Situation along Ladakh border in uneasy ‘no war no peace’ status: IAF chief

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Situation along Ladakh border in uneasy ‘no war no peace’ status: IAF chief

The current situation along the eastern Ladakh border with China is in an “uneasy no war no peace status” and Indian forces were prepared for any eventuality, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S Bhadauria said on Tuesday.

“The IAF has responded with resolve to counter any misadventure. Air power will be a crucial enabler in our victory in any future conflict. It is, therefore, imperative that IAF obtains and maintains technological edge over our adversaries,” Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said during a webinar jointly organised by Centre for Air Power Studies and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers.

He added that the recent induction of Rafale fighter jets along with C-17 transport aircraft, Chinook heavy lift helicopters, Apache attack helicopters and other aircraft fleets, has provided IAF with “substantial tactical and strategic capability enhancement.”

The IAF chief also said that the air force is looking at 450 new aircrafts, including helicopters over the next two decades. “Not to count around 300 aircraft upgrades that will take place in this period,” he said.

His comments assume significance as the Indian Air Force is struggling with its depleting combat strength, which is down to 31 squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.

To augment the force, five French-made multi-role Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the IAF on September 10 and three more are expected to join the airforce’s Ambala-based Golden Arrows squadron by the end of next month. The delivery of 36 Rafale jets with India’s specific enhancements is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

Recently, the air force has intensified its combat air patrol in eastern Ladakh after the Indian Army occupied strategic heights on the southern and northern bank of Pangong Tso.

India and China are engaged in a four-month-long standoff at the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

RBI extends interim relaxations in WMA limits, OD regulations

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RBI extends interim relaxations in WMA limits, OD regulations

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the interim relaxations it made for the state governments earlier this year to ease the restrictions on their borrowing limits, given the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, the timeline for state and Union Territory (UT) governments to avail increased provisions via the ‘ways and means advances’ (WMA) limit has been extended from September 30, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

On April 17, the RBI had announced an increase in WMA limit of the states or UTs by 60 per cent over and above the level as on March 31, 2020.

In financial parlance, the ‘ways and means advances’ (WMA) is a mechanism used by the RBI, under its credit policy, to provide advances to states, banking with it, to tide over temporary mismatches in the cash flow of their receipts and payments.

This is repayable in each case, not later than three months from the date of making the advance.

Similarly, the relaxations in overdraft (OD) regulations has also been extended till March 31, 2021.

The OD regulations relaxation was given in order to provide flexibility to state governments to tide over their cash flow mismatches, with effect from April 7.

Consequently, the relaxation increased the number of days for which a state or UT can be in overdraft continuously to 21 working days from 14 working days, and the number of days for which a state or UT can be in overdraft in a quarter to 50 working days from 36 working days.

“Both these relaxations are currently available till September 30.

“On a review, it has been decided to extend the above-mentioned measures announced on April 17, 2020 and April 7, 2020 with regard to increase in WMA Limits of states/UTs and OD regulations, respectively, for a further period of 6 months till March 31, 2021. All other stipulations remain unchanged,” the Reserve Bank said in a statement.

Congress slams Yogi for not allowing Durga Puja ‘pandals’ in UP

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Congress slams Yogi for not allowing Durga Puja ‘pandals’ in UP

Ahead of Durga Puja which is slated for the last week of October, the Congress has raised the cause of Bengalis in Uttar Pradesh and lashed out at the UP government for not allowing Durga Puja ‘pandals’ in the state.

Congress’ newly-appointed Bengal in-charge Jitin Prasada, raising the concerns of the Bengali community said, “Massive political rallies can be allowed in Madhya Pradesh but the same BJP government in UP will not allow the Bengali community to celebrate Durga Puja with restrictions. Only shows that for the BJP faith is a matter of convenience while the only thing that matters to them is politics.”

The Congress leader who has just been appointed the state in-charge and has been meeting state leaders has raised the issue to corner the BJP in Bengal which has high political stakes. The BJP is rising in the state politically and Congress has a tough challenge to retain its position in the state.

The Congress has pitched this issue after the matter was raised by Swapan Dasgupta who is a nominated MP but close to BJP, and he has termed it discriminatory.

Dasgupta said in a tweet: “UP Govt’s order that Durga Puja should be done at home is unfair and even absurd. Like the allowances for Ram Lila, Durga Puja should be permitted with harsh but sensible restrictions. Otherwise it is discriminatory. Bengali Hindus in UP appeal to @myogiadityanath to review order.”

The UP government has issued guidelines regarding Durga Puja and has asked the worshippers to do worship at home but has directed authorities that Ram Lila should be only with 100 people due to Covid-19 protocols and to curb the spread of the virus.

The Congress is trying to regain its position in Bengal where Durga Puja is a major festival while the TMC in the state has been targeted by the BJP which accuses the Mamata Banerjee government of minority appeasement so this issue could lead to a new political battle for ‘Bengali Asmita’ in the state.

State government sources say that it has been left to district officials to ensure that there is no crowding during Durga Puja. The matter was also challenged in the Allahabad High Court which refused to entertain the petition filed by Bengali Welfare Association of Prayagraj.

1,081 new cases take J&K’s active Covid tally to 17,414

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1,081 new cases take J&K’s active Covid tally to 17,414

Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday reported 1,081 coronavirus cases, taking the Union Territory’s active Covid-19 tally to 17,414.

A statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department said that of the 1,081 cases reported on Tuesday, 640 were from Jammu division and 441 from Kashmir division.

Overall, Jammu and Kashmir has reported 74,095 Covid-19 cases so far, of which 55,517 have recovered completely while 1,164 persons have succumbed to the dreaded virus.

The Union Territory reported 19 Covid deaths in the last 24 hours, 11 in Jammu division and 7 in Kashmir division.

Of the 17,414 active cases currently present in Jammu and Kashmir, 10,175 are from Jammu division and 7,239 from Kashmir division.

Two-thirds of US voters don’t expect winner on election night

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Two-thirds of US voters don’t expect winner on election night

Two-thirds or 66 per cent of the US voters do not expect the result of the November 3 election to be declared on the same night, according to a new poll.

The Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Monday showed that only 20 per cent believed the winner will be declared on November 3 itself.

Also, 19 per cent said they think the election will be resolved within a week, while and 26 per cent others said it will be between two and seven days after the polls close, the poll showed.

An additional 21 per cent of voters believe the period of uncertainty will stretch past one week.

A majority of voters or 53 per cent in the Politico/Morning Consult poll said they were either very or somewhat concerned that President Donald Trump would prematurely declare victory for the election.

One-third of respondents expressed the same concerns about his rival, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed Biden ahead of Trump nationally by a margin of 51 per cent to 43 per cent.

Looking to learn new skill sets from pro boxing: Vikas Krishan

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Looking to learn new skill sets from pro boxing: Vikas Krishan

Asian Games gold medallist Vikas Krishan said that he is looking to inculcate some new skills from professional boxing before he returns to the amateur arena in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The 28-year-old Haryana boxer said that his experience in pro boxing will help him win an Olympic medal, something that is missing from his otherwise illustrious career.

“I am focusing on learning a new skill-set from professional boxing that will help me at the Olympics. Only four-five months ahead of the Olympics, I will return to amateur boxing and shape myself and play two-three tournaments to get in the groove,” the Indian pugilist, who competes in the 69 kg category, said in an interaction with Indian paddler Mudit Dani on the latter’s online chat show ‘In The Sportlight’.

Currently training in Virginia, Krishan is one of eight Indian boxers who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. The risk factor is high in professional boxing compared to amateur boxing and Krisha spoke about how his family is still reluctant about him making the switch.

“My family didn’t want me to turn professional because you have to deal with many kinds of injuries. It’s a tough sport. Also, you have to stay away from home for a longer period during your matches,” he said.

Dishwasher brands in India struggle to meet sudden spike in demand

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Dishwasher brands in India struggle to meet sudden spike in demand

If you thought only hygiene products like hand sanitizers and toilet papers flew off the shelves amid the pandemic, think again. The demand for dishwashers in India also saw a sudden spike as Covid-19 restricted movement of domestic helps, leading many brands to ask for more supplies.

Sales of dishwashers in India in the past few years have been flat due to several factors including lack of familiarity with the product category and awareness. Space constraints in the kitchen and availability of cheap labour are other major factors that prevented the product from becoming a must-have like a refrigerator or a microwave oven.

Covid-19 changed that all of a sudden. Perhaps forever.

“With the onset of the pandemic, the dishwasher category has already seen an upward trend with users realising the varied benefits of the product,” Neeraj Bahl, Managing Director and CEO, BSH Home Appliances, told IANS.

“It is safe to say that the sales of dishwashers have finally taken off in India making them the low-key heroes of the lockdown,” he said, adding that BSH is currently actively driving the dishwasher category in India as market leader, enjoying over 60 per cent of the market share.

Germany-headquartered BSH has been under the sole ownership of the Bosch Group since January 2015 after its acquisition of Siemens’s 50 percent share.

However, the sudden spike in demand has also led many families to realise that the dishwashers they wanted were not always readily available.

Noida resident Rakhee said she is looking for a dishwasher, “but there is an acute shortage of dishwashers both online and at retail stores.”

“I suddenly see a lot of demand coming from my friends’ circles for dishwashers sans maids,” she told IANS.

“The demand for the product has been so overwhelming that almost all brands have been stocked out for the past couple of months and the market’s hunger for stocks is still far from satiated,” said Hardesh Chojher, Senior Director – Marketing, Exports and R&D, Franke Faber India.

“We estimate the category to be growing in the region of 300-400 per cent from March onwards, a trend that we believe is unlikely to reverse anytime soon,” Chojher said.

Franke Faber India is a leading kitchen appliances manufacturer with Swiss and Italian parentage for the “Franke” and “Faber” brands respectively.

BSH said “supply has been a point of concern” due to the demand rise, but said that it was able to manage the market expectations with pre-bookings.

“Since the lockdown, we have witnessed a surge in the demand for dishwashers and we expect to continue seeing this surge. These orders were fulfilled as and when the lockdown started to lift from regions in a phased manner,” Bahl said.

“With the Covid-19 outbreak things are not as we planned them to be for the year 2020. It has been a tough time for the consumer durable industry. Our business was impacted strongly for about two months,” he said.

Bahl said that the demand “has been unprecedented and its global factories are receiving requests from other markets as well, due to which supply has been a point of concern for us.”

Claiming that “Bosch is world’s No. 1 dishwasher brand,” Bahl said that the Bosch dishwashers maintain a high level of hygiene while washing dishes and utensils.

To tap into the rising demand, Havells India’s consumer durable brand Lloyd is now planning to launch a new range of dishwashers ahead of the festive season starting at Rs 22,990.

The new dishwasher range will be available in four sizes of 8,13,14 and 15 place settings, the company said.

“Due to the work-from-home regime, consumers are searching for an alternative way to substitute for lack of domestic help available for household chores. This has led to increased demand for convenience household appliances like dishwashers,” said Shashi Arora, CEO, Lloyd.

“Dishwasher category, while still a nascent one, is expected to grow significantly, to three-four times its current size in the coming years,” he said.

MakeMyTrip partners BluSmart to launch EVs for airport transfers

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MakeMyTrip partners BluSmart to launch EVs for airport transfers

Online travel major MakeMyTrip on Tuesday announced its partnership with electric ride-hailing platform BluSmart to launch electric vehicles (EV) for airport transfers.

With this new offering, the company aims to encourage customers to consciously opt for eco-healthy travel options while choosing and booking first and last-mile transportation.

“At MakeMyTrip, as we remain deeply rooted in promoting responsible tourism, we have found a great partner in BluSmart which shares a common philosophy of making travel sustainable,” Parikshit Choudhury, Chief Business Officer – Ground Transport of MakeMyTrip, said in a statement.

“With this partnership, we hope to improve accessibility of cost-efficient, go-green transit options while promising safety at all times for travellers as well as driver partners.”

The new offering is currently available for customers in Delhi and Delhi-National Capital Region.

“Now MakeMyTrip users will have an option to choose a clean mobility service, which in these Covid times is ensuring the highest standards of sanitisation, for their airport travel needs in Delhi NCR,” said Anmol Singh Jaggi, Founder & CEO, BluSmart Mobility.

“This partnership will accelerate the transition to electric mobility and contribute towards keeping the Delhi skies blue.”

OIL’s 2019-20 profit 2,584 cr, revenue Rs 13,649 cr: CMD

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OIL’s 2019-20 profit 2,584 cr, revenue Rs 13,649 cr: CMD

State-owned Oil India Ltd (OIL) has posted a profit after tax of Rs 2,584 crore with revenue of Rs 13,649 crore in fiscal 2019-20, its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Sushil Chandra Mishra said on Tuesday.

Addressing the 61st Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually, he said that during 2019-20, OIL’s annual domestic production of crude oil stood at 3.133 million metric tonnes and domestic natural gas production was 2,801 million metric standard cubic metres.

“OIL reported revenue of Rs 13,649 crore and profit after tax of Rs 2,584 crore,” he said, describing 2019-20 as a challenging year with weak global economic growth, resulting in weaker demand across sectors.

“Lower average crude oil prices, as compared to the previous year, and other factors beyond control affected the company’s activities in the main producing area, especially in the last quarter of 2019-20. However, despite the difficulties, OIL completed the year 2019-20 on a positive note, leveraging the best of available advantages and building on available opportunities,” Mishra said.

“The OIL drilled 11 exploratory wells in the PML (Petroleum Mining Lease) areas in Assam and Rajasthan with a success rate of over 70 per cent. The company has made one more HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) gas discovery in the NELP (New Exploration Licensing Policy) Block in KG basin.”

The CMD also told the AGM that the success of the Cyclic Steam Stimulation process, implemented in 2018-19, led to production increase of 168 per cent from OIL’s Rajasthan field.

Meanwhile, the company recorded its highest-ever dividend from overseas business.

“Production from overseas assets corresponding to OIL’s participating interest was 2.177 MMTOE. Cumulative dividends till March 31 corresponding to OIL’s share received from producing assets in Russia stood at $406 million, equivalent to about Rs 3,000 crore.

“OIL recovered close to 47 per cent and 29 per cent of its investments in Vankorneft and Taas Yuriakh, respectively,” he said.

Mishra also said that OIL has drawn up ambitious plans for the future, including fast tracking of exploration in Arunachal Pradesh and developing the Baghewala heavy oil field in Rajasthan besides strengthening OIL’s presence in other sectors of the hydrocarbon industry.

“OIL committed to success of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ recently launched by the Prime Minister. With a view to expedite action in this direction, OIL has created a new department ‘INDEG’ for development of items indigenously,” he said.

In the renewable energy sectors, the CMD told the AGM that total installed capacity of OIL stood at 188.10 MW as on March 31, consisting of 174.10 MW of wind projects and 14 MW of solar projects, and a total revenue of Rs 138 crore was generated from these assets in 2019-20.

He also that during 2019-20, a new joint venture company (JVC), the Purba Bharati Gas Private Ltd, was incorporated with equity participation of OIL, GAIL-Gas and AGC to develop CGD networks in two areas of Assam.

Also, HPOIL Gas Private Ltd (HOGPL), a 50:50 JVC with HPCL, was set in respect of Kolhapur and Ambala-Kurukshetra areas, Mishra added.

Despite lockdown and Covid snatching cases rise in Delhi

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Despite lockdown and Covid snatching cases rise in Delhi

Less traffic on the roads and maximum police presence on the streets due to the pandemic surprisingly failed to curtail the snatching cases in the capital this year, data showed. At least 4257 people fell prey to snatching on Delhi roads till August 15 this year. This is 247 cases more than the number of people who became victims during the same period last year.

The Delhi police data suggests that in 2019 at least 6266 people reported snatchings on Delhi streets while 6932 people became victims of the crime in 2018.

The fact that in some cases the snatching resulted in grievous injuries to the victim makes it one of the deadliest street crimes in the national capital.

Recently, a 50-year-old woman was dragged off a two-wheeler, and thrown on to a busy intersection even as vehicles went past her, by snatchers who violently tugged off her gold chain and drove away on their bike.

The woman identified as Pramila Singh, a health worker who works in a hospital, was left with a fracture in one arm, injuries to her head and knees, and may also lose the use of her left ear because of the accident. Her husband was driving the motorcycle on which she was riding pillion at the time of the incident near Kashmere Gate on Friday night.

Another woman in South East Delhi’s New Friends Colony fell prey to snatchers on Tuesday morning when two bikers snatched her phone when she was out for a morning walk in a park.

“When this incident happened, two Delhi Police personnel were present, but they did not help us,” said Akram Raza, the husband of the victim.

In May this year, snatchers targeted a female journalist as she was standing outside the RML hospital in New Delhi filming a story on her mobile which was attached to a selfie stick.

The incidents of snatching indicate that despite the lockdown the snatchers were on the prowl and it seems the vacant roads in Delhi helped them to escape easily.

“Many criminals involved in the cases of snatching and robbery are those who have a previous record. Many who have been involved in multiple cases of snatching and robbery have been out on parole from the jails due to the ongoing pandemic. This might have increased the cases of snatching and robbery in the capital,” said a senior police officer.

RLSP, BSP and JP-S join hands for Bihar Assembly polls

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RLSP, BSP and JP-S join hands for Bihar Assembly polls

Parting ways with the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of former MP Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday announced to join hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Janvadi Party (Socialist) to contest the Assembly elections.

Kushwaha, a former Union Minister of State, announced the coalition in the presence of the BSP and JP-S state unit chiefs in Patna.

He said the coalition will contest all the 243 seats in the Assembly.

Kushwaha said that he would welcome other like-minded political parties to come on board, if they wished.

Earlier, Jan Adhikar Party President Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav said that Kushwaha should come with him.

Kushwaha formed the new political front after his talks with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of Opposition and RLD leader Tejashwi Yadav on seat-sharing failed to bear fruit.

Lashing out at Nitish Kumar, the RLSP chief said: “In the last 15 years, Nitish Kumar has just saved his own chair and nothing else. And to achieve it, he made several compromises. His claims on development in all sectors in Bihar are just false and nothing else. The ground reality is completely different from what he is claiming.”

Kushwaha also alleged that the education sector in Bihar was at its lowest whereas the crime graph and corruption was the highest. “Nitish’s rule is similar to that of the RJD government’s 15 years,” he remarked.

Kushwaha also attacked the Rashtriya Janata Dal, alleging that the opposition party was “run by an undermatriculate”.

“We have two CMs (Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi) who failed to ensure matriculation by their sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap. Now, they have given the party command to one of them,” the former MP said.

“I asked top RJD leaders for a change in party leadership but they turned it down. Hence, I decided to part ways with the Grand Alliance,” Kushwaha claimed.

“On the other hand, the saffronisation of Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal-United is complete. I even have doubts that the RJD is also under the influence of BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” the RLSP chief said.

Valliappa Foundation launches ‘Anadhanam’ to solve global hunger

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Valliappa Foundation launches ‘Anadhanam’ to solve global hunger

Non-profit Valliappa Foundation on Tuesday launched a digital platform called Anadhanam that aims to address malnutrition and hunger through technologies that would reduce global food waste and enhance redistribution efforts.

The platform was launched on the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, recognising the fundamental role that sustainable food production plays in promoting food security and nutrition.

There are nearly 795 million people hungry in the world today. India accounts for the largest share, with 200 million people. In the World Hunger Index, India ranks 102 among 117 countries.

Nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year, according to the United Nations. This wastage is a whopping one-third of the total amount of food produced. The UN notes that this amount of food could feed more than four times the number of people who go hungry every year.

Chocko Valliappa, the managing trustee of Valliappa Foundation and the Sona Valliappa Group, launched ‘Anadhanam’ that would connect NGOs and government agencies globally with commercial and retail food waste sources – the stakeholders in the surplus food recycling movement.

“Anadhanam has a central ‘hunger hotspots’ and Below Poverty Line (BPL) map, and provides a central database of national volunteers through web and mobile applications to NGOs,” he said in a statement.

The platform has been developed by the Valliappa foundation with an aim to provide a robust technology backbone that would amplify the efforts of both the private NGOs and institutions, as well as government agencies.

‘Anadhanam’ will not only identify hunger hotspots and BPL zones but will also help government agencies quantify efforts geographically.

The platform will boost NGO efforts by supporting them and connecting them effectively to each other and to other agencies.

In India alone, there are more than 25 national NGOs and numerous other regional agencies working in the food recovery and redistribution area, the foundation said.

If their connection to each other would be well established, the collective efforts would be much more effective and seamless across all areas, they added.

“This platform is also capable of effectively creating cause-driven campaigns and events to spread awareness and raise funding,” Valliappa said.

‘Ishq Subhan Allah’ to go off air

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‘Ishq Subhan Allah’ to go off air

Ishq Subhan Allah is set to go off air next month after a two-and-half year run. Its lead actors Eisha Singh and Adnan Khan say they will miss shooting for the romantic drama.

Eisha, who played the role of Zara, said: “I am thankful to all our fans for having showered us with immense love and adulation. I have loved every bit of this wonderful journey and I am going to surely miss shooting for the show. This show was indeed like my baby.”

“Above all, I will miss all my co-actors and friends that I have made on the sets in the course of this journey. Zara’s role has indeed given me a different identity and has been extremely close to my heart. There is a lot that I have learnt from her and in many ways she has been such an inspiration that it is surely going to take me a while to go from being Zara to Eisha. I believe, for an actor, this is certainly the biggest achievement,” she added.

Adnan also said that he is going to miss the show.

“I have lived the character of Kabeer for almost two and a half years now. The experience of shooting this show has been nothing less than incredible and I am really thankful to my co-stars Eisha Singh, Monika Khanna and our extended crew team for making this journey such a delightful, memorable and enriching one. Now that the show is coming to an end I cannot help but say, all’s well that ends well. I just want to thank all the people involved with this show and more importantly, to all our fans for being our pillars of support and strength,” he said.

The show’s last episode will air on October 2 on Zee TV.

YSRCP leader criticises TDP for floods in Vijayawada

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YSRCP leader criticises TDP for floods in Vijayawada

Vijayawada East YSRCP in-charge, Devineni Avinash, on Tuesday attacked the erstwhile Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime for allegedly constructing a substandard retaining wall and abandoning it midway, leading to flooding in some parts of the city.

“Because of the earlier regime’s negligence, a substandard retaining wall was constructed and abandoned midway, which led to these floods,” said Avinash, who toured the flooded places on Tuesday.

Due to heavy rains, Krishnalanka, Krishna Karakatta and other places have been flooded since Sunday.

Avinash said that heavy inflows have reached the Prakasam Barrage, prompting officials to release massive amounts of water.

However, he said the floods are slowly receding even as he cautioned the locals to take precautions.

He also criticised the local MLA, Gadde Rammohan, for only making statements without fulfilling them.

The YSRCP leader also said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has already allocated funds for completing the wall and vowed that the state government will complete it.

Amanda Seyfried gives birth to second child

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Amanda Seyfried gives birth to second child

Actress Amanda Seyfried is the latest celebrity to deliver a child amidst the pandemic. She has given birth to her second child, a baby boy.

Seyfried and her husband Thomas Sadoski announced the news in a statement. They also shared the first photo of their son, reports pagesix.com. The couple is yet to reveal the name of their son.

“Since the birth of our daughter 3 years ago our commitment to the innocent children that are so brutally affected by conflict and war has been a driving force in our lives,” the couple said in the statement.

Seyfried and Sadoski have been married since March 2017.

Arbaaz Khan files for defamation after his name crops up in Sushant case

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Arbaaz Khan files for defamation after his name crops up in Sushant case

Actor-producer Arbaaz Khan has filed a defamation case against several social media users who alleged his involvement in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his manager Disha Salian.

Arbaaz filed the case in a civil court in the city, and the court has directed defendants Vibhor Anand and Sakshi Bhandari, and unknown defendants — namely John Doe / Ashok Kumar — to withdraw, recall or take down defamatory content published directly or indirectly by any of them.

The defamatory posts stated that the Arbaaz was arrested and taken into unofficial custody by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of the investigation.

Sushant was found dead in his apartment on June 14, 2020, and probe into his death case is still going on. After Mumbai Police initially concluded the actor had committed suicide, the case was subsequently taken up by CBI, with Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control?Bureau (NCB) also joining the investigation.

Earlier this year, Arbaaz had filed a case against “Dabangg” director Abhinav Singh Kashyap, following the latter’s accusations that the Khan family had sabotaged his career.

LG to release rollable TV next month: Report

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LG to release rollable TV next month: Report

LG Electronics, a major home appliance maker in South Korea, is expected to release the industry’s first rollable TV next month, sources here said Tuesday, as the company tries to expand its presence in the high-end TV market.

LG recently opened a website dedicated to the Signature OLED R to receive preorders from its VVIP customers, according to the sources, reports Yonhap news agency.

After holding an event for its customers in Seoul, LG is expected to launch the rollable TV in the market in late October, they said.

The price of the Signature OLED R has been reportedly set at over 100 million won ($85,400).

LG’s rollable TV, with a 65-inch screen that rises from a box and can be rolled up inside, was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States last year.

The world’s top OLED TV maker originally planned to launch the rollable TV in 2019, but its mass production has been delayed due to OLED display supply and yield rate issues.

At this year’s CES, LG unveiled a different model of its rollable TV with a screen that rolls down from the ceiling.

Is it plateauing: Drop is fine but wait for 2 more weeks, say experts

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Is it plateauing: Drop is fine but wait for 2 more weeks, say experts

A sudden drop in the number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country has raised some hope among the health fraternity, albeit with a caution that the country must observe this trend for at least two weeks before we conclude that the Covid-19 plateau is over and the downward trend is for real in the country.

On Tuesday, India registered a significant drop in the number of new Covid-19 cases. According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours was 70,589 (the country has been recording over 80,000 cases over the last few days).

The country has witnessed 61 lakh cases to date. As of Tuesday, there are 9,47,576 active cases, while 51,01,398 patients have been cured or discharged from hospitals and 96,318 people have died.

There is also a window of doubt here as the country has witnessed a drop on Mondays for a couple of weeks (it may be owing to low testing and thin turnout on Sundays).

However, health experts on Tuesday said that this declining number is a ray of hope but the same trend should be observed for at least two weeks.

According to Navneet Sood, a Pulmonology Consultant at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in New Delhi, the authorities must focus on the factors leading to this trend.

“At the same time, this decline should continue for at least two upcoming weeks and only then, we can have some idea about the success we are on the way to achieve,” Sood told IANS.

“This infection spread so fast that in a couple of months, it has changed the entire lifestyle of humanity. We have a long way to go hence this drop should be taken as a success but a challenge to maintain for days to come,” he added.

On Tuesday, India registered another drop in the number of new Covid-19 cases.

According to the Union health ministry, the number of new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours was 70,589.

The country has been recording over 80,000 cases over the last few days.

The country has recorded 61 lakh cases so far. As of Tuesday, there were 9,47,576 active cases, while 51,01,398 patients were cured or discharged from hospitals and 96,318 people died.

Total recoveries from Covid-19 in India crossed the 50 lakh milestone on Monday with recovered cases outpacing active cases by more than five times, the ministry said.

The rise in the number of total recovered cases from 1 lakh in June 2020 has been steep and the last 10 lakh recoveries were added in just 11 days, they added.

Jyoti Mutta, Senior Consultant, Microbiology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, told IANS: “Although this steady decline in numbers should make us hopeful, the same trend should continue for at least 15 days or a month. Only then, we can say whether the plateau has been achieved or not.”

She said that healthcare workers are working tirelessly, people are taking precautions and the number of testing has also increased.

“Further, more testing should be encouraged because it has a major role to play. By keeping the daily test rate high will we be able to track and trace the true figures,” Mutta stressed.

According to Praveen Gupta, Director and Head, Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, they have seen a drop in cases in Delhi which is very heartening.

“But we had a similar occurrence a month back when the cases had dropped below 1,000 but they increased to as high as 4,000 cases a day now,” Gupta said.

“We should be very cautious and continue with precautions because as the public transport and other public places are opening up, the risk of infections remains high”.

SC directs states to provide ration to sex workers without identity proof

TB Team
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SC directs states to provide ration to sex workers without identity proof

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state governments to provide dry ration to all sex workers, who have been identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and district legal authorities, without asking for ration card or any other identification proof.

A bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Ajay Rastogi took into account the hardships faced by the sex workers, who have been rendered almost destitute due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The bench said that none of state governments have taken adversarial stand to its direction, and asked the authorities concerned to inform it within four weeks about the implementation of its order and also the number of sex workers who have benefited from its direction.

The remarks from the bench came during the hearing of an application moved by the NGO Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee seeking relief for over nine lakh female and transgender sex workers across the country.

The NGO had moved the apex court citing the hardships faced by the sex workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The top court also asked the Centre to inform it within four weeks if there is a possibility to provide financial aid to the sex workers.

The bench, citing the points raised in the application, said the court is concerned that sex workers can’t access dry ration, cash transfers and other facilities due to lack of identity proof.

Additional Solicitor General R.S. Suri contended before the bench that the Centre has no objection if amenities are provided by the states without insisting on identity proof. The counsels for Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal informed the bench that they have already taken steps in this direction.

The amicus curiae in the matter, senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, suggested that the court should monitor the implementation of its order.

Another amicus curiae in the matter said that sex workers should be permitted to open bank accounts without identity proof, which will help them in receiving benefits rolled out either by the Centre or the states.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the applicants, contended that there are gaps in the process of identification of sex workers. To which, the bench replied, “We are concerned at present with providing dry ration to sex workers for their survival.”

The court will hear the matter again in the last week of October.

Payal Ghosh meets Maharashtra governor seeking Y category security

TB Team
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Payal Ghosh meets Maharashtra governor seeking Y category security

Actress Payal Ghosh, who has accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment, met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday seeking Y-category security.

The meeting took place at Raj Bhavan in the city. Payal was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale.

Payal’s advocate Nitin Satpute told IANS: “We have given a letter to the governor seeking protection, and informed him about the case. Ramdas Athawale ji also requested him to look into the matter because the police are not doing anything. He assured us that he is concerned about atrocities against women happening in the state and will be looking into the matter. I have asked for Y-category security for Payal and myself. Payal has threat to her life and I am protecting her, so I am also vulnerable from anti-social elements.”

Governor Koshyari tweeted from his official account on Tuesday afternoon: “Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. @RamdasAthawale accompanied by film actress Payal Ghosh called on at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai and presented a memorandum.”

The Governor also shared photographs from the meeting.

Payal Ghosh also tweeted from her verified account: “Had a great meeting with honorable @maha_governor Shri @BSKoshyari Sir. He had supported me and we have to go all the way. The naysayers will be there but I will not stop, not stop and not stop. Bring it on!!”

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