2 UP policemen suspended after rape victim commits suicide

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2 UP policemen suspended after rape victim commits suicide

Two police personnel in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, including an SHO, have been suspended for not taking prompt action in the case of a minor Dalit girl who was gang-raped last week and later committed suicide.

Station House Officer (SHO) of the Karvi police station Jaishankar Singh and Sariya Chowki in-charge Anil Sahu has been suspended after the case came to light.

The police personnel did not register the victim’s complaint and asked her family to ‘bring strong evidence’ for an FIR to be registered.

The three accused, named in the FIR by her family which was registered after she hanged herself on Tuesday, were arrested on Wednesday evening.

On October 8, in the Kaumraha Ka Purva village under Kotwali area of Chitrakoot, three men had allegedly abducted the girl when she had gone to the fields to relieve herself.

The family said the girl was raped for several hours. She was left in a nursery with her hands and legs tied. She was traced later after her parents started searching for her.

Five days later, on Tuesday, the girl ended her life by hanging.

The family had refused to cremate the body. The irate family members blocked the Manipur-Karvi Marg, demanding the death penalty for the accused.

It was only after the assurance of action by the police and district administration, that the girl’s last rites were performed.

The girl’s brother has now said he will seek Rs one crore as compensation, along with a house, a firearm license, and security at their home.

“My parents went to the Sariya police station to lodge a complaint of gang rape on October 8, but were asked to bring ‘strong evidence’ for an FIR to be registered.

“On October 13, my sister was alone at home and hanged herself,” said the brother.

Chitrakoot Dham range Inspector General (IG) K. Satyanarayan said that on the basis of the mother’s complaint, a case of gang rape, abetment of suicide, under POCSO and SC/ST Acts had been registered against the three accused.

“The post mortem report revealed that the victim had died due to asphyxia. Slides of the victim’s swab samples have been sent for further analysis,” he said.

The IG, meanwhile, said that on October 8, the victim’s family had themselves stated that they would give a complaint after a week.

Football fans to partially return to stadiums in Mexico

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Football fans to partially return to stadiums in Mexico

Football fans in Mexico are free to partially return to stadiums for the first time in more than seven months, the Liga MX has said.

All football in the country was suspended following Tijuana’s 3-2 home win over Pachuca on March 13 amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Liga MX, the body responsible for organizing elite football in Mexico, restarted competitions in July, with all matches since then taking place behind closed doors.

“After holding discussions with the federal government and the health ministry, we are able to announce the return of fans to the stands in a gradual and orderly process,” the entity said in a statement on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The maximum number of fans will be determined by the authorities of each stadium. However, in no case may it exceed 50 percent of the official capacity,” it added.

Victoria de Aguascalientes stadium, in the central city of Aguascalientes, will be the first venue to receive fans when Necaxa host Tijuana on Friday.

Liga MX said the opening of each stadium hinged on the authorization of corresponding local authorities and compliance with established health guidelines fans in Mexico are free to partially return to stadiums for the first time in more than seven months, the Liga MX has said.

All football in the country was suspended following Tijuana’s 3-2 home win over Pachuca on March 13 amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Liga MX, the body responsible for organizing elite football in Mexico, restarted competitions in July, with all matches since then taking place behind closed doors.

“After holding discussions with the federal government and the health ministry, we are able to announce the return of fans to the stands in a gradual and orderly process,” the entity said in a statement on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The maximum number of fans will be determined by the authorities of each stadium. However, in no case may it exceed 50 percent of the official capacity,” it added.

Victoria de Aguascalientes stadium, in the central city of Aguascalientes, will be the first venue to receive fans when Necaxa host Tijuana on Friday.

Liga MX said the opening of each stadium hinged on the authorization of corresponding local authorities and compliance with established health guidelines.

Tamil star Vijay Sethupati trolled for film on Muralitharan

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Tamil star Vijay Sethupati trolled for film on Muralitharan

Tamil star Vijay Sethupati is facing wrath on social media ever since the motion poster of his upcoming movie ‘800’ was launched.

The film is a biopic of Muttiah Muralitharan and Sethupati essays the central role of the legendary Sri Lanka spinner. Fans are upset that the actor took up the role of the Tamil-origin cricketer who never spoke out against the alleged atrocities that the Sri Lankan government is said to have inflicted on the country’s Tamil population in the past. Netizens used the hashtag #ShameOnVijaySethupati to convey their anger and disappointment.

“Always admired Vijay Sethupathi as an actor. But now he shattered respect I had on him now by making this traitor’s life history who openly supported modern day dictator Rajapaksa. Murali himself said 2009 was his happiest year of his life #ShameOnVijaySethupati (sic),” wrote one user on Twitter.

“The Sinhala government has massacred two lakh Tamils in Eelam. There is no other proof than this that #VijaySethupathi cannot feel this pain! #ShameOnVijaySethupathi #Tamils_Boycott_VijaySeth”pathi,” wrote another user.

“I strongly condemn #VijaySethupathi for accepting this movie,” tweeted another user.

“Can a biopic of #Afridi can be made in India and get support from Indians? #ShameOnVijay”ethupathi,” shared another.

“#ShameOnVijaySethupathi…Murali is a Tamilian but he represents Sri Lanka & Sri Lankans. We have lot of cricketing legends in our country then why making Sri Lankan player biopic (sic),” reacted a user.

‘800’ is touted to be a moving portrayal of Muralitharan — one of cricket’s most brilliant and divisive characters. The film will be shot in Sri Lanka, UK, Australia and India. The shoot is slated to start at the beginning of 2021 and is set to release at the end of next year.

The film will be made primarily in Tamil language. However, owing to Muralitharan and Sethupathi’s popularity, the film will also be dubbed in all South Indian languages as well as Hindi, Bengali and Sinhalese. An international version with English subtitles is also being planned.

Muralitharan is the only cricketer to have taken 800 wickets in Test cricket. Besides, he also picked up 534 and 13 wickets respectively in 350 ODIs and 12 T20Is.

Centre’s response sought on plea by same sex couples seeking solemnization of their marriage

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Centre’s response sought on plea by same sex couples seeking solemnization of their marriage

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response from the Centre and others over petitions filed by two same sex couples seeking enforcement of fundamental right of choice of partner. The court also observed that law is “gender-neutral”.

As they sought inclusion of solemnization of same sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act 1954 and the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969, a division bench of the high court presided by Justices Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Asha Menon issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi government.

While one couple has sought direction to declare that the Special Marriage Act, 1954 ought to apply to all couples regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation, and reading the SMA so as to apply to all couples irrespective of their gender identity and sexual orientation.

The other couple, an Indian citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India are two gay men, who married in Washington D.C, US in 2017 states that the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969 inasmuch as it discriminates against same-sex couples by denying legal recognition of their marriage is ultra vires Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 the Constitution of India, and ought to be read down to extend to same-sex couples, plea said.

The pleas filed through advocates Arundhati Katju, Govind Manoharan, Surabhi Dhar and argued by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy stated that like any other couple, “the petitioners want their relationship to be blessed and sanctified by society and by law”.

“Marriage offers both legal protections and social recognition of the commitment, support and security a couple offer each other, which are even more important in these times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

Senior advocate Guruswamy argued: “I follow that trail of couples who come for protection to this court.” She added that she has seen the high court protect multiple couples who were put at jeopardy because they married across caste lines, faiths etc. “I am seeking the same protection,” the senior counsel said.

She further submitted before the court that multiple judgements have stated sexual orientation cannot be a ground for discrimination.

While appearing for the Centre, advocate Raj Kumar Yadav said, “In Sanatana Dharma, in the last 5,000 years, this kind of situation we have not faced. This is a peculiar situation, we need to look at the history of Sanatan Dharma.

“Please try to interpret the law in favour of the rights of the citizens of the ‘Sanatan Dharma’ country. The law is gender-neutral, don’t see this petition as adversarial,” said Justice Asha Menon responding to the submissions made by the Central government counsel.

Following these arguments, the bench noted that the said case shall not be treated as adversarial, that it concerns rights of citizens. The court will now hear the matter next on January 8.

Residential real estate showing recovery signs in Jul-Sep: Report

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Residential real estate showing recovery signs in Jul-Sep: Report

Sales figures for the third quarter of the 2020 from July to September indicate signs of a recovery in the real estate sector, though some of this growth could potentially be attributed to pent-up demand due to the prolonged lockdown across the country in the prior quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic, a report by PropTiger.com said.

As per the ‘Real Insight Q3 2020’, a quarterly analysis of India’s eight prime residential markets by online real estate brokerage firm PropTiger.com, residential home sales aggregated to 35,132 units during Q3, an increase of 85 per cent over the previous quarter.

Housing units in the sub-Rs 45 lakh price bracket, categorised as the affordable housing, made the biggest contribution to sales during the quarter, contributing 45 per cent to overall sales numbers.

On a year-on-year basis, however, sales declined 57 per cent compared with the third quarter or 2019.

New supply grew almost 60 per cent on a quarter-over-quarter basis, with 43 per cent of the 19,865 units launched coming in through the affordable housing segment.

However, on a year-on-year basis, launches showed a significant downward trend, declining by 66 per cent.

“Green shoots are visible, pointing to the start of a recovery in residential real estate, evidenced by improvement in new launches and sales on a quarter-over-quarter basis,” said Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, PropTiger.com.

He noted that the unprecedented times have made buyers aware of the important role that homes play in ensuring their well-being as well as their physical and emotional security.

“This, together with the fact that real estate is a hard asset, and the fact that home loan rates are near a 15-year low have encouraged buyers to return to the market, Agarwala said.

Mani Rangarajan, Group COO, PropTiger.com said: “We are optimistic that sales during the festive season will be encouraging and help drive further recovery in the sector.

SC junks plea against handcuffing of accused

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SC junks plea against handcuffing of accused

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea for directions to prevent handcuffing of the accused so as to prevent extrajudicial killings in India.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde told Senior Advocate Jitendra M Sharma, appearing for the petitioner, that some prisoners were very dangerous and needed to be handcuffed. “We agree it (extrajudicial killings) should be prevented, but how can we stop this?” asked the Chief Justice.

Sharma contended that he was not saying that the accused should not be handcuffed, but a request needed to be made before the Magistrate concerned for the same.

He argued that the accused must be handcuffed, but the handcuffs should not be forced on the undertrial or prisoner. “The Magistrate must check if the accused wants to be handcuffed,” Sharma said.

The Chief Justice asked: “Which accused will say yes? Imagine, if the Magistrate asks an accused if he wants to be handcuffed, he will obviously say no. It will be quite foolish of him (accused) to say yes.”

The Chief Justice emphasised that there were accused who killed police and jail warders.

After a brief hearing, the top court said it was not inclined to entertain the petition.

ISL: 9 graduates from 1st RFYC batch set to embark on pro football journey

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ISL: 9 graduates from 1st RFYC batch set to embark on pro football journey

Nine players set to graduate as the first batch from the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy in Navi Mumbai will be signing contracts with leading clubs in the Indian Super League, country’s top-tier football tournament.

Aritra Das, Muhammed Basith PT and Birendra Singh are headed to Kerala Blasters FC, G Balaji and Aqib Nawab will be at Chennaiyin FC, Muhammed Nemil at FC Goa, Thoi Singh at Bengaluru FC, Ayush Chhikara at Mumbai City FC and Koustav Dutta at Hyderabad FC. Balaji and Nawab’s deals are for two years while the other seven players have agreed to three-year contracts.

These players have spent the last five years at RFYC as the first batch of students to be inducted when the academy was founded in 2015.

“It is a matter of great pride and joy for us that our young champs from RFYC have embarked on their professional footballing journey with ISL.” said Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation.

“We started the academy in 2015 to provide a pathway for talented young players across India to build successful professional careers in the sport. These boys arrived at RFYC in their early teens and I am delighted that they step out today as highly skilled players, who have earned a place with the best football clubs in the country,” she added.

With 22 new young players joining the program in the last year, the total students currently training at the RFYC academy is 65, with 22 full-time staff.

India e-commerce industry sees 31% growth in orders in Q3 2020

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India e-commerce industry sees 31% growth in orders in Q3 2020

India’s e-commerce industry witnessed an order volume growth of 31 per cent for the third quarter of this yeat that ended in September, as compared to the same period last year, said a report on Wednesday.

However, while the order volume has increased significantly, the corresponding gross merchandise value (GMV) has increased only by 24 per cent due to five per cent decline in the average order value, said the report by Unicommerce, a leading e-commerce focused SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform.

The results showed that personal care and health and pharma emerged as the fastest-growing segments, but the electronics and fashion continue to be the biggest category with the maximum share of order volume, although they have lower growth.

Interestingly, the results showed that in Q3, brand’s own websites reported a growth of over 78 per cent as compared to 35 per cent from the marketplaces during the same duration.

“With the increasing focus of companies on investing in online channels and rising interest in adopting technology solutions to improve business operations, we firmly believe this growth momentum will continue for the next few quarters,” Kapil Makhija, CEO, Unicommerce, said in a statement.

The huge growth of e-commerce is driven by consumers living in tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India.

The increasing focus on regional markets and the rising adoption of smartphones is driving growth from tier-2 and beyond cities.

The tier-3 and beyond cities have showcased a growth of over 90 per cent, said the report.

Another great news for the e-commerce ecosystem is the reducing return orders. There has been a significant dip of approximately 22 per cent in returns per forward order, which is probably indicative of a maturing e-commerce ecosystem, according to the findings.

Jose Mani says will quit RS, part ways with UDF in Kerala

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Jose Mani says will quit RS, part ways with UDF in Kerala

After months of speculations, Kerala Congress (Mani) leader and late KM Mani’s son Jose K Mani on Wednesday announced his decision to resign his Rajya Sabha seat, part ways with the opposition UDF, and join hands with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).

With this, the 38-year-long association of unified Kerala Congress (Mani) with the UDF, of which he was a founding member, has come to an end.

Jose, a Rajya Sabha member since 2018, won the seat in the Upper House when his party was in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). He said he decided to quit as it was morally expected of him.

“So far, we have not held any discussions with the LDF. We have laid out our political stand. Now, we will wait to hear from them. We were stabbed in the back in the UDF,” Jose said soon after his meeting with top party office-bearers.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist had asked Jose to make the first move to join the LDF.

A similar situation had emerged when late KM Mani had decided to function an an independent bloc in the Assembly in 2016 after breaking from the UDF. At that time, the CPI had strongly opposed it.

In 2018, KM Mani returned to the UDF fold after a Rajya Sabha seat was offered to his party. He asked Jose to resign from the Lok Sabha a year ahead of his term’s end and contest the Rajya Sabha seat, which he won.

After the death of KM Mani last year, the party split into two factions — one led by party veteran legislator PJ Joseph and the other by Jose Mani. The Joseph faction’s strength came down to two legislators after the death of veteran MLA CF Thomas last month. The Mani faction also has two MLAs.

Jose said that they were treated with disdain in UDF, especially by a section in the Congress.

“… we did not get justice from the UDF as they stood behind Joseph. We too have self-respect… we feel the LDF is the best bet for us as our stands on various issues match,” Jose said.

Reacting to the development, Joseph said Jose should now make clear who stabbed him in the back. “He indulged in indiscipline in the UDF. It was the CPI-M that abused KM Mani all through… Jose has thrown a challenge and we accept it,” said Joseph.

UDF convenor MM Hassan said Jose’s departure will have no impact on the UDF.

Now, the ball is in the CPI-M’s court. An earlier attempt by KM Mani to enter the LDF was strongly opposed by the CPI, the second biggest party in the ruling alliance. Now it remains to be seen how the Left welcomes Jose and his party into the LDF.

China confirms participation in Tokyo gymnastics event in November

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China confirms participation in Tokyo gymnastics event in November

The Chinese national gymnastics team has confirmed its participation in Japan’s first international tournament in more than half a year, a top team official has said.

“This is our first international competition since the Covid-19 outbreak. We will be isolated for 14 days of quarantine and another seven days for observation after returning from Japan. That is a tough challenge,” Team manager Ye Zhennan told Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.

Overseas gymnasts will not be asked by Japan to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival in Tokyo, but can only travel between their hotels, their training bases and the competition venue.

The Chinese team looks to rebound from their most humiliating defeat in more than 30 years at the Rio Olympic Games when they failed to win a single gold medal, the first time since the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

The four-nation meet, sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and scheduled to take place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo on November 8, will be the first international event for an Olympic sport in Japan since the postponement of the Tokyo Games caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The other three teams will be Russia, the US and Japan, with each country entering four male and four female gymnasts.

India’s Sep WPI rises on high food prices

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India’s Sep WPI rises on high food prices

High food, primary articles and manufactured goods’ prices accelerated India’s September wholesale inflation.

Consequently, the annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices rose to 1.32 per cent in September from 0.16 per cent in August from (-) 0.25 per cent in July.

On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data furnished by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has risen by only 0.33 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Given 3-tier security to Hathras family, UP govt tells SC

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Given 3-tier security to Hathras family, UP govt tells SC

Seeking a Supreme Court monitored CBI probe in the Dalit woman’s gang rape and murder in Hathras, the Uttar Pradesh government has informed the apex court that the victim’s family has been given three-layered security.

The government also pointed out that the family has also engaged private lawyer to fight their case.

In an affidavit filed in compliance with apex court directions on October 6, the state’s affidavit provided details of the security arrangements made for the family.

The state government said that it had deployed sufficient policemen to ensure protection to the family members residing in Boolgarhi village, and Closed-Circuit Television installed to keep round-the-clock surveillance around their house.

The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on October 15.

“An Inspector General of Police has been made incharge of the security arrangement… he shall supervise the police force and oversee security arrangements on a daily basis,” said the affidavit.

The state also said that the security deployed in the village had been issued strict instructions regarding their duties and that there was no intrusion in the family’s privacy. The family members are free to move around and meet the people they want, the affidavit affirmed.

Germany reports 5,132 new Covid cases, tally at 334,585

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Germany reports 5,132 new Covid cases, tally at 334,585

Germany has reported 5,132 new Covid-19 cases, taking the country’s tally to 334,585, health officials said on Wednesday.

The data released on Wednesday by the Robert Koch Institute showed the number of new infections rose more than 1,000 compared to 4,122 on Tuesday and the fatalities went up by 43, Xinhua news agency reported.

The previous daily high since April was registered on Saturday as 4,721 cases were added.

Germany has recorded 9,677 deaths since the outbreak began early this year.

It is a worrying trend as figures are back up to the same level they were at in mid-April.

The height of the pandemic in Germany was in late March and early April, when it was counting more than 6,000 new cases per day.

Maha power outage: Minister reiterates sabotage probe

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Maha power outage: Minister reiterates sabotage probe

Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut on Wednesday said “foul play or sabotage” has not been ruled out in the mega-power shortage that tripped Mumbai Metropolitan Region on Monday and added that stringent action will be taken against all found guilty.

Addressing the media, he said that the interim report of a probe committee set up by the state government will submit its report in a week and its recommendations would be implemented.

Besides, a central team which came here on Tuesday is also probing into the incident that left large parts of MMR without power for periods ranging from 2-9 hours, playing havoc with the people, railways, traffic, business and commercial activities.

“There are certain protocols that must be adhered to whenever any maintenance work is taken up. We shall investigate whether these protocols were followed or not by the officials of MahaVitaran… However, we don’t rule out the possibility of sabotage or foul play and stringent action will be taken against those found guilty,” Raut asserted.

Late on Tuesday, in a cryptic statement, Raut had said: “Possibility of a sabotage cannot be ruled out in respect of the Power trip that resulted in blackout on Monday dated 12.10.20 at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane.”

According to officials on Monday, some maintenance work was taken up on the 400KV line in Kalwa and entire load was shifted to the line 2, which in turn tripped owing to some technical glitches and the cascading effect hit almost the entire MMR comprising Mumbai, Thane, parts of Palghar and Raigad districts.

While private distributors like Adani, Tata and BEST had restored supply in their respective regions on Monday, some areas served by MahaVitaran remained without power for another around 24 hours, and resumed on Tuesday.

Targeting the Minister, Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Atul Bhatkalkar asked Raut when he came to know it was “a sabotage” whether he informed Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the matter.

However, Raut responded by saying some people were trying to malign his department but the probe reports would reveal everything.

Google Meet video calling lands on Glass Enterprise Edition 2

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Google Meet video calling lands on Glass Enterprise Edition 2

Google has announced that its video conferencing app Meet is now available for Glass Enterprise Edition 2 in beta.

Google Meet for Glass is aimed at “making it easier for on-site workers to connect face-to-face with others who are working remotely.

“Glass has been helping on-site essential workers for years and now with Meet for Glass, we are excited to continue supporting companies navigate new challenges with remote work as they unfold across industries. Google Workspace customers can apply to the Meet for Glass beta to get early access,” the company said in a statement.

The wearable has an 8MP camera with 80-degree FOV to stream out and three beam-forming microphones, as well as a mono speaker and support for Bluetooth and USB audio

Using Meet for Glass,/ Google’s data technicians can connect with each other to diagnose an issue, review equipment and even train new employees.

People dialed into Meet can see exactly what the data technician is doing and communicate clearly with them to provide real-time feedback.

According to the company, in this new normal, workers across industries are benefiting from heads-up and hands-free solutions.

Workers with this will be able to work independently and still easily collaborate with others across their facility, in other buildings or even with employees who are working from home.

Glass Enterprise Edition 2 was announced for $999.

Samsung launches Galaxy M31 Prime with Amazon in India

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Samsung launches Galaxy M31 Prime with Amazon in India

Samsung on Wednesday launched Galaxy M31 Prime, a special edition smartphone jointly developed with Amazon.in with a massive 6000mAh battery for the festive season.

The smartphone is priced at Rs 16,499 and is available in three colour variants: ocean blue, space black and the all new iceberg blue.

Amazon.in customers will get an additional 10 per cent instant cashback on HDFC credit and debit cards during the Amazon ‘Great Indian Festival’ that begins from October 17.

“For Galaxy M31 Prime, we worked closely with Amazon to add new features that enrich user experiences. Galaxy M31 Prime is a great example of Samsung’s technology prowess and Amazon’s suite of prime offerings designed to give consumers best of entertainment and shopping experiences,” Sandeep Singh Arora, Senior Director, said in a statement.

Galaxy M31 Prime users also get a pre-installed dedicated folder, containing some of the most popular Amazon ecosystem apps such as Amazon Shopping, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Music, Kindle and Audible.

The smartphone features a 6.4-inch Infinity U sAMOLED display.

The device comes with 64+8+5+5MP quad-camera setup at the back. With Galaxy M31 Prime, one can record 4K videos and shoot in hyperlapse, slow-mo and super-steady modes. In addition, it has a dedicated night mode for great low light photography.

There is also a 32MP front camera with 4k video recording support and slow-mo selfies.

The device houses Exynos 9611 processor coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage, which is expandable up to 512GB.

Galaxy M31 Prime runs Android 10 out of the box with Samsung’s new One UI 2.1 for a smooth, lag-free experience. The device comes with an in-box, Type C 15W fast charger.

Galaxy M31 Prime edition will also be available on Amazon.in, Samsung.com and select retail stores.

Slowly but surely getting back to rhythm, says Varun Kumar

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Slowly but surely getting back to rhythm, says Varun Kumar

Defender and drag-flicker Varun Kumar, who has recovered from Covid-19 and is back on the field working on getting back to his old form, has said the experience of testing positive for the coronavirus was like no other.

“As sportsmen, you face a lot of different challenges in your career – there are ups and downs – frustration when you can’t score, disappointment of defeats and the joys of winning – but this feeling of having tested positive for Covid19 was unlike any other. I felt like I had a moral responsibility towards everyone around me, to ensure I don’t end up passing it to someone else. And I am really happy that all six of us could recover well,” said Varun.

The drag flicker, who was part of the FIH Junior World Cup winning India colts team in 2016, further said that the players are now ensuring they follow to the T what the team’s chief coach and scientific advisor are guiding them to do to return to previous form.

“Now it is all about making sure we are doing what the chief coach and our scientific advisor have asked us to do. We are on the correct path, and having resumed sports activities, I feel like I am regaining my rhythm. There is no better feeling than playing hockey, and having been away from it, you get a sense of what you’ve missed out on as well,” expressed the player from Mithapur, Punjab.

A big fan of football great Cristiano Ronaldo, Varun wished the ace Portuguese player a speedy recovery. He said, “A lot of people around the world, including top-level athletes have contracted the virus, and last night I heard one of the fittest people in the world – Cristiano Ronaldo – also testing positive for the virus. I hope he recovers soon and returns to action.”

Covid-19 antibodies provide lasting immunity: Study

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Covid-19 antibodies provide lasting immunity: Study

New research adds to the growing body of evidence that immunity persists for at least several months after being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

For the findings, published in the journal ‘Immunity’, the research team lead by Indian-origin researcher in the US studied the production of antibodies from a sample of nearly 6,000 people to see the results.

“We clearly see high-quality antibodies still being produced five to seven months after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said study author Deepta Bhattacharya from the University of Arizona in the US.

When a virus first infects cells, the immune system deploys short-lived plasma cells that produce antibodies to immediately fight the virus. Those antibodies appear in blood tests within 14 days of infection.

The second stage of the immune response is the creation of long-lived plasma cells, which produce high-quality antibodies that provide a lasting immunity.

The research team tracked antibody levels over several months in people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

They found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are present in blood tests at viable levels for at least five to seven months, although they believe immunity lasts much longer.

Earlier studies extrapolated antibody production from initial infections and suggested antibody levels drop quickly after infection, providing only short-term immunity.

The research team believes those conclusions focused on short-lived plasma cells and failed to take into account long-lived plasma cells and the high-affinity antibodies they produce.

“The latest time-points we tracked in infected individuals were past seven months, so that is the longest period of time we can confirm immunity lasts,” Bhattacharya said.

“That said, we know that people who were infected with the first SARS coronavirus, which is the most similar virus to SARS-CoV-2, are still seeing immunity 17 years after infection,” Bhattacharya added.

If SARS-CoV-2 is anything like the first one, we expect antibodies to last at least two years, and it would be unlikely for anything much shorter, the researchers said.

Telangana official caught taking Rs 1 Cr bribe dies by suicide

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Telangana official caught taking Rs 1 Cr bribe dies by suicide

A Telangana government official, who was caught red-handed while taking Rs 1.10 crore bribe in August, has apparently killed himself in Central Prison Chanchalguda here, police said on Wednesday.

Former Tehsildar of Keesara, Erva Balraju Nagaraju, allegedly hanged himself in his prison cell.

His body was shifted to Osmania Hospital for autopsy. Dabeerpura police registered a case and took up investigations.

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had arrested the official for taking the bribe from a real estate dealer on August 14.

He had allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore to clear the land issue pertaining to 19 acre of land falling in Rampally Dayara village of Keesara mandal on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

A case under Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Nagaraju, real estate dealer Chowla Srinath, another real estate dealer K. Anji Reddy and Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) Bongu Sai Raj.

All four were arrested and produced before the special court for ACB cases, which had sent them to judicial custody.

The ACB had also recovered Rs 36 lakh, half a kilo gold and documents of immovable property from the residence of Nagaraju.

Realme Buds Air Pro: Enjoy active noise cancellation for Rs 5K

TB Team
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Realme Buds Air Pro: Enjoy active noise cancellation for Rs 5K

As the demand for affordable True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds grows in India, the smartphone maker Realme has introduced Buds Air Pro with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) for music lovers for just Rs 4,999.

Now, ANC is something seen on top-end devices and bringing the technology at this price point is a sure-shot game changer for various brands. Now the game is which affordable TWS earbuds has the best ANC.

Realme Buds Air Pro is available in soul white and rock black colours, and is equipped with customised S1 high-performance noise cancellation chip, which prompted good noise cancellation effect while consuming low power.

We used earbuds for a few days and here’s how they fare.

The earbuds design is premium and looks perfect on the ears.

The Realme Buds Air Pro has all the hardware to outclass its nearest competitors — Oppo Enco W51 and OnePlus Buds.

Other than ANC, the earbuds are equipped with Transparency Mode, gaming mode, customisable controls, Google Fast Pair, and others.

Compatible with both iOS and Android devices, the Buds worked best with Realme smartphones.

The Buds Air Pro uses Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to a smart device.

The weight of each earbud is about 5 grams (single bud) and the charging case is about 39.5 grams, making it light and easy to carry.

While taking calls or listening to music for long hours and playing games such as Call of Duty, we did not feel any discomfort even after using these for long hours.

The Realme Buds Air Pro utilises the company’s custom S1 noise cancellation chip with a maximum noise reduction of 35dB.

Realme uses both Feedforward and Feedback microphones for ANC, effectively blocking out the noise and making the listening experience fine even with TV on.

The ultra-low-power realme S1 chip and 486mAh large battery capacity provided a good day-long total battery life. The device also didn’t take much to get fully charged.

The Buds Air Pro gave a continuous music playback for about three hours without any disturbance.

Equipped with 10mm Bass Boost drivers, the Buds delivered good and deeper bass.

Conclusion: For Rs 4,999, the Realme Buds Air Pro is equipped with premium features such as ANC, gaming mode, Google Fast Pair and many more.

It can be a perfect choice for music lovers who are looking to buy good earbuds on a budget.

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