Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' campaign has hit a minor roadblock after a group of Sikh activists launched an online petition demanding an apology for

Sikh activists slam Kamala Harris for supporting 'anti-Sikh' policy

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' campaign has hit a minor roadblock after a group of Sikh activists launched an online petition demanding an apology for her alleged support of a discriminatory policy in 2011. The activists alleged that Harris defended a policy which prohibited state prison guards from keeping beards for religious reasons. While the policy never came into effect, the activists maintain that it is an opportunity for Harris to 'right a wrong'.   

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming Hamas for starting nearly a week of hostilities by firing rockets at Israel, said on Saturday Israel will continue to strike

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming Hamas for starting nearly a week of hostilities by firing rockets at Israel, said on Saturday Israel will continue to strike in Gaza as long as necessary and do its utmost to avoid civilian casualties. In a televised speech, he said, the party that bears the guilt for this confrontation is not his, it's those attacking innocent citizens. Netaynhayu added that the operation, it is still not over and will continue as long as necessary. Netanyahu also dialled US President Joe Biden after an air strike demolished a tower in Gaza hosting offices of the Associated Press and other news agencies, saying that Israel did its utmost to safeguard civilians in its Gaza bombing campaign.

The Associated Press issued a statement on Saturday after Israel bombed a building housing its and other media office in Gaza. All AP employees and freelancers evacuat

The Associated Press issued a statement on Saturday after Israel bombed a building housing its and other media office in Gaza.
All AP employees and freelancers evacuated the building safely as the Israeli military had called the owner of the building, asking him to vacate within an hour.
AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said they are shocked and horrified and are seeking information from the Israeli government and are engaged with the US State Department to try to learn more.
He said the world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened on Saturday.

There was outpouring of support for Palestine as people took out marches and rallies in several cities across the world to denounce Israel's attacks. In the

There was outpouring of support for Palestine as people took out marches&nbsp;and rallies in several cities across the world to denounce Israel's attacks.&nbsp;
In the French capital of Paris, police dressed in riot gear used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Videos from the marches show protesters running and ducking as the police fire tear gas shells.&nbsp;
Lines of protesters waving banners and Palestinian flags stretched through London, as they called on the UK government to take "immediate action" to help end the fighting in the region.
Anti-riot police were seen using force on protesters in Jordan's&nbsp;Al-Karaamah&nbsp;as they tried to reach the border with West Bank demanding that they be allowed to go to Palestine. In capital Amman, protesters demanded that Jordanian govt send the Israeli envoy back.&nbsp;
Baghdad too saw anti-Zionist demonstrations as some people&nbsp;burnt Israeli flags in Tahrir Square and others waved the Palestinian flag.&nbsp;
Violence between Israel and Hamas escalated further on Saturday as an Israeli air raid in Gaza City killed at least 10 Palestinians, mostly children, in the deadliest single strike since the latest battle between the two sides erupted earlier this week.
In Gaza, at least 139 people have been killed, including 39 children and 22 women.
In Israel, seven people have been killed, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier.
&nbsp;

An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets on Saturday.The AP said the attack

An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets on Saturday. The AP said the attack was the latest step by the military to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with the militant group Hamas.
The strike came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments.
The strike brought the entire 12-storey building down, collapsing with a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked.
&nbsp;

Atleast 10 members of the same family, mostly children were killed in an Israeli air raid in Gaza city in early hours of Saturday, the deadliest single strike that

At least&nbsp;10 members of a family, mostly children, were killed in an Israeli air raid in Gaza city in early hours of Saturday. 8 children&nbsp;and 2 women died in a 3-storey building in the Shati&nbsp;Refugee Camp, that collapsed after the Israeli strike, the deadliest since the clashes began. Only a man and his 5-month-old baby who was later pulled out of the rubble survived the attack. Israeli army claimed that they were targeting the home of the Hamas&nbsp;security head Tawfiq&nbsp;Abu&nbsp;Naim, whose residence is near the Shati&nbsp;Refugee Camp.&nbsp;

The body of the Indian woman who was killed in the Hamas rocket strike in Ashkelon arrived in India for the last rites on Saturday morning. Union Ministe

The body of the Indian woman who was killed in the Hamas&nbsp;rocket strike in Ashkelon&nbsp;arrived in&nbsp;India for the last rites on Saturday morning. Union Minister V Muralidharan and Israeli Deputy envoy Rony&nbsp;Yedidia&nbsp;Clein&nbsp;paid their last respect to 30-year-old&nbsp;Soumya&nbsp;Santosh. Her mortal remains will now be taken to her hometown in&nbsp;Kerala's&nbsp;, Idukki, Muralidharan&nbsp;informed. Santosh&nbsp;who was employed as a caretaker in Israel for the past 7 years is survived by her husband and a 9year-old son. Israel announced compensation for her family in Kerala, Israeli envoy confirmed.

World health experts issued a grim warning on Friday that the second year of Covid-19 was set to be "far more deadly". "We're on track for the second year of this pande

India's COVID-19 situation remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday.
Ghebreyesus added that the WHO is responding to the COVID-19 surge in India and has shipped thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks and other medical supplies.
World health experts also issued a grim warning that the second year of Covid-19 was set to be "far more deadly". "We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," the World Health Organization's director-general said.

Thousands of Palestinians fled their homes on Friday as Israel in an operation to clear militant tunnels barraged the northern Gaza Strip with tank fire and airstrikes,

Thousands of Palestinians fled their homes on Friday as Israel in an operation to clear militant tunnels barraged the northern Gaza Strip with tank fire and airstrikes, killing a family of six in their house and heavily damaging other neighbourhoods.
In Gaza, the toll from the fighting rose to 122 killed, including 31 children and 20 women, according to the Health Ministry.
Across the West Bank, Palestinians held their most widespread protests since 2017, with hundreds in at least nine towns burning tires and throwing stones at Israeli troops. Soldiers opened fire, killing six, while a seventh Palestinian was killed as he tried to stab an Israeli soldier.
Within Israel, communal violence erupted for a fourth night. Jewish and Arab mobs clashed in the flashpoint town of Lod, even after additional security forces were deployed.

China's Zhurong rover touched down on Mars early on Saturday, state media reported. China became the first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operatio

China's Zhurong rover touched down on Mars early on Saturday, state media reported. China became the first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars
The lander carrying Zhurong made the treacherous landing after what is known as the "seven minutes of terror". The mission "successfully landed in the pre-selected area", state broadcaster CCTV said.
Teams will now prepare to roll the rover off its landing platform and onto the dusty Martian surface. Six-wheeled, solar-powered Chinese rover is on a mission to collect and analyse rock samples from Mars' surface

A rise in cases of the Covid-19 variant dominant in India could "pose serious disruption" to Britain's reopening plans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday. E

A rise in cases of the Covid-19 variant dominant in India could "pose serious disruption" to Britain's reopening plans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday. England will take the next step of reopening on Monday. However, the final stage of reopening scheduled for June 21, could be in doubt.
Second doses of vaccines will be accelerated for the over-50s and the clinically vulnerable in a bid to keep the strain at bay, Johnson told a press briefing.
He agreed the &lsquo;new variant could pose a serious disruption to progress&rsquo;, but added that he will do &lsquo;whatever it takes to keep the public safe." The health ministry said decisive action is being taken to further control its spread.

Chances are that when you woke up Friday morning and saw the news that fully vaccinated people in the United States can now move without masks in most outdoor or indoor

Chances are that when you woke up Friday morning and saw the news that fully vaccinated people in the United States can now move without masks in most outdoor or indoor settings, you were either overjoyed at the prospect of such guidelines being issued in India in the future or were confused about why all health experts, top doctors and govt in India insist that we continue to wear masks even after being fully vaccinated.
Let&rsquo;s try and understand why US&rsquo; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued such a guideline and why India shouldn&rsquo;t see this as a green signal to put their mask away.
The US CDC has said that fully vaccinated people i.e those who have received their final COVID-19 jab at least two weeks ago, don&rsquo;t need to wear masks anymore indoors or outdoors or follow physical distancing but that advice comes with ifs and buts.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of CDC said that wearing of masks is still required in places like hospitals, healthcare centres, homeless shelters. Also, while travelling in a bus, train, plane or any other public transport.
Fully vaccinated people will also have to wear masks wherever required by the federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
While some states in US have adapted their Covid SOPs to reflect the CDC recommendations, most have decided to keep their rules unchanged.
Now let&rsquo;s look at what led to the &lsquo;masks off&rsquo; guidelines.
CDC believes that the country&rsquo;s aggressive vaccination campaign is paying off. U.S. virus cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.
To date about 154 million Americans, more than 47% of the population, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines and more than 117 million are fully vaccinated. Also, US has just approved Pfizer vaccines for children between 12-15 years of age.
While the guideline has been met with much cheer by some people, including US President Joe Biden who hailed it as a &lsquo;great day&rsquo;, there is also a apprehension in people&rsquo;s mind that those who haven&rsquo;t got their jabs can now remove their masks by claiming that they are fully vaccinated.
The situation in India is opposite to the one in US. The country is currently in the throes of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Experts have said that India has hit the peak and cases are expected to plateau but have also cautioned that it is not all clear till the positivity rate comes. There are also warnings of a third wave.
Vaccinations are being seen as the only way to reduce the transmission and severity of the disease but India&rsquo;s vaccine drive is on the slow track. As of 7am on May 14 according to the govt data, 13.87 crore people or just under 11.66% were vaccinated with the first dose and 4.05 crore people or just over 3.33% were fully vaccinated with both doses.
So stay home, stay safe and mask up if absolutely have t

Australia resumed repatriation flights from India on Friday for its stranded citizens after a 2-week temporary ban due to the Covid crisis in the country. 40 out of th

Australia resumed repatriation flights from India on Friday for its stranded citizens after a 2-week temporary ban due to the Covid crisis in the country.
40 out of the 150 passengers booked on the first such flight from New Delhi tested covid positive. Including their close contacts, a total of about 70 have been grounded and cannot fly out.
Around 10,000 Australian citizens are seeking to return home from India. Almost 1,000 of those are considered vulnerable and have been given priority to board the repatriation flights.
According to the current rules, only those who test negative will board the flights and after landing in Australia, passengers will have to undergo a strict quarantine to make sure they are not carrying the Indian variant of the coronavirus strain.
The Australian government had imposed a temporary ban along with criminal sanctions for people flying to Australia from India. The government said it was to mitigate the risk of potentially highest rates of infection on arrival and ensure that the quarantine system could receive further flights.

The race to shoot the first film in space seems to be getting tougher, as Russia has now entered the race, months after Tom Cruise made the announcement. Russia

The race to shoot the first film in space seems to be getting tougher, as Russia has now entered the race, months after Tom Cruise made the announcement.&nbsp;
Russia on Friday revealed that they have chosen&nbsp;actress&nbsp;Yulia Peresild and filmmaker&nbsp;Klim Shipenko&nbsp;who&nbsp;will blast off in a Russian rocket from Baikonur cosmodrome on October 5 to shoot their first film in space.&nbsp;
Reportedly, Russia mounted a rival production last year, shortly after Cruise confirmed his plans&nbsp;to go into low Earth orbit, backed by NASA and Elon Musk.&nbsp;

The Gaza Strip’s feeble health system was struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases even before the violence broke out in the region following escalating tensi

The Gaza Strip&rsquo;s feeble health system was struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases even before the violence broke out in the region following escalating tensions with Israel. Last month, Gaza&rsquo;s daily coronavirus cases and deaths hit record highs. In the wake of the surging cases, authorities cleared out hospital operating rooms and redeployed doctors to patients having difficulty in breathing.
Now with Israel pounding Gaza with airstrikes doctors across the crowded coastal enclave are reallocating intensive care unit beds treating blast and shrapnel wounds. This week&rsquo;s violence between Israel and Gaza&rsquo;s Hamas rulers has killed 103 Palestinians, including 27 children, and wounded 530 people in the impoverished territory.
The impoverished health care system in the territory of more than 2 million people has always been vulnerable. Gaza Health Ministry official fears total collapse amid casualties coming from all directions.

KP Sharma Oli on Thursday was reappointed as Nepal's Prime Minister as the opposition party failed to oust Oli to form a new government. The 69-year-old

KP Sharma Oli on Thursday was reappointed as Nepal's Prime Minister as the opposition party failed to oust him and form a new government. The 69-year-old CPN-UML chairman who lost a crucial trust vote in the parliament earlier this week was reinstated as PM by Nepal President, Bidya Devi Bhandari. In a statement released by President's office, it was revealed that no 2 parties or more showed the intent of forming a coalition government by the deadline, which expired on 9 PM, Thursday. To continue his office, Oli will now have to prove the majority through vote of trust in the parliament within 30 days of his appointment otherwise the House may face dissolution, and Nepal might conduct early elections.

Prince Harry said in an interview released on Thursday that he moved his wife and son to US to break a family cycle of "pain and suffering" after realizing his fa

Prince Harry said in an interview released &nbsp;on Thursday that he moved his wife and son to US to break a family cycle of "pain and suffering" after realizing his father Prince Charles treated him the way he was treated. Harry told "Armchair Expert" podcast host that while he did not blame his father, he had resolved to avoid making the same mistakes with his own children. Harry said that once he began thinking about his father's own upbringing, he came to realize that the Prince of Wales did not have it easy growing up as a Royal. The remarks come in the wake of Harry and Meghan's explosive television interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday in response to a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave. Israel however stopped short of a

Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday in response to a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave. Israel however stopped short of a ground offensive in the conflict that has now claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives.
The Israeli army clarified early Friday that its troops had not entered the Gaza Strip as it had earlier stated, blaming an "internal communication" problem for the confusion.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israeli security forces have been trying to contain deadly riots between Jews and Arabs
The United Nations said the Security Council would meet on Sunday to address the conflict, while the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "deeply concerned about the violence in the streets of Israel".

In a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life, US’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vac

In a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life, US&rsquo; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people. This easing will allow people to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and inside in most situations.
However, the new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals but will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues.
US President Joe Biden in a nationally televised address at the White House called it "a great day" in the fight against Covid-19 and that they could now "smile again." Biden declared a major victory in the more than year-long battle which has seen more than half a million Americans die.

The World Health Organisation in its weekly update said that the new strains of the Covid variant found in India are deadlier and more infectious. The world healt

The World Health Organisation in its weekly update &nbsp;said that the new strains of the Covid variant found in India are deadlier and more infectious. The world health body said B.1.617 variant first detected in India in October and now found in 44 countries, has a higher rate of transmission and reduced susceptibility to neutralisation antibodies
It also said the potential impact of these mutations on the effectiveness of vaccines is uncertain. Some studies revealed&nbsp;the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown "reduced effectiveness" against variants in India, the WHO said.
According to WHO, the B.1.17 variant found in UK and the India-dominant B.1.617 will wane, but there are more dangerous mutations of the B.1.617 now.
&nbsp;

In the latest escalation of violence between Israel-Hamas, Israeli airstrikes toppled a high-rise building in central Gaza on Wednesday. A dramatic video showed fighte

In the latest escalation of violence between Israel-Hamas, Israeli airstrikes toppled a high-rise building in central Gaza on Wednesday.
A dramatic video showed fighter jets dropping bombs on the Al-Farouk tower which housed businesses in addition to offices for Hamas&rsquo; Al-Aqsa satellite channel.
The building was located in the busiest shopping street of Gaza in the Roman neighbourhood. As many as 10 senior Hamas military figures maybe have been killed in these air strikes, say reports.

International

Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli offensive in Gaza to be on as long as necessary

World would know less of Gaza happenings: AP on Israel office bombing

Global support for Palestine, protests against Israel in several countries

Gaza: Israel bombs building housing AP, Al Jazeera and other media offices

10 members of family killed in deadliest single air strike by Israel

Body of Kerala woman who died in rocket strike in Israel brought back to India

WHO chief says India's Covid situation hugely concerning, warns of far more deadly pandemic this year

Deaths rise as Palestinians flee heavy Israeli firing in Gaza

China's Mars rover makes historic landing on the red planet

UK: 2nd dose for 50+ to be sped up due to concern over India-dominated strain

Explained: Why CDC recommended 'masks off' for fully vaccinated people in US

Australia resumes repatriation flights from India, half the passengers grounded after testing Covid +ve

Russia to send film crew to ISS to shoot first movie in space in same month as Tom Cruise

Tension with Israel hits hard Gaza hospitals already crippling under Covid wave

Oli reappointed as Nepal PM as opposition fails to secure majority

'To break chain of pain & suffering': Prince Harry on why he moved to US

Israel pounds Gaza with airstrikes as conflict intensifies

'Great day. Can smile again': Joe Biden on lifting of indoor mask rule

'Uncertain': WHO on vaccine effectiveness on India-dominant variants

Israel-Gaza fight continues, Israeli air strikes bomb high-rise building

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