The first team will begin responding to 911 calls regarding people experiencing behavioural health crises…reports Asian Lite News
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced the launch of the first phase of the city’s Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT), a pilot program dedicated to responding to emergency calls regarding people having mental health crises.
The SCRT is part of San Francisco’s efforts to develop alternatives to police responses to non-violent calls, which advances the roadmap to fundamentally change the way that the city handles public safety, and is also a major step in implementing ‘Mental Health SF’, Xinhua news agency quoted Breed as saying in the announcement on Monday.
The first team will begin responding to 911 calls regarding people experiencing behavioural health crises.
The SCRT aims to provide trauma-informed clinical interventions and care coordination for people who experience behavioural health crises on the streets of San Francisco.
The pilot program is a collaboration between the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Fire Department with support from the Department of Emergency Management.
Starting this morning, our first Street Crisis Response Team is now operating and responding to 911 calls relating to mental health or addiction in San Francisco.
This will allow us to reduce law enforcement responses to non-violent activity and let them focus on public safety. pic.twitter.com/19SkI8MBbq
The San Francisco Police Department will also be a key partner in the transition of certain types of 911 calls to the new teams, according to the announcement.
“This new program can help us break the cycle that all too often keeps people going in and out of our emergency rooms or our jails. When the Street Crisis Response Team responds to a call for someone in crisis, they’ll be able to help with compassion and clinical skills to get people the care and support they need,” said Breed.
“The SCRT is an important first step in our long-term effort to change how we respond to people suffering on our streets.”
On October 23, US President Donald Trump announced his intention of removing Sudan from the state sponsor of terrorism list…reports Asian Lite News
Sudan Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed arrangements about removing the northeast African country from the list of states sponsoring terrorism in the coming weeks.
During a phone call with Pompeo on Monday, they also discussed the developments in Ethiopia and the need for a peaceful settlement to the conflict in a manner that achieves regional peace and enhances security in the region, Xinhua news agency quoted the Council as saying in a statement.
On October 23, US President Donald Trump announced his intention of removing Sudan from the state sponsor of terrorism list once the African country deposits a $335 million settlement amount for victims of the 1998 twin bombings at the two American Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
The decision was set to be effective on December 11.
Sudan had been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993. The other three nations on the list are Iran, North Korea and Syria, according to a CNN report.
Due to the designation, Sudan faces a series of restrictions including a ban on defence exports and sales and restrictions on US foreign assistance.
The August 7, 1998, simultaneous truck bomb explosions that took place at the American Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, killed at least 224 people.
The attacks, which were linked to local members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, brought the Al Qaeda to the attention of the international community for the first time and led to the FBI designating Osama bin Laden on its list of 10 most-wanted fugitives.
According to the CNN report, Sudan, which was then under the leadership of the now-ousted Omar al-Bashir, sheltered bin Laden and was found to have assisted the Al Qaeda operatives.
The drill was conducted by Egyptian naval units that participated in the Egyptian-Russian “Friendship Bridge-3” exercises that concluded last week in the Black Sea, according to the statement..reports Asian Lite News
Naval forces from Egypt and Greece conducted joint military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, Cairo’s armed forces said in a statement.
The exercises covered activities of sailing formation, transportation and training, aiming to enhance maritime security measures in the Mediterranean, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Monday.
The drill was conducted by Egyptian naval units that participated in the Egyptian-Russian “Friendship Bridge-3” exercises that concluded last week in the Black Sea, according to the statement.
Egypt, a major military power in the Arab world, annually holds several military exercises with Arab, African and Western allies to boost military cooperation and share military expertise.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo: Governor's Office/IANS)
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked people to stop gathering even in small numbers and initiated emergency measures for hospitals in preparation for a fierce surge of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Hospitalizations are climbing statewide. What can you do? Cut out the small gatherings. Now. 65 per cent of all cases are traced to small gatherings. Gov’t can’t enforce who’s in your living room. But you can,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Governor as saying in a tweet on Monday.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
“We are laser-focused on ensuring enough hospital capacity as Covid surges. Today @HealthNYGov is initiating emergency hospital measures. Hospitals are directed to identify retired staff, make plans to add 50 per cent bed capacity, confirm they have a 90-day PPE stockpile, and more.
“The next phase of COVID will be tough, but we WILL get through it. Here’s how. We will: Manage hospital capacity; Increase and balance testing; Keep schools open when safe; Stop the spread from small gatherings; Operationalize an equitable and safe vaccination program,” he added.
According to government figures, of the 148,974 Covid-19 tests reported on Sunday in New York state, 6,819 were positive, or 4.57 percent of the total, up from 4.27 per cent a day earlier.
The rate topped 4 per cent on November 28 for the first time since May.
The Covid-19 test positivity rate in the focus areas under the state’s micro-cluster strategy, where the outbreaks are targeted for their severity and potential of spread, was 6.22 per cent on Sunday, up from 5.83 per cent the previous day.
This is the first time that the rate has surpassed 6 per cent in months.
“All the experts spoke about what was going to happen when we reach the fall — there’s colder weather, more people are indoors and more people are now travelling,” the Governor was quoted as saying in a statement also issued on Monday.
“While there has been a change in behaviour amongst the majority of people who understand and follow protocols, it’s as critical as ever we continue our work and focus on preparing this state, and its residents, for winter.”
In its latest update, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University reported 34,567 coronavirus deaths in New York state, the worst in the country.
The state has so far reported more than 653,000 confirmed cases.
According to the announcement, the provision also included various tax delays and tax exemptions for firms, and a single tranche of economic aid, up to 1,000 euros for workers such as those employed in the show business and tourism sectors, among other measures…reports Asian Lite News
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s cabinet announced that it has passed a decree to providenew stimulus and relief measures to businesses and worker categories affected by the latest series of restrictions against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Overall, the provision was worth some 8 billion euros ($9.6 billion), Xinhua news agency quoted the cabinet as saying in its announcement on Monday.
According to the announcement, the provision also included various tax delays and tax exemptions for firms, and a single tranche of economic aid, up to 1,000 euros for workers such as those employed in the show business and tourism sectors, among other measures.
People wearing face masks take a subway in Milan, Italy, Oct. 24, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua/IANS)
The announcement comes as active coronavirus infections in Italy has decreased by 7,300 on a daily average, as the incumbent restrictions in the country have led to the slowing down of the second wave of the pandemic, according to health officials.
On Monday, the country reported 16,377 new cases, taking the overall infection tally to 1,601,554, the Health Ministry said.
However, active coronavirus infections were 788,471 on Monday, down from 795,771 on Sunday, the latest statistics revealed.
Meanwhile, the country’s death toll rose by 672 to 55,576.
Earlier this month, the government had introduced a three-tiered system that split the country into three zones (red for the highest risk, orange for medium risk, and yellow for low risk) according to the level of virus transmission and the situation of the public health system in each region.
Sara Ali Khan, is undoubtedly the GenNext star of Bollywood. She made a promising debut in 2018 opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in the Abhishek Kapoor film Kedarnath. Since then, she has chosen her projects carefully, mixing roles in the commercial entertainer Simmba. Opposite Ranveer Singh, with the Imtiaz Ali romantic drama Love Aaj Kal co-starring Kartik Aaryan.
With her next, Coolie No. 1, Sara enters the mad, mad world of David Dhawan, in which very few stars have confidently impressed. The remake of 1995 hit of the same name stars Varun Dhawan in the title role and, going by the trailer, aims at reloading the all-out Govinda-style slapstick therapy for entertainment.
“When I started off, my only dream and desire was to be able to do all kinds of genres of films with all kinds of directors. So, I truly consider myself extremely lucky that I have been given this opportunity because I am of course a die-hard David sir fan. But the truth is, not one particular genre of cinema I like,” Sara told IANS in a tete-a-tete.
Like every newcomer, she has her dream role. She yearns for performance-oriented roles, mixing the serious with the lighthearted acts.
“I want to be able to do serious drama as much as I want to do lighthearted romantic comedies as much as I want to do performance-oriented biopics,” she said.
Sara, daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, added: “So, I am very very lucky and privileged to have been given the opportunity to do that with so many different directors,” added the granddaughter of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and former skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
The 25-year-old actress is currently looking forward to the release of Coolie No 1, a remake of the Govinda-Karisma Kapoor original. In the remake, Sara will reprise Karisma’s role while Varun essays the role essayed by Govinda.
Sara says stepping into the shoes of Karisma Kapoor is “not possible”.
“She is an iconic star. She redefines the nineties for most audiences. So I don’t think I have even attempted to step into her shoes. Of course, it is a remake and comparisons are inevitable. Up until now I was so much more focussed bringing something new to the table. Everything is kind of tweaked to make it more today,” she said.
The actress was “zero-years-old” when the original hit the theatres in 1995.
“It’s been some years since then. Things have changed. I think instead of aping or trying to copy Karisma, which is impossible to do, we have tried to bring a freshness to the role. I enjoyed working with Varun, so it is that chemistry for me that’s in the film at opposed to trying to copy Karisma Kapoor because that wouldn’t be fun and wouldn’t be possible.”
This was Sara’s first time working with Varun and she had a lot of fun.
“Honestly, it was like a mela. Especially shooting for Ganesh (Acharya) sir’s songs with David (Dhawan) sir’s direction. It looked like a mela! It was really fun and I had a super blast. It really felt outstanding and all of us had a really good time. I really hope that kind of fun and energy got translated on screen because that would be amazing,” added Sara.
Lee Yeon-soon, National Food Master (The Republic of Korea), says Indian food would be preferred culture to all nations through its convenient cooking method and exclusive taste…writes Puja Gupta.
Lee, who is also Professor, dept. of Global Korean Cuisine Culinary Arts, Suwon University of Science and Technology, has visited India twice and loves the unique taste of our desi tandoori chicken’ and chai.
We spoke to Lee who was among the jury members at the Pan India Online Korean Culinary Challenge 2020 held online to mark the first International Kimchi Day.
Excerpts from the interview:
How would you define Korean food?
Korean food has been well preserved through its prototype and tradition through its long history. It represents wellbeing food in recent time as well balanced healthy food between taste and nutrition. Five basic vegetable ingredients with red, yellow, black, white, green colour called “Oh Bang” colour represents harmony of all creation and universe`s energy. It’s a philosophical story telling. How was your experience with Korean culinary challenge 2020?
Participants’ understanding of Korean food was quite high and their basic skills in cooking process were maintained. I could see the efforts and contributions of Korea food promotion in India through Korean Cultural Centre India or other organizations. However, final plating skills can be developed more. (For example, the plating for Bibibbap, Korean traditional mixed rice cuisine, was very much full on plate without extra space.)
What is the importance of International Kimchi Day?
Gimjang, or preparation for making kimchi. Photo taken in South Korea (Wikipedia)
Kimchang culture (Kimchi making process) was designated as 8th UNESCO`s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Korean government has designated every 22th November as Kimchi Day in last year, so this year is 1st Kimchi Day. It is very meaningful. However, it should be developed more as international event with all efforts of government and other organization.
Have you ever tried Indian food? I have visited India two times, and experienced some Indian local foods like naan, curry, tandoori chicken. Unlike my pre-assumption which is that the taste of spice would be very strong, it was good to me, and I enjoyed drinking chai.
Tandoori chicken was one of my favourite, it was crispy, spicy without oily. I could taste the pattern of Korean traditional food from it.
How do you see Korean food placed on a global platter? What are your views of Indian food?
Lee: Recently, Korean food has been promoted around the world with Hallyu (Korean Culture Wave) phenomenon, and of course I am very glad and impressive about it. It will booster the image of the nation, so can lead to the contribution of nation`s economy.
I can expect Indian food would be preferred culture to all nations through its convenient cooking method and exclusive taste.
Have you ever tried cooking an Indian dish?
I used to cook and eat curry foods like curry rice, curry noodle, curry cutlet in Korea, but curry in Korea is not exactly same curry in India.
How is Indian food perceived in Korea?
Some Indian foods which has strong taste of spice cause pro and con like foreigner`s first response with Korean Kimchi or Gochu-jang (red pepper paste), but curry which evokes India is very famous in Korea. And I think Tandoori chicken can fascinate Korean people.
At a time when we are fighting a global battle against the pandemic, what suggestions do you give to people in order to boost their immunity?
Korean traditional foods are quite well known as high quality food which can strengthen human`s constitution and improve immune system. There is Korean proverb, Yak Shik Dong Won’ means food is medicine. Some traditional foods whose ingredients are herb medicines really helpful to us especially in this pandemic situation.
Amid all the noise about snubs and transparency, there are a few Indian tunes that have struck the right note at the Grammy Award nominations this year.
This is not the first time that Indian classical music has got recognition by the Recording Academy. A peek into the past would highlight that music rooted deep in Indian culture and ethos did win accolades in the oast — Zakir Hussain, Ricky Kej and Ravi Shankar being shining examples.
This year, sitar player Anoushka Shankar’s album “Love Letters” has been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category. Singer Shilpa Rao has collaborated with Anoushka for the musical chapter.
“Anoushka Shankar, what should I say, thank you for all the love and hard work you have put into this album and thank you so much for this beautiful collaboration. Big love to everyone who is part of this album. This is one step closer to the dream,” said Shilpa, who has teamed up with Anoushka on the track “Those words” that featured on the album “Love Letters”.
Another Indian link is sitarist-actor Neha Mahajan, who has been credited for the song “Mi sangre”, one of the tracks in Ricky Martin’s album “Pausa”, which has been nominated in the Best Latin Pop category.
On the other hand, Mumbai-born and US-bred singer-songwriter Priya Darshini bagged her first ever Grammy nomination in the Best New Age Album category. She has been nominated for her debut album, “Periphery”.
“Periphery” has nine songs. The album, manufactured by Chesky Records, is a blend of American pop and traditional Carnatic music with songs like “Jahaan”, “The Banyan Tree” and “Sanware sanware”.
“A live album, recorded entirely on one mic getting a nod from the Academy is quite surreal. I have dreamt of this day since I was little, but I never really thought dreams like this could come true for someone like me — a tamizh ponnu (tamil girl) from Goregaon! I thank the universe for proving me wrong,” Priya wrote in an Instagram post.
According to Chesky Records, Periphery “explores the various connotations of what ‘home’ means to Priya Darshini, as she introspects on her cultural identity as a South Indian growing up in Mumbai and transplanted to New York City”.
“Taking her roots from Indian Classical music, Priya’s knowledge of music from all over the world has resulted in a fresh, imaginative and fascinating new sound. She displays an exciting combination of range, technique, unconventional compositions, a feminist perspective and a prodigious voice that truly sets her apart from other vocalists,” the record stated in the brief of the album.
Indian American producer Vivek J. Tiwary has been nominated in the Best Musical Theater Album category for the Broadway hit, “Little Jagged Pill”. Tiwary is one of the producers of the musical, which is based on Alanis Morissette’s classic work.
From Priyanka Chopra to Sunidhi Chauhan, several Indian stars in the past have made their international singing debuts but they failed to get acknowledgement at the Grammys. Is it because they tried to win over a western audience singing the West’s songs in a western style, or is it because Indian classical music resonates globally more only now? The answer, perhaps, lies in a mix of both reasons..
Meanwhile, the 2021 Grammy Awards nominations are all about women power with Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa leading the way. Beyonce is leading the contender at the 2021 Grammy Awards with nine nods. She is followed by Taylor Swift, Roddy Ricch and Dua Lipa, who earned six nominations each.
The 63rd Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2021 and will be showcased live in India on Vh1 India.
With the COVID-induced lockdown requiring most to stay indoors, what flourished was a reconnection to the arts – music, literature, dancing, and even painting and sketching. As the self-isolation period weighed down heavily on the one’s mental health, taking to the visual arts has been nothing short of therapeutic for many…writes Siddhi Jain.
Bengaluru’s Payel Saha, currently a homemaker previously worked in recruitment, she had been an art enthusiast since her childhood with some prizes in her kitty. Saha says the pandemic situation has somehow encouraged her to go back to her love.
“It was getting monotonous staying at home, with only online classes and work from home, where we as a family were only engaged with our screens which was tiring and boring after a time, and it was reflecting badly on my kids making them more cranky and restless. Then I thought to engage my kids in art and creativity, which could give joy like nothing else. It is one of the sweetest memories for us as a family in the pandemic days.
It also, helped me find my interest in the lost passion for art,” Saha, who indulged in DIY art and craft projects, glass and canvas paintings and making of a doll house from waste materials like cartons, told IANSlife.
In quite a similar journey, Mumbai-based Zohair Shaikh, the co-founder of a full-service marketing and communications agency, says the lockdown and the intense number of hours of curiosity and confusion were a road back to his long-lost romance with art. “A passion I always held dear but never found the time or inspiration to really submerge myself into producing quality output. In the early days when the world came to a standstill, I found what it took to translate my hobby and passion into something more fruitful. Reconnecting to the basics of creating sketches out of nothing has given me purpose in life that I seemed to have lost in the crazy hectic life of the advertising world and has also helped me relax and look at things from a whole new perspective.”
But, why is art a calming activity?
“Nikki Giovanni once wrote Art offers sanctuary to everyone willing to open their hearts as well as their eyes’. In a time of such immense uncertainty and anxiety, a sanctuary is something we all crave and can find in the simple act of taking a brush to canvas or pen to paper. Biologically, immersing ourselves in art reduces our stress hormone – cortisol and releases endorphins making us exceptionally happier. Art in both forms, creating as well as observing can nourish our soul and lift our spirits,” explains art entrepreneur Amrita Deora, founder and CEO of The Designer.
Ekta Nankani, a New Delhi-based public relations professional, told IANSlife: “I have always been an admirer of art and the mere process of creating something astonishes me. I bought some art supplies two years back and used to paint not-so-often, maybe once in two months. While I was always inclined towards painting, I didn’t know where and how to begin. Initial days of lockdown were a relief from the hectic life we all lead. But eventually, being home started to get to me. There was chaos inside my head and the build-up of stress, anxiety, restlessness took over me.”
Adding, “that’s when I rediscovered my supplies and began painting again. The process helped me calm my nerves and gave me something to look forward to at the end of the day. I have now bought different types of painting colours, sheets and brushes and also attended a Zoom class on watercolour painting. From painting once in two months to now making 4-5 postcards a day, I have relished every bit of it. I have created many mini watercolour and gouache paintings/postcards and I learn something new every day. I usually paint florals, leaves and mini landscapes of the pictures that I have clicked. It’s so therapeutic, soothing and such an indulgent activity; I absolutely love it.”
A Greater Noida-based communication consultant Shruti Mathur said, “I only pursued art till school, and used to enjoy it. However, during pandemic, due to the high stress levels and work related pressure, I started looking at ways to express myself better and channelize my thoughts and feelings in a better manner. I randomly picked up water colors, art notebook and glass colors and started taking time offs in between work projects and on weekends. It really helped me calm down my otherwise hyperactive senses. I never set out to achieve a perfect painting, instead felt relaxed during the process. My mood uplifted instantly by doing this and I could bounce back and respond to the real time issues much more quickly and effectively.”
Award-winning author and columnist Shoba Narayan is a graduate from the Columbia Journalism School with a Pulitzer Travelling Fellowship and writes on food, travel, fashion, and art and culture for a slew of International and Indian publications like the Conde Nast Traveller, NYT and Brunch. All her four books are firmly rooted in Indian culture, as is her latest offering, “Food & Faith – A Pilgrim’s Journey Through India”, (HarperCollins) that she says actually helped her figure out her faith...writes Vishnu Makhijani.
“After being an atheist as a teenager, agnostic in my twenties and thirties, I turned to religion late in life. As the mother of two young daughters, the daughter of fairly religious, traditional, South Indian parents and in-laws, I had to come to terms with my religion, and indeed, all religions. Instead of avoiding and disdaining faith, I had to find a way to include it in my life. For my children’s sake. For my parents’ sake,” the Bengaluru-based Narayan told IANS in an interview.
“Around the time I began visiting temples to write about their sacred food (prasadam and its different connotations), I decided to figure out my faith. I wanted to figure out how I felt about the Hindu rituals and practices that I had dismissed as being patriarchal. I re-read the marvellous and imaginative Hindu myths that I had heard from my grandmother as a child. And I talked to many experts about my religion.
“Food seemed like an innocuous way to do this. Sacred food as a way of fusing a secular identity with spirituality in some form: that was my plan. What I didn’t know, what I didn’t anticipate, is that once you step into the realm of faith, your heart and emotions open in ways that you cannot predict or control. You’ll see when you read the book,” Narayan explained.
It’s a book largely – but not only – about Hinduism “written by a (sceptical) Hindu who seeks to answer larger questions about faith. Like the following: What is the role of religion in your life today? Do you pray? How do you pray? Do you commune with the divine through rituals? Is it through chanting verses in Aramaic, Arabic or Sanskrit?”
“Or is it a comforting routine – going to the mosque, church or temple once a week or month? Is religion part of your identity? Or is it something that you seek to distance yourself from? Is it an occasional activity that you do out of habit or because your parents ask you to? Or is it simply a connection with your heritage, home and ancestors?
“Do you think religion is a private act or can it be part of the public discourse? Are these questions making you uncomfortable? These are the questions that came up during the many pilgrimages that I undertook. These are the questions that I sought to answer in my writing,” Narayan elaborated.
And what a sweep it covers! Embracing shrines in Amritsar, Ajmer, Mumbai (the Bene Israelis), and Goa, besides the prominent Hindu temples, the book explores the powerful and intimate intertwining of food with faith, history, myth and identity.
A considerable amount of research has gone into its writing.
“I started with a simple calculation. I would visit those temples that had good prasadam or sacred food offerings. These are, literally, foods for the gods, which belong to a time, place and a specific deity. After offering it to God, the devotees partake of this ‘gracious gift of God’,” Narayan said.
“Using food as an anchor and guide seemed like a good way to parse the hundreds of thousands of Hindu temples in India, each with specific creation-myths, rituals and, yes, recipes. If nothing else, I would eat well,” the author added.
An interesting thing happened as she traversed the world of Hindu temple prasadams.
“I discovered that while the food was interesting, my journey also prompted larger questions about faith and its place in our lives and society. And that is what this book eventually became: a pilgrim’s quest into the world of faith told through food,” Narayan said.
Quite naturally, the writing of the book had a profound impact on her.
“I am a Hindu. It defines who I am, perhaps not as much as feminism, and certainly not as much as being a writer or a mother. But if I had to list out the top five things that are part of my identity, it would be part of the list,” Narayan said.
At the same time, there was the reaffirmation that “all religions share broad strokes. They talk about developing courage, character and tenacity to cope with the ups and downs of life. Faith, at its best, is about giving strength and succour. As it turns out, the religion that I was born into, Hinduism, has answers for many of the above questions. It is also an imaginative faith, full of myth and folklore, rituals that incorporate lights, lamps, flowers, music, dance and sacred food.”
We may pray to Jesus, Ram or Allah, “but at the end of the day, we are all children of God. We each have many identities. Religion is one, but there are others. We are each of us son/daughter, spouse, sibling, friend and professional. I tend to identify myself through my work, and I would suspect that most of my readers are the same way”.
“I am attracted to the beauty of Hindu rituals, to its pujas, pomp and circumstance. At the same time, I like Christian gospel music, Buddhist philosophy, Sufi poetry, Jewish literature, Sikh generosity, Parsi identity. In India, we are lucky enough to be able to experience them all.
“So yes, I am Hindu. I like my faith, but please, that’s not all I am.
“And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a frig-full of prasadams (sacred food) that I need to eat,” Narayan concludes.
