Kailash Kher: Rs 72 lakh could educate children instead of buying fake followers

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Kailash Kher: Rs 72 lakh could educate children instead of buying fake followers

Rapper Badshah drew widespread criticism after it emerged that he spent Rs 72 lakh to buy 75 million fake views on social media for his recent song, Paagal. Singer Kailash Kher feels a true artiste would rather have used such a big amount for a cause like educating underprivileged children.

“We are living in a society where such disparity exists. On the one hand, people have money to buy fake popularity while on the other hand there are children on the road, without food and education. Any artiste with real knowledge would have used the popularity, money, and celebrity status for the betterment of society. The 72 lakh rupees could have been used for the education of underprivileged children,” Kher told IANS.

“I, too, get suggestions from the so-called business-minded people to market myself and engage in paid PR. For me, when I go to live shows and I see how people sing along with me, is bigger than anything else. We all know how a section of musicians is constantly selling music with ugly, double meaning lyrics and videos. They are popular among the youth. Unfortunately, they are influencing the youth in the wrong direction,” added the singer, who recently recorded a new version of “Vande Mataram”.

Kher recalled recording the song with a hundred artistes. “It is our way to contribute to the idea of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Until a few years ago, speaking in Hindi was considered ‘un-cool’ for the youth of the nation, because we were losing the vision of India. Now that we have a great visionary, we artistes gathered and recreated ‘Vande Mataram”, composed by Aashish Rego. Hopefully, we will bring our youth back to the roots, back in the right direction,” he concluded.

Luminaries India’s entertainment world lost during lockdown

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Luminaries India’s entertainment world lost during lockdown

From COVID-induced pandemic to natural calamities to the severe economic crunch, 2020 has been the worst year of this century so far. The year seems to be jinxed for the entertainment industry, too.

Closure of cinemas has affected business. More importantly, the year has already seen the demise of many luminaries in quick succession, much to the shock and sorrow of fans.

Here are a few Indian celebrities we have lost amid the COVID lockdown:

NISHIKANT KAMAT, August 17

The filmmaker passed away in a Hyderabad hospital. He was 50 and battling liver cirrhosis for the past two years. Kamat was known for directing Bollywood films like the Ajay Devgn-Tabu starrer “Drishyam”, Irrfan Khan-starrer “Madaari” and the John Abraham films “Force” and “Rocky Handsome” among others. His Marathi films, “Dombivali Fast” and “Lai Bhaari” won critical and commercial success cutting language barriers. Beyond direction, Kamat also acted in several films including “Rocky Handsome”, “Bhavesh Joshi” and Julie 2″ and the Marathi film “Fugay”.

PANDIT JASRAJ, August 17

Legendary classical vocalist and Padma Vibhushan recipient Pandit Jasraj passed away in the US at the age of 90. The news about his death was confirmed by his daughter Durga Jasraj. Born in 1930 in Haryana, the celebrated classical singer presented the Mewati Gharana to the global music connoisseur. With a career spanning 80 years, Pandit Jasraj’s oeuvre ranged from the world stage to Indian film music.

JAGDEEP, July 8

Best known for his role of Soorma Bhopali in Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster “Sholay”, veteran Bollywood comedian Jagdeep passed away owing to age-related health problems at 81.

Jagdeep started his career as a child artiste in BR Chopra’s 1951 release, “Afsana”, starring Ashok Kumar, Veena, and Pran. Later, he made a mark with roles in films such as “Bhabhi” and “Barkha”. His golden run began with GP Sippy’s 1968 film “Brahmachari”, starring Shammi Kapoor. His comic role in the film was widely appreciated. His last-released film is “Masti Nahi Sasti” in 2017.

SAROJ KHAN, July 3

The veteran Bollywood choreographer passed away following a massive heart attack at the age of 71. Khan was fondly called Masterji in Bollywood, and she had choreographed over 2000 songs spanning over three and a half decades. Her most famous collaborations were with Madhuri Dixit (“Dhak karne laga”) and Sridevi (“Hawa Hawai”) among many other hits. Her recent work includes “Tabaah ho Gaye” from the 2019 film “Kalank”, picturized on Madhuri.

SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT, June 14

The most controversial Indian celebrity death in years, the reason for Sushant’s demise is yet to be ascertained. What is known so far is that the 34-year-old actor was found dead at his residence in Mumbai. Initial reports stated it was a suicide, and that his body was found hanging, but these theories have now been questioned. While Mumbai Police had concluded the case to be a suicide, a CBI probe has been ordered into the death on Wednesday by the Supreme Court.

The case has taken several turns already. While initially it was thought Sushant took his life owing to depression because he was a victim of Bollywood nepotism, fingers have subsequently been pointed at his girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family, and her associates. A political angle in death is also not being ruled out.

Sushant rose to fame as Manav Deshmukh in the TV series, “Pavitra Rishta”. In 2013, he made a transition to the big screen with “Kai Po Che!” and was then seen in a string of films such as “Shuddh Desi Romance”, “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story”, “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!”, “Drive”, “Kedarnath”, “Chhichhore” and “Dil Bechara”.

BASU CHATTERJEE, June 4

The legendary filmmaker passed away at 93 owing to age-related ailments. Chatterjee is considered among the pioneers of middle-of-the-road cinema from the seventies to the nineties. He is among the filmmakers who made the common man a hero of Hindi commercial cinema, shedding his larger-than-life aura.

The nonagenarian is best known for films like “Rajnigandha”, “Chitchor”, “Khatta Meetha”, “Priyatama”, “Shaukeen” and “Chameli Ki Shaadi”. His last directorial was the 1997 film, “Gudgudee”.

WAJID KHAN, June 1

Bollywood composer-singer Wajid Khan of the popular sibling composer duo Sajid-Wajid passed away on June 1. On June 5, his family informed that Wajid had died due to cardiac arrest.

Sajid-Wajid, best known for their songs in the “Dabangg” films, recently composed a couple of songs for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan during the ongoing lockdown. The first, “Pyaar karuna” was a pop anthem encouraging all to fight the coronavirus. The song released in April was sung by Salman and also featured the actor in the video. The other song, “Bhai Bhai” released on Eid.

RISHI KAPOOR, April 30

In 2018, the veteran actor was diagnosed with cancer for the first time, following which he was in New York for nearly a year to undergo treatment. He returned to India in September 2019.

Post return to India, his health has frequently been in focus. The actor was admitted to the hospital in quick succession in February. Amid speculations about his health, he had been hospitalized in New Delhi in early February, while on a visit to the city.

Rishi Kapoor shot to fame playing a teen icon in his debut film “Bobby” and went on to carve his niche as a romantic icon in numerous hits of the seventies, eighties, and the nineties. Over the past decade, he also impressed with negative roles in “Agneepath” and “D-Day”.

IRRFAN KHAN, April 29

Acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan passed away a day before Rishi Kapoor. Irrfan was admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection. He was only 54. The actor had been battling neuroendocrine tumor for several years and had been under medical attention.

Irrfan carved an alternative route to success, defying traditional mainstream diktats in Bollywood. He was equally at ease in commercial entertainers as “Hindi Medium”, “Angrezi Medium” and “Life In A Metro”, as he did with more profound fare as “Maqbool”, “Paan Singh Tomar” and “Qissa”.

NIMMI, March 25

Yesteryears actress Nimmi passed away at her residence in the city in March. She was 88. Lately, Nimmi was suffering from breathing problems and had been in and out of the hospital.

Nimmi, whose name was Nawab Banoo, made her Bollywood debut in Raj Kapoor’s 1949 release, “Barsaat”, which was the Showman’s first major hit. The film co-starred Nargis. Through the fifties and the sixties, the actress worked in films with most top actors, notably the Bollywood Triumvirate of the era — Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand. One of her earliest releases was Fali Mistry’s “Sazaa” starring Dev Anand in 1951. The same year, she worked with Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar in Nitin Bose’s “Deedar”.

She would go on to work with Dilip Kumar again in films like Mehboob Khan’s ambitious “Aan” and Amiya Chakravarty’s “Daag” the next year. By the time she reunited with Dev Anand in Chetan Anand’s 1952 release “Aandhiyan”, Nimmi was already a popular Bollywood name. Her other notable films include “Uran Khatola”, with Dilip Kumar, the Ashok Kumar-Kishore Kumar starrer “Bhai-Bhai”, Sohrab Modi’s “Kundan”, and the Rajendra Kumar-starrer “Mere Mehboob”. Among her memorable works also are Mehboob Khan’s “Amar” starring Dilip Kumar and Madhubala, and Raja Nawathe’s “Basant Bahar” co-starring Bharat Bhushan.

Nimmi’s last release was K. Asif’s much-delayed “Love And God”, a retelling of the Laila-Majnu story. Asif started the project in 1963, and the film released long after his death in 1986, after several changes in the cast and crew. The released film had Sanjeev Kumar and Nimmi in the lead roles.

Bollywood fans also lost yesteryears’ actress Kum Kum, TV actor Sachin Kumar, actor Mohit Baghel, filmmakers Rajat Mukerjee and Harish Shah, and lyricists Rahat Indori, Yogesh and Anwar Sagar this year.

B’desh blogger murder: Chargesheet filed against 9 militants

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B’desh blogger murder: Chargesheet filed against 9 militants

The Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has filed a charge sheet against 9 militants of banned outfit Ansar-al-Islam including Syed Ziaul Haque, a sacked army officer, chief of Ansar al-Islam’s military wing in a case related to the killing of a secular online activist and blogger Nazimuddin Samad.

Samad, an activist and law student at Jagannath University, was killed on April 6, 2016, at Ekrampur intersection in Laxmibazar here while he was on his way back to the hostel after class.

Five militants had hacked Nazim to death with choppers, they confessed before the court, police told IANS.

After killing him, the militants fled on two motorcycles. A case was filed at Sutrapur police station over the incident.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (DC) of CTTC Saiful Islam confirmed the information to IANS on Thursday evening.

Ansar al-Islam, a banned Militant outfit, and pro-Al-Qaeda militant group has killed nine people in Bangladesh, including science-fiction writer and philosopher Abhijit Roy, Ahmed Rashid Tutul, the publisher and childhood friend of Avijit, owner of a publishing company ‘Shuddhaswar’.

On April 25, 2016, the militants of the banned group also killed USAID official and rights activist Julhaj Mannan, and his friend Mahbub Rabbi Tony.

“We submitted the charge sheet in the case before a Dhaka court on Tuesday,” Saiful Islam told IANS on Thursday.

The fugitives are Rashid Un Nabi, Mozammel Hossain Simon, Arafat Rahman, and Md. Sheikh Abdullah among them, Mozammel Hossain Simon and Arafat Rahman are also accused in the murder of Abhijit Roy.

The five fugitives are Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque alias Major Zia (sacked), Md. Wali Ullah alias Oli, Sabbirul Haque Chowdhury alias Konik, Maulana Junaid Ahmed alias Junaid and Akram Hossain.

Of the accused, four members of the banned outfit have so far been arrested, while five others including sacked army officer Zia are on the run, according to the charge sheet.

The four arrested accused are — Rashidun Nabi Bhuiyan, Mozammel Hossain Saimin, Arafat Rahman, and Sheikh Abdullah.

9 trapped in Telangana power station fire mishap

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9 trapped in Telangana power station fire mishap

Rescue efforts are on to rescue nine persons trapped in a fire mishap at TS Genco’s hydel power station at Srisailam left bank canal in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.

The incident is reported to have taken place late on Thursday. Initial reports indicate that a short circuit led to the fire and thick smoke engulfing the spot.

Of the 17 persons reported to be present at the spot, 8 persons escaped to safety through a tunnel. Those trapped include six TS Genco employees and three private company employees.

Firefighters were rushed to the spot and trying to rescue the trapped including a deputy engineer and assistant engineers. Officials said thick smoke is hampering rescue operations.

Telangana minister Jagadish Reddy and TS Genco CMD Prabhakar Rao reached the spot and are overseeing rescue efforts.

Reddy said that the mishap occurred in the first unit of the power station and four panels were damaged. He said that rescue personnel was unable to enter the tunnel due to thick smoke.

Rescue personnel is being brought in from the Singareni collieries to support the rescue operations.

Power generation operations at the power station have been suspended following the incident.

The Srisailam dam is located across the Krishna river which serves as the border between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Chandrayaan-2 completes a year of orbiting the moon

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Chandrayaan-2 completes a year of orbiting the moon

It is one year since India’s second moon spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into the lunar orbit, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Thursday.

The Indian space agency said Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft/orbiter was launched on July 22, 2019, and inserted into lunar orbit on August 20, 2019.

Though the soft-landing attempt of the lander Vikram was not successful, the orbiter, which was equipped with eight scientific instruments, was successfully placed in lunar orbit.

The orbiter completed more than 4,400 orbits around the moon and all the instruments are currently performing well, the ISRO said.

The spacecraft is healthy and the performance of subsystems is normal. The orbiter is being maintained in 100 +/- 25 km polar orbit with periodic orbit maintenance (OM) maneuvers.

So far, 17 OMs have been carried out since achieving a 100 km lunar orbit on September 24, 2019.

There is adequate onboard fuel to remain operational for about seven years, ISRO said.

The Indian space agency said the first moon mission Chandrayaan-1 established the extensive presence of surface water and the indication for subsurface polar water-ice deposits, arguing for more focused studies on the extent of water on the surface, below the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere, to address the true origin and availability of water on the moon.

10 Interesting Facts About Sai Pallavi One Does Not Know!

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10 Interesting Facts About Sai Pallavi One Does Not Know!

Sai Pallavi attained fame as an actress at a very early age. Sai Pallavi facts about her life are very interesting. Sai Pallavi age is not much but she has achieved a lot.

Sai Pallavi happens to be one of the most natural and talented actresses of recent times. She is popular for her simplicity and brilliant screen presence. She has in fact recently finished medicine in Georgia and is also an actress, dancer as well as a doctor. What is it that has made her so popular with her fans and also very charming? Millions of fans across South India simply adore her and her performances as an actress. Sai Pallavi father meant a lot to her.

Here are some interesting Sai Pallavi facts about the popular actress that a person may not have known:

• It is worth knowing that one got to see the actress in stunning performance in a dance sequence in Premam. She has actually never been trained in any form of dance and in an interview she has in fact watched Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit’s videos to learn how to dance.

• She in fact used to love celebrating Onam during her school days and thought she is not from Kerala. She used to love decorating her residence with a rangoli with flowers (Pookolam) during her favorite festival.

• Sai hs learnt dance on her own as well. She is partially self- taught. She watched dance performances and learnt from them

• Were you stunned when you saw her breaking into a dance sequence in Premam? She has actually never been trained in any form of dance and in an interview she said she used to watch Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit’s videos to learn how to dance.

• She wants to be a cardiologist and she is trained for it. She studied late and has the required schooling for it.

• She was initially quite insecure about her looks but others assured hr about being attractive.

• Sai Pallavi age is around 26 and she has attained much fame by such a tender age.

• Her film career began in 2005.

• She used to love celebrating Onam during her school days thought she’s not from Kerala. She used to practice making a rangoli with flowers (Pookolam) during her favorite festival.

• Prior to her fame with Premam, she did make headlines with a rocking performance in a reality show ‘Dhee 4’

Reports do highlight that when Alphonse approached her for Premam, she thought he was a stalker!

When she heard the song Malare which later of course became a popular song, she did not know it was meant to highlight her. When she came to know about it she was thrilled with joy She said her co-star Nivin Pauly did help her with her expressions for this song.

• When she travelled to the Middle East, she rather shocked that she had fans there and was surrounded by them at the Doha airport!

Sai Pallavi is well known in Telugu film industry. Sai Pallavi age is not much but has attiane much fame. She in fact may go beyond her film career as she is well qualified and might to like to pursue her medical profession. No doubt she has had a good time in the film industry even if she decides to leave it due to lack of sufficient time. In truth there’s nothing to really say that she will not continue to act and dance as much as she wants to but given her chosen field in medicine which he wants to pursue she may not have the required time for other passions.

Sushant and Sara were ‘totally in love’ during ‘Kedarnath’ promotions: actor’s friend

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Sushant and Sara were ‘totally in love’ during ‘Kedarnath’ promotions: actor’s friend

During the promotional activity of their 2018 film Kedarnath, Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan were in love with each other, claims Samuel Haokip, a friend of the late actor.

Samuel took to his verified Instagram account on Thursday to open up on the love story between the “Kedarnath” co-stars, a film that marked Sara Ali Khan’s debut in Bollywood. He also speculates whether the Bollywood Mafia played a role in causing their break-up after the release of Sushant’s 2019 release “Sonchiriya”, which failed at the box office.

“I remember the time during Kedarnath promotions… Sushant and Sara were totally in love…they were inseparable… So pure and childlike innocence. They both had tremendous respect for each other which was so rare to see nowadays in relationships,” Samuel wrote in an Instagram post.

Talking about how much respect Sara had for Sushant’s friends, family, and even his staff, Samuel added: “Sara along with Sushant head genuine respect for everyone in Sushant’s life…be it family, friends and even staff. I wonder whether Sara’s decision to break up with Sushant right after Sonchiriya’s box office performance was due to any pressure by the Bollywood Mafia.”

Commenting on Samuel’s post, “Pavitra Rishta” director Kushal Zaveri, who was a close friend of the late actor, wrote: “Someone had to say it! More power to you bro.”

From Samuel’s post and Kushal’s comment on the same, it seems the relationship between Sushant and Sara was not a very hushed-hushed affair as his friends, family, and staff knew about it.

Sara had shared an Instagram post on July 24, the day Sushant’s last film “Dil Bechara” released. Sharing a photo of Sushant along with her father Saif Ali Khan, who has played a cameo role in the film, Sara had written: “The only two gentlemen that have spoken to me about Sartre, Van Gogh, telescopes and constellations, guitars, the Northern lights, cricket, Pink Floyd, Nusrat Saab, and acting techniques. This is to the last thing you two have in common- #DilBechara.”

Bhushan’s submission on hearing on sentence by another bench denied

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Bhushan’s submission on hearing on sentence by another bench denied

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to accept submission of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that another bench should hear the arguments on quantum of sentence in the contempt case, where Bhushan has been held guilty for making derogatory statements through tweets against the judiciary.

A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, B.R. Gavai, and Krishna Murari told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Bhushan, that he is asking for an act of impropriety by making submissions that the argument on sentencing in the contempt case should be heard by another bench.

Justice Gavai noted that there should not be an impression that there is an effort to avoid this bench.

To this, Dave replied, why the bench was giving the impression that “this bench wants to decide everything before Justice Mishra retires”.

Dave urged that the matter of punishment should be considered by a different bench. Justice Gavai said the request cannot be accepted. Dave insisted that heavens are not going to fall if the court defers the hearing until the review is decided. “It is not necessary that this very bench should consider the sentence,” argued Dave.

The bench said it is not appropriate and it is against established procedures and norms. Justice Mishra replied: “Suppose if I am not retiring from office, can it be ever thought of?”

Justice Mishra reiterated, “We assure you; we will not do anything to defeat your right of review.”

The bench also observed that it is not inclined to hear Bhushan’s application seeking deferment of hearing on the sentence until his review petition is decided.

A contemnor can be punished with simple imprisonment of up to six months or with a fine of up to Rs 2,000 or with both. On August 14, the top court held Bhushan guilty of criminal contempt for his derogatory tweets against the judiciary.

Bhushan, appearing personally before the court, said that he has been “grossly misunderstood”.

He added that he does not ask for mercy and does not appeal for magnanimity. “My tweets were a small attempt to discharge what I consider my highest duty…,” he said. The top court in its judgment had said the tweets were based on distorted facts.

HP set to launch premium Envy portfolio for creators in India

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HP set to launch premium Envy portfolio for creators in India

PC and printer major HP Inc are all set to launch a wide premium portfolio of laptops and workstations in India next week that would cater to the growing communities of creators, YouTubers, photographers, vloggers, and short filmmakers in the social distancing times.

In the laptop segment, the HP Envy portfolio will see two devices. While Envy 13 is likely to be priced around Rs 75,000, Envy 15 with superior specifications will be available for nearly Rs 1.20 lakh, sources told IANS on Thursday.

Not just the laptops, HP is also set to launch powerful mobile workstations for professional creators — HP Zbook studio and HP ZBook Create, according to sources.

With these devices, HP is targeting everyday creators who need the right set of tools and technology to be able to explore their creativity at its full potential.

HP Inc. retained the top position in the overall PC market in India with a share of 32.8 percent in the second quarter, according to the IDC.

HP’s strong performance in the commercial segment was supported by a few large wins and helped the company to maintain its lead in the overall PC category.

Also, among the top five companies, it was the only company to have a positive annual growth rate in the commercial segment, as its shipments grew 11.8 percent (YoY) in 2Q20.

The company also maintained its leadership in the overall HCP market in India with a market share of 29.8 percent in the June quarter, according to the IDC.

Ban on import of communication satellites opens up opportunity: ISRO chief

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Ban on import of communication satellites opens up opportunity: ISRO chief

The government’s decision to ban the import of communication satellites throws up a huge opportunity for private players, said K. Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary, Department of Space.

Speaking at the webinar on ‘Unlocking India’s Potential in Space Sector’ on Thursday, Sivan said the decision throws up a huge opportunity for private players, ISRO and NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).

Recently the government had banned the import of 101 defense items to make the Indian defense industry self-reliant and boost indigenization.

The list of import embargoed items includes satellites like GSAT 7R, GSAT-6 Satellite Terminals, and Communication Satellite GSAT-7C.

Sivan also said the launch of small satellites also offers immense potential for the private sector and some private sector companies will soon realize their rockets.

According to him, the private sector participation in the space sector is healthy as it increases diversity.

Stressing that ISRO is not being privatized Sivan said the space agency will look at research and development (R&D), capacity building, and facilitate private sector participation.

He said the private sector will have to do its own R&D, funding, market studies, and others while ISRO will provide the technical knowhow while the proposed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) will be the regulatory body for the private players in the space sector.

According to Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, the public-private-partnership (PPP) model is the way to go while unlocking potential in the space sector.

He said cost efficiency, high-end engineering skill and frugal engineering will propel the Indian space sector. Mahindra urged the government to think and create structures and systems that were not there earlier.

According to R. Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO, the Space Activities Bill has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and inter-ministerial consultation will happen and the Cabinet will take a decision.

He added the Satcom Policy, Remote Sensing Policy is being reviewed and a new Navigation Policy is being formulated.

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E Ltd spoke about the PPP in the development of vaccines.

New Zealand reports 5 new Covid-19 cases

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New Zealand reports 5 new Covid-19 cases

New Zealand reported five new coronavirus cases on Thursday, which were all linked to the Auckland family cluster, taking the total number of active infections in the country to 101.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a daily briefing that there are no new cases in managed isolation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Of the five new cases, four are Auckland-based, while one is currently in the Waikato Hospital near the city, Bloomfield said.

There are six people receiving hospital-level care, but in stable condition, he said.

There are 133 people linked to the cluster who have been moved into the Auckland quarantine facilities.

The five new cases brought the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 1,304.

Of the 80 cases in the community outbreak, 78 are linked to the Auckland cluster, and two cases remain under investigation, Bloomfield said.

Auckland will remain in the Covid-19 Alert Level 3 till August 26, while the rest of the country is under Alert Level 2 with relaxed restrictions.

Slight improvement in Pranab Mukherjee’s health condition

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Slight improvement in Pranab Mukherjee’s health condition

Former President Pranab Mukherjee, whose health condition deteriorated after he developed a lung infection, is showing signs of slight improvement, the Army Research and Referral Hospital said on Thursday.

He has been hospitalized for the past ten days and is on ventilator support following brain surgery.

The hospital authorities said, “The respiratory parameters of Hon’ble Shri Pranab Mukherjee have shown slight improvement though he continues to be on ventilator support.”

The authorities also stated that his vital and clinical parameters remain stable and are being closely monitored by a team of specialists. On Wednesday, the authorities had stated that the former President’s health condition had deteriorated.

Pranab Mukherjee was also found to be Covid-19 positive when he was admitted on August 10 for life-saving emergency surgery for a brain clot.

Tharoor faces flak for supporting PPP model for Thiruvananthapuram airport

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Tharoor faces flak for supporting PPP model for Thiruvananthapuram airport

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday came under fire from state Minister of Tourism Kadakampally Surendran for his support to the Centre’s decision to lease out Thiruvananthapuram international airport to Adani Enterprises.

The state unit of the Congress party has also opposed the Centre’s decision.

Tharoor’s support to the PPP model comes at a time when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the state will not cooperate in this decision.

Vijayan has called an all-party meet on Thursday to discuss the issue.

However, Tharoor took to Twitter and said, “My position on the airport has been consistent since before the elections. I am not a politician who says one thing to the voters and something else afterward for political convenience. Had my colleagues consulted me before taking a negative stand, I would have explained my views to them. I am speaking in the best interests of my constituency. As its MP, that is my job.”

“The people of Thiruvananthapuram want a first-class airport worthy of the city’s history, status, and potential. In this context, a decision, however controversial, is preferable to the long delay we have suffered.

“The reality is that a private entity running the operations competitively is the only way this airport could flourish. Whoever it is, the ownership of the land and airport, as well as the responsibilities of the ATC, Security, Customs, and Immigration, still remain with the Govt agencies,” added Tharoor.

Surendran said it was a “shame that a personality like Tharoor is batting for cash-rich business people”.

“He should not have said this as the stand taken by him is tantamount to cheating and he will have to answer to the people,” said Surendran.

The Centre decided on Wednesday to hand over this airport to Adani Enterprises, which is already working on Vizhinjam Port, coming up near the airport.

Sudeva to field all-Indian team in I-League 2020-21, confirms club president

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Sudeva to field all-Indian team in I-League 2020-21, confirms club president

New entrants Sudeva will be fielding an “all Indian XI” in the forthcoming I-League 2020-21, club president Anuj Gupta has confirmed.

In the chat with AIFF TV which will be aired on Friday on AIFF social media handles at 5.30 pm, Gupta confirmed he is “not looking at foreign options” and wants to combine a team of his academy graduates and experienced Indian players.

“Everyone knows how hard Indian players are working in the pre-season. So as a matter of policy this year I’ve decided to field an entirely Indian team. I will not appoint any foreign player this year,” Gupta said.

“I want to have a team with both young and mature players. It’s not that I will be playing with just young players; I will also have at least 6 to 8 experienced Indian players who can create a nice atmosphere for the youngsters. I want to grow the team as a big family, both on and off the field. Let’s hope Sudeva will be able to do justice to being in I-League in its maiden season,” Gupta opined.

The show also featured Chairman of the Sreenidhi Group Dr. KT Mahi and League CEO Sunando Dhar.

While Sudeva will be featuring in the I-league 2020-21, Sreenidhi will be competing in the I-League from 2021-22 onwards from Visakhapatnam.

Highlighting the concept behind the launch of Sudeva, Gupta further said: “The idea of starting Sudeva was to develop players and make sure they go through a pathway so that they play at the top level eventually. Our philosophy would remain the same.

“However, having an I-League club just completes the pathway. So this year for sure, I’ll be having a decent number of graduates from our academy, who have been trained by us for many years.”

He further went on to mention how the club has taken care of the youngsters since hand-picking them up from remote villages.

“It’s not that I’ve trained them, sent them back, and gotten them again before the I-League. After selecting them some years back we have literally been their mothers, fathers, mentors, coaches, everything till today. We take pride in the fact that we have selected some talented boys from needy families and now they will become professional players.”

“More than performing well in the team, football can secure life and provide a job for them. If they keep their heads down and do well they will become heroes in their native places. They may go on to play international football.”

ICICI Bank’s QIP credit positive: Moody’s

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ICICI Bank’s QIP credit positive: Moody’s

Lending major ICICI Bank’s allotment of shares via qualified institutional placement (QIP) to raise Rs 15,000 crore in equity capital is credit positive, Moody’s Investors Service said on Thursday.

In a news and analysis note, it said the allotment will improve the bank’s capital position.

“This is an important development because the ongoing economic slowdown exacerbated by the disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak, will have a negative effect on the bank’s asset quality and pressure profitability and capital,” the note said.

“We estimate that the capital raise will result in 170 basis points in the consolidated Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio from 13.4 percent at the end of June 2020, after including profit for the June quarter.”

In addition to this equity raise, the bank also raised additional capital through a partial sale of its subsidiaries.

In June 2020, it sold a 1.50 percentage point stake in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and a 3.96 percentage point stake in ICICI General Life Insurance, collectively raising Rs 30.9 billion.

The bank still retains majority ownership in these two entities.

“The bank has also been making forward-looking credit provisions for potential asset-quality stress driven by the coronavirus driven economic disruption,” the note said.

“Such provisos now amount to 1.3 percent of loans, which is amongst the highest within the rated Indian banks. Although the countrywide lockdown in India has been lifted, economic activity is still subdued, and daily infections of coronavirus remain high.”

As a result of these disruptions, “we estimate that GDP in fiscal 2020 (ending March 2021) will contract by four percent”.

“This will be the weakest economic performance in the past four decades and will have a significant near-term effect on the cash flow of bank borrowers and, consequently, their ability to repay loans. We expect that the most affected loan segments will be retail and small and medium-sized enterprises,” the note said.

“As is the case with other rated private sector banks, ICICI has a large exposure to retail loans which account for 63 percent of its loan book, including agriculture loans, a key risk.”

Consequently, the enhanced capital buffers will support the bank’s credit profile in these times of economic uncertainty.

Additionally, the bank’s core profitability buffer remains strong with pre-provision income (adjusted for one-off gains) for the quarter ending June 2020 at 2.5 percent (annualized).

“The bank also has profitable stakes in its subsidiaries, most notably in insurance companies, which can be liquidated if unforeseen capital needs arise, although this is not part of our base-case scenario.”

CBI team to reach Mumbai Monday evening, collect documents from city police

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CBI team to reach Mumbai Monday evening, collect documents from city police

A day after the Supreme Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, a team of the agency’s SIT will leave for Mumbai to initiate an investigation.

The SIT team is likely to leave for Mumbai on Thursday evening, according to CBI sources.

The source said that the team headed for Mumbai will be led by CBI’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Nupur Prasad. They will reach Mumbai with all the medical documents related to Covid-19 reports after a ruckus was faced by the Bihar police team weeks ago.

The source said that the CBI team will also collect the documents from the Mumbai Police and meet the investigation officer, who handled the Sushant case.

If required the team will also speak to the Mumbai Police DCP, with whom the family of Sushant shared a WhatsApp message in February this year citing threat to the life of the actor.

The agency officers were likely to visit Sushant’s residence in Bandra where he was found dead on June 14 and also call the first five persons who reached his flat after the death.

The team is also likely to meet Mitu Singh, sister of Sushant to gather more details.

The CBI on August 7 had taken over the probe into the death of the 34-year-old actor on the orders of the central government after the Bihar government recommended for the central agency probe.

The CBI registered a case against Sushant’s girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit, mother Sandhya, brother Show, Sushant’s ex-manager Shruti Modi and flatmate Samuel Miranda and unknown others on the basis of his father K.K. Singh’s complaint filed with the Bihar Police on July 25.

The CBI has also recorded the statement of Sushant’s father and his elder sister Rani Singh. According to agency sources, in their statement, the family has maintained that it was not suicide but a murder.

Tiger Woods begins search for record 83rd PGA Tour success

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Tiger Woods begins search for record 83rd PGA Tour success

Two-time FedExCup champion Tiger Woods tees up this week at the Par-71 TPC Boston in search of record-breaking 83rd PGA TOUR victory. It is only his third start since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, but Woods has thrived at the TPC Boston, which was where his foundation was from 2003 to 2007.

Woods also has a great record at TPC Boston, and in 10 starts, his scoring average is 68.30. That includes one win, two tied second places, and another Top-10. That kind of average could see him contend yet again, despite the presence of in-form stars and young guns.

Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka has pulled out of the Northern Trust Open because of a hip injury, which also ends his season.

Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Webb Simpson take the top billing while Woods is paired with Dylan Frittelli and Matthew Fitzpatrick. World No. 1 Jon Rahm goes out with Xander Schauffele and Lanto Griffin.

Bryson DeChambeau plays with Patrick Reed. In 2018, DeChambeau became the youngest winner of The Northern Trust during the FedExCup era and went on to win the Championship at TPC Boston in his next start.

The defending champion at the $9.5 million events is Reed, but Woods will be in major focus. He has a packed schedule from here on. It is three events till the Tour Championship, assuming he qualifies for that. Then there is the Masters and US Open besides the World Challenge in December first week, making it a total of at least six starts, plus possibly one between the playoffs at the two Majors.

This season Woods has played only two events since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Memorial, and then the PGA Championship.

Woods, currently 16th in world rankings, is tied with Sam Snead at 82 PGA Tour wins. He won the FedExCup in 2007 and 2009 and overall has four wins during the FedExCup playoffs.

Among the players who will be watched closely are World No. 2 Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Woods, McIlroy, and Dustin Johnson.

Due to schedule changes related to COVID-19, FedExCup points available during the three playoff events have been reduced from four times standard regular-season events to three times. The winner receives 1,500 points.

Children are silent, fast spreaders of Covid virus: Study

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Children are silent, fast spreaders of Covid virus: Study

While most studies have stressed that children are not the harbingers of Covid-19, a comprehensive study now claims that children play a larger role in the community spread of the novel coronavirus than previously thought.

In a study of 192 children aged 0-22, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, 49 children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and an additional 18 children had late-onset, COVID-19-related illness.

The infected children were shown to have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than adults hospitalized in ICUs for Covid-19 treatment.

“I was surprised by the high levels of virus we found in children of all ages, especially in the first two days of infection. I was not expecting the viral load to be so high,” said study author Lael Yonker from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US.

“You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a ‘healthy child’ who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load,” Yonker added.

According to the researchers, transmissibility or risk of contagion is greater with a high viral load.

And even when children exhibit symptoms typical of Covid-19, like fever, runny nose, and cough, they often overlap with common childhood illnesses, including influenza and the common cold.

Along with the viral load, the team examined the expression of the viral receptor and antibody response in healthy children, children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a smaller number of children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

The researchers noted that although children with Covid-19 are not as likely to become as seriously ill as adults, as asymptomatic carriers or carriers with few symptoms attending school, they can spread infection and bring the virus into their homes.

This is a particular concern for families in certain socio-economic groups, which have been harder hit in the pandemic, and multi-generational families with vulnerable older adults in the same household.

In the Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) study, 51 percent of children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection came from low-income communities compared to two percent from high-income communities.

In another breakthrough finding from the study, the researchers challenge the current hypothesis that because children have lower numbers of immune receptors for SARS-CoV-2, this makes them less likely to become infected or seriously ill.

Data from the group show that although younger children have lower numbers of the virus receptor than older children and adults, this does not correlate with a decreased viral load.

According to the authors, this finding suggests that children can carry a high viral load, meaning they are more contagious, regardless of their susceptibility to developing Covid-19 infection.

“During this Covid-19 pandemic, we have mainly screened symptomatic subjects, so we have reached the erroneous conclusion that the vast majority of people infected are adults,” said study author Alessio Fasano from MGH.

“However, our results show that kids are not protected against this virus. We should not discount children as potential spreaders for this virus,” Fasano noted.

Recently, a study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, discovered that children younger than five years with mild to moderate Covid-19 can spread coronavirus as much as older children and adults.

Another study published last month in the journal ‘American Journal of Physiology’ revealed that children are more often spared from severe illness associated with Covid-19 than adults.

IPL 13: Ponting doesn’t want Ashwin to ‘mankad’ batsmen, Hogg differs

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IPL 13: Ponting doesn’t want Ashwin to ‘mankad’ batsmen, Hogg differs

Following Ricky Ponting’s statement that he will be speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin about ‘marketing’, Brad Hogg has apparently backed the Indian off-spinner while offering a different viewpoint.

Hogg, Ponting’s former Australia teammate, has said if a bowler shouldn’t ‘Mankad’ then the batsman at the non-striker’s end should also not back up too far and leave the crease before the ball is delivered.

“Batsman leaving the crease before the ball is delivered, when they know they’re getting an advantage, is that in the spirit of the game!” the former left-arm chinaman bowler said in a tweet.

Ponting, who is Delhi Capitals head coach, had recently said that he is not in favor of ‘marketing’ and will have a chat with Ashwin, who will be playing for the Delhi-based in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning September 19 in the UAE.

England batsman Buttler was ‘managed’ by Ashwin at a crucial moment in last year’s IPL season during a match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The manner of the dismissal had created ripples across the cricketing fraternity and beyond, with many former greats of the game lambasting the Indian off-spinner for breaching the ‘spirit of the game’.

“I’ll be having a chat with him (Ashwin) about (Mankad), that’s the first thing I’ll do,” Ponting said while speaking on The Grade Cricketer Podcast,

“Obviously, he wasn’t in our squad last year, he’s one of our players that we tried to bring in this year.

“Look, he’s a terrific bowler, and he’s done a great job in the IPL for a long period of time now, but I must admit watching that last season, as soon as it happened and he did that, I actually sat our boys down and said ‘Look, I know he’s done it, there’ll be others around the tournament who’ll think about doing this well but that’s not going to be the way that we play our cricket. We won’t be doing that’,” he added.

Ashwin had earlier defended his decision to run out Buttler, saying his “conscience was clear”. However, the Delhi Capitals head coach is confident that the veteran Indian off-spinner will take the advice in his stride.

“So, that’s going to be a conversation and that’s going to be a hard conversation I will have to have with him, but I’m pretty sure he’ll take it on the chin,” Ponting said.

4 brothers charged in US for defrauding Amazon in invoicing scheme

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4 brothers charged in US for defrauding Amazon in invoicing scheme

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has laid charges on four individuals for a $19 million fraudulent invoicing scheme targeting Amazons vendor system.

Through the course of the scheme, the four individuals allegedly manipulated Amazon’s vendor system in attempts to fraudulently induce the e-commerce platform to pay for goods that Amazon had not ordered, DoJ said in a statement on Wednesday.

The four individuals — brothers Yoel Abraham, Heshl Abraham, Zishe Abraham, and Shmuel Abraham – were arrested.

In executing the scheme, they allegedly attempted to obtain at least approximately $32 million and successfully obtained at least approximately $19 million.

According to the indictment unsealed on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, the four individuals purportedly operated wholesale businesses, opened vendor accounts with Amazon to sell the company small quantities of goods.

By accepting a purchase order, they agreed to supply specific goods, at specific prices, in specific quantities.

But they eventually allegedly manipulated Amazon’s vendor system, and then, in the most egregious iteration of the scheme, invoiced the company for substitute goods at grossly inflated prices and excessive quantities.

They allegedly frequently shipped and invoiced for more than 10,000 units of an item when Amazon had requested fewer than 100.

The brothers helped one another evade detection using an encrypted group texting chain on WhatsApp.

Once Amazon detected the pattern of fraudulent over shipping, it suspended the vendor accounts engaged in the fraud.

In response, the four brothers tried to open other vendor accounts and disguise their identities by registering them in fake names.

They used different email addresses and virtual private servers (“VPSs”) to obfuscate their connection to previously suspended accounts and frustrate Amazon’s ability to detect and mitigate their fraudulent activity, according to the charges.

“The indictment alleges that Yoel, Heshl, Zishe, and Shmuel Abraham came up with a new twist on an old trick, but the use of complex technology did not hide the simple fact that the defendants were bilking Amazon for goods they never provided,” Acting Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss, said in a statement.

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