Armaan Malik: Internet to be main marketplace for musicians in Covid era

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Armaan Malik: Internet to be main marketplace for musicians in Covid era

Singer Armaan Malik says concerts used to fuel his business, which has been hit massively due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The live business has taken a massive hit. Artistes, organizers, promoters, musicians, technicians – so many of them don’t know when they will be able to do an event or earn anything. It was their main source of income,” Armaan told IANS.

“For me, too, concerts were the main thing that used to fuel my business. I had two major college festival gigs that got canceled. But it’s more important to be safe and I wouldn’t do a show until we know Covid-19 is on its way out. I’ve done selective digital concerts during this time and even though virtual performances are the only readily available alternative at the moment, they don’t feel as good as actual live performance,” he added.

Armaan’s popular numbers include “Tu hawa”, “Naina”, “Main hoon hero tera”, “Hua hain aaj pehli baar”, “Sau aasmaan”, and “Dil mein tum ho” among others.

The singer shared that the pandemic has made people realize that the internet is going to be “the main marketplace”.

“No one can escape it. For musicians, it has become imperative to be active and engaging with their audiences on various different social platforms. Anyone who doesn’t embrace the digital age could be left-back. For people who belong to the old-school of thought, this might be a scary change, but you have to accept the change to move forward,” added the singer, who is also a part of Vh1 Sound Nation League 2020.

Ellen DeGeneres to talk to fans about toxic workplace charge

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Ellen DeGeneres to talk to fans about toxic workplace charge

Popular TV host Ellen DeGeneres will soon interact with fans about the negative publicity her talk show has drawn on being probed for toxic work culture.

Ellen was recently asked by a reporter about her show, following the firing of three senior producers. She said she would interact with fans to address the subject, reports dailymail.co.uk.

“I will be talking to my fans,” Ellen said.

A while back, soon after Warner Bros. Television said three senior producers were being fired over the toxic work culture, Ellen had tweeted to clarify her position.

“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case,” she had written.

“I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros., we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again,” she had further tweeted.

Global Covid-19 cases top 23.3mn: Johns Hopkins

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Global Covid-19 cases top 23.3mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 23.3 million, while the deaths have increased to over 807,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 23,348,081 and the fatalities rose to 807,383, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 5,701,557 and 176,797, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 3,605,783 infections and 114,744 deaths.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (3,044,940), and is followed by Russia (954,328), South Africa (609,773), Peru (585,236), Mexico (560,164), Colombia (533,103), Chile (397,665), Spain (386,054), Iran (358,905), Argentina (342,154), the UK (327,643), Saudi Arabia (307,479), Bangladesh (294,598), Pakistan (292,765), France (280,459), Italy (259,345), Turkey (258,249), Germany (234,494), Iraq (204,341), Philippines (189,601), Indonesia (153,535), Canada (126,815), Qatar (117,008), Bolivia (108,427), Ecuador (107,769), Ukraine (107,379), Kazakhstan (104,543) and Israel (102,663), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the Mexico (60,480), India (56,706), UK (41,515), Italy (35,437), France (30,518), Spain (28,838), Peru (27,453), Iran (20,643), Russia (16,341), Colombia (16,968), South Africa (13,059) and Chile (10,852).

Lord Ganesha takes up abode in rain-soaked, Covid-hit Maharashtra

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Lord Ganesha takes up abode in rain-soaked, Covid-hit Maharashtra

Millions of people in Maharashtra, cutting across religious lines, warmly welcomed the popular elephant-headed God, Lord Ganesha, amid the clouds of the Covid-19 pandemic and torrential rain here on Saturday.

Though the usual frenzy, glitter, and glam were missing, it was sufficiently balanced by the people’s enthusiasm as they looked forward to the cheerful ‘Vignaharta’ (Remover of Obstacles) answering their prayers and setting humanity free from the coronavirus.

Notably absent from the 10-day festivities are the famed Lalbaugcha Raja and other gigantic idols in Mumbai, the Dagdu Seth Ganeshotsav in Pune, and other prominent ones across Maharashtra owing to the pandemic restrictions.

With limits on the height of the idols this year, between 2-4 feet, various public mandals, housing complexes, and families, in small groups with physical distancing, carried the idols during the auspicious ‘murti sthapana’ timing before starting the worship with aartis marking the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Revered as the God of Wisdom, the pot-bellied Lord Ganesha – who relishes ‘Modaks’- is said to bring prosperity and good fortune, and marks a new beginning.

As huge crowds will be kept at bay this year, a majority of the public Ganeshotsav mandals have decided to convert the celebrations into ‘Aarogyotsav’ (health festival) with blood and plasma donation camps, launching various pandemic-related initiatives, said BrihanMumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanway Samiti (BSGSS) President Naresh Dahibhavkar.

“There are various other concerns this year… Health, hygiene, physical distancing, people have borne pay cuts or job losses, companies are in losses. So all mandals are practicing austerity measures,” Dahibhavkar told IANS.

Though the festival has been celebrated for centuries it was mostly within royal households or people’s homes.

But in 1893, legendary freedom fighter, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak brought it into the public domain to instill a sense of patriotism among the masses in Pune.

That year, the first public celebration was also held at Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaum (south Mumbai) under the watchful eyes of the British government and instantly became popular.

Not looking back since then, the festival has grown bigger, brighter, attracted practitioners of all religions with Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, etc. hosting or praying to Lord Ganesha, all over India and other countries globally.

In Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik besides the coastal Konkan district where it’s the biggest annual gala with Lord Ganesh ‘visiting’ almost every household in the tiny villages dotting the seaside or the hills nearby.

Though the pandemic and downpour have stopped people from venturing out, many temples like the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai have arranged online ‘darshan’ and ‘aartis’ for the devotees, said the temple Chairman and Marathi filmstar Aadesh Bandekar.

A few who dared to step out could get ‘darshan’ only from outside as temples and other places of worship have not opened up during the ‘Unlockdown’ phases.

As in the past, politicians starting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, ministers, industrialists, film stars and Bollywood personalities, sportspersons, businessmen, celebs and commoners will celebrate Ganeshotsav at their homes this year with the doors thrown open to all.

Rain clouds may hamper the festivities over the next couple of days with the IMD Deputy Director-General K.S. Hosalikar predicting heavy rain in the north coastal districts of Raigad, Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Thackeray family, state Congress President, and Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Nationalist Congress President Sharad Pawar, and other personalities greeted the people on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi.

ICICI Lombard to acquire Bharti AXA General Insurance business

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ICICI Lombard to acquire Bharti AXA General Insurance business

In a share swap deal, non-life insurer ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company will acquire the business of Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Ltd.

In a regulatory filing late Friday, ICICI Lombard said the boards of the two companies — ICICI Lombard and Bharti AXA General — had met on Friday and approved entering into definitive agreements for demerger of Bharti AXA’s non-life insurance business into ICICI Lombard through a Scheme of Arrangement.

According to ICICI Lombard, the shareholders of Bharti AXA General will receive two shares of ICICI Lombard for every 115 shares of Bharti AXA General held by them as on the date on which the Scheme of Arrangement is approved by the Board of Directors of the two companies.

The share exchange ratio was recommended by independent valuers and accepted by the boards of the two companies, ICICI Lombard said.

Under the terms of the agreement, AXA and Bharti will receive a total of 35.8 million shares of ICICI Lombard on closing, which would represent 521 million euros, at current market value – the closing price of ICICI Lombard shares on August 21, AXA said in a statement.

According to ICICI Lombard, the proposed transaction would enable it to consolidate its market and become the third-largest non-life insurer in the country with a market share of about 8.7 percent.

As a result of the deal, ICICI Lombard shall be able to augment its distribution strength with Bharti AXA General’s existing distribution partnerships.

Employees of the combined business will also benefit via greater opportunities across functions and geographies, ICICI Lombard said.

The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to various conditions, including regulatory approvals from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, Competition Commission of India, The Securities and Exchange Board of India, Stock Exchanges, Reserve Bank of India, National Company Law Tribunal and approval of shareholders of both ICICI Lombard and Bharti AXA General, amongst others.

“This is a landmark step in the journey of ICICI Lombard and we are confident that this transaction would be value accretive for our shareholders.

“We are excited by the capabilities and strengths that Bharti AXA will add to our franchise. The company has a talented employee base with a strong cultural fit, and we look forward to welcoming them to the ICICI Lombard family.

“We would also like to reassure Bharti AXA’s policyholders and channel partners of seamless business continuity and maintaining highest standards of customer service,” Bhargav Dasgupta, MD & CEO of ICICI Lombard General said.

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti AXA General said, “We are delighted that the partnership between Bharti and AXA has been successful in laying down a solid foundation in the domestic insurance landscape. Over the past few years, our business demonstrated consistent growth, forged productive partnerships, and increased the distribution footprint significantly. We are confident that the proposed amalgamation of our business with ICICI Lombard will bring greater business synergies and create value for all stakeholders.”

According to ICICI Lombard, the Implementation Agreement contains customary terms for a transaction of this nature, including representations, warranties, indemnities, and non-compete covenants from the relevant parties.

Post deal, the promoter holding in ICICI Lombard will be 48.11 per cent and the public will be 51.89 per cent. Both Bharti and AXA will be public shareholders.

In a communication to colleagues, Bharti AXA General’s MD & CEO Sanjeev Srinivasan said once the regulatory approvals are obtained, an interim committee with representation from both the companies will be set up for successful completion and transition of the business.

Till such time regulatory approvals are obtained both the companies – ICICI Lombard and Bharti AXA General- will function independently.

Samsung offers Fortnite ‘Mega Drop’ for Galaxy phone users in India

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Samsung offers Fortnite ‘Mega Drop’ for Galaxy phone users in India

As popular mobile game Fortnite faces an epic battle with Apple, Samsung on Saturday announced that those who want to play the game in India can get updates from the Galaxy Store app available on its smartphones.

The Galaxy smartphone users can enjoy the V-Bucks and real money offers discounted up to 20 percent as part of ‘Fortnite Mega Drop’ by downloading Epic Games via Galaxy Store, the company said in a statement.

V-Bucks are the in-game currency that can be spent in Fortnite Battle Royale, Creative, and Save the World modes.

Launched in 2017, Fortnite features a battle royale format where 100 players compete to survive as the last player standing on a remote island.

The popular game has amassed a huge following of 350 million players and is available on multiple platforms.

It was initially launched for the Android platform last year in partnership with Samsung.

Samsung said its Galaxy Store enables users to navigate through an exhaustive catalog of apps in 12 Indian languages, in addition to English.

Soon after Apple removed the popular video game Fortnite from its App Store for allegedly violating in-app payment guidelines, Epic Games has announced a free Fortnite tournament on August 23 where players can compete to win anti-Apple prizes.

“All of your friends. Fabulous prizes. And one bad apple. We’re dropping the #FreeFortnite Cup on August 23,” the company said in a tweet.

Epic also reminded iOS players that they won’t be able to play the next season of Fortnite and also suggested iOS players migrate to other platforms like Android where Fortnite is available before the next season begins.

IPL 13: de Villiers, Steyn & Morris join RCB squad in Dubai

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IPL 13: de Villiers, Steyn & Morris join RCB squad in Dubai

South African cricketers AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, and Chris Morris joined their Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammates in Dubai on Saturday morning ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The video of their arrival was shared by the RCB on their official Twitter handle. After arriving, de Villiers said: “I am very excited, very happy to be here. Travelling was a bit different from normal but we have made it here with my South African friends and we are very happy to be back in the RCB family. I am looking forward to my COVID-19 test.”

“It’s been quite a while that we have played the game that we love. So yeah very challenging but we are very excited to get going, a little bit nervous too to be honest,” said Morris.

“It’s going to be interesting to play in the heat. We got here like 3 in the morning and it was steaming outside. Looking forward to what’s it going to be like in a few weeks,” said Steyn.

RCB’s squad, majorly Indian players, reached Dubai on Friday ahead of the season slated to begin from September 19 until November 10.

The franchise had on Thursday confirmed that they are taking a contingent of 40 people with them to the UAE. Among these 40, 21 are players, 14 are part of the staff including coaches and physiotherapists. The remaining five are net bowlers.

Telangana’s Covid tally crosses 1L with highest 1-day jump

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Telangana’s Covid tally crosses 1L with highest 1-day jump

In the highest single-day jump, Telangana on Saturday reported 2,474 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the state’s tally to over one lakh.

With the new cases, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the state rose to 1,01,865. Telangana became the ninth state in the country to cross the one-lakh-mark.

Seven more people succumbed to the virus during the last 24 hours ending Friday at 8 p.m, taking the death toll to 744.

Health officials said the fatality rate in the state stood at 0.73 percent against the national average of 1.89 percent. Out of the total fatalities, 53.87 percent had comorbidities.

According to a media bulletin issued by the office of the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, the number of cases declined in Greater Hyderabad but rose sharply in districts.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported 447 new cases against 473 the previous day. Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy district abutting GHMC reported 149 and 201 cases respectively. Sangareddy, another district bordering the state capital, saw 72 new cases.

Outside GHMC and surrounding districts, Nizamabad was the worst affected district with 153 new cases followed by Khammam with 125 cases, Warangal Urban with 123 cases, and Nalgonda with 122 cases. Siddipet reported 92 new cases and Karimnagar reported 75 new cases while 91 samples tested positive in Jagtiyal. Officials said 79 cases were reported from Peddapalli, 63 from Suryapet, 59 from Jogulamba Gadwal, and 52 from Rajanna Sircilla.

During the last 24 hours, authorities conducted a record of 43,095 tests. This is the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak that the state has conducted over 40,000 tests. The number of tests conducted in the state so far rose to 8,91,173. The samples tested per million population mounted to 24,004 against a daily testing target of 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day. The results of 1,239 samples were awaited.

A total of 16 government and 23 private laboratories are conducting RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TRUENAT types of tests while there are 1,076 rapid antigen test centers. However, the authorities have not been providing a breakup of the tests.

During the last 24 hours, 1,768 people recovered from COVID, taking the total number of recoveries to 78,735. The state’s recovery rate stands at 77.29 percent against the national average of 74.30 percent.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 22,386 including 15,931 who were in home/institutional isolation.

Age-wise COVID positive details show that 65.9 percent of those tested positive were in the age group of 21-50 years. Terming this as a susceptible age group, authorities have urged them not to go out unless absolutely necessary. They were advised to strictly exercise precautions like wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Among COVID positive, 24.4 percent are above 51 years of age. About 10 percent were aged below 20 years.

Officials said 65.10 percent of those tested positive were male while the remaining 34.90 percent were female. Out of 20,396 beds in government-run hospitals, 18,007 beds were vacant.

Suspected IS operative held in Delhi with IEDs

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Suspected IS operative held in Delhi with IEDs

The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a suspected Islamic State operative identified as Yusuf. He is being interrogated since Saturday morning about his presence and plans in Delhi.

In a late-night operation on Friday, the accused was arrested with two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh after an exchange of fire. A pistol has also been recovered from him, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha.

The NSG and the bomb disposal squad along with the dog squad reached the spot following standard protocol and defused the IEDs found.

The police team is verifying Yusuf’s claims. Sources say that Yusuf has been misleading investigators by giving conflicting information about his place of origin. The source of the IEDs is also being investigated.

Wolfsburg thrash Glasgow 9-1 in Women’s Champions League

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Wolfsburg thrash Glasgow 9-1 in Women’s Champions League

Wolfsburg Women strolled into the semi-finals of the ongoing Women’s Champions League with a crushing 9-1 win against Glasgow City in Real Sociedad’s Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian.

Pernille Mosgaard-Harder scored four goals for Wolfsburg, who dominated the tie from start to finish on Friday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.

Glasgow was considered to be the minnows in the last eight and that proved to be the case as the German side assured their win by halftime, with Ingrid Engen and Harder both scoring twice.

Harder opened the scoring in the 15th minute after a swift exchange of passes and a low shot from the edge of the area, which beat Alexander in the Glasgow goal, who may feel she could have done better.

Engen doubled the lead in the 21st minute with a free header from a corner, with Wolfsburg looking a lot sharper than a Glasgow side that hasn’t played since February.

Glasgow held on until the stroke of halftime before two goals in four minutes left them reeling.

Engen produced a run from deep that no defenders picked up before planting a powerful header past Alexander in the 44th minute and Harder’s powerful shot after a well-worked free-kick three minutes into injury time again had too much on it for the Glasgow keeper.

Wolfsburg didn’t ease up much after the break, with Harder completing her hat-trick with a header from the edge of the six-yard box, although the marking was again lacking.

Lauren Wade brought some consolation to Glasgow thanks to an excellent shot after 63 minutes, but that merely seemed to annoy the German side who upped a gear and quickly scored two more with Rauch slotting the ball into an open goal before Harder added her fourth of the game with another simple header following a free kick with 20 minutes left to play.

It looked as if the steam had gone out of the game, but there was still time for things to get even worse for Glasgow with two own goals from Leanne Ross making the final score 9-1.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook 14: Unlock your full potential

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Xiaomi Mi Notebook 14: Unlock your full potential

The pandemic has taught Indians the importance of keeping a high-end laptop with next-gen features at home as remote work becomes a necessity in the social distancing times. The problem is: How to buy a notebook that is packed with powerful and meaningful features yet does not make a hole in your savings.

Keeping this in mind, Xiaomi recently brought Mi Notebook 14 and Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition to India that is set to disrupt the laptop segment owing to aggressive pricing and solid internals.

The Mi Notebook 14 comes for Rs 54,999 for the i5 model which has 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, 10th Gen Intel i5 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB graphics and Windows 10 Home.

This device is at least Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 cheaper than the other popular models in the market with the same set of specifications in the fragmented laptop market in the country.

Let us see what the first notebook from the house of Xiaomi in India has to offer.

In terms of hardware, the Mi Notebook 14 offers Intel Core i5 10210U chip, coupled with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 512GB of SATA SSD storage, and an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU for gaming experience on the top-end variant.

The Mi Notebook 14 runs Windows 10 Home Edition and features a 14-inch full-HD (1,920×1,080 pixels) anti-glare IPS display with a screen-to-body ratio of 91 percent, 60Hz refresh rate, and 178-degree viewing angles.

Weighing just 1.5kg, the sleek unibody metal chassis and anodized sandblasted coating makes the device sturdy.

The light device sports a 35.56cm FHD anti-glare display. Adding to that, the narrow bezels play a prominent role in providing an immersive viewing experience.

Equipped with the latest Intel Core i5 Comet Lake processor, the Mi Notebook 14 is best for multitasking, creating content, working on spreadsheets, streaming webinars or movies in free time.

With the power-efficient NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics, the professionals can leverage HD photo and video editing.

The powerful graphics engine and next-gen technologies allow for faster and smoother gaming.

The Mi Notebook 14 offers great clock speeds at 2666MHz — say goodbye to slow and insufficient memory.

The device comes with a wider air intake area and a large diameter fan which claims to bring excellent cooling to the machine. The maximum sound of the fan is a mere 37dB even when the system is being used for heavier tasks.

The battery life is good. Packed with a 46Wh battery and a 65W charger, one can expect a power backup of nearly seven hours. You can also go from zero to 50 percent charge in around 35 minutes.

The keypad is modern. Based on the scissor mechanism, the keys have ABS texture and a travel distance of 1.3mm which makes typing a lot more comfortable and low-profile on this device. The in-built dust protection layer is also a good addition.

The multi-touch trackpad allows for easy swipe, scroll, selection, zoom-in or zoom-out. It comes with palm-rejection, built-in to cancel unintended touches if any.

The device offers stereo speakers combined with the DTS audio processing app that will help you fine-tune the desired sound signatures while streaming content.

In terms of connectivity, the notebook comes with 2 USB 3.1 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port, and 1 HDMI 1.4b interface. It also has a 3.5mm jack which doubles as a headphone and a mic in.

A nice addition when learning or working from home is a Mi Webcam HD 720p which can be attached to the device pretty easily.

Conclusion: You will miss the Mi logo at the back of the laptop which is a usual practice for branding, but the clean look also has its charm as it creates interest among those who look at it for the first time.

The price is attractive and will force market leaders to spruce up their offerings.

For the Indian consumers, the Mi Notebook 14 (i5) offers a promise to unlock their true potential with top-of-the-line features, be it at home or work, while spending less.

K’taka issues oxygen therapy guidelines

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K’taka issues oxygen therapy guidelines

Amid a surge of Coronavirus cases in Karnataka, the state health department has recognized that unnecessary excessive oxygen therapy is being administered to patients, compelling it to issue guidelines on the use of the gas, an official said on Saturday.

In the event of oxygen saturation level being greater than or equal to 94 percent in a COVID patient, the guidelines suggest no oxygen therapy but monitoring of vitals while regular treatment protocol is continued.

“There is a non-judicious and excessive use of oxygen therapy being done without proper monitoring that is leading to its shortage, besides its waste and loss of money,” said Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar citing a study by the Clinical Expert Committee (CEC), which then issued the guidelines.

Likewise, unregulated oxygen use has also led to an unprecedented surge in demand for the gas to treat Covid-19 patients.

“All the health institutions and doctors are advised to strictly adhere to the recommended protocol,” pointed out Akhtar. Incidentally, excess oxygen generation results in pulmonary oxygen toxicity. Free radicals generated in such a condition will damage the lung tissue.

“Clinical oxygen toxicity is manifested in several ways. Normal subjects experience a decrease in vital capacity and a fall in DICO. Lung compliance is diminished. Tracheobronchitis, which produces substernal chest pain, may also occur,” said the guidelines.

Recently, two hospitals were compelled to shift patients at midnight because of oxygen supply disruption — Kempe Gowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and C.V. Raman Hospital in Indiranagar.

Because of the unexpected disruption, C.V. Raman Hospital shifted 17 COVID patients to other hospitals around midnight.

With 7,571 more infections on Friday, the statewide COVID tally rose to 2.64 lakh cases in the southern state.

India celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi at home

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India celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi at home

Covid-19 has caused travel restrictions and social distancing, but also a deeper appreciation for the environment among many. Celebrating festivals with enthusiasm and fervor at home, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are just the latest to have gone eco-friendly.

According to Snapdeal, shoppers are buying idols and other essentials for the festival. As Indians celebrate in private ceremonies at home, the platform witnessed a 6X increase in the sale of small Ganesh idols over last year. The increase in the sale of idols is due to the hesitance to visit conventional markets. Many families have also planned to bring Ganesha home as many mandals have cancelled the mass pandal celebrations due to the pandemic.

This year, the e-commerce site also saw an accelerated adoption of environmentally friendly Ganesh idols made of cow dung, natural soil, clay, and other sustainable materials. Some idols are also filled with seeds and grow into plants when immersed in a vase or garden while others act as manure to plants. The idols are attractive and do not leave a chemical trail harming the environment.

The commonly used idols are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and are decorated with paints having high lead and mercury content. The materials are extremely harmful to the water bodies and deteriorate the marine ecosystem.

Forty-five percent of orders for the festival on the site came from Maharashtra. Some of the other states from where Snapdeal received a high volume of orders were Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi NCR.

Decoration items such as LED lights, rangoli stencils, lamps, torans, and wall hangings have also been bought. Pooja items such as ghee diya batti, puja set combos, brass and aluminum diyas, incense sticks, dhoop, and aarti thalis were among the other top sellers.

Small traditional musical instruments including manjeera and dholkis are also being bought along with Bluetooth speakers to make the houses reverberate with melodious devotional songs and aarti dedicated to Lord Ganesha.

‘Mardaani’ writer Gopi Puthran: There is a dearth of stories on women

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‘Mardaani’ writer Gopi Puthran: There is a dearth of stories on women

Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani was released six years ago on this day, and Gopi Puthran, the writer of the film who went on to direct its sequel, feels the franchise resonates because there is a dearth of good stories about women.

“It’s my speculation, but the reason why ‘Mardaani’ as a franchise resonated so much with the audience is because there are a void and dearth of stories of women, which are sincerely told while tapping onto the correct insights of the problems and the journey of women,” Puthran said.

He added: “Somewhere, I think, ‘Mardaani as a universe is tapping into the core of being a woman, especially in a patriarchal society. The themes that we have been dealing with in part 1 and 2 — the struggle of maintaining one’s identity in a world where you are constantly asked to compromise — that’s something we approached with sincerity.”

“I think the sincerity of our themes and dealing with the issues that women face has clicked with the audience and I hope we continue to do justice, in the way we approach the themes, in the subsequent parts that we’ll hopefully be doing,” Puthran said.

“Mardaani” also stars Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Sadanand Verma. It revolves around Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani), a policewoman who is out to capture a human trafficking mafia led by a man named Walt (Tahir).

Puthran shares an endearing relationship with Rani with whom he has worked in the Mardaani franchise.

“Rani has actually given life and soul to this character, Shivani Shivaji Roy. The way she added so much of depth and gravitas to this character instinctively is so satisfying, especially for a writer when you see that a star and an actor puts in so much effort and instinct. She has made Shivani Shivaji Roy come alive,” said Puthran.

He feels Rani is natural with action sequences. “She has been brilliant in action sequences. Right from ‘Mardaani’ 1 to ‘Mardaani 2′, Rani is a complete natural when it comes to action sequences. It was like she was meant to do this part.”

Puthran said that Rani can bring vulnerability as well as toughness to a character. “Thus, Shivani became as unique a character as you would have ever seen in Indian cinema. That is entirely Rani, her capabilities, her genius.”

Looking forward to 2022 which is going to be massive for us: Lanning

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Looking forward to 2022 which is going to be massive for us: Lanning

Australia women’s team captain Meg Lanning has stated that 2022 will be a massive year for her team and she is looking forward to it.

In 2022, four major tournaments — rescheduled ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and women’s Ashes — are currently scheduled to be played.

The ODI World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in February-March next year in New Zealand but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been deferred until 2022 by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“No doubt we were disappointed the World Cup got pushed back by a year; we were gearing up for that as a bit of light at the end of the tunnel but at the same time we understand the decision. There’s so much that goes into those things and probably a lot we don’t know or understand and that’s the decision the ICC has made,” Lanning was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“Now we’re just looking towards 2022, which is going to be a massive year for us and could potentially be a couple of world tournaments in there and a Commonwealth Games. So that’s something we’re looking forward to and we’ll get started with this series coming up and then build toward 2022,” she added.

Australia is next scheduled to take on New Zealand in three ODIs and as many T20Is in September, the squad for which was announced by Cricket Australia on Friday.

Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry (subject to fitness), Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa.

3 suspected Pak intruders shot dead in Punjab

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3 suspected Pak intruders shot dead in Punjab

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday shot dead three suspected Pakistani intruders along the International Border in Punjab.

Officials said the incident took place in the early hours when BSF personnel spotted some movement across the fence in the Tarn Taran district.

They said the intruders were challenged and subsequently shot dead in an exchange of fire. Two bodies have been recovered along with a rifle. The area has been cordoned off and a search has been launched to retrieve the third body, officials said.

It is not clear whether the intruders were militants or drug smugglers.

Subdued start to Onam celebrations in Kerala amid Covid

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Subdued start to Onam celebrations in Kerala amid Covid

It is an Onam like never before in Kerala. With Covid-19 cases on the rise in the state and with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan calling for indoor celebrations, it is a muted affair this year. No public events are being organized.

The highlight of Atham celebrations, the first day of the 10-day festival, is the grand procession that is held to commemorate the royal custom of the erstwhile princely state of Kochi when it was customary for the King to travel with his entourage to the Thripunithura Fort, near here.

It is usually a big cultural display on Atham that is being marked on Saturday. The grand opening to the festivities takes place at the Thrikkakara Temple near Tripunithura every year.

But due to Covid-19, the only event that was marked was flag-hoisting signaling the start of celebrations for the harvest festival.

The importance of Atham is that it is held 10 days before the most important Onam event- the ‘Thiru Onam’, which falls on August 31 this year.

According to legend, Kerala had its golden period during the reign of King Mahabali, and Onam marks the King’s annual visit to see his subjects. Over the years, Onam has become one single festival celebrated by all sections of Kerala society.

Onam falls in the month of “Chingam” which is the first month of the Malayalam Calendar. Though in the initial days of Covid-19, when the world was hit badly, Kerala managed to hold on, things are grim in the state now with daily number of new cases close to 2,000. The total number of cases in the state has crossed 53,000.

Chetan Chauhan: ‘Memories of a Rajput warrior’ (Column: Close-in)

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Chetan Chauhan: ‘Memories of a Rajput warrior’ (Column: Close-in)

The cricket fraternity was shocked by the sudden demise of Chetan Chauhan. The deadly coronavirus struck a blow on a cricketer who was known for his guts, grit, valor, and fighting spirit against the fastest and most skillful of bowlers in world cricket. He prided himself on being a fighting Rajput warrior, who stood and fought against all eventualities, not only when he played for his country but also for every cricket team that he played for.

The great Dennis Lillee learned a lesson when he tried to rattle him with some short, fiery deliveries. Chetan’s square-cut, both along the ground and threw an uppercut, became legendary and Lillee and many other great bowlers suffered against his onslaught on many an occasion.

“Chu Chu” Chauhan, as some of us who were close addressed him, was a fighter to the core. His bat was like a sword ready to defend when required but ready to slice and pierce his opponents when an opportunity arose. A never say die attitude on the field but the first to acknowledge the good feats of others. Chetan stood as one who also had the patience, stamina, and maturity to play tactfully in all walks of life.

Cricket was his passion and he had the distinction of being a top-class administrator, selector, mentor, coach, and a strategic thinker on and off the cricket field. Furthermore, he was also a senior banker, entrepreneur, and politician who was twice elected as a Member of Parliament, and at the time of his demise, he was a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government.

These accomplishments were only a few but he had many other characteristics that made him a wonderful person. His ever-friendly demeanor, calm temperament, and his fun-loving nature were just the ingredients that made him a nice bloke.

To me personally, he was a very good and loyal friend, who always ready to give a supporting hand and always there for me in my hour of need. This was a trait that apparently he displayed to everyone he came across, making him a very popular and loving individual.

Chetan was a very hard working cricketer and I was fortunate to have interacted with him in Pune. The first time we met was at the Wadia College nets, where he practiced daily under the tutelage of Kamal Bhandarkar, the renowned coach of Pune.

Chetan was by then a Test player and for us a cricketer to admire and respect. He never ever let us feel his seniority and was always ready to help, assist, and advise us in our endeavors to improve our game. He was a down-to-earth individual whose love for the game was unquestionable and a team player whom one could rely on.

Chetan and I played for the same club in Pune and I was lucky to have him as a mentor when I made my debut into the Maharashtra side. One of his unforgettable knocks was when he stood like a rock with his colossal score remaining not out on 185 when we beat the strong Bombay side in 1973 led by Ajit Wadekar. For us juniors, his feat is what gave us the confidence that the record-breaking champion side could be defeated if one had the tenacity, that Chetan displayed, to do so.

The most intriguing side of Chetan’s batting was during the net sessions before a match. On many occasions, I would find him struggling for form and sketchy in his defense. But the very next day when he walked in to bat, the confidence and the ability that he displayed is what positive mindset is all about. He would have his chest out like a fighting rooster and nothing shattered his attitude. This is what made him successful.

One of the most gritty knocks from him that I witnessed was when he played a 50-overs Wills Trophy domestic tournament in Delhi in 1978. Chetan had been hit on the chin a few days earlier and so he was wired inside and bandaged on the outside.

He was on a liquid diet as he could not chew any solid food. In this condition, he insisted on playing the match for Delhi against the Board President’s XI and ended up scoring 90 runs as an opener. This showed the guts and the determination that made him shine head and shoulders above many others.

He was the epitome of a Rajput warrior in the Maharana Pratap mold and one whom every team member knew would fight to the end. Our last meeting was two and a half years ago when we were both felicitated by Wadia College and given a life-time award as former students.

He delivered a wonderful speech inviting all Wadians to come over to UP where his doors were open for anyone who wanted to do business there. He was after all the Minister for Sports, Skill Development, and Business. This was Chetan, committed, and charismatic about any task that was given to him, a cricketer who would give his last ounce for his team and open his arms to his friends.

We will miss you “Chu Chu” but your memories will be etched in our hearts forever. RIP my friend.

(Yajurvindra Singh is a former Test cricketer. Views expressed are personal)

5 hidden tips and tricks in Samsung Galaxy Note20 series

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5 hidden tips and tricks in Samsung Galaxy Note20 series

While much has been written about Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra 5G which are packed with meaningful innovations, there is still more to discover about the most powerful Note series with these 5 hidden tips and tricks.

The Galaxy Note20 and Note20 Ultra’s camera introduces an improved Single Take experience.

“The AI-powered feature now allows you to capture up to 14 types of photos and videos simultaneously within five to 15 seconds of capture time,” the company said in a statement

To use the feature, open the Camera app and tap Single Take mode from the menu options.

Set your capture time by tapping the timer above the camera menu and sliding the timer bar to your desired setting.

Then, tap the shutter button, pan around, and the camera will automatically capture the best clips.

After finishing, tap the preview thumbnail and you will see optimized results for the scene you captured.

The second cool feature is sharing Wi-Fi with friends.

“We’ve all felt the frustration of repeatedly sharing the Wi-Fi password when having guests over. The Galaxy Note20 series removes that pain by allowing you to request Wi-Fi access information from near-field devices with people in your Contacts,” Samsung said.

Your friends can then share the password with you, making it easy to log in to new Wi-Fi networks.

When connecting to Wi-Fi in public spaces, the Galaxy Note20 series also makes it easy to find the fastest and most stable signal.

When searching for Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Note20 series provides information about the login requirements and quality of the connection below the name of the network, so you can easily find the most stable, secure connection every time.

The Galaxy Note20 series makes sharing your latest favorite song easy with an upgraded �Music Share’ experience.

While previously the feature only allowed music to be played on devices connected to a shared friend’s phone, on the Galaxy Note20 series, one can listen to the Buds connected to the phone and the Galaxy Buds connected to your friend’s phone.

Simply turn on Music Share, select your friend’s Buds, and both Buds will play the same music.

The Galaxy Note20 series also gives you more control over your video watching experience with Bixby voice control.

“If you missed a scene or want to skip ahead, voice control makes it easy by giving you the power to rewind, fast forward, pause, and play content. Voice control can also help you search for something to watch by telling Bixby to play the title of your favorite show,” Samsung said.

Petrol prices hiked 6 times in a week

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Petrol prices hiked 6 times in a week

State-run oil marketing companies increased the price of petrol for the third consecutive day on Saturday with this it was the sixth time that the fuel price was raised in seven days.

Petrol prices were raised by 16 paise in Delhi to Rs 81.35 a liter; in Mumbai, it stands at Rs 88.02 a liter.

Diesel prices, however, continued to remain steady for 23 days in a row, just like it was for petrol prices in July.

Petrol prices were kept on hold since June 29, while diesel prices were revised irregularly throughout the period. Petrol prices were revised on August 16 after a long pause. Since then there has been a consistent increase in petrol rates.

Since August 16, petrol prices have been raised by a margin of 92 paise per litre. Diesel prices have remained stable since the Delhi government announced a 13.25 percent reduction in the Value Added Tax on July 30, which had caused the price to fall by Rs 8.36 per liter. Diesel is priced at Rs 73.56 a liter in the capital.

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