Covid 19 spread - is not just International - it is in Sea too ~ and Chennaites are happy on roads still !!

Strange are the ways of people !   In this century, many countries, especially in Africa and Middle East are still reeling from years of conflict, famine and other humanitarian crises yet this year we are talking about Covid 19 only !  

Not sure of what is happening elsewhere in the State or in other cities – Chennai is outright mad ! – it is under lockdown for 115 days officially and not sure whether it would open up in Aug 2020 too .. .. yet, if you venture out on road [actually everyone of us should be inside and go out only for essentials and when absolutely needed !] – but market places are crowded, shops are open, people are busy walking, driving, speaking on phone and .. .. .. Public transport – Chennai metro buses, EMU, Parakkum Rail, Metro train are not available and hence people have trouble in going to Offices – otherwise there appears an air of festivity – people do not fear Corona nor take any precautions. .. .. and claim that ‘curve has been flattened and numbers are coming down !’

Factually, Tamil Nadu recorded its highest COVID-19 fatality mark yesterday  with 79 people succumbing to the virus, pushing the death toll in the state to 2,315.  In a mad scramble, it is Maharashtra with 284000 (11194); Tamil Nadu 156000 [2236] & Delhi 119000 [3545] [the nos. in brackets indicate the death].  In the race among cities Delhi is far ahead of Mumbai and Chennai [119000 / 84524 / 79662] – Delhi CM is happy meeting Press claiming that it is Covid is not feared and totally  under control !

The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.  The casualties soon started mounting that WHO which initially appreciated China termed it a Pandemic and named it Covid-19 ensuring that it has no Regional or Country bias !!!  

The United States has shattered its daily record for coronavirus cases after more than 77,000 new infections were reported on Thursday. America's total infection count has now surged past 3.5million after the massive new spike of 77,255 cases, surpassing the previous high of 67,417 patients registered on Tuesday.   The US totals of 3,576,157 cases and 138,358 deaths are both by far the highest in the world, with Brazil second in both tables. India became the third country to reach a million confirmed infections.   Florida is becoming the new epicenter of the US outbreak, with a record 156 deaths announced yesterday alongside 13,965 new positive test results.

If one has observed – Wikipedia and other sources state Covid 19 figures as categorized as people from : Africa,  Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America and International Conveyances (what is the last one, ever wondered !) .. .. It is not Countries .. .. but Ships, more specifically Cruise Ships – the  outbreak spread to several cruise ships.

The dangers of cruise ship travel came into full public view in February and March when thousands of people were quarantined on the Diamond Princess in Japan. More than 700 passengers and crew tested positive and nine died. At one stage, it was the largest outbreak in the world outside China where the virus originated. Further outbreaks came to light on dozens of other ships, leaving thousands stranded as countries closed their ports to the contagion.

The Princess Cruises ship was the location of one of the first major outbreaks of the coronavirus outside of China after and was quarantined at Yokohama port in Japan from 4^th Feb 20  for over a month. Over 700 passengers and crew from the 3,700 on board were ultimately infected after a single passenger from a previous cruise tested positive after disembarking she ship in early February 2020. Of the 712 people infected on board, eight so far are known to have died, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker and experts have been widely critical of the quarantine and containment approaches used by the Japanese government.

The ship became a floating laboratory for studying the spread of the coronavirus in confined spaces and predictably, scientists are now using this data to try and learn about how the coronavirus spreads and affects people in the rest of the world.

Cruise operators have either cancelled or changed their itineraries as countries across the world implement travel restrictions to curb the disease.  The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 90% of cruise operators, announced various precautionary measures being implemented by its members.  

In US waters there have been 2,973 confirmed or suspected cases and 34 deaths after a total of 99 outbreaks affecting 123 different ships, the CDC says.  Ships including the Zaandam, Rotterdam and Coral Princess docked in US waters in April after virus outbreaks on board.  The CDC said the outbreaks earlier this year had required contact-tracing for more than 11,000 passengers on various cruise ships. As of July 3, nine of the 49 ships directly affected by the No Sail Order had 'ongoing' outbreaks or were still in the process of 'resolving' them, officials say. Areas of 'major concern' included a lack of detail about how crew would be monitored, what protective equipment they would have and how they would receive medical care.

                       As of July 10 only one cruise operator - Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line - had a 'response plan' meeting all of the CDC's requirements. These 'difficulties' in managing health protocols 'highlight the need for further action prior to resuming passenger operations', health chiefs warn. 'On cruise ships, passengers and crew share spaces that are more crowded than most urban settings,' the CDC said in its announcement on Thursday.  The No Sail Order will continue until at least September 30 unless the director of the CDC modifies it before then. It applies to any ships for more than 250 people in US waters.

The Cruise Lines International Association had already announced that its 'voluntary suspension' in the US would continue until September 15. 'Although we are confident that future cruises will be healthy and safe, and will fully reflect the latest protective measures, we also feel that it is appropriate to err on the side of caution to help ensure the best interests of our passengers and crew,' a statement said. 

Covid is not just Pandemic cutting across National borders, it has its presence in the sea too !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

17.7.2020.

Wimbledon 2020 was cancelled ~ yet Club makes pay-outs !!

Alexander Peya and Nicole Melichar were the defending champions, but Peya could not participate this year due to injury. Melichar played alongside Bruno Soares but lost in the quarterfinals to Yang Zhaoxuan and Matwé Middelkoop. Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan won the title, defeating Robert Lindstedt and Jeļena Ostapenko in the final, 6–2, 6–3.  This was the first Wimbledon to feature a final set tie-break.

The 2019 Wimbledon Championships took place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom, beginning on 1^st July and finishing on 14^th July 2019.  The defending Gentlemen's singles champion Novak Djokovic retained his title, while the defending Ladies' singles champion Angelique Kerber lost in the second round to Lauren Davis. Simona Halep won the Ladies' Singles title. This was the first Grand Slam tournament where both singles titles were won by players born in the Balkans.

This was the first edition of the tournament to feature a standard tie break in the final set when the score in the set was 12 games all. The winner was the first player or pair to reach seven points whilst leading by two or more points or, in the case of a 6-6 point score, to establish a subsequent lead of two points. Henri Kontinen and John Peers won the first such tie break played in Wimbledon history, defeating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in a third-round men's doubles match. In men's singles, the only such match was the final in which Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer, in what was also the longest final in tournament history lasting for 4 hours and 58 minutes. Djokovic became the first man since Bob Falkenburg at the 1948 Wimbledon Championships to win the title after being championship points down, having saved two when down 7–8 in the fifth set. This tournament also marked the retirement of former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, after he lost in the second round.

In the Women's Singles, there were 16 qualifiers from 128 entrants, an increase from 12 qualifiers from 96 entrants.  The change brought  the qualification for the Women's Singles into line with that for the Men's Singles, which remains unchanged.  Simona Halep defeated Serena Williams in the final, 6–2, 6–2 to win the Ladies' Singles tennis title at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. It took just 56 minutes for Halep to secure victory.  In the entire tournament, she dropped only one set against compatriot Mihaela Buzărnescu. Williams was attempting to equal Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles for the third time. At 37 years and 291 days, Williams became the oldest Grand Slam women's singles finalist to compete since the start of the Open Era in 1968. 15-year old Coco Gauff became the youngest player to win a main draw singles match at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991, defeating the oldest player in the main draw, Venus Williams at 39 in the first round.

All that a thing of the past for – it is July and this year (2020) there is no Wimbledon.  It is with great regret that the Main Board of the All England Club (AELTC) and the Committee of Management of The Championships decided that the Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic. The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.  The committee stated that uppermost in mind was the  health and safety of all of those who come together to make Wimbledon happen – the public in the UK and visitors from around the world, players, guests, members, staff, volunteers, partners, contractors, and local residents – as well as our broader responsibility to society’s efforts to tackle this global challenge to our way of life.

                     Following a series of detailed deliberations,  the Committee of Management’s viewed that the cancellation of The Championships is the best decision in the interests of public health – but read the following interesting announcements too.

Members of the public who paid for tickets in the Wimbledon Public Ballot for this year’s Championships will have their tickets refunded and will be offered the chance to purchase tickets for the same day and court for The Championships 2021.

In addition, we have taken account of the impact that this decision will have on those who rely on The Championships – including the players and the tennis community in Britain and around the world – and we are developing plans to support those groups, working in partnership with the LTA and the other leadership bodies in global tennis. This also applies to our loyal staff, to whom we take our responsibility very seriously.

Ian Hewitt, AELTC Chairman, commented: “This is a decision that we have not taken lightly, and we have done so with the highest regard for public health and the wellbeing of all those who come together to make Wimbledon happen. It has weighed heavily on our minds that the staging of The Championships has only been interrupted previously by World Wars but, following thorough and extensive consideration of all scenarios, we believe that it is a measure of this global crisis that it is ultimately the right decision to cancel this year’s Championships, and instead concentrate on how we can use the breadth of Wimbledon’s resources to help those in our local communities and beyond. Our thoughts are with all those who have been and continue to be affected by these unprecedented times.”

The all significant news is Wimbledon gives out £10m in prize money... for a tournament that isn't happening! Players are handed up to £25,000 each after SW19 chiefs' pay-out from pandemic insurance.  Wimbledon may not have happened this year, but the players will still reap the dividend of the tournament's foresight in maintaining its pandemic insurance. The All England Club have marked what would have been men's semi-finals day by unveiling a £10 million fund for players who have missed out on earning anything for months. A total of 620 competitors will share the surprise bounty with a financial lifeline being handed to those who would have played in the qualifying event.

                 Those who would have played in the singles main draws will be given £25,000 each, which is small change to the likes of Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Their peers lower down the food chain will, however, hugely benefit from the tournament's unexpected largesse, which sees £12,500 to those who would have made qualifying event on ranking, and £6,250 to doubles players. This is in addition to a host of donations to Coronavirus charities well in excess of £1 million. There is also some unspecified money going to umpires and line judges who would otherwise have been employed this past fortnight.

While the pandemic insurance is still a long way off being fully processed, it is expected to have saved Wimbledon more than £100 million by the time it is fully totted up. The enabling of such generous measures are a reminder that, while it can sometimes be easy to caricature Wimbledon, plain old school competence should never go out of fashion.

Chief Executive Richard Lewis said, 'We know these months of uncertainty have been very worrying for these groups, including the players, many of whom have faced financial difficulty during this period and who would have quite rightly anticipated the opportunity to earn prize money at Wimbledon based on their world ranking.  'We are pleased that our insurance policy has allowed us to recognise the impact of the cancellation on the players.'

Interesting ! ~ a Wimbledon not happening yet payouts are !!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

13.7.2020.

story of a pet Puma in Poland !

Sure you know Puma brand,   a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories.    The company was founded in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler. 

In 1924, Rudolf and his brother Adolf Dassler had jointly formed the company Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory). The relationship between the two brothers deteriorated until the two agreed to split in 1948, forming two separate entities, Adidas and Puma. Both companies are currently based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany.

Following the split from his brother, Rudolf originally registered the newly established company as Ruda (derived from Rudolf Dassler, as Adidas was based on Adi Dassler), but later changed the name to Puma. Puma's earliest logo consisted of a square and beast jumping through a D, which was registered, along with the company's name, in 1948. Puma's shoe and clothing designs feature the Puma logo.  Puma is a genus in the family Felidae that contains the cougar, also known as the puma and mountain lion, among other names.

After Brexit, there have been some talks on whether there would be a Polexit ? Ever since winning the general election of Poland in 2015, the Polish government led by the Law and Justice Party (PiS), has continuously pushed the country to adopt a series of judicial reforms supposedly to drive out the last strands of communism from the judicial set-up. Poland, which is also an integral member of the European Union, has been confronted time and again by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for its questionable approach towards the judiciary and upholding the intrinsic values of rule of law. Latest of which came on 8th April, when the ECJ stayed the functioning of a chamber designed to scrutinize and punish the judges of the Polish Supreme Court, deepening the legal tussle between the two bodies.

Poland's incumbent President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's presidential vote. The National Electoral Commission said Mr Duda had won 51.2% of the votes. It is Poland's slimmest presidential election victory since the end of communism in 1989. One of the major issues of the election was the future of the country's strained relations with the European Union. Mr Duda is a social conservative allied with the government led by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, while Mr Trzaskowski is the socially liberal mayor of Warsaw. Mr Duda's win is expected to lead to further controversial reforms to the judiciary and continued opposition to abortion and gay rights. During the campaign Mr Duda came under heavy criticism after he said LGBT rights were an "ideology" more destructive than communism.

Andrzej Sebastian Duda born in 1972, is a Polish lawyer and politician who has served as President of Poland since 6 Aug 2015. Before becoming president, Andrzej Duda was a member of Polish Lower House (Sejm) from 2011 to 2014 and the European Parliament from 2014 to 2015. In February 2018, Duda said that he would sign into law Amendment to the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance, making it illegal to accuse 'the Polish nation' of complicity in the Holocaust and other Nazi German atrocities, a measure that has roiled relations with Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu going as far as accusing the Polish government of "Holocaust denial".

The  Zoo in Poznań is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Poland, located in the city of Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship. It was founded in 1874 and was included on the register of objects of cultural heritage in 1978 as a unique example of a vivarium. The zoo started as a few animals kept by a restaurant owner in the early 1870s.  The zoo traces its origins to 1871, when a group of local bowlers and regulars of a restaurant at Starogard-Poznań railway station in Jeżyce decided to give President of Bowling Association an unusual birthday present. Each of the bowling players brought a different animal including a pig, a goat, a sheep, a cat, a rabbit, a squirrel, a goose, a duck, a chicken, a peacock as well as a trained bear and a monkey. This small menagerie was gradually expanded thanks to animals given by local inhabitants of Poznań and eventually became the foundation of the future zoo. In 1874, the joint stock company called "The Zoological Garden" was formally established.

In an interesting report MailOnline states that hundreds of police have been on the hunt for  Afghan war veteran and his pet PUMA after 'he pulled knife on zoo keepers' and fled to the forest to avoid handing over the big cat in Poland.  

Around 200 Polish police are hunting for an Afghan war veteran and his pet puma after he fled into the forest to avoid handing over the big cat. Kamil Stanek, an Afghan war veteran  is alleged to have threatened Poznan city zoo keepers with a knife when they turned up at his house in the southern town of Myslowice. Poznan Zoo, which is around 200 miles away from the forest where Stanek has fled to, allege that the war veteran has been taking the puma around the country and charging £600 for people who want to pet her.  'It's not a cuddly toy. It's one of the most dangerous animals in the world and it could be a real threat to people's lives,' said Ewa Zgrabczynska, head of Poznan Zoo.  The zoo alleges that when they went to Stanek's house they discovered the puma was living in a cramped, filthy cage.

It is claimed that Stanek - who was ordered to hand over the Puma to Poznan Zoo in January - has effectively been on the run with Nubia (name of the Puma)  since then.  Stanek bought Nubia six years ago in the Czech Republic but keeping pumas is against the law in Poland. Stanek, who purportedly runs an animal sanctuary with his wife and has tens of thousands of social media followers on his Projekt Puma Facebook page, posted an update for his fans yesterday. In the post Stanek filmed himself stroking the big cat and wrote as the caption: 'Thank you for your messages and support. Let the media see what an army we have.'

Strange are the ways of people !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

13.7.2020.

'Cancel culture' - muffling voices - freedom expression champions !!

“cancel culture” is most talked about now ! ~  Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.

Kerala turmoil .. .. .. the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has, in recent days, come under intense pressure following the seizure of 30kg of gold - part of a diplomatic consignment that arrived at the state capital's Trivandrum International Airport on July 4.  The gold, reportedly valued at Rs 15 crore was seized by Customs officials at the airport. Under the Vienna Conventions, a country is able to send documents or other items to its consular offices or international organisations like the United Nations as diplomatic baggage.  Following the discovery, Sarith Kumar, a fomer public relations officer (PRO) of the UAE consulate in Thiruvanthapuram, and an accused in the case, was arrested on Monday, and remanded in custody for a period of two weeks.

People have been commenting on social media on Communist stand and their falling standards ! – the Party would vociferously advocate ‘freedom of expression’ and simplicity but would not comment a word when things like this surface nor on the human rights violations in China.  There was this Commie backed Union who would fight for worker’s right and need for confirming daily-roster employees – but in the Union Office they employed a person for a measly payout without providing regular employment !

When Liu Xiaobo was formally awarded his Nobel Peace prize in 2010, he was represented at the ceremony by an empty chair. By then, the dissident academic was in prison again, this time serving an 11-year sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" for his role in drafting a democracy manifesto for China. Chinese authorities, recognizing in recent years that limited freedom of expression enables the government to better monitor potentially problematic social issues have not permitted freedom, at best they created a kind of "free-speech elite," and only  in government-controlled forums.

Freedom of speech  is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.  Freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice".

Some 150 writers, academics and activists - including authors JK Rowling, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood - have signed an open letter denouncing the "restriction of debate". They say they applaud a recent "needed reckoning" on racial justice, but argue it has fuelled stifling of open debate. The letter denounces "a vogue for public shaming and ostracism" and "a blinding moral certainty".

The term “cancel culture” originally surfaced as a hashtag, credited to black users of Twitter. It was used when celebrities were seen to fall from grace. At times it got linked to the #metoo movement, and so Louis CK was cancelled – for all of 10 months!  When civilians, ordinary human beings, are cancelled, their lives are turned upside down.  An ill-advised tweet may make someone unemployable, the consequences lingering for years.

At midnight on Tuesday, the Great Firewall of China, the vast apparatus that limits the country’s internet, appeared to descend on Hong Kong. Unveiling expanded police powers as part of a contentious new national security law, the Hong Kong government enabled police to censor online speech and force internet service providers to hand over user information and shut down platforms. Many residents, already anxious since the law took effect last week, rushed to erase their digital footprint of any signs of dissent or support for the last year of protests. Charles Mok, a pro-democracy lawmaker who represents the technology sector, tweeted: “We are already behind the de facto firewall.”

Hong Kong is facing a dramatic decline of one of its most important advantages – a free and open internet – a defining trait that sets it apart from mainland China where Facebook, Twitter, Google and most major foreign news sites are blocked. The prospect of Beijing-style internet controls – where residents are not just restricted but monitored and punished for what they post online while companies are forced to censor their platforms – is worrying for citizens, activists and businesses in Hong Kong.

The law gives authorities the power to demand individuals and service providers remove content, or access to content deemed threatening to national security. Noncompliance can result in fines and imprisonment for company staff or individuals. Police investigating national security cases can surveil communications and confiscate electronic devices. “The law seems to be building up the Great Firewall locally in Hong Kong. Personal freedom on the internet will be eliminated,” said Charles Low, the chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society. “If you say something wrong they can request the service provider to give your IP address or mobile number so they can grab you.”

After the new measures were announced late on Monday, Facebook, Microsoft, WhatsApp, Google, Twitter, Telegram and others said they would not process information requests from the government until they had reviewed the law. TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, said it was leaving Hong Kong altogether. Protesters who have relied on digital tools over the last year to mobilise demonstrations now find those same platforms could be used against them. Political groups have already disbanded and formerly outspoken activists have quietly left social media, while others have deleted old comments. “We had freedom before and now it is being taken away. It is extremely painful for me to experience that,” said Glacier Kwong, a digital rights activist. “There will be a loss of information available to the public because people are afraid to speak up. They are controlling the discourse, how people can think about things and what they can think about. It’s very dangerous.”

Experts say it is precisely because Hongkongers used digital tools so effectively against the Beijing-backed government that authorities are now targeting the online space. The movement that erupted last year managed to mobilise itself without leaders through platforms such as the LIHKG forum and messaging app Telegram – with a level of organisation that Beijing has tried to point to as evidence to claim the demonstrations are coordinated by foreign forces.  Experts point out that China’s Great Firewall – which allows the government to inspect data as well as block IP addresses and domain names – could not be immediately replicated in Hong Kong, home to several private internet service providers and internet exchanges.

The security law may also add to the Balkanisation of the internet, with countries having their own fenced-off versions, and major international tech companies will be under pressure not to contribute to that. But Hongkongers, accustomed to decades of unrestricted access to information, may not be so easily deterred. Since Beijing announced its plan in late May to enforce the security law, searches and purchases of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxies to hide IP addresses have soared. Many have migrated from Telegram to the encrypted messaging app Signal, and some residents have turned to sim cards from providers in other countries. Kwong says it is not just young protesters who are taking action – her parents recently moved their family group chat to Signal.

In 2017,  Liu Xiaobo, the renegade Chinese intellectual who kept vigil at Tiananmen Square in 1989 to protect protesters from encroaching soldiers, promoted a pro-democracy charter that brought him a lengthy prison sentence and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while locked away, died under guard in a hospital on Thursday. He was 61. The Chinese government revealed he had cancer in late June, only after the illness was virtually beyond treatment. Officially, Mr. Liu gained medical parole. But even as he faced death, he was kept silenced in the First Hospital of China Medical University, still a captive of the authoritarian controls that he had fought for decades. He was the first Nobel Peace Prize laureate to die in state custody since Carl von Ossietzky, the German pacifist and foe of Nazism who won the prize in 1935 and died under guard in 1938 after years of maltreatment.

~ and people here talk about freedom of press and gagging individual opinion !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

9.7.2020.