Proposed Eng-Aus series to begin from Sept 4: report

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Proposed Eng-Aus series to begin from Sept 4: report

Australia’s proposed limited-overs series in England, which will consist of three T20Is and as many ODIs, will begin on September 4.

According to a report in Daily Telegraph, the planned fixtures would see Australia play T20Is on September 4, 6, and 8, and ODIs on September 10, 12, and 15. The Australia team is expected to reach the UK via a private flight.

As per the report, all six matches are expected to be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and the Old Trafford in Manchester — the two stadiums with hotels large enough to house both the teams, match officials and broadcasters.

The report further said that the UK government will not ask Australia’s players and staff to quarantine for a fortnight — something which the West Indies team did before the start of the ongoing three-Test series and the Pakistan team, which will face England next in August, are currently fulfilling.

Cricket Australia has already named a 26-man preliminary list of players from which the final squad will be picked if the tour is confirmed.

Australia’s preliminary squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Michael Neser, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, D’Arcy Short, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Oppo Reno 4 Pro to launch in India on July 31

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Oppo Reno 4 Pro to launch in India on July 31

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo on Monday announced that the company is all set to launch the next Reno device ‘Reno 4 Pro’ in India on July 31 with a curved ‘3D Borderless Sense Screen’.

The smartphone was recently launched in China at RMB 3,799 which translates to roughly Rs 40,500.

In terms of specs, Oppo Reno 4 Pro features a 6.5-inch curved AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G system-on-chip, mated with up to 12GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage. It ships with Android 10 operating system-based ColorOS 7.2 user interface.

The device houses a triple camera set-up on the back, featuring a 48MP primary sensor with optical image stabilization, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and a 13MP telephoto sensor. On the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie camera.

The smartphone has a dual-cell design battery with each cell of 2000 mAh rated capacity (4000mAh total).

The phone supports OPPO’s 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charge technology and comes with a compatible charger in the box.

Health infrastructure of Taj city in focus

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Health infrastructure of Taj city in focus

Covid-19 sample testing facilities have dramatically improved in Agra, with the latest machines and more trained manpower, as also the response mechanism to the pandemic, which is a sign of positivity being spread.

The district’s health force, comprising doctors, paramedics, pharmacists and lab technicians, is continuously learning and the administration is taking new initiatives every day in a bid to check the spread of the virus.

IMA Secretary Dr. Sanjay Chaturvedi told IANS that the combined capacity of the SN Medical College and the JALMA center of the ICMR, near the Taj Mahal, was now over 1,500 daily. The availability of beds at the COVID hospital in the medical college has also increased to over 200. “With experience we are improving. However, the data management system has to be streamlined.”

Chaturvedi said the IMA will soon start work on a dedicated COVID hospital. The private hospitals were being geared up to admit corona patients and offer prompt treatment. Two private laboratories have been permitted by the health department to test samples. The overall picture is definitely better in terms of preparedness today, compared to what it was in April and May.”

Samples from neighboring districts are tested in Agra. Serious cases from the whole area are also referred to as the COVID hospital at the SN Medical College, Chaturvedi added. The Agra medical college is considered a mother institution more than a century old, which has provided a stream of talented doctors who were instrumental in the opening of new medical colleges and universities all over India.

While the health officials and administrative heads paint a rosy picture of the state of pandemic preparedness, the general public does not share this optimism.

Even though adequate testing facilities exist to cope with the challenges, the number of complainants and dissatisfied patients continues to grow each day. The health department officials have been accused of laxity and reluctance in collecting samples.

Insiders allege that the number of samples being tested on a daily basis is pathetically low and there is always a delay of three to four days, though the government officials vehemently deny this charge.

“Patients referred by private hospitals are not being tested, rather doctors discourage the victims. The hapless victims are running from pillar to post and there is no one around to guide the harassed patients. Many have suffered because of the delay in testing,” an elderly villager said at the district hospital.

The total number of samples collected for testing so far is 35,018.

The private laboratories are charging exorbitant rates, according to many patients, though the state government has already announced a tariff plan. “Lack of clarity and a prompt response mechanism or a grievances redressal system, have collectively compounded the problem,” lamented social activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

“The criminalization of Covid-19 must stop. A humane approach is needed. The officials including the police treat Covid-19 patients and their family members as criminals, and after recovery, if a patient returns, he is kind of stigmatized. When are we going to learn,” wondered senior advocate Vivek Sarabhoy, who runs a COVID help group in Agra, providing prompt backup support from food to blood plasma?

Associated with this group the Robin Hood Army volunteers are feeding hundreds daily and providing packed rations to distressed families.

Fresh 15 cases have taken Agra’s tally to 1,501, with 94 deaths, health authority data showed. The number of active cases in 85 containment zones is 162. The recovery rate is 82.94 percent with 1,254 discharged after recovery.

Mathura reported 29, Kasganj 20, Mainpuri 13, Firozabad five, and Etah two cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

With record single day spike of 40,425 cases, India breaches 11L-mark

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With record single day spike of 40,425 cases, India breaches 11L-mark

With the highest single-day spike of 40,425 novel Coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours India’s COVID tally reached 11,19,043, according to Health Ministry data on Monday. With 681 fresh deaths, the pandemic toll touched 27,497.

India once again crossed one lakh cases within three days. India crossed 10 lakh Covid-19 cases on July 17 and added another one lakh before July 20. The highest spike in cases was reported from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.

Karnataka, the new hotspot state, is nearing 65,000 cases, as Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state, with 3,10,455 cases and 11,854 casualties followed by Tamil Nadu with total 1,70,693 cases, and 2,481 deaths.

With 1,22,793 cases and 3,628 fatalities, Delhi remained the third worst-hit city in the country.

States with more than 10,000 cases include Karnataka (63,772), Gujarat (48,355), Uttar Pradesh (49,247), Rajasthan (29,434), Madhya Pradesh (22,600), West Bengal (42,487), Haryana (26,164), Andhra Pradesh (49,650), Telangana (45,076), Assam (23,999), Jammu and Kashmir (13,899), Kerala (12,480), Odisha (17,437) and Bihar (26,569).

As many as 7,00,087 have been cured, which is almost twice the number of active patients at 3,90,459.

India continues to be the third worst-hit country after the US and Brazil, and in the last 24 hours, 32,56,059 samples were tested, as the testing lab network continued to expand.

The global COVID-19 figures have increased to over 14.4 million, while there have been 605,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Gangster Vikas Dubey died of ‘haemorrhage, shock’: Autopsy

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Gangster Vikas Dubey died of ‘haemorrhage, shock’: Autopsy

The post-mortem report of gangster Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the ambush and murder of eight police officials in Bikru village, has revealed that Dubey died due to ‘hemorrhage and shock’ due to antemortem firearm injuries.

The history-sheeter was arrested from the Mahakaal temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on July 9.

Later, on July 10, while he was being brought to Kanpur form Ujjain, the vehicle in which he was being taken, reportedly overturned and Dubey tried to flee after snatching the firearm of a policeman.

When the police asked Dubey to surrender, he started firing at the police, leading to a gun battle that finally killed the gangster in the cross-firing.

The Uttar Pradesh government later formed a one-member judicial commission, under retired Justice S.K. Aggarwal, to probe the encounter after the opposition claimed that the gangster was killed in a ‘fake encounter’ to protect the identity of his political masters.

The commission has been given two months’ time to submit its report.

Earlier, the state government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the rise of Vikas Dubey and the role of the police.

The three-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy, has issued a mobile number besides an e-mail id and postal addresses for the people, including their representatives, to contact the SIT and apprise it of whatever facts they may know regarding the slain gangster and his accomplices.

OnePlus Nord to come with Google Messages, Phone apps pre-installed

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OnePlus Nord to come with Google Messages, Phone apps pre-installed

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus on Monday confirmed on Instagram that its upcoming smartphone series Nord will come with Google Messages and Phone apps installed instead of its own SMS and dialer.

According to the video, the device will also have Google’s Duo video chat app pre-installed.

The device is slated for a virtual launch on July 21 while pre-orders would begin from July 15 in India, the company said in a statement.

Nord will have dual selfie cameras, with the second one being a 105-degree ultra-wide-angle one.

The smartphone will be powered by a Snapdragon 765G chipset under the hood. The 7nm chipset is expected to be paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB storage.

The phone is likely to have two selfie cameras: one 8MP wide-angle camera and a main 32MP selfie sensor.

The OnePlus Nord is expected to feature an aluminum chassis with a glass rear.

The smartphone is expected to feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution.

Leaked images suggest that there will be a camera housing in the top left corner and the front display will be flat rather than curved.

The OnePlus Nord may have a quad-camera setup on the rear. A leaked spec sheet suggests the main sensor will be 48MP, the ultra-wide will be 8MP, the macro will be 5MP and the depth sensor will be 2MP.

Watford FC sack Pearson, appoint Mullins as interim head coach

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Watford FC sack Pearson, appoint Mullins as interim head coach

Nigel Pearson has been sacked as Watford manager and head coach, the Premier League club has announced. Pearson has been replaced by Hayden Mullins as interim boss for relegation-threatened Watford’s final matches against Manchester City and Arsenal.

“Watford FC confirms that Nigel Pearson has left the club with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement on Sunday.

“Hayden Mullins, with Graham Stack as his assistant, will take up the position of interim head coach for the Hornets’ final two Premier League fixtures of the 2019/20 season,” it added.

Watford is placed at the 17th place in the current Premier League standings, three points above the relegation zone ahead of Tuesday’s visit from City, with third-from-bottom Aston Villa having two games left and second-from-bottom Bournemouth just one.

Google to skill 3,000 Singaporeans for shifting job market

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Google to skill 3,000 Singaporeans for shifting job market

Google on Monday announced to skill 3,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents in partnership with several government agencies for changing technology and a shifting job market in the COVID-9 times.

Called ‘Skills Ignition SG’, the Grow with Google program will have two elements.

One is a six-month vocational course for mid-career job seekers, designed to teach them skills in digital marketing and cloud technology and give them the chance to earn professional certificates recognized around the world.

“The second element is a ‘place and train’ program, where participants will do three months of online training before moving on to six months of work experience with employers,” the tech giant said in a statement.

To kick-off the program, Google will first offer 100 Singaporeans work experience with the company across a range of different roles.

“We’ll continue to open up new opportunities, and we’re asking more companies to join the program and create job placements in their own workforce,” said Google.

Over the past few months, the company has given about $760,000 in Google.org and data center grants to local charities and NGOs, as well as providing $1.6 million in ad credits to small businesses and government agencies in the country.

10 Little known facts about Ranveer Singh!

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10 Little known facts about Ranveer Singh!

Ranveer Singh is a popular actor in Bollywood and Ranveer Singh movies have made it big. Also, Ranveer Singh’s wife is the famous actor Deepika Padukone. It is worth listening to Ranveer Singh songs.

Ranveer Singh has performed well on the big screen with his vivacious style. His fans simply love him as well as his Bollywood colleagues.

There is more to know about Ranveer Singh as it would be interesting to know all the facts about him.

Born on July 6, 1985, Ranveer Singh’s real name is Ranveer Bhavnani. Very few know that the actor dropped his surname because he felt ‘It’s too long and it’s not a saleable commodity’. Ranveer then added ‘Singh’ to his name as his grandfather happens to be a Sikh.

Ranveer Singh was keen to change his name to avoid sounding similar to Ranbir:

Ranveer Singh’s actual name is Ranveer Singh Bhavnani. The actor thought of changing it as he felt it was too long and would be difficult to remember by his fans. He even thought of changing Ranveer on account of its similarity to Ranbir, as he felt the audience may get confused with Ranbir, late Rishi Kapoor’s son.

Ranveer Singh was a Copywriter before becoming an actor:

Ranveer Singh began his illustrious career initially as a Copywriter in an acclaimed ad agency O & M.

Ranveer entered Bollywood without ads or music videos:

Unlike other actors who do ads and music videos before entering Bollywood, Ranveer Singh refrained from doing any. He said in an interview, “My ambition was always to bag a lead role in a film and hence I refrained from doing any ads, TV serials, music videos as I felt that a fresh face always works much better. It was a gamble and I took that gamble telling myself that I will give it my all to bag a lead role.”Ranveer Singh songs are also very popular.

Prior to debuting in Band Baaja Baarat, Ranveer turned down 3 movie offers:

There were rumors that Ranveer’s businessman father might be producing Band Baaja Baarat which Ranveer refuted. In fact, Ranveer Singh turned down 3 movies prior to his making his debut in Band Baaja Baarat.

Ranveer Singh happens to be the cousin of Sonam Kapoor:

Sonam Kapoor is the maternal cousin of Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer Singh is also a rapper:

The rap song Do the Rex rap was the creation of Ranveer. He also in fact rapped in the ad of Ching’s Secret. His film Ladies Vs Ricky Behl also did have few lines rapped by Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer Singh and Ahana Deol were college lovebirds:

Ranveer Singh interestingly dated Isha Deol’s sister Ahana Deol during their college days. Later, on based on reports he dated Anushka Sharma after they had done a film together which was Band Baaja Baraat. After Ahana and Ranveer mutually broke up, Ahana was then linked with Aditya Roy Kapoor. Of course, Ahana and Ranveer remained as good friends. Ranveer was actually seen at Ahana Deol’s wedding with his rumored girlfriend Deepika Padukone later to be Ranveer Singh’s wife.

First choice for Bombay Velvet:

Prior to signing Ranbir Kapoor for Anurag Kashyap’s film Bombay Velvet, Ranveer Singh was the foremost choice for the role of Johnny in the film. However, the actor’s dates for Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela happened to clash with that of Bombay Velvet’s, and therefore he could not do the movie.

A Mama’s boy:

Ranveer Singh is very attached to his mother. He is the mama’s boy and also considers his sister as his second mother.

Ranveer Singh happens to be an enigmatic and impressive actor and is versatile in doing any sort of roles which include comedy roles, action roles, thriller roles as well as romantic roles. He became much known for his acting skills right from his first film. Recently, he married Deepika Padukone in November 2018.

KCR has expressed his displeasure with private hospitals

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KCR has expressed his displeasure with private hospitals

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has expressed his displeasure with private hospitals over their approach on COVID-19 treatment and warned them against creating any artificial shortage of beds. Stringent action will be taken against any hospitals found indulging in such practices, he said. KCR made these comments during a review meeting he held at Pragathi Bhavan here on Friday. He appealed to the people not to panic and become anxious about coronavirus but at the same time advised them against being negligent.

The CM declared that those having Coronavirus need not go to the private hospitals and spend huge amounts for treatment as all the required medicare and facilities are available in the government hospitals.

In a cryptic message on the speculation of lockdown re-imposition in the state, he said: “The unlock process is going on in the country. The Centre has decided to even resume international flight services. No one should have any fear of coronavirus. But at the same time, people should not be negligent. Maintain personal hygiene. Wear Masks. Use Sanitizers. Spend as much time as possible at your homes”.

During the meeting, it was also decided to implement the UGC scale for faculty working in colleges and also payment of salaries to the newly recruited nurses like the existing nurses. It was also decided to increase the retirement age of faculty members working in AYUSH departments to 65 years.

Referring to the buzz that his government could go for a complete lockdown once again, he asked people not to give in to frivolous talk and speculation in this regard.

In view of the grim pandemic situation, there has been speculation for more than a month that the Telangana government could once again impose either a full lockdown or a local/weekend lockdown to somehow try and break the chain of the virus spread.

In fact, KCR himself alluded to this viewpoint a few weeks ago that there is no option but to go for fresh curbs in view of the rapid rise in the coronavirus cases. With his own words adding weight, it was expected earlier that a decision to this effect would be taken at a state cabinet meeting either on July 1st or 2nd. But, there was no word since then on the issue which only heightened the suspense on what was exactly weighing on the KCR government’s mind.

Bachchan Family shifted to Nanavati hospital

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Bachchan Family shifted to Nanavati hospital

Almost a week after they tested positive for COVID-19, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan were shifted to Nanavati hospital on Friday, July 17.

Hospital authorities say they are doing fine.Aishwarya, 46 and eight-year-old Aaradhya were diagnosed with coronavirus on Sunday, a day after the actor’s father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, and husband Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for the COVID-19. Big B’s wife Jaya Bachchan tested negative.

The mother-daughter duo was self-quarantining at home till now.Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, both are already in the isolation ward of Nanavati hospital.Since his diagnosis, Amitabh has been regularly updating his admires about his health on social media.

“In happy times, in times of illness, you our near and dear, our well wishers, our fans have ever given us unstinting love , affection care and prayer .. we express our bountiful gracious gratitude to you all .. in these circumstances hospital protocol, restrictive,” the screen icon tweeted on Friday evening.

Sethupathi opted out citing that his dates were unavailable

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Sethupathi opted out citing that his dates were unavailable

The news of Vijay Sethupathi walking out of Allu Arjun’s film called Pushpa has set the world of social media abuzz. When the news broke, speculations were rife as to why he was taking the step.

However, according to an entertainment report, Sethupathi opted out citing that his dates were unavailable. It is learnt that he has also met director Sukumaran personally and have explained his situation.

It is now expected that the complete list of the cast will be out soon.The movie will be released in five languages including Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada. Rashmika Mandanna will be sharing the screen space with Allu Arjun. The film is produced by Mythri Movie Makers. Devi Sri Prasad is going to score the music for the movie.

In another news, the makers of the movie have planned a high-octane action sequence. It is said that they are ready to spend a whopping amount of Rs. 6 crores for a 6-minute action scene.

However, interestingly the makers have opted for a ‘Make in India’ project rather tham hiring international stunt choreographers.

Vijay Sethupathi was last seen in Oh My Kadavule in an extended cameo. He will be next seen with Thalapathy Vijay in Master.

170 TTD staff members have tested positive for corona virus

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170 TTD staff members have tested positive for corona virus

As many as 170 staff members of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have tested positive for coronavirus in a sign of spurt in the cases within the quasi-government organisation. The Jeeyar (seer) of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple turned out to be the latest to be diagnosed with COVID-19, officials said.

Against this backdrop, TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy held a review meeting to take stock of the prevailing situations in Tirumala. He discussed TTD’s preventive measures with Executive Officer (EO) Anil Kumar Singhal and additional EOs through videoconference. At least, 18 archakas, 100 security personnel, 20 laddu making workers, two workers of tonsuring area, Kalyanakatta, are among the TTD employees who have so far tested positive for the dreaded virus. However, of the 170 infected, 70 persons were already cured of the disease and are currently under home quarantine.

YV Subba Reddy ordered all necessary medicare and treatment for temple Jeeyar and other TTD staffers. Given the situation, the board is likely to announce the suspension of the darshan services at the temple by Friday evening..

The board chairman, after a review meeting on Thursday, announced that temple priests above 60 years of age would be kept out of their duties.

The hill-shrine of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy atop Tirumala was reopened for darshan to all devotees on June 11. The resumption of darshan services were allowed with the intention of taking all the necessary precautionary measures across the hill town including the sanctum sanctorum to stay safe from COVID-19. The darshan of the presiding deity was revived after an 80-day closure due to COVID-19 lockdown in the state.

The temple resumed its operations on June 8 following a trial run that was held with TTD employees and local residents for two days.

Nithin marriage will take place in Hyderbad

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Nithin marriage will take place in Hyderbad

Telugu actor Nithiin and his sweetheart Shalini were supposed to have a destination wedding on April 16th in Dubai. However, due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, they decided to postpone their wedding date.

It’s now official that, Nithin marriage will take place in Hyderbad on July 26th. The increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city has forced the couple to have a low-key wedding ceremony with only family members and close friends in attendance.

On the work front, Nithiin who scored a super hit with Bheeshma is starring in Rang De, Check and lined up Andhadhun remake and Power Peta.

2,426 PSB borrowers willfully defaulted Rs 1.47 trillion: AIBEA

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2,426 PSB borrowers willfully defaulted Rs 1.47 trillion: AIBEA

As a part of celebrating the 51st anniversary of bank nationalization, the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) on Saturday released a list of 2,426 borrowers who have wilfully defaulted on their bank loans of over Rs 1.47 trillion.

According to AIBEA, State Bank of India (SBI) leads the table of 17 public sector banks with 685 wilful defaulters with an outstanding of Rs 43,887 crore.

The SBI is followed by Punjab National Bank (defaulters 325, default Rs 22,370 crore), Bank of Baroda (defaulters 355, Rs 14,661 crore), Bank of India (defaulters 184, Rs 11,250 crore), Central Bank of India (defaulters 69, Rs 9,663 crore) and others.

The Punjab & Sind Bank has only six wilful defaulters who defaulted Rs 255 crore.

According to AIBEA, the top 33 defaulters account for Rs 32,737 crore (outstanding and written off).

Releasing the list AIBEA General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam in a statement said the only major problem faced by our banks is the bulging and alarmingly increasing bad loans by the private companies and corporates.

“If tough action is taken on them and money is recovered, our banks can play a bigger role in national development. The present practice of giving concessions to the defaulters and burdening the banking public with a lesser rate of interest on their savings and increase in service charges should be stopped,” Venkatachalam said.

Included in the wilful defaulter’s list are companies like Gitanjali Gems Limited, Kingfisher Airlines, Ruchi Soya Industries Limited, Winsome Diamonds, And Jewellery Limited, Sterling Biotech Limited, and others.

It was on July 19, 1969, 14 major private banks were nationalized by the Indian government, from when these banks started chartering a new path with social orientation, he said.

According to Venkatachalam, the number of bank branches has grown to 1,56,349 now from 8,200 in 1969. The priority sector lending is at 40 percent now as against zero percent prior to nationalization.

He also said the deposits and advances which were at Rs 5,000 crore and 3,500 crores in July 1969, have now grown to Rs 138.50 lakh crore and Rs 101.83 lakh crore respectively.

Big B gets time to reflect on life decisions during Covid isolation

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Big B gets time to reflect on life decisions during Covid isolation

Actor Amitabh Bachchan is reflecting back on his life, decisions and the consequences of his decisions, as he recovers from the novel coronavirus in the COVID ward of a hospital here.

In his latest blog post, Big B has shared a few lines by his father, the late poet Harivanshrai Bachchan, and mentioned how all the time that he has on his hands right now has led him to reflect on his past decisions.

“In the rush of life, when did I ever get the time to, to sit somewhere, for a while and to think .. that what I did, what I said and what I believed in .. what was good in that and what bad ..now I get the time,” he began the post.

“.. and in these moments doth the mind trace back events words, incidents as vividly as one can ever imagine .. distinct, precise, specific and with the clarity of its occurrence .. and you wonder .. wonder what transpired as a result of it .. and you wonder whether it should or could have been done differently .. .. but wonder as much you may .. fated decisions remain fated,” he added.

The cine icon is admitted to Nanavati hospital’s isolation ward after he, along with three of his family members, tested positive for Covid-19.

His son, Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya have also tested positive and are admitted to the same hospital.

On Friday, Big B took to Instagram and thanked everyone who has been praying for a speedy recovery and showering well wishes.

Expressing his gratitude to all well-wishers, Big B pointed out that individual responses are not possible due to the restrictive protocols of the hospital.

“In happy times, in times of illness, you are near and dear, our well-wishers, our fans have ever given us unstinting love, affection care, and prayer .. we express our bountiful gracious gratitude to you all .. in these circumstances hospital protocol is restrictive, so individual responses are not possible .. but we see, read, hear all of you .. thank you ever,” Big B wrote.

Along with it, he posted a picture in which he is seen with son Abhishek. Bachchan senior strikes a smiling pose in the frame.

US federal agents ‘abused power’ during arrests

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US federal agents ‘abused power’ during arrests

Kate Brown, the Governor of the US state of Oregon, has accused federal agents of “blatant abuse of power” while arresting protesters in Portland city, the media reported on Saturday.

A report from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) contained detailed accounts of witnesses who had seen federal law enforcement officers dressed in camouflage emerge from unmarked vehicles, grab protesters without explanation, and drive off, reports the BBC news.

Since at least July 14, according to the OPB, federal agents have been jumping out of unmarked vehicles throughout the city and grabbing protesters seemingly without cause.

According to OPB, federal officers have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far.

Responding to the development, Brown on Friday also accused President Donald Trump of using heavy-handed tactics to score political points.

Arresting people without probable cause, Brown’s spokesman, Charles Boyle, said was “extraordinarily concerning and a violation of their civil liberties and constitutional rights”.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and other local officials have said they did not request assistance from federal agents and have asked them to leave.

“Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city,” the BBC quoted Wheeler as saying on Friday.

On Friday evening, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said that the state justice department was filing a lawsuit against the federal government over the detention of protesters “without probable cause”, adding that “these tactics must stop”.

The Federal officers, who arrived in Portland on Thursday, have also fired tear gas and less-lethal munitions into crowds of demonstrators.

Defending the move, Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blamed state and city authorities for failing to “restore order”.

“Each night the violent anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it,” he was quoted as saying in the BBC report.

Portland has witnessed demonstrations against police brutality since George Floyd’s killing in police custody on May 25.

Goa Guv trumps CM, in war of words over Covid-19 management

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Goa Guv trumps CM, in war of words over Covid-19 management

Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik appears to have come up trumps in the ongoing tussle with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, which began on Thursday when the latter had said that Malik had expressed displeasure with media criticism of the state government’s Covid-19 management efforts.

Sawant’s comments had triggered a controversy after the Governor slammed the Chief Minister for allegedly “putting words in his mouth” and had also critiqued the BJP-led coalition government’s approach towards containing the pandemic.

On Saturday, in a statement, a Goa Raj Bhavan spokesperson said that Sawant in a meeting with Malik on Friday had assured the Governor of acting on the latter’s suggestions.

“Yesterday, the Chief Minister met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and discussed a whole range of issues pertaining to Covid-19 management in the state. The Governor extended his full support to the government in its fight against the pandemic,” the statement issued by Raj Bhavan said.

“The Chief Minister assured that the observations and suggestions of the Governor would be acted upon by the government in the right earnest. The Governor and Chief Minister pledged to continue to work in full co-operation and synergy in order to win the battle against the contagion and in the interest of the state,” the statement also said.

The Opposition had demanded Sawant’s resignation, accusing him of misleading the people of the state as well as lying to the Governor, in order to cover-up shoddiness on part of the state administration to rein in Covid-19.

The state has seen a swift spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, with the total tally of active cases shooting to 1337, including 21 fatalities.

Malik on Thursday had not only faulted the state government for delaying the imposition of a lockdown in and around the state’s first containment zone at Mangor hill, which has accounted for a bulk of the Covid-19 cases and had also slammed the state Health Ministry for callously attributing comorbidity as the key reasons for a majority of the deaths linked to the deadly virus.

Rita Wilson: Why wouldn’t you wear a mask if it’s good for your health?

TB Team
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Rita Wilson: Why wouldn’t you wear a mask if it’s good for your health?

Actress-musician Rita Wilson says wearing a face mask during a pandemic should be a normal thing, and feels the debate around it makes no sense.

“Why wouldn’t you wear a mask if it’s good for your health? It doesn’t make sense,” she said, according to a hollywoodreporter.com report.

The actress, who spoke to Gayle King on “CBS This Morning”, was one of the first Hollywood figures diagnosed with Covid-19 back in March, along with actor husband Tom Hanks.

After recovering from the disease, both Hanks and Wilson have been vocal about the importance of preventive measures, including wearing covering one’s face in public — a point that has become a base for debate for many.

“I don’t understand why something that’s so easy to do has become an issue or something that people are coming up against,” Wilson said.

Back in March, Wilson celebrated being a “Covid-19 survivor”. She took to Instagram to share that she is “celebrating the beauty of this life, the blessings God has given, and my continued good health, even now as a Covid-19 survivor”.

According to Wilson, March 29 is a special date that “represents a time of great happiness”.

“I was on Broadway starring with Larry David in his play ‘Fish In The Dark’ before finding out I had been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Wilson captioned a slideshow of three photos.

The first image shows her and David standing side by side and smiling.

“March 29 also marks five years of being cancer-free after having had a bilateral mastectomy. I am so thankful for my health, for the doctors, nurses, friends, and family who got me through that time. You, online friends, also need to be thanked because your prayers and optimism were felt deeply. And, so thankful for the blessings God has bestowed on me, then and now,” she continued.

The post also included a photograph of her sitting next to her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which she was presented on March 29 a year ago.

“I was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street, that as a child, I’d walk on and read all the names of the stars I admired… Never believing one day my name would be on one of those stars,” she said.

“And one year ago today, I released my fourth album, ‘Halfway To Home’,” the caption continued, with the third picture in the post showing the cover of her album.

“Every day I get to make music is a gift. So much has happened musically in that one year. So much goodness. All of this would not be possible without good health. Please take a moment today to acknowledge the amazing creation your bodies are and to thank it for doing so much,” she added.

She concluded: “So, today, March 29, I am celebrating the beauty of this life, the blessings God has given, and my continued good health, even now as a COVID 19 survivor. Please take a moment today to acknowledge the amazing creation your bodies are and to thank it for doing so much.”

Contact tracing won’t curb corona if testing is too slow: Lancet

TB Team
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Contact tracing won’t curb corona if testing is too slow: Lancet

The speed of contact tracing strategies is essential to slow coronavirus transmission, but the delays in Covid-19 testing will significantly hamper this process, warn researchers.

If Covid-19 testing is delayed by three days or more after a person develops symptoms, even the most efficient contact tracing strategy cannot reduce onward transmission of the virus, the study, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, reported.

According to the researchers, improving access to Covid-19 testing, combined with digital that minimizes tracing delays, will be key to the success of a contact tracing approach to reduce the spread of the virus.

“This study reinforces findings from other modeling studies, showing that contact tracing can be an effective intervention to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but only if the proportion of contacts traced is high and the process is fast,” said study author Mirjam Kretzschmar from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

For example, the research team found that mobile apps can speed up the process of tracking down people who are potentially infected.

To be successful, contact tracing measures must keep the rate of transmission of the virus, known as the Reproduction or R number, below one.

This means that, on average, the number of individuals who will be infected by a single infected person must be less than one.

In the study, they used a mathematical model that reflects the various steps and delays in the contact tracing process.

This enabled them to quantify how such delays affect the R number and the fraction of onward transmission cases that can be prevented for each diagnosed person.

The model assumes that around 40 percent of virus transmission occurs before a person develops symptoms.

In the best-case scenario, the model predicts that contact tracing could reduce the number of people a person with Covid-19 passes the virus on to from 1.2 to 0.8.

For this to work, at least 80 percent of people who are eligible must be tested, there must be no delays in testing after the onset of symptoms and at least 80 percent of contacts must be identified on the same day as the test results are received.

If testing is delayed by two days, keeping the R number below one would require contacts to be traced within a day and at least 80 percent of contacts must be identified, the model predicted.

The model assumes that conventional contact tracing takes a minimum of three days and is less efficient at tracking down contacts than mobile app technologies, which are assumed to be instantaneous.

Overall, the study found that reducing the time between a person developing symptoms and receiving a positive test result is the most important factor for improving contact tracing effectiveness.

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