WELLINGTON, New Zealand — With a lighter load but a renewed vigor, New Zealand Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has returned to work after a cancer battle. Allan took leave in April after receiving a stage three cervical cancer diagnosis, and with it a low chance of survival. “They said for somebody with stage 3C you have a 40 percent chance of survival,” she said to a national television channel in May. “As a wahine Maori (Maori woman) I have about a 13.3 percent chance of survival.” The 37-year-old said she underwent nine weeks of invasive treatment. “It was a little rough,” Allan…
Author: zenger.news
MUMBAI, India — Legendary Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan passed away last year, but now people will get to see her life story on the big screen. A biopic on the life of the choreographer has been announced on her first death anniversary. T-Series is set to produce the upcoming film. The news was shared on the official Instagram page of T-Series. “We’re glad to announce that we’ve acquired the rights to the legendary choreographer Saroj Khan’s life story. Stay tuned,” the caption read. T-Series head Bhushan Kumar shared that he has acquired the rights to her life story from Saroj Khan’s family. “Sarojji not only…
NEW DELHI — As the emergence of pandemic and reintroduction of containment measures restricted demand in June, Indian services firms endured further losses of new business, as per the latest IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers’ Index released on July 5. New work intakes and output contracted at the fastest rates since July 2020, which prompted companies to reduce employment again. Business sentiment took another hit, with panelists neutral in their assessments of output forecasts for the year ahead. “With India expanding its vaccine options and the government announcing ambitious plans to immunize the entire adult population by the end of the year, it is hoped…
MUMBAI, India — Bollywood Actor Taapsee Pannu expressed disappointment on social media over alleged “personal digs” from critics who have given negative reviews to her latest film, “Haseen Dillruba.” “Movie reviewing is very subjective,” she said. “Criticism of the film and character is welcomed and helps me learn and improve, which I feel I have a huge scope of, but personal digs is what pulls down a critic to a troller (sic).” She also spoke about how some critics were giving preference to the Hollywood movie “The Tomorrow War” over the Hindi film “Haseen Dillruba.” Both the movies were released on…
BEIJING — The alleged deployment of Chinese military personnel in Hambantota, a town in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, continues to evoke furor and concerns as China moves ahead to control the Sri Lankan infrastructure. Several Chinese men were spotted recently engaged in dredging an old tank in the Hambantota District, wearing a military uniform similar to the Chinese military wear. Wearing or even having a military uniform when not serving in the military is a punishable offense, as per Sri Lankan law. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, a war veteran and former Army Commander and Member of Parliament, said Chinese military personnel…
LONDON — Face masks are set to become a “personal choice” in England as the United Kingdom is easing coronavirus restrictions, said a UK minister. “I do not particularly want to wear a mask; I do not think a lot of people enjoy doing it,” said Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary, on June 4. “We will be moving into a phase though, where there will be matters of personal choice, and so some members of society will want to do so for legitimate reasons, but it will be a different period where we as private citizens make these judgments rather than the…
LONDON — Thousands of drugs and chemical molecules were screened and identified by the researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Dundee for potential antivirals that could be developed into new treatments for Covid-19 or in preparation for future coronavirus outbreaks. In a series of seven papers published in the Biochemical Journal, the scientists identified 15 molecules that inhibit the growth of SARS-CoV-2 by blocking different enzymes involved in its replication. While Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out, there are still few drug options that can be used to treat patients with the virus, reduce symptoms, and speed up recovery time. These treatments are…
The quality of health care in the United States is high. But staggering costs and spotty medical coverage leave about 66 percent of Americans worried they won’t be able to afford medical care this year, according to a recent survey. Five years ago, one in four Americans reported trouble paying a medical bill. The problem worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, as 12 million U.S. adults lost health insurance due to unemployment. With a hospital stay costing an average of $5,220 per day and a doctor visit costing $300 to $600, nearly one in three Americans delays getting care, tests or…
Israel dispatched two firefighting planes to neighboring Cyprus on Sunday morning to help battle a huge forest fire raging in the island country that has claimed the lives of four people. The fire is blazing in the western Troodos Mountains region and has reportedly forced the evacuation of seven villages in the area. By Sunday afternoon, four people were discovered dead in the fire, which is also causing damage to large amounts of forest and property. The Prime Minister’s Office noted in a press release on Saturday night that the planes would be sent due to “Israel’s close ties with…
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire — Less than a week after his raucous return to the Ivory Coast on June 17, following an acquittal by the International Criminal Court, former Ivorian President Laurent Koudou Gbagbo divorced his wife, Simone. Huge crowds in the capital Abidjan welcomed Gbagbo, who was charged in 2011 at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court brought charges against him after he declined to accept the November 2010 presidential poll, won by his rival, Alassane Ouattara, sparking a civil war that left more than 3,000 dead. The Appeals Chamber of the International…