JAB-O-METER TAKE YOUR SHOT May 2 14,37,921 doses May 3 3,93,359 doses TOTAL DOSES: 1,89,46,76,946 NATIONWIDE MAY 2 MAY 3 Fresh cases 3,157 2,568 Recoveries Deaths 2,723 26 2,911 20 KARNATAKA MAY 2 MAY 3 Fresh cases ABORTION RIGHTS IN U.S. MAY BE STRUCK DOWN: LEAKED DRAFT The unprecedented leak sparked protests through the night in the US and swift condemnation from leading Democrats ROE VS WADE CASE THAT LEGALISED ABORTION US’ REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS UNDER THREAT Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6–3 conservative majority who was appointed by former President George W Bush wrote that the 50-year-old Roe judgment was “egregiously wrong from the start.” While Biden cautioned the draft had not been verified, he said US voters will have to step up in defence of the right if the Supreme Court moves ahead ■ ■ In 1992, the court guaranteed a woman’s right to abort until the fetus is viable outside the womb, which is around 22 to 24 weeks Reproductive rights have been under threat as Republican-led states aim to tighten rules, with some seeking to ban abortions after six weeks, before many even know they are pregnant 107 Recoveries Deaths BENGALURU  WEDNESDAY  MAY 4, 2022  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION 111 76 0 107 0 26 U.S. STATES MAY BAN ABORTION IF ROE VS WADE IS OVERTURNED CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Bidar 12 12 The UV Index in 27 of the 31 districts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, is showing readings of 12, which is considered “extreme”. Doctors claim that with this, skin cancers, sun burns and cataracts are on the rise. “Skin cancers are on the rise,” said Dr Narayana Subramaniam, Consultant and HOD, Head and Neck Oncology, Shankara Hospital. Kalaburagi 12 Vijayapura 12 12 Belagavi 12 Gadag-Betageri 12 Karwar Ballari 12 12 Ranebennur Honnavar 12 Use sunscreen SPF 30 and above for maximum protection Chitradurga 12 RISK OF EXPOSURE 12 Udupi 12 Mangaluru 12 Tumakuru Hassan 12 Bengaluru 12 Apply 20-30 mins before exposure to sunlight Avoid stepping out in the sun between 11.30-1.30 PM Use UV protected sun glasses, umbrellas Mysuru State faces high UV, threat of skin cancer C H E TA N A B E L AG E R E @ Bengaluru AS the country is experiencing extreme heat, oncologists are pleading with climate change experts, politicians and the public to take note of the increasing UV Index. In all, 27 of 31 districts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, are showing UV Index readings of 12, which is considered “extreme”. The UV Index for Dharwad, Kolar , Koppal and Raichur is 13 and for Yadagiri it is 12.5. Only in Ramanagara it is 11, but experts said even here it hits 12 in some parts of the day . The index indicates the amount of skin-damaging ultraviolet radiation expected to reach the earth’s surface at a time when the sun is at its highest E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @Bengaluru Omicron BA.2 still dominant variant in India AMIDST a spike in Covid cases, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) has finally confirmed the presence in India of Omicron’s sub-variant XE, which is 10% more transmissible. The confirmation came weeks after XE — a recombinant variant of BA.1 and BA.2 sub lineages of Omicron — was reported from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala. The Union health ministry had denied the initial reports of its presence. In a bulletin dated April 25, INSACOG said one XE case was reported in India. However, INSACOG, jointly initiated by the Union health ministry and Department of Biotechnology in 2020, did not specify from which state it was reported. In India, Omicron BA.2 is still the dominant variant to date. BA.2, a version of Omi- cron reported globally has pro, pelled Covid-19 surges across Europe and the US. INSACOG also said that BA.2.10 and BA.2.12 — BA.2 sub-lineages — have been detected, and “many old BA.2 sequences have been reclassified into these new sub-lineages.” So far, these sub-lineages are not reported to be associated with increased disease severity it said. , On April 6, Maharashtra said the first case of XE was detected in Mumbai following genomic sequencing from a sample of a 50-year-old from South Africa. But the Union health ministry promptly denied it. Three days later, Gujarat announced its first XE case after a man from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19 in Vadodara. In Kerala, too, one case of XE was seen on April 22. All three cases were reported in March, but genome sequence results came in the first week of April. EXPRESS READ Following communal clashes before Eid, a curfew was imposed in areas under 10 police stations in Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Tuesday | PTI | P7 Year on, no relief for 12 Ch’nagar O2 victims Raj Thackeray booked for inflammatory speech Mysuru: A year after the oxygen tragedy that killed 36 patients at the Chamarajanagar District Hospital that drew the attention of the nation, the victims are still running from pillar to post seeking justice | P5 Mumbai: The Aurangabad police registered an FIR against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for his provocative speech in the city on Sunday. The police said his last 4.5 minutes of the speech was very provocative and inflammatory | P8 The highest incidence of skin cancer is reported from Australia, where the high-UV, harsh sun affects the Caucasian population. “Skin cancers in India used to be rare as higher levels of melanin pigment in our skin mitigates the impact of UV rays. But now skin cancers are on the rise,” said Dr Narayana Subramaniam, Consultant and HOD, Head and Neck Oncology Shankara Hospital. , What is UV Index? The World Health Organisation devised the UV index in 2002. Depending on the range, it gives an idea as to how careful you need to be in the sun. A score of 1 or 2 is low, 3 to 5 is moderate, 6 or 7 is high, 8 to 10 is very high P5 and 11 and above is extreme. National database soon 1st no-trust motions on terror funding: Shah against Lankan govt XE VARIANT IN INDIA, ADMITS GOVT FINALLY K A V I TA B A J E L I - D AT T @ New Delhi (around midday). “We only look at how weather is, but don’t talk about the UV Index. Skin cancers were rare in tropical countries like ours. But now, we are definitely seeing an increase due to high UV exposure,” said Dr US Vishal Rao, Dean, HCG Cancer Research Centre and Hospital. He has been continuously studying the risks of UV exposure and the harm it could cause to our body . He explained that the current rate at which the rivers and lands are drying, temperature rising and climate changing, Indian cities too are contributing to the chart of risky UV Index globally With this, skin cancers, . sun burns and cataracts are on the rise, claim doctors. Union Home Minister Amit Shah waves at a gathering during his visit to Bengaluru on Tuesday | NAGARAJA GADEKAL AUTOMATED ACCESS TO INFO NEEDED Union Home Minister Amit Shah said security requirements have changed significantly compared to the earlier security challenges and there is a need for legal and security agencies to have an automated and immediate access to information. UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Centre will soon develop a national database to monitor hawala transactions, terror funding, counterfeit currency narcotics, , bomb threats, illegal arms smuggling and other activities that can potentially support terror acts. Intelligence and legal agencies should now be able to make full use of it with the barriers to critical data being removed, he said. He was speaking after inaugurating the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Bengaluru premises, which will play an active role in using the national database. Shah said security requirements have changed significantly compared to the earlier security challenges in terms of data, scope and complexity and there is a need for legal and security agencies to have an automated, secure and immediate access to information obtained from reliable sources. The services of the NATGRID solution will be available to 11 Central agencies and police of all States and Union Territories. It will link user agencies with data holders, giving them access to real-time information needed for intelligence services and investigations. C-DAC Pune has been roped in as Technology Partner and IIT Bhilai as Plan Management Consultant for the development of the NATGRID solution, said a statement issued by the government. Shah expressed hope that NATGRID will build a strong foundation for intelligence departments and provide them with state-of-the-art tools in the fight against terror organizations and their supporters. He requested user agencies to exercise caution in using this system, which should be used only for correct purposes. He stressed that privacy and security of data are serious matters and assured protocols have been put in place to ensure there is no unauthorized access to P4 citizens’ personal data. Open talks, announce truce in Ukraine: Modi Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine amid calls from his Denmark counterpart Mette Frederiksen to use his influence to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the mindless war. “We have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and adoption of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the problem,” Modi said after bilateral talks at Frederiksen’s residence in Mareinborg near Copenhagen. “Denmark condemns Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine. The scenes at Bucha were disturbing. We want Putin to end the war and would like India to influence Russia in this discussion,” Frederikesen said. As a special gesture, Frederikesen went to the airport to receive Modi, who arrived from Germany . The two prime ministers had first met in New Delhi last October. Modi said there are more than 200 Danish companies operating in India at present in various sectors like wind energy, health, ports, shipping. He added that there are plenty of investment opportunities for Danish companies and pension funds in India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Denmark counterpart Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen | PTI infrastructure sector and green industries. In the India-Denmark Business forum, Modi emphasised the complementary skillsets of the two economies and invited Danish companies to take advantage of India’s enormous opportunities in areas like green technologies, cold chains, waste to wealth, shipping and ports. “These days the term FOMO or ‘fear of missing out’ is gaining traction on social media. Looking at India’s reforms and investment opportunities, I can say that those who don’t invest in our nation will certainly miss out,” he said. ‘Nothing official’ in Union home secy’s CID, FSL visit BALA CHAUHAN @Bengaluru UNION Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday afternoon visited the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters and Forensic Science Laboratory, Madiwala. Bhalla had accompanied Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Bengaluru on Monday night. Bhalla, accompanied by Karnataka Chief Secretary and his batchmate P Ravi Kumar, and Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) Praveen Sood, spent an hour at the Cyber Crime Division (CCD), CID and interacted with DGP, CID, PS Sandhu, ADGP Umesh Kumar and some other CCD officers. Bhalla and Kumar are IAS officers of the 1984 batch. The former had retired in August last year and was given a one-year extension. Later, Bhalla visited FSL, Madiwala and inspected state-of-the-art facility and infrastructure. “He interacted with officers, scientific and technical staff there,” sources told TNIE. “He (Bhalla) had some spare time and wanted to visit CCD and FSL. The former is supposed to be among the best cyber crime units in the country and the new FSL facility is also equally impressive. There was nothing official, and there were no important discussions held during his visit,” added sources. The timing of his visit is, however, not without significance because the police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam is being probed by CID with FSL’s assistance. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE SRI Lanka’s powerful Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) on Tuesday became the first Opposition party to submit noconfidence motions against embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the coalition government he has cobbled together. The motions came on a day the government announced the appointment of a Cabinet sub-committee on Constitutional reforms. “We met the Speaker at his residence and handed over two no-trust motions, the first one against the President under Article 42 of the Constitution and the other against the government,” SJB Gotabaya Rajapaksa general secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said. SJB is the main Opposition party in the country . With Parliament meeting on Wednesday for the first of its eight sittings this month, Bandara wants the motions to be taken up at the earliest. But any motion will need seven days of notice before it can be voted upon. Another no-trust motion against Gotabaya is expected to be jointly filed by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP). If the government loses the floor test when the SJB motion is taken up, it would be the end of the road for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.