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Indo-Canadians celebrate India Day

[email protected] (PTI)
August 13, 2012

Jersey

Toronto, August 13: Over 20,000 Indo-Canadians gathered in the heart of Toronto to celebrate India Day and display the country's rich heritage and cultural diversity through a traditional parade, days ahead of the Independence Day.

Despite bad weather, the day began with hoisting of the national flag by Indian High Commissioner S M Gavai on Se.

Also present on the occasion were Preeti Saran, Consul General of India; Ajit Khanna, Chair Panorama India; Harinder Takhar, Ontario Minister for Government Services; Senator Asha Seth, representatives of Federal and Provincial government and other dignitaries.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford sent messages of greetings to mark the occasion.

In his message, Harper said: "I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the India Day Festival and parade hosted by Panorama India, marking the 65th Anniversary of India's Independence."

Commending contributions made by Indo-Canadians, Harper said: "Inspired by their heritage, Indo-Canadians have brought the best of India to Canada, making valuable contributions in all fields of endeavour. Your efforts have not only helped our nation to thrive, but have deepened the bonds between our two countries."

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said: "India is a nation with a vibrant culture and economy. Across the globe, people from India and those of Indian descent are making their mark in every field of endeavour. Ontario is proud to be home to a dynamic and diverse Indo-Canadian community."


The event was followed by the traditional India Day Parade which has gone green this year, as it used well- decorated hand-pulled Rickshaws instead of the gas guzzling trucks and floats.

The parade displayed the rich cultural heritage of various Indian states and Union Territories and featured dance and music with a distinctly Indian flavour.

The parade consisted of thousands of Indian people, all in traditional, colourful Indian clothing. Many women danced traditionally, twirling delicately as their bracelets jingled.

Dundas Square was flooded with women wearing traditional bright saris and people chatting in a variety of languages.

The parade took approximately an hour and travelled south on Yonge Street, West on Queen Street, North on Bay Street and then returned to the Square traveling East on Dundas.

As part of the cultural programme, performers like Amit Arya, Shweta Subram and renowned Kathak dancer Uma Sharma from India presented their programmes.

Sakshi Sharma, who for the first time witnessed the India parade, said: "They're just so excited to see the parade.

"I think it's fantastic that this event draws such a crowd because we should be celebrating different Indian cultures in a city that embraces so many people from everywhere."



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Agencies
August 7,2020

Washington, Aug 7: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) signed executive orders halting all transactions with Chinese applications TikTok and WeChat within 45 days, citing national security concerns, further escalating the tensions between Beijing and Washington.

"WeChat, a messaging, social media, and electronic payment application owned by the Chinese company Tencent Holdings Ltd., reportedly has over one billion users worldwide, including users in the United States. Like TikTok, WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users. 

This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to Americans' personal and proprietary information," Trump said in a statement.

Citing reasons for the ban on WeChat, the US President said that the application captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the US, thereby providing the CCP a mechanism to keep tabs on the Chinese citizens who may be "enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives".

"In March 2019, a researcher reportedly discovered a Chinese database containing billions of WeChat messages sent from users in not only China but also the United States, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia. WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the CCP deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the CCP. 

These risks have led other countries, including Australia and India, to begin restricting or banning the use of WeChat. The US must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security," he added.

Earlier, Trump had issued an order banning TikTok as it "reportedly censors content that the CCP deems politically sensitive, such as content concerning protests in Hong Kong and China's treatment of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. 

TikTok may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the CCP."
US politicians have repeatedly criticised TikTok, owned by Beijing-based startup ByteDance, of being a threat to national security because of its ties to China.

The development comes as China and the US are at loggerheads on a variety of issues including Hong Kong national security law, the South China Sea, the novel coronavirus and trade.

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Agecnies
July 13,2020

Moscow, Jul 13: Russia has become the first nation to complete clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine on humans. Chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk, who heads the Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, told Russian news agency TASS on Sunday that the human trials for the vaccine have been completed at the university and the volunteers will be discharged soon.

"The research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20," Smolyarchuk was quoted as saying in the report.

Though the results have been favourable with respect to the medication’s effectiveness, no further information was provided on when this vaccine would enter commercial production stage.

Russia had allowed clinical trials of two forms of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology on June 18.

The first vaccine, in the form of a solution for intramuscular administration, was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital.

Another vaccine, in the form of a powder for the preparation of a solution for intramuscular administration, was carried out at Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.

The first stage of research on the vaccine at Sechenov University involved a group of 18 volunteers and the second group involved 20 volunteers.

After vaccination, all volunteers were expected to remain in isolation in a hospital for 28 days.

Earlier, results of the COVID-19 vaccine tests performed on a group of volunteers in Russia showed that they were developing immunity to the coronavirus.

"The data obtained by the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, proves that volunteers of the first and second groups are forming an immune response after injections of the vaccine against the coronavirus," according to an earlier statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia has reported 719,449 cases and 11,188 deaths to date.

There are at least 21 vaccines currently under key trials, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The overall number of global COVID-19 cases crossed 12.9 million, while the deaths have increased to more than 5,69,000, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.

As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 1,29,10,357, while the fatalities rose to 5,69,128.

The US accounted for the world's highest number of infections at over 33 lakh. Brazil came in the second place with over 18 lakh infections. India is third worst affected with over 8.7 lakh people reported to have COVID-19.

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News Network
July 10,2020

Lahore, Jul 10: The Punjab government enforced smart lockdown in seven cities of the province for 15 days with an immediate effect from Thursday night, The News International reported.

The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Thursday issued a notification under the Punjab Infectious Diseases Ordinance 2020, about enforcement of lockdown in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat and Rawalpindi, till July 24 midnight.

In Lahore, the lockdown will be enforced in A2 Block Township, EME Society, Main Bazaar Chungi Amr Sadhu, Punjab Government Servants Housing Scheme, Wapda Town, C-Block Jauhar Town and Green City.

The basic necessities of life will remain available in smart lockdown areas. "The purpose of the smart lockdown is to minimise movement of people in hotspots of positive coronavirus cases," said Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman, Secretary, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

The country registered 2,751 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 243,599 on Friday. The province-wise breakup includes 85,261 cases in Punjab, 100,900 cases in Sindh, 29,406 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11,099 in Balochistan, 13,829 in Islamabad, 1,619 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 1,485 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The death toll due to the virus reached 5,058 with 75 more deaths reported over the last 24 hours, as per data cited by Radio Pakistan.

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