All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Recipe : Mixed Vegetable Makhani

Inhale Peace; Exhale Love. Joy will Follow! - RUELHA

If you ever visited my house, you’ll know I always have a huge inventory list on my fridge. There are multiple categories and all very well organized. They are updated immediately as per use and I erase my board every month to make space for new lists. I keep a careful watch on my ‘perishables’ section and the ‘about to expire’ list. I have not had to discard anything for ages because of this system that I religiously follow. Maybe someday, I’ll show you my lists. I just cannot bear food being wasted. A million people starve and die of malnourishment daily. I have immense respect for food and much of my menus and meal plans are solely dependent upon my pantry stock. It’s a simple calculation – what do I need to finish up now? I had a few carrots that were beginning to lose their crunch and bell…

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‘The Dictators Will Not Have Good Days Forever,’ Says Veteran Myanmar Activist — Radio Free Asia

Min Ko Naing: In the next few days, we are going to announce the formation of a National Unity Government (NUG). We have a shared vision of removing this terrorist military council. All sorts of organizations will be included in this government. We have been busy bees in the past few days. We have been negotiating with all the groups at home and abroad. In addition to the widely known ethnic armed groups, we are recruiting civic groups, and prominent actors, and so on. When it comes out, you will see how strong it is and how much support we have from our allies around the world. We also have plans to broadcast public TV programs. We have plans to disseminate the information through SMS messages even if internet connections are totally shutdown.

Source: ‘The Dictators Will Not Have Good Days Forever,’ Says Veteran Myanmar Activist — Radio Free Asia

Recipe: Beetroot and Potato sabzi – Ruelha

There was a sale on beets and I decided to buy them. Usually, I just make salads, beet pulao, beet Sichuan fried rice, beet soup or use it to add natural colour and sweetness to my north Indian gravies. But, 500gms of beet is a bit much for any of these. So, I decided to experiment. I’ve been doing a lot of that off late. And to be honest, I’ve been pleasantly surprised most of the times. I tried to balance the sweetness of the beets with tartness from tomatoes and vinegar and a nice punch of heat from the chilies and garlic. I made a semi dry sabzi that would marry well with any Indian flatbread. It tasted so delicious. I definitely see how it can appear to be unappetizing. The deep wine shade had that effect on me too. But, if you can get past the pink hues, this dish tastes quite good and is loaded with so much nutrition. Source: Recipe: Beetroot and Potato sabzi – Ruelha

Saudi Arabia Announces Mandatory Vaccination for Umrah Pilgrims — Egyptian Streets

Image Credit: Amir Nabil, AP Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced last week that a permit to perform Umrah in Mecca can only be granted if the individual is vaccinated against COVID-19, is within 14 days of taking their first dose, or has recovered from the disease. غرامة مالية قدرها (10,000) ريال لمن…

Saudi Arabia Announces Mandatory Vaccination for Umrah Pilgrims — Egyptian Streets

China official says local vaccines lack effectiveness – The Washington Post

China is “formally considering” options to change its vaccines to “solve the problem that the efficacy of the existing vaccines is not high,” Gao said at a conference in Chengdu.

Gao added that one possibility was to adjust the dosage or increase the number of doses. He said another option was to mix vaccines that are made with different technologies, in an apparent admission that China needs to develop messenger RNA vaccines using the revolutionary genetic technology that Western countries have harnessed.

Gao’s remarks, which appeared inadvertent and quickly spread through Chinese social media on Saturday before being mostly censored, marked a departure from the rosy assessments of Chinese-made vaccines by the government. By Sunday, Internet users were intentionally misspelling words in their posts while discussing Gao’s comments to keep them from being removed.

Sinopharm and Sinovac use a conventional method of producing vaccines that contains inactivated viruses, while other countries’ offerings, including those by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, rely on a new technique that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to stimulate an immune response.

Source: China official says local vaccines lack effectiveness – The Washington Post

Thailand hits new daily record with nearly 1,000 virus cases – The Washington Post

If the number of cases is still rising in two weeks, measures beyond the current restrictions on nightlife and longstanding social distancing rules will need to be put in place, said Dr. Sophon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director general of the Department of Disease Control.

Most of the recent cases have been traced to an outbreak that originated last month at several nightlife entertainment venues in Bangkok, Sophon said. He said people should be working from home and exercise vigilance.

Source: Thailand hits new daily record with nearly 1,000 virus cases – The Washington Post

Avian Flu Diary: FIOCRUZ Bulletin: Brazil’s Fastest Increase In COVID Cases/Deaths In Younger Adults

We saw early signs of this growing impact to a younger cohort two weeks ago, in Preprint: Sudden Rise In COVID-19 Case Fatality Among Young & Middle Aged Adults – Paraná, Brazil, which reported more than a 3-fold increase in deaths among COVID cases aged 20 to 29, compared to January, while deaths among those aged 30 to 49 roughly doubled. 

Source: Avian Flu Diary: FIOCRUZ Bulletin: Brazil’s Fastest Increase In COVID Cases/Deaths In Younger Adults