New law puts Hong Kong pastors at risk of being extradited to China: Report

For over a year, Hong Kong citizens have been out on the streets protesting against the proposed extradition bill, which would have allowed criminal suspects in the city to be sent to mainland China.

With China pushing ahead with the implementation of the national security law on Hong Kong, pastors including pro-democracy activists and religious leaders face a risk of being extradited to mainland China for trial, according to a US-based Christian watchdog.

"Under such laws, vocal Hong Kong clergy who have been supportive of Hong Kong's democracy movement, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, could be extradited to mainland China to be tried, since Beijing considers them to be threats to the regime," Fox News quoted International Christian Concern (ICC) as saying in a statement.

"Other hundreds of protestant leaders or Christian organisations who have actively spoken out against the Hong Kong government might face the same fate, since Beijing has said it considers the mass protests that began last June as terrorist acts and any calls for Hong Kong's independence from China as acts of sedition," it said.

Last week, Chinese authorities divulged details of the new national security legislation for Hong Kong after the three-day meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Sputnik reported.

The controversial legislation comprises six chapters and 66 articles. The chapters, inter alia, cover general provisions, duties and mechanisms for ensuring Hong Kong's national security, issues of crimes and penalties, jurisdiction and law enforcement.

The draft document lists the main responsibilities of the Chinese authorities regarding national security, as well as Hong Kong's constitutional responsibility to maintain it. The legislation sets out rules for the prevention, suppression and punishment of secessionist activities, attempts to undermine the state authority, terrorist activities and colluding with foreign states or forces to jeopardise national security.

Lockdown has hurt education of 247 mn school kids in India: UNICEF report

According to the report, at least 600 million South Asian children have been threatened by the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

A report prepared by UNICEF has revealed that COVID-19 pandemic in India and lockdown has "impacted" 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary education, besides 28 million children who were undergoing pre-school education in Anganwadi centres.

According to the report, at least 600 million South Asian children have been threatened by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing out the revelations in India's perspective on education and learning of a child, the UN report said, "In India, school closures have impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary education. It has impacted about 28 million children who were attending pre-school education in Anganwadi centres. This is in addition to more than six million girls and boys who were already out of school prior to the COVID-19 crisis."

However, the report has highlighted the efforts done by the central and state government to continue education for children through multiple e-platforms like web portals, mobile apps, TV channels, radio and podcasts to reach children, Diksha platform, Swayam Prabha TV channels, e-Pathshala and the National Repository of Open Educational Resources.

In the wake of COVID-19 lockdown, recently, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared an alternative academic calendar for classes 1 to 12 with suggested activities to guide learning at home.

Importantly, UNICEF report has indicated that approximately only a quarter of households (24 per cent) in India have access to the internet and there is a large rural-urban and gender divide.

Human trial begins of Imperial College London's candidate Covid-19 vaccine

Imperial College London's vaccine candidate is being developed and trialled with the help of more than £41 million in funding from the UK government and a further £5 million in philanthropic donations.

The human trial of Imperial College London's candidate coronavirus vaccine began on Tuesday with the first healthy volunteer receiving a small dose of it.

It is a second such trial in the UK. The first candidate vaccine that went for the human trial was from Oxford University.

The clinical team, which delivered a small dose of the vaccine to the participant at a West London facility, is closely monitoring the participant and report that they are in good health with no safety concerns, said the college in a press release.

The trials are the first test of a new self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technology, which has the potential to revolutionise vaccine development and enable scientists to respond more quickly to emerging diseases, the college said.

The volunteer has asked to remain anonymous.

Imperial College London's vaccine candidate is being developed and trialled with the help of more than £41 million in funding from the UK government and a further £5 million in philanthropic donations.

Dr Katrina Pollock, from Imperial's Department of Infectious Disease and Chief Investigator of the study, said: "We have reached a significant milestone in this ground-breaking study with the first dose of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine delivered safely."

"We are now poised to test the vaccine in the dose evaluation phase before moving forward to evaluating it in larger numbers."

The volunteer will receive a second booster dose within four weeks. Several others are expected to receive the first dose over the coming days. The clinical team will continue to monitor all participants closely for safety, as well as look to see if they produce antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

UTI AMC gets Sebi nod for initial public offering to raise Rs 3,000 cr

The IPO of the country's largest AMC in terms of total AUM comprises sale of 38,987,081 equity shares by existing shareholders.

UTI Asset Management Company (AMC) has received markets regulator Sebi’s go-ahead to raise a little over Rs 3,000 crore through its initial public offering (IPO).
The IPO of the country’s largest AMC in terms of total assets under management (AUM) comprises sale of 38,987,081 equity shares by existing shareholders, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP).

State Bank of India (SBI), Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), and Bank of Baroda (BoB) are offering to sell 10,459,949 shares each, while Punjab National Bank (PNB) and T Rowe Price International are planning to offload 3,803,617 shares each. The public offer is expected to raise a little over Rs 3,000 crore, market sources said.

UTI AMC, which had filed draft papers with Sebi in December 2019, obtained its observations on June 16, latest update with the markets watchdog showed.

Sebi’s observations are necessary for any company to launch public issues, including initial share-sale, follow-on public offer and rights issue.

SBI, LIC, PNB, and BoB hold 18.5 per cent stake each in UTI AMC. The US-based T Rowe Price holds 26 per cent stake in the company.

Kotak Mahindra Capital, Axis Capital, Citibank, DSP Merrill Lynch, ICICI Securities, JM Financial, and SBI Capital Markets are the bookrunning lead managers to the offer.

Patanjali to launch ayurvedic drug for Covid-19, claims cure within 14 days

Balkrishna had earlier this month claimed that an Ayurvedic medicine developed by the company has been able to cure Covid-19 patients within 5-14 days.

Patanjali will launch the ayurvedic medicine for treating Covid-19 at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar on Tuesday.

"Proud launch of first and foremost evidence-based ayurvedic medicine for #corona contagion, #SWASARI_VATI, #CORONIL, is scheduled for tomorrow at 12 noon from #Patanjali Yogpeeth Haridwar," Acharya Balkrishna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Patanjali, tweeted on Monday.

Balkrishna had earlier this month claimed that an Ayurvedic medicine developed by the company has been able to cure Covid-19 patients within 5-14 days.

"We appointed a team of scientists after Covid-19 outbreak. Firstly, the simulation was done and compounds were identified which can fight the virus and stop its spread in the body. Then, we conducted a clinical case study on hundreds of positive patients and we have got 100 per cent favourable results," Balkrishna said.

"After taking our medicine, COVID patients recovered in 5-14 days and then tested negative. So, we can say the cure for COVID is possible through Ayurveda. We are performing controlled clinical trials only. In the next 4-5 days, evidence and data will be released by us," he added.

The Patanjali CEO further said that people should practice Yoga, and keep oneself healthy through proper diet to boost the immune system.

Investors are spending fresh billions hedging market mania: Experts

Gold and longer-maturity bonds are getting outsized inflows. Protective equity options are outdrawing speculative contracts, while volatility markets are positioning for fresh disruptions.

Whether it’s a bearish portent of a sell-off to come or prudent hedging after a fierce stock rebound, traders are bolstering their defenses against an end to this vertiginous rally.

Gold and longer-maturity bonds are getting outsized inflows. Protective equity options are outdrawing speculative contracts, while volatility markets are positioning for fresh disruptions.

It comes as signs of froth are emerging. The S&P 500 Index is on the cusp of its best quarter in more than 80 years even as fears of a second coronavirus wave grow. Speculative mania reigns among retail investors, while the likes of JPMorgan Chase & Co. are turning bullish on U.S. stocks.

But for all the fears that Wall Street is running headlong into risk in one of the fastest rebounds ever, hedging demand shows the frenzy is being met with some vigilance.

Yellow Metal

Net bullish bets on gold in futures and options have risen for the first time in four weeks, recovering from a one-year low, Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed on Friday. The SPDR Gold Shares, the world’s biggest exchange-traded fund holding bullion, took in the most in about a year at $1.3 billion on Friday. Overall, gold ETFs boosted their holdings by almost 30 tons, a sign of enduring faith in the defensive asset.

One reason: bulls keep finding their faith rewarded, with the price of bullion edging toward the highest since 2012.

Apple WWDC 2020: iOS 14, macOS Big Sur, other announcements at keynote event

The Apple WWDC 2020 keynote event had a rich assortment of announcements. Here are the key announcements from the WWDC 2020 keynote session.

Apple on Monday kickstarted its worldwide developers conference (WWDC) with a keynote speech where the technology giant previewed its upcoming operating system and software features for iPhones, iPads, Watch, TV, Airpods and Macs. In a major move, the company also announced its plan to shift its Mac computers to ARM-based Apple Silicon from Intel processors. From iOS 14 to iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur and watchOS 7, the Apple WWDC 2020 keynote event had a rich assortment of announcements. Here are the key announcements from the WWDC 2020 keynote session:

The Mac's transition to Apple Silicon

This is a major announcement that might set the future direction for Apple Mac computers. After shifting to Intel chips in 2006, the company is now ready to power its Mac computers with its own ARM-based chips. In the keynote address, Apple previewed a Mac powered by Apple A12Z Bionic chip. The early look reveals that Mac on ARM chips is ready to replace the Intel powered Macs. Apple has optimised all its native apps, including Motion and Final Cut Pro X. The company has also been working with Microsoft and Adobe, and their key software like Microsoft Office productivity apps and Adobe Creative apps have already been optimised to work on Macs powered by ARM chips. The move to Apple Silicon will start with new Macs to be released later this year, and the entire transition will take two years.

macOS Big Sur for Apple Macs

The macOS Big Sur is the upcoming operating system for Apple’s Mac-series computers and laptops. The OS will bring redesigned user interface (UI) and introduce new features such as control center for easy access to key settings and notification centre with access to widgets, and more. The OS is seen as the company’s first step towards the Mac's transition to Apple Silicon. Therefore, it also brings some iPhone apps to the Mac. These include the Messages and Maps apps. Apple has added new functionality to both these apps on the iPhone’s upcoming iOS 14 operating system and the Macs would get the same functionality, too. Besides, Apple is also making some improvement to its native Safari browser. These include extension support, translation support and redesigned home window with custom wallpaper support.