'People don't need to take any added medication other than plain fever medication.'
'I woke up and I'm like Oh damn! It's hit 1 million views. Yeah it was crazy.'
Can a culture survive as a way of life, even as the language and writing at its core, alter with time? Can we be rational and Malayalee or do we have to necessarily be religious and proudly cultural to be Malayalee? asks Shyam G Menon.
Amid an uptick in Covid cases in some parts of the country, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Behl said the severity of infections as of now is generally mild and there was no cause for worry. Speaking about new Covid variants being traced, he said genome sequencing of samples in the west and south have shown that the new variants are not severe and are Omicron sub-variants. These are LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. The first three are more prevalent, Dr Behl said. "Samples from other places are being sequenced and we will know in a day or two if there are more variants." The ICMR DG said there has been an uptick in cases --first from the south, then west and now from northern India. All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Besides that, ICMR's nationwide respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network is keeping a watch on emerging infections and pathogens, he said. "Whenever cases increase, we look at three things. It's dependent on three factors with the first being how transmissible it is, conversely how fast the cases are increasing. Previously we saw Covid cases double in two days, but this time it is not that cases are increasing rapidly. "Secondly, are the new variants evading our previous immunity? When new variants come, they evade immunity -- be it natural or from the vaccine. But there's nothing to worry about at the moment," Dr Behl said. He also said that the third factor is the percentage of severe cases in all Covid instances. "Are we getting a very severe disease without comorbidities? As of now, the severity is generally low. There's nothing to worry about. We should be vigilant and we should always be prepared," the ICMR DG asserted. Dr Behl also informed reporters that the Union Health secretary chaired a meeting on Sunday that was also attended by the director general of health services and himself. "We have been closely monitoring the situation. We should be vigilant at this moment, but there is no cause to worry. The general public should be vigilant. There is no need to take any such action as of now," he said. The officer added that the WHO database has been showing that the new variants were not causing severe disease. "People do not need to take any immediate action. They should follow normal precautions. So, there is nothing special to do right now." Asked about the need for a booster dose, he said there is no need for vaccination as of now. "India has the capability to make vaccines and if need be, we can make any vaccine in no time."
'BJP leaders emerged victorious only because of Narendra Modi's name, not for their own political capability.'
The western Rajasthan experienced a complete blackout and sirens were sounded multiple times, particularly in Barmer, to alert residents.
Maoists have admitted that 28 cadres, including their top leader Basavaraju, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region last week. The Naxals also claimed that some of their cadres had surrendered to police and provided information that led to the operation. Police have recovered a large cache of weapons, including an AK-47 looted by Basavaraju from security forces in a 2010 ambush.
'We do not need to save the planet. Just respecting Mother Earth is enough.'
'As you're watching the IPL live, there's a conscious effort to showcase the entertainment portfolio.'
Nine-year-old Tanuj Kumar Satpathy, who lost his father in the Pahalgam terror attack, says he wants to join the Indian Army and confront Pakistani terrorists. Tanuj's father, Prashant Satpathy, was among the 26 people killed in the attack on April 22. Tanuj says he will tell PM Narendra Modi to ensure that no child becomes fatherless like him. He recounted how he took care of his mother after the incident, saying that he was the only help for her when the tragedy struck.
A quick conversation with Miss India World Nandini Gupta, who has entered the quarterfinal of the 72nd Miss World competition.
'If his health was good he would have become CM again after polls.' 'Those who are with Nitish Babu today will remain with him till the elections to use his name for votes and would definitely play games with him after the polls.'
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell retired from ODIs to focus on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma has launched a scathing critique of cricket commentary and journalism in the country
Police also announced a bounty of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the neutralisation of terrorists involved in the gruesome killings.
In an interview to PTI ahead of the IPL play-offs, Ponting covered all areas that got the franchise much-needed success. Excerpts from the interaction.
'Still, people are asking why we have not gone for a full-out war. As a military man, if ordered, I will go to war, but that will not be my first choice'
A jilted lover struck 18 blows on the head of his girlfriend on a road in Vasai, near Mumbai, on Friday, even as scores of people watched the gory spectacle, the police said.
Because the aftermath of what happened before continues long after. War breeds hostility and hatred and creates mistrust and greed. It extinguishes humanity and breaks the human spirit, argues Aarti David.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has scaled down the retreat ceremony held at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The BSF's Punjab frontier said it was suspending the symbolic handshake of the Indian guard commander with the counterpart and the border gates will remain closed during the ceremony. The move is seen as a response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
Modi will start his visit on June 6 by dedicating to public the Chenab rail bridge, which is a key part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the valley.
World no.1 Magnus Carlsen's fiery reaction after losing to D Gukesh in Norway Chess here was probably because he saw his authority in the game being challenged by someone so young
'I am not a mother and never had an abortion either, so I had to understand motherhood and child loss from anecdotal experiences of others.'
In a video posted by RCB's X handle, Krunal Pandya spoke in the dressing room about two people and crucial moments that turned the tide in their favour.
Former India captain and coach Ravi Shastri urged players to embrace both media and technology as without them, the sport wouldn't have evolved the way it did in the last 40-45 years.
Welshman Mark Williams rolled back the years and advanced to the World Snooker Championship final by defeating world number one Judd Trump 17-14 at the Crucible on Saturday, the 50-year old becoming the oldest player to reach the decider.
Union Minister of State BL Verma expressed concern over the situation in Bangladesh and said the government is closely monitoring it. Addressing a Rozgar Mela in Jammu, he lauded the BSF for its role in safeguarding India's borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan. He also responded to questions on the Samajwadi Party's controversial statement labelling the BJP government as a "Hindu terrorist organisation", the Congress's allegations of EVM fraud, and Rahul Gandhi's call for a caste census.
'They don't allow me to be on the field anymore.'
Geopolitical developments between India and Pakistan, quarterly earnings and macro data will be the key drivers of stock markets in the holiday-shortened week, say analysts.
'...whether he is a top player or not, it doesn't matter.' 'If I go by a player's name I won't be able to bowl at my best.' 'For me he is just a batter, and my only focus is where I need to land the ball.'
'He had just come out of the ICU after surgery.' 'He opened his eyes, spoke to Sara for a bit, and asked for me.' 'I said, "I'm right here, dad." 'And then he said, "If you were there, you would've beaten that guy up".'
Pace sensation Renuka Singh Thakur overcomes obstacles to fulfill her father's dream.
'We have to be wary because if an uncontrolled transmission happens, random mutations may lead to something which could be virulent and then that could land us in a problem.'
Donald Trump busts on sale at the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico.
PSL match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi in Rawalpindi rescheduled
Shoojit Sircar who worked with Irrfan Khan on Piku remembers the prolific actor by writing a heartfelt letter on his 5th death anniversary.
India captain Rohit Sharma has spoken about his journey from being a young player who would stand outside the Wankhede Stadium to catch a glimpse of Mumbai Ranji Trophy stars, to having a stand named after him at the iconic venue.
On Wednesday, Surat airport remained operational for an extra one hour waiting for the landing of an Air India Express flight that took off more than an hour late from the national capital.
A 15-year-old boy in Malvan, Maharashtra, has claimed he was falsely accused of raising anti-India slogans during a cricket match. His family alleges he was trapped by people who beat him up and instigated a fight. The family's shop, godown, and home were subsequently demolished, while the boy and his parents were arrested. The teen maintains he doesn't watch cricket and was returning from prayers when the incident occurred.
'The way our President was greeted, that itself shows how far India has come.' 'People were aware of who she is, people know who our prime minister is.' 'Everybody knows India now and everybody respects India.'
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