India has conveyed its concerns to the Canadian government regarding hurdles that more than 33,000 Indian students are facing in their bid to reach Canada in time as the new semester at various universities start in September.The concerns were raised by India’s external affairs ministry with the Canadian high commission in New Delhi, while its Indian counterpart in Ottawa has taken it up with Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry.The final decision on the issue rests entirely with Canadian authorities.While Canadian missions in India have given Indian students priority and booked appointments for them, it appears the process could…
Author: Mike Harrison
In Rhineland-Palatinate state alone, one of the worst-hit regions in western Germany, police reported 110 dead, up from 98 previously. AFP | PUBLISHED ON JUL 18, 2021 09:57 AM IST The death toll from devastating floods has risen to 156 in Germany, police said Sunday morning, bringing the total to at least 183 fatalities from the disaster in western Europe.In Rhineland-Palatinate state alone, one of the worst-hit regions in western Germany, police reported 110 dead, up from 98 previously. One person also died in floods in southern Germany, which was hit by torrential rains on Saturday. Get our daily newsletter…
Four people were shot outside a baseball stadium crowded with thousands of spectators in the US capital on Saturday, causing the game to be abruptly halted as fans were ushered out.Police said four people had been shot but there was “no ongoing threat,” without clarifying the condition of the gunshot victims.AFP journalists who were at the game said some spectators had rushed for the exits after hearing a dozen or more gunshots outside the stadium, while others remained in their seats at the announcer’s initial urging.Several bursts of automatic gunfire could be clearly heard in the stadium in footage of…
Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world, is set to join the astronaut club Tuesday on the first crewed launch by Blue Origin, another key moment in a big month for the fledgling space tourism industry.The mission comes days after Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson crossed the final frontier, narrowly besting the Amazon magnate in their battle of the billionaires.Blue Origin’s sights are, however, set higher: both literally in terms of the altitude to which its reusable New Shepard craft will ascend compared to Virgin’s spaceplane, but also in its future ambitions.Bezos founded Blue Origin back in 2000, with…
Covid-19 misinformation has spread during the pandemic on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc-owned YouTube. Reuters | UPDATED ON JUL 18, 2021 06:45 AM IST Facebook on Saturday defended itself against U.S. President Joe Biden’s assertion that the social media platform is “killing people” by allowing misinformation about coronavirus vaccines to proliferate, saying the facts tell a different story.”The data shows that 85% of Facebook users in the US have been or want to be vaccinated against Covid-19,” Facebook said in a corporate blog post by Guy Rosen, a company vice president. “President Biden’s goal was for…
Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day, is observed every year on July 18 to mark the birth anniversary of the former South African president. This day is an opportunity for everyone to renew their commitment to the values that inspired Mandela.History of Nelson Mandela International DayThis day was first celebrated on July 18, 2010, after the United Nations in November 2009 officially declared Nelson Mandela International Day. Originally, this day was Mandela’s idea to celebrate his birthday as Mandela Day. On his 90th birthday, Mandela said, “It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It…
Rescue workers laboured to clear up damage laid bare by receding water on Saturday as the death toll from disastrous flooding in Western Europe touched 168.The death toll in western Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate state, home to the badly hit Ahrweiler county, rose to 98.Another 43 people were confirmed dead in neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia state. Belgium’s national crisis centre said the country’s confirmed death toll rose to 27.By Saturday, authorities still feared finding more people dead as the receding floodwaters eased access across much of the affected regions and revealed the extent of the damage.“A lot of people have lost everything they…
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro remained hospitalized on Friday in Sao Paulo as he undergoes treatment for intestinal obstruction, with no plan for hospital discharge.”The president is well and is progressing satisfactorily, with no change in medical conduct. The president is not expected to be discharged from the hospital yet,” said a medical report released by the private hospital Vila Nova Star.Bolsonaro, 66, complained of having hiccups for more than 10 days and was hospitalized early Wednesday morning at the Armed Forces Hospital in Brasilia.Antonio Macedo, the president’s personal gastric surgeon, ordered the transfer to the Vila Nova Star hospital on…
Pilgrims began arriving in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca Saturday for the second downsized hajj staged during the coronavirus pandemic, circling Islam’s holiest site in masks and on distanced paths.The kingdom is allowing only 60,000 fully vaccinated residents to take part, seeking to repeat last year’s success that saw no virus outbreak during the five-day ritual.This year’s hajj, with participants chosen through a lottery, is larger than the pared-down version staged in 2020 but drastically smaller than in normal times, stoking resentment among Muslims abroad who are barred once again.After boarding buses to Mecca’s Grand Mosque, pilgrims began performing…
A study conducted by a team of researchers in the United Kingdom has suggested that people with disabilities, who contract the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), are five times more likely to be hospitalised and eight times more likely to succumb due to Covid-19 than the general population of England. Published in the journal “The BMJ,” the study also found that risks were particularly high for people with severe to profound disabilities, Down’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy.Also Read | NHS doctor asks not to follow UK health secretary advice on lateral flow tests. Here’s whyTo study the effect of Covid-19 on people…