When you are enthusiastic about what you do,
you feel this positive energy.
It's very simple.
-Paulo Coelho
(August 24, 1947; Brazilian lyricist and novelist)
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Let's start!
Here is a Fun Fact that you may not, or may know: A fish does not directly breathe in oxygen. It takes in water through its mouth, which then passes over the thin walls of gills. As the water passes over the thin walls of gills, the dissolved oxygen travels to the cells of the fish after it has moved into the blood.
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| Image Credit: Rachel Hisko |
The fish, instead of releasing carbon dioxide, forces the water out through the gill passages.
February 01, 2021 (Monday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,57,610
Recovered - 1,04,34,983
Deceased - 1,54,392
:::The ultimate authority of Myanmar was entirely transferred to an army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, after it raided and seized power from the government. Two announcements were made via the media. One announcement was made by the National League for Democracy, to confirm detention of their leaders along with Aung San Suu Kyi. The other announcement was made by the military through their television network, to order the emergency for a period of one year.
February 01, 2021 (Monday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,57,610
Recovered - 1,04,34,983
Deceased - 1,54,392
:::The ultimate authority of Myanmar was entirely transferred to an army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, after it raided and seized power from the government. Two announcements were made via the media. One announcement was made by the National League for Democracy, to confirm detention of their leaders along with Aung San Suu Kyi. The other announcement was made by the military through their television network, to order the emergency for a period of one year.
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| In Pic: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing; Image Credit: AFP |
Thant Myint-U, a historian of Myanmar and an author of several books about the country, reacted to the situation by saying that the doors certainly just opened to a darker future, and there is a huge chance that no one will be able to control what comes next.
:::Internal Facebook documents were reviewed by Wall Street Journal. The review derived a conclusion that Facebook knew about the problem with groups that were spreading hate speech five months before the US Capitol riots. The review committee highlighted the hints of foreign influence in some of the groups by specifically mentioning a group called, "Trump Train 2020, Red Wave", which has now been taken down. Researchers, during the presentation, said that 70% of the top hundred most active US Civic Groups were considered non-recommendable due to issues like hate, misinformation, bullying and harassment.
:::Internal Facebook documents were reviewed by Wall Street Journal. The review derived a conclusion that Facebook knew about the problem with groups that were spreading hate speech five months before the US Capitol riots. The review committee highlighted the hints of foreign influence in some of the groups by specifically mentioning a group called, "Trump Train 2020, Red Wave", which has now been taken down. Researchers, during the presentation, said that 70% of the top hundred most active US Civic Groups were considered non-recommendable due to issues like hate, misinformation, bullying and harassment.
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| Image Credit: https://www.opindia.com/ |
Democratic lawmakers took these facts into account and wrote a letter to Facebook, following which the company banned such civic-group recommendations permanently.
February 02, 2021 (Tuesday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,66,245
Recovered - 1,04,48,406
Deceased - 1,54,486
:::Citroen announced its entry in Indian Market with Citroen C5 Aircross, an SUV that is expected to be priced at around ₹30 lakh (ex-showroom). It offers five driving modes namely Standard, Snow, All-Terrain, Sand & Traction control-off, and it is powered by a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder diesel, 1997cc, engine. The engine generates a maximum power output of 177 PS and offers a peak torque of 400 Nm. Some of the highlighted features are: Progressive Hydraulic Cushions that easily counter big bumps & minor road undulations; Air Quality System (AQS) that automatically detects, filters & purifies the polluted air; and, double laminated front windows & acoustic windshield glass that reduce the wind & the road noise to an absolute minimum.
February 02, 2021 (Tuesday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,66,245
Recovered - 1,04,48,406
Deceased - 1,54,486
:::Citroen announced its entry in Indian Market with Citroen C5 Aircross, an SUV that is expected to be priced at around ₹30 lakh (ex-showroom). It offers five driving modes namely Standard, Snow, All-Terrain, Sand & Traction control-off, and it is powered by a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder diesel, 1997cc, engine. The engine generates a maximum power output of 177 PS and offers a peak torque of 400 Nm. Some of the highlighted features are: Progressive Hydraulic Cushions that easily counter big bumps & minor road undulations; Air Quality System (AQS) that automatically detects, filters & purifies the polluted air; and, double laminated front windows & acoustic windshield glass that reduce the wind & the road noise to an absolute minimum.
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| Image Credit: https://www.autocarindia.com/ |
Some other features of Citroen C5 Aircross are: panoramic glass sunroof; 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system; coffee break alert in long journeys; and, blind-spot monitoring system. The SUV offers a boot space of 580 litres and it can be extended up to 1630 litres by folding the rear seats.
:::Joe Biden, President of the United States of America, appointed Raj Panjabi, an Indian-American, as the Global Coordinator of his malaria initiative. The initiative is mainly active in Africa and Asia. Raj Panjabi reacted to his appointment as the Global Coordintor by saying that he was honored & grateful for the chance, and that he wishes to completely eradicate the disease. He has earlier led 'Last Mile Health' to support African administrations in training their health workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Raj Panjabi also has experience of serving as an advisor to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia.
:::Joe Biden, President of the United States of America, appointed Raj Panjabi, an Indian-American, as the Global Coordinator of his malaria initiative. The initiative is mainly active in Africa and Asia. Raj Panjabi reacted to his appointment as the Global Coordintor by saying that he was honored & grateful for the chance, and that he wishes to completely eradicate the disease. He has earlier led 'Last Mile Health' to support African administrations in training their health workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Raj Panjabi also has experience of serving as an advisor to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia.
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| In Pic: Raj Panjabi; Image Credit: Dr. Raj Panjabi / Last Mile Health |
The family of Raj Panjabi had to flee Liberia during the Civil War, after which they arrived in the United States as refugees during the 1990s.
February 03, 2021 (Wednesday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,77,284
Recovered - 1,04,62,631
Deceased - 1,54,596
:::Titan appointed Ashok Kumar Sonthalia and Swadesh Behera as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), respectively. A. Sonthalia is a Chartered Accountant with thirty years of experience. He will succeed S. Subramaniam effective from July 01, 2021. A. Sonthalia was formerly a CFO of L&T Infotech, after which he held various leadership positions at Greaves Cotton, Tata Chemicals, and Tata Steel. Swadesh Behera will succeed R. Rajnarayan effective from July 01, 2021. S. Behera has previously worked for Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC), Ranbaxy, and Coca-Cola.
February 03, 2021 (Wednesday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,77,284
Recovered - 1,04,62,631
Deceased - 1,54,596
:::Titan appointed Ashok Kumar Sonthalia and Swadesh Behera as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), respectively. A. Sonthalia is a Chartered Accountant with thirty years of experience. He will succeed S. Subramaniam effective from July 01, 2021. A. Sonthalia was formerly a CFO of L&T Infotech, after which he held various leadership positions at Greaves Cotton, Tata Chemicals, and Tata Steel. Swadesh Behera will succeed R. Rajnarayan effective from July 01, 2021. S. Behera has previously worked for Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC), Ranbaxy, and Coca-Cola.
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| Image Credit: https://m.economictimes.com/ |
S. Subramaniam and R. Rajnarayan will retire from their respective posts on June 30, 2021.
:::Amazon.com Inc agreed to pay $61.7 million to settle allegations, against the company, for not paying their Flex Drivers the tips. The tips were paid by the customers for Flex Drivers and Amazon, as per its advertisement, was required to pay 100% of it but the company secretly reduced its contributions to drivers' pay in late 2016 and did not pay them their dues. Amazon, however, dropped the controversial payment model after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opened an investigation in August 2019.
:::Amazon.com Inc agreed to pay $61.7 million to settle allegations, against the company, for not paying their Flex Drivers the tips. The tips were paid by the customers for Flex Drivers and Amazon, as per its advertisement, was required to pay 100% of it but the company secretly reduced its contributions to drivers' pay in late 2016 and did not pay them their dues. Amazon, however, dropped the controversial payment model after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opened an investigation in August 2019.
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| Image Credit: https://www.livetradingnews.com/ |
Commissioner Rohit Chopra, a Democrat, said in a statement that Amazon had stolen nearly one-third of drivers' tips to pad its bottom line.
February 04, 2021 (Thursday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,90,183
Recovered - 1,04,80,455
Deceased - 1,54,703
:::Elon Musk, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, topped Bloomberg Green's new ranking of wealthiest executives of green energy. He stands at the top of the list with a green worth of $180.7 billion, which comprises 91% of his overall wealth. Bloomberg calculated the green worth of individuals by using its Billionaires Index and considered their net worth as on January 28, 2021. To qualify as a candidate, the individual must derive a major portion of his/her wealth from a business that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
February 04, 2021 (Thursday)
:::The number of Corona Cases as reported on Aarogya Setu App were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,07,90,183
Recovered - 1,04,80,455
Deceased - 1,54,703
:::Elon Musk, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, topped Bloomberg Green's new ranking of wealthiest executives of green energy. He stands at the top of the list with a green worth of $180.7 billion, which comprises 91% of his overall wealth. Bloomberg calculated the green worth of individuals by using its Billionaires Index and considered their net worth as on January 28, 2021. To qualify as a candidate, the individual must derive a major portion of his/her wealth from a business that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
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| In Pic: Elon Musk; Image Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong |
The list is dominated by Chinese billionaires and more than half of it has billionaires who make either electric vehicles or batteries that power them.
:::Ofcom, the media regulator of the United Kingdom, pulled China Global Television Network (CGTN) off air after CGTN concluded that Star China Media Ltd did not have editorial responsibility.
Star China Media Ltd is a company that owns the broadcast license. Ofcom issued an official statement and said that CGTN had asked for its license to be transferred, but the process could not be completed as crucial information was missing from the application. The regulator added that the new owner would anyway be disqualified from holding a license as it would be controlled by a body that is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
:::Ofcom, the media regulator of the United Kingdom, pulled China Global Television Network (CGTN) off air after CGTN concluded that Star China Media Ltd did not have editorial responsibility.
Star China Media Ltd is a company that owns the broadcast license. Ofcom issued an official statement and said that CGTN had asked for its license to be transferred, but the process could not be completed as crucial information was missing from the application. The regulator added that the new owner would anyway be disqualified from holding a license as it would be controlled by a body that is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
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| Image Credit: https://www.farsnews.ir/ |
The complaint against CGTN was originally filed by an NGO named Safeguard Defenders. Peter Dahlin, the co-founder of the NGO, said that it is likely that China will respond harshly to the action taken by Ofcom.
February 05, 2021 (Friday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,08,02,591
Recovered - 1,04,96,308
Deceased - 1,54,823
:::Dubai launched a Virtual Working Programme. The programme will allow overseas professionals to work remotely from their own country. The President & Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Chamber, Hamad Buamim, confirmed the launch of this initiative by issuing a statement saying that this is a testament to the country's ability to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions and introduce new measures that will improve ease of doing business & enhance economic competitiveness. Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy, supported the programme by saying that it will offer an opportunity to relocate on an annual basis and it will further strengthen the city's position as a global business hub.
February 05, 2021 (Friday)
:::The number of Corona Cases were as follows:
Confirmed - 1,08,02,591
Recovered - 1,04,96,308
Deceased - 1,54,823
:::Dubai launched a Virtual Working Programme. The programme will allow overseas professionals to work remotely from their own country. The President & Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Chamber, Hamad Buamim, confirmed the launch of this initiative by issuing a statement saying that this is a testament to the country's ability to quickly adapt to the changing market conditions and introduce new measures that will improve ease of doing business & enhance economic competitiveness. Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of Dubai Economy, supported the programme by saying that it will offer an opportunity to relocate on an annual basis and it will further strengthen the city's position as a global business hub.
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| Image Credit: iStock |
Dubai currently stands at number one position in Global E-infrastructure in the latest Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Survey.
:::Boeing announced that Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) will manufacture a complex vertical fin structure for Boeing 737 airplanes. Salil Gupte, President at Boeing India, added that TBAL is an example of Boeing's commitment towards the co-development of integrated systems in aerospace & defense in India, for the world, and a reflection of the country's Atma-nirbhar Bharat initiative.
:::Boeing announced that Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) will manufacture a complex vertical fin structure for Boeing 737 airplanes. Salil Gupte, President at Boeing India, added that TBAL is an example of Boeing's commitment towards the co-development of integrated systems in aerospace & defense in India, for the world, and a reflection of the country's Atma-nirbhar Bharat initiative.
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| In Pic: TBAL Facility; Image Credit: https://www.mgsarchitecture.in/ |
TBAL is a joint venture of Boeing with Tata Group. The facility is located in Hyderabad, a city in Telangana, and it is estimated that the expansion will create additional employment opportunities & enable skill development.
In this week's Special Section, i bring to you a summary of Budget 2021 that was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 01, 2021 (Monday).
In this week's Special Section, i bring to you a summary of Budget 2021 that was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 01, 2021 (Monday).
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| In Pic: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; Image Credit: https://www.bloombergquint.com/ |
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit to be increased in the Insurance Sector from 49% to 74%.
- The Finance Minister has allocated ₹35,000 crores for the Covid-19 vaccine.
- The budget for the Health Sector has been increased by 137%, and it now stands at a total of ₹2,23,846 crore.
- New Development Finance Institution (DFI) to be formed with a capital of ₹20,000 crores. The new DFI will be managed professionally and will have statutory backing.
- A new central government sponsored scheme, called PM AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, will be launched. It will have 17,788 rural and 11,024 urban Health & Wellness Centres.
- An intensified strategy, called Mission Poshan 2.0, to be launched to improve nutritional outcomes across 112 aspirational districts.
- Government to promote the incorporation of One Person Companies (OPCs), that can be converted to any other type of company at any time in the future. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), to be allowed to incorporate OPCs in India.
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) to be ensured at a minimum of 1.5 times the production cost.
- Double Tax for NRIs on foreign retirement funds to be eliminated.
- Filing of Income Tax Return for senior citizens who are 75 years or above, with only pension and interest income to be exempted.
That is all for this week.
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*Disclaimer:
The information has been presented in this blog after reviewing various
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