Over 60% US voters trust Fauci over Trump: Poll

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Over 60% US voters trust Fauci over Trump: Poll

Over 60 percent of voters in the US trust Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious diseases expert, but not President Donald Trump when it came to information on the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll has revealed.

The Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday showed that 67 percent of registered voters surveyed do not trust information Trump provides on the pandemic, while 30 percent do, reports The Hill news website.

Meanwhile, 65 percent have said they trusted Fauci, while 26 percent distrust the information he provides.

The poll came as the White House reportedly stepped up efforts to discredit Fauc, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the attacks against him, presidential adviser Peter Navarro wrote in an op-ed published in USA Today on Tuesday that Fauci “has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on”.

“The attempt to discredit Fauci’s public-health expertise is a political move, and one with disastrous implications,” The Atlantic recently commented.

“The Americans who believe the White House’s anti-science campaign risk cutting themselves off from potentially life-saving information.”

The White House later distanced itself from Navarro’s remarks, saying his piece did not go through normal clearance processes and represents his opinion alone.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he has a “very good relationship” with Fauci and said Navarro shouldn’t be making statements “representing himself”.

Fauci, who serves as head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases and is a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, told The Atlantic on Thursday the administration’s criticism of him only harms the President’s response to the pandemic.

“I stand by everything I said,” he added.

Tax fraud: 1,377 exporters who claimed Rs 1,875cr IGST refund ‘untraceable’

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Tax fraud: 1,377 exporters who claimed Rs 1,875cr IGST refund ‘untraceable’

Government crackdown on tax defaulters has revealed shocking data as a total of 1,377 exporters who have fraudulently claimed IGST refund amounting to Rs 1,875 crore have been found untraceable at their principal place of business.

Also, the list of ‘risky exporters’ includes 7 larger entities that are accredited as star exporters. In addition, adverse reports have also been received on three-star exporters. These 10-star exporters have claimed IGST refund amounting to Rs 28.9 crore deceitfully.

Sources said on the condition of anonymity that as on date, 7,516 exporters are in risky exporter list. Out of them, IGST refund/drawback worth Rs 1,363 crore is suspended in respect of 2,830 risky exporters. Adverse reports have also been received with respect to 2,197 risky exporters.

According to the sources, the field formations of CBIC have detected offense cases amounting to Rs 115 crore against identified risky exporters. Also, out of the 234 suppliers’ verification received so far, 82 suppliers have been found non-existing at their principal place of business.

It may be noted that exporters are identified as “risky” on the basis of specific risk indicators based on Customs, GST, Income Tax, and DGFT data. The identified risky exporters are shared with the CGST formations for physical and financial verification in terms of the GST policy wing for CGST formation.

Sources said that in 695 cases positive reports have been received from CGST formations that have found their suppliers to have availed ineligible ITC. Out of these, in 461 cases of IGST refund /drawback amounting to Rs 273 crore is under suspension.

These risky suppliers have been shared with jurisdictional field formations for their physical/financial verification and to verify the ineligible ITC availed by them.

With 718 cases, Odisha experiences big surge in Covid-19

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With 718 cases, Odisha experiences big surge in Covid-19

Odisha has recorded a huge spike in Covid-19 positive cases with the detection of 718 cases in the last 24 hours, which took the affected tally to 16,110 on Friday.

The Covid-19 death tally rose to 83 as the state reported four more deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the health department.

The four deaths were reported from Angul, Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

A 66-year-old man of Angul, 56-year-old male of Gajapati, a 57-year-old male and 60-year-old man of Ganjam, has succumbed to the disease.

Out of the fresh cases, 479 cases were reported from quarantine centers and 239 are local contacts.

Ganjam district has reported the highest 231 positive cases followed by Khorda (150), Malkangiri (54), Cuttack (32), and Keonjhar (28).

Odisha now has 5,124 active cases and 10,877 recoveries, the department said.

Notably, the state government has announced to impose lockdown in the districts of Ganjam, Khorda, Cuttack and Jajpur and Rourkela Municipal Corporation in Sundargarh district from Friday 9 p.m. to till July 31 midnight to check the spread of Covid-19.

Equity indices in green, Nifty above 10,800

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Equity indices in green, Nifty above 10,800

The key Indian equity indices traded on a positive note on Friday morning with the Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange trading above the 10,800 marks.

Healthy buying was witnessed in metal, oil and gas, auto, and finance stocks.

Around 10.24 a.m., Sensex was trading at 36,700.72, higher by 229.04 points or 0.63 percent from the previous close of 36,471.68.

It opened at 36,547.75 and has so far touched an intra-day high of 36,728.59 and a low of 36,512.92.

The top gainers on the Sensex so far were Tata Steel, ONGC, and Titan Company, and the major losers were TCS, Infosys, and Axis Bank.

Nifty50 was trading at 10,810.90, higher by 70.95 points or 0.66 percent from its previous close.

US jobless claims fall slightly to 1.3mn last week

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US jobless claims fall slightly to 1.3mn last week

The number of initial jobless claims in the US fell slightly to 1.3 million last week but remained elevated, the Labor Department reported.

In the week ending July 11, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased by 10,000 from 1.31 million in the prior week, the Department was quoted as saying on Thursday by Xinhua news agency.

With the latest numbers, a staggering 51.3 million initial jobless claims have been filed over the past 17 weeks, according to Joseph Brusuelas, the chief economist at accounting and consulting firm RSM US LLP.

“It is the 17th straight week that initial claims have increased by more than 1 million. Once one accounts for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, claims increased by 2.2 million,” Brusuelas wrote in a blog post on Thursday.

“It is highly likely that various forms of unemployment insurance will expire in the coming days, so forward-looking investors should anticipate sustained initial claims data, with more than 30 million Americans remaining on some form of aid in the near term,” Brusuelas noted.

“Although initial claims have come down significantly from the record 6.87 million that was filed in late March, they remain frustratingly elevated in a historical context,” echoed Jay H. Bryson, the chief economist at Wells Fargo Securities.

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Tuesday that it was “unclear” whether the pace of the recent labor-market recovery will be sustained as weekly COVID-19 cases in the US have been rising and some states are ramping up restrictions.

“The pace of improvement may slow if a large portion of the easiest gains from the lifting of mandated closures and easing of capacity constraints has already occurred,” she said.

I’m the happiest person in the world right now: Zidane

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I’m the happiest person in the world right now: Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has stated that he is the happiest person in the world at the moment after his side secured the 34th LaLiga title.

Real Madrid secured the 2019-2020 LaLiga title after a 2-1 win at home to Villarreal on Thursday night. Karin Benzema scored twice in a game they needed to win to assure the title with a game still to play this season.

“It’s huge. It’s a constant battle. There are 38 games, and only at the end can you achieve something great like today. I’m extremely thankful to the players, first and foremost, because they’re the ones fighting out on the pitch,” Zidane was quoted as saying at the post-match presser by the club’s official website.

“I have my role and I’m with them, but it’s a team effort. This is a huge achievement, it’s incredibly emotional. It’s very tough to win the Spanish league, very tough indeed,” he added.

It was the second LaLiga title for Zidane as Madrid coach after he led them to league glory in 2017.

“It’s amazing. What we’ve been through isn’t easy. It’s been a very tough LaLiga season, but, in the end, thanks to our belief and hard work, we believed and the players are the first ones in that respect because they’re the ones who go out on the pitch and put a shift in. I’m pleased with them.

“There are people who say that happiness makes no noise, but I’m the happiest person in the world on the inside right now. Many thanks to everyone for the support,” said the legendary footballer.

Zidane also heaped praise on Sergio Ramos, saying he drives the team on.

“He (Ramos) is our leader, he drives the team on. We all bring something different to the team but he’s our captain. We have four captains with Marcelo, Varane, and Benzema, but it’s true that Sergio is our leader. I think every single Madridista feels represented by Sergio in every sense,” the Real Madrid manager said.

Meanwhile, Ramos also paid a rich tribute to Zidane, saying everything the Frenchman touches ‘turns into gold’.

“Everything Zidane touches turns into gold,” Ramos told LaLiga. “We believe in him and in his work. He’s the one who has to make the difference, he’s a person who trusts players, and few do. We hope he stays here for a very long time, he is unique.”

Apple previews upcoming emojis on World Emoji Day

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Apple previews upcoming emojis on World Emoji Day

Apple on Friday said it is previewing a selection of new emoji that will be available this fall with a free software update for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Celebrating the World Emoji Day, the iPhone maker revealed the newest emoji designs including bubble tea, pinched fingers, boomerang, transgender symbol, dodo, beaver, nesting dolls, coin, anatomical heart, lungs, ninja, and tamale

Apple typically adds new emoji just after the release of the new operating systems in the fall.

It means one would probably look for them in iOS and iPadOS 14.1 or 14.2 and in macOS Big Sur version 11.1 or 11.2.

With new Memoji, users will have new ways to express themselves, like new hairstyles. There are 11 new hairstyles, including man bun, top knot, simple side part, waves, and enhancements to fades.

One can customize Memoji with new face coverings, including the color, to match look.

The users can show off style, hobby, or profession with 19 new headwear styles, including a drag, tichel, cyclist helmet, nurse cap, or swim cap.

Three new Memoji stickers let users send fist bump, blush, or even a hug to friends.

In iOS 14, there are more ways to create your look with Memoji, where you can customization options let you express yourself with over a trillion possible combinations.a

With record almost 35K cases, India crosses 1M-mark

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With record almost 35K cases, India crosses 1M-mark

Within three days India recorded more than one lakh cases of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) taking the tally over one million marks with over 25,000 fatalities, the Union Health Ministry data revealed on Friday.

India recorded its highest spike of 34,956 Covid-19 cases and 687 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 10,03,832 cases with a death toll of 25,602 fatalities across the country due to the pandemic.

Within three days from Tuesday (July 14) till Friday, the total number of new cases reached over a lakh. On July 14, India crossed the tally of nine lakh cases.

According to Health Ministry data, as many as 6,35,757 patients have recovered, almost twice the number of active patients at 3,42,473. The rate of recovery has touched 63.33 percent. India, however, remains the third worst-affected country after the US and Brazil.

During the last 24 hours, 3,33,228 samples were tested, as the testing lab network continues to expand. So far, more than 1,206 labs have enabled people to undergo coronavirus tests.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state, with 2,84,281 cases and 11,194 casualties followed by Tamil Nadu with total 1,56,369 cases, including 2,236 deaths.

With 1,652 new coronavirus cases and 58 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national capitals total Covid-19 tally rose to 1,18,645 cases and 3,545 deaths.

States with more than 10,000 cases included Gujarat (44,552), Uttar Pradesh (45,481), Rajasthan (27,174), Madhya Pradesh (20,378), West Bengal (36,117), Haryana (24,002), Karnataka (51,422), Andhra Pradesh (38,044), Telangana (41,018), Assam (19,754), Jammu and Kashmir (12,156), Kerala (10,275), Odisha (15,392) and Bihar (21,764).

On the global front, the overall number of Covid-19 cases has topped 13.7 million, while the deaths have increased to more than 5,89,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Vishal Mishra: Singing for SRK feels surreal

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Vishal Mishra: Singing for SRK feels surreal

Singer Vishal Mishra is extremely happy to lend voice for the song “Haq hai humara”, which features Shah Rukh Khan.

“Singing for SRK feels surreal. I am a huge fan of his and seeing him doing his signature step of stretching his arms open wide in my song makes me feel so happy. It’s like a dream come true moment for me. I will cherish this song for life,” Vishal told IANS.

Owing to the lockdown, the music video was shot at his home in Mumbai. The song is a tribute to the country’s frontline workers who are working day and night to save the nation from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Apart from this, Vishal also has a lot in store for his fans. “I am currently working on new songs and albums. I am going to come up with a lot of independent songs,” he informed.

Microsoft laying off more staff in news team amid AI shift: Report

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Microsoft laying off more staff in news team amid AI shift: Report

Microsoft is reportedly trimming its workforce in the news business further amid shift to artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms and automation to perform their editorial duties, GeekWire has claimed.

Reports in May said Microsoft laid off at least 50 news production workers who were in contract positions.

“The company is now laying off an unspecified number of direct employees from MSN, including some senior leaders on the Microsoft News editorial team, according to people familiar with the situation,” the report claimed this week.

Microsoft did not confirm the layoffs and offered GeekWire “no comment” on the situation.

According to the report, Microsoft’s fiscal year ended on June 30 “and it’s common for Microsoft to restructure some of its operations in conjunction with the annual milestone”.

The Seattle Times reported in May that the roughly 50 employees contracted through staffing agencies were notified “that their services would no longer be needed beyond June 30”.

In an article in Motherboard last week, former MSN Money editor Bryan Joiner detailed how “the robots Microsoft assigned to do my job can’t do it”.

Joiner lost his job among full-time journalists when Microsoft replaced the team tasked with curating and editing MSN news content with AI software.

“Based on how far they’ve come down this road, the algorithm will sink or swim on its own, which is to say it’ll probably sink and take down the whole of MSN with it,” Joiner wrote.

Last month, a mixed-race member of British pop group Little Mix pointed out that AI editors at Microsoft’s news and search site MSN.com mixed-up photos of the band members.

The AI editor failed to tell the difference between two mixed-race members of the pop group Little Mix. Microsoft News AI published a story that was about Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall’s problems facing racism.

However, the published story had a photo of fellow Little Mix bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Thirlwall noticed the mistake and complained on Twitter.

Ace para-athlete Ramesh Tikaram succumbs to COVID-19, Rijiju pays tribute

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Ace para-athlete Ramesh Tikaram succumbs to COVID-19, Rijiju pays tribute

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has offered condolences on the tragic demise of former para-badminton player Ramesh Tikaram who died with COVID-19. He was 51.

Tikaram, country’s first para-badminton player to be honored with the prestigious Arjuna award, passed away on Thursday at a private hospital in Bengaluru after battling with COVID-19 for more than two weeks.

“Very sad to hear the news of the tragic demise of former para-badminton player Ramesh Tikaram. I extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers,” Rijiju said in a tweet.

“He was given the Arjuna Award in the year 2002. Tikaram ji, who brought laurels to the country, lost the battle to coronavirus,” he added.

Tikaram is survived by a wife and two children.

Fight against Covid-19 enters critical phase in Agra

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Fight against Covid-19 enters critical phase in Agra

The concerted battle against Covid-19 has entered a critical phase in the Agra region comprising Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Kasganj, and the Taj city, as sampling has been stepped up and teams of health workers are now busy screening the vast rural hinterland for suspected cases.

The alarm signals are loud and clear as cases continue to indicate a rising graph, despite renewed efforts to check the infection spread. Each district has a senior IAS official to coordinate activities of various agencies and give a direction to the battle.

A senior official said: “Results would start showing in a week or 10 days. Right now the sampling work is being continuously improved.

“Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has stressed the importance of testing, which he wants to touch 50,000 a day.”

In the last 24 hours, Mainpuri has reported 67 fresh cases, Etah 18, Mathura 17, and Agra 15.

District Magistrate of Agra P.N. Singh said there were 159 active cases and the recovery rate was 82.6 percent.

So far the death toll in Agra is 94. The total number of Covid-19 cases stands at 1,454. Over 1,200 have recovered. The city has 84 containment zones.

The chief worry of shopkeepers and various market associations right now is to open the commercial establishments in the containment and buffer zones to ensure expected uninterrupted sales of goods and commodities for the festival season beginning with Eid at the month-end.

Shopkeepers in the Rawat Pada area staged a dharna protesting arbitrariness by police officials in raising barricades to prevent movement in the interior parts of the city.

District authorities have refused permission for fairs and religious congregations at the Shiva temples in the month of Shravan. The annual parikrama has not been permitted. Muslim leaders have asked for clarity as they fear restrictions on Eid.

Some health activists have asked for an investigation into claimed benefits of immunity boosters flooding the markets. All sorts of Ayurvedic and herbal preparations are being marketed, without verification of their efficacy or side effects. Brisk sale of Ayurvedic drugs has been reported from all over in the last fortnight.

Vaani Kapoor: Refreshing change to go sans make-up

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Vaani Kapoor: Refreshing change to go sans make-up

Vaani Kapoor is glad about the lockdown for one particular reason. She says it is a refreshing change to go sans make-up.

“We are evolved enough to embrace ourselves in the most natural way possible and it is actually quite refreshing to be happy in your own skin,” Vaani told IANS.

So, although getting dolled up is fun, and “as fun as dressing up can be, it’s also a refreshing change to go sans make-up”, she added.

Vaani is back at work, having commenced shooting for her upcoming film “Bell Bottom”, and she couldn’t be happier.

She recently said: “I, honestly, am just happy with work resuming after a long break. One will of course have to be extra cautious and keep all preventive measures in mind but it feels exciting to embark on a new journey!”

Inspired by true events, the film is set in the eighties and narrates the story of one of India’s forgotten heroes. Directed by Ranjit M. Tewari, “Bell Bottom” is scheduled to go on floors later this year. It is written by Aseem Arora and Parveez Shaikh.

Netflix adds 10mn new paid subscribers as people stay home

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Netflix adds 10mn new paid subscribers as people stay home

Leading content streaming service Netflix has added 10.1 million new paid subscribers as people stayed home, as the company reported net earnings of $720 million over $6.15 billion in revenue for its second quarter (April-June period).

However, the shares declined nearly 9 percent in after-hours trading on fears of slow growth in the rest of the year, reports MarketWatch.

The company also promoted Ted Sarandos from the chief content officer as co-CEO who will share the top spot with co-founder Reed Hastings.

Sarandos will retain his current role and join the board, Netflix said in a letter to shareholders on Thursday.

The stock nosedived after Netflix provided third-quarter revenue guidance of $6.33 billion, below the Wall Street estimates of $6.40 billion.

Netflix expects 2.5 million net subscriber additions for the third quarter, while analysts were expecting 5.27 million.

“Growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of COVID and social restrictions. Our paid net additions for the month of June also included the subscriptions we canceled for the small percentage of members who had not used the service recently,” the company said in the shareholder letter.

Netflix said that “current infection trends create more uncertainty for our productions in the US. Parts of the world like India and some of Latin America are also more challenging and we are hoping to restart later in the year in these regions”.

The company, however, forecasts to see a 16 percent operating margin for 2020 and 19 percent for 2021.

“This is a great growth opportunity for us, so any revenue upside we would tend to put into more content for our members, which tends to generate more growth over time,” said Hastings.

Netflix currently has 193 million paid memberships in over 190 countries.

Netflix now counts short-video making app TikTok among its rivals.

“TikTok’s growth is astounding, showing the fluidity of internet entertainment,” the company wrote to shareholders.

Indonesia flash floods toll reaches 32

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Indonesia flash floods toll reaches 32

The death toll due to flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province has increased to 32 with 15 others still missing, an official said on Friday.

The search and rescue operation for the victims of the natural disaster was hampered by poor access to the scene, with the possibilities of more flash floods, an official told Xinhua news agency.

“Eleven bodies were retrieved by the rescuers on Thursday, putting the total to 32. The rescuers have been on alert for the possibility of more flash floods as the weather is cloudy,” he said.

Mud and logs on the roads slowed the mobility of 359 rescue personnel to reach the affected areas, according to him.

The natural disaster has impacted nearly 5,000 people as their houses were hit by the flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

As many as 10 houses were swept away by the current waters and 213 others were buried by sand and mud, while the main road was cut off by the waters, the agency noted.

2 terrorists killed in Kashmir encounter

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2 terrorists killed in Kashmir encounter

Two terrorists were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday.

“Two unidentified terrorists have been killed in the Kulgam encounter, the operation is going on,” police said

The encounter broke out in the Shimmer village of Kulgam after a joint team of police and other security forces cordoned off the area on the basis of a specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where the terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the gunfight.

Cabin crew say AI compulsory leave is layoffs through backdoor

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Cabin crew say AI compulsory leave is layoffs through backdoor

The cabin crew of Air India has told the management that the compulsory leave scheme is a smokescreen for retrenchment by the backdoor and has demanded that it be kept in abeyance.

The All India Cabin Crew Association in a letter to Air India management said that AICCA records its strong protest at this circular and fears that this compulsory leave scheme is a smokescreen for a retrenchment/layoff scheme by the back door and is in gross violation of various Supreme Court orders, including the Constitutional bench judgment on Section 25, and infringes on the Air India SC case on hand.

“We note with great concern that the said circular purports to send employees on Compulsory Leave without Pay, by the CMD, as recommended by the RD & regional officials. This is highly arbitrary & subjective and is a violation of the Certified Standing Orders (Amended) of erstwhile Air India, as applicable to us,” the cabin crew members said.

“Respectfully, we must also note that the circular & the board resolution itself are illegal as they violate the CSO, 9A of the ID Act, and most importantly infringe on a matter that is being heard by the Hon Supreme Court of India, where we are a party. The larger bench of the Apex court is hearing the matter of Service Conditions, Standing Orders & 9A, and this circular violates that and brings in alien concepts of redundancies, merely to skirt existing retrenchment laws,” the letter said.

“We find it shocking that our Airline seeks to arbitrarily retrench the very Corona Warriors who have been flying Vande Bharat Missions, at great risk to themselves and many have contracted COVID,” the association said and has asked Air India CMD to keep the said circular in abeyance and engage in constructive dialogue with the AICCA on this subject.

Bhumi: I am ok with any platform as vehicle of my creative expression

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Bhumi: I am ok with any platform as vehicle of my creative expression

Bhumi Pednekar’s upcoming film “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare” is heading for a digital release. The actress welcomes the decision and says she is okay with any platform being the vehicle of her creative expression.

“As an artist, I only look to entertain the audience every time I am on the screen and I am okay with any platform becoming the vehicle of my creative expression. In this day and age, producers will do what is needed and we must all support each other’s decisions,” Bhumi said.

She said that she feels her upcoming film will reach out to a much larger audience with the decision to release it on an OTT platform.

Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare” also stars Konkona Sen Sharma.

Bhumi is a huge fan of Konkona’s brilliance and Alankrita’s sensitivity.

” ‘Dolly Kitty…’ is a very special film. Konkona as we know is a phenomenal person and actor, and Alankrita (Srivastava) is a very special director. (Producers) Balaji (Motion Pictures) as an institution has always supported content that has broken barriers. A very big reason why I am this fond of Ekta (Kapoor). So, for me, being a part of this film was a super enriching experience as an actor,” she said.

“I have adored Konkona’s work and it was simply mesmerising for me to see her perform. Our scenes together in the film are exciting and memorable. Alankrita is a very powerful voice in cinema today, she is strong, witty and humane. I’m fortunate that I got the opportunity to creatively collaborate with her. I have learnt a lot from her,” Bhumi said.

The actress is hopeful that audiences worldwide will embrace this powerful film.

“Our film has been winning laurels at international film festivals. We’ve garnered such love and respect. I won awards at international platforms for the film and I’m sure it will be liked by audiences here as well. I’m looking forward to seeing how people react. It was refreshing to play a girl, fresh out of college, waiting to experience life.

Describing her character Kitty as “naive, sweet, ambitious and a survivor”, she added: “The film is full of quirk and a pool of emotions. It has a different narrative and I am excited,” she says.

Bhumi added that the film “celebrates womanhood, sisterhood and all the drama that comes in between with love and work”.

“It very skilfully shows just how complex yet beautiful women are,” she said.

Arjun Kanungo: Not sure if I’m going to survive in music industry for next 3 years

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Arjun Kanungo: Not sure if I’m going to survive in music industry for next 3 years

Arjun Kanungo is one of the most successful non-film singers right now. It took him a few years to get noticed but he says there is no survival trick, and despite all the success he is unsure if he is going to survive in the music industry for the next three years or not.

Arjun has been in the music industry for over a decade, but it was the 2015 song “Baaki baatein peene baad (Shots)” that changed his fortunes. The song became a party essential. He followed it up with many romantic numbers, peppy tracks, and more.

It wasn’t easy for him to break into the industry but he believes that it’s not impossible for outsiders to make it big.

“I came from outside, I made it on my own, I feel that you have to keep on trying, keep working, and you need to have a positive attitude about it. If you feel like you are not going to make it, you are not going to make it. You have to keep trying and one day somebody will give you a shot, and you have to be ready. So you have to keep working towards that and hope for the best because there is no plan B in this industry. For me, I wake up in the morning, I breathe music,” Arjun told IANS.

He said he didn’t have anybody creating roadblocks in his career.

“I don’t have any enemies as such. I feel if you are nice to people, they are nice to you. As an outsider, yes it was hard, I worked very hard to be where I am right now. I have been in the music industry for a little more than 10 years. It took me about five or six years to just get noticed. That’s the kind of timeline that you have to come to the industry with, like you have to have that passion, ‘Okay I want to do this so badly that I am willing to work for five years or seven years to be there. There are no shortcuts,” said the “Gallan tipsiyaan” singer.

As for survival, he feels there are no tricks to survive in the industry.

“You have to be genuinely deserving to be here. You have to love what you do, you have to be passionate and humble. I am not sure if I am going to survive for the next three years, I don’t know if I am going to be an artist who survives Bollywood or the non-film world for even three years. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” he said.

But what he can do is give it his 100 percent. “I am going to try to get better every day. I hope that people understand this when they enter Bollywood. They have to give their 100 percent,” said the singer, who has sung for Bollywood films like “Goa Goa Gone”.

As of now, his new song “Fursat hai Aaj Bhi” is fast gaining popularity. The video of the song features Arjun with actress Sonal Chauhan. The two had also featured in his 2016 video, “Fursat”.

“I have always had a special place in my heart for ‘Fursat’. As a music video, it was game-changing for me and my career. I have always wanted to work with Sonal again. When I wrote ‘Fursat hai aaj bhi’, with ‘first’ in the title, even though it had nothing to do with the previous song, I thought of Sonal and I felt we should work together again — especially since the chemistry in the first video was so good. I felt this was a good time to work with her again,” said Arjun.

Shooting for the music video during lockdown was tough. Explaining the process of working on the video, he said: “We shot the video from our own houses during the lockdown. The director of the video was on call throughout the shoot. He was telling us to change the camera angle, etc, so it was quite interesting to shoot like that. You are so used to having a crew, someone to do hair and makeup, camera and lighting, and this time there were no additional people helping us. On the last day, we shot together — me and Sonal. That was easier because the director was around. He was holding the phone. We shot the entire thing on the phone.”

During the lockdown, many singers released new music. Now that people are adjusting to new normal and returning to work gradually, is he willing to hit the stage again?

“I can’t imagine having a stage show at least till November. Our first inquiries are for November and December. Who knows when the government is going to allow it? I haven’t received any offer before November,” he said.

He is in no rush. “I don’t think it’s responsible to go and perform right now. We don’t know how badly coronavirus is going to affect India. Until I know for sure that people coming to my concert are safe, I don’t think I’ll be comfortable in performing,” said Arjun.

Global COVID-19 cases top 13.7mn: Johns Hopkins

TB Team
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Global COVID-19 cases top 13.7mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has topped 13.7 million, while the deaths have increased to more than 589,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

As of Friday morning, the total number of cases stood at 13,758,533, while the fatalities rose to 589,093, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of infections and fatalities at 3,570,037 and 138,291, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 2,012,151 infections and 76,688 deaths.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (968,876), and is followed by Russia (751,612), Peru (341,586), South Africa (324,221), Mexico (324,041), Chile (323,698), the UK (294,114), Iran (267,061), Spain (258,855), Pakistan (257,914), Italy (243,736), Saudi Arabia (243,238), Turkey (216,873), France (211,102), Germany (201,450), Bangladesh (196,323), Colombia (165,169), Argentina (114,783), Canada (111,143) and Qatar (105,477), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (45,204), Mexico (37,574), Italy (35,017), France (30,141), Spain (28,416), India (24,915), Iran (13,608), Peru (12,615) and Russia (11,920).

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