Genevieve strengthens into Category 1 hurricane off Mexico coast

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Tropical storm Genevieve has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific Coast states of Guerrero and Michoacan, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) said.

Genevieve, which could potentially intensify into a Category 4 hurricane as it moves west over the ocean, was expected to lash five states in southern and western Mexico with heavy rains, strong winds, and high waves, Xinhua news agency quoted the agency as saying on Monday.

With its maximum sustained winds of 120 km per hour and gusts of 150 km per hour, the hurricane also threatened to impact the states of Oaxaca, Jalisco, and Colima.

The cyclone evolved into a hurricane in the morning and could gain strength and intensify into a Category 4 hurricane by Tuesday night when its center was expected to be located off the coast of Jalisco, said the agency.

The SMN called on seafaring vessels and residents in coastal areas in the five states to shelter from the rains, wind, and waves caused by the hurricane, which was not expected to head inland.

Genevieve rapidly evolved into a hurricane from a tropical depression that formed on Sunday morning off the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero.

US ethnic groups more likely to be hospitalized due to Covid-19

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A new analysis has revealed that African-Americans, Hispanics, and the American Indian/Alaskan Native ethnic populations in the US are significantly more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than whites.

The analysis from the University of Minnesota, published on Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, found significant disparities among racial and ethnic groups after reviewing nearly 49,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations over a two-month period in 12 states, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The unique clinical, financial and social impacts of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic populations that are often systematically marginalized in our society must be well understood in order to design and establish effective and equitable infrastructure solutions,” said Pinar Karaca-Mandic, professor and academic director of the Medical Industry Leadership Institute in the University of Minnesota Carlson School, and the study’s lead author.

The study found that the African-Americans were hospitalized at higher rates than those who were white in all 12 states reporting data, with Ohio, Minnesota, and Indiana having the largest disparities.

The Hispanics were hospitalized at higher rates than those who were white in 10 of the 11 states reporting this data, with Virginia, Utah, and Rhode Island with the largest disparities, according to the study.

The American Indian/Alaskan Natives were hospitalized at higher rates than whites in the eight states reporting data.

Researchers note the disparities found in other population groups are largely reversed among Asian communities.

In six of the 10 states that reported data for the Asian group, the proportion of hospitalizations was lower relative to their population representation.

In Massachusetts, individuals who identify as Asian comprise 7 percent of the population but only 4 percent of the coronavirus hospitalizations, according to the study.

Now Oracle joins the race to acquire TikTok: Report

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In an interesting turn of events, Cloud major Oracle has entered the race to acquire TikTok as US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to direct China-based ByteDance to sell its TikTok business in the US within 90 days.

According to a report in The Financial Times on Tuesday, Oracle “held preliminary talks with TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, and was seriously considering purchasing the app’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand”.

According to the report, Oracle was working with a group of US investors that already own a stake in ByteDance, “including General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital”.

Oracle was yet to comment on the report.

“ByteDance is opposed to selling any assets beyond those in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand,” said the report.

Microsoft is the frontrunner to purchase TikTok’s US business following a discussion between the company’s CEO and the US President.

However, reports surfaced that the Microsoft-TikTok deal may not happen as odds of the deal are “not higher than 20 per cent”.

The probability of Microsoft buying TikTok is “not higher than 20 per cent” since the initial price offered by the US software giant was akin to “robbing the owner when his house is on fire”, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Earlier reports also claimed that Twitter discussed a “potential combination” with TikTok, currently facing immense political heat in the US.

Apple, however, clarified that it was not interested in acquiring TikTok after some reports surfaced, saying the iPhone maker was willing to buy the China-based app.

The earlier executive order from Trump prohibited the China-based company from doing business with the US firms after 45 days.

TikTok has already threatened legal action against the first executive order.

The new executive order directed ByteDance to “divest any data it obtained from users of TikTok or Musical.ly in the United States”.

It also authorized US officials to inspect TikTok and ByteDance to ensure the safety of personal data of nearly 80 million American users of the short video making app.

The earlier executive orders were issued amid discussion by Microsoft to purchase the US business of TikTok by September 15.

With 55K new cases, India crosses 27L-mark

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India’s Coronavirus tally crossed the 27-lakh mark on Tuesday with 55,079 fresh cases in 24 hours, while the toll climbed to 51,797 with 876 more fatalities, said the Health Ministry.

Out of the total 27,02,742 cases, recoveries have surged to 19,77,779 with 57,937 more people recuperating in the past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to nearly 73.17 percent. The actual caseload of the country is the active cases, which currently stands at 6,73,166.

The country had touched the 20-lakh mark on August 7 and added more than seven lakh cases in 11 days.

The silver lining, however, is that the gap between recoveries and active cases is growing every day. Currently, recoveries are over 12 lakh more than the active cases.

As far as the death toll is concerned, the country had registered its first death on March 13 and crossed the 25,000-mark on July 17. The next 25,000 deaths were logged in the span of a month.

Notably, the case fatality rate, which is the proportion of people who die from the disease among individuals diagnosed, has dropped to 1.91 percent, the ministry said. As many as 8,99,864 samples were tested on Monday.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total of 5,95,865 cases and 20,037 deaths; followed by Tamil Nadu with 3,38,055 cases and 5,766 deaths. The southern state is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

India continues to be the third-worst hit after the US with 5,437,969 cases and 170,491 deaths and Brazil with 3,359,570 infections and 108,536 deaths.

Vinesh Phogat pulls out of national camp citing Covid scare

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Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat will continue to train at her home in Bhiwani as she has refused to attend the national camp, starting from September 1 in Lucknow.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) recently got a green signal from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to hold national camp from next month, despite the fact that many wrestlers were ‘against it’.

Speaking to IANS, Vinesh said she has requested the federation to let her train alone and be exempted from the camp.

“Yes, I am not going to attend the camp. I have informed the federation about it and they have given me the permission (so far),” laughed Vinesh.

“Coronavirus cases are rising and I don’t want to take any risk. So, I thought of giving the camp a skip for the time being,” added the Tokyo-bound wrestler.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia and Pooja Dhanda have confirmed their participation.

A total of 26 wrestlers in eight weight categories — five in freestyle and three in Greco Roman�will take part in the month-long camp.

The women’s camp will be held in Lucknow with 15 wrestlers including Pooja, Sakshi Malik, and Divya Kakran. And the men’s camp will be held in Sonepat where Bajrang and Narsingh Yadav will be seen in action. Sushil Kumar will train at his own center – Chhatrasal stadium in the national capital.

According to SAI protocols, athletes, coaches, and support staff joining the camp will be given mandatory COVID-19 tests upon arrival at the camp and they will resume training after a 14-day quarantine.

19 kids rescued in UP, 9 traffickers held

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Nineteen minors have been rescued and nine persons arrested by the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur.

According to AHTU inspector Ajit Pratap Singh, “On the tip-off by Surya Pratap Mishra, UP state coordinator of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, that children were being trafficked from Araria in Bihar to Delhi by bus, the operation was launched on Monday.

“Police surrounded the Jagdishpur area under Khorabar police station limit. During the checking of buses coming from Bihar, the police caught nine human traffickers and rescued 19 children who have been handed over to the childline.”

The nine accused have been booked under sections 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) IPC, 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) IPC, and section 79 Juvenile Justice Act and 3 Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act 2016 and sent to jail.

SP crime Ashok Kumar Verma said, “Human trafficking is an organized crime and it is a matter of investigation that how big their network is. However, 9 traffickers have been arrested and 19 rescued children are being given counseling.”

The arrested traffickers include Mohd Hashim, Mohd Zahid, Ishtiyaq, Shamshad, Murshid, Maroof, Noor Hassan, Shahid, and Haseeb. All of them belong to Araria in Bihar.

Ahead of UP Assembly session, 20 staffers test corona positive

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With just two days left for the Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to begin, 20 Assembly staff members, including security personnel, have tested positive for Covid-19.

Speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit confirmed that about 300 Assembly and other government staffers had been tested and 20 were found COVID positive.

The reports of other staffers were yet to come in and the number of COVID positive persons could go up further.

“Those who have tested positive include an officer of the under-secretary rank. We are waiting for the final test reports as about 300 staffers, who will be deployed to perform various works/assignments during the Monsoon Session, have been tested,” said an official of the Assembly Secretariat.

The Speaker has asked all Legislators to get themselves tested for the virus before they attend the Assembly session.

The Speaker said, “We are informing all members about the places in the Vidhayak Nivas or a point close to them that will have the facility for testing from Wednesday. The testing facility will also be available in the Vidhan Bhawan complex.”

Asked whether the test will be mandatory for members, Dikshit said: “We will arrange the facility for Covid-19 tests for all members.”

Although senior officers of the Assembly Secretariat refused to comment on the issue, a large number of positive cases have raised serious concerns about the health of those to be deployed for work during the brief Monsoon Session.

Shahrukh Prakash, Samajwadi Party MLC has written to the Vidhan Parishad Chairman saying that all senior citizens in the House should be allowed to participate in the session virtually. However, his suggestion has been turned down.

Meanwhile, on August 20, the Assembly will be adjourned after mourning the deaths of its sitting members — cabinet ministers Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan — who died after being admitted to hospitals for treatment of Covid-19.

The state government proposes to carry out Legislative Business in the remaining two days, tabling ordinances that have been promulgated after the last session and the bills to replace them.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has a sanctioned strength of 403 members. As seven seats are vacant, the effective strength of the Assembly has come down to 396 members. When constituted in 2017, the Assembly had nearly half of its members in less than 50-year age group.

Ten ministers and ruling party members, leader of opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary and other Samajwadi Party members have undergone treatment for Covid-19.

The Assembly and Council Secretariats are taking all safety precautions. In both the Houses the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ lobbies, along with viewers’ galleries, will be used to ensure a vacant seat between two members to follow social distancing during the session.

The Assembly has decided to install ultraviolet filters in the air-conditioning system. Automatic sanitizer dispensers have been installed at the entry gates. The security personnel has been given infrared thermometers to scan members who are being asked to wear masks in the House. A mask will be gifted to members who reach the House without wearing one.

Italian Open to start from September 14, health rules set

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Organizers of the Italian Open tennis tournament have formally announced that the tournament will take place from September 14, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. The final will take place on September 21.

The new dates are more than four months later than its normal spot on the calendar, reports Xinhua news agency.

The move was widely anticipated after the Madrid Open was canceled because of fears related to the pandemic. The Italian event will now precede the French Open by two weeks instead of one.

The Italian Open, which is held on clay courts, is a key tune-up event before the clay-court French Open.

In a Monday statement to media, sponsors, and other stakeholders, the Italian Open’s main sponsor said the event will be held with COVID-19 protocols in place, including those for social distancing in locker rooms and periodic disinfecting common areas.

The Italian Open normally takes place during the second week in May, but the pandemic required the professional tennis calendar to be reshuffled, with several events suspended or reduced in scope.

The Italian Open plans to return to its normal spot on the calendar in 2021, assuming the pandemic is no longer a threat, with a May 9 start date already set.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal and the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova respectively won the men’s and women’s championships last year. Nadal went on to win the French Open later in May.

Microsoft 365 apps to end Internet Explorer support next year

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Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) by August 17 next year, the company has announced as it pushes people to install revamped Chromium-based Edge browser.

Beginning November 30 this year, Microsoft Teams web app will no longer support IE 11 and the remaining Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support IE 11 from August 2021.

After the above dates, customers will have a degraded experience or will be unable to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services on IE 11.

“Customers have been using IE 11 since 2013 when the online environment was much less sophisticated than the landscape today,” Microsoft said in a blog post on Monday.

“Since then, open web standards and newer browsers — like the new Microsoft Edge — have enabled better, more innovative online experiences”.

Microsoft launched Edge five years ago after its once-dominant Internet Explorer lost its appeal as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox took over the browser space.

The company said new Microsoft 365 features will not be available or certain features may cease to work when accessing the app or service via IE 11.

“While we know this change will be difficult for some customers, we believe that customers will get the most out of Microsoft 365 when using the new Microsoft Edge,” the tech giant said.

The company also announced it would end support for the Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop app on March 9, 2021.

After March 9, the Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop app will not receive new security updates.

“Apps and sites created for Microsoft Edge Legacy will continue to work in the new Microsoft Edge, but if a compatibility issue does arise, we have our App Assure promise to provide support,” said Microsoft.

Barcelona sack Setien & announce ‘restructuring’ of first team

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FC Barcelona has sacked coach Quique Setien following last week’s 2-8 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

The club confirmed the decision in a communique issued on Monday following an emergency directors’ meeting that was called in the wake of the crushing defeat.

“The board of directors has agreed that Quique Setien is no longer the first-team coach. This is the first decision within a wider restructuring of the first-team which will be agreed between the current technical secretary and the new coach, who will be announced in the coming days,” confirmed the FC Barcelona website.

Setien had joined Barca as a coach on January 13 this year. During his seven months in charge, the Cantabrian coached the first team in 25 matches: 19 in the league, three in the Champions League and three in the Copa del Rey. The breakdown of his results was 16 wins, four draws, and five defeats.

Barca was knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao in February and Friday’s humiliation against Bayern means the club ends the season without a trophy for the first time in 12 years.

Former Barcelona defender Ronald Koeman, who is currently the coach of the Dutch national team, is the favorite to replace Setien.

Inter crush Shakhtar to reach Europa League final

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Two goals each from Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku helped Inter Milan secure a 5-0 victory over an uninspired Shakhtar Donetsk in their UEFA Europa League semifinal in Dusseldorf.

Inter will face Sevilla in Friday’s final in Cologne, as Shakhtar were never able to threaten Antonio Conte’s men over 90 minutes on Monday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.

Shakhtar tried to assume control from the start and to implement their offensively-minded strategy, though Inter’s defense managed to neutralize all attacks.

20 minutes into the game, the Italians also increased their attacking efforts and opened the scoring with their first chance as Nicolo Barella’s cross into the box found Martinez, who nodded home the opener.

Shakhtar struggled to create opportunities as they were unable to bypass Inter’s defenders. Goalscoring chances remained at a premium as only Marcos Antonio unleashed a shot on target just before the break.

After the restart, Inter started where they left off as they kept all their men behind the ball, but once they forced a turnover they overran Shakhtar’s defense.

However, Shakhtar almost restored parity out of thin air, but Junior Moraes’ header missed the target at the hour mark.

Shakhtar’s promising chance was an awakening call for the Italians, as they doubled their advantage only moments later when Marcelo Brozovic’s corner allowed Danilo d’Ambrosio to make it 2-0.

Inter gained momentum and tripled their advantage in the 74th minute through Martinez, whose 18-meter hammer sealed his brace and put the result beyond doubt.

Shakhtar was unable to put up resistance whereas Inter were not done with scoring, as Martinez set up for Lukaku, who tapped home for 4-0 four minutes later.

Things went from bad to worse for Shakhtar in the closing period after Lukaku wrapped up his brace to round off the win.

Nidhhi Agerwal’s productive lockdown: Yoga, fitness and detox

Actress Nidhhi Agerwal says she has been extra careful about staying fit through the lockdown months.

“It’s been a productive lockdown for me. I have learnt a lot of fitness-related things. I started doing yoga, and have done some detoxing too. I feel all these things have helped me develop beautiful changes in my body,” Nidhhi told IANS.

Nidhhi, who turned 27 on Monday, says it felt great to be able to spend the whole day on her birthday with family, for a change.

“I stayed at home, cut cakes, and spent quality time with family members. Spending quality time with my closed ones is always on my wish list. I also want to open a charitable organization,” she added, sharing her birthday wish list.

Nidhhi, who is best known for “Munna Michael” and “iSmart Shankar”, has four films coming up.

8 Best Solutions to Beat Bedwetting

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Bedwetting causes are many and parents need to deal with them. They need to train their child so that she or she does not wet the bed at night while asleep.

Wetting the bed can be an embarrassing among kids and is very common. Bedwetting tends to occur in families and is more common among boys than girls. There are several bed-wetting causes which can be taken care of.

Banish the Blame

Getting angry with the child for bed wetting will aggravate the condition. The problem will get worse. It is not easy to stop a child from bed wetting. It is better not to make a big issue of it. This also helps to answer the question how to stop bed wetting at age 7?

Consult Pediatrician

Inform the pediatrician about the bedwetting for him or her to keep a track of the child’s progress and offer suggestions for controlling it. If one’s child is older than 5, or if the bedwetting starts abruptly, it is better to discuss with the doctor about possible causes — for instance, urinary tract infections, diabetes, or even stress — and other possible reasons and medical solutions. It is important to realize that in most cases there is a physical reason for bedwetting.

Create an Incentives Chart

Try to add on a positive incentive, which can work on a subconscious level, in order to help the child to avoid bedwetting. For example, preparing a grid chart or using a calendar, and give the child a sticker (like a shiny star or a happy face) every night keeps his or her dry. When he or she earns ten stickers (which might take longer for some kids, so patience is required and to continue to encourage them), he or she gets a small toy or a special treat, such as a lollipop.

Check for Constipation

Constipation happens to be a common cause for bladder problems. When the rectum, located just behind the bladder, is filled up with large or hard poop, there is more pressure on the bladder. This does cause bladder instability, which, in turn, can lead to nighttime (or even daytime) accidents. In case, one notices that the child is not having a daily bowel movement or if his stool is typically hard, increase his or her fluid as well as fiber intake. Apple juice, fruits, vegetables, as well as whole grains are indeed good options to help ease constipation and for proper functioning again.

Consider Specific Medications

Medication is also a good option, but it has does have side effects. For instance, desmopressin, which does reduces urine production, that cause headaches, facial flushing, nausea, and, in rare cases, severe water retention. Some medicines tend to control the symptoms rather than cure bedwetting.

Purchase a Moisture Alarm

A moisture alarm does wake up the child the second he or she wets the bed. The interruption in sleep can in fact condition the brain to control the bladder better and thus help prevent accidents. Bed-wetting causes are indeed manifold and of much concern to parents.

Invest in a Waterproof Mattress

Parents can purchase a waterproof mattress cover or pad and pillow cases. Lay fresh pajamas for a quick change in the middle of the night. If the child sleeps through the night in a wet bed, then it is possible to ask him or her to help change the sheets in the morning By doing so, it helps him or her to take responsibility for the bedwetting. Even if the child is not wetting the bed on purpose, he or she is still aware of his accidents when he wakes up.

Encourage Bathroom Trips Before Their Bedtime as well as Yours

Do make sure the child goes to the bathroom before her bedtime. Once the child empties the bladder, there is lesser chance of urinating at night. It is also better to limit the fluid intake a few hours before bedtime.

Conclusion

Thus the question How to stop bed wetting at age 7 is well answered by such solutions.

7 Relationship Secrets That Truly Work

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Relationships have to be maintained and relationship goals need to be set up. It is interesting to know about secrets to a long-lasting relationship in order to improve marital ties.

Relationships are not all that easy to maintain. It would be interesting to know the secrets to a healthy relationship. It is necessary to work towards a successful relationship. What are the secrets to a long-lasting relationship? There are several ways to maintain a healthy relationship.

1. Accept conflict as normal.

Perfection is difficult to attain in a relationship. Disagreements will be there. Unless severe problems arise such as unfaithfulness, abuse, addictions, legal problems, or violence and it is better to keep up with a relationship. One needs to overcome a rough patch. Trust and commitment need to be deepened.

2. Grow yourself up emotionally.

Most people are subject to dysfunctional behaviors that are destructive to themselves as well as others. Some of the most common ones are defensiveness, poor communication skills, and lacking emotional intelligence. It is good to know one’s strengths and weaknesses.

3. Give each other space.

Even people who happen to be in loving relationships do need time for themselves. Couples do spend time away from each other, working on their own goals, spending time with their friends as well as hobbies, and just about doing their own thing. Relationship goals can be set up.

4. Develop an “I’m awesome” attitude.

It is important to know one’s self-worth. Far too many people do focus on their self-worth first and then on the success of the relationship. But yet how a person feels about oneself should not have anything to do with one’s relationship status, nor the whims and moods of one’s partner. Self-esteem should be kept up at all cost. Relationship goals do matter.

5. Take care of one own needs.

One is an adult, not a child, so it is better to call the shots. Need a nap? Take it. Want a ice cream? Have it. Want to go to the movies? Enjoy. In partnership, it is possible to ask the other person to help a person to meet the needs. But similar to oneself, others have their own needs and problems. They may say no and this is not a rejection. It is rather a chance to be self-reliant or reach out to one’s community (i.e., friends or family) for help. It is better to know more people rather than rely on a single person.

6. Communicate boundaries.

More relationships die on account of remaining silent rather than violence. Does a person bite one’s tongue when upset? Does the person turn away from bad behavior? Is there a tendency to nag rather than enforcing consequences? All these issues matter for a smooth channel of communication.

7. Never reward bad behavior.

Bad behavior must not be excused. It is necessary to draw a line in respect to a partner’s bad behavior. If the offended person continues to spend time with them, laugh, have sex, and otherwise pretend that everything s alright, thus offering positive reinforcement they do not need to change. Some ground rules need to be set. Efforts should e made by the offender to change his or her behavior.

Relationships can be like old shoes—we stay in them even when they are no longer functional because they are comfortable. But comfort is rarely an indication of a life well-lived.

Conclusion

Relationships have to be worked upon. Partners need to ensure that each one does not encroach too much one the space of the other. It is important to maintain self-esteem and not to compromise on it.

97 percent of Income Tax work force feeling left out

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The employee associations of Income Tax have said that the restructuring carried out in the Department to implement the Faceless Assessment Scheme is making 97 percent of the workforce feeling left out.

The Joint Council of Action (JCA) comprising Income Tax Employees Federation and Income Tax Gazetted Officers Association have written to the Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) seeking to highlight the disruption to the employees caused by the restructuring of the department.

“However, had the department taken us into confidence before bringing the said announcements, the feeling of being left out would not have been there among the 97 percent of the workforce of the Department whom we represent,” the JCA said.

“We are also certain that the CBDT, as has been the case in the past, would ensure that no employee is made redundant in the process, and existing vacancies would be filled up with due promotions and recruitment”.

The JCA has pointed out that the restructuring exercise if not implemented in a thoughtful manner may result in massive displacement of manpower from one station to the other.

These associations have told the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) that “Any ill-conceived diversion of posts may lead to an exodus of posts and thereafter displacement of employees and their families, particularly in mofussil charges”.

Further, any large scale diversion of posts and consequent transfers of promotee officers and officials among different states under the jurisdiction of one Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax charge may result in complex problems including children’s education, unmanageable operational difficulties in the residual charges, the employees pointed out.

They have pointed out that the circular for restructuring was received on August 14 and suggestions have been asked for by August 17 when there were a national holiday and Sunday in the intervening period.

Moreover, the suggestions have not been discussed either with the local or central JCA, who are the major stakeholders.

They have asked the CBDT Chairman to direct all Principal Chief Commissioners to take into confidence the local JCA before they take any decision on the diversion of posts to the newly created NeAC and ReAC charges in their respective regions.

They have also sought an urgent meeting between the CBDT and JCA to discuss “these revolutionary changes” and hoped that they can be resolved “so that any extreme step won’t be required to be taken”.

Aligarh boy is suspect in Chinese hawala racket

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When a team of officials belonging to different government agencies reached Peepal village in Khair area in Aligarh on Friday to meet one Rahul, they were shocked, to put it rather mildly.

Seeing Rahul’s house, reportedly a director in two Chinese firms and shareholders in two others, the team went back after making polite inquiries from the family, mainly his father Shyam Sunder and mother.

The officials spoke to Rahul on the phone and he told them that he has been working in Gurugram in a motor vehicle parts’ firm for the past one year.

He said that one person offered him another part-time job at an office, located in DLF Cyber City, and he readily agreed.

Rahul told the team that the person, Saggu, had taken his Aadhar and PAN card when he joined the job.

The documents were apparently used without his consent in a recent money laundering racket that has been unearthed in Delhi.

Since Sunday afternoon, Rahul’s mobile phone has been switched off and his father is also untraceable.

According to sources, Rahul’s family owns 12 bighas of land and agriculture is their only source of income.

Family members, who are now unwilling to speak to the media, are ‘shocked’ that their son is allegedly a millionaire.

“We cannot believe that Rahul could be involved in anything like this. His house is dilapidated and there are no signs of such money coming in,” said a neighbor who refused to be identified.

Meanwhile, in its probe into a hawala racket being run by Chinese entities, income tax officials have found that a suspect, Lou Sang, had changed his identity to Charlie Pang, an Indian national.

He held an Indian passport and even an Aadhaar card and was married to a girl from Manipur. He got the passport issued from Manipur.

The I-T department, last week, had busted a hawala racket perpetrated by a few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates. The initial probe revealed that one Lou Sang was representing many Chinese firms for hawala operations in India. It was found that Sang operated over 40 bank accounts, created by various dummy entities, which received advances of thousands of crores from shell companies.

Department officials have also raided bank employees and premises of several Chinese companies, suspecting the scam to be well over Rs 1,000 crore.

The accused, who has been running this hawala racket for the past three years, kept on changing his addresses frequently. Earlier, he used to stay in the Dwarka area of Delhi but his current address changed to DLF.

Mozilla, Google extend Firefox search agreement: Report

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Mozilla has extended its agreement with Google to keep it as the default search engine within the Firefox browser for another three years, ZDNet reported.

Although an official announcement on the deal is expected only in November, Mozilla confirmed the report.

“Mozilla’s search partnership with Google is ongoing, with Google as the default search provider in the Firefox browser in many places around the world,” the organization was quoted as saying in a statement.

“We’ve recently extended the partnership, and the relationship isn’t changing,” it added.

The estimated worth of the deal is between $400-$450 million per year, said the report.

The report came after Mozilla last week announced its plans to lay off 250 people as part of its restructuring plan.

“Economic conditions resulting from the global pandemic have significantly impacted our revenue. As a result, our pre-COVID plan was no longer workable,” Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker said in a blog post.

The announcement led many to worry about the future of the organization.

However, the ZDNet report said that the organization is financially sound even as it plans to make crucial changes in its core businesses.

“Over the longer run, our goal is to build new experiences that people love and want, that have better values and better characteristics inside those products,” Baker said in the blog post, announcing the changes.

Fire doused on 6th floor of Parliament Annexe building

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Seven fire tenders were rushed to the Parliament Annexe building here on Monday after a fire broke out on the sixth floor.

The fire was soon brought under control and a short-circuit is believed to be the cause of the incident. The fire department said that further investigation is on.

“A call was received at 7.30 a.m., and it is suspected the fire started following a short-circuit. The fire has been brought under control,” Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Services said.

The fire broke out in room number six on the sixth floor and the damage is confined to that room only, said the fire department. Further investigation was on.

Sharad Pawar tests Covid-negative, goes in isolation

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Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar has tested negative for Covid-19, an aide said here on Monday.

The 79-year-old NCP patriarch had undergone a test last week at Breach Candy Hospital after a couple of his security personnel and some aides had tested positive.

Though Pawar had not come in contact with any of them, as a precaution, he has gone into self-isolation for at least four days cutting off all public contact, the aide, requesting anonymity, told IANS.

It was not clear if any other Pawar family members or other NCP leaders and ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders who are in regular contact with each other have undergone similar tests.

To date, around half-a-dozen state ministers have been infected, besides independent MP from Amravati Navneet Kaur-Rana and her husband Ravi Rana.

Still remember the way Dhoni walked out to bat in 2011 WC final: Mandhana

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Star Indian batswoman Smriti Mandhana on Monday heaped praise on “inspirational” MS Dhoni, who recently bid adieu to international cricket.

“I still remember the way Dhoni sir walked out to bat in the 2011 World Cup final. The confidence on his face was something which I got inspired,” Mandhana said in a video uploaded on BCCI’s official Twitter handle.

Though all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was the linchpin of India’s success in the 2011 World Cup, it was Dhoni who rose to the occasion during the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Chasing Sri Lanka’s 275 for victory, India had the worst possible start, losing Virender Sehwag off the second ball and Sachin Tendulkar when the score was just 32. Dhoni, who was not in the best of form in the World Cup, surprised everyone by promoting himself ahead of in-form Yuvraj.

But Gautam Gambhir and skipper Dhoni steadied the ship with a 109-run fourth-wicket partnership and then his unbeaten 54-run partnership with Yuvraj (21) helped India clinch a six-wicket win as Dhoni wrapped it up with a straight six off pacer Nuwan Kulasekara.

“I am sure he has inspired everyone around him to be a better cricketer, a leader, and most importantly a better human being. Thank you for your contribution Dhoni sir,” Mandhana added.

Dhoni, last Saturday evening, announced his retirement from international cricket via an Instagram post.

The 39-year-old from Ranchi, who made his ODI debut in 2004, played a whopping number of 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20I matches. He was the first and is still the only captain to date to have won all three ICC Trophies.

Dhoni holds the record for most international matches as captain (332). Unarguably the quickest man behind the wicket, Dhoni affected a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps.

Star Indian batswoman Smriti Mandhana