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Actor Rajinikanth, who was admitted to the intensive care unit of Chennai's Sri Ramachandra Medical Center Wednesday night, is now recovering well, said a hospital medical bulletin issued Thursday.
"He is responding well and we are happy with the parameters before and after the procedures in intensive care unit. We strongly hope that he can return to the private room in a couple of days."
Mr. Rajinikanth had been admitted last Friday to the hospital for respiratory and gastro-intestinal symptoms. The hospital, which had earlier declined to divulge much on the actor's condition or treatment, confirmed that Mr. Rajinikanth had been given a procedure to drain out fluid and "some amount of hemodialysis."
According to the U.S.-based National Kidney Foundation, hemodialysis is a procedure in which a dialysis machine and a special filter known as an artificial kidney are used to clean the patient's blood when the patient's own kidney doesn't function well.
Fans of the actor, who has a large fan following nationwide, organized special prayers for his rec [...]
The Chief Minister of Orissa has recently praised a federation of women's self-help groups for having led the way to conserve the local turtle population, the Olive Ridley sea turtle.
"Conservation of olive ridley turtles is critical to the livelihood security of Orissa's coastal communities," said Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Orissa, in a statement released by the United Nations Development Program last week.
But how exactly does protecting turtles help these economically-marginalized women? The women, members of Samudram Women's Federation, realized that protecting this species is key for the preservation of the coastal ecosystem, on which their livelihood depends.
This is because turtles feed on jellyfish which are harmful to the fish population, said Mangaraj Panda, a coordinator at Samudram. "Conservation of turtles helps increase the population of fish. This helps the fishermen and fisherwomen increase their income as fish is their bread and butter," he said. Mr. Panda told India Real Time that their work has increased the status of women within their family and made them part of their broader community's decision process.
The women have been working to protect the turtles’ nesting sites on coastal areas since [...]
It's not often that royals attend festivals, but Bhutan's Mountain Echoes literary festival, which kicks off Friday in Thimphu, is a notable exception.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorju Wangmo Wangchuck will be taking part – and not just for the inevitable inaugural address.
She'll be participating not only in her role as one of her country's top dignitaries, but also as an author. Her book – "Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan" – will be the starting point for one of the festival's highlights: a conversation between Her Majesty and India's ambassador to Bhutan, Pavan Varma. After their session, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck may also make an appearance.
The festival, which takes place against a Himalayan backdrop in the country's capital, will last until May 23. Now in its second edition, the aim of Mountain Echoes is to showcase Bhutanese literature and poetry and to provide a forum for Himalayan culture more broadly, says Mr. Varma, who conceptualized the festival.