Tag: delivers

IANS Review: ‘Citadel’: Techno thriller that promises more than it delivers! (IANS Rating: **)

[ad_1]
Series: Citadel. Streaming on Amazon Prime. Two episodes up; four to come once a week from May 5.
Cast: Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Stanley Tucci.
Created by: Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh and David Weil.
Cinematographers: Newton Thomas Sigel and Michael Wood.
IANS Rating: **
A good spy thriller has to have the two staple ingredients: a killer concept headed by a credible protagonist and an antagonist. That said, we are all assured that the cinematic value of espionage thrillers will never be lost.

Having offered some of the greatest action movies in cinema history, and giving us convoluted stories, smart plot twists, blasts, flare-ups and umpteen bangs, ideally, a spy thriller packs in so much as to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The American science-fiction television series “Citadel”, created by David Weil for Amazon Prime Video, with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers, and Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas playing “Citadel” agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh. With a heavy dose of action, chases and alluring leads, it promises a lot.
The opening sequence has Priyanka in a red dress looking every inch the sexy sassy spy one would hope for. Only this time, she appears far more confident — shall we say, starry? — as she negotiates several inconsistent turns that the scriptwriters have unimaginatively woven into overfilled-with-possibilities expansions.
As of now, only two of the six-part series are available for viewing and an episode every week will follow from May 5 onwards.
If the first two episodes that are streaming now are any indication, the rest of the periodic flow of thrills will include developments in different territories with more action and shifts justifying its universal appeal.

The 15 minutes of Priyanka’s Nadia Sinh and Mason Kane as agents of the global spy agency Citadel set the ball rolling on an innovatively advanced high-tech train. The two have a mission on their hands: to stop a man carrying a bag full of enriched uranium.
Taking orders from a far-off Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) they must get in on the act to stop their adversary Manticore. They succeed, or so it seems. Several fights amid an exchange of several languages later, one learns that Citadel has fallen and its agents’ memories have been wiped clean.
And guess what? Both Mason and Nadia are presumed dead. Some eight years later, the threat of Manticore rising looms large and Citadel agents must be brought back to lead dangerous lives in a surreal world where their life is often on the line.
By the way, all those who will put aside everything else to accommodate this thriller in their schedules, are in for disappointment, for Priyanka gets precisely 15 minutes of fame in the first episode. The rest of it focuses on Mason and his memory getting back to high speed action once again.
If the makers have outdone — or at least tried their best — to outshine Bond’s penchant for long battles with bad guys, there’s something miserably wanting: humour. The smooth and suave Bond taps into whatever everyone desires in life as he is an embodiment of what every man wants to be and what every woman wants in men.
Described as an “action-packed spy series with a compelling emotional centre” and “an expansive and ground-breaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series,” the show is neither spectacular, nor rivetingly engaging, save, perhaps, the camerawork zooming across the Italian Alps, India, Spain, and Mexico.
If you are expecting a rollercoaster ride full of bumps and highs, this one isn’t the one for you. Not so far. What we get to enjoy in the subsequent episodes is anybody’s guess.
Priyanka, who seems post “Quantico” to have sharpened the art of keeping herself bravely engaged in all kinds of covert operations, spying, transporting weapons and supplies, and helping people escape while all along adding martial art skills, is in perfect shape.
Mouthing dialogues in husky tones, she has left behind her desi accent that stood out in “Quantico”, the 2015 thriller series, and looks and acts like any other global citizen. Her poise and sureness is for everyone to admire and that alone should pave the way for other Indian female stars to head westwards.
Other than her, everyone else looks eager for more adventurous escapades to keep themselves going.
The series will include developments in different countries and languages. “The Family Man” duo Raj and DK have been signed to do the Indian adaptation featuring Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

[ad_2]
#IANS #Review #Citadel #Techno #thriller #promises #delivers #IANS #Rating
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 1, 2023
Biden launches campaign then delivers speech not mentioning it

[ad_1]

As an official White House event, Biden was not there in his capacity as a candidate. Instead, the speech was a campaign launch without an explicit launch of the campaign. He shook every hand on stage. He flashed a big grin more than once. He peppered his speech with booming yells about workers being the backbone of American and bottom-out economics.
But while the crowd erupted into a “Let’s go Joe” chant, Biden left talk of 2024 somewhere behind the dais. It was an implicit recognition that the actual act of running for office comes with certain legal restrictions, an illustration of how tricky it can be to walk the line between president and incumbent presidential candidate.
Though Biden’s speech came just hours after he formally launched his 2024 campaign with a three-minute video in which he asked voters to help him “finish the job,” he made no such ask of the union members before him.
Still, Tuesday’s speech at the Washington Hilton previewed how the president will make his case in the coming months — with official and political events and travel to highlight his administration’s accomplishments before kicking off a barnstorming general election campaign in 2024. He zeroed in on legislative accomplishments, from the Inflation Reduction Act to the bipartisan infrastructure law, while making the case that his core economic plan was working.
“Under my predecessor, Infrastructure Week was a punchline. On my watch, Infrastructure Week has become a decade headline — a decade. That’s where you all come in. We’ve already announced over 25,000 infrastructure projects in 4,500 towns across America and we’re just getting started,” Biden said.
“Union workers will build roads and bridges, lay internet cable, install 500,000 electric vehicle chargers throughout America. Union workers are going to transform America. And union workers are going to finish the job.”
Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term in the White House, is battling an approval rating stuck in the low 40s. But White House aides have repeatedly emphasized the unpopularity of his political opponents, particularly Trump. Biden will have 18 months to fundraise before Election Day, which could present a rematch with the opponent he beat in 2020, former President Donald Trump.
But on Tuesday, the president’s mood appeared unfazed by the great obstacles hovering over his announcement. The room full of union workers buzzed with chatter about the timing of his appearance.

“As they say, he’s the most pro-labor, pro-union president in the history of the United States. It’s pretty fitting that he announced this today,” said Dustin Himes, of Bricklayers Local 15, a labor union in Kansas City, Mo. “It’s pretty special.”
[ad_2]
#Biden #launches #campaign #delivers #speech #mentioning
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

April 25, 2023
Oxford University, SII tie-up delivers ‘high efficacy’ malaria vaccine

[ad_1]
London: A University of Oxford developed and Serum Institute of India (SII) manufactured and scaled up “high efficacy” malaria vaccine has been licensed for use in Ghana by Africa’s Food and Drugs Authority, the university announced here on Thursday.
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, leveraging Novavax’s adjuvant technology, has been approved for use in children aged 5 to 36 months the age group at the highest risk of death from malaria. It marks the first regulatory clearance for the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine for use in any country.
“This marks a culmination of 30 years of malaria vaccine research at Oxford with the design and provision of a high efficacy vaccine that can be supplied at adequate scale to the countries who need it most,” said Professor Adrian Hill, Chief investigator of the programme and Director of the Oxford University’s Jenner Institute at the Nuffield Department of Medicine.

“As with the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, our partnership with the Serum Institute of India has been key to successful very large-scale manufacturing and rapid development,” he said.
The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is a low-dose vaccine that can be manufactured at a mass scale and modest cost, enabling as many as hundreds of millions of doses to be supplied to African countries which are suffering a significant malaria burden.
“Malaria is a life-threatening disease that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations in our society and remains a leading cause of death in childhood. Developing a vaccine to greatly impact this huge disease burden has been extraordinarily difficult,” said Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India.
“The licensure of the R21/Matrix-M Malaria Vaccine for use in Ghana is a significant milestone in our efforts to combat malaria around the world. We remain steadfast in our commitment to scaling up production of the vaccine to meet the needs of countries with high malaria burden and to support global efforts towards saving lives,” he said.
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine was initially designed and developed at the University of Oxford and has undergone clinical trials in the UK, Thailand, and several African countries, including an ongoing Phase III trial in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali and Tanzania that has enrolled 4,800 children. Results from these trials are expected to be reported later this year.

The vaccine contains Novavax’s Matrix-M, a saponin-based adjuvant that enhances the immune system response, making it more potent and more durable. The Matrix-M adjuvant stimulates the entry of antigen-presenting cells at the injection site and enhances antigen presentation in local lymph nodes. This technology has also been used in Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine and is a key component of other development-stage vaccines.
John C Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax said: “We’re thrilled that Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant has contributed to the success of this promising and much-needed malaria vaccine.
“It is our intention to unlock the potential of our adjuvant, both in the near term and over time, to continue to improve public health.”
Meanwhile, SII is said to have already established potential manufacturing capacities of more than 200 million doses annually. The scientists behind the project see this as a critical step towards reducing over half a million malaria-related deaths annually and improving the health outcomes of millions of people in Africa and beyond.
[ad_2]
#Oxford #University #SII #tieup #delivers #high #efficacy #malaria #vaccine
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 13, 2023
Karnataka: Man delivers Azaan outside DC office in protest against BJP MLA’s remark

[ad_1]
Following former minister and BJP leader K S Eshwarappa’s recent comments on Azaan, a Muslim man delivered the Azaan in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Shivamogga district, Karnataka.
A group of Muslim men holding flags protested against the BJP MLA’s statements. They even tried to barge into the DC’s office.
Eswarappa stirred a fresh controversy in Karnataka by stating that “Does Allah listen only if the Azaan prayers are played on loudspeakers?”.
Speaking at a rally organised as part of the Vijay Sankalp Yatra on Sunday, Eshwarappa said, “Will Allah listen only if the prayers are done through loudspeakers…this makes me question if He is deaf.”
His statements received backlash from the Muslim community. However, the former minister defended his statements saying India is a Hindu Rashtra.
“In the entire world India is the only country for Hindus. We are protecting the Hindu dharma. But if they (Muslims) continue this practice (of giving Azaan) through loudspeakers then we have to admit he (Allah) is deaf. So I think this issue should be addressed at the earliest,” he told reporters.
“I did not mean to condemn any religion but was voicing the sentiments of the public. Let me give you an example. When the Azaan is pronounced near an examination center, students face inconvenience. The same goes for patients in hospitals,” he added.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Karnataka #Man #delivers #Azaan #office #protest #BJP #MLAs #remark
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 19, 2023
DeSantis delivers annual state of state — with an eye to 2024

[ad_1]

While DeSantis has brushed off questions about his political ambitions, he’s checked many of the boxes that White House hopefuls seek to accomplish as they gear up for a national campaign.
As Florida’s legislative session begins this week, DeSantis will head to Iowa and is planning trips to Nevada and New Hampshire. Those visits come after DeSantis held a series of campaign-style events to hype his new book, “Courage to be Free.”
He’s has also come under increased attacks from Donald Trump as the former president focuses on the Florida governor as the biggest obstacle to getting the 2024 Republican nomination. DeSantis has noticeably lost weight, another common feature of politicians planning high profile future runs. Trump’s insults, at times, have centered on DeSantis’ physical appearance.
DeSantis couldn’t ask for a better runway for a national Republican primary than Florida. The Republican-dominated Legislature over the past two years has handed him almost anything he wanted as he has ascended through the national conservative ecosystem and appears poised to continue the trend.
Both Florida Republican House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo opened their speeches Tuesday by praising DeSantis, which has become common among the state’s Republican leaders.
“Our governor is truly America’s governor,” Passidomo said. “He has defended our conservative values, challenged the individuals and institutions who pose threats to others, and introduced innovative solutions to better our state. It is often said that states are laboratories for democracy. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Florida is more than a laboratory, we are the model.”
DeSantis used his speech to highlight his policy portfolio, which is largely defined by culture war-infused fights. That includes urging lawmakers to expand Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education bill,” known by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay,” which bans instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms up until third grade. Legislators want to broaden the ban until eighth grade.
About a half-dozen bills lawmakers are proposing are inspired by DeSantis’ hard-right agenda, including mandating that teachers use pronouns that match those assigned to their students at birth, ban gender studies in the state’s higher education system and prohibit gender-affirming care for trans minors under 18.

“It’s sad that we have to say this, but our children are not guinea pigs for science experimentation and we cannot allow people to make money off mutilating them,” DeSantis said.
Attending the State of the State speech was Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old who has referred to herself as a “former trans kid,” and who has spoken to state legislature’s across the country in support of banning gender-affirming care.
Both state and national Democrats quickly released a slate of press releases and “fact checks” blasting DeSantis, a rapid response effort that’s ramping up as Democrats prepare to do battle with DeSantis heading into the 2024 presidential election cycle.
“Ron DeSantis is set to deliver his State of the State address today — where he will unveil his extreme wish list for the upcoming Florida legislative session as he continue his desperate chase for the MAGA base,” the Democratic National Committee said in a statement.
Unexpectedly, GOP lawmakers on Tuesday also proposed a six week abortion ban just minutes before DeSantis delivered his State of the State address even as the state’s previous 15 week abortion ban is mired in legal challenges and is awaiting a Florida Supreme Court hearing. The proposed six-week ban, which has the support of legislative leaders, includes language tying its effective date to a ruling by the conservative-leaning state high court. If the court upholds the law, the six-week ban could take effect if passed, but it would not if the 15-week ban is found to be unconstitutional.
The new proposal includes exemptions up to 15 weeks for rape and incest if the victim provides documentation that they were victimized. That can include things like police reports, court records, or restraining orders.
DeSantis told reporters after his State of the State speech that he thought the exemptions were “acceptable” but kept his comments brief.
“I have not seen what is filed, but I think that in the discussion that I had heard them [lawmakers] having, they were recognizing [the challenge to the 15 week abortion ban] was pending and that whatever they do this year would be basically only in effect if that case was resolved in a favorable way,” DeSantis said.
Pilloried by Dems
Democrats immediately railed against the proposal and cast DeSantis as extreme for supporting the measure. Democrats nationally used the same technique in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, and it was credited, in part, with helping Democrats enjoy a much more successful 2022 midterm than predicted.
“Each of us should be free to live our lives with dignity and to make the decisions that are best for our lives, families and communities,” said state Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood. “No one wants Ron DeSantis in the exam room with us; personal medical decisions should be between me, my family, my doctor, and my faith. Not politicians.”
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday also told reporters that elected officials like DeSantis “espouse quote, freedom for all, unquote, while directly attacking the freedom to make one’s own health care decisions. Their rhetoric doesn’t come without consequences here.”
But in the wake of midterm elections that saw Republicans dominate in Florida and build legislative super-majorities, Democrats have largely acknowledged there is little they can do to slow down DeSantis’ agenda.
And DeSantis does not appear poised to ease up.
“We will stand strong. We will hold the line. We won’t back down,” he said to conclude his speech, before borrowing a line made famous by former President Ronald Raegan. “And I can promise you this, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
[ad_2]
#DeSantis #delivers #annual #state #state #eye
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 8, 2023
Maharashtra: Minor delivers baby at home, kills newborn

[ad_1]
Nagpur: A 15-year-old girl, an alleged victim of sexual exploitation, delivered a girl at her home in Nagpur city of Maharashtra after watching YouTube videos and killed the newborn, police said on Sunday.
A police official said the girl was sexually exploited by a man she got acquainted with on social media.
“She hid her baby bump from her mother by telling her that she was having some health issues,” the official said.
To maintain secrecy, the girl, a resident of Ambazari area, hit upon the idea of home delivery and started watching YouTube videos. “On March 2, she gave birth to a girl at her home and immediately strangled the newborn to death. She hid the body in a box in her home,” the official added.
When her mother returned home, she questioned the girl about her health condition. “The girl narrated her ordeal to her mother, following which she was taken to a hospital. The body of the newborn was sent for postmortem,” he said.
A case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The charge of murder will be invoked after receiving a postmortem report, the official added.
Further investigation is underway.

[ad_2]
#Maharashtra #Minor #delivers #baby #home #kills #newborn
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023
Boeing delivers last 747 jumbo jets

[ad_1]
Washington: More than half a century since the original jumbo jet ushered in a new jet age, Boeing has bid farewell to its 747 jumbo jets or the ‘Queen of the Skies’.
After 53 years since its first delivery, thousands of the company’s current and former employees and guests attended a ceremony on Tuesday in Everett, Washington, to say goodbye to the 1,574th and last Boeing 747 ever built, reports Xinhua news agency.
After the ceremony, the final 747 freighter built for cargo carrier Atlas Air departed from outside the grand assembly plant purpose-built for the 747 in the late 1960s.
The building housed more jet programs and grew to be the largest by volume in the world.
Boeing Everett at a recent peak in 2012 provided more than 40,000 jobs, according to a report by The Seattle Times.
The late Joe Sutter, the chief engineer on the original program, was given the task to design a new jet in August 1965.
The first test plane rolled out of the newly built factory in September 1968 and had its first flight in February 1969.
The first production plane was delivered on January 22, 1970.

The final 747-8 passenger version can carry nearly 470 people on trans-Pacific and other longer-haul routes.
Over the past two decades, airlines switched to the more fuel-efficient, two-engined planes, which leads 747 models out of production.
As of December 2022, there are only 44 passenger versions of the 747 still in service, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The figure is down from more than 130 in service as passenger jets at the end of 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic crippled demand for air travel, especially on international routes on which the 747 and other widebody jets were primarily used.
Lufthansa remains the largest operator of the passenger version of the B747-8, with 19 in its current fleet.
[ad_2]
#Boeing #delivers #jumbo #jets
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 1, 2023