&quot;We humans are forgetting that all our activities conducted in unsustainable ways at sea are destroying not only the animal&nbsp;world,&nbsp;but our world as well,&quot;&nbsp;di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{119}" paraid="327036382"> 
Human disruptions also cost lives with dolphins getting caught-up in fishing lines and dying. A&nbsp;baby dolphin&nbsp;died after it&nbsp;was&nbsp;scooped out of shallow water by a swimmer&nbsp;and passed around at a beach in&nbsp;Argentina by a mob intent on clicking selfies with it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{134}" paraid="46539843"> 
In&nbsp;2015, scientists made a grim discovery in Patagonia, southern Chile: 337 dead&nbsp;Sei&nbsp;whales. This is the world&#39;s biggest mass whale stranding event ever recorded. A year on, investigators still have no explanation. Professor di&nbsp;Sciara&nbsp;speculated&nbsp;that the large number of dead whales in Chile must have a single cause, whereas it&nbsp;was&nbsp;&ldquo;very likely&#39; that the increase of dead whales in India is due to human activities, like plastic waste disposal in the sea,&nbsp;overfishing&nbsp;and underwater sonar&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{157}" paraid="969082255"> 
In 2004, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission&nbsp;concluded &ldquo;there is now compelling evidence that military sonar has a direct impact on&nbsp;beaked whales&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{166}" paraid="374851407"> 
In 2001, the U.S. Navy acknowledged that its active sonar played a role in the stranding deaths of 14 beaked whales, two&nbsp;minke&nbsp;whales, and a dolphin in the Bahamas in 2000. Autopsies of the&nbsp;beaked whales revealed that the animals had suffered acoustic trauma resulting in hemorrhaging around the brain, in the inner ears, and in the acoustic fats located in the head that are involved in sound transmission.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{186}" paraid="1217454194"> 
Dr. N&nbsp;Ramaiah, chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;felt&nbsp;behavioral patterns could be a possible factor in the mass stranding of 45&nbsp;pilot whales in India this year. &quot;As these&nbsp;pilot whales move in large groups, each pod has a leader. Sometimes they land up on the shore while following their leader&nbsp;that may have lost its way due to disorientation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{206}" paraid="794908400"> 
Mass&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;may not even be a true indicator of what&#39;s going on in the ocean. Clare&nbsp;Embling,&nbsp;lecturer of Marine Ecology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom,&nbsp;said&nbsp;stranding&nbsp;&quot;is always difficult to place in context, because only a small number that die will strand. Many big mammals sink, and where they die in relation to ocean currents, can influence how many strand. Seeing 30 sperm whales strand is upsetting, but it is difficult to know whether it is a fluke climatic event that caused it, or something more alarming.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{226}" paraid="1390480577"> 
One major factor, however, is plastic.&nbsp;It&nbsp;is found floating in all the world&rsquo;s oceans.&nbsp;Among 10 species of baleen whales, 60 per cent have been found to be tangled in ocean debris, while 20 per cent have ingested plastic or other waste by mistake. The study of 65 different species of toothed whales by&nbsp;environmental&nbsp;group&nbsp;Greenpeace reveals&nbsp;that&nbsp;8 per cent managed to entangle themselves in ocean waste, another 32 per cent ended up ingesting plastic&nbsp;dumped in the ocean.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{e20761c3-5ece-4734-9b3d-a84b8441cdad}{244}" paraid="1987002615"> 
Kumaran&nbsp;Sathasivam, coordinator of the Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India, said:&nbsp;&quot;Whales and dolphins consume plastic in the ocean thinking it is food. The ocean is already so&nbsp;polluted&nbsp;and it will take a lot of time for all this plastic to deteriorate.&quot;&nbsp;But to reduce all cetacean&nbsp;strandings&nbsp;to one cause is difficult without proper statistics, experts say.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{8}" paraid="557921561"> 
Independent marine ecologist,&nbsp;Dipani&nbsp;Sutaria, says, &quot;A concerted effort to document and&nbsp;publicise&nbsp;these [stranding] events has begun only since 2013. We now have researchers or interested individuals all along the&nbsp;west coast.&quot;&nbsp;Sutaria points out that&nbsp;11 Baleen whales were found stranded&nbsp;in 2015&nbsp;on the west coast of India --&nbsp;eight in Maharashtra and three in Gujarat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{17}" paraid="1377072721"> 
Sutaria believes&nbsp;the number of cases reported is directly proportionate to the response network on the coasts. There are fisher-folk, tourists, forest department staff, independent researchers, and local&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;that pass on information in case a marine mammal washes ashore.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{31}" paraid="931235265"> 
While this mysterious uptick of beached&nbsp;whales is&nbsp;recent, the phenomenon itself is surprisingly old. Evidence of mass&nbsp;beaching&nbsp;has puzzled scientists as far back as 300 BC. &ldquo;It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Greek philosopher&nbsp;Aristotle. &ldquo;It is asserted that this happens when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f8fb269c-e177-4ca3-8947-a18c6761d825}{34}" paraid="1428470953"> 
&nbsp;</div>

Dead whales, dolphins wash up on beaches from India to California and nobody knows why. Can anything save them?

On March 23, Abhishek Jalalabad spent the day practically praying that he did not see a whale in the waters of Palolem beach in South Goa. A day earlier a local branch of the conservation group, World Wild Fund, got in touch with him. It was a distress call. They wanted help rescuing an eight-foot dwarf sperm whale. Jalalabad, a marine scientist, rushed to Palolem beach. By then, tourists and lifeguards had managed to release the whale into the Arabian Sea. But he stayed back on a hunch and his worst fears came true at about midnight. The eight-foot whale returned to the shore in the dark of the night. Roughly 20 minutes after Jalalabad and his colleague, assisted by tourists, sent it back into the water, the whale beached again. This time, it lay still, dead. This was one of the roughly 90 reported cases of whale and dolphin strandings along the Indian shores in the past 16 months. More than 13,000 kilometres away from Goa is California’s Pacifica Beach. Nicole Strasser was heading home from working the night shift at the hospital, but in the parking lot she noticed a nasty stench. Something was afloat on the beach. To her dismay it was a dead whale -- the second she saw in a matter of weeks. When WION spoke to Strasser, she was anxious. Last year she had spotted hundreds of whales in the sea. This year she has only seen dead ones. More and more mass whale and dolphin strandings are being reported the world over. Once beached, they face the risk of injury and death from dehydration. However, January was especially baffling for marine scientists in India. More than a hundred short-finned pilot whales – a species of dolphins – were found stranded along a 15-kilometre stretch on a beach on the East coast of which 45 died. N Vasudevan, a conservationist for the Indian state of Maharashtra that flanks the western coast, told WION, "The numbers are unusually high. Earlier, we rarely saw so many whales being washed ashore. We cannot say what is causing this.” No marine scientist can pinpoint the exact cause behind cetacean stranding. Giuseppe Notabartolo di Sciara is the president of Tethys Research Institute in Milan that is a non-profit organisation supporting marine conservation through science and public awareness,. "The news about whales and dolphins washing up dead in India in increasing numbers is worrisome. In India, it is clear that there isn't a single agent at work, but multiple causes, and each event has its own story,” di Sciara said. "We humans are forgetting that all our activities conducted in unsustainable ways at sea are destroying not only the animal world, but our world as well," di Sciara added. Human disruptions also cost lives with dolphins getting caught-up in fishing lines and dying. A baby dolphin died after it was scooped out of shallow water by a swimmer and passed around at a beach in Argentina by a mob intent on clicking selfies with it. In 2015, scientists made a grim discovery in Patagonia, southern Chile: 337 dead Sei whales. This is the world's biggest mass whale stranding event ever recorded. A year on, investigators still have no explanation. Professor di Sciara speculated that the large number of dead whales in Chile must have a single cause, whereas it was “very likely' that the increase of dead whales in India is due to human activities, like plastic waste disposal in the sea, overfishing and underwater sonar”. In 2004, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission concluded “there is now compelling evidence that military sonar has a direct impact on beaked whales”. In 2001, the U.S. Navy acknowledged that its active sonar played a role in the stranding deaths of 14 beaked whales, two minke whales, and a dolphin in the Bahamas in 2000. Autopsies of the beaked whales revealed that the animals had suffered acoustic trauma resulting in hemorrhaging around the brain, in the inner ears, and in the acoustic fats located in the head that are involved in sound transmission. Dr. N Ramaiah, chief scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, however, felt behavioral patterns could be a possible factor in the mass stranding of 45 pilot whales in India this year. "As these pilot whales move in large groups, each pod has a leader. Sometimes they land up on the shore while following their leader that may have lost its way due to disorientation,” he said. Mass strandings may not even be a true indicator of what's going on in the ocean. Clare Embling, lecturer of Marine Ecology at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom, said stranding "is always difficult to place in context, because only a small number that die will strand. Many big mammals sink, and where they die in relation to ocean currents, can influence how many strand. Seeing 30 sperm whales strand is upsetting, but it is difficult to know whether it is a fluke climatic event that caused it, or something more alarming." One major factor, however, is plastic. It is found floating in all the world’s oceans. Among 10 species of baleen whales, 60 per cent have been found to be tangled in ocean debris, while 20 per cent have ingested plastic or other waste by mistake. The study of 65 different species of toothed whales by environmental group Greenpeace reveals that 8 per cent managed to entangle themselves in ocean waste, another 32 per cent ended up ingesting plastic dumped in the ocean. Kumaran Sathasivam, coordinator of the Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India, said: "Whales and dolphins consume plastic in the ocean thinking it is food. The ocean is already so polluted and it will take a lot of time for all this plastic to deteriorate." But to reduce all cetacean strandings to one cause is difficult without proper statistics, experts say. Independent marine ecologist, Dipani Sutaria, says, "A concerted effort to document and publicise these [stranding] events has begun only since 2013. We now have researchers or interested individuals all along the west coast." Sutaria points out that 11 Baleen whales were found stranded in 2015 on the west coast of India -- eight in Maharashtra and three in Gujarat. Sutaria believes the number of cases reported is directly proportionate to the response network on the coasts. There are fisher-folk, tourists, forest department staff, independent researchers, and local organisations that pass on information in case a marine mammal washes ashore. While this mysterious uptick of beached whales is recent, the phenomenon itself is surprisingly old. Evidence of mass beaching has puzzled scientists as far back as 300 BC. “It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore,” said Greek philosopher Aristotle. “It is asserted that this happens when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason."

Sharp rise in whale, dolphin stranding deaths in India

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