Schools Reopen in Andhra Pradesh

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Schools Reopen in Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools all over the state from July 13th. This is a surprising move by the YCP government as earlier the Union Human Resource ministry has said that all the schools would reopen after August 15th.

Initially the YCP government fixed August 3rd as the date for reopening of schools and CM Jagan wanted to launch his YSR Vidhya Kanuka scheme too on the same date. But the government changed its mind and brought the date much closer. It is just a week away from now and it is yet to be known whether YSR Vidhya Kanuka would be launched from July 13th.

As per the government sources, the primary schools will conduct classes once in a week while upper primary and higher school classes will hold twice in a week in the state with restrictions and Covid-19 protocols in place.

Also the YCP government would be introducing bridge courses for students while all the Headmasters and Teachers of all the schools all over the state were asked to update all the registration of students on or before July 10th.

We have to see if the Union HRD intervenes in AP government’s decision as the Covid-19 situation is getting worrisome in the state.

Save lives of Covid-19 patients: Central team to Karnataka

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Save lives of Covid-19 patients: Central team to Karnataka

A team of officials from the Union Health Ministry here on Tuesday advised the Karnataka government to save coronavirus victims by providing them the best treatment at the earliest.

“The central team told the state government to give priority to save Covid-19 patients’ lives with the best treatment in time,” said an official.

The team, comprising Additional Secretary Aarti Ahuja and Emergency Medical Response Centre Director P. Raveendran, said lockdown guidelines should be strictly enforced in containment zones to prevent the virus spread.

It met Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Health Minister B. Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar, Chief Secretary T.M. Vijaya Bhaskar, and other senior officials to review the pandemic situation in the state in view of the rising cases of infection.

“The central team appreciated the measures taken by the state government to contain the virus since March 9. Tracking contacts and creation of a database of co-morbid and vulnerable people were also lauded,” the official said.

The state Health Department apprised the team of facilities set up for Covid-19 treatment and of steps to deal with any surge in cases, especially in Bengaluru.

The department is setting up high-flow oxygen systems in the district and taluk hospitals for 15,000 beds by August.

With 1,843 fresh cases, Covid-19 tally in the state rose to 25,317, including 14,385 active ones. With 680 discharged, the number of cured people increased to 10,527, while 401 succumbed to the pandemic, including 30 on Monday.

Of the infected since Sunday, Bengaluru accounted for 981, taking the city’s tally to 10,561, including 8,860 active cases.

NHL set to restart on August 1 after COVID-19 hiatus

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NHL set to restart on August 1 after COVID-19 hiatus

The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced that it is targeting an August 1 return to the season, which was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

“As part of the tentative agreement, the following dates have been established: July 13 – Start of formal training camps; July 26 – clubs travel to hub cities; August 1 – Start of Qualifying Round,” the NHL said in a statement on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Local media reported that teams should arrive at their own facilities for training camps for a couple of weeks before traveling to one of two hub cities, Edmonton and Toronto, both in Canada.

The 12 Western Conference teams will report to Edmonton while 12 Eastern Conference teams will make the trip to Toronto. Las Vegas had long been considered a favorite to become a hub city, but COVID-19 cases on the rise in the US made the NHL reconsider that location.

Under the new format, the top four clubs in each conference will play seeding games while the teams ranked fifth to 12th will meet in a five-game series to determine the four qualifiers that face the seeds in the opening round of the playoffs.

Varun Dhawan gets 30mn Instagram followers

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Varun Dhawan gets 30mn Instagram followers

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan has garnered 30 million followers on Instagram. The actor made the announcement sharing a fan-made video on the photo-video sharing platform.

“30 MILLION #varuniacs… Thank u for believing in me Keep moving on the beat. Thank u @stevenroythomas for this edit,” he posted with the video.

Over the years, Varun has used social media to connect with his fans, sharing tidbits about his professional as well as personal life. During the lockdown amid the COVID outbreak, the actor used the platform to send positive vibes and spread awareness about the deadly virus.

On the film front, Varun was last seen in the dance movie “Street Dancer 3D” this year. His next film is “Coolie No 1” is directed by his father, filmmaker David Dhawan.

“Coolie No 1” is a remake of the Govinda-Karisma Kapoor original the director made in 1995. In the remake, Varun and Sara Ali Khan reprise the lead roles. The film was originally slated to hit theatres in May but got pushed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Brad Pitt boards ‘Bullet Train’

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Brad Pitt boards ‘Bullet Train’

Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt will be leading David Leitchs upcoming assassin action thriller “Bullet Train”.

Based on the popular Japanese book “Maria Beetle” by Kotaro Isaka, “Bullet Train” is about a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The project is being tonally described as “Speed”, the Keanu Reeves-starter set on a bus, meets “Non-Stop”, the Liam Neeson thriller set on a plane.

According to sources, Pitt will be essaying the role of American hitman named Ladybug.

The script is being written by Zak Olkewicz with Leitch overseeing revisions.

The project is a contained thriller, which means it can be shot on a contained set — falling in sync with the health restrictions in the COVID era. The studio plans to shoot the movie later this year.

Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, who originally developed the project, is producing alongside Leitch and Kelly McCormick as well as Kat Samick.

Pitt recently picked up an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”.

Cong leader Solanki put on ventilator support

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Cong leader Solanki put on ventilator support

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki, who was undergoing treatment for coronavirus infection, was put on ventilator support on Tuesday after his health deteriorated, sources said.

He is admitted in a private hospital in Ahmedabad. According to sources, Solanki, 67, was given plasma therapy twice on Monday, but his health deteriorated.

Solanki, a minister in the UPA II government at the Centre, was the second Congress nominee for one of the four seats of the Rajya Sabha in Gujarat for which elections were held on June 19.

He was found corona positive two days after the elections.

“Solanki was administered more oxygen; that is what I know of,” Dr. Manish Doshi, the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson, told the IANS.

The sources said Solanki is a comorbid patient with complications like asthma due to which his oxygen intake has to be increased.

The doctors at CIMS had consulted Dr. Randeep Guleria, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director, and some other renowned medical professionals on Monday regarding the treatment of the Congress leader.

‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’: Karan Patel steps in as Mr Bajaj

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‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’: Karan Patel steps in as Mr Bajaj

Actor Karan Patel was all suited up on his first day of shoot for the show “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”.

He has joined the hit show as Mr. Bajaj. The actor started shooting early morning on Tuesday here, dressed in a blue suit.

According to a source, the sequence focused on his return to India from abroad. The episode also has him calling up Prerna, asking where she is.

“Playing Mr. Bajaj is something I am looking forward to. The look of Rishab Bajaj was something I wanted to nail at the word go hence, we (creatives and I) took a while to work on it before we got him on screen for all to see,” said Karan.

“I am really happy with the way I look. I am sure my audiences will love it too, at least that’s what I am hoping for,” he added.

Joining the show is special for him because he was a part of the original “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”, which aired from 2001 to 2008. In the original, Ronit Roy became popular as Mr. Bajaj.

Diesel extends gain over petrol in Delhi after 7-day pause

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Diesel extends gain over petrol in Delhi after 7-day pause

Diesel has extended its gain over petrol in Delhi as oil marketing companies raised its price in the city by 25 paise a liter on Tuesday after keeping auto fuel prices hanged for the last seven days.

With the increase, diesel is priced at Rs 80.78 a liter in the National Capital, up from Rs 80.53 a liter on Monday. The oil companies, however, kept petrol prices unchanged across the country, resulting in diesel extending its gain in Delhi from 10 paise earlier to 35 paise now.

Delhi is the only metro city where Diesel is priced higher than petrol and this has been maintained since June 24, when for the time ever the transportation fuel climbed up over petrol.

Apart from Delhi, diesel is still cheaper than petrol by Rs 6-8 per liter in other metro cities. Diesel is priced at Rs 79.05 a liter in Mumbai that is an increase of 22 paise over Monday’s price, at Rs 77.91 a liter in Chennai (19 paisa increase) and Rs 75.89 a liter in Kolkata (25 paisa increase).

Officials in oil marketing companies said that diesel prices are seeing more volatility in the international market so the price changes in the fuel segment have been higher. But with global oil prices also rising again and set to touch $43 a barrel, the expectation is that fuel prices may again see an uptick in the coming days.

Before Tuesday, Fuel prices have remained unchanged for the seven consecutive days since June 30 across the four metros.

Prices of the transportation fuel have had a pause after rising to record levels in 23 of the past 31 days after the oil marketing companies (OMC) resumed the daily price revision system from June 7 that kept the petrol and diesel prices to rise incessantly till June 29.

During the daily hike till June 29, diesel prices in Delhi recorded a new feat by overtaking petrol prices, making the common man feel the heat.

Corona infections reach Bihar CM’s doors

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Corona infections reach Bihar CM’s doors

Bihar has registered a steady increase in the number of coronavirus cases recently, which have now reached the doors of the chief minister.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s niece has been found to be corona infected. According to sources, she was admitted to Patna AIIMS on Monday after getting infected with the virus.

After this, the Chief Minister’s residence has been sanitized. Sources say that all other family members are also being tested for corona infection.

Nitish Kumar, after meeting Legislative Council Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh and his wife who were found to be corona positive, got himself tested and the test report came negative.

Meanwhile, taking a dig at the JD(U)-BJP government, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said that there is neither testing nor treatment in Bihar. He targeted the government on the ever-rising virus infections.

He tweeted: “Corona infection has increased exponentially in Bihar and the government has no worries, neither for testing nor for treatment of infected persons. The entire cabinet, administration, and government are busy in preparing for elections. The government is also hiding data. If the government does not see through this, the situation may become more explosive by August-September.”

A coronavirus patient’s body was left on the pavement outside a hospital

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A coronavirus patient’s body was left on the pavement outside a hospital

A coronavirus patient’s body was left on the pavement outside a hospital in Bhopal on Monday night after a tragic to-and-fro between hospitals. Security footage accessed by NDTV shows two ambulance workers in PPE suits taking the body out in a stretcher, leaving the patient on the pavement and driving off with the stretcher.

A magistrate has been asked to inquire into the case involving a power distribution company employee who was admitted to hospital two weeks ago with a kidney condition. In the last few days, he had developed breathing trouble and was suspected to have pneumonia. He tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening.

The man was being treated at the People’s Hospital in Bhopal but after his COVID-19 test, he was to be moved to Chirayu hospital, Bhopal’s nodal centre for the virus.

His son told NDTV that his samples were collected on Sunday and his report returned positive on Monday.

He had been unwell since January and he was admitted to People’s hospital on June 23.

The patient’s son insists he was alive on Monday morning when an ambulance picked him up to be taken from People’s hospital to Chirayu Medical College. He questioned why the ambulance returned.

Deepika calls hubby Ranveer centre of her universe

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Deepika calls hubby Ranveer centre of her universe

In her latest Instagram post, Deepika Padukone has turned on the mush factor for hubby Ranveer Singh, who turned 35 on Monday.

Deepika posted a black and white picture where the couple is seen making a champagne toast. Along with the picture, she left a love note.

“The light of my life. The center of my universe. I wish you good health and peace of mind in abundance. As for the rest, I’ll tell you in person! I Love You! #happybirthday,” Deepika wrote the image, which currently has a whopping 2.5 million likes on the photo-sharing website.

Deepika and Ranveer started dating while filming “Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela” in 2012. The two were later seen sharing screen space in “Bajirao Mastani” and “Padmaavat”.

The couple tied the knot in 2018 at the picturesque Lake Como in Italy.

Ranveer and Deepika will next be seen in Kabir Khan’s “83”, where he plays the former Indian captain Kapil Dev and she is Kapil’s wife Romi.

Greyed a bit more, become smarter & sweeter: Sakshi wishes Dhoni

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Greyed a bit more, become smarter & sweeter: Sakshi wishes Dhoni

As M.S. Dhoni turned 39 on Tuesday, social media was flooded with birthday wishes with people from all walks wishing the former India captain on his special day. However, among all this, there was a special wish for Dhoni — the one from wife Sakshi.

“Marking the date you were born, another year older, greyed a bit more, become smarter and sweeter. You are a man who will not be moved by all the sweet wishes and gifts,” said Sakshi while posting several pictures of Dhoni on her Instagram handle.

“Let’s celebrate another year of your life by cutting a cake and blowing the candles! Happy Birthday, Husband!!” she added.

The couple got married on July 4, 2010. Dhoni became a proud father on February 6, 2015, to Ziva. At the time of her birth, he was in Australia as the captain of the Indian team with the 2015 Cricket World Cup only a week to kick off. However, Dhoni decided not to travel back to India and was famously quoted saying that “I am on national duty, other things can wait”.

Dhoni, in November last year, had said that he is better than an ideal husband because he lets his wife Sakshi do whatever she wants.

Speaking at an event in Chennai, Dhoni had left the audience in splits with his speech on marriage. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman had said: “All men are like lions before marriage. The real essence of marriage is once you cross the age of 55. I let my wife do everything she wants because if my wife is happy then I am happy.”

Dhoni has been on a sabbatical ever since the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup where India lost to New Zealand. He was supposed to lead Chennai Super Kings in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League which currently remains indefinitely suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congress seeks CBI probe into gold smuggling case, writes to PM

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Congress seeks CBI probe into gold smuggling case, writes to PM

The office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in increasingly coming under fire in the 30 kg gold smuggling case involving the former PRO of the UAE consulate and a woman.

On Tuesday senior IAS officer and secretary to Vijayan, M. Sivasankar was removed from office.

M. Sivasankar is currently in the dock and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a probe by the CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) to unravel the gold smuggling case, where the name of the UAE Consulate also figures.

“I write this letter as Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly with utmost concern at the misuse of diplomatic immunity of UAE Consulate, hereby international gold smuggling cartels with the collusion of officials working under Government of Kerala who has deep-rooted connections with decision-makers at the office of Chief Minister. I solicit your immediate intervention to investigate into his nefarious activities, which has serious implications on India’s national security and the potential to irreparably damage the age-old friendly ties between India and the UAE. In this contest I request an investigation into the matter by agencies like CBI and the ED,” said Chennithala.

Later speaking to the media Chennithala said Vijayan now fears that fingers are being pointed at him and hence he has made his secretary the scapegoat.

Chennithala’s demand came soon after Sivasankar was removed as the CM’s secretary and later applied for long leave. However, he has not been removed from the post of the IT secretary.

Vijayan apart from holding the Home portfolio also heads the IT department.

CPI-M State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said wrongdoers will not be protected and every aspect will be looked into.

Vijayan reacted on Monday denying any involvement in the case and rubbished remarks on the involvement of his office.

The CPI-M and the Left Front are shocked at the turn of events while the Congress and the BJP have taken to the streets across the state demanding the resignation of Vijayan.

On Tuesday, Vijayan was closeted with the state police chief and the chief secretary.

What has stung many is the way a woman Swapna Suresh has made inroads into the seat of power.

She was earlier working with Air India’s ground handling agency after which she joined the UAE Consulate here. Here she came in touch with its PRO Sarith who is currently under arrest in the gold smuggling case, while Swapna is on the run.

Sarith and Swapna are now no longer with the UAE Consulate.

Various reports have come out that Swapna and Sivasankar were good friends and he was a regular visitor at her house. It was through these contacts that she got a plush job in the IT department which is looked after by Vijayan and Sivasankar.

“Just look at her salary, it’s mind-boggling. What sort of interview or test was done to recruit her in the IT department, when she is only an ordinary graduate and one does not know what her experience is. It’s a shame on what we are seeing in Kerala which involves links with smugglers,” said former State Minister and senior RSP leader Shibu Baby John.

Senior BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas came down heavily on Vijayan and said he is continuing to protect Sivasankar.

“Sivasankar is only removed as Vijayan’s secretary, while he continues to hold the IT secretary post and this is because he is getting a lot of support from Vijayan’s daughter (who has an IT firm). The Special Branch police had informed Vijayan about Swapna’s not too clean record as she had a case against her, but all this was overlooked and she was appointed in a high paying job with practically no qualifications for such a job,” Krishnadas.

The UAE consulate, however, denied any involvement of its personnel in this case and said that the person who is in custody was dismissed from the consulate much earlier.

On Sunday, the Air Customs attached to the Thiruvananthapuram airport had made a seizure of 30 kg of gold that arrived on a cargo flight and was kept in a warehouse here for release. The baggage had arrived from Dubai and is understood to have been marked to the UAE Consulate which has its office in the heart of the city.

Saudi Arabia rules out financial curbs on expats

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Saudi Arabia rules out financial curbs on expats

Saudi Arabia has denied reports of freezing bank accounts of expatriates whose financial dealings are higher than their wages, it was reported on Tuesday.

“There is no truth in reports circulating in some media and social networking sites that banks operating in the Kingdom are directed to freeze accounts of expatriate workers whose transactions exceed the prevalent wages of their jobs,” the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) tweeted.

“Banks constantly apply the necessary measures to different clients’ banking accounts and take the necessary steps in line with relevant regulations and instructions,” SAMA added.

Migrant workers account for about 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s 34.8 million population, reports Gulf News.

In recent months, the Kingdom has taken a series of measures to shore up its economy and support the private sector hit by the economic impact of an outbreak of the new coronavirus and low oil prices.

As of July 1, Saudi Arabia began applying a hike in the value-added tax (VAT), tripling the tax to reach 15 percent.

It has also suspended a living cost allowance given to state employees.

HDFC Bank cuts interest rates on loans by 20 bps

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HDFC Bank cuts interest rates on loans by 20 bps

The HDFC Bank has reduced the marginal cost of funds-based lending rates (MCLR) on loans across tenors by 20 basis points with immediate effect.

Following the reduction, MCLRs of the bank will range from 7.10 percent to 7.65 percent.

The bank’s overnight MCLR now stands reduced to 7.10 percent and its one-month MCLR is 7.15 percent. One-year MCLR will now be 7.45 percent, while three-year MCLR stands at 7.65 percent.

Banks review MCLR every month. Last month the HDFC Bank had reduced MCLR across tenors by 5 bps.

HK’s Lam denies being kept in dark over security law

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HK’s Lam denies being kept in dark over security law

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that she was not kept in the dark as China imposed the national security law on the city, and central government officials had briefed her and sought her opinion on the legislation.

“The National People’s Congress Standing Committee has listened to opinions, including that of myself and the city’s government,” the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper quoted Lam as saying while briefing reporters here.

The city’s chief believes that the remarks she made two weeks ago fuelled the misrepresentation of her relationship with Beijing over the drafting of the new law.

“I answered a question here, and (the reporter) assumed that I know nothing,” she said.

“I only answered that at the moment, ‘we have not seen the complete details of the proposed legislation’. This was used to suggest that I know nothing about the law, and have not seen any provision until the law was passed on June 30.

“This was really far from what I meant, and (those critics’) ability to imagine and exaggerate things really impressed me,” Lam added.

At the presser, she also said the police’s power was not expanded under a series of new implementation rules laid down by the government the day before.

Under the new rules, Hong Kong police can raid premises without a court warrant, order internet firms to remove content or seize relevant devices, and demand information from political groups operating outside the city.

But Lam said the law had been misrepresented as being draconian and undermining “one country, two systems”, the principle under which the city is governed reports the SCMP newspaper.

Rather than enlarging police power, the implementation rules were meant to limit such powers in law enforcement, Lam said.

Beijing drafted and passed the legislation last late month that targets acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with punishments of up to life in prison for the most serious offenses.

It came into effect on July 2.

The move came after months of social upheaval triggered by opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill but that morphed into wider demands, including universal suffrage.

Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly stressed the law targets only a minority of residents and that the freedoms of speech and assembly will be protected.

Happy Indian cricket got Dhoni because he is unbelievable: Ganguly

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Happy Indian cricket got Dhoni because he is unbelievable: Ganguly

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not only one of the best finishers in world cricket, but he is also a destructive top-order batsman too who should bat higher up, feels former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. Dhoni, regarded as one of India’s finest leaders, turned 39 on Tuesday. It was under Ganguly that the Ranchi wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut and went on to win all ICC trophies for India, the only captain to do so.

During a chat with India Test opener Mayank Agarwal which was shared by BCCI with hashtag #DadaOpensWithMayank, Agarwal asked him: “Your word got Mahi Bhai picked in the Indian team and the rest is history. Is that a myth or a reality?”

“That’s true but that’s my job, isn’t it. That’s every captain’s job…pick the best and make the best team possible,” Ganguly replied.

“You go by your instincts. You go by the faith of that player that he will deliver for you.

“I’m happy that Indian cricket got Mahendra Singh Dhoni because he is unbelievable.”

“One of the great finishers in the world said, Agarwal.

“One of the great players in world cricket. Not just a finisher, I think everyone talks about the way he finishes lower down the order…he batted at No. 3 when I was captain. He got 140 against Pakistan in Vizag. I always believe that he should bat up the order because he is so destructive,” Ganguly opined.

“You know the best player in the shorter format has the ability to hit boundaries at will. You look over a period of time, the history of one-day cricket…the best players can find the fence under pressure consistently and M.S. Dhoni was one of them,” he added.

Cricket fraternity thronged social media to extend birthday wishes for Dhoni who led India to an ICC 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy in 2013. He even led India to the number one ranking in both Test and ODI formats.

Dhoni has been on a sabbatical ever since the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup where India lost to New Zealand. It’s been almost a year that he has been away from the cricket field, yet conversations about his return or future retirement have never died out in the time since and he still remains one of the most talked-about cricketers in the present era.

Dhoni has played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is for India, amassing over 17,000 international runs.

Speculations about his retirement from all forms of international cricket have been on ever since the 2019 World Cup. But Dhoni has still not made any such announcement. However, one thing is for certain, whenever he hangs his boots, it will be a day when the entire country will have tears in their eyes, just like when Sachin Tendulkar drew curtains on his 24-year-old long career in Mumbai.

Now, Mumbai overtakes China in corona deaths and cases

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Now, Mumbai overtakes China in corona deaths and cases

In yet another disturbing development, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Mumbai has now outstripped China, where the pandemic reared its head in late 2019, according to the official data here on Tuesday.

The country’s commercial capital, Mumbai currently has 4,938 COVID-19 deaths and 85,724 cases, while China has a total of 4,634 fatalities and 83,565 patients, and stands 22nd on the Worldometer.

China has slid to single-digit new cases daily — or less than the new infectees recorded in Dharavi every day — though with a series of stringent measures implemented by the state and civic governments, this Asia’s largest slum has now clawed out of the worry-zone.

In comparison to China, Mumbai city has been recording new patients in excess of 1,100 every day since July 1.

The development came a day after Maharashtra with 211,987 cases zoomed past Turkey (205,758 cases), which currently ranks 14 on the Worldometer.

On June 4, Maharashtra had shot past Germany (198,064) and South Africa (205,721), both currently ranked at 16 and 15 respectively on the Worldometer.

Last month, the state had whizzed past two major affected countries like Canada and France in terms of total patients, besides recording more daily cases than the UK.

Maharashtra’s latest Covid-19 tally is 9,026 deaths and 211,987 patients, including 87,681 active cases, but with a mortality rate of 4.26 percent and an encouraging recovery rate of 54.37.

In a silver lining, of the 36 districts in the state, only two — Bhandara and Chandrapur — have recorded zero fatality, though they have 78 and 69 Covid-19 patients, respectively, while Gadchiroli, Hingoli, and Wardha have only one death each till date.

Ola joins PhonePe to boost its digital payments experience

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Ola joins PhonePe to boost its digital payments experience

Ride-hailing major Ola on Monday announced its strategic partnership with PhonePe to enhance its digital payments experience for its customers.

Ola users can now access experience on the Ola app. Currently, the feature has been rolled out on Android and will be available on iOS soon.

“As PhonePe continues to drive digital payment adoption across the country, we are excited to partner with them to drive this seismic change that will enable us to move a step closer to becoming a Digital India,” Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson at Ola, said in a statement.

This partnership will also enable PhonePe to offer its services to millions of customers on the Ola platform.

“We are excited to partner with Ola, India’s leading mobile services provider, to enable a seamless and convenient payment experience for our customers,” added Ankit Gaur, Director, Business Development at PhonePe.

As part of an introductory offer, customers can avail up to Rs 200 in cash back on the first two rides when paid using PhonePe, said Ola.

Schools partially re-open in Sri Lanka

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Schools partially re-open in Sri Lanka

Schools across Sri Lanka have partially re-opened after being shut for nearly three months, as the spread of COVID-19 has been put under control in the island nation, it was reported on Tuesday.

According to the Education Ministry, schools re-opened on Monday for grades 13, 11 and 5, leading to nearly 800,000 students returning back to school across the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

Strict health guidelines were followed as students were subjected to temperature checks, frequent washing of hands, and wearing face masks.

Chairs and desks were kept one meter apart in each classroom and students were informed to speak to each other from a distance.

The Education Ministry said that under the third phase, schools would re-open for grades 10 and 12 students on July 20, and under the fourth stage from July 27, schools would re-open for the rest except for grades 1 and 2.

All sports activities and tests however have been canceled until further notice, the Ministry said.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 2,078 positive COVID-19 patients but has seen an over 90 percent recovery rate with 1,917 patients out of the total detected been successfully treated and discharged.

Active patients are now down to 161, official statistics from the Health Ministry showed.

The deaths stood at 11.

Capital Colombo resumed economic operations at the end of May after being shut for nearly two months to prevent a further spread of the virus, and since then the country has seen the gradual re-opening of several sectors.

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