2021 was an extraordinary year of making the nonbinary ordinary

In response to criticism about his casting of Javier Bardem, who is Spanish, as Cuban-American Desi Arnaz in the new film “Being the Ricardos,” director Alan Sorkin told the Times: “Nouns aren’t actable. Gay and straight aren’t actable . . . So, this notion that only gay actors should play gay characters? That only a…Continue Reading

“There is no federal solution”: Biden says governors must take the lead in COVID response

President Joe Biden on Monday vowed to provide more federal support to states, but called on governors to take the lead in the nation’s pandemic response. Before a video meeting with state governors, the president reiterated his administration’s plan to send out 500 million rapid COVID tests and expand testing capacity and federal aid as the omicron…Continue Reading

Best of 2021: Rapture in the Zoom

During the first July of the pandemic, my brother died on the floor of his living room in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Already for months we’d been reminded via Zoom how people can disappear in a blink. Thunder cracks and bulbs darken. Suddenly, faces freeze, startled, as if Mt. Vesuvius had just erupted and they’d caught their first sight of falling…Continue Reading

US Reduces Covid-19 Isolation, Quarantine Time

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shortened the isolation time for Americans infected with Covid-19 from 10 to five days.”Given what we currently know about Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with Covid-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed…Continue Reading

1st Test: With 2nd day’s play washed out, India will look to realign targets

The Indian team will look to reset its first innings target after the second day’s play in the opening Test against South Africa had to be called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy and persistent rain since morning here on Monday.What started as a drizzle this morning became a steady downpour in…Continue Reading

Odisha Forest Dept Terms Death Of Two Elephants In Khordha ‘Accidental’

The Odisha Forest department on Monday termed the death of two elephants who died on Saturday after they were hit by a goods train near Bhusandapur Railway Station under Tangi Forest Division in Khordha, as ‘accidental’.“We had information about the elephant herd crossing tracks and we were in contact with the railways. The goods train…Continue Reading

Bhubaneswar Turns Crime Capital; 32 Murder, 108 Rape Cases In 11 Months

Despite the stringent enforcement of law, Bhubaneswar seems to have become a hunting ground for criminals as the State Capital witnessed a steep rise in criminal activities in the last 11 months.According to the crime statistics released by the Commissionerate Police on Monday, 32 murder, 108 rape and 1,880 theft cases have been registered in…Continue Reading

Foxconn’s iPhone factory in India remains closed as workers suffer mass food poisoning

A Foxconn iPhone factory in India at the centre of a mass food-poisoning incident will extend a week-long closure by an extra three days, a senior official for the state of Tamil Nadu told Reuters. The factory, which employs some 17,000 people, had been due to resume some operations on Monday but is now expected to restart…Continue Reading

Goa, Manipur report first Omicron case; night curfew in Uttarakhand, Kerala & Karnataka

Amid rise in Omicron variant cases, the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Kerala on Monday imposed night curfew. On Monday, Manipur reported the first Omicron case after a person returning from Tanzania tested positive for the new variant as three Omicron cases were detected in Rajashtan’s Jaipur and Udaipur.  Goa also reported the first Omicron case. The…Continue Reading