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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Thursday, May 20, 2021

For Migrant Children in Federal Care, a ‘Sense of Desperation’ (NYT) In a federal shelter in Dallas, migrant children sleep in a windowless convention center room under fluorescent lights that never go dark. At a military base in El Paso, teenagers pile onto bunk cots, and some say they have gone days without bathing. And in Erie, Pa., problems began emerging within days of the shelter’s creation: “Fire safety system is a big concern,” an internal report noted. Some of the hot water heaters were not working, and lice was “a big issue and seems to be increasing.” Early this year, children crossing the southwestern border in record numbers were crammed into Customs and Border Protection’s cold-floored, jail-like detention facilities. They slept side by side on mats with foil blankets, almost always far longer than the legal limit of 72 hours. Republicans declared it a crisis. Democrats and immigration groups denounced the conditions, which erupted into an international embarrassment for President Biden, who had campaigned on a return to compassion in the immigration system. The administration responded by rapidly setting up temporary, emergency shelters, including some that could house thousands of children. But the next potential crisis is coming into view. “I know the administration wants to take a victory lap for moving children out of Border Patrol stations—and they deserve credit for doing that,” said Leecia Welch, a lawyer and the senior director of the legal advocacy and child welfare practice at the National Center for Youth Law, a nonprofit law firm focused on low-income children. “But the truth is, thousands of traumatized children are still lingering in massive detention sites on military bases or convention centers, and many have been relegated to unsafe and unsanitary conditions.”

Ceasefire calls and U.S. credibility (Foreign Policy) As the bombings [in Gaza] continue, the human toll is becoming clearer. More than 52,000 people in Gaza have been displaced by Israel’s aerial assault, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, with most seeking refuge in U.N.-run schools. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) confirmed that 11 of the more than 60 children killed so far by Israeli airstrikes were participants in an NRC program helping children deal with trauma. Even if hostilities soon end, the Biden administration’s resistance to a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire has tested U.S. credibility. “They pledged to come back and support the U.N. system and multilateralism,” one council diplomat said in a report by Foreign Policy’s Colum Lynch and Robbie Gramer. “We don’t see that happening now in the Security Council.” The episode also encouraged China to carve out a leadership role at the Security Council on Middle East issues, a topic where it usually takes a back seat, while at the same time allowing it to dodge questions on its actions in Xinjiang. Multiple reports appeared on Tuesday, attempting to shine light on Biden’s approach not to call publicly for a cease-fire. They depict an administration wary of getting on the bad side of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The tactic has been criticized as a misreading of U.S. leverage over an ally to which it provides significant military aid and political support. Shibley Telhami, writing in the Boston Globe, voiced some of that criticism on Tuesday. “If an American president cannot leverage this extraordinary and unprecedented support to advance core American values,” Telhami writes, “what hope is there for succeeding anywhere else?”

Spain Sends Troops to African Enclave After Migrant Crossings Jump (NYT) Spain deployed troops, military trucks and helicopters in its North African enclave of Ceuta on Tuesday after thousands of people crossed over from Morocco, one of the largest movements of migrants reported in the area in recent years. More than 8,000 migrants, including nearly 2,000 minors, arrived on the beaches of Ceuta on Monday and Tuesday, mostly swimming or aboard inflatable boats, according to the Spanish authorities, who said that Spain had already sent back 4,000 people. The sudden arrival of thousands of people in Ceuta—more than had attempted the crossing in all the rest of the year so far—comes amid a deepening diplomatic spat between Spain and Morocco over the hospitalization in Spain of the leader of a rebel group that has fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco. Videos broadcast on Spanish television on Tuesday appeared to show Moroccan border guards opening fences to the Spanish enclave. While Morocco has warned of “consequences” for harboring the rebel leader, it was not immediately clear if the spike in migration was linked to the diplomatic dispute.

Grand day for the French: Cafe and bistro terraces reopen (AP) It’s a grand day for the French. Cafe and restaurant terraces reopened Wednesday after a six-month coronavirus shutdown deprived residents of the essence of French “joie de vivre”—sipping coffee and red wine with friends. The French government is lifting restrictions incrementally to stave off a resurgence of COVID-19 and to give citizens back some of their world famous lifestyle. As part of the plan’s first stage, France’s 7 p.m. nightly curfew was pushed back to 9 p.m. and museums, theaters and cinemas reopened along with outdoor cafe terraces. France is not the first European country to start getting back a semblance of social and cultural life. Italy, Belgium, Hungary and other nations already allow outdoor dining while drinking and eating indoors began Monday in Britain.

Indian navy searches for 78 missing from barge sunk by storm (AP) Indian navy ships and helicopters searched in rough weather and seas Wednesday for 78 people still missing from a barge that sank off Mumbai as a deadly cyclone blew ashore this week. Navy Cdr. Alok Anand said 183 people were rescued within 24 hours by three ships and helicopters engaged in the operation. Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to hit the region in more than two decades, packed sustained winds of up to 210 kilometers (130 miles) per hour when it came ashore in Gujarat state late Monday. The storm left at least 25 dead in Gujarat and Maharashtra states. The Hindu newspaper Wednesday tallied more than 16,000 houses damaged in Gujarat state and trees and power poles uprooted.

How Myanmar's military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens (Reuters) In the months before the Myanmar military's Feb. 1 coup, the country's telecom and internet service providers were ordered to install intercept spyware that would allow the army to eavesdrop on the communications of citizens, sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters. The technology gives the military the power to listen in on calls, view text messages and web traffic including emails, and track the locations of users without the assistance of the telecom and internet firms, the sources said. The directives are part of a sweeping effort by the army to deploy electronic surveillance systems and exert control over the internet with the aim of keeping tabs on political opponents, squashing protests and cutting off channels for any future dissent, they added.

Restrictions reimposed as virus resurges in much of Asia (AP) Taxi drivers are starved for customers, weddings are suddenly canceled, schools are closed, and restaurant service is restricted across much of Asia as the coronavirus makes a resurgence in countries where it had seemed to be well under control. Sparsely populated Mongolia has seen its death toll soar from 15 to 233, while Taiwan, considered a major success in battling the virus, has recorded more than 1,000 cases since last week and placed over 600,000 people in two-week medical isolation. Hong Kong and Singapore have postponed a quarantine-free travel bubble for a second time after an outbreak in Singapore of uncertain origin. China, which has all but stamped out local infections, has seen new cases apparently linked to contact with people arriving from abroad. The resurgence hasn’t come close to the carnage wrought in India and parts of Europe, but it is a keen reminder that the virus remains resilient.

Immigration In Japan Under Pressure (NYT) For months Japanese jailers said they ‘thought’ the young migrant from Sri Lanka was faking her illness, even as she wasted away before their eyes before dying alone in her cell. Wishma Rathayake had a lifelong fascination with Japan. She entered the country in the summer of 2017 to study Japanese at a school in the Tokyo suburbs, hoping eventually to teach English. She met another Sri Lankan student in Japan who became her boyfriend. Sadly, after a series of unwise decisions, unfortunate events, and a now-expired residence permit, she found herself in a detention center a few hours south of Tokyo, awaiting deportation. It was August 2020. While in detention she was threatened by her ex-boyfriend, now back in Sri Lanka. She thought she’d be safer in Japan, and with the encouragement of advisers at START, a local nonprofit, she decided to try to stay. That move irritated officials at the detention center, who demanded she change her mind. In late December Wishma fell ill with a fever. Within weeks she was having trouble eating, standing, and speaking. In late January 2021 a doctor prescribed her vitamins and painkillers, but they made her even sicker, so she filed for a provisional release. Detention centers had already released hundreds of healthy detainees due to coronavirus concerns, but in mid-February Wishma’s request was denied without explanation. She submitted a second request on medical grounds; by this time she was so weak she could barely sign the form. Despite the severity of her symptoms, officials waited until March 4 to take her to a hospital. Two days later the 33-year-old was dead. Japan has a long history of hostility toward immigration. Despite being the world’s third-largest economy, it settles less than 1% of asylum applicants—just 47 in 2020. Critics of the country’s immigration system say most decisions are made in secret; detainees who have overstayed their visas can be held indefinitely, with little access to courts. Detainees who apply for asylum, as Wishma did, are particularly unwelcome. Critics say Wishma was the victim of an opaque and capricious bureaucracy that has nearly unchecked power over foreigners who run afoul of it. And while there have been other instances of inhumane treatment of foreigners that ended in death, especially for people of color, the particularly egregious circumstances of Wishma’s death have driven national outrage to a whole new level. Protesters have gathered almost daily in front of Parliament, and objections by opposition lawmakers have been unusually fierce.

Experts warn shuttered Australia is becoming a ‘hermit nation’ (AFP) Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended his “Fortress Australia” Covid-19 restrictions Tuesday, as experts warned that plans to keep the borders closed for another year will create a “hermit nation”. Last March, Australia took the unprecedented step of closing its borders to foreign visitors and banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving. That prompted the first population decline since World War I, stranded tens of thousands of Australian citizens overseas and separated hundreds of thousands of residents from family members. But the country now has almost no community transmission and life for most is relatively normal. And the government’s recent suggestion that borders could remain closed for another year has sparked fierce debate. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid on Tuesday warned: “Australia cannot keep its international borders closed indefinitely.” A University of Sydney task force examining how Australia can safely reopen this week went further, warning the country “cannot continue to lock itself off from the world as a hermit nation indefinitely”.

Powerless (NYT) Abeer Ghanem, like many Gazans, long struggled to work around the long blackouts that blighted the besieged Palestinian enclave along the Mediterranean Sea. But with the outbreak of hostilities a week ago between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, she said, she now gets at best four hours of electricity a day, intermittently. When it comes on, her family scrambles to charge their lights and batteries for the long, sleepless nights punctuated by outgoing Hamas rockets and the thunder of Israeli airstrikes. A combination of fuel shortages, damage to the electricity supply lines running from Israel and an aerial bombardment that has torn apart local power lines means that many families are receiving at most three to four hours of electricity a day, according to Gaza’s power company. “What we have now for fuel will last for two or three days,” said Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the Electricity Distribution Co. of Gaza. The power shortages are compounding the daily misery for Gazans and are also taking a toll on the provision of water, sewage treatment and the ability of hospitals, swamped with casualties, to function. Even if supplies resume, the crisis has caused millions of dollars in infrastructure damage.

Palestinians go on strike as Israel-Hamas fighting rages (AP) Palestinians across Israel and the occupied territories went on strike in a rare collective protest Tuesday as Israeli missiles toppled a building in Gaza and militants in the Hamas-ruled territory fired dozens of rockets that killed two people. The general strike was a sign that the war could widen again after a spasm of communal violence in Israel and protests across the occupied West Bank last week. Although the strike was peaceful in many places, with shops in Jerusalem’s usually bustling Old City markets shuttered, violence erupted in cities in the West Bank. Hundreds of Palestinians burned tires in Ramallah and hurled stones at an Israeli military checkpoint. Troops fired tear gas, and protesters picked up some of the canisters and threw them back. Three protesters were killed and more than 140 wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said two soldiers were wounded by gunshots to the leg. The general strike was an uncommon show of unity by Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20% of its population.

#headlines #news

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newscountryindia · 4 years ago

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Alibaug, resort town adjoining Mumbai braces for Nisarga landfall Image Source : AP Alibaug, resort town adjoining Mumbai braces for Nisarga landfall Maharashtra's coastal town of Alibaug has braced itself for impact as 'severe cyclone storm' Nisarga is all set to make landfall with the wind speed ranging from 110 kmph to 120 kmph between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

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ashutentaran · 4 years ago

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a red alert for Goa, Gujarat, Konkan and Mumbai.

Mumbai witnessed heavy rain on Wednesday with wind speed reaching upto 106 km per hour which is way more than recent cyclone Nisarg

#Today News Headlines #News in India #News Update #News #Today news

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brajeshupadhyay · 4 years ago

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Cyclone Nisarga is fast approaching the coast of Maharashtra and Gujarat and will remain a severe cyclonic storm system till the evening on Wednesday, with wind reaching a maximum sustained speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, a bulletin from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said. In a tweet, the IMD said the diameter of the eye is about 65 km as observed through the radar. As of Tuesday night, the storm lay centred over the East Central Arabian Sea, 290 kilometres west-northwest of Panjim, 290 kilometres south-southwest of Mumbai, 250 kilometres south-southwest of Alibaug and 500 kilometres south-southwest of Surat. It is likely to move north-northeastwards, the storm is expected to cross north Maharashtra and the adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibaug on Wednesday afternoon. Nisarga is predicted to reduce in intensity to a cyclonic storm by Wednesday evening and then a deep depression by night, the bulletin said. North Konkan (comprising Mumbai, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts) and north Madhya Maharashtra are expected to witness heavy rains on Wednesday, while light to moderate rainfall has been predicted over coastal Karnataka and Marathawada and west Madhya Pradesh. “Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places over south Konkan (Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts) and Goa and south Gujarat region (Valsad, Navsari, Dang, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Surat districts),“ the bulletin read. The Arabian Sea is likely to be very rough over the northeast along and off the south Gujarat coast and fishermen have been advised to completely suspend operations. Major damage to thatched houses and huts, roads, power and communication lines, embankments and coastal crops is expected. The strong winds are also expected to cause damage to trees, the IMD warning said. Cyclone Nisarga is the first such storm Mumbai will witness in over a century. It is expected to make landfall near Alibaug. Over 1,00,000 people, including some coronavirus patients, have been moved to safer locations in Mumbai, a report claimed. "The cyclone could be more severe than the ones the state has faced till now. Activities which had resumed (as part of easing of lockdown) will be kept shut there for the next two days, people should remain alert," Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said. Over 30 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams have been deployed in areas expected to be affected along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts. One NDRF team consists of 45 personnel. Three NDRF teams have been stationed in Mumbai, with two in Palghar and one each in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. A control room has been established at the Maharashtra secretariat building and will be operational round the clock. Instructions have also been given to the Army, Air Force, Navy and the IMD to ensure coordination. Around 20,000 people from 47 coastal villages in Gujarat's Valsad and Navsari districts were evacuated, PTI reported. Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms to have formed over the Bay of Bengal in recent years, struck West Bengal and parts of Odisha last month, killing nearly 100 people and affecting lakhs. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee estimated the damage done at Rs 1 lakh crore.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/06/cyclone-nisarga-may-bring-in-gale-force.html

#SEO #Local SEO training #daily news paper #daily news india #daily news newspaper #technology news a

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travelnew · 4 years ago

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THE CAT BEHAVIOUR BEFORE THE CYCLONE NISARG CROSSES:

3 June 2020 - Before the Cyclone Nisarg crossed Mumbai - observe the behaviour of the stray cat. It secured itself on a ladder! & The last photo is her usual way of resting - on the ground. Observe the sparrows, all huddled up on a window sill, before the cyclone passes.

#cat #kitten #sparrow #animals #Cyclone Nisarg #cyclone #behaviour

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overlooked-tracks · 2 years ago

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Why L.Y.D. Has Put Being a Music Educator in the Backseat

The following article has been posted on October 04, 2022 at 09:55PM:

An Overlooked Tracks News Finding: Here’s an article you might have overlooked. Having a partnership with NewsAPI, we try to catch music entertainment news for you to view, read and possibly enjoy. We will continue to find what’s available in the world of music entertainment, concert information and music releases. But obviously you – the listener and reader are the biggest source for news in your area, so if you can share with us. For right now, look at what we found for you:

“From The Rolling Stone – India Magazine Website – Why L.Y.D. Has Put Being a Music Educator in the Backseat”

The Mumbai/Munich vocalist, composer and DJ talks about juggling different roles and her soulful new song ‘Luna’

Mumbai/Munich-based artist Lydia Hendrikje Hornung aka L.Y.D.

Last week, Germany-bred and Mumbai/Munich-based artist Lydia Hendrikje aka L.Y.D. dropped her latest single, the R&B-meets-soul offering “Luna.” The track comes two years after the singer, DJ and music educator released her last song “Forgive.” In this interview with Rolling Stone India, L.Y.D. tells us about what she’s been up to recently, talks about the new song and updates us on what’s to come in the future.

We’ve seen you performing at gigs in India for a few years now, most recently at this year’s Jazz Day at Mumbai’s anitiSOCIAL. So, I’m curious to know what was it that brought you to India initially?

I initially came as a music educator about seven years ago actually. So, it’s been a long time since then. In the beginning, I was with True School of Music (TSM). I’ve always done a lot of music-related projects on the side. Then a couple of years after TSM, I started my own company so that I could stay and work as a musician on a freelance basis. Since then, I’ve just been gigging and started DJing too, a couple of years ago. So, it’s all kinds of different things.

Your last release was “Forgive,” which came out in 2020. What’s been happening since then?

Actually, I got super lucky in the pandemic to get two teaching jobs, which was of course the only way to survive then because there were no gigs. I had initially planned before the pandemic to teach much less and just do gigs and write my own music. Only now, like this year, did I really stop teaching. It was a hard decision for me. I’ve made the conscious effort to say, ‘Okay, you have to stop for a while just to get enough time.’ Because like with everything, it takes a lot of time to sit with your music, to produce it in the way that you like it, and just to get inspiration.

Talk to me about “Luna” and how it came together, as well as what the song means to you?

So, it’s quite dramatic and emotional. I’m basically currently shifting between Munich and Mumbai after six years. Last year, I took the decision to also start working again in Munich. It was sort of this decision, how you carry ideas inside of you, but then there’d be like a dramatic trigger for me to actually act upon it. So, [in this case it was] a breakup. I was living in Goa at the time and there was a cyclone, and it was also monsoon and it was another lockdown. So, a lot of things [were going on] and it was not the most warm, cozy atmosphere. And when that was combined with the breakup, I was just like, ‘I’m going to relocate for a while,’ and I moved to Germany.

I had honestly lived in Germany for 13 years because I lived in Holland before that to study, and then I was in India for six years. So, for me it was like, you know, you think it’s easy to reintegrate, but it’s not at all. And it was like the feeling of being completely uprooted. I mean, after a breakup and then you also don’t really feel at home there. You don’t really have your base yet and you don’t feel grounded. So, it was kind of like a mantra to believe that every day is just passing by and that’s why it’s ‘Luna.’ It’s basically a little bit like a lullaby to the moon. Give me some good sleep, give me some strength for the next day to get through it. So, it’s really that you just sometimes need to endure it and to typically just pass time to get somewhere where you’re feeling good again.

What was the production process for the song like?

I worked with a producer friend of mine, Luca Petracca from Italy. I write all my music and compose the lyrics and produce it, but then I always like to get some other ears on it. He worked with me a little bit under my sort of co‑production leadership, so I kind of already knew what I wanted. We worked together and we’re really good friends. He also used to be in India, and we’ve worked together before. So, he helped me out to, let’s say, solidly just to get it in the exact spot.

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and can be found on the Overlooked Tracks website: https://ift.tt/CU627Ww. Check out more music news from Overlooked Tracks! Music Headline News, Music Profile

#Music #Musicislife #musica #MusicLover #podcast #podcaster

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krishnamaheshwari30098 · 3 years ago

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2021- The year of Optimism

Everyone began the year 2021 with hopes of recovering from the catastrophe that COVID-19 was. Looking at the scenario of the previous year, 2020, the thought process was "things will never be the same again." But resilience was everywhere; the world started to emerge from the worst of the pandemic and focused on adapting to the 'New Normal'. Covid certainly was the primary reason that led to multiple difficulties in everyone's lives, though the virus cannot be solely blamed.

Besides Covid, the year did face natural calamities, ongoing conflicts along with world events that kept everyone glued to their news feeds. As time unfolded: political unrest at home and abroad, floods, cyclones and forest fires connected to the growing global climate crisis, and new variants of COVID-19.

The catastrophe of COVID got worse

A new variant emerged in the first half of the year called Delta and spread widely. Many countries faced medical insufficiencies due to the hefty expenditure spent in the previous year for an unforeseen crisis. The virus had long term effects on individuals, resulting in the diagnosis of black, white and yellow fungus. Hospitals lacked beds, ventilators and oxygen cylinder supply for covid affected patients because of the rapid rising cases and insufficient medical aid. The number of deaths due to Covid in 2021 surpassed the total of 2020 despite the precautions taken.

Another variant- Omicron was discovered towards the end of the year. Experts did warn that covid will have more mutants and the world might have to face another surge of cases, hence, covid protocols need to be followed.

People were pushed into poverty; several people lost their jobs and some families even lost their sole breadwinner to the virus. Children had to compromise on schooling due to lack of funds, resources or in some cases, the school itself couldn't continue functioning. The second wave of Covid19 created a shortage of food among the underprivileged.

Filaantro in collaboration with Child Help Foundation and Khushiyaan Foundation, helped the underprivileged to survive with food, relief packages, medical kits and oxygen during these difficult times.

- Filaantro along with partnered NGO Khushiyaan Foundation initiated a project- 'Roti Ghar' started serving fresh meals to more than 1800 kids every day in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Odisha & Delhi.

- Along with partnered NGOs (Khushiyaan Foundation, Child Help Foundation), Filaantro started a project called - Free Oxygen Seva, which released 3 helpline numbers. These provided details regarding hospital beds and oxygen cylinder availability at covid treatment centres.

- Child Help Foundation (CHF) partnered with Filaantro to support and help in feeding and counselling underprivileged children on a daily basis. The mission ‘Zero Hunger’ started with the thought,” Not a single person should sleep on an empty stomach,” now serves food to more than 2000 underprivileged children daily nationwide.

2021 faced not one but multiple natural calamities at numerous locations. Cyclones at different coasts, landslides and floods in many states caused numerous casualties. A few districts of Maharashtra like Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara and Kolhapur were majorly affected by heavy rains and caused deaths and other casualties. Similarly, Kerala witnessed high-intensity floods in October that affected the residents badly.

The state of Assam was severely affected by the floods this year. Many lost their lives while others had no home, food or clothes to survive.

To help the victims affected by these devastating floods, Child Help Foundation distributed Ration Kits, Soaps, Medical kits and Sanitary Napkins with the funds raised by Filaantro.

Education plays an important role in shaping a child's life. It improves a child's knowledge, skills and develops the personality and attitude. And schools are one of the primary mediums that help impart quality education. Lady Willingdon Girl’s Higher Secondary School is a well-known school helping the girl children educate and make a better career. However, these girls were not able to study in uncomfortable conditions (broken furniture, broken toilets, improper electricity, no water supply and uncleaned classrooms) and there was a possibility of getting hurt from the broken furniture and the damaged infrastructure. Lights and electrical wires could have gotten damaged through the water leaks leading to short circuits. Children's health would have been at risk because of improper hygiene.

A fundraising campaign was carried out by Child Help Foundation on Filaantro, its crowdfunding platform to raise funds for the school renovation. The Campaign was able to collect the funds required. This renovation helped more than 100 girl children to study in a better environment. It also encouraged other girls to join the School. Although it's a 100% tuition fee free school, the number of dropouts kept increasing due to the poor infrastructure of the school but with the improved school’s condition, more girls will be encouraged to attend the school.

People suffered not only due to covid but other diseases as well. A lot of underprivileged children suffering from life-threatening diseases like CHD (Congenital Heart Defects), Cancer, Diabetes, Kidney Failures from financially weaker sections of the society were not able to get proper treatment in hospitals. For such financially deprived families, Filaantro and Child Help Foundation raised funds to help them afford life-saving treatments for their children. Visit Filaantro.org to know more.

The year had an unprecedented effect on the lives of people, particularly those in the golden age. They not only feared for their health, but also the stigma attached to the infection. The lockdown unfolded their fears further, as they faced isolation, uncertainty, and income loss. The elderly living in old age homes without the love of their families had a bigger challenge of spending days alone in fear and tension. It is very important to make their lives a little easier just by sharing some love and spending time. And to share this love, the team visited Mercy Old Age Home, where more than 80 senior citizens live. Our team spent a happy time with them who are young at heart and full of wisdom. The team also distributed heaters (Geysers) and warm clothes to the Senior Citizen Home which will benefit them in the coming winter days. The team also had a small celebration for the coming new year.

Although 2021 was the year of new variants of a deadly virus, natural calamities and world economies along with the struggle to recover; we can not say it was a dreadful one. A lot of good, positive and uplifting things happened too!

The most significant achievement was the vaccine! The world has never made and distributed a vaccine for disease faster than it did for COVID-19. Billions of people got vaccinated against the virus. In October, India achieved the milestone of administering one billion Covid-19 vaccine doses as part of the national immunisation drive that started in January 2021.

Contingents of India at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020 results made 2021 the best year for Indian Sports.

Neeraj Chopra created history as became the first Indian athlete to win an individual Olympic gold by winning the men's javelin throw. PV Sindhu won the bronze medal, becoming the first women athlete to win Olympic medals for India. Other Champions like Lovlina Borgohain (Boxer), Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Wrestler), Bajrang Punia (Wrestler), Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifter), Indian men's national field hockey team, won 7 medals in total- 2 silver, 4 bronze and 1 gold. This surely was India's best performance ever.

Indian athletes appeared in the 2020 Paralympics. This was India's most successful Paralympic season with 5 golds, 8 silvers and 6 bronzes (total 19) medals.

India had another proud moment this year. Harnaaz Sandhu from Punjab won the Miss Universe crown. She represented India at the 70th Miss Universe beauty pageant held in Israel. Sandhu brought the crown home, 21 years after Lara Datta had won the title in 2020.

Festivals Celebrated in India are a true manifestation of its rich culture and traditions. The most exciting ones that are also celebrated nationwide are Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Christmas and the list could go on. During these celebrations, the underprivileged people are often neglected, which makes them feel very unfortunate and cheerless. - Indoco remedies decided to raise the spirits of those who are impoverished and celebrated their 75th year of success during Christmas week in a unique way. In collaboration with Child Help Foundation and its crowdfunding partner Filaantro, they set up a 'Wish Tree' that had multiple pluck cards for goodies to donate to those children in the destitute. Their employees donated in ample amounts to improve several little lives.

Human beings are naturally resistant to change. Whether it’s the massive global upheaval of the last two years or transitions closer to home, it’s never easy to adjust to new ways of living.

Yet, progress is possible, but not inevitable. Despite many setbacks and downfalls, people have learnt and are learning to adapt to changes and lead better lives.

What are we taking in 2022?

The simple answer is 'Optimism.' Let us all welcome the new year with lots of positivity. And take a pledge that we will help more people in the coming year with whatever that we have and can be used.

A helping hand can be in any form - material, emotional or monetary.

Just one act of kindness can change someone's entire life.

Filaantro is an online crowdfunding platform that strives to help those in need by raising funds for them with a large number of individuals donating to a cause.

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srbachchan · 5 years ago

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DAY 4461

Jalsa, Mumbai May 24/25, 2020 Sun/Mon 2:43 AM

Dramatize .. the end resort of the having no answers .. of the feel for creating pity and sympathy .. of covering shortfall .. of a lapse to be covered ..

Works .. for the dramatizer .. not for the one it being directed to ..

That be the ‘take away’ from the hours of visual throughout the day by the idiot box .. impressive and drawing one into their lives .. and a feel that we be them .. in speech action and presence ..

Peculiar .. but so engrossing .. needed to carry on .. but the love of the Blog Post and the oft repeated apology for the writing on the day after the DAY is over, was too demanding and disciplined .. so here .. and long may the effect of the ‘elixir of life’ be within ..

‘The Last Dance’ of Jordan .. Air Jordan .. Michael Jordan reserves immense say in the grit and incentive laden thought and practice brought upon by the sportsman .. of initial question .. of work to perfect the craft .. of the selection management .. of victory and defeat and victory again .. of the criticism and abuse .. of the grandeur of praise and following ..

Of taking away the important feel from the ‘man’ .. they that swipe at him that deflate him , with ineffectiveness and unsolicited abuse .. for them a word ..

‘they say so because they cannot be HIM , that is why they say it ..’

.. be him first , for a day , a week , a month a year .. live his life and then bring on what needs to be thrown at him .. you will question only .. for, the answers are not your territory .. never will be .. cannot be .. you shall ever have questions only, because that is ALL that you have .. become him first .. become his stature .. become his calling , his generated love of his work and tact ..

THEN .. then lets us see if you are able to answer .. you cannot .. because YOU ARE NOT HIM .. AND NEVER WILL BE .. !!

They are that 1 in the 7.8 billion .. try becoming that first ..

The moon sighting in different parts of the World controls the celebration or the wishes for Eid .. the completion of Ramzan .. and the message of peace and love ..

.. to them that celebrate .. bring the joys of fulfilment and prayer and harmony ..

The dread of the CoViD spreads .. its numbers increase but so do the numbers of them that recover .. the Almighty be praised .. precautions continue .. the masks and its wearings prevail .. and Avinash rings in his contribution .. he be the ace photographer of the stills at various ad., shoots ..

.. wear the mask .. be protective .. not just for yourself but for the others as well ..

.. and the terrible devastation of the Cyclone that hit Bengal .. the Amphan .. the timely saving of the Ef in the turmoil and the damage to life and property .. so distressing ..

Just 2 days before it hit Bengal, I was warning Shoojit my director , who live with his family in Kolkata to be very careful because this one was going to be nasty ..

The greatest precaution that should be taken apart from the essentials and the medical is the barricading of doors and windows .. windows more .. the impact shatters the glass and that is a great injury creator .. barricade the doors with cross bars to prevent them from opening or breaking .. and tape the glass windows in a design that prevents it from shattering ..

.. if the blue lines are the outline of the window, then the tape should run as the Black lines .. diagonally and across as shown .. this gives maximum protection in the event of a hard impact ..

Ironically I learnt this during my years in Calcutta .. the head of a British Managing Agency Company that I visited for my work explained it to me during the time of a black out in the city .. in preparation for either an earthquake .. or in the eventuality of an unlikely war situation .. he said during the WW 2 , the homes in England were given this design to secure bomb attack impacts ..

It is another matter that he took great pride in explaining this design because it is the design of their flag .. the British flag .. 😁

.. ah well the Brits .. !

It comes up to almost 4 am ..

My love and night wishes to all ..

Amitabh Bachchan

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