NASA gets Perseverance Mars rover ready to fly

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NASA gets Perseverance Mars rover ready to fly

Amid the pandemic, NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission, scheduled to launch on July 30, has cleared its Flight Readiness Review which is an important milestone on its way to the launch pad.

With all the connections between the spacecraft and Atlas V launch vehicle complete, the majority of business remaining for Mars 2020’s Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations (ATLO) team involves checking out every one of the multitudes of systems and subsystems onboard the rover, aeroshell, cruise stage, and descent stage, NASA said on Wednesday.

“This mission is emblematic of our nation’s spirit of meeting problems head-on and finding solutions together,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, said in a statement.

“The incredible science Perseverance will enable and the bold human missions it will help make possible are going to be inspirations for us all.”

The spacecraft and launch teams have one more major review to complete.

Scheduled on July 27, the ‘Launch Readiness Review’ is the last significant checkup before the mission receives final approval to proceed with the launch.

The Perseverance rover’s astrobiology mission will search for signs of ancient microbial life.

It will also characterize the planet’s climate and geology, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first planetary mission to collect and cache selected samples of Martian rock and regolith — broken rock and dust.

Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

Chandni Chowk to be non-motorized zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Chandni Chowk to be non-motorized zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The refurbished area of Chandni Chowk will be open to the public from the first week of November as a non-motorized zone during the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who visited the area here on Thursday, said.

A 1.3 km stretch has been under redevelopment since December 2018.

The initial deadline for the Chandni Chowk pedestrianization and beautification project was March 21, 2020, but later it was extended till May. Now the Delhi Chief Minister has announced that the area will be opened to the public in November. This area will be declared a non-motorized zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The budget for the whole project is around Rs 90 crore.

While inspecting the area with PWD minister Satyendar Jain, Kejriwal said, “The area of Chandni Chowk is a historical place, we will restore its old glory once again. We expect that more tourists will visit this area after redevelopment”.

The project is moving at a slow pace since October when the Supreme Court banned construction activities in Delhi and NCR due to the rise in the air pollution level. The work had come to a complete halt after the lockdown was announced due to the coronavirus pandemic. Construction work resumed in May but the scarcity of workers, who had returned to their native places, meant it couldn’t pick up the required speed, officials said.

A section of traders is also protesting against the decision to make it a non-motorized area.

Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has written to Arvind Kejriwal asking him to reconsider the decision to make it a non-motorized area as this is a commercial as well as a residential place.

IPL 13: BCCI touches base with UAE airlines officials

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IPL 13: BCCI touches base with UAE airlines officials

The official announcement might happen only after the Indian Premier League’s Governing Council meets, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has joined the franchises in making logistical plans for the 13th edition of the cash-rich league to be played in the UAE.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI functionary in the know of developments said that the board is already in touch with the likes of Emirates and Etihad to check on their flying scheduling from August onwards as teams will look to head to the UAE by August end to prepare for the IPL.

“The concerned team from BCCI has touched base with the UAE airline officials from the likes of Emirates and Etihad to check how they are planning resumption of flights and if they are planning resumption of operations in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata among others.

“Apart from the IPL teams, logistics and operations teams from the BCCI will also need to head to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah to see to it that preparations are on in full swing and there are no execution woes. The IPL is known for excellence when it comes to operations and this year should be no different. If the UAE airlines don’t start operations then obviously we will also look at chartered planes like some of the franchises,” the functionary explained.

Asked about the hotels in the three cities, the functionary said that homework is being done by both the franchises as well as the BCCI and they will come together in the next few days to seal the deals.

“As of now, the franchises have zeroed in on their choices and we at the BCCI are doing our own checks. In the next few days, we will zero in on the places to stay at and then coordinate with the franchises. Once we give them the BCCI options, they can discuss their own ones and come to a decision on which are the places they wish to stay in,” the functionary pointed.

Asked why the BCCI comes into the picture when it comes to hotels, the functionary explained: “See, if a hotel costs you 10000 per night, the BCCI can get a deal of say 6000 and taxes. This is why coordinating through the board makes sense for the teams. The choice of hotels is theirs and the money is also theirs. We can only get them the best possible deal.”

The ICC on Monday announced that the T20 World Cup cannot be held in Australia in October-November as the time isn’t conducive to host so many teams in the country as the threat of the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over yet. This has opened the door for the BCCI to host the IPL in that window.

While IPL 13 is expected to be played from September 26 to November 8, a final call will be taken once the green signal comes in from the Indian government.

Over Rs 1,000 crore losses as Covid spooks tourists out of Aurangabad

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Over Rs 1,000 crore losses as Covid spooks tourists out of Aurangabad

With Covid-19 cases and deaths piling up, the country’s second-biggest tourism destination of Aurangabad in Maharashtra has taken a severe hit with estimated losses of over Rs 1,000 crore and counting.

This week, Aurangabad District – famed for its Ajanta & Ellora Caves – the twin World Heritage Sites, besides other National Heritage sites – crossed the 10,000 marks to touch 10,629 coronavirus cases with 416 deaths, becoming the fifth major hotspot in the state after Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Jalgaon in terms of total fatalities.

Accusing the government of “utter lethargy” for the past few months, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel said the situation has somewhat improved in Aurangabad this month after pressure from the elected representatives.

“There are better planning and coordination, but lockdowns cannot continue. People are losing jobs, businesses are shutting, tourism is in shambles. They must be allowed to reopen with all Covid-19 protocols,” Jaleel told IANS.

“The COVID pandemic has virtually killed tourism here. We hope that after the resumption of international flights to Mumbai and Pune and onward domestic connections to Aurangabad, the situation may improve,” Travel Agents Association of Aurangabad committee member Mangesh Kapote gloomily told IANS.

Though road travel is permitted with restrictions, he said people need to get e-passes which are given only for emergencies, not for tourism, besides compulsory quarantine rules continuing, driving away tourists.

Aurangabad district has a population of nearly 4 million, of which nearly one-third is in Aurangabad city with over 25,000 people directly engaged in tourism, besides much more indirectly in the hospitality sector, according to Kapote.

“We have more than 1,400 hotels including 4 five-stars, others in various categories right down to budget accommodation, besides restaurants, around 3,500 tourist taxis, guides, and allied sectors, which are all at a standstill,” said Kapote.

From the tourism aspect, Aurangabad ranks No 2, attracting the maximum foreign and domestic visitors after Agra’s iconic Taj Mahal, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’.

The UNESCO-listed Ajanta and Ellora ancient cave temples daily attract hordes of tourists from China, Japan, and other South Asian, Far East Asian nations, and are a must-see on most global and Indian Buddhist tourism circuits.

Though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) permitted reopening of prominent locations here like Ajanta & Ellora, Bibi-ka-Maqbara or ‘mini-Taj’, the Daulatabad Fort, Nehar-e-Panchakki, the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, the famed sari town of Paithan, the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Khuldabad, Soneri Mahal, among others.

“But where are the tourists? Ellora and Ajanta are the top preferred sites by tourists, but since March nobody is coming here in the absence of flights, quarantine conditions, stringent travel rules, etc,” rued tour guide operator Areef Shaikh.

Aurangabad tourism also helps others in the region prosper, like the Shirdi Saibaba Temple and Shani Shingnapure Temple in Ahmednagar, the Lonar Lake in Buldhana, Jalgaon’s Swinging Towers of Farkande, the Gandhi Research Foundation (GRF), etc, pointed out GRF Curator Bhujang Bobade.

Jaleel hopes that after the pandemic situation stabilizes, trade, commerce, and tourism in and around Aurangabad region will start thriving again and bring succor to the people.

J&K sanctions Rs 15 cr for additional corona testing labs

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J&K sanctions Rs 15 cr for additional corona testing labs

Responding to the increasing numbers of COVID-19 positive cases, Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 15 crores for setting up additional testing labs in Srinagar and Jammu cities.

An official statement said the decision to sanction Rs five crore each to three health institutions in J&K was taken in the state executive committee meeting headed by the Chief Secretary B. V. R. Subrahmanyam.

The statement said Rs 15 crores have been sanctioned under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of medical sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, the Government Medical College Jammu, and the Government Medical College Srinagar.

The statement added that Rs five crore each has been sanctioned for the three health institutions for setting up of additional testing labs, equipment, PPEs, and other COVID containment efforts.

The sanctioned amount is over and above the funds already provided to the Health Department.

Villa denies accusation of sexual harassment during MLS stint

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Villa denies accusation of sexual harassment during MLS stint

Spain World Cup-winning striker David Villa has been accused of sexual harassment during his stint in the Major League Soccer (MLS), which he has strongly refuted.

After spending a trophy-laden spell in Spain with Valencia and Barcelona, Villa moved to the US with New York City FC in 2015 till 2018 before calling time on his illustrious career in Japan with Vissel Kobe.

The allegations were leveled by a Twitter user, who claimed to have interned with NYCFC in 2018.

“The harassment I went through at NYCFC was so bad that now the idea of professional sports terrifies me,” read a tweet from the account. “Staying in the field of athletics terrifies me. I’m changing my entire career because the shit they did to me ruined my dreams.

“I thought I was getting the opportunity of a lifetime when I got that internship. What I got was David Villa touching me every f*****g day and my bosses thinking it was great comedic material. Women brace enough to tell their stories this loudly are my heroes. Someday.

“I still find it hilarious that I was constantly told I had a terrible attitude at that job like I wasn’t showing up every day knowing I was going to be groped or mocked or two hands shoved in the back. Of f*****g course, I had a bad attitude,” the tweet further read.

Villa’s agent released a statement to ESPN on the issue and it read: “I strongly object to the accusations made about me on Twitter. These accusations are entirely false and I deny them.

“I repeat, these accusations are totally false. Harassment is a severe problem for many people. It dishonors those who suffer harassment for others to claim it as an excuse to make false accusations.

“As our legal team works to address these false charges, I ask the media and the public to please respect my right to the presumption of innocence in this matter,” the statement added.

Demi Lovato gets engaged to Max Ehrich

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Demi Lovato gets engaged to Max Ehrich

Singer-actress Demi Lovato has shared the news of her engagement with actor boyfriend Max Ehrich, showing off her diamond ring on Instagram.

She posted a series of pictures, too, to share her excitement.

“When I was a little girl, my birth dad always called me his “little partner” – something that might’ve sounded strange without his southern cowboy like accent. To me, it made perfect sense. And today that word makes perfect sense again but today I’m officially going to be someone else’s partner,” she began.

“@maxehrich — I knew I loved you the moment I met you. It was something I can’t describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand but luckily you did too. I’ve never felt so unconditionally loved by someone in my life (other than my parents) flaws and all. You never pressure me to be anything other than myself. And you make me want to be the best version of myself. I’m honored to accept your hand in marriage,” she added.

The singer is looking forward to starting her family with him.

“I love you more than a caption could express but I’m ecstatic to start a family and life with you. I love you forever my baby. My partner. Here’s to our future!!!!,” she added.

News of the engagement comes just five months after their first meeting.

Ehrich also shared the pictures, and wrote: “Ahhhh … You are every love song, every film, every lyric, every poem, everything I could ever dream of, and then some in a partner in life. Words cannot express how infinitely in love with you I am forever and always and then some.”

“I cannot spend another second of my time here on Earth without the miracle of having you as my wife. here’s to forever baby ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh jeuejfjqjweuvu I’m so excited you are the most beautiful inside and out in the entire world & I couldn’t be more grateful God brought us together I LOVE YOU SO MUCH @ddlovato AND WILL FOREVER CHERISH YOUR PURE, BEAUTIFUL, INFINITE SOUL,” he added.

Sai Dharam Tej and ‘Return of the weights’

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Sai Dharam Tej and ‘Return of the weights’

Southern star Sai Dharam Tej is back to working out.

On Instagram, the actor shared a picture of his home gym, with dumbbells and other exercise equipment all around.

On the image, he wrote: “Return of the weights.”

The actor had earlier shared a picture of himself running.

“Run Your Own Race. It’s YOU Vs YOU. Be a BEAST,” he wrote on the photo-sharing website.

Sai made his acting debut with “Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham”. He was then seen in films like “Rey”, “Subramanyam for Sale”, “Supreme”, “Thikka”, “Winner”, “Tej, I Love You” and “Prati Roju Pandage” among many others.

He will next be seen in “Solo Brathuke So Better” directed by Subbu. It also stars Nabha Natesh. The film’s release got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Minister tests Covid-19 positive

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Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Minister tests Covid-19 positive

Arvind Bhadoria, the Cooperative Minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government, has tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).

The minister on Thursday released a video on social media in which he said that he was found positive for the coronavirus.

He said: “Though there were no symptoms, I got my test done as a precaution on Wednesday, and the report has come positive today (Thursday).”

The minister also appealed to all the people who came into contact with him to get their coronavirus tests done.

Bhadoria had participated in many political events in the recent past.

The minister had attended the meeting of the council and also visited Lucknow to pay tributes to the late Governor Lalji Tandon.

Worldwide public Cloud revenue to rise 6.3% in 2020: Gartner

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Worldwide public Cloud revenue to rise 6.3% in 2020: Gartner

Driven by the need to support remote workers and cut costs amid Covid-19, worldwide public cloud services market is likely to grow 6.3 percent in 2020 to total $257.9 billion, up from $242.7 billion in 2019, according to a Gartner forecast on Thursday.

Desktop as a service (DaaS) is expected to have the most significant growth in 2020, increasing 95.4 percent to $1.2 billion.

DaaS offers an inexpensive option for enterprises that are supporting the surge of remote workers and their need to securely access enterprise applications from multiple devices and locations.

Software as a service (SaaS) remains the largest market segment and is forecast to grow to $104.7 billion in 2020.

The continued shift from on-premises license software to subscription-based SaaS models, in conjunction with the increased need for new software collaboration tools during Covid-19, is driving SaaS growth, Gartner said.

The second-largest market segment is Cloud system infrastructure services, or infrastructure as a service (IaaS), which is forecast to grow 13.4 percent to $50.4 billion in 2020.

“The use of public cloud services offer CIOs (chief information officers) two distinct advantages during the Covid-19 pandemic: cost scale with use and deferred spending,” Sid Nag, Research Vice President at Gartner, said in a statement.

“CIOs can invest significantly less cash upfront by utilizing Cloud technology rather than scaling up on-premises data center capacity or acquiring traditional licensed software.”

Gartner said that Cloud spending in many regions is expected to grow rapidly as economies reopen and more normal economic activity resumes, with regions such as North America expecting to return to higher spending levels as early as 2022.

Sunny Leone is back to ‘boring home gym’

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Sunny Leone is back to ‘boring home gym’

Actress Sunny Leone is not quite excited about working out in her home gym. She described the idea as boring.

Sunny shared a black-and-white video on Instagram where is seen working out on a stationary cycle.

“All gyms have closed again! So back to the boring home gym! Just when we felt things might return to a little normalcy. NOPE!!! As you can see my level of excitement is too high! Lol but better this then getting COVID,” Sunny captioned the video.

The actress recently shared a post, which was all about dancing. In the boomerang video, she could be seen with a group of dancers. Keeping in mind the Covid-19 guidelines, all the dancers wear masks, except Sunny.

On the work front, Sunny will next be seen in “Veeramadevi” and “Koka Kola”.

Pakistan played like a ‘local team’ in 1999 WC, says Sohail

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Pakistan played like a ‘local team’ in 1999 WC, says Sohail

Former Pakistan batsman Aamer Sohail believes the Wasim Akram led-side played like a local team in the 1999 World Cup where they finished as runners-up.

In the final, Australia first restricted Pakistan for a paltry 132 which they chased down with utmost ease.

“From my cricketing experience and my observation, I can say that we played the entire World Cup like a local team. We had one line-up in a match and a different line-up in the next match with changing batting orders,” Sohail said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Sohail, who captained Pakistan in six Tests in 1998 and in 22 ODIs between 1996 and 1998, further said that the team management made a mistake by including Shahid Afridi as an opener as the all-rounder back then could “neither bowl nor bat” in demanding conditions.

“When I was a captain in 1998, we had decided with the selectors that we should have regular openers for the World Cup who can stay at the wicket and play out the new ball,” Sohail said.

“Unfortunately, they opted for Shahid Afridi, he had the ability on flat low-bouncing tracks where he would take on the bowlers and bring the opposition under pressure.

“But in demanding conditions, that is a big gamble. He was neither able to bowl nor able to bat. If I was the captain instead of Wasim Akram, I would have preferred Mohammad Yousuf,” he added.

Afridi didn’t have a great World Cup as he could score only 93 runs in seven innings he played in the tournament.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan new CEO of Airtel’s enterprise business

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Ganesh Lakshminarayanan new CEO of Airtel’s enterprise business

Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced the appointment of Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as the CEO of its enterprise business.

In his new role, Lakshminarayanan will be responsible for further strengthening Airtel’s market leadership in the B2B segment and accelerate growth as enterprises undergo digital transformation to become future-ready, said an Airtel statement. He will report to Ajay Chitkara, Director of Airtel Business.

The new CEO takes over from Ashish Arora, who will now be the CEO of Airtel’s Global Business and look at expanding Airtel’s global networks, including submarine cable systems, to serve international and domestic customers.

Commenting on the appointment, Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO, Bharti Airtel said: “Airtel has always been a destination for top talent and I am delighted to welcome Ganesh to the Airtel Business team. Digital transformation of India has thrown up massive growth opportunities and Airtel is well-positioned to leverage these.”

“I am confident that Ganesh’s rich experience will add immense value to our growth plans,” he said.

Want to llive longer? Follow a plant-based protein diet

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Want to llive longer? Follow a plant-based protein diet

If you want to lead a healthy, long life, read on. Researchers have found that diets high in protein, particularly plant protein, are associated with a lower risk of death from any cause.

Diets high in protein, particularly protein from plants such as legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), whole grains, and nuts, have been linked to lower risks of developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

While regular consumption of red meat and high intake of animal proteins have been linked to several health problems, the study published in the journal The BMJ, said.

But data on the association between different types of proteins and death are conflicting.

So researchers based in Iran and the US set out to measure the potential dose-response relation between intake of total, animal, and plant protein and the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

They reviewed the results of 32 studies that reported risk estimates for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in adults aged 19 or older.

All studies were thoroughly assessed for bias (problems in study design that can influence results).

Mathematical models were then used to compare the effects of the highest versus lowest categories of protein intake, and analyses were done to evaluate the dose-response relations between protein intake and mortality.

During a follow-up period of up to 32 years, 113,039 deaths (16,429 from cardiovascular disease and 22,303 from cancer) occurred among 715,128 participants.

The results show that a high intake of total protein was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with low intake.

Intake of plant protein was associated with an eight percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 12 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.

Intake of animal protein was not significantly associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality, the study said.

A dose-response analysis of data from 31 studies also showed that an additional three percent of energy from plant proteins a day was associated with a five percent lower risk of death from all causes.

“These findings have important public health implications as intake of plant protein can be increased relatively easily by replacing animal protein and could have a large effect on longevity,” the researchers said.

“While further studies are required, these findings strongly support the existing dietary recommendations to increase consumption of plant proteins in the general population.”

Flipkart acquires Walmart India, launches wholesale business

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Flipkart acquires Walmart India, launches wholesale business

Ecommerce platform Flipkart on Thursday announced the acquisition of 100 percent interest in Walmart India to leverage the strong wholesale capabilities of the company as it launched Flipkart Wholesale, a new digital marketplace designed to help transform the Kirana retail ecosystem in the country.

Flipkart Wholesale will launch its operations in August 2020 and will pilot services for the grocery and fashion categories. It will be headed by Adarsh Menon, a veteran at Flipkart.

The announcement marks the consolidation of American retail giant Walmart’s business in India which controls Flipkart.

Walmart India operates the Best Price cash-and-carry business which currently supports more than 1.5 million members, including Kirana, horses and other MSMEs, and has long-standing supplier diversity and development programs.

Sameer Aggarwal, Chief Executive Officer at Walmart India, will remain with the company to ensure a smooth transition, after which time he will move to another role within Walmart, Flipkart said.

“For over a decade, we’ve been committed to India’s prosperity by serving kiranas and MSMEs, supporting smallholder farmers and building global sourcing and technology hubs throughout the country,a Judith McKenna, President, and CEO, Walmart International, said in a statement.

“Today marks the next big step as Walmart India’s pioneering cash-and-carry legacy meets Flipkart’s culture of innovation in the launch of Flipkart Wholesale.”

Kirana’s and MSMEs are central to India’s retail ecosystem and Flipkart Wholesale will focus on meeting their needs by providing small businesses a wide selection at significant value, powered by technology to make their lives easier.

In addition, kiranas and MSMEs will benefit from access to easy credit options and opportunities for new income generation through various Flipkart initiatives, creating new ways to catalyze growth, the e-commerce major said.

“The acquisition of Walmart India adds a strong talent pool with deep expertise in the wholesale business that will strengthen our position to address the needs of kiranas and MSMEs uniquely,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer, Flipkart Group.

“With this development, the Flipkart Group will further build upon the synergies across its businesses to drive greater value and choice for end-consumers and businesses alike.”

SpiceJet allowed to operate flights between India, US

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SpiceJet allowed to operate flights between India, US

Airline major SpiceJet has been allowed to operate flights between India and the US.

Accordingly, the Centre has designated the airline as an Indian scheduled carrier to operate between India and the US.

The designation allows for the international expansion of the airline. However, commence dates or destinations have not been revealed.

“It gives me immense pleasure to share that SpiceJet has been designated as an Indian scheduled carrier to operate between India and the US,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet on Thursday.

“This designation would help us plan for our international expansion in a much better and calibrated manner. I have always maintained that there is an opportunity in every adversity and the present crisis situation has seen SpiceJet rise to the occasion and play a pivotal role.”

According to Singh, from operating over 4,300 cargo flights to carrying over 24,000 tonnes of cargo to operating over 400 charter flights to bring thousands of stranded Indian nationals back home, SpiceJet has worked non-stop during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Presently, only Air India operates flights between India and the US.

Aus vs Ind: 14-day quarantine puts T20I series under scanner

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Aus vs Ind: 14-day quarantine puts T20I series under scanner

While India is set to play their first major international series in the post-COVID-19 era against Australia at the end of the year, the schedule for the same may need slight tweaking as Cricket Australia is looking for a window to fit in the three-match T20I series which was earlier set to be played in October prior to the now postponed T20 World Cup.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley made it clear that the ‘14-day quarantine period is well defined’ for the visiting Indian team keeping in mind the government regulations, the schedule has seen a bit of a tumble as there seems to be no space for the T20I series in the current scenario.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said that the matter is being discussed, and considering that the 14-day quarantine is a must as per Cricket Australia and the government there, it is getting difficult to fit in the T20I series.

“The protocols in place in Australia are necessary on account of the pandemic and it’s perfectly understandable. There are no two ways about that. We are all dealing with the challenges that the pandemic poses to us and the commitment with other boards regarding dates is a challenge that will prove difficult to meet in these circumstances and accordingly the dates and length of the tours may need to be tweaked and that may mean amending the number of matches. A 14-day quarantine means it would get reduced from the total length of the tour,” the official explained.

“We were apprised that work is being done on the schedule before it is finalized. They are looking at fitting in the T20I series. India also plays England after returning from Australia and that schedule is also being worked out while the pink-ball Test is fixed for Ahmedabad. We need to see how the other venues are placed and the distance from hotels to the grounds and things like that with an eye on the current scenario due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we will have further clarity before the end of the year as working in tandem with the government is a must.”

Explaining the gap between the Australia tour and the England team arriving for the Tests in India and also sandwiching in the T20Is, the official said: “The ODI series in Australia at present ends on January 17 and even if the teams get a two-day breather before starting the T20I series, that would mean that the first T20I can only be played by January 20. Having games on alternate days at the same venue would mean the T20I series ending on January 24. That would see India heading home on January 26 at the earliest.

“Even if we imagine that quarantine rules won’t exist in India till then, you cannot have a Test series without at least a gap of 7-10 days as the boys need a minimum time to adapt back not just from white-ball to read, but also the change in timing. So, the England series moves into February.”

Samsung to arm engineering students in new-age tech in India

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Samsung to arm engineering students in new-age tech in India

Samsung on Thursday announced a new industry-academia programme under which, its R&D institute here will collaborate with students and faculty at engineering colleges in India on new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G to help solve real-world problems.

Called ‘Samsung PRISM’ (Preparing and Inspiring Student Minds), the projects under the programme will be taken up by a team of students and a professor, with a mentor from the Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B) training and guiding them, the company said in a statement.

“This program will draw from the strength of our academia and engineering students’ community, which undoubtedly is the best in the world,” said Dipesh Shah, Managing Director, SRI-B.

SRI-B is Samsung’s largest R&D facility outside of Korea. It has signed MoUs with 10 engineering colleges to date and will add more colleges over the next few months.

The Samsung institute will collaborate with students and faculty at these engineering colleges, giving them research as well as development projects to be executed over four to six months.

Each engineering college can have multiple teams, and students will be selected on the basis of a test conducted by SRI-B.

Samsung said that students will be encouraged to publish papers and file patents jointly with SRI-B.

“As we move forward, we want to blend the programme with the academic calendars of engineering colleges across the country, and also encourage students and faculty to publish quality papers and file patents,” said Shah.

SRI-B organized a pilot program last year in which 150 teams worked on unique R&D projects.

Eng vs WI: Archer has been bowling seriously well in nets, says Pope

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Eng vs WI: Archer has been bowling seriously well in nets, says Pope

England batsman Ollie Pope has issued a warning to the West Indies team with respect to fast-bowler Jofra Archer ahead of the third and final Test beginning Friday at the Old Trafford.

Archer was axed from the team for the second Test after he broke the bio-secure bubble in Southampton. Following two negative COVID-19 tests, Archer rejoined the squad and remains in contention for a place in the playing XI, after head coach Chris Silverwood said they will be playing their strongest attack.

Pope stated the players are happy with the return of Archer and also gave an insight as to how he has been during net sessions.

“Jofra Archer has been bowling seriously well in the nets, with pace and accuracy, and it’s great to have him back with the squad,” Pope wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

“As someone who has played a similar number of Tests to Jofra, I can relate to how difficult it can be to adapt to the added scrutiny that comes with being an international cricketer.”

Pope was pointing towards Archer’s admission recently where he had said he was being judged like a criminal in the aftermath of the mistake he committed. He had also revealed receiving racist messages on social media while being under self-isolation in Manchester.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain had earlier raised concerns regarding Archer’s frame of mind ahead of the third Test.

“It can’t be healthy, and I’m sure the ECB understands they have a duty of care towards him now,” Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

“Someone has to put an arm around his shoulder, and make sure he’s OK, and it was good to hear that Joe Root and Ben Stokes have done just that.

“As things stand, I don’t see how he can play in Friday’s third Test when England will need him to be on top of his game,” he added.

Covid vax likely to work with multiple doses: Bill Gates

TB Team
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Covid vax likely to work with multiple doses: Bill Gates

People might have to take multiple doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves from the disease, said Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates.

The billionaire philanthropist told CBS News on Wednesday that “none of the vaccines at this point appear as they’ll work with a single dose.”

Over 150 Covid-19 vaccines are currently at different stages of development, with a few now advancing to the late-stage clinical trial.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $300 million towards the global effort to beat Covid-19.

In a blog post, Gates had earlier said that developing a safe and effective vaccine is an urgent need to combat the pandemic.

“We need to make billions of doses, we need to get them out to every part of the world, and we need all of this to happen as quickly as possible,” he wrote.

The world will need to manufacture and distribute at least seven billion doses of the vaccine — or possibly 14 billion if it is a multi-dose vaccine – to beat the pandemic, he said.

This is because, in order to stop the pandemic, the vaccine will have to be made available to almost every person, Gates said.

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