As Modi-Bibi hang out, Kerala CM calls Israel a terrorist state

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Australia has conferred its highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia honour, on Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for her contribution towards advancing the country's relationship with India.

Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu invested Mazumdar-Shaw as an Honorary Member within the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division at a ceremony in Bengaluru on Friday, the Australian High Commission said in a statement.

An alumnus of Federation University Australia, Mazumdar-Shaw is the founder of Biocon, one of India's largest bio-pharmaceutical companies.

She contributes immensely to promoting women in STEM through the joint research programmes developed between Biocon and Deakin University, Australia, as part of her deep and long-standing commitment to gender equality, the statement said.

Mazumdar-Shaw - an Australian Global Alumni Ambassador - is also recognised for her sustained and significant contribution to industry academia collaboration between Australia and India, it said.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from Indian and Australian business, the diplomatic corps, and family, friends and peers of Mazumdar-Shaw, the statement said.

Speaking at the event, Sidhu said, "Dr Mazumdar-Shaw is a tireless champion of the commercial, educational, and people-to-people links between our two countries, and this award recognises her commitment to progressing the Australia-India partnership."

Honorary appointments in the Order of Australia are made to foreign nationals who have made an outstanding contribution to Australia or humanity at large.

Mazumdar-Shaw is the fourth Indian citizen to be awarded Australia's highest civilian honour.

This follows the conferment of superstar batsman Sachin Tendulkar in 2012, Former Attorney General of India Soli Jehangir Sorabjee in 2006, and Mother Teresa of Kolkata (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) in 1982.

Thrissur, Feb 2: The Kerala government on Saturday said the condition of the medical student, kept in an isolation ward in Thrissur after testing positive for the novel coronavirus is satisfactory and that three people have been arrested for spreading false information on social media about the disease.

The woman, who tested positive, is a student of Wuhan university and is undergoing treatment at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital.

"The health status of the student who tested positive for coronavirus remains satisfactory.

The hospital authorities have confirmed that the health condition of all symptomatic persons under isolation in hospitals are "stable", a bulletin said.

Health Minister K K Shailaja said Kerala has strengthened surveillance and control measures against the epidemic, which has been declared by WHO as a global emergency,

She told reporters here that three people have been arrested for spreading false information about those who had arrived in the state from coronavirusa affected countries and are under home surveillance.

Six others had forwarded the posts and the cyber cell was probing the matter, Shailaja said.

The minister had earlier warned that strong action would be taken against those putting out false news on the disease.

Police said Sabari was arrested on Friday and released on bail, while two others-- Shafi and Siraj were arrested on Saturday.

Two cases have been registered in two police stations in Thrissur in this connection, they said.

A medical bulletin said that till date, 1793 people who travelled from coronavirus affected countries have been identified and placed under surveillance.

Yadgir, Jan 21: A bag was found abandoned at the Yadgir Bus Stand on Tuesday morning that left the commuters in panic.

After receiving the information, a police team, along with a sniffer dog, rushed to the spot. When the bag was checked, the police found clothes and cash in it.

It is stated that a passenger might have left the bag in a hurry to catch the bus.