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Water-guzzling crops and heavy use of fertilisers have both contributed to Punjab’s water crisis The damage, A woman in Punjab’s Fazilka district collecting polluted water from a handpump for domestic use Punjab is currently facing three daunting problems: i) polluted canals and rivers; ii) depleting groundwater; and iii) polluted groundwater. The three problems are interlinked, but according to Umendra Dutt, director, Kheti Virasat Manch, an NGO promoting organic farming in Punjab, while the water at the surface is a big challenge, what is happening to the groundwater is a bigger crisis. The groundwater level is depleting at the rate of 49 cm every year in the state and groundwater extraction is 165 per cent of the naturally-available recharge. The biggest culprit is the paddy crop that is grown in 22 districts of the state. Studies done by the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) show that every kilogram of paddy requires roughly 5,000 liters of water. PAU...

A person wearing a protective mask walks past signage for Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. (HKEX) displayed at the Exchange Square complex in Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Roy Liu | Bloomberg via Getty Images Major markets in Asia have seen turbulence in recent weeks after surging earlier this year — among them is Hong Kong. The Hang Seng index (HSI) slipped into correction territory last week, falling more than 10% from its 52-week high in February. Still, the index gained 4.21% in the first quarter. CNBC took a look at the stocks with the biggest gains on the Hang Seng this year — none of them are technology names, and one is up more than 30%. Here are the top five constituents of the Hang Seng index as of Wednesday’s market close, according to data provider Refinitiv Eikon. Source link The post Hong Kong’s top performing stocks in 2021 so far — none are tech names appeared first on Chop News . from Chop News https://ift.tt/3sSMvEN

We’re covering good news for children’s Covid-19 vaccinations, and President Biden’s huge infrastructure plan. Pfizer says its vaccine protects children The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is extremely effective in adolescents 12 to 15 years old, perhaps even more so than in adults, the companies reported. No infections were found among the children who received the vaccine in a clinical trial. They produced strong antibody responses and experienced no serious side effects. The findings could help speed a return to normal. Experts have said that children are the next vaccination frontier. Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, said the data would be submitted to drug regulators around the world for approval, with the hope of vaccinating the 12-15 age group before the start of the next school year. Impact: The trial involved 2,260 vaccinated adolescents ages 12 to 15. The adolescents who received the vaccine produced nearly twice the levels of antibodies on average compa...

Queensland authorities have lifted the snap lockdown of greater Brisbane from noon on Thursday. People are now free to leave their homes for any reason, but some restrictions remain in place and have been expanded across Queensland – including the most remote parts of the state, where there have been no cases. The Queensland-wide restrictions are in place from 1 April and will likely remain until 15 April. So what will Easter holidays look like in Queensland? Do you need to wear a face mask? People must carry a face mask at all times outside of the home, unless they have a lawful reason not to, such as a medical condition. Face masks must be worn in indoor public spaces including supermarkets, shopping centres, workplaces, libraries and on public transport. They must be worn in restaurants and cafes, but once seated, they can be removed. Children under the age of 12 do not need to wear a mask. What are the limits on gatherings and events? Household gatherings are limited to 30 ...

With news of theatres opening up, Bollywood producers wasted no time in announcing releases date of their films, which were in the pipeline due to lockdown. Roohi, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and Mumbai Saga were among the earliest big productions to test the water as box office business resumed. But it is once again a Hollywood film, Godzilla vs Kong, that has become the highest-grossing foreign film in India in the Covid era, in a week. Also Read – Box Office report: Godzilla vs Kong remains super-strong, Mumbai Saga continues to fall, Saina is a washout The movie opened to big box-office numbers on the opening day in India, raking Rs 6.4 crore (nett) on the first day of its release. It has collected a total of $25.2 million in regional revenues in Southeast Asia, on its opening weekend, with US$4.9 million (Rs.35.97 crore) in India alone. It also opened on more screens nationwide (1770) than any other film since the start of the pandemic last year. Also Read – Trending Entertainment...

Coal is one of Minecraft’s most useful resources as it provides light in the sometimes dark and scary Overworld. The item can be mined and gathered from coal ore blocks found throughout the Overworld. Also read: Obsidian in Minecraft: Everything players need to know Coal in Minecraft Spawning Coal is a very common item that can be mined and gathered from coal ore blocks in Minecraft (Image via Minecraft) The following information pertains to the current Minecraft release, Update 1.16.5. Coal’s spawning mechanics will change in Update 1.17. Coal ore spawns very commonly from levels 0-137. It will spawn in veins as small as one ore to as large as 37 ore. On average, 307 ore spawns per chunk, which is quite a large amount. Coal can be mined with any pickaxe, including Wooden. It can also be dropped by Wither Skeletons. Also read: Sweet Berries in Minecraft: Everything players need to know Uses Shown: A block of coal made out of many blocks of coal (Image via Minecr...

Standing on the bridge on river Papagni in Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Kadapa district, Chirutani Pratap points to the shimmering rivulets in the dry river bed below. “We have begun seeing this only in the past two years. Usually, the river flows like a stream just for four months during the rainy season every year,” says the 50-year-old environmental engineer of the Andhra Pradesh water resources department about the unique transformation. The change has been brought about by a string of subsurface dams (SSDs) on the Papagni, a non-perennial river which joins the Penna river in Kadapa. The purpose of SSDs, built across streams or valleys, is to establish an underground reservoir and to recharge groundwater. The structure relies on piling technology that drives zig-zag-shaped steel sheets 18 metres deep into the sand to form a wall of sorts across the groundwater channel and impound water in reservoirs below to increase the groundwater storage. In Kadapa, the dams were built between May 201...

Australian officials carry boxes containing some 8,000 initial doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine following their arrival on board a Royal Australian Air Force plane at the Port Moresby international airport on March 23, 2021, as Papua New Guinea raced to quell a Covid-19 surge overwhelming its fragile health system. Andrew Kutan | AFP | Getty Images The coronavirus crisis that has gripped Papua New Guinea continues to worsen, as the Indo-Pacific nation waits in earnest for vaccines to arrive. In just one week — between March 22 and March 28 — there were 1,786 new reported cases of Covid-19 and 13 deaths, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization and the PNG National Department of Health. The weekly joint report said that as of March 28, noon local time, the island-nation reported 5,349 total cases and 49 deaths. It was the eighth consecutive week of increases. Papua New Guinea is a heavily forested nation of fewer than 9 million people that lies abou...

Colleges around the country have been struggling under the shadow of the coronavirus, facing declining enrollment and major budget cuts. And students have mourned the loss of the traditional college experience, grappling with the disruption as campuses closed and many classes moved on line. But while the pandemic’s effect on ordinary college life has been widely chronicled, a new survey took a closer look at the profound effect it has had on the highest-risk students. Many, it found, have faced challenges just to make ends meet, with nearly three in five struggling for access to housing and food. The survey of 195,000 students, released Wednesday by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University’ found that many are hard put to pay for even the most basic necessities. “There are just way too many students who are struggling with food and housing and they’re unlikely to succeed,” said the center’s founding director, Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of sociolo...

Sarah Palin says she tested positive for Covid-19 and is urging people to take steps to guard against the coronavirus, such as wearing masks in public. “Through it all, I view wearing that cumbersome mask indoors in a crowd as not only allowing the newfound luxury of being incognito, but trust it’s better than doing nothing to slow the spread,” Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee, told People magazine. “And history will show we Masked Singer visitors were masked before being masked was cool,” she said in her statement, referring to the TV show on which she once appeared. It was not clear when Palin, 57, tested positive. She told the magazine that other members of her family tested positive as well. She said her case showed “anyone can catch this”. “I strongly encourage everyone to use common sense to avoid spreading this and every other virus out there,” Palin said, in urging vigilance but not fear. She said she also advised “reprioritizing some personal time an...

Miley Cyrus is continuing to embrace her full-on rock star aesthetic. She killed it in an all-black ensemble including tassel pants while running errands in Beverly Hills. Can’t stop, won’t stop! Miley Cyrus has been killing it with rocker wear ever since she dropped her Plastic Hearts album on Nov. 27, 2020. The 28-year-old showed off her latest badass outfit while out and about in Beverly Hills on Mar. 30. She donned a sleeveless black shirt that looked like it had been cut off around the bottom with scissors, as it had jagged cuts around her waistline. The top showed off the “Midnight Sky” singer’s myriad of arm tattoos. Miley’s pants were what made the look really special, as the shiny black fitted trousers featured open sides that came together via a snap, with a wide tassel hanging off of it. It allowed just the tiniest amount of leg skin to be visible, while making for such a striking look as she walked with the tassels sticking out on the sides. Miley Cyrus embraces her ...

Dignitas, the North American esports organization, announced on Twitter today that they have dropped their entire men’s Valorant roster. The in-game leader of Dignitas, Rory “dephh” Jackson, tweeted slightly before the official tweet came from Dignitas. Dephh mentioned, “an unfortunate set of circumstances even at the start of this roster,” which might be one of the reasons Dignitas dropped the whole roster. As sources say, Dignitas have decided to move out of VALORANT for the time being. An unfortunate set of circumstances even at the start of this roster. I will be taking a short break then exploring options. We also are going to be competing in vct as a pug 🤗 — dephh (@dephhgg) March 31, 2021 Dignitas made the official announcement exactly nine minutes after Dephh’s post. The organization said that it was working to find new homes for the players. They also stated that they were still committed to its women’s Valorant roster, which also competes in Counter-Strike Global ...

The 458-km-long Narmada canal snakes its way through south and central Gujarat like a green highway. Not far from Gandhinagar, the state capital, a branch of the canal takes water to Dhanki, a massive pumping station, located in the dusty plains of the region. From there, the first of an incredible series of water-lifting operations takes place to ensure that the canal waters reach the drought-prone Saurashtra region which earlier got only 17 per cent of the total water in the state. That was because, as state principal secretary (water) Dhananjay Dwivedi explains, “Saurashtra is shaped like an inverted saucer and the canal water has to be pumped up a steep gradient of 69 metres or the height of a 23-storey building so that it reaches every part of the region.” Similarly, branch canals take water to the deserts of Kutch and the dry lands of north Gujarat. In just two decades, the Narmada canal waters have transformed the entire landscape and the lives of the people of the state. Befo...

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and chief executive officer of Tesla, waves while arriving to a discussion at the Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 9, 2020. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images Elon Musk is about to increase his already hefty workload. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and founder of The Boring Company and Neuralink, has been nominated to join the board at Endeavor Group Holdings, according to a filing by the company on Wednesday. Endeavor began as a talent agency started by one of Hollywood’s most recognizable agents, Ari Emanuel. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the company has become a media and entertainment conglomerate that owns and manages live events including UFC, the Miami Open, New York Fashion Week, Frieze art fairs and the Miss Universe international beauty pageant. Now, Endeavor is planning to go public and wants Musk, the world’s second-richest person, as one of its 11 directors. “ Mr. Musk wa...

The Trump administration was so so slow to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic that a top aide to President Donald J. Trump took matters into his own hands. That aide, Peter Navarro, Mr. Trump’s deputy assistant and trade adviser, personally steered hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for pandemic supplies to politically connected or novice companies, a preliminary investigation by House Democrats has found. Mr. Navarro sounded an early alarm about supply shortages, according to emails and other documents released by a House committee overseeing the federal coronavirus response. In a memo dated March 1, 2020, he complained that “movement has been slow.” After that, documents show, he prodded the Federal Emergency Management Agency to award a $96 million sole-source contract for respirators to AirBoss Defense Group, a defense industry supplier, telling a company executive “everything you requested is OK,” even though no contract had been signed. The agency awarded t...

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszcuzk, has announced the early lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in greater Brisbane, after the state recorded just one community-acquired case from a record number of tests. The lockdown will end at midday in Queensland – five hours ahead of schedule – in order to reduce traffic chaos heading into the Easter long weekend. Nine new cases were detected in hotel quarantine. The one new case contracted in the community was described by the state chief health officer, Jeanette Young, as “the perfect case”. The woman was part of a group that travelled to Byron Bay for a hen’s weekend. She initially tested negative, but has been in isolation since as a precaution and posed “no risk at all”. Some restrictions will remain in place across Queensland for the next fortnight, including a mandate that people carry masks at all times, and wear masks in indoor public spaces. People visiting restaurants and other establishments must remain seat...

Popular TV actress, Rubina Dilaik recently lifted the winner’s trophy of Bigg Boss 14 and while we saw her fans pouring in love and praises for her on social media, a certain section of audience trolled her and said that she was a fix winner. The actress recently had interaction with fans on Instagram and during that time, we saw a fan asking the same question to the Shakti actress, to which she replied, “I often come across this question, more from trolls asking me whether I’m a fixed winner of BB14. I want to ask you all. Do you’ll think that it is possible in a reality show? In a show like this, viewers have to decide whom to vote for. It depends on that.” Also Read – Bigg Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik REACTS to rumours of her participation in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 The actress also cleared the air on her participation in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 and said that she will not feature in the current edition. “Not this year maybe because I have taken up Shakti and I will give my full ‘jee...

Genshin Impact fans have a lot to look forward to in the future of Mihoyo’s open world RPG, and one thing players look forward to the most is new characters. Cyno has been one of the most popular characters ever since a brief glimpse of his design in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview, and fans have been hungry for information about this character. Playing Cyno may be far off in the future, but he has shown up several times throughout the Genshin Impact webtoon. Here’s everything known about Cyno, the student of Sumeru Academia. Who is Cyno in Genshin Impact? Cyno (Image via Mihoyo) Cyno is a student from the Sumeru Academia, a great school of wisdom in the region of Sumeru. Players may not be familiar with the region or its inhabitants, but readers of the Genshin Impact webtoon will be greatly acquainted with its members. In the comic, Cyno is shown aiding his friend Collei, along with wielding powerful magic. In the trailer, Cyno is shown using a spear, while in the webto...

Madurai-based Dhan Foundation’s work proves that defunct water bodies can be revived to benefit the farmlands. Three-year effort: The Kadhiyanur irrigation tank has clear water now The Kad­hiyanur irr­i­g­a­tion tank in Iravadhanallur stands out for its clean water amid the dry or dirty ponds and water bodies dott­ing Madurai city. “Three years back, you would have only noticed the dirty water; now, it has been desilted and cleaned and provides water to over 50 acres of farmland. Local contribut­ions and the work by the DHAN (Dev­­elopment of Humane Action) Fou­­ndation made this possible,” says M. Sedhuramu, a farmer in Iravadhanallur. The Vayalagam Tankfed Agr­iculture Development Programme (VTADS) is the one that inspired them. “We appr­oa­­ched the Dhan Foundation in 2016. They selected five farmers (three men and two women) and took us to Bengaluru to see a few water bodies which had been revived. Based on our first-hand experience, we devised a plan to desilt the Kad...

A nurse draws a Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, at East Valley Community Health Center in La Puente, California, March 5, 2021. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters The National Institutes of Health has started testing a new coronavirus vaccine from Moderna designed to protect against a problematic variant first found in South Africa, the agency said Wednesday. The phase one trial, led and funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will test how safe and effective the new shot is against the variant — known as B.1.351 — in roughly 210 healthy adults, according to the agency. The trial, which has already administered some of its first shots, will include approximately 60 adults who participated in Moderna’s original Covid-19 vaccine trials last year, as well as approximately 150 people who haven’t received any Covid-19 vaccine yet, according to a statement. The returning participants who were given two shots of the original vaccine 28 d...

More pregnant women died, experienced complications or delivered stillborn babies during the pandemic than in previous years, according to an analysis of 40 studies in 17 countries published on Wednesday in the journal Lancet Global Health. Pregnant women face a heightened risk of severe illness and death if infected with the coronavirus. But the researchers, in Turkey and the United Kingdom, wanted to assess collateral damage from the pandemic on pregnancy and delivery, and so excluded from their analysis those studies that focused only on pregnant women who were infected. Reviewing data on more than six million pregnancies, the investigators found evidence that disruptions to health care systems and patients’ fear of becoming infected at clinics may have led to avoidable deaths of mothers and babies, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Data from a dozen studies showed that the chances of a stillbirth increased by 28 percent. And the risk of women dying while pregnant...

Keir Starmer has dealt a blow to government hopes of pushing through a domestic Covid passport scheme, expressing scepticism about the idea and saying the “British instinct” could be against them. Ministers are consulting on the possibility of obliging people to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to access crowded spaces such as pubs or sports events, with Downing Street insisting no decision has been made yet. The Labour leader, speaking in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, said he would not make any formal decision before studying government proposals, and talked up the need for cross-party consensus. “I think this is really difficult and I’m not going to pretend there’s a clear black and white, yes-no easy answer on this. It is extremely difficult,” Starmer told the paper. But while he said the idea of vaccination certificates for international travel appeared inevitable, he suggested that public opinion was likely to be against the idea of a ...