Indians taking to writing and reading in lockdown

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Indians taking to writing and reading in lockdown

With a deeply-engaged community of close to 3 million users in India, who spend more than 37 minutes daily reading, writing, and engaging on an average on the platform, global user-generated stories platform Wattpad says it registered a significant increase in user activity during the lockdown, worldwide and in India.

“Lockdown was a critical time for everyone across the country. People were suddenly isolated and were not able to continue with their normal lives. Perhaps not surprisingly, as more people were stuck at home and in quarantine, one global trend we saw early this year was more people turning to storytelling as a way to connect and cope with the situation. Users who were previously readers turned to write as a way to express themselves. A related thing we heard from writers was that people are finding solace in the community of readers and writers around their stories. Writers tell us that being able to connect with fans and other writers have been a positive experience for them right now,” Devashish Sharma, India Country Manager at Wattpad told IANSlife in an interview.

Earlier this spring, the platform saw a global increase in sign-ups from pre-COVID levels, with a more than 50 percent increase in April over early March. Some regions were much higher, likely due to the people being quarantined and social distancing starting at different dates around the world.

From January through April, the number of new stories written on Wattpad grew a whopping 151 percent. In the same period, the number of new writers increased by 125 percent. Writer activity overall increased by 200 percent from January through April.

“In India, these growth trends meant a 50 percent increase in reading time, a 30 percent increase in new stories, and a 60 percent increase in writers,” Sharma shared.

Wattpad, which came into existence in 2006, house stories that went to become some of the biggest recent hits in TV and film: Hulu’s “Light as a Feather”, Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth”, and then hit “After”. As per Sharma, today, they have 50 TV and film projects in development around the world, and to date, nearly 1,000 Wattpad stories have been published as books or adapted for TV and film.

The website and app made its way to India in 2015 to cater to a vast audience of story-lovers and storytellers in this country who shared a love for literature and books. “India is one of the global leaders in producing incredible stories and IP. We want to unlock even more of the amazing stories that are waiting to be told by Indian writers. Organic growth for Wattpad in India has been possible partly because of the high penetration of smartphones and mobile web apps in India,” said Sharma.

Asked about user data and activity, the country head revealed that Wattpadders in India have shared more than 4 million uploads in English, Hindi, and nine other Indian languages (including Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Marathi, and Oriya).

As for the demographics, 90 percent of their users are GenZ and Millennials (between the age group of 15 and 30), 65 percent are female users and 45 percent are from the non-metro cities.

While Wattpad is home to multiple genres, data suggests that Indians love reading sci-fi, and romance that touches on forbidden-love and arranged marriages to name a few. We are also seeing a growing readership for several new-age genres like thrillers and the paranormal.

“With users spending an average of 37 minutes daily reading, writing, and engaging with Wattpad stories, we know that Indian users get hooked on stories and can’t put them down. Users binge on chapters because they can’t wait to know what happens next. What is truly unique about Wattpad is the social nature of the experience, readers can engage in conversations with each other, connect with the author directly, and discuss what they love about a story. For readers, the experience can be very similar to a book club, where passionate book lovers spend their time reading and discussing stories.

“For writers, this creates an incredible connection to their fans. They can hear what readers love about a story, or learn where a story could be improved. Owing to such readership dynamics, we are now seeing established, best-selling writers like Neil D’Silva choosing Wattpad to release his new book on Wattpad to connect directly with his readers. A few days since launch and the book is already a hit, and in just one day, his new story accumulated nearly 10,000 reads!”

What are the future collaborations and plans for Wattpad in India?

“Our vision for India is to continually build a platform that provides writers with an opportunity to tell stories, make money, and be seen and heard in India and around the world. We want to make TV shows and films from Indian writers, and with the largest catalog of IP on the planet, the next international TV or film sensation could be on Wattpad right now.

“We also want to work with Indian brands, to help them understand and tap into the power of social storytelling and long-form content. We’re living in an age when people want more genuine engagement from brands. Gen Z wants to see that brands understand their perspective, which is why our massive and diverse audience stands out.”

Sharma concludes: “Not only is Wattpad a great platform to discover great stories, but it is also a true community of literature enthusiasts, who connect over stories to share thoughts, opinions, and ideas. To add to this, many upcoming writers here in India have chosen us to be their to-go platform to publish or launch their literary works.”

Covid patient dies awaiting treatment by Kolkata pvt hospital

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Covid patient dies awaiting treatment by Kolkata pvt hospital

A 60-year-old female coronavirus patient died in an ambulance outside a private hospital in Kolkata while allegedly awaiting admission as her family failed to deposit in time Rs 3 lakh demanded by the staff.

The incident took place at Desun Hospital on the EM Bypass here on Monday night. The patient had been brought from East Midnapore’s Taluk. The deceased’s husband had died of Covid-19 three days ago.

Her family said that when they took the patient to the hospital they were asked to deposit Rs 3 lakh. They said they immediately deposited Rs 80,000 and asked for an hour to arrange the remaining amount. But, they alleged, the hospital authorities categorically told them that doctors would not be able to start treatment unless the full payment was made.

Later, they arranged Rs 2 lakh more and deposited the amount in a bank account, but the patient had died by then in the ambulance. Despite repeated attempts, hospital authorities refused to issue any media statements on the issue.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has clearly given instructions to all private medical facilities not to delay treatment in such emergencies. This is absolutely uncalled for,” Indian Medical Association (IMA) President and Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen said.

Sen also urged the bereaved family to approach the state medical regulatory commission with a formal complaint about necessary action against the hospital authorities.

In another incident of alleged medical negligence in adjoining Howrah district’s Jaiswal hospital, coronavirus positive patient Moumita Ghosh was denied proper care. Ghosh was admitted to the hospital for the past seven days but suddenly developed a respiratory problem and asked for oxygen support. She went live on social media to seek help.

Later, West Bengal Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla responded to her video appeal and made arrangements to ensure an oxygen cylinder for the patient.

On a positive note, Kolkata Police Constables Bhaskar Bera and Pappu Kumar Sinha stepped forward to help a corona positive patient by donating plasma for her therapy at a private hospital in the city on Monday.

Eng vs Pak: Latif bats for Haider Ali’s inclusion in 2nd Test

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Eng vs Pak: Latif bats for Haider Ali’s inclusion in 2nd Test

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif feels 19-year-old batsman Haider Ali should be included in the team for the second Test against England starting Thursday at the Ageas Bowl.

England won the first Test in dramatic style in Manchester to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and the visitors will have to bring their A-game in Southampton to have any chance of leveling the series.

Latif feels Haider is ready to make his Test debut in the tough English conditions and therefore should get a chance to showcase his skills in the crucial game.

“Haider Ali is missing from this team. His time to play is now and if he doesn’t play, you will waste one year of his career,” Latif said on his YouTube channel ‘Caught Behind’.

“We are waiting for Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq to retire before including Haider Ali but by then it will be too late.

Latif further said that Haider is more than just a T20 big-hitter and the time is right to integrate him into the team in the longest format.

“Now that we have seen his performance in PSL, we will only look to play him in white-ball formats. I think he will play in T20Is against England but I believe it will be better to establish him as a Test player first,” Latif said.

“I firmly believe that Haider will become an excellent Test player and will eventually go on to cement his place in all formats.”

Haider has so far played seven first-class matches and scored 645 runs at an average of 49.6. He is, however, yet to make his international debut in any format for Pakistan.

Odisha’s Covid cases cross 48k mark

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Odisha’s Covid cases cross 48k mark

The Covid-19 tally in Odisha reached 48,796 with 1,341 new positive cases reported in the last 24 hours, said the health department on Tuesday.

The state also reported 10 more deaths due to coronavirus as the death toll rose to 296.

While Ganjam and Khordha districts reported three deaths each while one death each was reported from Sundargarh, Puri, Balasore, and Rayagada districts.

Of the new positive cases, 818 were detected in quarantine while 523 were local contacts.

Corona hotspot Ganjam district reported the highest 227 cases followed by Khordha (218), Sundargarh (91), Bhadrak (83), Cuttack (76), and Rayagada (75).

While active cases in the state rose to 15,427, Coronavirus recoveries stood at 33,020.

Low harvest makes Himachal apple business fruitful!

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Low harvest makes Himachal apple business fruitful!

Less than the optimum yield coupled with labor pangs amid the coronavirus pandemic and fungal attack — for the second consecutive year — in Himachal Pradesh this season turn out to be a blessing in disguise for apple cultivators who say the fruit’s prices have remained at a sweet high in northern India.

“Apple prices are significantly high owing to its short supply. The prices remained almost 25 to 30 percent higher than last year’s, depending upon the quality,” Vinod Kumar, a prominent apple grower from Dadesh village in Kotgarh tehsil in upper Shimla, told IANS.

He said for the first time most of the growers are marketing the apples by packaging them in small boxes of 10 kg. Earlier, a box normally contains 22 kg of fruit.

“In the last season, a box of 22 kg was sold from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,600. This time we packed the apples in 10 kg boxes and each box fetched around Rs 1,100,” Kumar added.

Trade insiders say this time the apples are largely undersized owing to weather fluctuations and bear jet back spots owing to the scab disease.

The hill state is one of India’s major apple-producing regions, with more than 90 percent of the produce going to the domestic market. Apples alone constitute 89 percent of the state’s fruit economy of Rs 4,000 crore.

As per estimates of the state Horticulture Department, the state is likely to produce 30 million boxes of apples this season — approximately five-six lakh tonnes — and this is 25-30 percent less than last year’s record harvest.

The production is expected more in the high altitude areas, Horticulture Secretary Amitabh Awasthi said.

A total of 8,70,310 apple boxes have been sent to different markets of the country till August 8.

Experts at the Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni say incidents of scab disease have been reported from some areas of Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts.

Trader Naresh Chauhan at the apple market in Dhalli near here said a 20 kg box of top quality Royal Delicious fetches between Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,300 in Delhi’s Azadpur market, against Rs 1,500 per box last year.

This season, he said, only a few farmers opted to sell the apples in the state. A large consignment went to the wholesale market in Delhi where they got handsome prices.

“Earlier, a number of traders from Gujarat and Maharashtra used to purchase apples directly from the farmers from their orchards. This time they are missing owing to coronavirus and the farmers are taking their crop mostly to Delhi,” he said.

Officials of the Horticulture Department said the harvesting of the crop from mid-hills of Shimla, Kullu and Mandi districts is at its peak. After that, the harvesting will be on in the high-altitude areas where the impact of the scab is higher.

Apple expert S.P. Bhardwaj, a former Joint Director at the Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, told IANS the apple crop largely remained undersized owing to the deficit and erratic monsoon rains. This will result in an overall decline in the total yield.

“Shimla’s nearby apple growing areas of Kufri and Fagu saw 27 percent less than normal rainfall from June 15 onwards. During this period the crop requires rains and high moisture. In large areas in Shimla, the deficiency of rainfall goes up to 35-40 percent,” he said.

In some areas the scab disease, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis, makes the fruit impaired, tasteless, and undersize. Also, it damages the fruit with jet back spots.

According to Bhardwaj, poor crop management is mainly responsible for the spread of the disease.

Shimla district alone accounts for 80 percent of the total apple production.

The apple harvesting season in the state is from July to October, depending upon the plant variety.

Over the years, the apple production in the state has been erratic, say experts.

The reason is a prolonged winter spell and lack of adequate rainfall when the apple crop was ripening between May and June.

According to Economic Survey 2019-20, a total of 6.64 lakh tonnes of apples were marketed in the state till December 2019 against 3.68 lakh tonnes in 2018-19.

TikTok announces first recipients of its $1bn Creator Fund

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TikTok announces first recipients of its $1bn Creator Fund

Amid an uncertain future due to measures taken by the Donald Trump administration, TikTok has named the first 19 recipients of its $1 billion TikTok Creator Fund in the US.

First announced last month, this fund will reach hundreds of thousands of creators, starting with $200 million and growing to $1 billion in the US over the next three years, and more than double that globally, TikTok said.

The 19 creators named by TikTok on Monday include David Dobrik, Brittany Tomlinson, Cheyenne Jaz Wise, Justice Alexander, Michael Le, Marissa Ren, and Ross Smith.

The other selected accounts include those of Matt Broussard, Alex Stemplewski, Avani Gregg, Jess Andrade, Darryl Jones, Yumna Jawad, Chance Moore, and Kate Hudson, Fayez, Matt Grecia, Isabella Avila, Spencer Polanco Knight, and Anthony Youn.

“Each of these creators has shown what it means to be your authentic self, bring joy and inspiration to people, and creatively connect with an audience,” Vanessa Pappas, General Manager, TikTok US, wrote in a blog post.

TikTok said it launched the Creator Fund to further support creators of all sizes and backgrounds through earnings that reward the passion and dedication they put into “inspiring, uplifting, and entertaining the TikTok community”.

“There are so many more creators that make TikTok the platform that it is today and we encourage all of our eligible creators to apply to the Creator Fund when the application process opens in-app mid-August,” Pappas said.

To be eligible, users must meet the minimum eligibility requirements, including being 18 years or older, meet a baseline of 10,000 followers, have accrued at least 10,000 video views in the last 30 days, and post original content in line with its Community Guidelines.

TikTok is facing an uncertain future in the US as President Trump earlier this month issued an executive order that prohibits transactions with the company’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, by any entity in the US within 45.

The order came after Microsoft revealed an intention to close a deal to purchase TikTok’s US business by around September 15 � a deadline set by Trump.

TikTok has threatened legal action challenging Trump’s executive order.

Will try to win hearts of rebel MLAs: Raj CM

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Will try to win hearts of rebel MLAs: Raj CM

After the resolution of the crisis arising out of rebellion by Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that he would try to know their grievances and then try to win them over.

Gehlot was speaking to the media before leaving for Jaisalmer, where MLAs from his camp are staying, to chair a Congress Legislature Party meeting.

“As the Chief Minister, it is my responsibility to win the hearts of my MLAs if they have any cause to be annoyed with me. We will try to figure out what all promises were made to them and why they have grudges,” he said.

Gehlot pointed out that a 3-member committee has been formed by the Congress high command to look into the grievances of MLAs.

However, Gehlot parried the question about his opinion on Pilot’s return to the Congress fold as the Chief Minister had earlier dubbed his once-deputy ‘nikamma’ and ‘nakara’ (incompetent, worthless).

Pilot, who was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief in July, is returning to state capital Jaipur from Delhi via road after meeting the party leadership and will be welcomed at different places en route by his supporters.

The Chief Minister also attacked the BJP, saying that all their plans and projections have failed badly.

“Imagine their situation — they hired 3 planes which remained grounded as the MLAs refused to fly to a new place. They also wanted to take their MLAs for camping; that also could not be done. A meeting of MLAs scheduled to be held at a hotel on Tuesday has also been cancelled. Look, how they have fallen flat,” he remarked.

Gehlot said that he owes a lot to the Congress MLAs who stayed for a month in hotels and not even one of them joined the rival camp. “I have told them that I will be obliged to them for life,” he added.

He asserted that the Congress government in Rajasthan will complete its 5-year term and return to power again in the next Assembly elections.

NZC confident of hosting ’37 days of international cricket’

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NZC confident of hosting ’37 days of international cricket’

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is hopeful of hosting international matches later this year and is confident of setting up a bio-secure bubble in a similar way that England did against West Indies last month and also for their ongoing Pakistan series this month.

New Zealand recently marked 100 days without community transmission and NZC is looking to bring cricket back to its shores after COVID-19 halted the sport in the country in March.

According to the normal FTP, West Indies, Pakistan, Australia, and Bangladesh were scheduled to travel to New Zealand this year. NZC chief David White remains hopeful of the countries traveling for the respective series, the schedule of which could be put forward in the coming days.

“We are making tremendous progress. I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they’re confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh… so 37 days of international cricket,” White told reporters as per ESPNcricinfo.

“We’ll just be held up for a week or two while we work with the government agencies on the managed isolation but they’ve been extremely supportive.”

Meanwhile, the Women’s World Cup 2021, which was scheduled to be held in New Zealand, has been postponed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) until February 2022 due to uncertainty put forward by the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the main concerns was that teams haven’t played a match since March. New Zealand remains the host of the tournament.

The Esports Club announces 5 months of Valorant tournaments

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The Esports Club announces 5 months of Valorant tournaments

The Esports Club, a Bengaluru based esports platform, has announced its five-month plan for Valorant tournaments under their new IP, The Esports Club Challenger Series.

The LG Ultragear TEC Challenger Series has opened registrations and expects matches to start from August 15. The five-month extravaganza will offer the largest prize pool in the region for Valorant with Rs 7.5 lakhs over the five events.

Not only will teams be competing for the monthly prize pool of Rs 1.5 lakhs split amongst the top 8, but players will also be competing for individual rewards for the top 3 tournament MVP’s every single month.

Sukamal Pegu, Regional Publishing Head South Asia, Riot Games, said, “We’re thrilled with the response that Valorant has received in the region and we would like to encourage organizations such as The Esports Club who are establishing the competitive scene in the community through activities like the TEC Challenger Series.”

Ishaan Arya, Co-Founder & Head of Business Development, The Esports Club, said, “With this new initiative, we hope to give Valorant players in the region a roadmap to keep playing, competing and improving over the next few months as we build an amazing library of content and broadcasts around their journeys.”

Mansoor ‘Nabu’ Ahmed, Head of Operations at The Esports Club, said, “The TEC Challenger Series will allow us to expand our presence in the esports world and through this new IP we will bring high-quality tournaments and broadcasts for players and viewers across multiple games.”

Demand for Rahul to take over party begins in Kerala

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Demand for Rahul to take over party begins in Kerala

In a passionate plea to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Kerala and top party leader Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday wrote to the former that he is the only alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authoritarian regime.

“The only opposition and the only alternative to Modi’s authoritarian regime is Rahul Gandhi. In these times, where even some of the mainstream media houses have become partisan and pro power, your good self has been successful in waging a lonely battle against the Modi-Amit Shah duo,” said Chennithala in his letter to Gandhi.

“The grassroots level workers are eagerly waiting for Rahulji to take over the reins of the party. This will infuse unmatched enthusiasm among our cadres and will catapult our party towards recapturing the past glory,” said Chennithala.

Chennithala adds that they are going through an unprecedented crisis and Sonia Gandhi has been struggling, despite her health issues, to rudder this boat through these tempestuous times.

“But to match the crookedness and the robustness of the BJP, we need to have your young and dynamic leadership at the helm of affairs. The nation had appreciated the highest democratic principles shown by your good self while abdicating the presidentship of Congress party, taking up the moral responsibility for UPA’s debacle in 2014 general elections. However, it’s time for you to kindly reconsider your decision. The Assembly elections to Bihar and five other states are due in nine months’ time,” notes Chennithala.

He ends his letter by saying that this is an appeal to your good self on behalf of all the Congress Workers and the secular and liberal citizenry of this great nation to take over the reins of the party and lead us in this struggle to re-discover the spirit of India.

Gandhi is the Wayanad Lok Sabha member and this letter comes at a time when Kerala has its Assembly elections in May 2021.

SSR’s dad attempted to know details of treatment from Rhea: WA message

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SSR’s dad attempted to know details of treatment from Rhea: WA message

Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K.K. Singh had tried to contact his son’s live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty to know the details of his son’s ongoing medical treatment at that time, WhatsApp messages shared with the media showed.

The actress, who is now the prime accused in the death case of Sushant, did not respond to any of the messages.

Besides Rhea, Sushant’s father also tried to connect with his son’s former manager Shruti Modi and even she did not revert back to him. Modi is a co-accused in the case filed by Singh at a Patna police station on July 25. She was also both Sushant and Rhea’s manager.

The ED and the CBI are probing the death of the late actor, who was found hanging in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14 on the complaint of Singh filed at the Rajeev Nagar police station. Sushant and his family hail from Purnea district in Bihar.

Both the agencies have taken over the probe on the basis of the Bihar Police FIR.

Singh in his message to Rhea at 12.34 p.m. on November 29 last year asked her to share the details of his son’s treatment.

In the message to Rhea, Singh said, “Jab tum jan gaee ki hum Sushant ka papa hun to baat kyu nahi ki. Aakhir baat kya hai. Friend bankar uska dekhbhal aur uska elaj karba rahi ho to mera bhi farj banta hai ki Sushant ke bare me jankari mujhe bhi rahe. Esliye call kar mujhe bhi sari jankari do (When you have come to know that its Sushant’s father then why don’t you speak to me. What is the reason. If you are getting Sushant treated being a friend then it is also my responsibility to know the details. Therefore call me and share all the information).”

The revelations come in the backdrop of regular questioning of Rhea and her family members besides Modi, and others associated with Sushant by the ED.

The CBI on Monday visited the Faridabad home of the late actor’s brother-in-law, O.P. Singh, who is a top police officer in Haryana. They recorded the statement of Sushant’s father and sister in connection with the case.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources, the family members have claimed that Sushant’s death was not suicide but a murder. However, the CBS officials remained tight-lipped on the development.

The father had also tried to contact Modi, on the same day he whatsapped Rhea, November 29, asking her to book a flight ticket for Singh so that he could come to Mumbai.

Singh wrote to Shruti Modi, 18 minutes before messaging Rhea. In the message, he said: “Mai janta hu ki Sushant ke sare karj aur use bhi tum hi dekhti ho. Wah abhi kis stithi me hai, iske liye bat karna chah rahe the. Kal Sushant se baat hui thi to usne kaha tha ki main bahut pareshan hu.

“Ab tum socho ki ek pita ko kitni chinta hogi uske liye. Esliye tumse bat karna chah raha tha. Ab tum bat nahi kar rahi ho to mai Mumbai jana chahta hu. Flight ka ticket bhej do. (which roughly translates into ‘I know you handle the expenses and other things of Sushant, and it was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. Wanted to know in which condition he is in. Yesterday I spoke to Sushant and he said that he was troubled. Now you can imagine being a father, how worried I must be for my son. It was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. And now when you are not speaking then I want to come to Mumbai. Send the flight ticket).”

The ED has recorded the statement of Rhea, her brother Showik and father Indrajit on Monday. Till date the ED has questioned Rhea twice, her brother’s Showik statement thrice and her father Indrajit once.

For the first time on Tuesday, the ED has called Sushant’s sister Mitu Singh to record her statement with the agency. A top ED official said that Mitu Singh will be recording her statement later in the day.

The ED has also recorded the statement of Rhea’s Chartered Accountant (CA) Ritesh Shah, Sushant’s CA Sandeep Sridhar, his house manager Samuel Miranda, his flatmate Siddharth Pithani.

Shruti Modi on Tuesday morning again joined the ED probe. She has been questioned by ED twice earlier.

The ED had on July 31 registered a case on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR on his father’s complaint that Rs 15 crore was withdrawn or transferred from his son’s Kotak Mahindra Bank account.

The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Rhea and her family members. Sushant’s father has accused Rhea of taking money from his son and also threatening to disclose his medical reports to the media. The late actor’s family has also accused her of keeping him away from them.

The case was transferred to the CBI from the state police on August 6.

On Monday, Rhea had moved a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, complaining that the media was unfairly holding a trial and pronouncing her guilty. She also urged the top court to ensure that she is not made a scapegoat of political agenda in the wake of the Bihar elections scheduled later this year.

The plea also said that she had no objection if the court referred the matter to the CBI. The apex court will be hearing the matter again on Tuesday.

Sister Mitu, ex-manager Shruti to be questioned

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Sister Mitu, ex-manager Shruti to be questioned

Spreading the net wider in the Sushant Singh Rajput financial deals probes, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday summoned his sister Mitu Singh and former manager, Shruti Modi.

While Modi arrived at the ED office around 9.30 a.m., Mitu is likely to reach by noon.

The ED on Monday grilled Sushant’s live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty, her father, and brother, besides others in connection with the probe into the late actor’s financials.

Sushant was found dead in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14. His family has lodged an FIR against Rhea and several others for abetment to suicide.

‘Sreejesh has set the bar very high for goalkeepers in India’

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‘Sreejesh has set the bar very high for goalkeepers in India’

Indian junior men’s hockey team goalkeeper Prashant Kumar Chauhan believes veteran PR Sreejesh has set the bar high for young goalkeepers in the country.

“We are very lucky to see the way PR Sreejesh has evolved as a goalkeeper over the years. The way he is always aware of important match situations is amazing and it is something I would like to emulate,” said Chauhan.

“Sreejesh was at his absolute best during the penalty shoot-out in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2020 against Netherlands and Australia. It was amazing to see the way he protected the goal during the penalty shoot-out. He has set the bar very high for young goalkeepers in India,” he added.

The 19-year-old, who was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 3rd Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2019, is happy with the way his career has progressed so far.

“It’s been great to be part of the Indian junior men’s hockey team since 2018. I feel I have learned many important things required to be successful at the highest level.

“I have enjoyed the pressure in big matches and I feel the junior circuit is a wonderful platform for any young player to test himself. I hope I get to play many more matches in the future and I would certainly like to contribute to many more crucial victories for the Indian junior team,” said Chauhan.

While speaking about his goals for the future, Chauhan said that nothing can be bigger than performing well for the senior Indian team.

“Playing for the senior Indian team has to be my ultimate goal and my aim is not to just play for the senior team, but to also have a long career in the senior international circuit.

“I hope I can be the senior Indian team’s first choice goalkeeper one day and I dream of contributing to the Indian team’s victories in massive tournaments like the Olympics. I am going to continue working hard on my game and I am sure I will receive my opportunities soon,” said Chauhan.

Typhoon Mekkhala makes landfall in China

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Typhoon Mekkhala makes landfall in China

Mekkhala, the sixth typhoon of this year, made landfall in China’s Fujian province on Tuesday, bringing with it strong winds and torrential rain.

The typhoon has disrupted traffic, while some trains have been ordered to stop services in the province, reports Xinhua news agency.

Gaoqi airport in the coastal city of Xiamen canceled 51 outbound flights on Monday and 38 on Tuesday morning.

The Xiamen flood control office said that more than 5,600 fishing ships had returned to ports and over 3,200 people were evacuated.

Passenger ferries were ordered to suspend services in affected areas, and tourist attractions and construction sites were ordered to close.

China’s national observatory on Monday issued a yellow alert for typhoon Mekkhala.

Meteorological authorities forecast that the typhoon will move northwestward and start to weaken after the landfall.

On Tuesday, central and southern Fujian will experience downpours, with some areas seeing up to 200 mm of rainfall.

Mekkhala is the second typhoon that landed in coastal areas of east China over the past week.

On August 4, Hagupit, the fourth typhoon of this year, landed in Zhejiang province, packing winds of 38 meters per second near its center.

US student killed in UP accident (Ld)

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US student killed in UP accident (Ld)

A teenage student at Babson College in Massachusetts, US, has been killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh.

The victim, Sudiksha Bhati, was in India for vacations and was supposed to return to the US on August 20. The 19-year-old was on her way to Bulandshahr on a two-wheeler when the accident took place.

Her family members claimed she was with her uncle on a scooty from Dadri on Monday evening when two men on a motorcycle started following them.

“The men were passing comments on Sudiksha and were trying to overtake her vehicle performing stunts to impress her. Suddenly, their Bullet hit Sudeeksha’s scooty and she lost balance. Sudiksha died on the spot,” said Satyendra Bhati, the uncle.

The state government spokesman though categorically denied that there was any eve-teasing involved in the incident and said that the family of the victim has not made any such complaint.

Atul Srivastava, Superintendent of Police (City) said that the body has been sent for post mortem and a probe was underway.

Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati has condemned the incident and demanded action against the culprits. She tweeted: “A promising student, Sudeeksha Bharati, who was going on a bike with her uncle in Bulandshahr, lost her life due to eve-teasing, which is extremely sad, embarrassing and very condemnable.

“How will daughters progress? BSP strongly demands that the UP government should take strict legal action against the culprits immediately.”

Sudiksha, whose father runs a small dhaba and mother is a homemaker, had grown up with dreams about a school education when financial constraints forced her to drop out in 2009.

The eldest of six siblings, when Sudiksha started her journey to fulfill that dream, circumstances led her father, Jitendra Bhati, to take her out of school. Jitendra, who comes from a family of farmers, had started a business in 2004 but faced losses in 2009.

As the business floundered, he had to sell off his land to start a tea stall. Keeping her in school was the last priority. Sudiksha was out of school for some time, but the urge to study kept her going.

“Initially, I was very upset with my father and blamed him for not being able to study. However, a few days later, I went to the government school and sought admission,” she had said in an earlier interview.

She was later admitted to a government primary school in her village, Dhoom Manikpur, where she studied till Class V. Her bright academic credentials soon forced her father to think of a better school. He got Sudiksha books to prepare for the entrance exams to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and Vidyagyan Leadership Academy in Bulandshahr.

In 2011, Sudiksha was admitted to the latter, where she studied till Class 12, free of cost.

It was, however, a summer academic program at the Iacocca Institute in Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in July 2016, which led Sudiksha to dream of going abroad. She was one of the 76 students from India selected by the institute.

“The experience was transformative. I decided I wanted to go to the US for future studies,” she had told during her interviews earlier.

In April 2017, Sudiksha started preparing for the SAT exam, which assesses a student’s readiness for admission in a US college, and TOEFL.

“My school helped us prepare and funded the tests, besides exempting us from regular Class 12 classes, just to help us clear the exam,” she had added.

Sudiksha, along with three other students of the school, had secured scholarships in different colleges in the US.

Top Seed Open: Sabalenka advances, Konta bows out

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Top Seed Open: Sabalenka advances, Konta bows out

World No .11 Aryna Sabalenka made a winning return at the WTA’s resumption in the United States as she battled past America’s Madison Brengle to enter the second round at the inaugural Top Seed Open.

The No.2 seeded player from Belarus defeated Brengle 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2 after nearly two-and-a-half hours of play on Monday.

“(Brengle) played really well, she moved really well,” Sabalenka said during an on-court post-match interview as per the WTA website. “It was tough. I just tried to stay in the game, tried to think clean, and fight to the end, like I usually did.”

“I was really waiting for tennis to get back.

“I was just trying to stay in the tournament, stay in the rallies, stay in the game as long as I can, and I think I did everything I could. Of course, I could play better, but I think for the first match, it’s okay,” she added.

Sabalenka, who won her sixth career WTA singles title in Doha earlier this season, will next face the winner of an all-American encounter between rising teenager Coco Gauff and qualifier Caroline Dolehide.

Meanwhile, world No.15 Johanna Konta failed to enter the second round of the competition in US as she lost to unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-4.

Microsoft xCloud game streaming beta coming for users

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Microsoft xCloud game streaming beta coming for users

Microsoft is testing Project xCloud game streaming service for some time and the company has now announced to launch a new version of the Xbox Game Pass beta app for Android.

The game streaming feature, known previously as xCloud, will be officially available on September 15, and on September 11, the currently free-to-play xCloud beta will be discontinued and replaced by the version included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, reports The Verge.

“As we approach the launch of cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15, we’re entering a limited beta period to ensure a smooth transition of the cloud gaming experience to the Xbox Game Pass app on Android,” the report quoted a Microsoft spokesperson as saying.

The Xbox Game Pass beta app, openly available for download through the Google Play store has received its latest release for a new audience in the 22 supported launch countries. That includes regions in North America, Western Europe, alongside South Korea, with further expansions to come over months ahead.

“Existing Xbox Game Pass (Beta) app users will get the opportunity to test a subset of the available titles as we ready the experience for broader availability next month. This limited beta is critical to providing the best possible experience for members at launch and should not be considered indicative of the final experience or library,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Project xCloud will be bundled as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $14.99 per month, with more than 100 games available on Android tablets and phones.

Microsoft is also partnering with Razer, PowerA, 8BitDo, and Nacon to create accessories and controllers that are ready for xCloud.

The global cloud gaming market is expected to be worth US$2.5 billion in 2023, compared with $387 million in 2018, according to industry tracker IHS Markit.

WeChat ban: Apple’s iPhone shipments may fall 30% in China

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WeChat ban: Apple’s iPhone shipments may fall 30% in China

US President Donald Trumps’ executive order to ban the popular messaging app WeChat from the Apple App Store could lead to a 25-30 percent drop in iPhone shipments in the Chinese market, famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted.

The Apple analyst also estimated that the annual shipments of other Apple hardware devices, including AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, will be revised down by 15–25 percent, reports MacRumors.

“Because WeChat has become a daily necessity in China, integrating functions such as messaging, payment, e-commerce, social networking, news reading, and productivity, if this is the case, we believe that Apple’s hardware product shipments in the Chinese market will decline significantly,” Kuo was quoted as saying.

If the US government forces Apple to remove WeChat only from the US App Store, global iPhone shipments would decline between three and 6 percent.

China, with its population of 1.44 billion people, accounted for about 15 percent of Apple’s total June quarter revenue.

WeChat is a popular Chinese messaging application that is especially successful in China.

A global ban would be devastating to Apple, due to its popularity in the country.

Apart from the ban order on Chinese short-video-making app TikTok, Trump also issued another similarly-worded executive order against WeChat, a messaging, social media, and electronic payment application owned by the Chinese company Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Tencent said it was “reviewing the executive order to get a full understanding.”

Bhumi Pednekar: I believe in repeating clothes

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Bhumi Pednekar: I believe in repeating clothes

Actress Bhumi Pednekar believes in repeating her clothes. She adds that she also believes in sharing her wardrobe with her sister.

“I believe in repeating clothes. I repeat clothes all the time. I don’t think that people might see me wearing the same clothes because as an actress you are told to wear different and new outfits, but honestly, I don’t care,” said Bhumi, who is also an environmental activist.

“There are so many businesses I have come across where people are renting clothes! I love the idea! It’s a genius!” she added.

Bhumi also shares clothes with her sister Samiksha Pednekar. “Between me and my sister, our wardrobe is pretty much one. We share clothes. We keep repeating clothes and we have no problem with that. In the last two years, I have consciously started seeing how climate-conscious the brand is before I wear it,” she said.

She feels the world is shifting towards sustainability. “There is a large shift in the way brands are now dealing with sustainability. All your high fashion brands and luxury brands are slowly turning towards sustainability,” she noted.

With recycled fashion, the price difference is a lot, too. “I really hope that the process happens a lot faster because as a consumer you will consume what is given to you. Unfortunately, with recycled and up-cycled fashion, the price difference is a lot and it’s not affordable to everybody,” she said.

COVID-19 positive Mandeep Singh shifted to hospital, condition stable: SAI

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COVID-19 positive Mandeep Singh shifted to hospital, condition stable: SAI

India men’s hockey team member Mandeep Singh, who has tested positive for coronavirus, has been shifted to a multispeciality hospital after his condition moved from “mild to moderate severity of COVID-19”, Sports Authority of India (SAI) has informed.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, SAI said: “During night monitoring of vitals on August 10 (Monday), it was found that Mandeep Singh’s blood oxygen level was dropping below normal which indicated that he is moving from mild to moderate severity of COVID-19.”

“SAI authorities on campus took an immediate decision to shift him to SS Sparsh multispeciality hospital as a precautionary measure. His condition is currently stable,” it added.

Apart from Mandeep, captain Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, and Krishan Pathak have also been diagnosed with COVID-19 following their arrival at the SAI’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) for the hockey national camp which began on August 4.

“All six athletes in NCOE Bengaluru who tested COVID-19 positive were being monitored constantly and their vitals were being checked four times every day – in the morning, afternoon, evening and in the night before sleep,” SAI further said.

“I am self quarantined on the SAI campus and I am very happy with the way SAI authorities have handled the situation,” Manpreet had earlier said. “I am very happy that they made the testing of athletes mandatory. That proactive step helped in identifying the problem right in time. I am doing fine and hope to recover very soon.”

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