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Will Covid-19 Vaccines Achieve Herd Immunity? Experts Explain

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Representative image.

FRANKFURT/LONDON — Governments and officials are voicing hopes that Covid-19 vaccines could bring “herd immunity”, with some calculating that immunising just two-thirds of a population could halt the pandemic disease and help protect whole communities or nations.

But the concept comes with caveats and big demands of what vaccines might be capable of preventing. Some experts say such expectations are misplaced.

For a start, figuring out what’s needed to achieve herd immunity with Covid-19 vaccines involves a range of factors, several of which are unknown.

What is the rate of the spread of the Covid-19-causing virus? Will the first vaccines deployed be able to stop transmission of the virus, or just stop people getting ill? How many people in a population will accept a vaccine? Will vaccines offer the same protection to everyone?

“Herd immunity is sometimes wrongly understood as individual protection,” said Josep Jansa, an expert in health emergency preparedness and response at the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

“It’s inappropriate to think ‘I will not be affected myself because there is herd immunity’. Herd immunity refers to community protection, not to how an individual is protected.”

The ECDC uses an estimated herd immunity threshold of 67% for its models, while Chancellor Angela Merkel said this month that Covid-19 restrictions in Germany could be lifted if 60% to 70% of the population acquired immunity, either via a Covid-19 vaccine or through infection.

World Health Organisation experts have also pointed to a 65%-70% vaccine coverage rate as a way to reach population immunity through vaccination.

“The idea of herd community is to protect the vulnerable,” said Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh. “And the idea behind it is that if, say, 98% of a population have all been vaccinated, there will be so little virus in the community that the 2% will be protected. That’s the point of it.”

REPRODUCTION RATE IS CRUCIAL

Central to the public health calculations on this concept for Covid-19 is the reproduction rate, or R value, of the virus that causes it. This is a measure of how many other people an average infected person passes a pathogen on to in “normal”, or restriction-free, circumstances.

Assuming complete vaccine efficacy, herd immunity percentage thresholds for infectious diseases are calculated by dividing 1 by the R value, deducting the result from 1, and multiplying by 100.

For instance, herd immunity from highly contagious measles, with an estimated R value of 12 or higher, will kick in only if 92% or more within a group are immune. For a seasonal flu strain that could have an R value of 1.3, the threshold would be just 23%.

“The problem is that for now we don’t know exactly how fast the virus spreads without any precautions and with the normal travel and social activities we had a year ago,” said Winfried Pickl, professor of immunology at the Medical University of Vienna.

With so many countries still operating in far from normal circumstances, the assumption should be that the Covid-19 R value would be “closer to 4 than to 2”, he said, since even with semi- or full lockdown measures the R value is around 1.5.

Additionally, anything less than 100% vaccine efficacy — such as the 90% or so suggested in early data on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 shots — would require a matching rise in percentage of coverage to reach herd threshold. 

STOP TRANSMISSION IN THE “HERD”?

Experts say another important factor is whether the Covid-19 vaccines a government chooses to deploy can stop transmission of the virus.

Evidence so far suggests the first Covid-19 vaccines to come to market will at least stop people developing the disease. But it cannot be ruled out that people will still catch the SARS-CoV-2 virus and pass it on to others unnoticed.

“While protection against illness has a value for an individual, it will not prevent circulation of virus and risk of disease in unvaccinated (people),” said Penny Ward, a visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London.

Bodo Plachter, a professor and deputy director of the Institute of Virology at Germany’s Mainz University teaching hospital, said that respiratory infections in particular can be hard to block completely with vaccines — although the shots will go some way to reducing the amount of circulating virus.

“It may well be that vaccinated people will shed fewer viruses,” he said. “But it would be a mistake to assume vaccination alone can suppress a pandemic.”

FOCUS ON PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE?

Edinburgh’s Riley said this suggests that for now, pursuing an idea of herd immunity through Covid-19 vaccination is fruitless.

A better approach, she said, could be to “turn herd immunity on its head”, and use the first limited supplies of vaccines to protect those most in need, without worrying about the more robust members of the “herd” who can live relatively happily with the virus.

“Let’s forget about protecting the masses to protect the vulnerable,” she said. “Let’s directly protect the vulnerable.”


The Crown Director Reveals The Diana Scene That Left Him 'Biting His Fingers In Agony'

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“I don’t know what the reality is - it’s probably nowhere near as exciting as what we’ve created,” laughs Benjamin Caron, executive producer on the fourth season of The Crown, and director of two of the episodes. “That’s when I love The Crown: when we push it slightly. It feels simple but we’re pushing the boundaries of drama and creating a spectacle.”

This is the mission statement behind the creation of the splashiest season yet, which features Charles and Diana’s wedding, and the tense relationship between The Queen and Margaret Thatcher.

Alongside dollops of dramatic license, the show’s depiction of the royals is strengthened by research gained “anecdotally”, says Benjamin.

One scene that epitomises the show’s creative approach is in the third episode, titled Fairytale, in which Diana greets the royals at Buckingham Palace.

“It’s awkward, it’s painful, I had my hands over my mouth biting my fingers with agony when I was filming that scene,” says Benjamin. “It’s cold, hurtful, lonely, all that pain – I think that’s where The Crown is at its best.

“I knew when I read that scene how I wanted to photograph it,” he explains. “Everyone talks about Diana being a sacrificial lamb, it just felt like that she was under this big spotlight in amongst the family, and the awkwardness around that. The movement of the camera represented her spinning out of control.”

Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles in The Crown

He says of the royal family’s treatment of Diana in the scene: “I genuinely think it’s part of how they get their kicks a little bit: pulling the rug from under people. If you’re going to be part of this family, this is what you’re going to have to get used to. They like to play with people a bit. They see that as friendly banter.

“You’ve got to appreciate where they’re coming from or the whole scene doesn’t feel truthful... People don’t like tall poppies, so anyone that pokes their head up too high, they’ll get pulled down. Certainly in aristo circles I’ve seen that. It’s a bit of roughing up - it’s still really mean, but it’s sort of done with love.”

Episodes are lavished with plenty more striking Diana scenes. Another features the princess, played by relative newcomer Emma Corrin, being introduced to Charles for the first time while wearing a disguise. The look and style of the scene was inspired by Puck from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“That scene originally wasn’t as magical,” says Benjamin, although it ended up “leaning slightly into the more magical, wondrous side”.

“My instant reaction to that scene was thinking about Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, that moment where Leonardo DiCaprio sees Claire Danes through the fish tank and they catch eyes, how enchanting that was,” he explains.  

Princess Diana when she first meets Prince Charles

Was the reality of how Charles and Diana actually met playing on his mind? “I know that he was dating her sister, we know that she was around at that time, so they probably would have met, any more than that, I have no idea.”

Creating these fictitious scenarios, rather than re-enacting royal events from history – such as the actual wedding – has always been the enticing challenge for Benjamin, writer Peter Morgan and the wider creative team. For those that wish to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana, it’s on YouTube, reminds Benjamin.

“My approach to these events is always in emotional terms,” he explains. “It’s really easy to get drawn into the pomp and ceremony, for me it’s always about the characters, the emotions and thats what I believe our audience relate to.”

Benjamin Caron directing some of the cast on set

Instead of recreating the lavish 1981 marriage of Charles and Diana, which happened speedily after a rumoured 10 or 12 dates, Benjamin’s lighter touch could be felt in a montage of scenes of Diana twitching the curtain to look over a packed Mall full of well-wishers. All the while, Charles looks sullen as a courtier helps him with his outfit. 

“There’s a scene in The Godfather with a very similar image where the main character looks out the window at the Statue of Liberty, and I wanted Diana to look out and feel the weight of the crown and the expectation, with the reflection of the Victoria Monument in the window,” says Benjamin.

“You have the wedding dress, we knew the wedding dress was going to be such a big symbolic moment, and for me it represented in so many ways. The size of it was almost the suffocation of Diana and the crown and what that meant: you see her standing there in a big wedding dress, repressive, suffocating...”

Another moment revealing of Diana’s struggles takes place during a lunch the princess has with Camilla. A younger Camilla appears hedonistic, while on the opposite end of the table, Diana is contemplating her bulimia as she stares down at a rich dessert.

Diana's marriage to Charles takes place in season four

“Bulimia can sometimes be shown on screen just as the vomiting side of things, but that’s not true: there’s all the processes that happen before that moment, the feelings that drive you there, the eating, all the various stages before and after,” says Benjamin. “I hope the scene shows bulimia for what it really is: a mental illness. It’s got to be shown the right way, not glamourised.”

While it was important to portray the darker parts of her story, Benjamin believes Charles and Diana were both in love with one another, but perhaps at different times. He calls the season “a whole examination of what being in love is”.

One scene that has a much lighter feel in episode three (Benjami directed episode one, Gold Stick, and episode three, Fairytale) shows Diana alone, dancing freely around the palace. In order to capture Diana’s spirit, Emma Corrin suggested they do away with choreography altogether and just try shooting her dancing spontaneously.

Emma Corrin as Diana, alone in the palace

″It was me and her in a room, and literally one camera man,” recalls Benjamin. “Everyone else left and I gave her permission to just close her eyes and lose herself in the music. She ended up listening to Cher, Believe. I wanted her to just completely let go. She came to me with that. I love that impulse in her, I love the idea that she just wanted permission to let herself free and that’s what you see in that moment.”

There’s another reason for manifesting such lavish imagined realities: “All our memories are questionable, aren’t they?” poses Benjamin. “I can barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone 30 years ago.”

And another reason too, but this time more existential – are audiences driven to the royals because their lives really aren’t so different from our own? Some critics have said of the fourth season that it veers further into soap opera territory than the series has done before.

“Ultimately it’s incredibly relatable,” believes Benjamin. “It holds a mirror up to our own lives otherwise people wouldn’t be interested. It’s just the stakes are higher and they live in bigger houses.” 

The Crown season four is available now on Netflix.

Kashmiris Struggle With RTI Delays Due To Modi Govt’s Ill-Planned Article 370 Move

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Home minister Amit Shah speaking at a seminar about the repeal of Article 370 with an image of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on the map of Jammu and Kashmir behind him in this file photo. As Home Minister, Shah implemented the Narendra Modi government's decision of repealing Article 370.

NEW DELHI—The Narendra Modi government’s hasty abrogation of Article 370, the constitutional provision which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has led to months of confusion and delay for people seeking information from government departments, shows a review of two recent orders of the Central Information Commission (CIC) and interviews with activists.

At the time of abrogation of the controversial provision, some news reports, as well as rightwing activists and websites,had claimed that the Right to Information (RTI) Act would now be applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, implying that there was no such provision in the state earlier due to Article 370.

In fact, until 5 August 2019, the erstwhile state was governed by its own version of the transparency law, the J&K RTI Act 2009. Now, more than a year since the abrogation of Article 370, a review of two recent orders of the CIC and interviews with activists shows that an existing RTI system that ensured relatively quicker access to information for local residents has been replaced by a slower, chaotic process riddled with red tape, mainly because of the lack of planning and public consultation that went into the decision of scrapping Article 370.

While the 2009 J&K RTI Act was limited to residents of the state, it mandated the state information commission to dispose of second appeals in 60-120 days. The central RTI Act of 2005 does not have any such provision. The net result of this was that RTI applicants received information, or at least a clear decision about their request, faster under the 2009 Act than they do now under the 2005 law which was operationalised in the union territory after scrapping of Article 370. 

The two CIC orders reviewed by HuffPost India specifically show how residents of the now-union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, who were trying to seek information from public authorities last year under the state’s own RTI law, were adversely affected by the abrupt scrapping of Article 370. 

In one case, an RTI applicant from Jammu was denied information by local civic authorities, who cited the repeal of Article 370 as the reason for the denial. In the second instance, the RTI applicant, apparently a resident of Kashmir, was told that his response was inordinately delayed due to the lockdown imposed in the valley after the removal of Article 370. 

“This is yet another instance of the unintended outcome of the rash manner in which fundamental changes to the status of J&K were made without any public consultation or adequate application of mind,” said Venkatesh Nayak, who heads the Access to Information Programme at the non-profit Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.  

Speaking about the CIC orders and his own experience of pursuing RTI cases in what is now a union territory, Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma said that the previous system under the 2009 RTI Act of the state was better, even if it had some limitations.

It is true that as per section 3 of the J&K RTI Act 2009, only people residing in the state were allowed to seek information. But it is also true that in comparison with the central RTI law of 2005, the previous state RTI Act was more vibrant and ensured time-bound disposal of even second appeals,” Sharma said. “Whereas in the RTI Act 2005, there is no time limit for disposal of second appeals by the Central Information Commission.”

The practical consequences of this technical difference are significant. 

“Earlier, our second appeals were disposed of and decisions were coming within 60-120 days and the appellants were able to get time-bound information but presently after implementation of Central RTI, even my own and my friends’ second appeals/complaints are pending with the CIC for last 5-6 months,” said Sharma.

He also alleged that, with the central RTI Act in force, “the public information officers here also now do not take RTI Act seriously because they know that appeals would take long to be decided. Hence they do not respond to RTI pleas of the citizens”. 

How scrapping Article 370 caused delays and denials of info

On 13 September 2019, one Jagjit Singh filed an application in the office of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner in Jammu. 

Set up in 1990, this office is a department of the Jammu and Kashmir administration which is mandated to provide cash assistance and ration to families, mostly Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus, who were forced to migrate from the Valley to the plains of Jammu. 

Singh wanted information about five aspects of the assistance provided by this office from January-March 2019 to eligible beneficiaries. This included the names of beneficiaries and the reason for the assistance, and also why Singh, despite being eligible, did not get it. When he filed the application under the J&K RTI Act 2009 in September 2019, he was verbally told that the 2009 Act was no longer applicable since Article 370 had been removed the previous month. Singh received the same response in November 2019 when he filed an appeal. 

By the time he prepared and filed a second appeal in January 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission was shut down and all second appeals from Kashmir were now the responsibility of the CIC. 

It was only earlier this month, more than a year after he filed his request, that the CIC heard Singh’s appeal and passed some helpful directions. Disagreeing with the contention of the public information officer of the Jammu Rehabilitation Commissioner’s office, the Central Information Commissioner Y.K. Sinha asked him to consider the spirit of the law and respond according to provisions of the 2005 Act if the state law had been scrapped.

Sinha wrote in his order that instead of rejecting the application, “it would be expedient that the same RTI application filed by the Appellant under the State Act be treated now under provisions of the RTI Act, 2005 and appropriate reply/information may be furnished to the Appellant”. This would “uphold the spirit of the RTI Act” and dispose of RTI queries quickly, he added.

The order, issued on November 6, also said, “It is pertinent to note that most of the public authorities have followed the same procedure of applying the Central Act to adjudicate the RTI applications, particularly because there is no specific legal embargo to that effect.”  

Another applicant had to wait even longer than Singh. Inderjeet filed an application on 24 April 2019 in the office of the Baramulla Deputy Commissioner, seeking to know details about his mother’s land, which had been encroached upon, in the district of Baramulla. Since he did not get the answers he wanted, Inderjeet appealed in the CIC on 12 December 2019. Within three days, that is on 15 December, he received a  response. However, since it still did not properly answer his query, he continued to pursue the appeal in the CIC. 

It was during a hearing of this appeal, held early this month by Central Information Commissioner Y.K. Sinha, that government officials disclosed the reason why they were unable to provide information to Inderjeet for more than a year. They told Sinha that, to provide the information, they needed to remove an existing encroachment on the land. The officials sought help from the local police, but this could not be done because a lockdown was ordered in the valley due to the repeal of Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution.

After hearing the officials, Sinha sent the application for fresh consideration by the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla, who was directed to issue a reasoned speaking order, explaining how it arrived at its decision. Clearly, the lockdown imposed at the time of repealing Article 370 constrained local bureaucracy from doing its civic functions, one of which was responding to RTI applications. 

A third order by Sinha, in response to an appeal by RTI applicant Harish Bhardwaj, brings out another related aspect of this issue. Filed in the Jammu University on 9 September 2019, Bhardwaj asked in his RTI application the details of students from Rajasthan who studied at the university. The university’s public information officer denied information to Bhardwaj under section 3 of the J&K RTI Act 2009, which made non-residents of the state ineligible to seek information. 

The first appellate authority upheld this decision and when Bhardwaj’s second appeal was being heard in the CIC early this month, the university’s information officer defended his decision citing a technical reason. Responding to Bhardwaj’s argument that, since Article 370 was scrapped on August 5, denial of information under the state law was wrong, the information officer said the abrogation of Article 370 came into effect on 31 October 2019 and hence his denial of information was correct. 

Brushing aside these technical arguments, Information Commissioner Sinha directed the official in an order dated 6 November to treat the RTI application as per provisions of the RTI Act 2005 and provide information accordingly. 

Avoidable issues

These problems could have been avoided if the repeal of Article 370 was better planned and done after a process of public consultation, say activists. This would have prevented the year-long wait for basic information by citizens and other such issues arising out of transitioning from the state’s RTI Act to the centre’s law. 

While RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak said that Information Commissioner Sinha’s two orders in which he directed officials to treat applications filed under the state Act as per the centre’s law were “laudable”, he also pointed out that they were legally flawed and could be challenged in courts by the public authorities.

“Neither the repealed State Act nor the Central act empower the CIC to pass such orders. The correct method is for the central government to issue clarificatory orders under Section 103 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 to provide for transitional provisions to counter the effect of the repeal of the State RTI Act. This is possible because both laws give effect to the same fundamental right. This transitional provision would provide legal cover to such orders issued by the CIC,” explained Nayak.  He further said that the section 103 can be used in this way till 30 October 2024 to deal with such issues. 

Unfortunately, the people of J & K Union Territory are kept in a state of limbo. The departments of Jammu and Kashmir administration are not integrated with the Central RTI portal and we the residents of J & K are unable to file online RTIs.RTI Activist Raman Sharma

Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Sharma pointed out other issues which are yet to be resolved. 

“Unfortunately, the people of J & K Union Territory are kept in a state of limbo. The departments of Jammu and Kashmir administration are not integrated with the Central RTI portal and we the residents of J & K are unable to file online RTIs. We demand, like Chandigarh UT, that the departments of J & K UT are also integrated with the central online portal so that people here too are able to file RTI applications,” said Sharma. 

The minutes of a meeting held by the CIC in May show that issues regarding transfer of second appeals pending with the state information commission of Jammu and Kashmir and the overall transition to the RTI Act 2005 were discussed in some detail. The CIC did start hearing appeals from April this year but clearly there are pending issues which await a resolution. 

For instance, the RTI activist Sharma also said that multiple appeals against the decisions of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission were pending in the J&K high court and there is no clarity about what will happen to them. He filed an RTI in the CIC but failed to get any information.

‘Soorarai Pottru’ Director Sudha Kongara On The Women In Her Films, Working With Mani Ratnam, And ‘Drohi’

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Sudha Kongara’s third film as director, Suriya-starrer 'Soorarai Pottru', has released on Amazon Prime Video to mostly positive reviews. 

The year was 2003, and Sudha Kongara’s family was readying to leave for a holiday to Shimla. Usually, the group, about 12 or 13 people, would take a train to Chandigarh and then drive to Shimla. That year, they flew to their destination — a man from Bengaluru was offering flight tickets that began at Re 1 and Sudha’s sister-in-law, an internet geek, decided to try her luck. “We managed two one-rupee tickets, and the rest at Rs 500. A middle-class family of 13 flew!” exclaims Sudha, the glee still evident in her voice. 

Even then, she remembers asking her father who was this “insane, super-duper rich man” letting them fly at one rupee. She had a lot of questions, including how on earth he would make any money like this.

In 2010, the year she made her debut as director with Drohi (she is credited as Sudha K. Prasad in the movie), she saw a TV programme on business tycoons that featured Capt GR Gopinath (Retd), the same person who helped her family fly to Shimla. His autobiography Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey released the same year, and Sudha knew she was on to something. 

Ten years later, Suriya-starrer Soorarai Pottru, her fictionalised take on Gopinath’s life, which draws from the book and from the many personal conversations between the entrepreneur and Sudha, has released on Amazon Prime Video to mostly positive reviews

Like Gopinath’s swift ascent after a long wait for the necessary licences, Sudha’s dizzying success came via the slow, steady route. Drohi did not do well; she concedes it was not “perfect”, but like many other films, it suffered from a poor release. She was crushed and considered taking up an offer to turn executive producer until her daughter Rhea, then in Class 7 in a boarding school, reminded her of what her dream really was. “When you have a family like that, you better be the best at what you’re doing; they give you the leg up.”

In the process, Sudha picked up one important lesson: find a producer who will back you to the hilt. That worked for her with her sophomore film Irudhi Suttru, the story of a girl from a Chennai slum who goes on to achieve boxing glory, mentored by her loner, angry middle-aged coach. S. Sashikanth of Y Not Studios saw potential in it, and the film broke new ground for lead actor R. Madhavan, actress Ritika Singh and Sudha too. 

Those who missed Drohi and its pulsating intro shot—a blindfolded man tied to a railway track struggles to escape as a train bears down on him—expressed their surprise that a “woman” director handled action scenes so well.   

They, of course, did not know Sudha’s fondness for Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva and the cycle chain action sequence or her love for The Godfather. Before you can ask her the obvious question, she laughs, “No, I’ve not held a cycle chain, it will cut your hand!” More than gore, Sudha says she always felt drawn to action rooted in emotion. 

***

Growing up in Chennai’s Adyar, Sudha was not a sports-loving kid and her childhood was spent reading books from Murugan Lending Library and borrowing video cassettes from the local library. “It was the 80s, and while boys and girls played together, I was not the boisterous kind.”

Years later, she found it easy to fit right into Mani Ratnam’s sets, beginning with the subtitling of Kannathil Muthamittal, and then assisting him over many films from the Telugu version of Yuva to Guru. The director, she says, wouldn’t treat men and women differently on his sets, expecting them to do even the difficult jobs. 

This trait of hers rubs off on the women in her films too. They may be docile due to their circumstances, but have a fierceness in them that’s hard to disguise. Remember the mother Damayanthi in Irudhi Suttru? Or even Urvashi’s Pechi in Soorarai Pottru? And then, her heroines. Just going by her last two films, Madhi and Sundari aka Bommi are equal to the male lead in every possible way. They have the smarts to let the other know they cannot be taken for granted. Their heart is full of love and admiration, but it’s never bigger than their sense of self-respect. One reason why this equality in the writing shines through is because the women who played them were supremely able to hold their own in front of their talented male counterparts.  

I am never satisfied till I get that deep emotion I am looking for, be it romance and grief or a dance. I am very intrusive and keep pushing till they feel what the character is feelingSudha

“In Soorarai..., I wanted someone to stand up to this powerhouse of talent called Suriya. He can pull the rug beneath your feet. And, then I have this girl, who is new, but has an inherently strong face [referring to Aparna Balamurali]. They played off each other well. The credit goes to both of them for being real. If you look at it, both are similar people and they appeal to each other’s minds. He’s already achieved a fair bit when they meet for the first time, and she’s starting out. And then, things change, but they are still on an equal plane. Aparna is an extraordinary actress and she worked hard to perfect the dialect and pitch,” says Sudha.

There’s the scene where Maara swallows his words as he asks Bommi to lend some money, and gets a mouthful from her. When the scene was being written, the men in the writers’ room were against Suriya’s Maara borrowing from his wife. But Sudha stood her ground.

“I asked them, ‘What is it that irks you? All of you have done it with your wives. They earned when you are trying your luck in the movies, so why can’t you see another man do that?’” 

The only man on set who did not have a problem with the scene was Suriya, she says.

If Suriya is getting credit for breaking out of the mould that he was slotted in, credit must go to the director who tapped into his innate mix of vulnerability and strength. And the film only reaffirms why Suriya is one of the best on-screen criers. “Suriya has had more than two decades of extraordinary success, but I’ve not. And so, when his eyes have to mist over when his dream is realised, I told him to look into my eyes and take the depth of grief or joy there, because I am still able to feel all of those things.”

After the release, some reviews have pointed out that the life story of a dominant caste man has been Bahujanised on screen. He opts for a self-respect marriage, talks socialism… What’s Sudha’s take on that? 

“It is evident he belongs to the upper caste. But, he is anti-caste because of the background he comes from, and that line about ‘cost and caste barrier’ is what Capt. Gopinath told me. Who else would have allowed a goat on flight, or calmly handled it when first-time users did not know how to use the WCs? He got on-board staff who knew the local language, so that people would not be intimidated,” she says.  

Sudha and Suriya on the sets of 'Soorarai Pottru'.

***

To understand the visual language of Sudha’s films, one must look at where she began from. She’s a student of Mani Ratnam, yes, but Revathi’s all-woman project Mitr, My Friend was Sudha’s first gig as screenplay writer. 

Mitr was my starting point. I did not even know how to give clap. Asha [Revathi’s real name is Asha Kelunni], taught me multi-tasking. I was also teaching dialogues, writing, calling artistes… we were a tiny crew and I think it prepared me for shooting indie films. Today, if I shoot any film as an indie project, that’s because of that experience. I also learnt from Asha how to extract performances from actors. So, when I was doing auditions and screen tests for Mani Sir, I had a way of getting actors to perform.”

Sudha is also very exacting. “I am never satisfied till I get that deep emotion I am looking for, be it romance and grief or a dance. I am very intrusive and keep pushing till they feel what the character is feeling,” she says. 

She’s as exacting about her favourite tic-tac hair clips, which keep her hair out of her eyes. She loved shopping for them in the erstwhile pavement markets of Pondy Bazaar in Chennai. “You don’t get them everywhere, you know. And so, I buy sheets wherever i find them... airports, malls.”

Sudha’s understanding of women comes from her lived experiences and her righteous anger as a viewer. “As a woman, you belong to a suppressed class, and I cannot handle it when they are reduced to cackling, giggling idiots. This is the fantasy of some male filmmakers and is so unreal. It’s not even manic-pixie behaviour, it’s plain condescending. I write women the way I see them. If you look at Damayanthi [Irudhi Suttru], she’s married to a no-gooder, but has an inner strength. She’s soldiering on. That’s an ode to all women.”
Ritika of Irudhi... was equally fierce as Madhi. “She was on point, being an MMA fighter herself, and she just had to draw from within. The only scene she struggled with was when she had to tell Maddy she loved him. She’s fiercely competitive and I told her that Maddy is performing better, eating you up in this scene. She went, drew an emotion from within, and gave a great shot.  Aparna is like that too, she cannot bear for her scene to be anything less than perfect.”

In her last two movies, Sudha has worked with heroes she first met on Mani Ratnam’s sets. She shares a close bond with both Madhavan and Suriya, and feels that’s an advantage because when you know people, you also sense their state of mind, even when they don’t tell you a thing. For instance, if Suriya’s shot began at 7 am, Sudha was there at 5, ensuring things were perfect, because she knew he was a stickler for order. “His concentration is fierce and I have to free him up to focus on just his performance. When you’re close, you also know them as individuals, and you know which button to press to get what emotion.” 

But neither this interview nor Irudhi Suttru would have happened if it hadn’t been for another Mani Ratnam connection —director Bejoy Nambiar [Shaitan, Taish], who was also one of the ADs on sets with her. 

“I was still picking up after Drohi and I considered getting into organic farming or starting a restaurant [there was a time when Sudha would relax after shooting by cooking a three-course meal]. That’s when I read something in the paper about girls in North Madras training in boxing, because there was money in it, with an investment of just Rs 250 for gloves. That struck a chord and I was formulating a story. Bejoy came to Chennai to edit Shaitan, and I told him I did not want to do cinema. I’d called the script Zara then, and he kept pushing me to do it, he said he’d produce it. And then, to let me know what I was missing, he told me to help out with the second unit of Shaitan. I went there and realised everything was in order and that he’d called me to drag me back into cinema. Maddy lived in the next street in Goregaon and he told me to tell him the story. He told me to write it and that he’d do if he liked it. He was not doing me a favour, and there is no pity project here. Both my actors came on board convinced by the script.”

Sudha loves her work, and the lockdown saw her busy with Soorarai, the post-production of her segment in the Netflix anthology Paava Kathaigal and the Amazon anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai. “I was working and very fortunate to do so. I grabbed every opportunity.”

Suriya has had more than two decades of extraordinary success, but I’ve not. And so, when his eyes have to mist over when his dream is realised, I told him to look into my eyes and take the depth of grief or joy there, because I am still able to feel all of those things.Sudha

Did she ever consider making Soorarai in Kannada, the language that Gopinath speaks? “Not really. Language is very important when making a movie and you need to be familiar with a culture to set a film there. I am comfortable in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.”

One word her stars use for her is “democratic”. Suriya recalls how she would always ask for opinions from everyone, and how everything was sincerely considered on merit. “I want my film to be understood by all. My focus groups include people from all demographics. I have auto drivers, doctors, chartered accountants, little kids, my domestic help. I pay heed to feedback for the betterment of the film.” 

Sudha usually switches off from a film after the first show. “I probably read some YouTube comments after some days, since I am not on social media. I dwell on the criticism, because that helps me grow,” she says.

The director has not rewatched Irudhi Suttru and Soorarai Pottru after they were released. She tried to watch Drohi once in between, but could not finish it. “I am very hard on myself, it’s borderline masochism. I’m trying to change myself,” she laughs.

But, after all this success, Sudha’s heart still beats for Drohi, her firstborn film that did not get its due. Ironically, Gaddar, its dubbed Hindi version on YouTube, has more than 15 lakh views on YouTube, and the comments section often features the word ‘mast’. 

“Once, after Irudhi Suttru, someone came up to me and said he liked the film, and I was happy. Then he said his brother is a huge fan of Drohi and has watched it 100 times and he feels so much for the characters. I was beaming, it was like a validation, a triumph. It is a flawed film, but it needed a chance.”

Trump Is Getting Ever More Brazen In His Attempts To Steal The Election He Lost

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WASHINGTON ― Having lost his election for a second term, President Donald Trump, his campaign and his allies are ever more openly just trying to steal it.

In recent days, his campaign has welcomed the idea of disenfranchising all of the voters of Nevada, pushed to have Michigan’s 16 electoral votes awarded by its Republican legislature and alleged, without evidence, “massive fraud” all over the country in a court case in Pennsylvania ― all as Trump posts one lie after another on social media.

“In Detroit, there are FAR MORE VOTES THAN PEOPLE. Nothing can be done to cure that giant scam. I win Michigan!” he wrote Wednesday morning.

“I WON THE ELECTION. VOTER FRAUD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!” he wrote a couple of hours earlier.

And campaign in-house lawyer Jenna Ellis wrote enthusiastically Tuesday evening of sending the election results in Michigan ― which President-elect Joe Biden won by 154,000 votes ― to the state’s GOP-run legislature: “Huge win for @realDonaldTrump.”

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on authoritarianism at New York University, said Trump’s claim to have won an election he lost by 74 Electoral College votes and 6 million votes overall is a clear danger sign.

“The red line is the election,” said Ben-Ghiat, whose new book, “Strongmen,” puts Trump in the context of a century of fascist leaders. “If you don’t recognize an election, you have gone into the territory of a non-democracy. It’s pretty easy.” 

There are those, including the president, ... who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the election results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took. It is well past time that they stop.Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs

Ryan Mahoney, who until early this year was a top staffer at the Republican National Committee, called the actions of Trump and his campaign “dangerous and undemocratic” and asked them to stop.

“They’re either purposely spreading false information and conspiracy theories and don’t care, or they actually believe this nonsense,” Mahoney said. “Either way, they’re subverting democracy with evidence-free allegations. There is no evidence of widespread fraud. It’s time to accept the results. Joe Biden won.”

Numerous staffers at the Trump campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s queries on this matter. Nor did White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has been appearing on television for the campaign while continuing to draw a $180,000 annual salary from American taxpayers. 

Nor did Stephen Bannon, a former top Trump White House aide who is now under indictment for fraud but who, out on bail as he awaits trial, has been broadcasting a daily radio show and podcast in which he repeatedly calls Biden an “illegitimate” president and falsely claims that the votes that were counted after election night are illegal.

Many of Bannon’s narratives have been echoed on pro-Trump media outlets, such as OAN and NewsMax, as well as Fox News’ prime-time evening shows. They even emerged in Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s arguments Tuesday before a federal judge in Pennsylvania.

One former White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Trump’s statements on social media are not taken seriously by Americans and that eventually his legal challenges will end and life will go on, in all likelihood with a Biden presidency.

“I think the country is fairly well-conditioned about Trump’s tweets,” the former official said. “Our institutions are not in danger because of this. Our republic will survive.”

President Donald Trump acknowledges supporters Sunday as he departs the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling Virginia, after playing golf.

While most Americans do appear to take Trump’s assertions with several, if not more, grains of salt, some of his hard-core supporters do not and have taken to harassing and threatening election officials in battleground states.

On Wednesday, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, released a statement reporting threats to her family and her office, and called on Trump and others in Republican leadership to take responsibility.

“There are those, including the president, members of Congress and other elected officials, who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the election results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took,” she wrote. “It is well past time that they stop. Their words and actions have consequences.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, had previously reported death threats against him and his wife from Trump supporters. He also reported being pressured by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to discard mail ballots from areas of Georgia that favored Biden. He also said he was pressured directly by the Trump campaign earlier this year to help make sure Trump won the state.

Biden won Arizona by 10,400 votes and Georgia by 14,000. Trump has falsely claimed those results point to fraud, an accusation that has riled up his supporters in those states.

Jim Dicke, a Republican National Committee member from Ohio, nevertheless said he is not terribly worried that Trump will incite GOP voters into violence or anything of the sort when reality makes itself evident.

“Republicans will go home and get organized for 2022,” he said.

Michael B. Jordan Revealed As People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' In The Most 2020 Way

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Michael B. Jordan is People magazine’s 2020 “Sexiest Man Alive.”

The 33-year-old actor, known best for his performances in “Creed” and “Black Panther,” was revealed Tuesday night as the winner of this year’s title on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

To up the suspense and drive down the risk of spreading COVID-19, Jordan arrived on stage in a bright yellow hazmat suit and revealed himself only when an audience member correctly guessed who he was.

In an interview with the magazine, Jordan said the women in his family were “definitely proud of this one.”

“When my grandmother was alive, it was something that she collected, and then my mom naturally reads it a lot and my aunts as well. This is one that they’re definitely going to have a special place for,” he said. 

“My grandma lookin down talkin bout ‘that’s my baby,’” he added in an Instagram post about his new title.

Jordan joins the likes of John Legend, Idris Elba, Chris Hemsworth, Channing Tatum and David Beckham winning the spot.

Legend, the 2019 winner, said he was more than happy to pass on the torch. 

“I’ve appreciated the whole experience and I’ve been trying to have a lot of fun with it, but I’m so ready to relinquish this title,” he told People.

In concert with his critically acclaimed acting performances in “Just Mercy” and the historic “Black Panther” film, Jordan has fought for justice off the screen, too.

He’s been an active voice in the Black Lives Matter movement and advocated for voter registration ahead of the 2020 election. 

He said he hopes in the coming decade to maybe direct and produce more, and act less.

“Just growing, whatever the next evolution of me is,” he told People. “Hopefully a family by then, I’m going to throw that in the universe. I want to make an impact all over the world and not just through the roles that I play.” 

Sudarshan TV Can Telecast Episodes Of 'Bindas Bol' Show With 'Modifications': Centre

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Sudarshan TV editor Suresh Chavhanke in a file photo.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said in an order dated November 4 that private news channel Sudarshan TV, through its broadcast of the show Bindas Bol — UPSC Jihad violated the programme code, but allowed it to continue to telecast the remaining episodes of the show with “modifications”. 

Four episodes of the show have already been telecast. The show’s episodes alleged that Muslims were “infiltrating government services”, among other false claims. The I&B Ministry said, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, that the show was not “in good taste, offensive and has a likelihood of promoting communal attitude.” 

The show on Sudarshan TV had caused outrage and on September 15, the Supreme Court had stayed the airing of the other episodes calling it an “attempt to vilify Muslims”. 

PTI quoted the Centre saying in the affidavit, “After taking into consideration the written and oral submissions of the channel and the findings and recommendations of the IMC, the ministry is of the opinion that while freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right, the tone and tenor of the episodes telecast do indicate that the channel has, through the various utterances and audio-visual content, breached the programme code. The ministry finds that they are not in good taste, offensive and has a likelihood of promoting communal attitude.” 

The Centre had issued a show-cause notice to the channel on September 23. 

“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, after examining all facts and circumstances of the case and balancing the fundamental rights of the broadcasters, hereby ‘cautions’ Sudarshan TV Channel Ltd to be careful in future. It is further directed that if any violation of the programme code is found in future, stricter penal action would be taken,” PTI quoted the affidavit as saying. 

The ministry said the telecast of the remaining episodes of the programme would be subject to the order of the apex court in the pending matter.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud is on Thursday scheduled to hear pleas that objected to the airing of the programme. 

What Is The Feluda Paper Strip Test For Covid-19? 5 Things To Know

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A health worker takes a nasal swab sample of a man to test for Covid-19 during random testing of people at Delhi-Noida border on November 18, 2020. 

The indigenously developed Feluda (FNCAS9 Editor-Limited Uniform Detection Assay) paper strip test for Covid-19 will be launched in Delhi on Thursday and be available in other states by November end, according to reports. The test is called a cheaper, faster and simpler alternative to RT-PCR, the gold standard in the diagnosis of Covid, and more accurate than an antigen test. 

Feluda will be launched in Delhi by the Tata group in collaboration with the Apollo group of hospitals, according to Hindustan Times. The report also said that Tata Medical and Diagnostics Ltd (TataMD) had announced earlier this month that the paper-strip kit would be marketed as “TataMD’s CHECK”.

The test gets its name from the fictitious detective in a series of novels written by Satyajit Ray. 

Here are five things you need to know about the new test:

1. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said last month that based on tests in over 2,000 patients during the trials at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and testing in private labs, the test showed 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity.

“This compares favourably to ICMR’s current acceptation criteria of RT-PCR Kit of at least 95% sensitivity and at least 99% specificity,” he stated.

2. The Feluda paper strip test has been developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India for a commercial launch.

“The kit has already been validated by the Department of Atomic Energy’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore,” Vardhan had said. 

3. An ICMR advisory noted that the paper-strip uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to identify and target the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 in less than an hour.

The advisory also said that as claimed by the manufacturer, no further RT-PCR based confirmation is required for samples that are confirmed as positive or negative by the CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 test, according to PTI.

4. In the advisory, the ICMR also explained how the test works. “The test works by identifying SARS-CoV-2 virus strain and uses a Thermal Cycler instead of a qPCR machine for conducting the test.” The Wire detailed the process of taking a sample for the Feluda test. The sample collection for the Feluda test will be similar to RT-PCR – a swab that collects the sample from the nasopharyngeal area, it said (read more here).

Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, senior scientist at CSIR-IGIB, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express that Cas9 protein is barcoded to interact with the SARS-CoV2 sequence in the patient’s genetic material. “The Cas9-SARS-CoV2 complex is then put on the paper strip, where using two lines (one control, one test) makes it possible to determine if the test sample was infected with Covid-19.”

5. Existing government or private laboratories already approved by the ICMR for RT-PCR based testing may use this new CRISPR test if the laboratory desires to do so, ICMR said in the advisory.

No further approval is required from ICMR for existing laboratories.

(With PTI inputs)


Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Produces Strong Immune Response In Older Adults - Trial Study

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The UK’s coronavirus vaccine has shown to produce a strong immune response in older adults – suggesting one of the groups most vulnerable to serious illness and death from Covid-19 could build immunity.

Early stage results from a study of the University of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, published in the medical journal The Lancet, showed the jab triggered a robust immune response in healthy adults aged 56-69 and people over 70.

The phase two research demonstrated similar immune responses from the vaccine, being developed with AstraZeneca, across all three age groups (18-55, 56-69, and 70 and over).

The study of 560 healthy adults – including 240 over the age of 70 – found the vaccine is better tolerated in older people compared with younger adults.

Volunteers received two doses of the vaccine candidate, or a placebo meningitis vaccine.

No serious adverse health events related to the vaccine were seen in the participants.

The results are consistent with phase one data reported for healthy adults aged 18-55 earlier this year.

Phase three trials are ongoing to confirm these results and the University of Oxford is expected to release data on the effectiveness of its coronavirus vaccine in the coming weeks.

UK authorities have placed orders for 100 million doses of the vaccine – enough to vaccinate most of the population – should it receive regulatory approval.

Dr Maheshi Ramasamy, investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group and consultant physician, said: “Older adults are a priority group for Covid-19 vaccination, because they are at increased risk of severe disease, but we know that they tend to have poorer vaccine responses.

“We were pleased to see that our vaccine was not only well tolerated in older adults, but also stimulated similar immune responses to those seen in younger volunteers.

“The next step will be to see if this translates into protection from the disease itself.”

Study lead author Professor Andrew Pollard, from the University of Oxford, said: “Immune responses from vaccines are often lessened in older adults because the immune system gradually deteriorates with age, which also leaves older adults more susceptible to infections.

“As a result, it is crucial that Covid-19 vaccines are tested in this group who are also a priority group for immunisation.”

Researchers say their findings are promising as they show that the older people are showing a similar immune response to younger adults.

Dr Ramasamy added: “The robust antibody and T-cell responses seen in older people in our study are encouraging.

“The populations at greatest risk of serious Covid-19 disease include people with existing health conditions and older adults.

“We hope that this means our vaccine will help to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society, but further research will be needed before we can be sure.”

The authors note some limitations to their study, including that the participants in the oldest age group had an average age of 73-74 and few underlying health conditions, so they may not be representative of the general older population, including those living in residential care settings or aged over 80.

It comes amid a welter of positive news about the vaccine.

The coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer – which is due to arrive in the UK before the end of the year – is 95% effective and works in older people, according to new data from the firm.

The UK has secured 40 million doses in total of the vaccine, with 10 million due in the country by the end of the year if the vaccine is approved.

People will need two doses, meaning not enough vaccine has been secured for the entire UK population.

Another jab, from US firm Moderna, was shown this week in early data to be almost 95% effective.

The UK has ordered five million doses of that jab, and also awaits the results of the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine study.

Changes to the Human Medicine Regulations announced in October will allow the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise temporary supply of vaccines, if one becomes available before 2021.

This means that if a vaccine is found to meet the safety, quality and effectiveness standards by the MHRA then vaccinations can begin without needing to wait for the European Medicines Agency.

The health secretary Matt Hancock has said the NHS will be ready by December 1 to roll out vaccines and that the MHRA could approve a jab “within days” of a licence application.

Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion in 2021.

The vaccine needs to be kept at an ultra-low temperature, between minus 70C and minus 80C, until a few days before use when it can be transferred to a standard medical fridge.

If it is approved for use in the UK it will need to be stored in regional hubs – including wholesalers and hospitals – before being shipped to GP surgeries and vaccination clinics.

‘Aashram’ Review: Bobby Deol’s Series Is Tacky, But It Exposes Hindutva's Lies

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A screenshot from Aashram.

In one of Aashram’s most significant scenes, a marriage procession of a Dalit man has arrived at the gates of a dominant caste colony. The groom is on a white, decked-up horse. The elders of his family gently coax him to get off the horse: “Get off the horse now. Once we have crossed the upper caste colony, you can get on it again.” Others shush the dhols being played by the younger men and women.  A group of smug, dominant caste men meet the procession and ask the people to keep playing the dhol and dance. The younger, hopeful Dalit men and women erupt in glee, but the older men are still sort of frozen with suspicion. And their fears come true — soon, a bunch of dominant caste men start harassing the women in the procession. As the women protest, the savarna men swoop down on the procession, clobbering the men with lathis and butts of guns, kicking and slapping them, pushing and dragging the women — it’s almost a picnic of violence. 

From a production point of view, the scene is mediocre at best. Most of the actors come across as wooden, their dialogue delivery is almost robotic at times and the lines are melodramatic. Yet, it is perhaps the only scene in recent memory that I have watched in a Hindi film or OTT show that shows, fairly unhesitantly, how dominant castes treat violence as a recreational sport, and treat basic rights in a democracy as trophies they like snatching from Dalit Bahujan people. 

The opening section from Aashram’s first season was “inspired” by the real-life incident of a Dalit man who was beaten up for riding a horse to his wedding. Aashram is a loosely tied string of several such incidents, but the central premise is critical of the majoritarian Hindutva politics dominating the country at present. However, its rhetoric is very 90s drama, and the preachiness blocks out any hope of nuance. As a result, the series’ treatment of caste-based discrimination and violence is heavy-handed. Significantly, the main cast doesn’t include Dalit, Bahujan or Adivasi actors, raising the question of whether the makers really care about walking their talk.

Bobby Deol and Chandan Roy Sanyal in Aashram Season 2.

That said, at a time the government is actively attempting to regulate creative content, the two seasons of Aashram — which talk about violence by dominant castes and sexual abuse in cults mirroring practices of Hinduism — stand out for their intent, if not the execution.

In the first few episodes of season 1, Aashram also challenges the recurrent, uninformed savarna argument that the Dalit and Bahujan community don’t work hard enough or lack merit. Pammi, the protagonist of Aashram, is a young Dalit wrestler who dreams of becoming a national champion and turning around the fortunes of her poor family. Her family, the series shows, puts their little money into training her and yet, at competitions, dominant caste contestants who have lost to her are declared winners. Though the dialogues in this section are sweeping and theatrical, they lay bare how the dominant caste nexus actively prevents marginalised castes from accessing basic education and progress, no matter how hard they work. 

Aashram’s storyline, in the first season, has two threads. One follows Pammi (played by Aditi Pohankar) as she rages against dominant castes who constantly thwart her dreams of becoming a national wrestling champion and how she finds herself caught in the hogwash of a cult built by a crook who calls himself Baba Nirala. The other unravels how the ‘baba’ is not who he seems like but has a dark, shady past zealously guarded by his murderous accomplices. 

Pammi is ‘rescued’ from the violence of the dominant castes by Baba Nirala (played by Bobby Deol) and his men and soon, the family find themselves in his aashram, sacrificing all they have at his altar. Meanwhile, there are telltale signs of sexual abuse in the aashram, which is covered up by goons. This season stands its ground on the nature of caste atrocities and how they thrive. From police refusing to file an FIR against dominant caste goons to local politicians manipulating contests and then violently rejecting the rightful claims of Dalits, in the first few episodes, Aashram’s focus on the unscrupulous cruelty of the upper castes is unwavering.

Bobby Deol in Aashram.

Considering that MX Player, unlike Netflix, is made for widespread consumption and Aashram can be viewed for free, Prakash Jha doesn’t even have the flimsy protection that comes with being ‘niche’. The grandiose dialogues, clanging soundscape and overwrought drama amplify the caste nexus that most of Hindu right-wing social media is eager to brush off as non-existent. At a time when movie names have had to be changed because of fear of the right-wing, the fact that Aashram pulls no punches in showing a revered ‘baba’ as a sexual predator is worth taking note of. In most of its first season, Jha’s Aashram wades into waters big Bollywood producers fear. 

However, in the second season, the series’ focus on caste almost disappears to instead focus on sexual abuse, which is not shown to be rooted in caste. Nirala is shown to be a sociopath who oppresses the women in his aashram, across castes. While the whole political establishment is shown chasing Nirala to be their spokesperson, thereby indicating that caste-based oppression is systemic, the caste locations of the villains of the story mostly remain fudged. Unlike in the first season, the series moves from specific caste-based atrocities to generic villainy.

The ministers and politicians, instead of drawing their impunity from being privileged, upper-caste men, are presented as cut-to-fit Bollywood villains we have to assume are evil, without exploring what feeds their villainy. The story also introduces an oppressed caste police officer in the script who enables dominant-caste atrocities against women in his own community, leading to some sort of a lukewarm ‘all men are evil’ narrative.

The second season of Aashram claims to be about sexual abuse in so-called safe havens for marginalised people. However, the show’s writers seem to have little understanding of the nuances of depicting sexual abuse. The scenes of sexual violence are almost a minute long, the camera lazily skimming over the bodies of the perpetrator and the victims like it is a consensual encounter. It’s impossible to not feel like the scenes were meant for titillation. Obviously, the show comes without a trigger warning like most other popular Hindi productions. The ridiculously long rape scenes make you wonder if the show actually intended to make a political point, or the sexual violence was merely used as a prop to attract voyeuristic audiences to watching it. The scenes add nothing to the narrative of the show, thereby making it clear that the makers replaced sex with depictions of sexual abuse to grab eyeballs. And that is ridiculously wrong. 

Filmmaker and writer Rajesh Rajamani pointed out that while watching Jha’s Aarakshan (2011) he felt that the director took up the reservation issue just to draw attention to the movie, without having the gumption to follow it through. The film dwindles into a generic treatise on commercialisation of education, though it starts off by pretending that it will unravel the politics around reservation in educational institutions. 

“I felt Aarakshan claims to discuss reservation. It does it briefly but then takes an easy way out and talks about how education has become commodified, which is altogether a different problem. I felt the movie didn’t have the courage to either talk in favour of reservation or critique it but rather just used it as a selling point and took a very formulaic easy way out,” Rajamani told this writer. 

After its brave beginning, Aashram also heads in a similar direction, both in terms of depicting caste-based violence and sexual abuse.

In the first two seasons of Aashram, the characters of the dominant caste saviours — a journalist, a doctor, a police officer and the crooks, Baba Nirala and his henchman Bhopa (played by Chandan Roy Sanyal) — evolve. The oppressed castes are shown as either victims or wide-eyed, easily manipulated followers of Baba Nirala who don’t suspect a thing about his empire, because he promised them respect. The only people who detect the criminal baba’s past are the dominant caste saviours, like a Jat police officer whose character undergoes a sort of abrupt transformation from being complacent to becoming actively righteous. It’s only towards the end of Season 2 that Pammi is shown to exhibit some amount of agency against the atrocities against her. 

While Pohankar as Pammi is confident, her diction needs some work. Chandan Roy Sanyal who plays the baba’s accomplice is a natural on the show. 

While it will be interesting to see if Aashram reins its political commentary in, one thing is for sure. Bobby Deol is under the impression that he is playing a teletubby in the show. Who’s going to break it to him? 

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5 Ways To Tackle Our Tiredness When We're All Doing So Little

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If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught us, it’s that pandemics are exhausting. 

Dr Sumera Shahaney, head of clinical operations at Thriva who also works in the UK’s NHS, has witnessed a rise in what is often referred to as ‘pandemic fatigue’.

“This is usually felt as an inner weariness or worthlessness – many of the things you might associate with mild depression,” explains Dr Shahaney, who says she often sees this associated with feelings of hopelessness about the pandemic.

“Many people have now accepted that life has changed,” she adds, “but we have lost resilience – we have no control over the future and are unable to see an end point.”

On top of that, we’re entering the winter months, meaning fewer daylight hours to be had (and a drop in vitamin D levels), which can make us feel tired. We’re also more stressed generally, engaging in an awful lot of screen time, moving about far less, and plenty of us are having a rubbish night’s sleep to boot.

And then there’s our social lives, which are completely lacking. Dr Peter Mills, clinical director for Cigna Europe, points out that a variety of experience and interactions are key things that help stimulate our brain and body.

“We are not meant to live like this; we are social animals, albeit some more than others, and we gain energy and inspiration from experiences and from convening with others, which we just aren’t getting right now,” he says.

All in all, it’s a recipe for feeling absolutely done in. So, what can we do about it?

Sort your sleep out

For some, sleep has been a real issue this year. A survey published by mattress company Sleepeezee in August found that 33% of adults reported getting less than four to six hours of sleep a night. 

Even if you’re lucky enough to be sleeping between the recommended seven and nine hours right now, that’s not to say the quality of the sleep you’re getting is good. Studies have found sleep quality has been greatly compromised in the pandemic, which isn’t a surprise when you think about how stressful it’s been.

The Sleepeezee survey found 79% of UK adults are reporting feeling tired most of the time – and screen time isn’t helping matters. Among those aged 18 to 34, 78% use their phone before bed, and 38% while they’re between the covers.

If screen time is an issue for you, sleep expert and author of The Good Sleep Guide, Sammy Margo, recommends setting a technology cut off time, as blue light emitted by your devices can suppress the release of your sleep hormone melatonin, and disrupt your brain’s natural sleep-wake cycles.

“The NHS recommends switching off technology an hour before your bedtime,” says Margo. “Or if you are using a screen, at least turn it to night-time mode or install an app that reduces the blue light.”

If you find yourself craving that bedtime scroll on Twitter, reach for a book instead. And if reading isn’t for you, Margo suggests listening to the radio, an audiobook, or some calming music.

Dr Shahaney urges people to do a sleep hygiene check, which includes reducing screen time before you sleep, as well as establishing a consistent bedtime routine, perhaps with a bath or some relaxation techniques.

“If at all possible, try to make sure that your bedroom is a place where you sleep only, and keep the room cool,” she adds.

Consider your diet

Sometimes it’s all about going back to basics. Registered nutritionist Saadia Noorani says the best way to keep up your energy levels and reduce tiredness right now is to follow a healthy, balanced diet.

As part of this, she urges people to aim to eat regularly, and at the same times each day, to sustain energy levels – and this means eating breakfast. “A healthy breakfast provides the fuel needed for the day ahead and an opportunity to obtain a significant portion of our fibre, calcium and iron intakes,” she says. 

Noorani also strongly recommends getting plenty of iron-rich foods into your diet, such as dark-green leafy vegetables, cereals and bread fortified with iron, meat, and pulses (such as beans, peas and lentils). Being low in iron can lead to anaemia, which can make you feel tired, she adds, pointing out that women and girls are most at risk due to the loss of blood during their menstrual cycle.

Dr Shahaney urges people to be mindful of their vitamin D levels, too, as they might be contributing to tiredness. It’s thought around one in five adults and one in six children in the UK may have a profound vitamin D deficiency. Health bodies typically recommend taking a vitamin D supplement in the winter months – and most people should aim to have 10 micrograms a day. 

Vitamin D is also found in many foods, including oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks and fortified foods, such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals.

If you’ve found yourself drinking more booze in lockdown, this might also be exacerbating your tiredness. “It’s important to note that alcohol can not only dehydrate you, but also disturb your sleep, leading to tiredness the next day,” says Noorani. Instead, aim to drink more water.

“Sometimes you may feel tired because you are dehydrated,” she continues. “Make sure you stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids – the government recommends six to eight glasses every day.”

Get moving

To boost energy and reduce stress more generally you might also want to look at introducing some aerobic exercise into your day.

Dr Alka Patel, a GP, coach and creator of the Lifestyle First method, says the ideal time and place to exercise is in the sunlight, within a two-hour window either side of sunrise. “This helps to set the clock for later sleep, with the added benefit of vitamin D,” she says.

Dr Mills agrees that regularly exercising and doing activity daily “will have a positive impact on our energy levels” – although he acknowledges that trying to find the motivation to do so can be difficult.

Just breathe

Breathing has a huge bearing on how we feel. “When we are tired or our energy levels feel low we should stop and take a break to breath,” suggests Dr Patel. “A technique I like to use is box breathing.”

To do this, imagine drawing a square box – either on your palm, on a piece of paper or in your mind. Each side of the square is going to take you four seconds to draw and the whole square will take just 16 seconds and with each line you draw you’re going to do something different with your breathing, says Dr Patel.

Here goes:

  • Draw your line across and breathe in for 4 seconds

  • Draw your line down and hold for 4 seconds

  • Draw your line across and breathe out for 4 seconds

  • Draw your line up and hold for 4 seconds

“Repeat as many times as you want to give you a surge of calm and uplifting energy,” she adds.

Be kind to yourself

Right now our stress levels are through the roof and our bodies just can’t handle it.  “As humans, we generate a stress hormone – called cortisol – which is normally released in response to events and circumstances such as waking up in the morning, exercising, and acute stress,” explains Cigna’s Dr Peter Mills.

“Our bodies are not designed to deal with such long and protracted stressful scenarios such as the one we currently face, therefore those stress hormones that are there to assist us in times of danger, eventually shut down.

“Those hormones can only achieve that heightened sense of alertness for a period of time before having to take it down a few notches which ultimately affects our energy levels too.”

Looking after yourself “has never been so important,” he adds, urging people to take time out of their day to have some ‘me’ time. “It’s extremely important to give your mind and body permission to relax, and helps to release those surging stress hormones,” he adds.

When to seek help

Prolonged tiredness and fatigue can also be a sign of some serious health concerns, so when might a person want to get medical help?

Dr Shahaney says you should consider how long the fatigue has been going on for? “If it’s been something you’ve been managing for many weeks or months, it might be time to speak to your GP about it, or get a blood test to check your levels of vital vitamins and minerals,” she says. 

“Extreme fatigue can be a sign of something more sinister and I’d say when it is associated with worrying physical symptoms, such as weight loss, you may want to address it.”

If you think you might’ve had Covid-19 earlier in the year, fatigue is also one of the main symptoms that people are experiencing long after the virus has swept through their system. The issue can be debilitating. 

NHS England has promised to launch 40 long Covid clinics in the next few weeks to help support people with these persistent symptoms. 

You can find out more about post-Covid fatigue on the NHS Your Covid Recovery site. People are urged to contact their GP if: their fatigue is getting worse rather than better, their fatigue is unchanged after three months, or they are worried or have other new symptoms.

Covid-19 is more than a news story – it has changed every aspect of life in the UK. We are following how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion, reaction and resilience. You can tell us how you are feeling and find further advice and resources here.

UK Scientists Relied On Wikipedia During Early Stages Of Coronavirus Pandemic

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The UK’s scientific advisers to the government were forced to scour Wikipedia in the early stage of the pandemic because of a lack of data about the spread on coronavirus in other countries.

A BBC documentary – Lockdown 1.0 – Following the Science? — hears from top scientists at the heart of Britain’s response to the virus, and paints a picture of a country unprepared to reduce its spread.

Among those to speak out were members of the the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), which reports to the influential Scientific Advisory Committee for Emergencies (Sage).

Professor Ian Hall of the University of Manchester, who is deputy chair of SPI-M, said: “The public may be surprised that we were using Wikipedia to get data very early on in the pandemic, but that was really the only data that was publicly available that we could access.”

Dr Thibaut Jombart, an academic at Imperial College London and member of SPI-M, who spent six months in the Democratic Republic of Congo fighting Ebola, added that there was a big gap in the basic epidemiological information they were drawing from.

He said the Covid-19 data situation was “less good in the UK” than the Ebola data in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By the middle of March, it became clear that the official number of daily cases being reported by the government – around 450 – was incorrect, but the extent to which it was incorrect was not clear.

Professor Mark Jit, an academic at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and member of SPI-M, had to extrapolate more accurate information by comparing the number of hospitalisations in China and Northern Italy to the actual data available in the UK.

Jit said: “We were predicting that there were probably close to 100,000 cases each day. This was extremely worrying because 100,000 new cases would mean that about a week later we would get 20,000 new hospital patients a day.”

Dr Nick Davies from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a member of SPI-M, said that the NHS data some modellers were using was “in some cases up to a week old” by the time they were able to use it.

“That was the first time when I started to feel like things really were not in control,” he says.

He believes the subsequent delay in lockdown cost lives and “had lockdown been imposed a week earlier, we may have avoided about half or slightly more than half the number of deaths”.

Boris Johnson announced a complete national lockdown on March 23 – exactly one week after receiving inaccurate advice from Sage about Covid-19’s doubling time. 

The documentary has also revealed that the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), which advises ministers, had no specialists on the spread of the disease among humans at the start of the outbreak.

Professor Calum Semple, an academic at the University of Liverpool and member of NERVTAG, said: “Quite a few of us had read the literature for SARS and MERS” but there was no particular specialist who has just focused their entire life on human coronaviruses.

Professor David Matthews, of the University of Bristol, who has been studying viruses for over 30 years, told the BBC that he would have expected to have been consulted on the virus as one of only a handful of UK human coronavirus specialists.

He told the programme that at the time they were one of the only teams that were working on human coronaviruses in the UK.

Matthews said: “You have to remember there are not many corona virologists in the UK at all. I half expected someone in the government to say: ‘Is there anybody who’s got a containment facility and working on dangerous human coronaviruses right now?’ And that didn’t happen.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told the BBC: “Covid-19 is a novel virus – we drew on the relevant expertise.

“We have been guided by the advice of experts from SAGE and its sub-committees and our response helped to ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed.”

Parliamentary Panel Questions Twitter Over Kunal Kamra's Tweets On Supreme Court

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A file image of Kunal Kamra

NEW DELHI — A parliamentary committee questioned Twitter on Thursday over the recent tweets by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra targeting the Supreme Court and the chief justice of India (CJI), and sought reply from the social media giant over the matter within seven days, said the panel’s chairperson Meenakshi Lekhi.

This came close on the heels of Twitter apologising in writing to the same parliamentary panel for wrongly showing Ladakh in China and promising to correct the error by the month-end.

Twitter India representatives deposed before the Joint Committee of Parliament on Data Protection Bill on Thursday.

“It is shameful that Twitter is allowing its platform for obscene remarks like the one by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra against the Supreme Court and the CJI,” Lekhi told reporters.

 

 

“Twitter is allowing its platform to be misused for abusing top constitutional authorities, such as Supreme Court and CJI.”

She said members of the committee across political spectrum, including Congress MP Vivek Tankha, BSP MP Ritesh Pandey and BJD MP Bhatruhari Mahtab, grilled Twitter representatives on this issue.

Lekhi also said that explanation of Twitter about banning handles and tweets was found to be inadequate.

Meanwhile, Kamra has refused to retract his controversial tweets against the Supreme Court or apologise for them, saying he believes they “speak for themselves”.

Earlier, Attorney General KK Venugopal consented to the initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against him for a series of tweets following the apex court giving interim bail to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.

What To Say To People Who Say You're Being 'Too Safe' Amid COVID-19

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Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to taking pandemic precautions. 

It’s no secret people have different approaches to health and safety as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic.

While many are heeding public health experts’ advice to stay home and avoid gathering with those outside their households, others are still planning large dinner parties that violate pandemic safety guidelines. Some couples are still throwing indoor weddings with hundreds of guests at the same time that others are making difficult decisions to postpone or tie the knot via Zoom. 

With these divisions, disagreements have inevitably arisen between friends and relatives who don’t share the same pandemic safety philosophy. The situation is particularly frustrating for those who face criticism for taking extra precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the coronavirus. 

So how should you respond if you’re accused of being “too safe”? Below, therapists and etiquette experts share guidance and tips for navigating these tense conversations. 

Resist the urge to get defensive.

“My advice to anyone being accused of being ‘too cautious’ is to resist the impulse to go on the defensive,” said Meg Gitlin, a psychotherapist and the voice behind City Therapist, a therapy insight Instagram account. “Don’t push back when you get questioned, instead go with it.”

She advised pausing, and then saying something like, “You’re right, we are being extra cautious.” You can acknowledge that we’re all in uncharted territory.

“You may say that everyone is just doing the best they can to make decisions that make them feel safe and comfortable,” Gitlin said.

Don’t get into a debate.

“It’s not necessary to get into a debate,” said Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert, author of “Modern Etiquette for a Better Life,” and founder of The Protocol School of Texas. “Your views will be different from someone else’s, and you can say something like, ‘I would appreciate it if you would respect my position. I’m being very careful, and that’s how my family is navigating the situation.’”

If you’re uncomfortable with the way another person is handling pandemic safety, it’s OK to take a relationship “pause” for a while, she added.

Also, debating the merits of your positions won’t necessarily change anyone’s mind, so brevity is key.

“There is power in silence,” said licensed marriage and family therapist Saniyyah Mayo. “Sometimes trying to explain leaves you frustrated and defeated when a person only wants to prove you wrong or have a rebuttal. This can have a negative impact on your mental health. So in this case it’s better to not say anything at all.”

Understand it’s probably not personal.

“When having these conversations, try to keep in mind that everyone is struggling to define what they feel comfortable with and sometimes aren’t able to express it properly,” Gitlin said.

“One defense mechanism people use when faced with uncertainty is to judge others or put them down,” she added. “If they come at you in a way that’s judgmental or unsupportive, it’s much more likely a projection of their own frustration with the situation than how they actually feel about your decision.”

If your gut reaction is to take someone’s judgment about your cautiousness personally, pause for a minute and try to depersonalize the sentiment in your mind. Remind yourself that you’re likely not the only one on the receiving end of this kind of criticism from them.

Validate the emotions behind their statement.

You don’t have to condone their resistance to COVID-19 safety measures, but you can empathize with the emotions behind such atttiudes. 

Craig A. Knippenberg, a therapist and author of “Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions To Ensure Your Child’s Social and Emotional Success,” recommended saying something like, “I so much appreciate your wanting to be together, we feel the exact same way.”

“You can then validate how this is yet another loss we are suffering due to the virus,” he said. “Talking about your mutual grief can be very helpful. If need be, offer some logic to your decision-making: We have a high-risk family member; we are on the front lines and don’t want to risk spreading it; or, the vaccine is on its way, and we don’t want to blow out now.”

Remember you’re in charge of your choices. 

It’s important to remember that you have every right and reason to take precautions to protect your health and safety amid the pandemic. Don’t let someone else’s criticism or judgment deter you from behaving prudently. 

Knippenberg advised saying something along the lines of: “I know we all have different views on how to respond to the pandemic but it’s my job to determine what health standards are best for my family, given our particular circumstances.”

Have a healthy conversation if the audience is right.

If you feel inclined to launch into the specific reasons for your caution, determine if this is a useful discussion to have with that person. 

“You have to ask yourself why you feel the need to explain [your decisions] in the first place,” Mayo said. “If it is to educate someone then consider your audience. If a person genuinely wants to know your reasoning, this may lead to a healthy conversation. In this case, just tell them your personal reasons for wanting to stay safe.”

“You could also mention how you are following the latest transmission data and the advice of health and government officials,” Knippenberg noted. “You can always end with: ‘Well, I’m just sort of a better-safe-than-sorry kind of person.’”

Offer alternatives for socializing.

If you want to maintain your relationship with this person and continue socializing in a safe way, try to find a solution that works for you. 

“Offer some creative alternatives,” Knippenberg suggested. “There will be lots of family Zoom gatherings this year or families who are self-isolating for 10 days prior to getting together. Remember, don’t politicize getting together. It’s just health care.”

Embrace the fact that judgment is inevitable. 

“People say, ‘I make my decision, and you can’t judge me for it.’ But the truth is you make your decision, and I can judge you for your decision,” said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting.

“I expect people are going to judge me for my public behaviors,” she added. “That’s OK. That’s who we are as humans. Our behaviors have consequences as adults. We can ask, ‘Is this someone I want in my social circle?’”


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BTS Fans Took Over Modi At Bengaluru Tech Summit Hashtag, Here's How It Happened

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(left to right) V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope from BTS visit The Empire State Building on May 21, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Bengaluru Tech Summit, 2020 (BTS2020) virtually on Thursday and most of the tweets related to his speech were posted with #PMModiAtBTS2020 (see here and here). 

As the hashtag started trending, fans of K-pop group BTS excitedly clicked on it, only to be disappointed. Many thought that the band was finally coming to India, others laughed at themselves for taking over the hashtag which wasn’t even related to BTS. Some happily decided to promote the upcoming BTS album with this hashtag.

BTS album “BE” will be released on November 20.

Here’s how the band’s fans reacted:

Some speculated that Prime Minister Modi was also a BTS fan of BTS and would bring the seven members to India for a concert.

One Twitter user also hoped to see a BJP rally with BTS’ hit ‘Dynamite’ as the background music.  

And here are fans taking over the hashtag and promoting BTS. 


Why India Pulled Out Of RCEP And How The Deal Will Benefit China: An Expert Explains

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This image made from a teleconference provided by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) shows the leaders and trade ministers of 15 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries on November 15, 2020.

On Sunday, 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, raising several questions about India’s decision to walk out of the world’s largest trading bloc last year. 

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar defended the government’s decision this week, saying that joining the pact would have resulted in “fairly immediate negative consequences” for the country’s economy. He also said that India withdrew from RCEP as a number of key concerns flagged by it were not addressed.

The RCEP deal comprises 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

India still has the option of joining the agreement. Any country can join RCEP 18 months after it comes into force but India, being one of the initial negotiating countries, can join at any time. 

Arpita Mukherjee, professor at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), told HuffPost India in an email interview that in her opinion, India walked out of the agreement because of its trade imbalance with China and a fear that it will only increase if tariffs are reduced under RCEP. The geo-political tensions with China could be another reason, she said. 

India’s trade deficit with China was $48.66 billion in 2019-20, according to government data.

Relations between India and China have soured since the Ladakh standoff and the violent face-off in Galwan Valley on 15 June, in which at least 20 Indian soldiers died. 

Several reports noted that RCEP can also be seen as a way for China to draft the trade rules in the region and increase its influence (see here and here).

Mukherjee said that China was an important player in regional trade even before RCEP, but it now has an advantage vis-à-vis India in the 14 markets that are part of the agreement. “It also has more bilateral agreements in the region than India. So definitely, Chinese companies will be at an advantage vis-a-vis Indian companies in the markets of RCEP member countries, and there will be more value chain integration.”

1. What do you think of India’s decision to walk out of RCEP last year? Given the uncertainty around Covid-19 and the need to boost the economy, should India reconsider the decision?

In my opinion, India walked out of the RCEP due to its trade imbalance with China and the fear that the negative trade balance will increase, if tariffs are reduced under the trade agreement. Also, India has been increasing tariffs in the recent years which makes it difficult to enter into trade agreements. The geo-political tensions with China can be another reason. However, the most important reason is that there is a lack of research on market potential and barriers, which can be made available in the public domain and used for industry and stakeholders’ consultations. All stakeholders have to prepare themselves for a mega-regional agreement and, in this case, there has been a lack of preparedness and coordination.

With Covid-19, global supply chains are disrupted and protectionism has increased. A trade agreement can help to counter protectionism but in a pandemic situation, countries can take harsh decisions for a temporary period.

Under the current economic scenario, India’s priority is to boost economic growth, ensure employment, implement reforms and address policy gaps. It is also important to examine what measures RCEP member countries, especially developing countries, are taking to meet their commitments. India needs to prepare itself before going forward.

2. Will India’s refusal to join the agreement affect its bilateral trade agreements with some RCEP members?

India already has comprehensive trade agreements with Japan and Korea. The India-ASEAN agreement is under review and both sides have pointed out multiple issues. The refusal to join the RCEP does not prohibit India from joining new agreements or strengthening its existing bilateral agreements. These agreements will depend on the extent of commitments from both sides. If we give less, we will get less than our competitors in those markets. Individual agreements are always costly for businesses vis-a-vis autonomous/unilateral tariffs reduction or multilateral or mega-regional agreement. With the slow progress in the Doha Round, Indian businesses are at a disadvantage vis-a-vis businesses from competing developing countries like Vietnam, which has signed several comprehensive agreements including all key trading partners.

3. India’s trade deficit with at least 11 of the 15 RCEP countries is reported as one of the reasons for walking out of the deal. India is now considering reviews of its bilateral FTAs. Are there any concerns with this approach? Will RCEP members be willing to do a review?

India’s trade deficit was indeed an issue for the RCEP negotiations, but somehow our concerns have always been directed towards China. There are concerns on both sides with respect to the review of the bilateral agreements. India’s commitments in some of its bilateral agreements are even lower than the autonomous or unilateral regime. India needs to address this issue.

Second, there is a need for research in India to find out market access, discriminatory, non-tariff and other regulatory barriers in the countries with whom we have existing trade agreements and how these barriers can be addressed under the revised trade agreements.

Third, India’s own ask list is narrow in areas like services, where it has export potential. Fourth, there is a need for more detailed study on how to attract core investment. Fifth, in India there is hardly any research on new areas in trade like ‘technology and trade’. There is need for more in-depth work on this. In this, the government has to engage deeply with industry bodies like NASSCOM. 

If we are well-prepared there is no cause for concern. Our interactions with India’s trading partners show that they are willing to do a review but they do not like India’s approach of limited commitments under trade agreement. They prefer deeper commitments.

4. One of the arguments against India’s decision is that it will allow China to become an important player in regional trade. Also, there are expectations that RCEP will pave the way for deeper cooperation among members. Will this isolate India and make it a less attractive trade partner?

Even before RCEP, China was an important player in regional trade and regional supply chains, and RCEP made its position stronger. Interestingly, even with the Covid-19 pandemic, other countries went ahead and signed the RCEP agreement without India.

China now has an advantage vis-a-vis India in the 14 markets of RCEP. It also has more bilateral agreements in the region than India. So definitely, Chinese companies will be at an advantage vis-a-vis Indian companies in the markets of RCEP member countries, and there will be more value chain integration. While we can restrict imports by higher tariffs, our exports may suffer. This is a cause for concern for Indian companies. Regional trade agreement provides a predictable trade regime which companies look forward to in the absence of any multilateral trade agreements.

5. Are there any advantages to staying out of RCEP for India?

There may be some political advantages of walking out of RCEP. It may have also helped to promote self-reliance. Some Indian industries, which lack global competitiveness due to a number of reasons, including high power or logistics costs, are happy as they will not face tough competition.

6. India is one of the biggest markets in the world. Will its withdrawal affect the deal or RCEP member states?

As of now, India’s withdrawal has not affected the decision of RCEP members as the agreement has been signed. RCEP members have acknowledged the strategic importance of India and stated that if India becomes a member of RCEP it will lead to even deeper value chain integration. The agreement is open to accession by India and the member states can commence negotiations with India if India wants to negotiate.

Princess Diana Interview: The Row Over Martin Bashir’s Bombshell Explained

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The Duke of Cambridge has welcomed an investigation into the BBC’s 1995 Panorama interview with his mother Princess Diana, saying it “should help establish the truth behind the actions” that led to the programme.

William said the independent probe into Martin Bashir’s controversial television interview with the Princess of Wales in 1995 was a “step in the right direction”.

The interview saw the then-separated Diana publicly confirm she knew her husband had resumed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and admit to having developed an eating disorder. It prompted the Queen to urge the couple to seek a divorce a month later. 

Diana during her interview with Martin Bashir for the BBC in 1995

It was a landmark piece of journalism that won Bashir a Bafta award and propelled him to prominence, enabling him to secure a similar scoop with global superstar Michael Jackson. But Bashir himself is now to be the subject of an investigation into the steps he took to land the scoop. 

The BBC has appointed Lord Dyson, who formerly presided over the Court of Appeal, to lead the investigation. It will begin straightaway and seek to discover what steps Bashir and the broadcaster took to land the interview.

Second in line to the throne William said: “The independent investigation is a step in the right direction.

“It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time.”

False bank statements

The probe comes after allegations by Diana’s brother Earl Spencer that he was shown “false bank statements” by Bashir and that these statements were used to help the reporter gain access to the princess.

Charles Spencer provided introductions between Diana and Bashir, which resulted in the infamous interview – which sent shockwaves through the monarchy with details about the state of her marriage to the Prince of Wales.

Spencer claims that, in the weeks before the programme, Bashir showed him bank statements detailing payments supposedly made to two members of the royal household by security services. Spencer says these statements were fake.

The documents suggested the individuals were being paid to keep the princess under surveillance through phone tapping and car tracking. The earl claims Bashir repeatedly deceived him in order to win his trust, which eventually led to Spencer giving the journalist access to his sister.

In the years following the interview, the BBC says, Bashir admitted providing other mocked-up documents that appeared to show stories were being leaked by one of Spencer’s own employees, prompting him to broker the pair’s meeting. It isn’t clear how this would have gained Bashir a route to the princess, but perhaps the idea was to give Diana an opportunity to set the record straight.

Bashir with his Bafta award for the interview, pictured on 21 April 1996 

The earl further alleges that Bashir made a series of false and defamatory claims about senior members of the royal family themselves to ingratiate himself with him and his sister.

In 1996 the BBC held an internal investigation that examined the mocked-up documents relating to the earl’s former employee. This aimed to determine whether or not the princess had been misled, with a key piece of evidence – a note from Diana – suggesting she had not.

The corporation has previously said in a statement that its investigation found Bashir had “done wrong” – but it is not known what sanction, if any, he faced.

In an earlier statement, a BBC spokesperson highlighted an apology the earl has received from the director-general over the mocked-up documents relating to his former staffer.

The earl tweeted his response: “When the BBC say they’ve ‘apologised’ to me, what they’ve apologised for is showing me false bank statements regarding to a lesser, unrelated matter. They haven’t apologised for the fake bank statements and other deceit that led me to introducing Martin Bashir to my sister.”

The note

The BBC has claimed Diana had handwritten a note saying she did not see these false bank statements and that they played no part in her decision to give the interview.

The corporation had said a copy of the princess’s note was no longer in its possession and could not be produced for a 2007 Freedom of Information request – although its existence was documented in BBC records.

This month, however, it said the note had been found. The corporation said in a statement: “Following the announcement of the independent investigation, the BBC has now recovered the princess’s original handwritten note which is referred to in our records from the time.” 

The palace was left reeling after the interview was broadcast - as this Evening Standard sign from 1995 implies 

Former BBC chair Lord Grade said that there was a “very dark cloud hanging over BBC journalism” following the allegations. He told BBC Radio 4 programme The World At One: “We’ve got to get into the timeline of when knew what when. ‘Was the Diana letter also a forgery?’ is the question that needs to be asked.”

The investigation will consider if the steps taken by the BBC and Bashir were appropriate and to what extent those actions influenced Diana’s decision to give an interview.

It will also investigate what knowledge the BBC had in 1995 and 1996 of the “mocked up bank statements purporting to show payments to a former employee of Earl Spencer [and] the purported payments to members of the royal households”, the corporation said.

The interview

The result was the explosive interview 25 years ago in which Diana famously said: “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

She added: “Yes, I was [aware of Prince Charles’s relationship with Camilla], but I wasn’t in the place to do anything about it. [...] A woman’s instinct is a very good one.”

The Princess of Wales used the interview to talk about her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, quipping 'there were three of us in this marriage'

A mammoth 21.5m viewers tuned in to watch the princess’s frank discussion about her marriage breakdown and her dealings with the palace, sending shockwaves through the monarchy.

As well as revealing candid details about her marriage and the Prince of Wales’s relationship with his now wife, she also questioned Charles’s suitability as king.

The mother-of-two also spoke of her eating disorder. She said: “I had bulimia for a number of years. That’s like a secret disease you inflicted upon yourself because your self-esteem is lowered and you don’t think you’re worthy or valuable.

“You fill your stomach up four or five times a day – some do it more – and it gives you a feeling of comfort. It’s like having a pair of arms around you, but it’s temporary.

“Then, you’re disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach and then you bring it all up again. It’s a repetitive pattern that is very destructive to yourself. [...] It was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage. I was crying out for help but giving the wrong signals. People were using my bulimia as a coat on a hanger. They decided that was the problem. Diana was unstable.”

The couple divorced in 1996.

The princess died in 1997 in a car crash in Paris and Charles married Camilla in 2005.

‘The fall guy’

The graphic designer who mocked up the documents allegedly used to secure the interview has said he was made “the fall guy” by the BBC, and called on the broadcaster to apologise.

Bashir commissioned Matt Wiessler to create the mocked-up financial documents relating to the earl’s then employee, who no longer works for the earl.

Matt Wiessler believes he was made a 'scapegoat' by the BBC for Bashir's actions and has demanded an apology from the broadcaster 

He believes he was made a “scapegoat” by the BBC for the reporter’s actions and wants an apology. He told his story on a two-part ITV documentary.

Following the 1996 inquiry, the BBC’s board of governors was told there had been “steps to ensure that the graphic designer will not work for the BBC again”.

Wiessler told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he was “absolutely gobsmacked” to discover that “a board of governors meeting [...] to look into what Martin had done” had made him “the scapegoat”.

Bashir, who is now religion editor at the BBC, is currently signed off from work.

A statement from the corporation said: “He is currently recovering from quadruple heart bypass surgery and has significant complications from having contracted Covid-19 earlier in the year.”

Former BBC director-general Lord Hall was director of BBC news and current affairs when the Diana interview was screened.

He led the corporation’s internal investigation into whether Diana had been misled.

The earl has claimed in a letter to the BBC that the 1996 inquiry was a “whitewash” and has gone on to allege the corporation covered up Bashir’s actions.

Lord Hall, who left the BBC earlier this year, has told The Times newspaper he was “unaware” of the documents at the centre of the new claims.

He said in a statement to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “the focus of the original investigation was whether Diana had been misled”.

He said “this and any new issues raised will no doubt be looked at by the BBC’s new inquiry”.

Tim Davie, current director-general of the BBC, said: “The BBC is determined to get to the truth about these events and that is why we have commissioned an independent investigation.

“Formerly Master of the Rolls and a Justice of the Supreme Court, Lord Dyson is an eminent and highly respected figure who will lead a thorough process.”

Lord Dyson said: “This is an important investigation which I will start straight away. I will ensure it is both thorough and fair.”

The BBC will publish the report of this investigation at its conclusion.

Douglas Stuart, Writer Of 'Shuggie Bain', Wins Booker Prize

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This year's winning author Douglas Stuart speaks at The 2020 Booker Prize Awards Ceremony, at the Roundhouse in London, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. Scottish writer Douglas Stuart has won the Booker Prize for fiction with “Shuggie Bain,” the story of a boy’s turbulent coming of age in hardscrabble 1980s Glasgow. Stuart won the prestigious 50,000 pound ($66,000) award for his first published novel. (David Parry/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — Scottish writer Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for fiction Thursday for Shuggie Bain, a novel about a boy’s turbulent coming of age in hardscrabble 1980s Glasgow that was turned down by 32 publishers before being picked up.

Stuart, 44, won the prestigious 50,000 pound ($66,000) award for his first published novel, the product of a decade of work. He was the only U.K.-born author on a U.S.-dominated list of six finalists for the prize, which is open to English-language novels from around the world.

A former fashion designer who is based in New York, Stuart drew on his own experiences growing up gay in economically ravaged Thatcher-era Glasgow for the story of young Shuggie and his relationship with his alcoholic mother, Agnes. Stuart dedicated the book to own mother, who died when he was 16.

“My mother is in every page of this book, and without her I wouldn’t be here and my work wouldn’t be here,” said Stuart, who declared himself “absolutely stunned” to win.

The novel’s sweep, vivid characters and unflinching look at poverty have been compared to the work of Charles Dickens, but Stuart said it was rejected repeatedly before being published by Grove Atlantic in the U.S. and Picador in the U.K.

Stuart told reporters after his victory that publishers praised his book but “didn’t know how to connect it with readers.

“Working-class Scotland was difficult for them,” Stuart said. He said his victory was a sign that “we are starting to hear and be able to respect diverse voices.”

Publisher and editor Margaret Busby, who chaired the judging panel, said “Shuggie Bain” was intimate and gripping, challenging but hopeful in its exploration of Shuggie’s burgeoning sexuality and the complex but loving relationship between mother and son.

“It’s hard to come away from that book without thinking ‘This is going to be a classic,’” she said.

In contrast to last year, when deadlocked judges split the prize between Canada’s Margaret Atwood for “The Testaments” and Britain’s Bernardine Evaristo for “Girl, Woman, Other,” this year’s decision was quick and unanimous.

Busby said “there were no tantrums” among the judges, who included poet Lemn Sissay and thriller writer Lee Child.

Stuart was chosen from a shortlist dominated by U.S.-based writers from diverse backgrounds. American contenders included “The Shadow King” by Maaza Mengiste; Diane Cook’s dystopian tale “The New Wilderness”; Avni Doshi’s India-set mother-daughter tale “Burnt Sugar”; and Brandon Taylor’s campus novel “Real Life,” which explores racism and homophobia in academia. The other contender was “This Mournable Body,” by Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga.

Though there have been many British winners of the Booker Prize, most of them English, Stuart is the first Scottish victor since James Kelman took the 1994 prize with “How Late it Was, How Late” — a book Stuart has called an inspiration.

Busby said nationality played no part in the judges’ considerations.

“We were rewarding the book,” she said. ”We were not trying to tick boxes or think what people were going to say about us choosing this and not that.”

The coronavirus pandemic scuttled the Booker’s traditional black-tie dinner ceremony at London’s medieval Guildhall. Instead, the winner announcement was broadcast online and on radio from London’s Roundhouse arts venue, with virtual appearances by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and former U.S. President Barack Obama.

In a video message, Obama praised the power of fiction “to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, understand their struggles, and imagine new ways to tackle complex problems and effect change.”

The Booker Prize usually brings the victor a huge boost in sales and profile, and often sparks a debate about the state of the English-language literary scene.

This year’s six finalists included four debut novelists — Doshi, Cook and Taylor, as well as Stuart — and omitted high-profile books, including “The Mirror and the Light,” the conclusion of Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed Tudor trilogy. Mantel won the Booker for both its predecessors, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring up the Bodies,” and had been widely tipped for the hat trick.

Founded in 1969, the prize is open to English-language authors of any nationality, but until 2014 only British, Irish and Commonwealth writers were eligible.

That year’s change sparked fears among some Britons that it would become a U.S-dominated prize. That hasn’t happened, yet. There have been two American winners, Paul Beatty’s “The Sellout” in 2016 and George Saunders’ “Lincoln in the Bardo” in 2017.

7 Hindi Movies To Watch If You’re Itching To Travel

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For those of us who love to travel, 2020 has been a bit of a dampener, to put it mildly. Plans of beach vacations or backpacking trips for 2020 had to be put on hold as we tried to come to terms with a virus that can be fatal. 

Most of us in India are still cooped up at home because Covid-19 cases are rising in many parts of the country. Forget travelling, many of us haven’t been to the park next door for a walk because of fear of the virus. 

When the lockdown began, there was some hope that things would get better by the end of the year, but now it’s not even clear how 2021 is going to look. Many states (and countries) have relaxed travel restrictions, but unless it’s an emergency, the sensible thing to do is stay put. And if you’re someone who is dying to pack your bags and take off to the mountains, but can’t do so IRL, what better way to indulge your feelings than to watch some good Hindi movies where the characters do some (or a lot of) travelling?

So cosy up with the beverage of your choice and travel vicariously through our favourite characters from Hindi films. 2020 may have dashed our dreams of travelling, but we still have our movies. 

1. Queen (Netflix) 

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2020 hasn’t been the greatest year of Kangana Ranaut either, and the developments this year may have wiped out from our memory that she gave us one of the best Hindi movies on a woman travelling alone. Rani, played by Kangana, is heartbroken when her fiancé breaks up with her a couple of days before their wedding. Rani shuts herself in a room and cries and cries until she can’t anymore. Her middle-class Delhi parents, who are already distraught by their daughter having been ditched at the altar, are even more shocked when Rani declares she is going to go on her honeymoon all on her own. An unsure Rani boards a flight to Paris and makes the journey of a lifetime. 

Rani, who has never stepped foot outside her own little world in Delhi, meets new people, has new experiences and makes new friends. She meets care-free Vijayalakshmi (Lisa Haydon) in Paris, who owns her life and sexuality. Not only does Rani learn from her, Vijayalakshmi is the nudge Rani needs to truly find her independence. In Amsterdam, Rani befriends Taka, Tim and Oleksander. These experiences are life-changing, and by the time Rani gets back to Delhi, she is a completely different person. 

Watch the film for the feel of Paris and Amsterdam from the comfort of your own couch, and for Kangana’s endearing portrayal of Rani. 

2. Tamasha (Netflix)

When it released in 2015, Tamasha left its audience divided. The story of Tara (Deepika Padukone) and Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) either left one impressed or disappointed, there was no in between. But if you’re looking for a film to watch where the characters travel to beautiful destinations, this is a good option. Tara and Ved meet in Corsica and immediately become friends, but decide to not tell each other their real identities. As they spend their time exploring the island, Tara begins to fall in love with the fun and outgoing Ved. However, she leaves Corsica without telling him who she really is. 

A few years later, she runs into Ved in Delhi, and they begin to date. But Ved isn’t the same person she met in Corsica. If you can ignore the typical Imtiaz Ali’s manic pixie dream girl trope of the woman saving the man from himself, the film is pretty watchable. The breathtaking visuals of Corsica and Ranbir and Deepika dancing into the sunset are sure to bring some joy. The parts shot in Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village will make you want to go there right now (but don’t), and AR Rahman’s music will soothe your soul. If nothing else, watch it for the chemistry between Ranbir and Deepika—some of their earlier real-life vibe seems to have spilled into the film. 

3. Dil Dhadakne Do (Amazon Prime Video) 

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This is a cruise and a Europe trip, all in one film. Zoya Akhtar takes us along with the Mehras on a cruise ship where all hell breaks loose, with one of the family members jumping off the ship. But before all of that happens, we get to see visuals of Italy and Turkey — of the city of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia, the hamams in the city, air balloons of Cappadocia and so much more. While it’s the colosseum in Rome that is world famous, Dil Dhadakne Do took us to the colossus of Tunisia. 

Like in every Zoya Akhtar film, we not only meet each character, but find out who they really are behind the facades. For the Mehras, the cruise is important to keep up appearances as their business fails, Ayesha Mehra (Priyanka Chopra) is pretending to be happy in her unhappy marriage, her brother Kabir (Ranveer Singh) is pretending to date someone so that his family can form a business deal with the girl’s family and he can keep his private plane. But all of this falls apart as the family tells each other what they really think of one another on this cruise. While it’s difficult to really feel their pain, given the privilege and exotic locales, the movie itself is totally worth a rewatch in the times of coronavirus. 

4. Finding Fanny (Disney+ Hotstar)

Homi Adjania’s Finding Fanny takes us on a road trip through Goa, and a part of it that we haven’t seen before on the silver screen. It’s set in Pocolim, a fictitious village in Goa. The trip begins when Ferdie Pinto (Naseeruddin Shah) realises that the love of his life Fanny never received a letter he had written to her, and never knew about his feelings for her. So, with the help of his friend Angie (Deepika Padukone) and her mother Rosie (Dimple Kapadia) he sets out on a journey. Add to the mix Savio (Arjun Kapoor) and Don Pedro (Pankaj Kapoor). 

A comedy of errors follows as this mismatched bunch set out to find Fanny in one car, and the film wants to make you feel as uncomfortable as that sounds. But bonds form during the trip and it ends with an unlikely friendship between Ferdie and Rosie. This isn’t your typical time-pass movie, but a one worth watching if it’s Goa that you’re missing.

5. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Amazon Prime Video)

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Yes, this is Zoya Akhtar’s second appearance here, because she does send her characters on gorgeous trips. This one is about three friends Kabir (Abhay Deol), Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and Imran (Farhaan Akhtar), who go on a road trip through Spain. Each friend chooses a destination and a challenge that all of them have to do. The friends end up driving from Barcelona to Costa Brava, Seville, and Pamplona. 

While Kabir struggles in the relationship with his fiancée, Imran is conflicted about finding his estranged father. Arjun, who initially struggles to find his chill because his job entails attending video meetings during vacations and being panic-stricken ALL THE TIME, is later seen tipping his head over outside the car with “ude khule aasman mein khabo ke parindey” playing in the background. That scene is likely to make one want to go on a road trip right away. The tomatina festival, and lots of beautiful drives feature in the film. If you were planning to visit Spain in 2020, this film can, maybe, help you make peace with the situation right now. 

6. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Amazon Prime Video)

Yes, we’ve watched it a million times (despite its problems), but who would mind rewatching Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol waltz their way through luxurious locations of Switzerland? Set against the background of Switzerland, Raj and Simran fall in love with each other as they try to catch up to the rest of their friends after missing their train. By the time they realise that they are in love, it’s too late. Simran’s patriarchal AF father wants to parcel off his daughter in marriage to his best friend’s son, who is an trophy-hunting manly man from Punjab, even though he has nothing in common with Simran. 

Not only do we see the streets and cafes of Switzerland, we see bits of London, and even Punjab ke khet (farms), when Raj follows Simran to India to win her family over. Add to that the iconic soundtrack of the film and this will surely lift your mood, and speak to the traveller in you. 

7. Chalte Chalte (Netflix)

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Switzerland was made famous by Yash Raj films, but would us Bollywood-loving Indians have even known the beauty of Greece had Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee not danced away in its stunning locales? 

Raj (like SRK is in every movie) follows Priya to Greece when he falls in love with her after they get into an accident on a highway in India. They travel through the country as Raj tries to win Priya over, even though she knows she’s engaged. He finally does so in Mykonos and Athens, perhaps the most beautiful locations on the planet. Their early 2000s fashion sense isn’t bad and neither is the soundtrack. 

The story line is very early 2000s so you’ll have to bear with the problematic turns the story takes sometimes, but the film is still worth a re-watch. 

How Syama Harini Of ‘Vada Poche’ Is Laughing Off Tamil Comedy’s Rules For Women

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Syama Harini is a sort of everywoman for urban millennials, with her musings on periods, dating, body image, and the like. What sets her apart is that she chooses to speak, resolutely, in Tamil.

People are fond of asking Syama Harini if her stand-up comedy is about “women’s issues”, she recently shared on Amazon Prime’s Comicstaan Semma Comedy Pa. To that question, her answer is that her comedy is about her own problems, and that she does stand-up not because there aren’t enough women participating but because there are so many men.

Syama, 25, is a sort of everywoman for urban millennials, with her musings on periods, dating, body image, and the like. What sets her apart is that she chooses to speak, resolutely, in Tamil, thus directly addressing an audience that hasn’t been exposed to a woman entertainer quite like her. And people are taking notice: her first stand-up solo special, Vada Poche (‘Oh, Man’), released as a Zoom show in September and has been sold out three times in a row.

‘Soorarai Pottru’ Director Sudha Kongara On The Women In Her Films, Working With Mani Ratnam, And ‘Drohi’

What does she feel about being the first woman to have her own hour-long show in Tamil? “It’s a dream come true,” she told HuffPost India via a video call, her expressive face breaking into a grin. “I never imagined I’d end up becoming a comic.” Yet, she brushed aside the suggestion that she is something of a pioneer in Tamil comedy. “This fuss about my show feels like too much sometimes. There have been so many female comedians before me,” she said.

She is partly right.

While there are women giving their irreverent takes on everyday issues in the Hindi and English-language comedy circuits in India, the space had been largely unoccupied in the Tamil stand-up scene until Syama came along. One of her most popular sets, she told HuffPost India, entails her brandishing a whiskey bottle in one hand and a pack of sanitary pads in the other, and then holding forth about which one onlookers find more shocking. In relatively conservative Chennai, it seems like path-breaking material.

But, it is also true that women have always been a part of comedic entertainment in Tamil Nadu — right from drama troupes and ‘pattimandram’ (a form of debate, often with a strong satirical flavour) to black-and-white films from the first half of the last century. While their representation has always been minuscule, some women comedians have made a lasting mark.

If one must name the comedy doyenne of Tamil cinema, it can be none other than Manorama, fondly known as ‘Aachi’. 

The laughing ladies of Tamil cinema

The earliest women actors to make a mark in mainstream Tamil comedy were often presented as a package deal with their respective husbands. One of the earliest and most prominent examples is T.A. Mathuram, who acted from the 1930s through the ’50s in around 122 movies with her comedy-partner and husband, N.S. Krishnan. However, she was much more than a prop for him and played a variety of roles, including some that addressed social issues. Another actor making her mark in comedy during the same era (and beyond) was C.T. Rajakantham, who was also paired with her husband ‘Kali’ N Rathnam until he passed away in 1950. She too earned a name in her own right, last appearing on the TV screen in the late 1990s.

In the ’50s and ’60s, M. Saroja, T.P. Muthulakshmi, and Kumari Sachu were among the prominent women actors who got their big cinema breaks from comedy. In addition, some top heroines of that era, including the late former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, made some comedy blockbusters.

But if one must name the comedy doyenne of Tamil cinema, it can be none other than Manorama, fondly known as ‘Aachi’. 

“Manorama Aachi brought such power to her characters, even while being funny,” actor Devadarshini — acclaimed for her own comedic talents in the TV show Ramani Vs Ramani and movies such as Kanchana — told HuffPost India. “She is an inspiration to every Tamil actor, not just comedians.” There was a time when Manorama seemed ubiquitous, and she even entered the Guinness World Records for acting in more than 1,000 movies by 1985. Volume aside, her work earned her accolades for its quality and nuance, and Manorama won the Padma Shri Award in 2002 for her contribution to cinema.

Over the years, Tamil cinema has seen many women comedians of merit, including (but of course not limited to) Urvashi, Kalpana, and the inimitable Kovai Sarala. It’s a point that Syama Harini cannot emphasise enough. “There has never been a lack of female talent in comedy. Have you watched Soundarya and Rambha in the movie Kaathala Kaathala (1998)? Or Sneha and Simran in Pammal K Sambandam (2002)? Oh, and how about Laila in Pithamagan (2003)? They’re epic. The ‘women aren’t funny’ trope just isn’t true. All they need is the right chance and the right direction,” Syama said.

An evolving comedy landscape

According to Devadarshini, Tamil comedy has evolved over the past few decades. In the ’90s, comedy meant a small track in the movies where male comedians did their schtick, sometimes accompanied by either a funny or glamorous woman actor in a supporting role. In the last few years, said Devadarshini, things are improving on this front, with comedy being incorporated in storylines and new genres being pursued. 

But she also pointed out that many directors and writers simply don’t etch out characters for women comedians, and that she has had to fight for meaningful lines. “It’s not enough to just cast an artist. You need to form a character, know what the character does, how funny the character is. Our job is to improvise on this and deliver. Take my role in ’96 (2018), for instance. I was briefed about my character for about three hours, and it showed in the way I emoted. The audience picked up on it and I landed the right laughs. There are women who deliver these days — all you have to do is write for them,” Devadarshini said.

And this is exactly what Syama wants to do — write. Since her popularity skyrocketed as the runner-up in Amazon Prime’s stand-up comedy reality show Comicstaan Semma Comedy Pa, people have been inquiring if she’s planning to make her debut in the film industry. Her response to that is clear: “I don’t want to act. I’d much rather write.” 

It’s an endeavour that barely a handful of women — such as V. Priya of Kanda Naal Mudhal (2005) fame — have undertaken in Tamil Nadu’s comedy scene. This has meant that most jokes delivered by women in TV shows and movies have been written by men. Comedy in mainstream cinema often lacks depth and both Manorama and Kovai Sarala have spoken about the increase in the number of double entendres in their lines. Go-to punchlines are even today centred on body- or skin-colour-shaming. Just recently, comedian Vidyullekha Raman spoke of how she was discouraged from losing weight if she wanted to be cast in more films. 

Syama is keen to change the status quo. “Just saying ‘hey, fatso’ isn’t comedy. It’s a fact,” she said. “You need to create a situation that leads to a punchline, not be the punchline.” 

The appeal of Syama Harini isn’t just that she talks about periods or hints at sexual yearning but that she does it mostly in Tamil.

Setting the stage

There has been a steady (albeit slow) increase in women performing their own content in Tamil Nadu. Some, such as the Pori Urundai collective, have found their niche on YouTube. Then there is Arangathi Nisha, whose career took off with a comedy reality show (she also has a YouTube channel) and who became a household name after participating in Bigg Boss Tamil this year. On Zee Tamil,Comedy Khiladis is a reality show that aims to make the comedy landscape more diverse; as one of the judges, Devadarshini said she saw a couple of women slay with their solo acts.

Prior to these new platforms, too, women displayed their wit in debates known as pattimandram, which can be viewed as precursors to stand-up comedy. Pattimandram shows appeared in mainstream TV in the early ’90s, and dealt with topics ranging from caste issues to the effects of watching too many soap operas. ‘Humour’ debates are a subgenre of this form, where women such as Parveen Sultana and Bharathi Baskar distinguished themselves. Devadarshini recalled how noted stand-up comic Madurai Muthu made a concerted attempt to involve more women from the pattimandram circles in comedy. “Sunday Galatta was a comedy show where I worked with Madurai Muthu. Since he was active in the pattimandram circuit, he discovered a lot of talented women who worked their own content in smaller towns. He used to convince some of these girls’ conservative families to bring them on the show,” she recalled. 

Breaking the mould

The appeal of Syama Harini isn’t just that she talks about periods or hints at sexual yearning — that’s something that woman comedians such as Sumukhi Suresh have been doing for a while now — but that she does it mostly in Tamil. There is catharsis in watching someone perform relatable content in your own regional language. But there can also be resistance from some sections of the audience, mostly men.

“Stand-up comedy is meant to echo the sentiments of the local people and in some fashion, tell their truth,” said Karthik Kumar, or KK, a stand-up comedian and the co-founder of Evam Stand-up Tamasha, which touts itself as South India’s largest “stand-up comedy movement”. According to him, women comedians must frequently contend with audiences that are not ready for them, and which thus come across as hostile. “A lot of times women tend to back off because the audience did not laugh. But we don’t know if they didn’t laugh because they didn’t find the joke funny or if they were just astounded that a woman was talking,” KK said.

Syama was aware of this reality, but was inspired to try her hand at stand-up after watching a few now-famous comics perform in Evam Stand-up Tamasha, where she was an intern.

Just saying ‘hey, fatso’ isn’t comedy. It’s a fact. You need to create a situation that leads to a punchline, not be the punchlineSyama Harini

The turning point for her was attending a free stand-up comedy workshop for women that KK conducted in 2017. In the week-long workshop, which only five women attended, KK broke down the mechanics of the art form and even gave the participants an open mic night to test out their material. Out of these five women, only two, including Syama, are still performing. 

“Karthik Kumar sir told us during that workshop that we were sitting on gold. We had potential jokes that were fresh for the audience. This applies to everybody. Imagine if your grandmother walked on stage and spoke about Tinder, or child marriage in her generation. Or if your mom did a set about how her kids turned out to be total losers, as opposed to kids complaining about their parents. We need varied perspectives,” Syama said.

Still, there is still some stigma attached to women performing on stage. Women are expected to occupy less space and draw little attention to themselves. Going up on the podium and baring personal truths defies these cultural expectations. “When a male comedian performs adult-rated content, the audience laughs, but when a woman does it the knee-jerk reaction is to cringe,” Devadarshini pointed out. Or as KK explained it — men are a convenient medium, because they don’t interfere with the message by virtue of their gender. 

Another possible reason why women shy away from stand-up comedy is the logistics of performing. Most shows happen between 7pm and 10pm in pubs and cafes. The timing as well as the venues are widely regarded as ‘unsafe’ or ‘inappropriate’ for women.

So, how can more women be brought on board?  “It’s our job to find them,” KK said. “As a veteran, I need to create that safe space and ecosystem for more women to come forward. What exactly that is, we will figure out soon.”

He is thinking of holding another workshop, this time on Zoom with Syama’s help. He hopes that Syama’s success and the far reach of an online session will bring in more people and create more opportunities. He also says comedians need to be more creative about their venues, and could consider ideas such as performing for condominium associations.

“The Tamil audience has evolved,” Devadarshini noted. “They are ready to laugh now. New genres such as horror-comedy, which was unheard of before, have a cult following now.” 

Does this mean that people in Tamil Nadu are ready to hear women comedians perform their own material as well? What would work with the audience?

“It doesn’t matter,” Syama said, with her characteristic smile. “If you think you are the ‘comedy piece’ in your gang, come up on stage and give it a try. You don’t have to tackle deep, feminist content. You just have to be you. We (the Tamil stand-up community) will support you.” 

Donald Trump Jr. Has The Coronavirus

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Donald Trump Jr. has the coronavirus, report both Bloomberg News and CNN.

The US president’s son tested positive for the virus earlier this week, according to Bloomberg. He has been quarantining at a cabin since then, CNN reported. “He’s been completely asymptomatic so far” and is following medical guidelines, his spokesperson said in a statement. 

Several people surrounding President Donald Trump have gotten the virus since an election night party at the White House, including chief of staff Mark Meadows and Housing Secretary Ben Carson.

Earlier this fall, Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron Trump, all had contracted the coronavirus after another White House event. 

Don Jr.’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, tested positive for the coronavirus in July. 

The president has continually downplayed the threat of the virus, even as dozens of people surrounding the White House and several of his family members have been infected.

Coronavirus cases have been climbing dramatically nationwide in recent weeks, with more than 11.8 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and over 253,000 dead.


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A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

Here's When You're Most Infectious With Covid-19, With And Without Symptoms

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People with Covid-19 are most likely to be highly infectious in the first five days after they develop symptoms, a new study confirms, highlighting the need for abrupt isolation.

The research, published in the Lancet journal, also suggests asymptomatic individuals may clear the virus faster from their body, and might be infectious for a shorter amount of time.

In the first systematic review of its kind, researchers analysed data from 98 previous studies on coronavirus infection transmissions. 

They looked at three key factors in the studies:

  • Viral load (the amount of the virus detected in the body through the different stages of infection)

  • Viral RNA shedding (the length of time someone sheds viral genetic material)

  • Isolation of live virus (where the live virus is isolated and tested to see if it can successfully replicate in the laboratory).

The researchers compared their findings on Covid-19 to two other strains of coronavirus, to better understand why Covid-19 has spread so rapidly.

They found that the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) peaks in the upper respiratory tract early in the disease course, between the onset of symptoms and day five.

This is significant, because virus in the upper respiratory tract is thought to be the main source of transmission. In comparison, the viral load for two other strains of coronavirus (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) peak later – at 10-14 days and 7-10 days respectively – providing more time to recognise symptoms and  quarantine.  

“Our findings are in line with contact tracing studies which suggest the majority of viral transmission events occur very early, and especially within the first five days after symptom onset, indicating the importance of self-isolation immediately after symptoms start,” lead author Dr Muge Cevik of the University of St Andrews commented. 

 “We also need to raise public awareness about the range of symptoms linked with the disease, including mild symptoms that may occur earlier on in the course of the infection than those that are more prominent like cough or fever.”

The World Health Organisation lists the following possible symptoms of Covid-19:

Most common symptoms:
Fever
Dry cough
Tiredness

Less common symptoms:
Aches and pains
Sore throat
Diarrhoea
Conjunctivitis
Headache
Loss of taste or smell
A rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Chest pain or pressure
Loss of speech or movement.

Although viral loads appear to be largely similar between those people with and without symptoms, the research did indicate that asymptomatic individuals might clear the viral material from their bodies faster.

“Several studies have found that individuals with asymptomatic infection may clear the virus faster, suggesting that those without symptoms may be as infectious as those with symptoms at the beginning of infection, but may be infectious for a shorter period,” said Dr Cevik. 

However more research on the shedding of infectious virus in asymptomatic people would be needed before any policy change on quarantine duration could be considered, he added. 

The authors also noted that many of the study participants were people who’d been hospitalised with Covid, so they may have received treatments that impacted the course of their infection. 

“Therefore, our findings may not apply to people with milder infection, although these results suggest those with milder cases may clear the virus faster from their body,” Dr Antonia Ho of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research said.

“Further studies on viral shedding in this context are needed.” 


How ‘Moustache’ Came To Life: Author S. Hareesh And Translator Jayasree Kalathil Tell Their Story

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S. Hareesh, jointly with Jayasree Kalathil, won the JCB Prize for Literature 2020 for Moustache, a translation of his Malayalam novel Meesha.

We begin our Zoom call by comparing Jayasree Kalathil’s cloudy London skies with my rainy evening in Kerala, as we wait for S. Hareesh to join us. Just as I am about to ask another casual ‘weather’ question, Hareesh joins and catches me off-guard—“From the name, I thought you were a Hindi-kaari (a Hindi speaker),” he says, sending all of us into splits of laughter and instantly lightening the mood. Within the next minute, Hareesh and I, both hailing from the same district, have discussed landmarks and neighbouring places, as most Malayalees do while meeting each other.

Hareesh, jointly with Jayasree Kalathil, won the JCB Prize for Literature 2020 for Moustache, a translation of his Malayalam novel Meesha. From his unassuming, affable manner, you wouldn’t guess that he has braved a publishing controversy in 2018, or won the richest literary prize in India this year or that movie adaptations of his short stories (Aedan,  Jallikattu) have won awards. He is delighted with the recognition, especially since Meesha had a rocky start in 2018 when right wing Hindutva groups made a hullabaloo out of two characters discussing the sex appeal of temple-going women  in the serialised novel. Things blew out of proportion—the serialisation in Mathrubhumi Weekly was brought to a halt, and the editor resigned soon after. Later, published copies of Meesha were burned. But it became a runaway bestseller in Kerala. 

Moustache’s moustache

Hareesh is eager to talk about the people who crossed paths with him— a glutton who loved buffalo meat, his friend’s grandfather who had a pet crocodile that obeyed his commands, a man who sported a moustache after acting as a policeman in a play, and his own grandfather who survived the 1924 Kerala floods by growing banana plants on a hill.

These ordinary men get a new lease of fictional life in the complex world of feudal Kuttanad in Meesha. With varied textures — there is a chapter told through nadan patt (folk songs) — ample swearing and a prominent male gaze, Hareesh’s writing juxtaposes beauty with violence, bountiful nature with unpardonable ecological damage, and strong women with insecure, egoistic, cruel men. Here, girls are reborn as mushrooms, ancestral spirits guide the way, otters lead guerilla warfare and shapeshifters roam free.

The protagonist Vavachan is an oppressed caste Pulayan whose rebellious act of keeping a moustache irks dominant caste men. But his fame spreads faster. Women desire him, men describe his fights, and policemen fail to nab him. Vavachan transfigures into the mythical ‘Meesha/Moustache’, flaunting a magical, giant moustache where eagles nest and frogs lay eggs. He has read Kaalan’s (God of Death) ledger and can appear in two places at the same time.

While writing Meesha, Hareesh was inspired by the nadan patt Chengannuraadi. The folk song with nearly 10,000 lines was popularised orally by Mariamma chedathy, a sweeper in SB College, Chengannur. Similar to Vavachan, an oppressed caste man Aadi is both a hero and villain, and becomes a larger-than-life figure through songs. “I decided to follow this method of unravelling the story of Meesha through songs, and stories within stories. Surrealism being a base nature of our local stories, gave me a lot of freedom in writing.” Resplendent with characters, and talking animals that meet and part frequently (you might run into a character again after 80 pages), this spiralling, non-linear narrative worked well for Hareesh—“the non-linearity helps explore the possibilities of fiction.”

Storytelling and myth-making

Hareesh finds it ridiculous that some readers—under the influence of social realism—question the logic in pulp fiction such as yakshi katha and ghost stories. “I find those stories highly entertaining. I like superstitions in stories. My pleasure lies in hearing and telling stories”. The story remains the fundamental aspect of a novel for him—“Leave the characters to their own whims,” he requests. Kalathil expresses a differing opinion. She cannot translate if she disagrees with the politics of a story. However, the right politics is rendered useless if a good storytelling technique doesn’t strengthen it, she adds. They arrive at a consensus that “politics should be the totality of a novel.”

Meesha began a side-project when Hareesh lacked the courage to tackle a novel-in-mind about two people, Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar and Kariatt Yausep Malpan, who travelled from Kottayam to Rome, then back to Goa in the 1780s. They recorded their experience in Varthamanappustakam, the first travelogue in an Indian language. Writing by hand, he was unsuccessful in outsourcing the digitisation—“because my handwriting is so bad that it is indecipherable even to me”—and eventually typed out Meesha himself.

Contrary to Hareesh’s impromptu writing routine—“a concrete plan dampens the pleasure in writing”—Kalathil is highly systematic and begins her day at 4:00am. She became a part-time translator by sheer accident when she attempted translating N. Prabhakaran’s Oru Malayali Bhranthante Diary (now published in the collection The Diary of a Madman), to keep herself busy as she waited in various government offices in Kerala, to settle her dad’s affairs after his death.

Both Hareesh and Kalathil grew up on stories—“A quintessential feature of every child brought up in rural Kerala,” Kalathil asserts.  Our stories, she says, are exchanged in unsystematic ways, not through books or the Western sit-me-down-bedtime stories, but through mundane activities—a neighbour bringing a snack passes on 10 stories; women de-seeding tamarind together exchange a “festival of stories.” She indulged in a fair share of stories through performing arts at the neighbouring temple—ottam thullal, chakyar koothu. 

Hareesh notes that women standing on either side of walls and exchanging stories is a common sight in Kerala.

“Stories surround us,” he says. He prefers the company of ordinary people over intellectuals—“The idle banter of men hanging out at junctions or make-shift walls might be politically incorrect, gossip-filled or even anti-women, but the storytelling is marvellous.”

How ‘Moustache’ came to life

Initially, Kalathil was anxious about the polyphony of the narrative when approached for translation of Meesha. But she was attracted to “Hareesh’s unique, playful and irreverent style that defies expectations of a good narrative in fiction.” She struggled with the chapter narrated as folk songs because she kept reading her English versions in the Malayalam tune, until Hareesh suggested giving them a new life, as they are sung differently, and reinvented by different communities.  

Being a birdwatcher and animal lover from a young age, Kalathil found the research for translating Meesha greatly enjoyable. She pored over her collection of books on birds by Induchoodan, Salim Ali, R. Vinod Kumar, snakes by Tony Phelps and Dileepkumar, and even scientific reports on Kuttanad’s below-sea-level farming system, and the mechanics of dredging up land from the lakes to make fields, in preparation. Hareesh, on the other hand, took long walks around Kuttanad to get a sense of place, and interacted with the older generation to get a sense of time, while writing Meesha. He struggled with finding the local names of plants and fishes that he knew by sight. A serendipitous twist led him to research reports done over 15 years at the Natural Science department at MG University. Translating fish-names was tricky, added Kalathil, as the same name points to different species in different parts of Kerala; finally, she mapped scientific names to local names.

“We think of Kerala as a small, geographical area with a uniform culture and language. But as a native speaker of upper-caste Malayalam from the hilly parts of Malabar, I had to negotiate—in Malayalam itself—several cultural and linguistic imaginaries to translate a book like Moustache,” she explains. “As a migrant writer living in the colonisers country, I am constantly faced with demands to explain myself, to italicise my otherness. It is a demand I have learned to resist.” 

Thus Moustache came to life with no glossaries, a detailed introduction and a map.

Women in a masculine world

Kalathil has personally lived through distress caused by violence and abuse, and explored the representation of gender and caste in literature and cinema for her PhD. She found it difficult to write Seetha’s rape. But “this story can’t be told in sanitised terms,” she insists—“Moustache is a masculine world with atrocious people doing atrocious things. But it is never gratuitous. Hareesh’s entire project in Moustache, as I read it, is to unearth the toxicity of masculinity that flourishes within patriarchal systems of power and expose its impact on women, Dalits, and nature.”

Unlike in the novel, where Seetha’s rape is seen through the lens of assertion of male dominance rather than as a heinous act (it’s not even called a ‘rape’), Hareesh does not shy from calling a spade a spade when asked about his titular character—“Vavachan rapes a woman. He also lives through bad times; he is a man of contradictions.”

The women in Moustache, though never achieving a redemption or escape, protest in small ways against their patriarchal cages. Kuttathi, a sex worker, conveniently forgets to return a gold chain; Seetha, contrary to her love sung in songs, spits on Vavachan; Chella, Vavachan’s mother, is unperturbed by her husband’s cruelty and poverty. “We have a misconception that only the educated, urban woman reacts to male dominance,” says Hareesh. He was inspired by the ordinary women around him—nurses, salaried women and daily wage earners—who manage their household expenses, and live under the dominance of their often-unemployed husbands. “Our (Kerala’s) community owes a lot to women, especially nurses, who bettered living conditions for themselves, and their family members. Yet, men dominate.” He shares a passing joke that the statue of Jesus, situated at a prominent junction in Kottayam, should be replaced with that of a nurse, because of their immense contribution. 

The presence of hunger

In addition to caste, gender politics, ecological damage and social reformation, the “season of hunger” is a constant undercurrent in Moustache. Vavachan himself is in search of the road to Malaya (a land supposedly without hunger).

“Until the 1980s, hunger was undoubtedly a big reality in Kerala, even in financially privileged households. Rice shortages were frequent. In Kottayam regions, palm trunks would be slashed, powdered and eaten as porridge. Two meals a day meant you were rich. Starvation was rampant, especially in feudal Kuttanad. Women would take their evening wages of paddy, and make kanji for the kids at night”. There is a ghost who asks for food, and a man who eats several rounds of sadya at funerals and weddings—sentiments which “erupted from a fear of shortage.” Jayashree points out that Moustache also shows the two sides—hunger and gluttony. Pothan Mappila’s love for buffalo meat becomes an act of gender exploitation when he deprives his wife and son of proper meals. “Even though fish and vegetation were in plenty, hunger was a stark reality,” she added. 

Man and nature

Nature protects, nourishes and ravages humans in Moustache. “The floods saved me and my grandfather,” says Hareesh. “I would’ve been physically harmed had not the 2018 floods arrived, with which the controversy surrounding Meesha fizzled out. I was aware of the savarna politics in Kerala, but realised its depth then,” he recollects, “Now, the hushed whispers of communal hatred have grown louder. I struggle to talk to close friends and relatives about the Sabarimala issue because they get too emotional.”

Pachupillah, a character in Moustache, has traces of Hareesh’s  grandfather. The hill cultivation of banana plants, which remain undestroyed in the 1924 floods, give them financial security. Pachupillah bribes his way into folk songs as Moustache’s best friend (something Vavachan, who hasn’t met Pachupillah, always wonders about) by sealing a deal with the songsters in exchange for rice and tobacco, and makes himself forcibly immortal, unlike other nadan patt heroes who grow organically into mythical proportions. Such invention and reinvention—and in Pachupillah’s case, a battle against fate—of characters occur frequently in Moustache, to pay tribute to Kerala’s oral storytelling tradition of skewed truths, overlapping stories of different characters and multiple endings.

The supernatural, men and fauna—weevils, spit-eating rasboras, guilty sardines, lily trotting jacunas and migrant birds—co-exist in the mangroves and winding waterscapes. The story grows into apocalyptic proportions when man turns against nature. Kalathil reveals that the chapter The Last Crocodile, was mentally taxing to translate—“The annihilation of crocodiles by Baker Saheb and the destruction of the natural world by the toxic masculine forces, is as important as the caste and gender issues that the novel explores”.

Hareesh becomes vocal at the mention of environmental impact. “Environmental destruction of nature is done on a day-to-day basis in Kuttanad, at a visible level— levelling paddy fields, making new roads, and reclaiming land from water bodies. Until the 1940s, crocodiles were plentiful in Kuttanad. I have mentioned only a few stories about Baker Saheb’s crocodile-hunts,” he says. He quotes Arundhati Roy about the size of Vembanad lake being less than 60% of what it was hundred years ago. The same colonial master, Baker Saheb, also finds a mention in Roy’s The God of Small Things.

Though Moustache mentions many historical events—cultural reformation by Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali, reclamation of land, Punnapra-Vayalar uprising—and figures—Luka Mathai, N. N. Pillah, Tipu Sultan—there is a lack of explicit dates, which Hareesh admits was intentional. “The majority of Vavachan’s story takes place in a span of 10 years (around 1939-1947) but I wanted to stretch time to show the growing nature of myth-making. I wanted it to transcend time.”

I ask about future projects as our time runs out. Kalathil is working on another book with Hareesh,  and N. Prabhakaran’s Thiyoor Rekhakal, after which she plans to “leave men alone and translate women” (Sheela Tommy’s Valli is in discussion.). Hareesh evades with a one-liner, “I am writing a novel”. Kalathil teases him about how little he divulges and Hareesh answers with what he does best, another story. Once, writer Rajan Kakkanadan proclaimed he was going to write a novel. When his friends accused him of bluffing, he spent the night narrating the story over drinks. He never wrote that novel. “I already told the story, now why write it”—he said. “Similarly, my pleasure in writing wanes if I talk about it,” Hareesh answered laughing.

Over the next few days, I find myself recounting stories from our brief encounter—Raman-Ravanan contradictions, freedom activist Accamma Cherian’s courage, writer C. V. Raman Pillai’s memorable villain—in mundane conversations. My husband and I plot to catch hold of the magical neelakoduveli plant—another story that Hareesh shared—to cement our luck. As I pass on these stories we exchanged, I realise this is what Hareesh and Kalathil set out to do in the first place.

Little Things Therapists Recommend Doing For Your Mental Health Every Day

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It’s paramount that we all tend to our mental health constantly, and that we do what we can to get ourselves — and each other — through this thing in one piece.

We have now reached, if you can believe it, the eight month mark into the flailing mess of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is probably (read: certainly) far longer than any of us imagined it might take for this to end.

And the past eight months has certainly been bruised by a pattern of indeterminate peaks and valleys — moments when one feels hopeful, optimistic, all right, and others when one feels frustrated, anxious, and defeated.

Personally, I’ve felt pretty awful lately. In disposition, I’m experiencing a valley not unlike the one I felt near the beginning of the pandemic, one characterized by lethargy, tenseness, and dread. I’m sure many others have felt this way of late, too: John Trainor, chair of Mental Health Research Canada’s board, recently said a new survey produced “deep concerns about the trends we are seeing” for mental health among Canadians. (Reader: things will get better, eventually.)

It’s difficult to say for sure why people are feeling this way right now, so far into this thing as we are. Maybe it’s the promise of an encroaching winter, during which the freedoms and coping mechanisms we previously enjoyed won’t work the same way under the conditions of the inclement weather. 

Who knows. What we do know, and what we’ve always known, is that it’s paramount that we all tend to our mental health constantly, and that we do what we can to get ourselves — and each other — through this thing in one piece.

Watch: This clinical psychologist makes illustrations to help you look after your mental health. Story continues below.

Self-care isn’t just doing things to make us feel better in the moment,” Dr. Melanie Badali, a psychologist who works in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, told HuffPost Canada. “It’s the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well being. It means taking care of ourselves like we would take care of someone we love and taking care of ourselves when it is hard. It also includes getting professional health-care help when we need it.”

So to figure out how to do all that, to learn better ways we can protect our mental health every day, we spoke to a somatic practitioner, two psychotherapists and a psychologist. Below is a shortlist of their suggestions. 

Meditating

By this point, however many years after the word “mindfulness” began to dominate a certain segment of the cultural conversation, it’s difficult to refute that meditation is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to reduce anxiety and produce a sense of peace and balance.

“It’s good to think of meditation as a gym for your brain,” Dr. Krystina Patton, a psychotherapist who specializes in integrative mental health treatment, told HuffPost Canada. “If you think of your brain as a muscle that you use in literally everything you do, it’s good to spend a little time working on it every day.”

In 2014, 47 studies analyzed in JAMA Internal Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association, found that mindfulness meditation, even for 15 minutes a day, does help to manage anxiety, depression and pain among practitioners.

Meditation is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to reduce anxiety and produce a sense of peace and balance.

“It gives us the ability to see our thoughts more clearly and to have more agency over our emotional states, rather than being hijacked by them,” said Patton. 

Sitting comfortably and focusing on your breathing, in an attempt to turn your mind’s attention to the present rather than allowing it to wade out into the distant past or unclear future — an easy way for anxiety to flourish — can help to ease the psychological stresses endemic to this moment. 

Box breathing

You know how when, in times of crisis, your friends sometimes need to remind you to breathe? It isn’t a fluke that actually doing so, consciously, makes you feel a little bit better.

A number of studies have found that deep, diaphragmatic breathing can trigger the body’s relaxation responses, relieving stress and helping you to concentrate better.

Enter box breathing, also called “square breathing,” a relatively new technique that you can use anywhere, at any time. It only takes a minute or two, and it’s easy to practice: relax your body, exhale to a count of four, hold your lungs empty for a count of four, inhale for a count of four, then keep your lungs full for a count of four. Then repeat.

In stressful situations — a global pandemic, for example — we often unwittingly resort to chest breathing, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can lead to muscle tightness and headaches, symptoms which are further magnified by chronic stress. Breathing in this way can help to ease the body.

“The thing with stress is that it’s meant to be short-term,” Karishma Kripalani, a somatic practitioner who works with emotional and mental health concerns, told HuffPost Canada. “But if that stress cycle can’t complete itself, then it becomes chronic stress, which is, I think, what we’re seeing right now. And that can take a toll.”

Acknowledging your feelings and talking about them

Feelings are always with us, yet we aren’t always too good at naming or talking about them.

“We tend not to do a great job of dealing with difficult emotions,” said Patton. “Even with our kids, we socialize them from such a young age to get away from, or push away, difficult feelings — when they cry, for example, we immediately try to get them to stop. But you can’t always immediately fix or move past how you’re feeling.”

That’s not to say that we should just “cry it out,” Patton says — or allow our children to — but that in immediately trying to fix things, we reify the implicit message that challenging feelings are something to be escaped or avoided, which might set us up for struggles when we encounter those things that cannot be avoided.

Talking with loved ones about your feelings and moods is a good way to ease anxiety, while giving you the social connection you might be lacking from isolation.

Patton, Kripalani and Gabrielle Stannus, a registered psychotherapist whose practice is grounded in gestalt, all agree that taking a moment to acknowledge how you’re feeling and talking about it with others can help to make sense of these emotions and offer a sense of peace and clarity.

“When you have conversations about how you’re feeling, rather than harbouring your emotions secretly, you’re actually letting the anxiety out of you, and confronting those difficult emotions,” said Stannus. 

Establishing clear work-life boundaries

Many of us have needed to convert our bedrooms, or other spots around our homes, into offices. Here’s the thing: when there isn’t a clear separation between a workspace and a non-workspace, it’s a lot easier for your work to bleed into your personal life.

In this way, working from home can become a double-edged sword, and it’s critical to ensure our work doesn’t negatively impact and disrupt our social lives. Research has found that these intrusions can produce a source of significant weekly strain, from increased stress levels to negative affect, rumination and insomnia

One symptom of working from home is the blurring of boundaries between work and home.

“I’m a really big fan of creating a container for ourselves and our experience — with so much that’s beyond our control right now, it’s good to have some sense of internal control,” said Kripalani. “The body likes routine and ritual. Predictability can help with a sense of safety.”

Setting boundaries and resisting the impulse or demand to be available at all times is an important part of managing the work-life relationship. That includes making time, even while you’re working, to take breaks and go outside, eat healthy foods, and drink lots of water. 

Freewriting

You don’t have to identify as a “writer” in order for writing, no matter what form, to make you feel better.

In fact, studies have found that expressive writing — the practice of writing about thoughts and feelings that are born from traumatic or stressful life experiences — can help some people to manage and navigate the emotional fallout of those experiences.

“Freewriting, or stream of consciousness writing, can help us to organize and structure our thoughts, to present them in a way that seems to really help us let go of them, rather than to ruminate and create a cycle of feeling bad,” said Patton.

Stream of consciousness writing can help you to articulate what's on your mind and how you're feeling, and then manage those emotions.

Dr. James W. Pennebaker, chair of the psychology department at the University of Texas, Austin, has conducted a large portion of the research on health benefits of expressive writing. And what he’s found is that it can help people to overcome emotional inhibition, easing stress and trauma.

With freewriting, the rules are simple. You’re meant to clear your mind as best you can, and to forget all the rules you know concerning grammar. Then, you set a time limit — between 10 and 20 minutes for beginners — and begin to write out whatever is on your mind.

Finding moments of joy, or gratitude practices

“One thing I’ve done myself, and which a lot of my clients like, is trying to find moments of joy,” said Stannus. “So being able to be present in the moment and looking for things, even small things, that make you smile, then finding ways to integrate that into yourself.”

The trick, Stannus says, is doing this in small ways that will eventually add up: noticing the colour of the leaves in the fall, sharing a laugh with a close friend, hearing a piece of music that makes you smile. 

It’s a mindfulness technique that asks you to engage all five of your senses in order to bring yourself firmly into the moment and appreciate what’s in front of you, rather than indulge your anxieties about the indeterminate future.

“Our brains have been designed to keep us alive, not to keep us happy,” said Patton. “And what that means is that our brains can be kind of like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones, because it’s safer to mistake a stick for a snake than a snake for a stick. So if joy is what we want, it’s something we have to cultivate.” 

Also on HuffPost: COVID-19 may lead to mental health disorders.

Honeymoon Already Shaky: Joe Biden Hits A Nerve On Twitter With Money Plea

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US President-elect Joe Biden, hat in hand, appealed to voters Friday for funding for his administration’s transition into the White House.

Ah, nope would be Twitter followers’ stunned response.

“Here’s the deal,” Biden tweeted. “Because President Trump refuses to concede and is delaying the transition, we have to fund it ourselves and need your help,” asking supporters to “chip in.”

Though followers on Twitter were definitely not willing to “chip in,” they had lots of ideas about how Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could economize — like “skipping Coachella this year.”

People responding were amused — but also annoyed that the president-elect of the world’s wealthiest nation, which has handed massive tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, now has his hand out to the average American struggling with tough economic times just now.

Also on HuffPost

23 Of The Funniest Tweets About Cats And Dogs This Week (Nov. 13-20)

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Woof — it’s been a long week.

If you feel like you’ve been working like a dog — or like the cat-astrophic news cycle is making you want to claw up your furniture — let us offer you the internet equivalent of a big pile of catnip: hilarious tweets about cats and dogs.

We Shih Tzu not. 

Each week at HuffPost, we scour Twitter to find the funniest posts about our favorite furballs being complete goofballs. And, yes, they are sure to make you howl.

So shoo your kitty off your keyboard and enjoy some very good tweets. And if you want some more, no need to beg. Check out last week’s batch right here.

10 Best Mammootty Films To Watch Online

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The ‘new-gen wave’ may have put a dent in the notion of superstardom, but some of Kerala’s stars have been exceptional performers first and foremost. If you have been missing Mammootty’s stellar performances on the big screen, then this list is for you. It was a herculean task to pick just 10 of his memorable films/performances from a filmography that shows over 400 films, but this is a sincere attempt. 

1. New Delhi (1987)

New Delhi

Loosely based on Irwing Wallace’s The Almighty, the film, scripted by Dennis Joseph and directed by Joshiy, had Mammootty playing G Krishnamurthy, a talented journalist and cartoonist in Delhi who finds himself deceitfully shut in jail with a broken leg for taking on two politicians. The narrative trails his carefully planned vengeance against his detractors, with the aid of a newly launched newspaper and a mystery journalist. Sumalatha, who plays the female lead, is a catalyst in his plans. With an ensemble of actors (Urvashi, Suresh Gopi, Thiagarajan, Siddique, Devan), NewDelhi was a resounding success and later remade in Hindi and Telugu.  Mammootty internalises the trauma and anger of GK, making the transition from a righteous scribe to a blood-thirsty media baron smoothly. As an aside, the actor, whose career was also going downhill like GK, also rose from the ashes, getting back into superstardom in Malayalam cinema.  (Available on JioCinema and YouTube)

2. Ore Kadal (2007)

Ore Kadal

Mammootty plays Nathan, a professor of Economics, a loner, sceptic, who prefers fleeting physical affairs, finds human emotions claustrophobic, and insists on inspecting the world through statistics. An unexpected gesture of kindness leads him to Deepthy (Meera Jasmine), a homemaker. They have a brief affair where Deepthy mistakes his lust for love and commitment but is devastated when he turns her down. What follows is a tumultuous and moving account of how the incident affects the otherwise unflappable Nathan and how Deepthy recovers after a meltdown. Director Shyamaprasad yet again picks an adaptation—Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Bengali novel Hirak-Dipti. With a brilliantly nuanced act from its lead pair (Mammootty aces the intense lover bit) and a closure that is refreshingly non-judgmental, OreKadal is one of the finest romances in Malayalam cinema.

(Available on Hotstar)

 

3. Big B (2007) 

Big B

One of the earliest Malayalam films in the last decade that ushered in the new wave, BigB, directed by debutant Amal Neerad, was a loose adaptation of John Singleton’s FourBrothers set in Fort Kochi. The murder of Mary Teacher, a philanthropist, brings back to town her four adopted sons, who decide to find the people behind it. Mammootty plays Bilal, the eldest, with whom she had a fallout owing to his criminal activities. Bilal is enigmatic, ominously silent most of the time, and when he does speak, it’s mostly one-liners. At a time when heroes were given lengthy verbose monologues in Malayalam cinema, Unni R. fashioned pithy lines for Bilal, and Mammootty intones it in a peculiar style, bringing his trademark nuances to the character. Though the film didn’t do that well at the box-office, a decade later it is considered a cult action thriller. Technically it is top notch with its stylishly choreographed action scenes, soundscape, and cinematography. Two years ago, Neerad announced a sequel, Bilal, starring Mammootty again and the news was welcomed warmly on social media.

(Mx player and YouTube)

4. Kanamarayathu (1984)

Kanamarayathu

Loosely inspired by Jean Webster’s novel Daddy-Long-Legs, in this IV Sasi directorial written by Padmarajan, the main lead Roy is crafted like a quintessential Mills and Boon hero, the rich business scion, who, along with taking over his father’s business empire, continues his humanitarian projects as well, including funding orphaned Shirley’s higher education. Roy is in his late 30s, well-respected and has decided to stay single. But the entry of the waif-like, innocent Shirley (an adorable Shobana) messes with his plans and she makes no bones of her love for him. It is a light, heartwarming romance (backed by a superb set of supporting characters) and Mammootty smoothly negotiates the character’s dilemma, who is torn between anxiety over their widening age gap, and his own conflicting heart. This one is a nostalgic favourite for the 80s kids.

(Available on Hotstar)

5. Arayannangalude Veedu (2000)

AK Lohithadas scripts a poignant family drama in the backdrop of an old tharavadu where its prodigal son, Raveendran (Mammootty) has returned after two decades, setting the tone for the drama and the character to unfurl leisurely. It is an impulsive urge that drives Ravi to visit his home from Madhya Pradesh’s Bhilai. Constantly having got the short shrift for the sins committed by his siblings, Ravi has only painful memories of his childhood and this time he has come prepared to bail himself out of charges in his name. Raveendran is mild as milk, and there are occasions when he allows his wife to take over. Mammootty’s performance can be described as gentle and perceptive. With an ensemble cast (Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Devan), soothing music, the narrative is filled with heartrending moments of familial bonds that do not leave you even after the film gets over. Like most feted Lohitadas films, it is intensely emotional and raw and has aged well.

(YouTube)

6. Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010)

Pranchiyettan and the Saint

Cherammal Eenasu Francis aka Pranchiyettan, despite his flourishing rice trade and real estate, is bogged down by the fact that he is a school dropout, a drawback which he believes takes the edge off of his achievements. The narrative picks on this thread, leading us on a hilarious ride through the life and times of this unassuming rice trader and his quest to get a “name” for himself. Directed and written by Ranjith, there is a poignant drama in those layers of satire, with Mammootty perfecting middle-aged Pranchi with a heavy Thrissur slang. There are a smattering of fascinating characters (Siddique, Khushboo, Priya Mani, Jagathy Sreekumar, Biju Menon) in this beautifully written narrative. Just for that one hell of a performance, it is a must-watch film for every Mammootty fan.

(SunNXT)

 

7. Rajamanikyam (2005)

Rajamanikyam

Director Anwar Rasheed’s début on paper has a typical potboiler narrative—after the untimely death of its patriarch, the warring family is taken to the cleaners by the adopted son, who suddenly makes an appearance out of nowhere.  But what really upped the novelty quotient was Mammootty’s turn as Bellary Raja, an illiterate buffalo trader who has a penchant for fast cars. He is flamboyant, irreverently funny, packed a punch and spoke chaste Thiruvananthapuram slang.  Rasheed’s assured direction that checked all the mainstream cinematic boxes and Mammootty’s breakthrough performance (till then he was mocked for his inability to pull off comedy)showed in the numbers at the box office, making it the biggest hit of that year. 15 years later, Rajamanikyam continues to be eulogised and celebrated.

(Mx player, Amazon Prime Video, JioCinema)

8. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989)

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha

In 16th century Kerala folklore, Chanthu is a warrior who deviously kills his cousin Aromal Chekavar when he gets rejected by Unniyarcha. But writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair gives it a clever spin and tries to tell Chanthu’s side of the story, thereby turning him into a fallen hero. Directed by Hariharan, Chanthu in the cinematic version is a man of word and honour, who loved and lost, felt orphaned all his life and eventually committed hara-kiri. Mammootty (who won his first National Award for this film), in keeping with the tone of the narrative, plays Chanthu as stylised and dramatic, impeccably intoning the effusive dialogues with feeling and clarity. Equally striking is Madhavi as the fiery, manipulative Unniyarcha who deceives Chanthu. With a line-up of fabulous actors, brilliant dialogues, music and warm cinematography, the film is one for your cinema library.

(Newly restored HD version available on YouTube)

9. Vidheyan (1994)

 

Vidheyan

Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s most seminal work, Vidheyan, an adaptation of Paul Zachariah’s novella, Bhaskara PattelarumEnteJeevithavum, is about the oppressive bond between Bhaskara Patelar, the feudal landlord and his man Friday, Thommi. Patelar preys on women and exploits the poor. Thommi is servile enough to remain silent when Patelar molests his wife. The film follows their unequal relationship as Patelar’s life, blinded by lust and power, goes into a downward spiral and Thommi eventually gets freedom from the bondage. The irredeemably evil Patelar, who speaks with a heavy North Canara slang, is one of the actor’s finest performances (which got him his second National Award). He makes us loathe his character passionately.

(HD Version available on YouTube)

 

10. Kottayam Kunjachan (1990)

Kottayam Kunjachan

Kunjachan’s entry echoes like a tom-tom, with a young lad running around, declaring his sighting to all and sundry. As if to validate his formidable reputation, Kunjachan gets into a scuffle with his earlier employer and single-handedly vanquishes a dozen men who try to mess with him. But Kunjachan is also a lot of fun—after pledging to reform himself, he starts a new business in town, tries to make himself amiable to the townies and just as quickly falls for the charms of Mollykutty (Ranjini).  Kunjachan is an affable variant of Sangam’s Kuttappayi (Mammootty again)—the quintessential Christian Achayan who does not take himself too seriously.  Mammootty expectedly aces the Kottayam slang and the comical ruffian sits lightly on him (check out that iconic drunken brawl scene) making it one of his most loved characters of all times. Written by Dennis Joseph, directed by TS Suresh Babu, with its superbly written supporting characters (Sukumaran, Innocent, KPAC Lalitha, Ranjini) rest assured there is not a single dull moment.  (Amazon Prime Video)

The Crown: How Gillian Anderson And Emma Corrin Were Transformed Into Thatcher And Diana

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(L-R) Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in The Crown.

The pressure to create authentic hair and make-up design on the new season of The Crown felt higher than ever, one of the show’s creative leads has told HuffPost UK.

Season 4 of the Netflix series dramatises fictitious accounts between the royals set in the years between 1979 until 1990 and introduces two of the century’s most iconic females, Princess Diana (played by Emma Corrin) and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (played by Gillian Anderson).

Reviews have been favourable, and key moments in the early episodes include a hilarious scene in which Margaret Thatcher plays Ibble Dibble with the royal family, before heading out on a shooting trip with the Queen at Balmoral, dressed in one of her iconic blue two-piece suits.

Princess Diana and, on the right, Princess Diana in The Crown, played by Emma Corrin

Cate Hall, the hair and make-up design lead on the show, revealed how the stakes have never felt higher as the show approaches more modern times. “Of course, the more familiar a period is to the audience, the greater the pressure to get it right,” she says.

“Everyone engaged in the show is so committed to realising a world which is believable, that the pressure motivates us to try harder to do justice to the audience’s memory,” adds Cate. “I used loads of my family photo albums for reference which was particularly useful.

“We’re trying to mostly replicate ‘normal’, every-day rather than high fashion looks. The dangerous element comes from feeling like you know it, when of course memory is fallible, so you still need to research everything thoroughly in order to achieve the kind of precision The Crown is known for.”

Cate says that nostalgia has a “wonderful, but possibly dangerous effect” because of how subjective it is.

“During prep as we were developing the look for Thatcher at the start of the series, [writer] Peter Morgan gave us a useful note reminding us not to let our memories and feelings about her interfere with the process as despite what she became know for, when we establish the character she is full of promise and passion” Cate explains.

“I had to leave my own judgement at the door. I was grateful to recognise that so early on.”

When it comes to recreating the familiar looks of Diana and Thatcher and the cohort of royals, Cate says “the truth seems to lie somewhere between accuracy and believability.”

“If we do something distracting in trying to replicate a real character, then we take the viewer out of the show, so that’s a real no,” she adds.

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown and, on the right, actual Margaret Thatcher

For Diana, Cate aimed to tell the story of her growth and development, from relatively ordinary girl living in Earl’s Court with friends to being on the front of every newspaper and magazine - as well as representing the potential changes in her state of mind, which comes with that.

“The extent to which her look became deliberate and manufactured for the media is a key for our visual journey,” Cate explains. “She transforms in season 4 from a natural looking teenager to a media-savvy icon who uses hair and make-up styling as a suit of armour.”

As for Margaret Thatcher, Cate isn’t lining up to praise her sartorial choices.

“I know people call her a fashion icon but I can’t see it from a hair and make-up point of view,” she says.

“Her hair is a kind of 80s re-hash of a classic 1960s roller set and brush out. She was definitely iconic from a stateswoman perspective with a very precise and consistent visual brand, but I think her look was recognisable rather than leading.”

Once the looks were finalised, it was Cate’s job to work out how to achieve them logistically, and the main factor to bear in mind was how advancements in technology in the era meant styles changed dramatically.

“From my view, the 1980s are a real gift,” reveals Cate. “It was the first period in a few centuries where women were emphasising every feature of the face simultaneously.”

It was the era in which make-up became accessible - but it lacked the sophisticated chemical technology which today allows for the naturalistic looks Cate describes as “smooth, shiny and easily blendable.”

Hence, Diana’s patchier blusher in scenes set in the early 1980s when she was self-styling at home before she moved into the palace.

Princess Diana and, on the right, Princess Diana in The Crown, played by Emma Corrin

In terms of hair, the Eighties were the era in which perming and highlighting became en vogue. “This gave us a great palette of texture to play with as well as colour. We had great creative license to move the show into a new era with a look you could almost feel as well as see.”

As the shoot approached, and the focus turned to applying the look on an actor, more was definitely more.

“Typically we start with all the artifice at our disposal; false teeth, wigs, contact lenses, and gradually strip it away until what is left is believable,” says Cate.

She says the key is finding a balance between literal recreation and allowing the actor to embody the person in their performance.

“Typically I find that if we get the silhouette precisely correct then the outline is all the viewer really needs: the actor does the rest with their performance and hopefully we leave enough space that the viewer’s mind fills in the gaps,” she explains. 

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown and, on the right, actual Margaret Thatcher

With Margaret Thatcher, one sacrifice made in terms of recreating her look was her teeth.

“Margaret Thatcher had some serious dental work throughout the 1980s, but when we tried a series of prosthetic teeth appliances and they seriously compromised [Gillian Anderson’s] performance, it was clear we didn’t need to tell the teeth story to tell Thatcher’s story,” says Cate.

Cate was more hands-on with Thatcher’s wig though, which was aged by removing hair and making what remained more grey for her final episode. “If you can infer strength with a hair-do, we tried,” says Cate.

Creating these two entirely different world famous looks - one polarising, one the subject of the nation’s adoration - awarded Cate more than just another line on her CV: she was constantly taken away from the immediacy of her work and reminded about how both women shaped her own life.

“I was a child in a single parent family in the 1980s so the politics feels acutely relevant to me,” remembers Cate. “It felt really familiar to me and there was a definite sense of comfort in recreating the looks from my childhood.”

The Crown season 4 is streaming now on Netflix.

Gulfisha Fatima Granted Bail In Delhi Riots Case

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Gulfisha Fatima

NEW DELHI ―  Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat on Saturday granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, a 28-year-old MBA graduate, in connection with a Delhi riots case. 

Fatima was granted bail in connection with FIR 50/2020 of Jafrabad Police Station, which includes crimes of murder and rioting under the Indian Penal Code. 

Fatima remains incarcerated in FIR 59/2020 of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, which invokes the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), India’s anti-terror law. 

At least 21 persons have been arrested in FIR 59, including political activist Umar Khalid, and fifteen have been charged. 

In FIR 50/2020, registered on 26 February, the Delhi Police contends that a Muslim man named Amaan was killed following rioting and violence near the Crescent Public School in Jafrabad on 25 February. 

Noting that Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, two Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students were granted bail in FIR 50/2020, Rawat said that he was granting Fatima bail on “grounds of parity,” and in “ totality of the facts and circumstances of the case.”

“As far as FIR No. 59/20 is concerned, we will cross the bridge when we come to it,” Rawat said in the bail order dated 21 November.

Mehmood Pracha, Fatima’s lawyer, argued that Kalita was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on September 1, 2020, and Narwal on September 17. 

Of the three FIRs in which Fatima has been arrested  50, 59, and 48/2020 of the Jafrabad Police Station, she has now received bail in two cases.  

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A Brain Infection Made Me Forget Nearly Everything. Here's How I Became Myself Again.

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The author hugs one of her dogs in her apartment.

I’ve forgotten many things in my life: my keys, the answers to test questions, my friend’s birthday. I never imagined I could forget how to walk. But that’s exactly what happened when I was 27 and suddenly got sick with brain inflammation.

The day my legs stopped working, I had just finished teaching a violin lesson. My student packed up his violin. I nodded as he told me the plot of one of his favorite TV shows. When I stood up to walk him to the door, my feet stayed rooted to the ground. My legs didn’t hurt. They simply refused to follow directions. Walking felt foreign, like I was being asked to perform a dance I had never learned.

My student waved goodbye. My heart pounded in my chest as I fought off panic. I shuffled forward as if I were ice skating, then grabbed my phone to call for help. My fingers trembled as I held the phone to my ear.

The next few days were a blur of emergency rooms, doctor visits and tears. More needles than I could count pierced my skin with medicine that wouldn’t be enough to fix me. But one memory will always stay with me: my doctor leaning over me as I lay on the exam table and the sadness in her eyes as she said, “You have severe inflammation in your brain called cerebritis.”

Then, my doctor turned to my mother standing in the corner of the tiny exam room. In a voice she must have thought I couldn’t hear, my doctor gently told my mother, “This is a bad one. She might not recover.”

I’d forgotten how to walk in just a second. Remembering would take years.

Four years before I forgot how to walk, I’d been diagnosed with a chronic illness called lupus. About 1.5 million people in the United States ― mostly women of color ― live with lupus. They are your coworkers, your friends, your sisters. No one knows why some people develop lupus and others don’t, although genetics play a role. Lupus can be mild or severe, attacking organs such as the kidneys, the lungs or the heart. In rare cases like mine, lupus causes inflammation in the brain, called lupus cerebritis.

For years, I’d lived with the crushing fatigue of lupus. I’d wake up exhausted even after sleeping for 12 hours. Still, I pushed myself to smile at work and be the best teacher I could be for my students. I loved teaching. I loved the violin. I didn’t want my career to be one more thing lupus stole from me. But after years of exhaustion and pain, on the day my body forgot how to walk, my body finally said, “Enough already.”

The inflammation in my brain didn’t just make me lose my ability to walk. It wrecked my long-term and short-term memory, my vocabulary, my sense of time, my personality and my sense of reality ― everything that made me who I am. I forgot my parents’ names and my favorite color. A family member emailed my students to help them find different violin teachers since I couldn’t string a sentence together. I couldn’t process information well enough to make decisions, even small ones, like whether or not I liked yogurt. I called everything that had happened in the past “yesterday,” whether it was taking my pills an hour ago or going camping as a child. My short-term memory was bad, so I couldn’t read books or understand movies because I couldn’t follow even the simplest plot lines. 

The author in her wheelchair after a doctor's appointment.

One day, I couldn’t remember the word for “pillow,” so I asked my caretaker for a “head thing.” She smiled and brought me a hairbrush.

I went to bed and didn’t get up until eight months later.

At night, I would hallucinate bright dots of color on the ceiling or see the air around me ripple like water. Am I going to die? I wondered, trying to push down the fear rising in my chest. If I lived, would I still be the same person I had been before I got sick? Before then, I’d known exactly who I was: a determined person who always had a goal to strive for. A woman who cared about the people around her and who loved her students. A lover of books, dogs and caramel coffee. Bedridden and unable to even remember my past experiences and what foods I liked, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I missed work and playing the violin, but mostly, I missed being myself.

I knew my best chance of surviving my illness was to stay positive. From my bed, I looked at memes on my computer and watched “Weird Al” Yankovic videos. Because my memory was so bad, I could look at the same memes over and over and still laugh. To cheer me up, my family read me one-liners off the internet. I clung to the only jokes I could understand.

After I had been bedridden for three months, the emergency infusions from the hospital and the handful of pills I swallowed each night began to work. The hallucinations and delusions went away. I began to remember what day of the week it was and listened to the pop music that I liked before I got sick. I remembered how I took my coffee and started asking my caretakers for a favorite shirt. Each memory I gained back filled me with joy. I was rediscovering pieces of myself that I’d thought were gone forever. But I still had a long way to go before I was myself again.

When my memory started to get better, I began reading, mostly about other survivors of brain trauma. I read articles about former Rep. Gabby Giffords. I read Jill Bolte Taylor’s “A Stroke of Insight.” There wasn’t much out there written by brain trauma survivors, but I read everything I could get my hands on. Often, I would have to read the same paragraphs over and over again to understand, but I kept trying. Reading about others who had survived what I was going through made me feel less alone. Their stories gave me the courage to keep focusing on my recovery.

I taped a list of all the things I wanted to relearn on the headboard of my bed. Vocabulary. Walking. Playing the violin. Telling time. Knowing what I like and dislike. Making decisions. Then, from my bed, I got to work.

I propped my laptop on my stomach with pillows so I could use it lying down. I forced myself to write a paragraph every day on any subject. I often misused words or got the tenses wrong because of my issues with understanding time, but I kept at it.

One day, I felt strong enough to leave my bed and shuffle to the living room in my house. My atrophied muscles felt like limp rubber bands inside my legs. I was too weak to even lift my feet, so I shuffled for months. My caretaker hugged me and brought me coffee in my favorite Halloween mug to celebrate. When I realized I wasn’t strong enough to lift the coffee mug, we chose to laugh and not cry. I spent many months drinking my coffee with straws.

The author (right) during a trip to Seattle to visit her best friend, Haeyoon, two years after her recovery.

I don’t know if it was my medicine or all the effort I put into getting better, but I slowly began to come back to myself. Because my fatigue was constant and unpredictable, I didn’t go to physical therapy. Instead, I relearned to walk on my own when I felt well enough. My legs grew stronger and started to carry me from my bedroom to the living room to the kitchen, then outside my house. Relearning to be myself again was just as mental as it was physical. I started to have conversations that actually made sense with my family and friends. I wrote thank you notes to my doctors and nurses when my thinking and my memory had improved enough. The day I unpacked my violin for the first time in many months was one of the happiest days of my life, even if I could only play for five minutes with a long rest after.

Some things came back more easily and quicker than others. For years after my inflammation, I struggled with making decisions, especially important life ones. It also took years for walking to feel natural again.

It’s been six years since the day I forgot how to walk. I’m back to teaching and playing the violin. I live with my two dogs in a second-floor apartment that I’ve decorated in red, my favorite color. I can cook and take care of myself, and I get to drink caramel coffee every day without a straw.

While I’ve recovered from my brain inflammation, I still have lupus, and I’m still more tired than most people my age. Because I could develop brain inflammation again, I pay close attention to patterns of forgetfulness and moments when I feel more tired than usual. Forgetting about a meeting or losing the house keys several times a week might be nothing to worry about for most people, but for me, it can be the beginning of a medical emergency.

I’m fortunate to have a doctor who takes my symptoms seriously. But mostly, I’m just grateful every day to be myself again. Sometimes I still marvel at how normal walking feels, at the magic of putting one foot in front of another to carry me through life.

I also kept up my writing habit, and in the process I gained a piece of myself that hadn’t been there before I got sick. Sometimes, I even published pieces about my experience with brain inflammation. The reality is, many victims of brain trauma are not fortunate enough to recover like I did. I write because I hope that somewhere, someone who’s sick like I was will find the hope they need when they read my words.

Oddly enough, I never felt more human than I did than during the months I spent bedridden and near death. As I rediscovered how to be myself again, I learned for the first time how much my friends and family loved me. I realized how important it is to spend the short time we have on Earth lifting up those around us who are struggling. When I have challenges in my life now, I remind myself that at least I’m myself again and I can handle it. Because the truth is, any challenge in life can be overcome if you take it step by step.

Meghan Beaudry began writing as part of her rehabilitation from brain trauma in 2014 and simply never stopped. She is working on a collection of fairy tale retellings as well as a memoir about her recovery. When she’s not writing, she can be found cuddling with her rescue dogs, drinking bubble tea and teaching students ages 3 to 92 how to play the violin or viola.

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7 Best Underrated Malayalam Movies To Watch Online

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Ann Augustin and Fahadh Faasil in Artist.

In this list are Malayalam films that didn’t light up the box office, or even receive awards from critics. Nevertheless, on the right day and when you are in the right mood, these movies can tell you beautiful tales that lie somewhere between quirky and intense. And the best part is, they are all streaming online.

1) Varnyathil Aashanka (MX Player): In a village in central Kerala live four thieves with their own distinctive brand of quirkiness. When they attempt to rob a local jewellery shop, they are joined by another fascinating character, Dayanandan. He is a slacker who keeps getting short shrift from his wife but eventually turns out to be the craftiest of the lot. Once there he quickly turns the tables in his favour. Directed by Sidharth Bharathan and written by Thrissur Gopalji, it is the element of surprise, spontaneous humour and unexpected thrills that keep us excitedly invested in this heist thriller, supported by some superb performances from Suraj Venjaramoodu, Kunchacko Boban and Shine Tom Chacko. It’s unfortunate that the film never got the audience it deserved.

2) Lukka Chuppi (MX Player): After 14 years, a college reunion brings together six friends at a quaint resort where they let their hair down, reviving days of yore, friendship, and love. While their spouses get accustomed to their partners’ friends, the friends are going deeper into their own lives as there are unresolved issues between them. The narrative gradually allows us to warm up to the characters and their complexities. There is Raghuram (Jayasurya), who is in the middle of a marital discord; Sidharth (Murali Gopy) who still has not gotten over his college sweetheart; Rafeek (Joju George) who is kept on a tight leash by his wife; Felix, a priest; Radhika the college heartthrob; and Benny, who drives a rickshaw. A great debut by Bash Mohammed (written by Gafoor Arackkal) that never got its due. Perhaps the cheesy title proved to be a deterrent.

3) Artist (Amazon Prime Video): In this movie, based on Paritosh Uttam’s novel Dreams in Prussian Blue, Shyamaprasad tailors the story around two art students, Michael and Gayathri, who fall in love and decide to live together against their parents wishes. But when an accident robs Michael of his eyesight, Gayathri is left to fend for both of them. When the pressure of shouldering all the responsibilities falls on her, she finds herself lying to please Michael. The deceit soon finds its due course, ending the love story. With fabulous performances from Ann Augustine and Fahadh Faasil, this one is a must watch.

4) Hey Jude (Amazon Prime Video): Director Shyamaprasad’s attempt at feel-good revolves around Jude, who has Asperger’s syndrome, and his daily battles with a world which is unable to fathom him. But life turns brighter when he shifts to Goa with his parents and meets Cris, a musician, who is bipolar. The film traces the journey of Jude and Cris and how they help in finding each other. A fabulously nuanced Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Trisha, and a host of supporting actors, along with interesting music and effective frames make this a film worth your time.

5) Vedivazhipadu (MX Player): Attukal Pongala, an annual 10-day festival where women devotees gather in Thiruvananthapuram to offer prasadam to the Goddess, turns out to be the milieu for a genre that is rare for Malayalam cinema—sex comedy. With their wives busy at the festival, three men decide to hire a sex worker and indulge in their fantasies. Each man comes with his own backstories and intricacies. Rahul (Murali Gopy) seems to have a happy marriage with wife Radhika, a homemaker; Pradeep (Sreejith Ravi) is insecure about his sophisticated partner and fantasizes about Radhika; and Sanjay feels inadequate around his successful journalist wife. The debut directorial of Shambu Purushothaman, the film cleaves open the moral hypocrisy, chauvinism, and ego of the male psyche and how it plays out in marriages. The laughs are few and far between (less verbal humour) but an audacious and intriguing attempt nevertheless.

6) Love 24/7 (Hotstar): Sreebala K. Menon’s directorial debut is set against the backdrop of broadcast media, bringing into focus the ruthless competitiveness of the profession, the challenges of breaking news and the daily struggles of a television news journalist. There are two interesting love stories running in parallel—a young journalist couple and an elderly couple. The writing is solid as Menon wades through the narrative without any glitches, putting together well-etched characters, along with some light humour. The media representation is fairly accurate, surprisingly steers clear of stereotypes, and shows some thorough research. An assured debut that remained largely unnoticed.

7) Arike (Amazon Prime Video): Once again Shyamaprasad adapts a short story by Sunil Gangopadhyay about Shantanu and Kalpana, who are madly in love with each other, and their friend Anuradha who plays the cupid in their lives. Kalpana is flighty, the only child of a rich businessman, and seems to be in love with the idea of love, a fact which is revealed when she changes her mind as the next suitor comes. But Kalpana means the world to the orphaned Shantanu. It’s an interesting narrative around the intricacies of love and relationships, with some fine performances. Maybe the starkness of the narrative failed to connect with a wider audience.

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Judge Brutally Dismisses Rudy Giuliani's Suit To 'Disenfranchise' Pa. Voters

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A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s campaign’s lawsuit to overturn the election in Pennsylvania on Saturday, calling out Rudy Giuliani’s attempt to “disenfranchise almost 7 million voters” based on zero actual evidence of voter fraud.

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, who heard Giuliani’s argument on the case earlier this week, said the court “has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” that weren’t tied to the actual complaint nor supported by evidence.

“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth-most-populated state. Our people, laws and institutions demand more,” Brann wrote.

Rudy Giuliani speaks to the press about various lawsuits related to the 2020 election at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Thursday.

Giuliani did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Saturday evening.

Asked earlier whether he had made a deal with Trump in exchange for a preemptive pardon, Giuliani told a HuffPost reporter, “Get lost.”

Brann said that it was perfectly legitimate for Pennsylvania counties to offer voters an opportunity to “cure” their mail-in ballots. The Trump campaign had complained that elections officials in Democratic-leaning counties had done a better job than officials in Republican-leaning counties advising voters when they made a mistake on their mail-in ballots and argued this amounted to an equal protection violation. Brann said that argument was rubbish.

“No county was forced to adopt notice-and-cure; each county made a choice to do so, or not. Because it is not irrational or arbitrary for a state to allow counties to expand the right to vote if they so choose, Individual Plaintiffs fail to state an equal-protection claim,” he wrote.

“Even assuming that they can establish that their right to vote has been denied, which they cannot, Plaintiffs seek to remedy the denial of their votes by invalidating the votes of millions of others. Rather than requesting that their votes be counted, they seek to discredit scores of other votes, but only for one race. This is simply not how the Constitution works,” Brann wrote. 

The Style Evolution Of Dan Levy, One Of People's Sexiest Men Alive

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2020 has been a Schitt show.

As in, the year we’ve been endlessly rewatching “Schitt’s Creek” as well as the moment the beloved show and its co-creator Dan Levy swept the Emmy Awards in September to distract us from the other, er, stuff that happened this year.

Now, according to a release from Alexis Rose PR (just kidding), Levy has been rightfully named one of People magazine’s “sexiest men alive.”

In honor of this exciting occasion, we’re looking back at some of Levy’s sexiest moments ― in suits, that is. His red carpet game, whether in a tux, a patterned suit or just a really great coat, is consistently well tailored and exceptional.

Our research has also inadvertently identified a pose Levy has been perhaps unknowingly perfecting since 1994, and on many carpets since. We’re bookmarking the palms-clasped pose for next time we don’t know what to do with our hands in a photo. 

Behold, a sampling of some of Levy’s best suiting moments for you to peruse. Love this journey for you, bébé. 

Eugene and Dan Levy in Canada on Jan. 4, 1994. 

1994

Eugene and Dan Levy in Canada on Jan. 4, 1994.  Ken Faught via Getty Images
Eugene and Dan Levy on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" in New York City on Jan. 9, 2015.

2015

Eugene and Dan Levy on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" in New York City on Jan. 9, 2015. NBC via Getty Images
Dan Levy at a 92nd Street Y "Schitt's Creek" panel in New York City on March 14, 2016. 

2016

Dan Levy at a 92nd Street Y "Schitt's Creek" panel in New York City on March 14, 2016.  Noam Galai via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto on March 9, 2016. 

2016

Dan Levy at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto on March 9, 2016.  George Pimentel via Getty Images
Dan Levy at Build Series in New York City on March 16, 2016.

2016

Dan Levy at Build Series in New York City on March 16, 2016. Monica Schipper via Getty Images
Dan  Levy at the 28th annual GLAAD Awards in New York City on May 6, 2017. 

2017

Dan  Levy at the 28th annual GLAAD Awards in New York City on May 6, 2017.  Paul Zimmerman via Getty Images
Dan Levy at amfAR Los Angeles on Oct. 13, 2017. 

2017

Dan Levy at amfAR Los Angeles on Oct. 13, 2017.  Kevin Tachman/amfAR2017 via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on March 4, 2018.

2018

Dan Levy at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on March 4, 2018. Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in Santa Monica, California, on June 16, 2018.

2018

Dan Levy at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in Santa Monica, California, on June 16, 2018. Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the 24th annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 13, 2019.

2019

Dan Levy at the 24th annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 13, 2019. Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto on March 27, 2019. 

2019

Dan Levy at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto on March 27, 2019.  Isaiah Trickey via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the FYC screening of "Schitt's Creek" in North Hollywood on May 30, 2019.

2019

Dan Levy at the FYC screening of "Schitt's Creek" in North Hollywood on May 30, 2019. Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in Santa Monica on June 15, 2019. 

2019

Dan Levy at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in Santa Monica on June 15, 2019.  Gregg DeGuire via Getty Images
Eugene and Dan Levy at the 71st Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. 

2019

Eugene and Dan Levy at the 71st Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019.  Steve Granitz via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2019.

2019

Dan Levy at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2019. Rich Fury via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the 25th annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica on Jan. 12.

2020

Dan Levy at the 25th annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica on Jan. 12. Michael Kovac via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 19.

2020

Dan Levy at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 19. Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images
Dan Levy at "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" on Jan. 23 in New York City.

2020

Dan Levy at "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" on Jan. 23 in New York City. Bravo via Getty Images
Dan Levy at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on Feb. 9.

2020

Dan Levy at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on Feb. 9. Gregg DeGuire via Getty Images
Eugene Levy and Dan Levy during the 72nd Emmy Awards on Sept. 20.

2020

Eugene Levy and Dan Levy during the 72nd Emmy Awards on Sept. 20. ABC via Getty Images

The Best Hand Pie Recipes For A Small Thanksgiving Dessert

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Everything Thanksgiving: Get all our Thanksgiving recipes, how-to’s and more!

COVID-19 has changed the way we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, resulting in smaller gatherings and a breaking of tradition. If baking whole pies has always been your tradition, it may not seem worth the effort this year if your pie will just sit out on the counter for days, uneaten because your usual crowd isn’t visiting. But what’s Thanksgiving without pie?

This is where hand pies come in. If you bake up a batch and can’t eat them all, you can just pop them in your freezer for a later date. They’re also perfect for sharing with socially distanced loved ones, as they’re portable and packable. (And conversely, they’re individually portioned for those of you who don’t feel like sharing.)

Check out 12 of our favorite recipes below, including apple, pumpkin, cherry and much more.

Apple Hand Pies from A Classic Twist

1. Apple Hand Pies

Apple Hand Pies from A Classic TwistA Classic Twist
Cherry Hand Pies from Completely Delicious

2. Cherry Hand Pies

Cherry Hand Pies from Completely DeliciousCompletely Delicious
Pumpkin Hand Pies from Handle the Heat

3. Pumpkin Hand Pies

Pumpkin Hand Pies from Handle the HeatHandle the Heat
Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies from Half Baked Harvest

4. Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies

Jammy Raspberry Cream Pretzel Hand Pies from Half Baked HarvestHalf Baked Harvest
Peach Hand Pies from How Sweet Eats

5. Peach Hand Pies

Peach Hand Pies from How Sweet EatsHow Sweet Eats
Toasted Coconut and Cherry Hand Pies from Cravings of a Lunatic

6. Toasted Coconut and Cherry Hand Pies

Toasted Coconut and Cherry Hand Pies from Cravings of a LunaticCravings of a Lunatic
Bourbon Pecan Cherry Hand Pies from Half Baked Harvest

7. Bourbon Pecan Cherry Hand Pies

Bourbon Pecan Cherry Hand Pies from Half Baked HarvestHalf Baked Harvest
Apple Gouda Hand Pies from Completely Delicious

8. Apple Gouda Hand Pies

Apple Gouda Hand Pies from Completely DeliciousCompletely Delicious
Blueberry Hand Pies from Grandbaby Cakes

9. Blueberry Hand Pies

Blueberry Hand Pies from Grandbaby CakesGrandbaby Cakes
Blueberry Hand Pies from A Classic Twist

10. Blueberry Hand Pies

Blueberry Hand Pies from A Classic TwistA Classic Twist
Marzipan Pear Hand Pies from Love and Olive Oil

11. Marzipan Pear Hand Pies

Marzipan Pear Hand Pies from Love and Olive OilLove and Olive Oil
Rhubarb Toaster Strudel Recipe from A Beautiful Mess

12. Rhubarb Toaster Strudel

Rhubarb Toaster Strudel Recipe from A Beautiful MessA Beautiful Mess

For This 26-Year-Old, Bangladesh’s First Transgender Madrasa Offers Hope

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Transgender students reading the holy Quran at Dawatul Quran Tritia Linger Madrasa in the Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Friday, 6th November 2020. 

DHAKA, Bangladesh ― A’s family adored her until she was five-years-old and they found out that she was transgender. When friends started saying tui to hijra re (you are a hijra), and neighbours would come to her parents house to gawk at her, they confined her to one room.  A few years later, A had to leave her family and join a transgender community in Dhaka.

This was the start of A’s arduous journey that would lead her down the road of singing and begging for a living.  The 26-year-old did not see any light at the end of the tunnel, or believe her life would ever change, until two weeks ago when she first heard that a cleric named Mufti Abdur Rahman Azad had set up the Bangladesh’s first religious school for the transgender community on 6 November, and that it would be offering Islamic and vocational courses as well as general subjects— Bengali, English, Maths— free of charge. 

After Azad came to Gulistan, where she and other transgender people live, and told them about the Dawatul Quran Tritio Linger Madrasa (Dawatul Quran Third Sex Madrasa), A spoke with her “guru,” the leader of her group in the community, about joining. 

That same day, A travelled by bus to Kamrangirchar, 10 kilometres from Gulistan, and was among the first to get admitted to the religious school. 

“I want to study, I want to learn new skills so that I can work like other people. I know that society is yet to accept us in the main work-force, but I think learning new skills will help us in the future,” she said. “We can hope for a good future.”

Azad, the cleric behind the privately-funded madrasa, told HuffPost India that it would be funded by the Ahmed Ferdous Bari Chowdhury Foundation, a charity established by the family of Chowdhury, a freedom fighter in Bangladesh’s liberation war against then West Pakistan in 1971, and a businessman, who died in 1986. 

“I have been working for many years to establish an educational institute- a madrasa- for the hijras. I believe they deserve to get educated. We often see them asking for money in the streets, local buses, trains and other public transport because they don’t get any job to make their living,” said Azad. “We should create an environment for them to learn and get jobs in the mainstream workforce.”

Till 19 November, 50 students were admitted to the madrasa.

The first-ever madrasa for the transgender people— Pondok Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah— was founded in Indonesia in 2008 by the. But it was closed in 2016 after threats of violence from conservative groups. As per aVoice of America report, the madrasa had started running again in 2017. Pakistan’s Shemale Association for Fundamental Rights (SAFAR) also planned to open a madrasa for transgender people in 2016 in Islamabad, but there is no further news of its establishment. In 2016, India opened its first school for the transgender people in the city of Kochi.  

Abida Sultana Mitu, the president of Hijra Kalyan Foundation, a welfare association for the transgender people in Bangladesh, said the opening of this first religious school for transgenders marked a turning point, but more educational institutes were needed for the country’s 1.5 million-strong transgender community. 

“It’s an emotional situation for hijras because this is the very first time when an educational institute is established only for them aiming to provide them with a better future,” she told HuffPost India. “If the government also comes up to help hijras providing them with quality education, it’ll be a turning point in their lives.” 

Fighting a village

A’s early childhood memories are hazy, but she recalls that it was her father’s friend who persuaded her family to give her up to the transgender community in Dhaka, and it was her father, who ran a grocery business, brought home a “guru” to take her away. 

A said that her mother was the only in her family who tried to stop her being sent to the transgender community by her father and other relatives when she was about eight-years-old, but “she was not able to fight the whole village for me.”

A used to go home once every two or three months until her siblings stopped her from visiting her mother. She embarrassed them, they told her. 

Her mother died of a prolonged illness, nine years ago. Her father passed away from a heart disease in March, this year.  A still tries to stay in touch with her siblings, especially, with her younger sister.  

“I’ve almost forgotten how my childhood was,” she said. “I was the second child and my parents used to love me more than anyone of my siblings. But when they came to know that I’m not like others, they started behaving strangely. I was around five-years-old and it was impossible for me to understand my gender or my identity at that age. ”

Going to school 

In the transgender community in Dhaka, A said that she had to work hard, begging, and singing at weddings at ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child. The group makes BDT 2000 to 4000, Rs 1,748 to 3,496, from one performance. 

On most days, A wakes before the morning prayer at five in the morning. She lives with the three members of the transgender community in a rented house and pays Rs 6,000 per month. After cooking and cleaning, A goes to beg on the public buses, roadside shops, for five to six hours a day. 

After A joined the Dawatul Quran Tritio Linger Madrasa, earlier this month, her daily routine has changed for the first time in a long time. 

Instead of rising early to begin a day of begging, A now heads to the religious school every morning at 9 am, travelling 10 kilometres by bus.  For six days a week, A studies the Quran. 

Azad, the cleric, said the religious schools will offer subjects like Bengali, English and Maths, as well as vocational courses like tailoring and making handicrafts, in the coming weeks. 

After spending two hours studying the Quran, A heads back home and returns to the streets to beg.  If she can complete a vocational course in tailoring or handicrafts, A said that she would like to get a job or set up a small business with her guru, and the transgender people she lives with. 

“I don’t like to beg on the streets or dance or sing for money. But since there was no hope of getting any job, I had no choice,” said A. “My life did not have any direction. I felt good for nothing. Now, for the first time, I feel my life changing for the better.” 

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Threatened Species Rely On Ecotourism To Survive. So What Happens When The Tourists Stop Coming?

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Most years, the Beaufort Sea is freezing over by November and a busy season of polar bear viewing is winding down in the Arctic. As the ice takes hold, the flow of tourists slows to a trickle in the Inupiaq village of Kaktovik on the northern coast of Alaska. Its two unassuming hotels grow quiet and wilderness guides like Robert Thompson pull their boats onto dry land.

“We used to have 1,500 people a year coming to see the bears,” said Thompson, an Inupiaq local who leads polar bear tours around Kaktovik and rafting trips through the nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But not this year. “Because of the virus, local people don’t want them,” he said.

Kaktovik, population 293, sits alone on the edge of Barter Island. There are no roads connecting it to the rest of the world. The nearest town, Prudhoe Bay, is more than 100 miles west. But residents took no chances with the coronavirus pandemic. When things started looking bad elsewhere, the local council closed the village to non-essential outsiders. As a result, Kaktovik survived the summer without a single case of COVID-19 ― or a single tourist.

“There are few things up in the Arctic to create an economy and the polar bear guiding was one of them,” Thompson said. Without foreign visitors, locals missed out on months of income. Guides who invested in new boats have had to find other means of making payments, and Thompson, who is running out of time to show the world what climate change is doing to this landscape, waits another year.

Robert Thompson has been guiding polar bear tours in Kaktovik, Alaska, for two decades. The business supports the limited local economy, while ecotourists bring visibility to the dire situation in the Arctic North. “We’re seeing the end of the polar bears on this planet,” Thompson said.

As the pandemic has brought global travel to a halt, communities and conservation efforts that depend on ecotourism are struggling to survive. The added pressure on what was already precarious support for some of the world’s most vulnerable people and places highlights some longstanding concerns about ecotourism as a conservation model.

Loosely defined as tourism that directs funds to protect natural, often threatened environments and the species and communities in and around them, ecotourism is the tourist industry’s fastest-growing sector. And its value to conservation efforts has been growing, too. 

Ecotourism fills in the gaps where government funding for conservation is insufficient such as in sub-Saharan Africa, where both government and international assistance money is increasingly earmarked for militarized law enforcement aimed at poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, or in the U.S., where public land appropriations and support for national parks are subject to political whims. It provides the majority of funding for some national park agencies around the world.

In many instances, “the tourism companies contributing funds to conservation were established because government budgets were inadequate and still are,” said Ralf Buckley, an ecologist at Griffith University in Australia who has studied ecotourism extensively. 

Some of the world’s most biodiverse regions don’t have the money to protect their biodiversity. Tamarins in Brazil, macaws in Costa Rica, orangutans in Sumatra and wild dogs in southern Africa have all benefited greatly from ecotourism. Buckley’s research looked at 360 threatened mammal, bird and frog species and found that ecotourism funded conservation work that protects two-thirds of their remaining populations and as much as 99% of their natural habitats.

The town of Kaktovik, which sits 100 miles from its closest neighbor, shut down completely when the COVID-19 pandemic started.

But the pandemic has revealed fundamental flaws in a system that relies on the spending of international travelers.

In a July survey of more than 300 conservationists in 85 countries, 57% said the pandemic has pushed their organizations into financial straits. Many cited a decline in ecotourism as well as the closure of parks and zoos.

“COVID-19 has shown some serious cracks in the ecotourism model,” said Lauren Gilhooly, a primatologist who worked at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Malaysia until the pandemic forced her to return home to Canada. The center is a top attraction, used to welcoming hundreds of visitors a day. Like Kaktovik’s polar bear tours, it offers an up-close look at an increasingly rare species while propping up a local economy. When the pandemic forced Malaysia’s leaders to close the country’s borders in mid-March, the local economy that had grown to depend on the center was left in the lurch.

“The goal for rehab centers is to release animals back into the wild when possible, and that takes an enormous amount of resources,” Gilhooly said. To feed its 43 sun bears ― the world’s smallest bear species, found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia ― the center buys local bananas, papayas, vegetables and honey. Without revenue from foreign tourists ― who pay six times more at the door than locals ― its operators have struggled to keep the bears fed and its employees paid.

Tourism is a huge provider of income but it’s also the first thing to go when times get tough.Lauren Gilhooly, a primatologist who has worked at a conservation center in Malaysia

While this year’s dwindling number of ecotourists has been a problem for conservation work, there are issues with the industry that predate the pandemic. Eager visitors paying hefty sums to get close to something thrillingly rare sometimes leave a damaging wake.

Tourists can trample foliage, harm coral reefs, interfere with breeding grounds and even transmit diseasessuch as COVID-19 — to wildlife. For animals that will eventually be released into an unforgiving world, habituation to humans can be deadly. Meanwhile, the profit potential of tourism can spur new development that degrades and pollutes natural habitats

According to Buckley’s research, the benefits don’t always outweigh the harms, and ecotourists can end up hurting the populations of the very animals they’ve traveled to admire.

Visitors get right up close to an orangutan at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Malaysia.

For Indigenous communities, a boom in ecotourism sometimes comes at great expense. In the 1950s and ’60s, Maasai people were pushed off their land to make room for the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and the adjoining Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, parks that now protect lions, elephants and hippos. Although the influx of foreign travelers seems to have been a boost to the local economy, only a small number of the Maasai have, in truth, profited from it.

Despite its flaws, Buckley maintains that the ecotourism model is a desperately needed source of funding for conservation, especially in biodiversity-rich, financially poor parts of the world.

“Ecotourism has been used as a tool to transfer funds from individuals in wealthy nations to conservation in less wealthy nations. It still works, so why would we abandon it?” he said. 

What the pandemic has made clear, though, is the vulnerability of local economies and conservation efforts that rely on a monolithic source of uncertain tourism revenue. And some countries are looking for a more resilient approach.

One solution is already underway in Belize.

Visitors who come to see the country’s ancient Mayan ruins and jaguars in Central America’s largest block of contiguous tropical broadleaf forest bring in $15 million annually. The region’s environmental protections also ensure safe drinking water for a third of the country. But when the bottom fell out on tourism this year, the government launched an ambitious sustainable development plan designed to make the area less vulnerable to economic shocks like pandemics.

The idea is to expand economic opportunities for local communities while still protecting water, natural habitats and biodiversity. The plan calls for investments by the government, non-governmental organizations and private businesses in a mix of sustainable agriculture and forestry, bans on mining and new dams, promotion of scientific research, and efforts to encourage more domestic tourism.

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre relies on revenue from foreign tourists to feed its 43 sun bears. It buys fruits and vegetables from local vendors.

“Tourism is a huge provider of income but it’s also the first thing to go when times get tough,” Gilhooly said, adding that it’s best to assume this could happen again.

Elsewhere, ecotourism has taken an approach that most of us are perhaps too familiar with: virtual meetings. Parks and wildlife centers have fully embraced video streams to hold would-be tourists’ attention from afar. Gilhooly’s colleagues in Borneo offer sun bear sightings through a virtual safari. For those who can’t travel to Kaktovik to tour the frozen Arctic, Polar Bears International hosts a live polar bear feed

Granted, virtual safaris lack a certain ... thrill, and wildlife centers, zoos and national parks depend heavily on revenue from their gift shops. But these organizations hope their online offerings will bring at least enough income to float them through the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 downturn may not fundamentally change ecotourism or fix its shortcomings, said Buckley, but it may help conservationists figure out how to diversify funding sources to survive future shocks. “They kind of know all these things already, but COVID has been a severe stress test. And still is,” he said.

For Thompson, a return to normal can’t come soon enough. Decades of guiding have shown him the power of firsthand experience with nature. Twenty years ago, foreigners showed up outside the hotel in Kaktovik asking to see polar bears. He started by offering them a ride in his truck, then his boat.

Visitors on an all-terrain vehicle watch a polar bear sow and cubs on Barter Island.

“They took photographs and it naturally grew,” he said. Before long, his clients were filling the pages of books and magazines and standing before Congress with visual testimony in support of the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ― the same refuge President Donald Trump took steps to open to oil drilling in August.

Like many guides operating across Alaska, Thompson is quickly booking the 2021 season, although he still isn’t sure it will happen. If not, he will lose not only another year of revenue but a chance to show people what is playing out in the warming Arctic.

“We’re seeing the end of the polar bears on this planet,” he said. “The permafrost is melting. The ground is caving in. The musk ox are gone from here. You walk around the tundra and see dead caribou all over the place.” He is sad to say that many people come to Kaktovik to see the place before it’s gone, and he hopes that when the ice breaks on the Beaufort Sea next spring, he will be able to show it to them.

HuffPost’s “Work In Progress” series focuses on the impact of business on society and the environment and is funded by Porticus. It is part of the “This New World” series. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from Porticus. If you have an idea or tip for the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com.


MP Govt Asks Police To Investigate Temple Kissing Scenes In Netflix's 'A Suitable Boy'

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A scene from Netflix India's 'A Suitable Boy'

NEW DELHI — Madhya Pradesh on Sunday asked police to investigate after a member of the ruling BJP objected to scenes in the Netflix series A Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a Hindu temple.

The series is based on an English novel by one of India’s leading writers Vikram Seth and follows a young girl’s quest for a husband. It is directed by celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.

“It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt the feelings of a particular religion,” Narottam Mishra, the home minister of Madhya Pradesh, said on Twitter.

“I’ve directed police officers to get this controversial content tested” to determine “what legal action can be taken against the producer-director of the film for hurting religious sentiments”.

Gaurav Tiwari, a leader of the youth wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also governs Madhya Pradesh, has filed a separate complaint against Netflix and warned of street protests by Hindus if the series is not taken off the platform.

A Netflix India spokesman declined comment on the police complaint. Reuters could not contact Nair.

Social media commentators say the scope for creative freedom is narrowing in India, especially when it involves any depiction of Hindu-Muslim relations.

Many took to Twitter demanding a boycott of Netflix, which sees India as one of its most promising growth markets, but where its shows have faced legal challenges.

Last month, a unit of India’s Tata conglomerate withdrew a jewellery advertisement featuring a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating a baby shower, following threats to one of its stores and wide criticism on social media.

Earlier this month, the Indian government announced rules to regulate content on video streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Walt Disney’s Hotstar.

India's COVID-19 Vaccine COVAXIN's Final Trials Could End In 2 Months: Harsh Vardhan

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In this Photo illustration a logo of Covaxin seen displayed on a smartphone with a COVID-19 coronavirus image in the background. 

NEW DELHI — India’s health minister said on Sunday a locally-developed COVID-19  vaccine candidate could complete its final trials in a month or two, raising hopes for a rapid roll-out in a country with the world’s second highest number of infections.

The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and privately-held Bharat Biotech this month started third-stage trials of COVAXIN, in a process that would involve 26,000 volunteers. It is the most advanced Indian experimental vaccine.

“We are in the process of developing our indigenous vaccines, in the process of completing our third-phase trials in the next one or two months,” Harsh Vardhan told a web conference on the pandemic.

He reiterated the government’s plan was to immunise 200 million to 250 million Indians by July.

An ICMR scientist told Reuters earlier this month the vaccine could be launched in February or March, although Bharat Biotech separately told Reuters on Friday that results of the late-stage trials were expected only between March and April.

Vardhan, however, said in September the government could opt for emergency vaccine authorisation, particularly for the elderly and people in high-risk workplaces.

Indian officials have said they expect to rely on COVAXIN and four other locally-tested candidates to control COVID-19, as they do not expect early access to sufficient quantities of those developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

The other experimental vaccines on trial in India are the one being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University that is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India; Russia’s Sputnik-V; Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D and lastly one that Biological E. Ltd is developing with Baylor College of Medicine and Dynavax Technologies Corp.

Serum’s CEO said on Friday the AstraZeneca vaccine could be delivered to Indian healthcare workers and the elderly by January.

India on Sunday recorded 45,209 new infections, taking the total to 9.09 million, only behind that of the United States. Deaths rose by 501 to 133,227, with Delhi recording the highest number of daily fatalities in the country over the last few days.

Women Workers Raped, Abused In Palm Oil Fields Linked To L’Oréal, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson

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A female worker walks with a pesticide sprayer on her back at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Some workers use a yellow paste made of rice powder and a local root as a sunblock.

SUMATRA, Indonesia — With his hand clamped tightly over her mouth, she could not scream, the 16-year-old girl recalls – and no one was around to hear her anyway. She describes how her boss raped her amid the tall trees on an Indonesian palm oil plantation that feeds into some of the world’s best-known cosmetic brands. He then put an ax to her throat and warned her: Do not tell.

At another plantation, a woman named Ola complains of fevers, coughing and nose bleeds after years of spraying dangerous pesticides with no protective gear. Making just $2 a day, with no health benefits, she can’t afford to see a doctor.

Hundreds of miles away, Ita, a young wife, mourns the two babies she lost in the third trimester. She regularly lugged loads several times her weight throughout both pregnancies, fearing she would be fired if she did not.

These are the invisible women of the palm oil industry, among the millions of daughters, mothers and grandmothers who toil on vast plantations across Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, which together produce 85 percent of the world’s most versatile vegetable oil.

Palm oil is found in everything from potato chips and pills to pet food, and also ends up in the supply chains of some of the biggest names in the $530 billion beauty business, including L’Oréal, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Avon and Johnson & Johnson, helping women around the world feel pampered and beautiful.

The Associated Press conducted the first comprehensive investigation focusing on the brutal treatment of women in the production of palm oil, including the hidden scourge of sexual abuse, ranging from verbal harassment and threats to rape. It’s part of a larger in-depth look at the industry that exposed widespread abuses in the two countries, including human trafficking, child labor and outright slavery.

Women are burdened with some of the industry’s most difficult and dangerous jobs, spending hours waist-deep in water tainted by chemical runoff and carrying loads so heavy that, over time, their wombs can collapse and protrude. Many are hired by subcontractors on a day-to-day basis without benefits, performing the same jobs for the same companies for years – even decades. They often work without pay to help their husbands meet otherwise impossible daily quotas.

“Almost every plantation has problems related to labor,” said Hotler Parsaoran of the Indonesian nonprofit group Sawit Watch, which has conducted extensive investigations into abuses in the palm oil sector. “But the conditions of female workers are far worse than men.”

A female worker sprays herbicide in a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia, on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Many women are hired by subcontractors on a day-to-day basis without benefits, performing the same jobs for the same companies for years and even decades. They often work without pay to help their husbands meet otherwise impossible daily quotas.

Parsaoran said it’s the responsibility of governments, growers, big multinational buyers and banks that help finance plantation expansion to tackle issues related to palm oil, which is listed under more than 200 ingredient names and contained in nearly three out of four personal-care products – everything from mascara and bubble bath to anti-wrinkle creams.

The AP interviewed more than three dozen women and girls from at least 12 companies across Indonesia and Malaysia. Because previous reports have resulted in retaliation against workers, they are being identified only by partial names or nicknames. They met with female AP reporters secretly within their barracks or at hotels, coffee shops or churches, sometimes late at night, usually with no men present so they could speak openly.

The Malaysian government said it had received no reports about rapes on plantations, but Indonesia acknowledged physical and sexual abuse appears to be a growing problem, with most victims afraid to speak out. Still, the AP was able to corroborate a number of the women’s stories by reviewing police reports, legal documents, complaints filed with union representatives and local media accounts.

Reporters also interviewed nearly 200 other workers, activists, government officials and lawyers, including some who helped trapped girls and women escape, who confirmed that abuses regularly occur.

Indonesia is the world’s biggest palm oil producer, with an estimated 7.6 million women working in its fields, about half the total workforce, according to the female empowerment ministry. In much-smaller Malaysia, the figures are harder to nail down due to the large number of foreign migrants working off the books.

In both countries, the AP found generations of women from the same families who have served as part of the industry’s backbone. Some started working as children alongside their parents, gathering loose kernels and clearing brush from the trees with machetes, never learning to read or write.

And others, like a woman who gave the name Indra, dropped out of school as teenagers. She took a job at Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantations, one of the world’s biggest palm oil companies. Years later, she says her boss started harassing her, saying things like “Come sleep with me. I will give you a baby.” He would lurk behind her in the fields, even when she went to the bathroom.

Now 27, Indra dreams of leaving, but it’s hard to build another life with no education and no other skills. Women in her family have worked on the same Malaysian plantation since her great-grandmother left India as a baby in the early 1900s. Like many laborers in both countries, they can’t afford to give up the company’s basic subsidized housing, which often consists of rows of dilapidated shacks without running water.

That ensures the generational cycle endures, maintaining a cheap, built-in workforce.

“I feel it’s already normal,” Indra said. “From birth until now, I am still on a plantation.”

 

A woman collects palm kernels from the ground at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Some female workers in palm oil plantations suffer from collapsed uteruses, called fallen womb, caused by the weakening of the pelvic floor from repeatedly squatting and carrying overweight loads. 

____

Out of sight, hidden by a sea of palms, women have worked on plantations since European colonizers brought the first trees from West Africa more than a century ago. As punishment in Indonesia back then, some so-called female “coolies” were bound to posts outside the boss’ house with finely ground chili pepper rubbed into their vaginas.

As the decades passed, palm oil became an essential ingredient for the food industry, which saw it as a substitute for unhealthy trans fats. And cosmetic companies, which were shifting away from animal- or petroleum-based ingredients, were captivated by its miracle properties: It foams in toothpaste and shaving gel, moisturizes soaps and lathers in shampoo.

New workers are constantly needed to meet the relentless demand, which has quadrupled in the last 20 years alone. Women in Indonesia are often “casual” workers – hired day to day, with their jobs and pay never guaranteed. Men receive nearly all the full-time permanent positions, harvesting the heavy, spiky fruit bunches and working in processing mills.

On almost every plantation, men also are the supervisors, opening the door for sexual harassment and abuse.

The 16-year-old girl who described being raped by her boss – a man old enough to be her grandfather – started working on the plantation at age 6 to help her family make ends meet.

The day she was attacked in 2017, she said the boss took her to a remote part of the estate, where her job was to ferry wheelbarrows laden with the bright orange palm oil fruits he hacked from the trees. Suddenly, she said, he grabbed her arm and started pawing her breasts, throwing her to the jungle floor. Afterward, she said, he held the ax to her throat.

“He threatened to kill me,” she said softly. “He threatened to kill my whole family.”

Then, she said, he stood up and spit on her.

Nine months later, after she says he raped her four more times, she sat by a wrinkled 2-week-old boy. She made no effort to comfort him when he cried, struggling to even look at his face.

The family filed a report with police, but the complaint was dropped, citing lack of evidence.

“I want him to be punished,” the girl said after a long silence. “I want him to be arrested and punished because he didn’t care about the baby … he didn’t take any responsibility.”

A woman helps load palm oil fruit into a wheelbarrow, navigating barefoot through the rough jungle floor in Sumatra, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Women are often

The AP heard about similar incidents on plantations big and small in both countries. Union representatives, health workers, government officials and lawyers said some of the worst examples they encountered involved gang rapes and children as young as 12 being taken into the fields and sexually assaulted by plantation foremen.

One example involved an Indonesian teen who was trafficked to Malaysia as a sex slave, where she was passed between drunk palm oil workers living under plastic tarps in the jungle, eventually escaping ravaged by chlamydia. And in a rare high-profile case that sparked outrage last year, a female preacher working at a Christian church inside an Indonesian estate was tied up among the trees, sexually assaulted by two workers and then strangled. The men were sentenced to life in prison.

While Indonesia has laws in place to protect women from abuse and discrimination, Rafail Walangitan of the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection said he was aware of many problems identified by the AP on palm oil plantations, including child labor and sexual harassment.

“We have to work hard on this,” he said, noting the government still has a long way to go.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development said it hadn’t received complaints about the treatment of women laborers so had no comment. And Nageeb Wahab, head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, said workers are covered by the country’s labor laws, with the ability to file grievances.

Those familiar with the complexities of plantation life say the subject of sexual abuse has never drawn much attention and that female workers often believe little can be done about it.

“They are thinking it happens everywhere, so there’s nothing to complain about,” said Saurlin Siagan, an Indonesian activist and researcher.

Many families living on plantations struggle to earn enough to cover basic costs, like electricity and rice. Desperate women are sometimes coerced into using their bodies to pay back loans from supervisors or other workers. And younger females, especially those considered attractive, occasionally are given less demanding jobs like cleaning the boss’ house, with sex expected in exchange.

In the few cases where victims do speak out, companies often don’t take action or police charges are either dropped or not filed because it usually comes down to the accuser’s word against the man’s.

“The location of palm oil plantations makes them an ideal crime scene for rape,” said Aini Fitri, an Indonesian official from the government’s women and children’s office in West Kalimantan province. “It could be dangerous in the darkness for people, especially for women, but also because it is so quiet and remote. So even in the middle of the day, the crime can happen.”

Female workers carry heavy loads of fertilizer at a palm oil plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. Some women spread up to 880 pounds of fertilizer, nearly a half-ton, over the course of a day. 

Many beauty and personal goods companies have largely remained silent when it comes to the plight of female workers, but it’s not due to lack of knowledge.

A powerful global industry group, the Consumer Goods Forum, published a 2018 report alerting the network’s 400 CEOs that women on plantations were exposed to dangerous chemicals and “subject to the worst conditions among all palm oil workers.” It also noted that a few local groups had cited examples of women being forced to provide sex to secure or keep jobs, but said few workers were willing to discuss the sensitive issue.

Even so, almost all of the pressure aimed at palm oil companies has focused on land grabs, the destruction of rainforests and the killing of endangered species such as orangutans.

Those concerns led to the 2004 formation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an association that promotes and certifies ethical production, including provisions to safeguard laborers. Its members include growers, buyers, traders and environmental watchdogs. But of the nearly 100 grievances lodged in Indonesia and Malaysia in the last decade, most have not focused on labor until recently. And women are almost never mentioned.

The AP reached out to representatives affiliated with every cosmetic and personal goods maker mentioned in this story. Some didn’t comment, but most defended their use of palm oil and its derivatives, with many attempting to show how little they use compared to the roughly 80 million tons produced annually worldwide. Others said they were working with local nonprofits, pointed to pledges on their websites about commitments to sustainability and human rights, or noted efforts to be transparent about the processing mills in their supply chains.

But the AP found that labor abuses regularly occur industrywide, even from mills that source from plantations bearing the RSPO’s green palm stamp.

That includes Indonesian companies like London Sumatra, which withdrew from the RSPO last year after the association cited it for a series of labor abuses. London Sumatra told the AP that it adheres to labor laws and takes “the health of our workers very seriously.”

In some cases, women working at various palm oil companies illegally said they were ordered to hide in the jungle when sustainability auditors arrived, while others were told to smile if they encountered any visitors.

The AP used U.S. Customs records, product ingredient lists and the most recently published data from producers, traders and buyers to link the laborers’ palm oil and its derivatives from the mills that process it to the Western brands’ supply chains – including some that source from mills fed by plantations where women said they were raped and young girls toiled in the fields.

Abuses also were linked to product lines sought out by conscientious consumers like Tom’s of Maine and Kiehl’s, through the supply chains of their giant parent companies Colgate-Palmolive and L’Oréal. And Bath & Body Works was connected through its main supplier, Cargill, one of the world’s biggest palm oil traders.

Coty Inc., which owns global staples like CoverGirl and is tapping into partnerships with Gen Z newcomers like Kylie Cosmetics, did not respond to multiple AP calls and emails. And Estee Lauder Companies Inc., owner of Clinique and Aveda, acknowledged struggling with traceability issues in its RSPO filing. When asked by AP whether specific products used palm oil or its derivatives, there was no response.

Both companies, along with Shiseido and Clorox, which owns Burt’s Bees Inc., keep the names of their mills and suppliers secret. Clorox said it would raise the allegations of abuses with its suppliers, calling AP’s findings “incredibly disturbing.”

Johnson & Johnson makes its mill list public, but refused to say whether its iconic baby lotion contains palm oil derivatives.

One case uncovered by the AP involved a widow named Maria who said her supervisor began sexually harassing her when she first started working at a Malaysian-owned company in Indonesia. She said she successfully fought off his advances until she returned home one night to find him inside, waiting for her.

“I tried to remind him about his wife and his children in the village, but he hugged me tighter while pulling my pants down. Then he raped me,” she said. “After that, he left me. But almost two hours later, he came back and raped me a second time.”

She said she stayed quiet at first because he threatened her life and her job. But the attacks continued, she said, including once when he jumped her while she was working in the field “crushing me so that I couldn’t move.”

That time, she said, she kept a semen-filled tissue as evidence. She later confronted the man and his wife and also complained to company and union officials. She attempted to file a police report, but instead was directed to seek compensation directly from the man, a union representative said. She was never paid and ended up moving to another plantation to get away from the boss, who has since quit.

A 17-year-old mother gives a bottle to her 2-week-old baby, whom she says was born as a result of a rape in Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. She started working on a plantation as a young child to help her family survive, never going to school or learning how to read or write. One day she said her boss took her alone to a quiet part of the estate. After the attack, while still half-naked, she said the man held a blade to her throat.

Rosita Nengsih, the director of the Women, Children and Family Legal Aid Institution in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, said most victims are reluctant to report rapes to authorities, adding it’s typical to settle complaints through so-called “peace solutions” in which the victim’s family may be paid off. Sometimes parents force their daughter to marry her rapist to lessen the shame, often after pregnancy occurs.

The province where Nengsih works borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo, which is shared by the two countries. It is a porous corridor for Indonesian workers, including women and young girls hoping to earn enough in the wealthier neighboring country to pull themselves out of poverty. Many travel there illegally, sometimes falsifying documents or lying about their ages, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.

Nengsih recalled a case involving two Indonesian girls as young as 13 who were working on a Malaysian plantation with their parents and said they were repeatedly raped by the same supervisor until both became pregnant four months apart.

“Nothing happened to the foreman,” she said. “He’s still free.”

___

The conditions these workers endure stand in stark contrast to female empowerment messages promoted by industry leaders such as L’Oréal, one of the world’s top cosmetic companies, and Unilever, one of the biggest palm oil buyers for consumer goods, which sources from more than 1,500 mills.

As Unilever’s popular soap brand proclaims: “Dove believes that beauty is for everyone.” And L’Oréal says it is working to stamp out sexual harassment “because we are all worth it.”

In a global industry expected to reach $800 billion within the next five years, cosmetic legacy brands – together with fast-growing celebrity and niche startups – proudly tout $300 anti-wrinkle creams or glittery eyeshadows as sustainable and free of labor abuses, with little or no evidence.

In response, L’Oréal said it “has put particular emphasis on supporting and empowering women, who are the first victims of many of the social and environmental challenges our world faces.” Unilever said progress needs to be made more quickly, but that “the safety of women in global agricultural supply chains … including in the palm oil industry, remains a key concern.”

The women in Southeast Asia’s rugged, steamy plantations are a world away. Some haul tanks of toxic chemicals on their backs weighing more than 13 kilograms (30 pounds), dispensing 80 gallons each day – enough to fill a bathtub.

“Our lives are so hard,” said Ola, who has been employed as a day worker in Indonesia for 10 years and wakes each day aching from repeatedly lifting heavy loads. “After spraying, my nose bleeds occasionally. I think it’s connected to the pesticide.”

She doesn’t wear a mask because it’s too hot to breathe. She said the company doesn’t provide medical care to casual workers, and she has no money for a doctor.

Paraquat, one of the chemicals Ola and others spray, has been banned by the European Union and many other countries over possible links to a wide range of health issues, including an increased chance of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in popular weedkiller Roundup, also is commonly used. Roundup’s parent company, Bayer, agreed earlier this year to pay more than $10 billion to end tens of thousands of lawsuits filed in the U.S. alleging the chemical caused serious illnesses, including cancer.

Some palm oil workers who use agrochemicals daily showed the AP raw webbing between their fingers and toes, along with destroyed nails. Others had milky or red eyes and complained of dizzy spells, trouble breathing and blurry vision. Activists reported that some totally lost their sight.

The workers said pesticides routinely blow back into their faces, splash onto their backs and seep into the sweaty skin on their stomachs.

“If the liquid shakes and spills out, it’s also running into my private area. Almost all women are suffering the same itching and burning,” said Marodot, whose five children also work to help their father meet his daily target. “I have to keep going until I finish working, and then clean it up with water. There’s too many men around.”

She said she has trouble seeing, and her face is dark and cracked from years in the sun.

When handed a $20 lipstick by a journalist, a worker named Defrida was told it contained palm oil. She twisted the silver case and stared at the glistening pink stick – first with intrigue, then with disgust.

Noting she would have to spray pesticide on 30 acres of rough jungle terrain just to afford a single tube, she pleaded with women who buy products containing palm oil: “Oh, my God!” she said. “Please pay attention to our lives.”

She, along with nearly all the women interviewed, complained of pelvic pain and explained how almost every phase of their reproductive health is affected.

Some women are forced to undergo humiliating checks to prove they are bleeding in order to take leave during their periods.

Others suffering from collapsed uteruses – caused by the weakening of the pelvic floor from repeatedly squatting and carrying overweight loads – create makeshift braces by tightly wrapping scarves or old motorbike tire tubes around their mid-sections. Some workers described the pain as so agonizing that they could find relief only by lying on their backs with their legs in the air.

Despite a national health care program launched by the Indonesian government, many palm oil workers still don’t have access to medical services and, even when basic care is available, it typically is not extended to female day workers. The nearest clinics can be more than a day’s drive by motorbike, so most workers just use aspirin, balms or home remedies when they’re sick.

Still, they are better off in many ways than migrant women working without papers in Malaysia, mostly in the bordering states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo.

The AP confirmed a horrific story involving a pregnant Indonesian woman who escaped captivity on a Malaysian estate owned by state-run Felda, one of the world’s biggest palm oil companies. She gave birth in the jungle and foraged for food before finally being rescued. In September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection banned all palm oil imports from FGV Holdings Berhad, which is closely affiliated with Felda, after finding indications of child and forced labor and other abuses on its plantations.

Even on a day-to-day basis in Malaysia, migrant women fear arrest and deportation. Many rarely leave their plantations, even to give birth, at times risking their own lives and their babies’. And those who do venture out during emergencies can be held for weeks at the hospital until family members can collect enough money to pay exorbitant rates.

At one government facility in a border town, a menu of maternity ward prices was posted on a blue bulletin board. A natural birth costs foreign migrants about $630 – several times more than it would cost a Malaysian citizen, an amount that could take some women at least a year to pay back.

And that’s if they’re able to conceive and carry their babies to full term.

Groups of women interviewed by the AP in Indonesia wondered whether their arduous jobs, combined with the chemicals they handle and breathe, caused their infertility, miscarriages and stillbirths.

Ita was among those who said her work affected her ability to deliver healthy babies. She said she hid two pregnancies from her boss, knowing she likely wouldn’t be called for daily work otherwise. With two children already at home to feed, she had no choice but to keep working for $5 a day. In contrast, a permanent full-time female worker is entitled to three months of paid maternity leave.

Every day, as her belly grew, Ita said she continued to carry back-breaking loads over acres of fields, spreading 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of fertilizer – nearly a half-ton – over the course of a day. She lost both babies in her third trimester and, with no health insurance, was left with medical bills she couldn’t pay.

“The first time I miscarried, and the doctor had to pull the baby out,” said Ita, who has worked on the plantation alongside her mother since the age of 15. “The second time, I gave birth at seven months and it was in critical condition, and they put it in an incubator. It died after 30 hours.

“I kept working,” she said. “I never stopped after the baby died.”

Joe Biden To Name Foreign Policy Hand Tony Blinken As Secretary of State: Reports

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US President-elect Joe Biden will tap Tony Blinken as his secretary of state on Tuesday, Bloomberg and The New York Times reported Sunday night. The move elevates a longtime Biden aide with deep experience in foreign policy who is popular among U.S. allies abroad and with many officials at the State Department, which has seen morale plummet under President Donald Trump.

Biden’s choice also indicates the importance he plans to place on global affairs: he’s giving the job of top diplomat to one of his chief advisors after speaking repeatedly during his campaign about restoring America’s badly damaged image abroad.

Blinken served as the deputy secretary of state, the second-highest job at Foggy Bottom, during President Barack Obama’s second term. He previously worked for Biden in the Senate for years when the president-elect helmed the chamber’s foreign relations committee and before that worked in the Clinton administration.

He’s seen as respecting and deeply understanding other nations while believing in strong U.S. global leadership; he helped design Obama’s intervention to prevent a massacre by Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi and was open to stronger American action against Syria’s Bashar Assad. But like Biden and many in his orbit, Blinken has over time become more cautious about the risky consequences of assertive U.S. actions and he’s a loud supporter of diplomatic solutions to international crises, serving in recent years as one of the biggest boosters of the Obama-era deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program.

Biden hopes to quickly rejoin the deal, which Trump abandoned but Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran continue to largely abide by. Achieving that goal and reinvigorating the State Department will likely be Blinken’s first priorities. He’s also certain to emphasize joint international action against climate change; Biden wants to recommit the U.S. to the Paris accord on limiting global carbon emissions, which Trump left, and take further steps to prevent further warming in concert with foreign partners.

Blinken’s journey to actually entering the job could be hindered by two important groups: progressives and Republicans. Some figures on the left are wary of him for advising wealthy private companies after the Obama administration and believe he is too committed to traditional Washington ideas about American shows of force on the world stage. The GOP, which could complicate Blinken’s Senate confirmation, could press him hard on Iran, which many Republicans want to continue pressuring, and on Obama-era foreign policy choices they see as problematic.

Given their close relationship of nearly 20 years, however, Biden will likely advocate heavily for Blinken to succeed.

The president-elect will soon reveal additional appointments for key foreign policy jobs, including his national security adviser at the White House and his defense secretary.

Former State Department official Jake Sullivan is the prime contender for the former post, per Bloomberg; Michèle Flournoy will almost certainly take the latter, becoming the first woman to run the Pentagon.

Biden will also appoint Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a veteran diplomat, as ambassador to the United Nations, making her the second-ever Black woman in the role, Axios reported earlier on Sunday.

Kerala Govt Won't Implement Controversial Amendment To Police Act: Pinarayi

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The Left alliance led-Kerala government on Monday withdrew a controversial amendment to the Kerala Police Act, hours after CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the amendment ordinance will be “reconsidered”.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the amendment would not be implemented.

Yechury’s statement comes after a political storm broke out on Sunday over the controversial amendment to the Police Act.

The Kerala Cabinet, last month, had decided to give more teeth to the Police Act by recommending addition of Section 118-A. It stipulates either imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both to those who produce, publish or disseminate content through any means of communication with an intention to intimidate, insult or defame any person through social media.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government had defended the move, saying that it is intended to reduce cyber crimes against women.

The central leadership of the CPI(M), at odds with the decision, had been exerting pressure on the state leadership to let the ordinance lapse.

CPI general secretary D Raja said that he was uncomfortable with the ordinance and the party had expressed its opinion on it to the state leadership.

Pinarayi had on Sunday said his government would consider creative suggestions on the controversial amendment to the police act providing for up to five years imprisonment to those making defamatory social media posts as the opposition termed it as an assault on freedom of speech.

Amid widespread concerns that it was a tacit move to silence critics and the media, Vijayan said the government has the responsibility to uphold the freedom of the press as well as that of the citizens.

Seeking to allay fears, he maintained that the amendment would not hamper the freedom to criticise.

“The Government will certainly consider all creative opinions and suggestions that are being aired with regard to this amendment,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday signed the Kerala Police Act Amendment ordinance brought by the Left front government envisaging addition of Section 118-A to prevent cyber attacks against women and children.

The use of personal likes or dislikes, political or non- political interests and so on to unsettle the peaceful atmosphere of families so as to settle scores arising out of revenge cannot be allowed, the chief minister had asserted.

“Along with ensuring the freedom of press, the government also has the responsibility of upholding a citizens individual freedom and his/her dignity as enshrined in the Constitution. The popular idea that ones freedom ends where the others nose begins needs to be respected,” Vijayan said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala had said the amendment was against the freedom of speech expression which is a constitutional right.

“Amendment to Kerala Police Act shows the intolerance of @vijayanpinarayi government over free speech. This amendment is against the freedom of speech expression which is a constitutional right. The new law is a tacit move to silence critics and media. Nothing more, nothing less,” the senior Congress leader tweeted.

He said the chief minister was trying to scuttle the voice of the Opposition.

“There is an undeclared emergency in the state,” BJP state chief K Surendran said at a press meet in Thrissur, questioning the need for the new provision under the guise of countering cyber attacks against women.

There were existing laws which needed to be implemented properly to counter such crimes, he said.

The opposition parties alleged that the amendment would give more power to the police and also curtail the freedom of the press. 

(With PTI inputs)

Oxford Coronavirus Vaccine Shows 70% Protection - Here Is What We Know So Far

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A coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, can stop 70% of people from getting Covid-19, data shows.

The UK government has already ordered 100m doses of the vaccine – called AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

Here are some of the key findings:

  • One dosing regimen was shown to be 90% effective, the other 62%

  • It was shown to work in different age groups, including the elderly

  • The vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at 2-8 degrees Celsius for at least eight months

  • It is hoped 3bn doses of the vaccine could be supplied around the world by the end of 2021

  • Here is how the vaccine works

Interim analysis from the latest phase three trial shows an average efficacy of 70.4% effectiveness from combining two doses.

Professor Andrew Pollard, who is leading the vaccine trial, said the results would “save many lives”.

In a statement, he said: “Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90% effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply.

“Today’s announcement is only possible thanks to the many volunteers in our trial, and the hard working and talented team of researchers based around the world.”

The vaccine is made from a genetically engineered virus and resumed its combined phase 2/3 trial in the UK after a brief pause in September.

Findings from the first phases of the study earlier this year showed “promising” results which suggested the vaccine is “safe and causes few side effects” for healthy adults aged 18-55. 

The phase two research demonstrated a strong immune response in older adults – suggesting one of the groups most vulnerable to serious illness and death from Covid-19 could build immunity.

The vaccine is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees.

The vaccine was developed at the University of Oxford’s Oxford Jenner Institute and is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. It is based on earlier work to produce a treatment for MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus). 

The chimpanzee virus is modified and engineered to express the coronavirus spike protein so it “looks” more like coronavirus to trigger a strong immune response in the human body.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said the news was “incredibly exciting”.

 Business secretary Alok Sharma also tweeted: “Very promising data from the Oxford/AstraZeneca Phase III clinical trials.

“We are on the cusp of a huge scientific breakthrough that could protect millions of lives.

“The UK has secured early access to 100m doses of their vaccine – on top of 255m doses from other developers.”

Professor Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said: “The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by SARS-CoV-2.

“We will continue to work to provide the detailed information to regulators.

“It has been a privilege to be part of this multi-national effort which will reap benefits for the whole world.”

Experts Explain Why Mondays Are So Psychologically Hard

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For many people, Monday means a loss of freedom, a messed-up body rhythm and a return to an unhappy work situation.

As far as days of the week go, Monday arguably has the fewest fans.

Multiplestudies suggest that people’s moods are typically at their lowest on Mondays. The day is the subject of a number of songs with rather melancholy sentiments, including “Monday, Monday” by the Mamas & the Papas, “Rainy Days and Mondays” by the Carpenters, “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats and “Manic Monday” by the Bangles.

But what exactly makes Mondays so psychologically hard? HuffPost asked mental health experts to break down the different reasons. And while these explanations don’t apply to everyone, one or more may resonate if you’re a strong Monday-hater.

Your body’s natural rhythm is messed up.

There are physiological factors involving the body’s natural cycle that help explain why Mondays can feel so rough, particularly for those of us who follow traditional Monday-to-Friday workweeks. The main issue is that we tend to abide by a different sleep schedule during the weekend compared to the rest of the week. 

“Getting extra sleep on the weekends is a good thing, but changing sleep patterns every five to six days can disrupt the body’s natural rhythms,” said Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist in New York. “So even if you get a good night’s rest on Sunday night, you might still feel sleepy on Monday. When we’re tired, we’re more easily irritable, impatient and displeased than normal.”

For many people, the weekend is actually more tiring and draining than they imagine.

“People like to think of weekends as a time of rest and rejuvenation, where in reality, many of us cram as much in as possible ― eating and drinking too much and going to sleep later than usual,” said Meg Gitlin, a psychotherapist and the voice behind City Therapist, a therapy insight Instagram account. “They may use the weekend to catch up with family and friends, which while nice, requires emotional and logistical energy. Therefore, on Mondays we are more tired than we’d like to be, which is directly correlated to low mood.”

You’ve lost a sense of freedom.

“The most common reason people find Mondays so difficult is that it follows two days of freedom and enjoyment,” Hafeez said. “Even if weekends are still a busy time, there are plenty of moments (e.g. waking up later, going out for lunch) to relax. This massive emotional shift can make Mondays really dreadful and difficult for some.”

On Monday, many people grieve the loss of the weekend and the carefree feelings that accompany those days. It’s psychologically difficult to transition away from leisure and personal time back into obligations and a routine of responsibility ― especially because you don’t have any control over this natural passing of time and thus don’t have a say in the matter.

“When Monday rolls around, many people feel a sense of disappointment and dread about having to return to their responsibilities rather than spending time how they choose to spend it,” said Becky Stuempfig, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Encinitas, California. “It may feel like a loss of independence and control because other people are determining how you spend your time.”

In 2020, Monday also involves resuming the school week, which for many families means the extra stress of navigating virtual learning, Stuempfig added.

There are social and cultural reasons to dislike Monday as well.

You don’t love your job. 

Another common reason for dreading Monday is disliking your job or finding it particularly stressful. You may even feel a bodily response in the form of adrenaline.

“Whether it’s a demanding boss or unfriendly co-workers, feelings of anxiety and depression can begin on Sunday evening, making it hard to take satisfaction in going to work on a Monday,” Hafeez said.

Even if you enjoy your job, additional stressors can make it more challenging, such as the COVID-19 pandemic for health care workers and educators and general employment insecurity amid the economic downturn.

Feeling misaligned in your purpose at work can also make Mondays difficult, as you’re reminded of this sense of aimlessness, Gitlin said.

“However, I think it’s important to note that even if you are passionate about your job, it’s not only normal to have negative associations with Mondays ― it’s also human,” she added. “Once you accept that every job (even the very best ones) will have inherent struggles, you can ‘point your skis down the mountain’ and move with the stress, not against it.” 

You didn’t prepare for the day.

Another reason why Mondays can be especially hard for some people is that they may not have prepared for the start of the week. This can include emotional and logistical preparation.

“Mondays can feel extremely overwhelming for people, but many fail to realize they can be doing it to themselves,” Hafeez said. “When someone fails to prepare, they subconsciously prepare to fail. If Sunday isn’t used to organize ourselves, Mondays can be a very stressful and unbearable event. Some people may choose not to get their ducks in a row the day before simply because what they need to do isn’t enjoyable and elicits negative feelings.”

Our culture tells you to hate Mondays.

“We live in a culture where the prevailing attitude in many workplaces often involves a ‘TGIF’ attitude, and Mondays have become the common enemy,” Stuempfig said.

She pointed to pop culture influences, such as the 1999 dark comedy movie “Office Space,” which includes the famous line, “Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.” The phrase “became popularized and resonated with many people who work in a traditional office environment,” Stuempfig said.

Your work-life balance is poor.

For people who spend almost all of their time working, negative feelings on Monday may be the mind and body telling them to slow down and take a break. 

“Sometimes, the reason why Monday is especially difficult is a lack of work-life balance,” Hafeez said. “Even if you love what you do, those who live, breathe and eat work need a break, too. Going hard all week without breaks and nothing to look forward to can wear on the mind and the body. Even if Sunday was the break, it wasn’t enough to help the person feel ready to dive into the workweek again.”

Indeed, “the Mondays” might be a sign of burnout and an indication that it’s time to reassess those long work hours to combat the mental drag. 

You have social anxiety.

Struggling with Mondays can be linked to feeling anxiety about all the work on your plate, but social anxiety may also be at play. This includes anxiety about being forced to interact with others and being in an environment where you’re compared to them.

“It can also be linked to anticipation of social issues, so a low-level form of social anxiety,” said Noel McDermott, a psychotherapist based in the United Kingdom. “As social animals, having a break from one main source of social status (work) leads to a buildup of anxiety. On a Sunday evening, we can begin to ruminate on that.”

Transitions are hard for you.

The sense of change that Mondays bring is one reason why John Mayer, a clinical psychologist in Chicago, calls them “Moandays.”

“Moandays involve transitions, and people get anxious before, after and during transitions,” Mayer said. “This is because transitions always involve facing the unknown. Mondays — the start of the new work or school week — brings a host of unknowns that we have to face.”

People with challenging life circumstances can also have more reason to feel anxious about transitions. 

“For children of divorced parents, many times they need to switch houses on Mondays and those transitions can be hard for both the kids and parents,” Stuempfig said. “For people in long-distance relationships, Mondays can represent saying goodbye to their partner until the coming weekend, and that can feel very depressing.”

You’re looking ahead at an unknown week.

On Monday, you have the full week ahead of you and may be anticipating the stressors it may bring. 

“By the time Wednesday rolls around, you are moving and grooving and feel confident in your ability to get through any challenges that may arise. You have two days under your belt by then, and feel in the swing of things,” Gitlin said.

“But on Mondays, your belief in your ability to weather the storm may be wavering and the stress of the workweek is looming,” she continued. “Add to this fatigue, and it makes sense that you would really struggle to believe in your ability to ‘survive the week.’ By the time Thursday rolls around, your attention is already on the weekend and the associated positive thoughts.”

Stuempfig believes this sense of the looming workweek is particularly difficult because we live in a rewards-driven culture. Rather than finding joy and purpose in the journey, we’re focused on the destination as the reward. 

“People are often focused on outward, external rewards, such as praise from their boss, a monetary raise or job promotion, rather than finding their motivation from internal sources such as pride in a thorough job, small personal goals that they set for themselves, finding meaning in their work or simply doing their personal best as opposed to competing to be the best,” she said. ”With so much emphasis on external rewards from a job, for example, the daily grind on Mondays can feel particularly lacking in joy. ”

You live for the weekend.

For someone who sees their weekend experience as all that matters, Monday may quite literally feel like the end of what Hafeez considers to be your “true life.”

“If Monday feels like shutting the door on 48 hours of freedom, it might indicate that someone is leading a double life,” Hafeez said. “Paying the bills and going to work is one life, and what you do on the weekends for personal enjoyment is another life. Someone who lives their life in this mindset will always struggle on a Monday unless they find a way to merge the two.”

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How The Oxford Coronavirus Vaccine Works

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A potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University has been shown to be 70.4% effective, it has been announced.

The jab is effective in preventing many people getting ill and it has been shown to work in different age groups, including the elderly.

And one of the dosing patterns used by the scientists suggested 90% effectiveness if one half dose is given followed by a further full dose.

Here’s what we know about how it works:

How does the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine work?

The vaccine – called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 – uses a harmless, weakened version of a common virus which causes a cold in chimpanzees.

Researchers have already used this technology to produce vaccines against a number of pathogens including flu, Zika and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers).

The virus is genetically modified so it is impossible for it to grow in humans, PA Media reports.

Oxford Vaccine

Scientists have transferred the genetic instructions for coronavirus’s specific “spike protein” – which it needs to invade cells – to the vaccine.

When the vaccine enters cells inside the body, it uses this genetic code to produce the surface spike protein of the coronavirus.

This induces an immune response, priming the immune system to attack coronavirus if it infects the body.

What about these different dosing patterns?

The top line figure of 70% effectiveness is an average of two different dosing regimens used in the trials.

When one full dose was followed by another full dose, it gave 62% efficacy.

But when only half a dose was given followed by a full dose, a much higher 90% effectiveness was achieved. 

The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70.4%.

It’s not yet been confirmed why the half dose regimen gave better results, but it could have to do with the way in which different levels of the vaccine prime the immune system.

Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial at Oxford, said: “These  findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives.

“Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90% effective and, if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply.”

Vinicius Molla, a hematologist and volunteer of the clinical trial of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, examines a patient at a consulting room in Sao Paulo, Brazil July 9.

Does it differ to Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines?

Yes. The jabs from Pfizer and Moderna are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.

Conventional vaccines are produced using weakened forms of the virus, but mRNAs use only the virus’s genetic code.

An mRNA vaccine is injected into the body where it enters cells and tells them to create antigens.

These antigens are recognised by the immune system and prepare it to fight coronavirus.

No virus is needed to create an mRNA vaccine. This means the rate at which the vaccine can be produced is accelerated.

What are the implications for developing countries?

Prof Pollard, the head of Oxford trial team, said the vaccine is being developed for distribution “everywhere” including places with limited infrastructure for the ultra-cold storage that some vaccines require.

The mRNA vaccines such as those made by Pfizer and Moderna will likely require being stored at extremely cold temperatures, around -70C.

This throws up a number of logistical challenges when considering how they will be transported en masse over long distances and to hotter parts of the world.

Because the protein-based Oxford vaccine will only require refrigerating at around 2C-8C, it will be far easier to transport and store worldwide.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier this month, Prof Pollard said: “We’re really looking globally, we want to be able to get to every corner of the world if indeed the vaccine is shown to work.

“The thing that matters with vaccines is the impact it can have, and that is, can you get it to people and are they being vaccinated, so until you’ve got high coverage and you’re able to prevent the disease in those who are most vulnerable, we won’t get there.”

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has already begun a huge operation to have 520 million syringes stored in its warehouses across the globe by the end of the year, ready and waiting for the roll out of a safe vaccine.

But there are concerns poorer countries could be priced out of the Oxford vaccine in the future.

Moderna has already said it will profit from a successful vaccine while Pfizer said in the summer the company will “price our potential vaccine consistent with the urgent global health emergency that we’re facing”.

They added: “A vaccine is meaningless if people are unable to afford it.”

What about antibodies and T-cells?

The Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines have been shown to provoke both an antibody and T-cell response.

Antibodies are proteins that bind to the body’s foreign invaders and tell the immune system it needs to take action.

T-cells are a type of white blood cell which hunt down infected cells in the body and destroy them.

Nearly all effective vaccines induce both responses.

The Oxford vaccine induces robust antibody and T-cell responses across people of all ages, the data indicates.

Can the Oxford vaccine be manufactured to scale?

Yes. The UK government has secured 100 million doses as part of its contract, enough for most of the population.

The head of the UK Vaccine Taskforce, Kate Bingham, has said she is confident it can be produced at scale.

Experts hope the jab could be ready to go and rolled out shortly.

Can this vaccine help the elderly?

There have been concerns that a Covid-19 vaccine will not work as well on elderly people, much like the annual flu jab.

However, data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trial suggests there have been “similar” immune responses among younger and older adults.

The results show that the vaccine is better tolerated in older people compared with younger adults, and produces a similar immune response in old and young adults.

Kashmiri Property Dealers 'Fear The Future' As Land Laws Change

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Kashmiri girls walk past a paramilitary soldier in Srinagar on October 31, 2020. Most of the shops and business establishments remained closed during a shutdown called by separatist group against the new India's land laws.

SRINGAR, Jammu and Kashmir —  A, 45, has been a property dealer in Srinagar for the past twenty years, making money from the commission he earns by facilitating the sale and purchase of residential plots in the city. A’s customers have always been other Kashmiris, and he isn’t quite sure whether to resist or accept the new land laws that allow all Indians to buy land inside Jammu and Kashmir.

When asked if he would sell land to people from outside KashmirA was silent for a long time, pointing out that this seemingly simple question was a hard one for him to answer. 

A said that he was only a “small-time broker” who was caught between history, politics, and eking out a living amid a global pandemic. From his experiences in real estate, he had learnt that lucrative transactions trumped everything else. 

“The politics over the land will only be an issue with society as a whole, but individuals will take decisions based on their interests,”  said A. “An individual driven by his needs will sell his property to one paying him more. It won’t matter whether that buyer is a local or an outsider.”

“The conflict in Kashmir is decades old but it never impacted our trade,” he said. “But now the conflict has taken over our occupation. We fear the future.”

HuffPost India spoke with four Kashmiri property dealers, who expressed pain and pragmatism about the changes in the laws governing property and citizenship in Kashmir, which they said were too fundamental to be affected by individual choices and sentiment. 

“It doesn’t matter whether I would want to sell or not. I am just an ordinary broker,” said B, a 38-year-old broker in Srinagar. “The law matters and the new law obliges us to sell land.”

“I have received enquiries from outsiders to buy land in Pahalgam but so far I have held back,” said C, a 38-year-old broker in Pahalgam, a hub of tourism.  “But I don’t know how long I will be able to resist.”

“We are caught between the government and the society. Government wants us to sell land to outsiders and people don’t,” said C. “We are required to obey the new land laws but doing so pits us against our people. This can be very dangerous for us in a troubled place like Kashmir.”

Until last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked J&K’s autonomous status within India and demoted the country’s only Muslim-majority state to a Union Territory, people living in other parts of India could not buy property in the conflict-ridden region. Many Kashmiris see the new land laws  and the recent changes in the domicile rules as a means to speed up demographic change. 

While Kashmiris believe that the violence plaguing Kashmir, one of the most heavily militarised zones in the world, will ward off private buyers for many years to come, there is anxiety about the Modi government selling state land to large corporations from outside Kashmir, and buying private land for building settlements that would pave the way for more outsiders settling in Kashmir. 

In a recent interview to The Hindu, the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who represents the Modi government in J&K, said  local administration had selected 6,000 acres of land for an industrial park , and was expected to clear  ₹25,000-30,000 crores worth of investment. “We want private enterprise and industry for creating more jobs for the youth in J&K,” he said. 

A common refrain is that the Modi government is treating J&K differently, when there are at least 15  states in India where the selling of land is either completely or partially forbidden to outsiders. The states where only residents can buy land include Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

In 2020, the Modi government has by repealing and amending J&K’s land laws, empowered the local administration to not only sell or lease out government land but also the private land.  The Jammu and Kashmir Development Act of 1970, for instance, now allows for establishing the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Development Corporation that can acquire any land for the building industrial areas, and for the armed forces to take possession of any land deemed as “strategic.” Even agricultural land can now be converted into  non-agricultural land and transferred to outsiders. 

Militants have threatened any potential buyers and sellers with grave repercussions, posting dire warnings on walls and lampposts in Srinagar as well circulating them on Whatsapp. “Don’t put your honour and life on the line by buying land in Kashmir,” reads one that was circulating on WhatsApp in November.

“I know there are huge stakes. This is not about selling the land. It is about bringing outsiders in and letting them take over Kashmir.” said D, a 28-year-old broker in Gulmarg, another tourism hub. “But when the administration itself is selling land to outsiders, how does it matter if I don’t.”

E, 58, a wealthy businessman, who owns shopping complexes and apartments in Srinagar, said, “We can’t afford to refuse to sell the property to outsiders.”

Protest by NSUI, the student wing of the Indian National Congress, against new land laws for Jammu and Kashmir, on 1st November 2020. 

Property dealers in Jammu

In Jammu Division, where there are more Hindus than Muslims, but certain pockets are dominated by Muslims, political parties other than the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have opposed the new laws. The Congress Party recently held a ’Signature Campaign’ in Jammu district to oppose the new land laws. The party, however, didn’t reveal how many people participated in the campaign.  “Jammu’s identity and demography is on the line,” said J&K’s Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma. “Our youth are being denied jobs. Now our people will lose their land too.”

The three property dealers that HuffPost India spoke with said they had no qualms about selling land to outsiders, but they were waiting for more clarity on the implementation of the new laws. One query, for instance, is whether selling to outsiders required different paperwork than from selling to locals.

“People are making enquiries from around the country but not buying yet,”  said F, a 53-year-old broker based in Jammu city. “We are waiting for the fog about the new laws to clear before initiating transactions”.

G, a 33-year-old broker in Jammu city, said that while Hindu residents of Jammu city have reservations about selling the property they own to outsiders, fearing that it will dilute the “Dogra identity” of the city, these concerns are less pronounced in the countryside.  

“There are vast lands in Samba and Kathua which could be lapped up by outsiders,” said F, referring to two Hindu-majority districts in Jammu Division. 

F, a broker in Jammu city , recently advertised a stretch of land along the road from Jammu city to Akhnoor, a town located on the banks of the river Chenab

“I’m willing to sell it to anyone,” he said.

Editor’s note: The property dealers spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing backlash from the Indian authorities, militants, and their community. 

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Trump Administration Finally Clears Way For Biden Transition To Begin

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Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration, said the transition between US President Donald Trump and US President-elect Joe Biden can begin, releasing millions of dollars in funds and clearing the way for a new administration.

“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right,” Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday. “Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and the available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision.”

Trump thanked Murphy for her work just moments later.

Biden’s campaign released a statement shortly after Murphy’s announcement, calling the decision a “needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track.”

“This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies,” the Biden-Harris transition executive director, Yohannes Abraham, said in a statement. “In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.”

The president noted on Twitter that while he still planned to fight the outcome of the election, he agreed the transition should begin “in the best interest of our country.”

“I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same,” he wrote.

The move will make $6.3 million available to Biden and his team to begin the transition process, as well as additional funds to prepare his staff and appointees.

Murphy had drawn widespread ire over her delay in “ascertaining” that Biden won the election, which is required before millions of dollars in transition funds and access to government officials can begin. She said, however, that Trump’s bevy of court losses and the certification of votes in several battleground states had allowed her to determine that Biden was the likely winner of the election.

Murphy added that she received many threats amid the delay in what she called an “effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely,” although they, too, had not influenced her decision.

“I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process,” she wrote Monday.

Several notable figures had lambasted the Trump administration over the delay, saying any further refusal to declare Biden the winner could hamper the country’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has entered its most dangerous stage as the country beings to travel en masse before the holiday season.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said last week he was “concerned” that things hadn’t gone “smoothly” and Biden said “more people may die” if Trump kept obstructing the transfer of power.

“As my chief of staff, Ron Klain, would say … a vaccine is important. It’s of little use until you’re vaccinated,” Biden said last week upon questioning about the rollout of any coronavirus preventative. “So how do we get the vaccine, how do we get over 300 million Americans vaccinated? What’s the game plan?”

Biden Announces More Cabinet Picks, Including First Latino Homeland Security Chief

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US President-elect Joe Biden announced another wave of senior staff picks for his administration on Monday, including the first Latino person to be nominated for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban American who served as the deputy secretary of DHS during the Obama administration, has been nominated for the agency’s top position. He is the first Latino and immigrant to be nominated for the role.

Prior to serving as deputy secretary of DHS, Mayorkas was a U.S. attorney in California. He later served as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during then-President Barack Obama’s first term in office.

The Biden transition team announced five other Cabinet picks Monday, including Avril Haines as the director of national intelligence. If the Senate confirms her, she would be the first woman to lead the U.S. intelligence community.

Haines previously served as White House deputy national security adviser in the Obama White House. She made history in 2013 when she became the first woman to take on the role of deputy director of the CIA.

“We have no time to lose when it comes to our national security and foreign policy,” Biden said in a statement, adding that individuals nominated are “equally as experienced and crisis-tested as they are innovative and imaginative.”

“Their accomplishments in diplomacy are unmatched, but they also reflect the idea that we cannot meet the profound challenges of this new moment with old thinking and unchanged habits ― or without diversity of background and perspective,” he added.

Biden also named former Secretary of State John Kerry as his special presidential envoy on climate on Monday. Kerry will sit on the National Security Council, marking the first time the body will have an official dedicated to fighting climate change.

Biden nominated longtime aide Antony Blinken to serve as secretary of state. Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state during Obama’s second term, is popular among U.S. allies abroad and with many officials at the State Department.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Previously, she’s held positions as the assistant secretary of state for African affairs and as director-general of the U.S. Foreign Service.

Biden appointed Jake Sullivan, currently his senior policy adviser, to serve as his national security adviser. At 43 years old, Sullivan will be one of the youngest national security advisers in decades.

The Wall Street Journal reported later Monday that Biden planned to nominate former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to become treasury secretary, citing people familiar with the decision. Yellen, who was the first woman to lead the Fed, would be the first woman to head the Treasury Department if confirmed.

The Pandemic’s Effect On Climate-Changing Pollution Was ‘Just A Tiny Blip’

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As nations went into lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, factories halted and cars sat idle, clearing the skies above polluted cities and sending climate-changing emissions to historic lows. 

But the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere ― the accumulation of past and current emissions ― remained virtually unchanged, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s annual estimate released Monday. 

“The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement. “We need a sustained flattening of the curve.”

Concentrations of carbon dioxide, the biggest and most significant driver of climate change, soared past 415 parts per million last year, a level never before experienced in human history. The pandemic-induced lockdowns at the start of this year reduced daily global CO2 emissions by up to 17% compared to the mean daily level in 2019, the study found. But the total worldwide reduction for the year is likely only between 4.2% and 7.5% compared to the previous year. 

At a global scale, the research concluded, “an emission reduction of this magnitude will not cause atmospheric CO2 levels to decrease; they will merely increase at a slightly reduced rate.” 

“The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now,” Taalas said. “But there weren’t 7.7 billion inhabitants.” 

Methane, a super-potent greenhouse gas, is surging at a rate (shown in black) that matches an extreme warming scenario (red). While 40% of methane comes from natural sources, 60% is generated by humans, mostly from industrial farming and oil and gas development.

Concentrations of methane, a more potent heat-trapper than CO2 during its first two decades in the atmosphere, surged by a near-record rate last year to 1,877 parts per billion. Levels were 260% higher than in the year 1750, before industrial farming and oil and gas drilling began adding prodigious volumes of methane to the atmosphere. 

Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that also depletes the ozone layer, reached 332 parts per billion last year, a level 123% higher than preindustrial levels. The annual increase from 2018 to 2019 was slightly smaller than the jump from 2017 to 2018. But the yearly growth rate was on par with the average over the past 10 years, making last year’s decrease nothing to celebrate. 

The WMO study comes a week after the energy research firm BloombergNEF projected total U.S. emissions to fall 9.2%, the lowest level since 1983. But carbon released by extreme wildfires across the American West this year lowered the net drop in emissions to 6.4%. Efforts to reduce climate-changing emissions ― through renewable electricity, electric vehicles and more efficient energy use ― contributed just 1% to the total drop, the report found. 

At the global scale, an emission reduction of this magnitude will not cause atmospheric CO2 levels to decrease; they will merely increase at a slightly reduced rate.

The combined findings paint a bleak picture of the decades ahead. With few exceptions, major emitting nations tempered policies to reduce pollution in the coronavirus’ wake in hopes of quickly revving stalled economies.

The research results “are in line with what we would expect,” said Mathias Vuille, an atmospheric scientist at the State University of New York at Albany who did not work on either study.

“It would take a sustained reduction over a long period of time to see a change in the greenhouse gas concentration trajectory,” he said. “The fact that this pandemic barely made a dent in the increase of the greenhouse gas concentrations shows how difficult it will be going forward to try and eventually stabilize concentrations.”

There are some promising signs. The European Union directed billions of its stimulus spending to green projects. In September, China, the world’s top emitter, announced plans to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2060. This month, U.S. voters elected Democrat Joe Biden as the country’s next leader, replacing President Donald Trump, a fossil fuel extremist who sought to radically increase emissions, with a political moderate who campaigned on reaching net-zero emission by 2050. 

Yet averting catastrophic warming requires not just reaching net-zero emissions but removing the gases that have already accumulated in the atmosphere, more than a dozen scientists and activists wrote in a public letter this month. 

“We must heighten our ambition to climate restoration on every level,” the letter, published in The Guardian, read. “We urge governments and companies to start acting, not only to reach net zero as soon as possible, but to achieve restoration as well. And we urge every citizen to do what they can to make the dream of restoration a reality.”

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How Wearing A Face Mask Can Affect Your Health

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HuffPost UK reader Helen asked: “What is the damage to your health by wearing masks?

There’s very little evidence that wearing face masks – we’re talking the blue surgical ones and cloth coverings that most of the public are wearing – is harmful to your health.

“This is one of those areas where conspiracy theories and science conflict,” Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, tells HuffPost UK.

Some social media posts suggest mask-wearing could lead to hypoxia, a dangerous condition when your body doesn’t get enough oxygen. There are even extreme claims floating about that mask-wearing could lead to death.

One cause for confusion is the difference between surgical masks and cloth coverings, and the N95 respirators that are designed for use in healthcare settings – we need to differentiate between them as their health impacts vary.

With ordinary face coverings and surgical masks, there is very little to worry about in terms of risk to health.

“Probably the most common issue is irritation and occasionally dermatitis,” says Prof Hunter.  “I do not think there is any real evidence for these face coverings and masks interfering with adequate breathing.”

How to use face masks safely

Prof Hunter stresses that ordinary face masks do need to be changed regularly (every five hours, he suggests) especially if wet or dirty – and they need to be disposed of safely, or washed each day in the case of coverings, after use. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) advice is to “make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people”, as part of a comprehensive strategy to “suppress transmission and save lives”.

However, it does recognise that wearing any types of face mask can lull people into a false sense of security and make us less likely to social distance or practice other safety measures, such as washing hands, that are just as critical to curbing the spread of Covid-19. 

We must also be aware of the risks of self-contamination, for example if you keep touching your face to pull your mask down, and inadvertently transfer virus to the inside of your mask. Try not to keep touching your mask, and if you do, take hand sanitiser with you so you’re keeping your hands clean. 

What’s the deal with N95 masks?

The evidence of risk with N95 masks is “stronger”, Prof Hunter explains.

Studies have demonstrated certain side effects associated with the use of these respirators. We do know, for example, that wearing these fitted masks for long periods without a break could potentially affect your oxygen levels – but  probably not to a harmful extent.

Some of the side effects linked to wearing N95 masks include: facial dermatitis, increased work of breathing, respiratory fatigue, impaired work capacity, increased oxygen debt, early exhaustion at lighter workloads, elevated levels of CO2, increased nasal resistance, and increased noncompliance events leading to self-contamination (for example, by touching your face), says Prof Hunter.

“I personally would not encourage the general public to wear N95 respirators as a protection against Covid,” he adds. That said, many healthcare professionals show no side effects, despite wearing these N95 masks day in day out.

One study even found exercising with N95 masks to be safe. Researchers concluded that in healthy subjects, short-term moderate-strenuous aerobic physical activity with a mask is “feasible, safe, and associated with only minor changes in physiological parameters, particularly a mild increase in EtCO2”.

However, they did caution that subjects suffering from lung diseases should be wary before attempting physical activity with any mask. And this is reaffirmed by another study, which showed people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) struggled with breathlessness after wearing N95 masks.

 

 

Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus.

A Kashmiri Geologist On What It Takes For A Woman To Climb Mountains In The Region

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Asiya Qadir on a field visit to a limestone outcrop in Kashmir's Ganderbal district in August, 2020.

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir – Asiya Qadir recalls that she was taunted not once, not twice, but almost every time that she went to do field work in the two years that she studied geology at Kashmir University. 

In her class of30 students, there were 10 women

“Is she crazy, what is she doing with the rocks,” someone would say, Qadir recalled in a recent conversation with HuffPost India.  

“Why is it a big deal to be a female geologist in Kashmir?” she said. “What we geologists have is the zest to know more and more about the land we live in.”

Mountains, fossils, and rocks had always fascinated her, said Qadir, who hails from a villagenamed Ajar inBandipora district in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The 25-year-old, who completed herMSc in Geology in March, is currently writing a research paper titled “Tectonics of Kashmir,” for the Journal of Asian Earth Science, and is planning to apply for a  PhD at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. 

“The long working hours, going to adventurous locations won’t be a problem there. People there won’t tell me that ‘girls can’t climb mountains and study rocks,’” she said.

On why she won’t pursue her doctoral studies in India, Qadir said, “I have not chosen India because over the years we have seen how biased people have become towards Muslims.”

Her father, a retired government employee, and mother, a homemaker, have been supportive of her working to become a geologist, but there were more than a few setbacks alongs the way. 

Qadir was shocked when a professor at Kashmir University remarked that only poor students took up geology, she recalled. When she was pursuing her Master’s degree, Qadir said that there was only one woman teaching at the Geology Department of the University. 

“I remember when I went to a limestone industry in Bandipora, local boys assembled and said, ‘Why is she playing with the stones? Is she mad?’ I laughed and kept doing my work.”

Qadir shared many such stories. 

“One day, when I was climbing the mountains on a class trip, local people said, ‘Isn’t she a girl, she is not supposed to climb mountains.’”

Akila Nisar, who was in the same class as Qadir, said that most of the women students were similarly taunted. 

On a field visit to Baramulla, Nisar said they were surrounded by a group of young boys and old men, who stood around and stared at them. “Staring and name calling is common when we are on field visits,” she said. 

On a field trip to Sonamarg, Qadir recalled, “I, along with another woman student, climbed the Thajiwas glacier with the boys and proved that we are no less.”

Kashmir’s Geology and Mining Department, established in 1960, says that Kashmir has limestone, gypsum, bauxite, magnesite, dolomite, quartzite, borax, coal, lignite, marble, china clay, slate, bauxite, bentonite, sapphire, garnet and tourmaline. 

Sarah Qazi, the only woman faculty member at the Geology Department at Kashmir University, said that geology students can try and find a government job in the Geological and Mining Department, the Power Development Corporation, or pursue a career in Academics. “We don’t see many girls in industries. They rather prefer to go for academics than work in industries,” she said. 

In a recent article published in theKashmir Reader, Qadri wrote about stopping the illegal mining of limestone and dark volcanic rock in the Guryul Ravine in Srinagar by locals, as well as the potential of making the geological site into a world famous GeoPark.

Kashmir being one of the most militarised places in the world, plagued by encounters and curfews, makes it difficult to pursue occupations in which mobility is key. This constant insecurity drives families to discourage women from jobs that keep them outdoor. Qadir said that women who study geology end up sitting for the civil service examinations or become teachers. None of the women she studied with pursued a career in applied geology. 

Nisar, her classmate, is considering sitting for the civil service examination. “The field trips have given me enough understanding of what it would be like to be a woman geologist in Kashmir,” said Nisar. 

Qadir intends to pursue a career in geology. 

“I was told by many people to go for civil services, but I never applied,” she said. “ I can’t let the gender bias and societal pressures demoralise me and make me quit. I will continue to climb mountains and study rocks.”

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