US sees record daily COVID-19 cases count: CDC

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US sees record daily COVID-19 cases count: CDC

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a new single-day record of COVID-19 cases across the country at 54,357.

According to the update of the CDC website, there are 54,357 new cases and 725 new deaths on Thursday compared to the previous day, Xinhua news agency reported.

The recent surge of the pandemic also led to record positive rates and hospitalizations. Hospitals and ICUs are being stretched to capacity in states such as Arizona, Texas, and Alabama.

According to the CDC, 90,626 cases and 500 deaths of COVID-19 among healthcare personnel have been reported across the country.

More than 2.7 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States with the fatalities surpassing 128,400 as of Thursday afternoon, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Florida on Thursday reported 10,109 new cases, marking a new single-day record for the state.

Florida’s spike is among the three biggest hotspots currently, alongside California and Texas. Arizona also reported over 3,300 new cases on Thursday.

Ohio, Kansas, and Louisiana, all of which looked stable not long ago, posted some of their highest single-day totals in weeks.

Though single-day snapshots are an imperfect measure of the pandemic, the broader picture is also exceedingly bleak. Case numbers were trending upward in 38 states as of Wednesday. The problem spots in the country’s south and West were spreading north and east, according to The New York Times.

Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious-diseases expert, said on Tuesday the country is “not in total control” of the coronavirus pandemic, giving a dire warning that COVID-19 cases in the United States could go up to 100,000 per day if the current trend “does not turn around.”

“We are not flattening the curve right now,” said Brett Giroir, the US government’s coronavirus testing coordinator. “The curve is still going up.”

Tamannaah will soon be shooting for her talk show

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Tamannaah will soon be shooting for her talk show

It’s been 15 years already since Tamannaah became a heroine. The 30-year-old beauty became an actress when she was just 15 and continues to rule the show as one of the top-league actresses. Currently, she has Gopichand’s Seetimaarr in Telugu.

Now, even in the lockdown, Tamannaah has grabbed a plum offer. She will be the host for a talk show which will be aired on Allu Aravind’s OTT platform Aha. Tamannaah will soon be shooting for the initial episodes of her maiden talk show. The buzz is that Allu Arjun and Ram Charan will be the guests in the show’s first episode.

Meanwhile, the T-town grapevine is busy with speculations on Tamannaah’s remuneration for the talk show. Apparently, the gorgeous beauty will be paid a cool Rs 8 lakh per episode. While this is not a huge figure, it is certainly not less by any means, compared to her remuneration for movies where she charges anywhere between Rs 1 to 1.50 crore per film and allots just about 30 days.

Tamannaah gets a solid Rs 2.40 crore as her remuneration if she shoots at least 1 episode per day over a period of 30 days. This means that she will be working less and getting paid more than what she’s paid in movies. That’s surely an envious deal.

Warehousing demand grew 44% in 3 years: Knight Frank

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Warehousing demand grew 44% in 3 years: Knight Frank

Warehousing demand has seen strong growth in the last few years and has recorded a significant 44 percent CAGR since 2017, mostly after the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST), according to a report by Knight Frank.

In its latest report ‘India Warehousing Market Report – 2020’, Knight Frank India has estimated that existing land committed to warehousing across the top eight cities has the potential to add 193 million square feet of capacity.

“The currently committed land for the warehouse is estimated at 21,163 acres, which has the potential of adding 63 percent more supply to the existing 307 million square feet of warehousing stock,” it said.

Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai, three of the eight markets, ranked high on the Knight Frank’s Development Potential Multiple.

Despite the economic slowdown, the warehousing leasing activity saw healthy demand in Mumbai (8 percent YoY), Pune (42 percent YoY) and Ahmedabad (5 percent YoY) in FY20, it said.

“Rents in Grade A properties for FY20 remained stable, ranging Rs 13-32 per sq ft a month. Cap rates saw a significant decline in the previous decade from 12-15 percent in 2011 to 8.5-9.5 percent in 2019,” it said.

The GST led to a transformative shift to efficiency-based location and size strategy rather than the erstwhile tax saving-focused objective. The real estate asset class has seen a robust compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in FY17-20. Post-GST, the asset class has received $6.5 billion in institutional investment commitments.

Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said, “Despite the economic slowdown and the pandemic, the warehousing market has remained resilient, recording 44 percent CAGR in the last three years. Demand has especially been strong from industries, like 3PL, e-commerce, FMCG and pharmaceutical, which is expected to continue in FY21.”

The warehousing segment had been gaining traction with investors in the last few years due to the potential of India’s domestic consumption and overall GDP growth, he added.

Trishala Dutt speaks about her mental health post boyfriend’s death

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Trishala Dutt speaks about her mental health post boyfriend’s death

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala Dutt has penned an emotional note to mark one year of her boyfriend’s death on Thursday. She opened up about going for therapy and quitting her job post his demise.

Trishala took to Instagram, where she shared a picture of herself along with her late boyfriend.

“Today marks 1 year since the ground beneath me seemed to crumble and my life changed. I’ve done a lot of grief work –from talk therapy to joining specific support groups and being more intentional with how and who I spend my time with.

“I’ve also been somewhat absent from social media over the past year. Losing my mom at the age of eight and working through that for over two decades, surprisingly, did not prepare me for losing this beautiful soul,” she wrote.

“It’s not just the passage of time, you don’t get over it or move on just because a year or twenty go by. You have to face the darkest moments and ride out the rollercoaster of emotions for the rest of your life. I knew grief wasn’t only sadness, however, I’d forgotten it creeps up in the sneakiest of ways.”

Trishala shared that in the past year she cried to a point where she ran out of tears.

“I had to quit my job because how could I take care of someone’s mental health if my own was a disaster?” she wrote.

She shared that she had several “public breakdowns where strangers have come up to me and asked if I needed any assistance.”

Trishla added that she ate “everything in sight and gained 30 lbs (13 kilos).”

“But it’s fine. It happens. Its the process, and it’s nothing I can’t fix once I’m in the right mindset (and I’m happy to share my mental health and physique has gotten so much better!)

“Also, I’m not ashamed to admit it’s because of an amazing therapist, support groups, and 3 beautiful friends.”

She shared that she still has things that remind her of him.

“I have text messages and handwritten notes. I still have his toothbrush, listen to some of his favorite songs/artists, and have the T-shirt that smells just like him. I’m beyond grateful for the time we had together. He lived his life boldly, out loud, and took advantage of each and every day authentically. He was the utmost gentleman who always made me feel safe.”

“He made me laugh and loved to joke around. He was kind, gentle, thoughtful, and always chose to put me first. He was helpful, supportive, and a great listener. He trusted me, took good care of me, and took great care of my heart.”

Trishala shared that her boyfriend respected her, never judged her, and welcomed her into his family.

“He never left my side, never EVER let me go to bed upset, or left me wondering where I stood in his life. He made sure to let me and everyone else know that I was his entire heart every.second of every.day.”

To Trishala he was magic.

“It was a joy to be a part of his life. He will always be apart of my journey, and my story. My memories are all I have left of him, and I will never ever forget him. I’m half a heart without him, but even with that, I still and will always be and feel like the luckiest girl in the entire world to have been his…as he was mine. October 07, 1986 – July 02, 2019.”

Trishala’s verified profile has over 477K followers. She is Sanjay Dutt’s eldest child, from the late Richa Sharma.

No clarity yet on the lock down in Hyderabad.

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No clarity yet on the lock down in Hyderabad.

Amidst rapid increase in Corona cases across Telangana – particularly in GHMC zone, Telangana CM KCR is a worried lot. KCR, who had earlier indicated that the government would soon take a decision on imposing lockdown in the GHMC based upon several requests from various corners, seems to be caught in a dilemma now. One one hand, the Covid-19 cases are growing at a blitzkrieg speed and looks uncontrollable. Even the institutions like WHO, ICMR have cautioned that the cases would multiply in the coming days and witness a peak in July. All these are seriously worrying the government. Meanwhile, the revenue aspect is another factor that needs to be considered if lockdown is imposed.

Since the state’s revenue was severely affected over the last 3 months and several businesses were hit hard and the Covid cases have not “decreased” despite imposing lockdown, all these factors are concerning CM KCR. KCR’s administration is mulling over whether to impose lockdown or to impose alternate guidelines to stop the spread. According to reports, three options are being weighed by the Telangana government.

Strict lockdown, Half-day lockdown and half-day exemption, Track Treat Test (TTT) model
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar is going to submit his special report to CM KCR today. Based upon the report, CM KCR would arrive at a conclusion. Meanwhile, there are no reports of holding a cabinet meeting. Though initial reports had it that there could be a cabinet meeting on Thursday (July 3rd), so far, the General Administration Department (GAD) and the Chief Secretary have no information yet. Looks like the physical cabinet meeting is not sure. The other two options that are considered to hold the cabinet meeting are Circulation and Video Conference.

Ever since Home Minister Mahmood Ali tested positive for Corona Virus, even other ministers and CM KCR are worried. Hence, the cabinet meeting could be held either via circulation or via video conference. However, there is no clarity yet on the lockdown in Hyderabad.

Sobhita Dhulipala describes herself in new post

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Sobhita Dhulipala describes herself in new post

Actress Sobhita Dhulipala has shared a character sketch of herself in a new social media post.

Sobhita took to Instagram, where she shared a picture of herself dressed in a white T-shirt and her hair loosely tied with a scarf.

“Wearer of scarves, drinker of coffee, a girl with 10 moles on her face, merry by the sea,” she captioned the image.

The actress made her debut in Bollywood with “Raman Raghav 2.0” and was later seen in films like “Kaalakaandi” and “The Body”. Her acting in the web-series “Made In Heaven” was widely appreciated. She also starred in one of the short stories in the horror anthology, “Ghost Stories”.

Sobhita will next be seen in director Sashi Kiran’s “Major”. The film marks Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu’s debut as a producer and is inspired by 26/11 martyr, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. The film stars Adivi Sesh in the title role.

“Major” is inspired by the life of Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the NSG commando who lost his life in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. The bilingual film is being shot in Telugu and Hindi. “Major” is all set to release later this year.

IIT Hyderabad researchers use novel method to study biofuels

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IIT Hyderabad researchers use novel method to study biofuels

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) on Thursday said its researchers are using computational methods to understand the factors and impediments in incorporating biofuels into the fuel sector in India.

This work has been spurred by the increasing need to replace fossil fuels by bio-derived fuels, which, in turn, is driven by the dwindling fossil fuel reserves all over the world, and pollution issues associated with the use of fossil fuels.

The model developed by the IIT team has shown that in the area of bioethanol integration into mainstream fuel use, the production cost is the highest (43 percent) followed by import (25 percent), transport (17 percent), infrastructure (15 percent) and inventory (0.43 percent) costs.

The model, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, has also shown that feed availability to the tune of at least 40 percent of the capacity is needed to meet the projected demands.

A unique feature of this work is that the framework considers the revenue generation not only as an outcome of sales of the biofuel but also in terms of carbon credits via greenhouse gas emission savings throughout the project lifecycle.

“In India, biofuels generated from non-food sources is the most promising source of carbon-neutral renewable energy,” Dr. Kishalay Mitra, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, said in a statement.

“These second-generation sources include agricultural waste products such as straw, hay, and wood, among others, that do not intrude upon food sources,” Mitra added.

According to the Institute, biofuel technologies are evolving in India. The design and implementation of technological, regulatory, and policy approaches and pricing strategy of biofuels depend on a deep understanding of the supply chain network.

Models such as those developed at IIT Hyderabad allow the society to understand the effects of uncertainty in the network parameters on the demand-supply dynamics and can help policymakers devise and revise strategies to meet the future demands of biofuels.

“We use Machine Learning techniques to understand the supply chain network,” said Kapil Gumte, Research Scholar, IIT Hyderabad.

“Machine learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence in which, the computer learns patterns from available data and updates automatically to produce an understanding of the system and predictions of the future,” Gumte added.

Adhir Ranjan slams ED for grilling Ahmed Patel

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Adhir Ranjan slams ED for grilling Ahmed Patel

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for grilling party treasurer Ahmed Patel, who has been interrogated for the third time on Thursday for links with promoters of Sterling Biotech.

Congress leader leveled allegation that Sterling Biotech promoters have links with Rakesh Asthana, an IPS officer.

Chowdhury alleged, “Modi Ji’s most trusted man Mr. Rakesh Asthana, IPS, has been implicated as a recipient of bribe money which has been exposed in Sandersara diary. I am flagging the attention of Narendra Modi Ji, but Congress party’s leader Ahmed Patel Ji has been grilled for 3 consecutive days by ED to unearth the nexus between Patel Ji and notorious Sandesara case.”

A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) again on Thursday arrived at Patel’s residence for the third time in less than a week to question him in connection with its probe into a multi-crore bank fraud case by the Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech.

The ED had earlier questioned Patel on June 27 and June 30 for several hours under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

A team of financial probe agency officials arrived at the 23, Mother Teresa Crescent Road here on Thursday morning to record Patel’s statement once again.

Karnataka revamps diet for Covid patients in hospitals

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Karnataka revamps diet for Covid patients in hospitals

The Karnataka government has issued orders to provide quality nutritious food suggested by dieticians to COVID-29 patients receiving treatment in designated hospitals, an official said on Thursday.

“Aimed at improving the immunity power in COVID patients, they shall be provided with quality and nutritious food on time,” said the official.

According to the new order, breakfast will be served at 7 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

In the new plan, patients will receive ‘Rava idli’ for breakfast on Monday, ‘Pongal’ on Tuesday, ‘set dosa’ on Wednesday, rice idli on Thursday, ‘Bisi bele bath’ on Friday, ‘chow bath’ on Saturday and ‘set dosa’ on Sunday.

As for refreshment after breakfast, the health department made arrangements for one fruit a day such as watermelon, papaya, musk melon, which will be served on alternate days.

For lunch, all patients will receive roti, chapati, Palya, rice, dal, egg, and curd.

At 5 p.m. every day as refreshments, one banana, and three cookies, two protein cookies, two dates and a mango bar for vitamin C will be served.

Dinner will consist of roti, chapati, Palya, rice, dal, and curd and flavored milk will culminate the night refreshment at 9 p.m.

The new diet will benefit 8,194 active COVID patients admitted at designated hospitals across the southern state.

AIADMK MLA Sathan Prabhakar turns coronavirus positive

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AIADMK MLA Sathan Prabhakar turns coronavirus positive

Ruling AIADMK legislator N. Sathan Prabhakar representing the Paramakudi Assembly constituency has tested positive for Coronavirus, said an official.

Prabhakar has been admitted for treatment at the government hospital in Ramanathapuram district.

Prabhakar is the fifth legislator in Tamil Nadu and the third one from the ruling AIADMK party to be infected with the coronavirus.

The other two AIADMK lawmakers are Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan and K. Palani representing the Sriperumbudur Assembly constituency.

The two other lawmakers who were infected with coronavirus are from DMK namely R.T. Arasu elected from Cheyyur Assembly constituency and J. Anbalagan who recently died due to Covid-19.

Goa Speaker urges MLAs to undergo Covid test ahead of session

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Goa Speaker urges MLAs to undergo Covid test ahead of session

Two days after a ruling BJP MLA tested positive for Covid-19, Speaker of the Goa assembly Rajesh Patekar on Thursday urged all legislators to get themselves tested.

“Definitely, it is better to have tests done. MLAs often have to rush to sites where COVID cases are detected. People expect MLAs to help. By default they come in contact with some persons there when they reach the spot,” Patekar told reporters here.

“I request all MLAs to go for self-testing. It is my appeal to them,” Patnekar said.

The Speaker’s comment comes a few days after Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik convened the monsoon session of the state legislative assembly from July 27.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said, that the BJP MLA who had tested positive was part of a meeting of the ruling legislators, but added that social distancing norms were followed at the meet, which was held last month.

Rashami Desai unveils first look from her upcoming project ‘Tamas’

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Rashami Desai unveils first look from her upcoming project ‘Tamas’

Actress Rashami Desai has shared the first poster from her upcoming project, “Tamas”.

In the poster, we can see Adhvik Mahajan and Rashami. While Adhvik strikes an intense close-up, Rashami dons an ethnic look, hair neatly tied and a dupatta on her head.

A user commented: “You look so beautiful. Can’t wait to see you in ‘Tamas’.”

Another one commented: “Elegant.”

Without revealing more details, Rashami shared that “Tamas” will release on July 7. Rashami was last seen in “Naagin 4” and “Bigg Boss 13”.

Big B gets nostalgic as ‘Sarkar’ turns 15

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Big B gets nostalgic as ‘Sarkar’ turns 15

It’s a flashback Thursday for Amitabh Bachchan, what with “Sarkar” turning 15. The film was released on June 2, 2005.

Taking to social media, Big B shared a poster of the film, where he is seen exuding that iconic intense look that has become a trademark of the film.

“15 years of ‘Sarkar’,” he captioned the post.

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the crime drama also featured Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon in pivotal roles, with Katrina Kaif essaying an impressive cameo.

The success of the film spawned sequels. Varma went on to make “Sarkar Raj” in 2008 and “Sarkar 3” in 2017.

Speaking of Big B’s upcoming projects, he will be seen in Rumi Jaffery’s “Chehre”, Ayan Mukerji’s “Brahmastra” and Nagraj Manjule’s “Jhund”.

Samantha Akkineni gives Spider-Man a twist of yoga

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Samantha Akkineni gives Spider-Man a twist of yoga

Southern star Samantha Akkineni turned into Spider-Man in a new picture she shared on social media.

Samantha took to Instagram Stories, where she edited a picture of herself onto the poster of the 2019 film, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”.

In the image, she replaced the character with a picture of herself doing a complex yoga position.

“When you laugh at others you should be able to laugh at yourself,” she wrote on the picture.

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is the sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The actress, who was last seen in the Telugu film “Jaanu”, has made a name for herself in Tamil and Telugu film industries.

She is known for her performances in films such as “Ye Maaya Chesave”, “Neethaane En Ponvasantham”, “Eega”, “Mersal” and “Rangasthalam”. She impressed all with her role in “Super Deluxe” last year.

Samantha will next be seen in “Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal”, starring Vijay Sethupathi. The film also stars Nayanthara. It is directed by Vignesh Shivan.

Tharanga was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit

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Tharanga was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit

Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga on Wednesday became the first player to be grilled by detectives in a probe investigating claims that the 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed.

The 35-year-old was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) examining the conduct of the final, which Sri Lanka lost to India.

“They asked a few questions in connection with the ongoing investigation. I gave my statement,” Tharanga told reporters without giving further details.

Tharanga, who scored two runs off 20 deliveries in the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, was called in after investigators quizzed chief selector Aravinda de Silva for nearly six hours on Tuesday.

The investigation was launched after government minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was sports minister at the time, alleged that Sri Lanka threw the match in April 2011.

“I feel I can talk about it now,” Aluthgamage told a local TV network last month. “I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved.”

Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared in a commanding position when Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18.

But India turned the game around dramatically, thanks in part to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka, who were led by Kumar Sangakkara.

India won the final by six wickets.SIU chief Jagath Fonseka said officers would decide who else to interview after analysing Tharanga’s testimony.

Fonseka said they were obtaining intelligence reports as well as input from unspecified international sources to continue their probe.

De Silva declined to comment about his questioning or the selections he made for the 2011 finals.

International cricket in Sri Lanka has previously been linked to corruption allegations, including claims of match-fixing ahead of a 2018 Test against England.

Last month, the Sri Lankan cricket board said the International Cricket Council was investigating three unnamed ex-players over corruption claims.

Match-fixing was made a criminal offence in November. Offenders face fines of up to 100 million rupees (USD 555,000) and up to 10 years’ jail.

‘Liquidity, asset quality risks for NBFIs remain elevated’

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‘Liquidity, asset quality risks for NBFIs remain elevated’

Rating agency Fitch Ratings on Thursday said that India’s non-bank financial institutions will continue to face elevated near-term risks, even as economic activity picks up with the easing of the country’s nationwide lockdown.

Accordingly, the rating agency said that these risks revolve around liquidity and asset quality in particular and reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on borrowers’ repayment capabilities, as well as the effects of the moratorium on collections.

“The cash flow implications of the moratorium, which regulators have extended to end-August, have not been uniform across the industry, affecting some NBFIs liquidity profiles more materially and placing pressure on their ability to repay or refinance upcoming obligations,” Fitch Ratings said in a statement.

“We expect near-term inflows to remain below pre-pandemic levels and to improve only gradually as economic activity gathers pace.”

According to Fitch Ratings, the moratorium impact is varied across the different NBFI business models.

“We believe the moratorium will erode payment discipline and its extension will result in lagged asset-quality problems for NBFIs, particularly when combined with the economic damage from the pandemic and lockdown; we expect India’s economy to contract by 5 percent in the financial year ending March 2021 (FY21),” the statement said.

“Asset quality indicators did not show a significant deterioration in FY20, but regulatory guidance around impaired-asset recognition indicates that the true extent of the damage may only become visible in FY22. This lack of transparency will complicate the sector’s fundraising efforts.”

As per the statement, FY20 results do reveal that many of the sector’s largest competitors took proactive provisioning, but whether this was sufficient will depend on the extent of asset-quality deterioration in the coming months.

“We expect credit costs to be elevated over the medium-term,” the statement said.

Privatising trains, govt taking away lifeline of poor: Rahul

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Privatising trains, govt taking away lifeline of poor: Rahul

Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his attack on the Narendra Modi government over its moves to allow private firms to run passenger trains. He said the government was taking away the lifeline of the country from the poor, and the people will give a befitting reply.

“Rail is the only lifeline of the poor and the government is taking it away from them. Snatch whatever you want to. But remember — the people of the country will give a befitting reply,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet attaching a news report.

His remarks came a day after the Indian Railways announced a major push for the private entities in the Indian Railways. The Railways have invited the request for qualifications for private participation for passenger train operations on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains.

The national transporter on Wednesday said that it plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains and the project would entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.

The objective of the initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world-class travel experience to passengers, the Railway Ministry said.

The 109 (origin-destination) pairs of trains have been formed into 12 clusters across the Indian Railway network. Each train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches.

According to the railway ministry, this is the first initiative of private investment for running passenger trains over the Indian Railways network. The move began last year with the introduction of Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

IPL 13 likely overseas, toss-up between UAE & Sri Lanka

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The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League is in all probability headed to foreign shores with UAE and Sri Lanka in the race to host the 2020 edition of the cash-rich league. The final announcement is expected soon as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still awaiting an official decision on the fate of the T20 World Cup which was to be held in Australia in October-November.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official in the know of developments said that while the idea was to play the league in the country, the situation with regards to the coronavirus pandemic might force the board to ultimately take the tournament to either UAE or Sri Lanka.

“We are yet to decide on the venue but in all probability, it is going outside this year. The condition in India doesn’t look suited to have so many teams come in at one or two venues and then create an atmosphere that will be safe for the players as well as the general public even though the games may be played behind closed doors.

“The race is between UAE and Sri Lanka and we will need to decide on where we host the league depending on the situation there with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. Logistics also need to be looked into, so we will decide soon,” the official said.

While the mood was initially in favor of hosting the league in the country, the current situation has almost made it certain that the tournament will have to be taken outside India.

IANS had earlier reported that the decision-makers in the BCCI were divided into a 3:2 ratio with regards to deciding on the venue of the league. “See, it is a case of the decision-makers being divided 3-2 if that is how you wish to understand the current scenario.

“There are a couple of voices who feel that having the tournament should be the priority and if that means taking it out of the country, so be it. So, while we are working on the overall plan, the venue is an area that will need further deliberation. Also, at the end of the day safety of the players and everyone involved is a priority,” the official had explained.

IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has also been vocal that location shouldn’t be a concern if the league is being played behind closed doors. “They (Emirates Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket) have informed us that they are prepared to host the IPL. But our first preference is India if we get the government’s permission.

“It is certain that we cannot play at more than three or four venues in India, but the permissions will depend on how the COVID-19 outbreak pans out. Otherwise, we will have to explore playing overseas, which will be the last option. Once you are playing without spectators, it doesn’t really matter where you are playing as long as it suits television timings,” Patel had told The Hindu.

US House approves new Hong Kong-related sanctions

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US House approves new Hong Kong-related sanctions

The Democrats-led US House of Representatives has approved new Hong Kong-related sanctions after Beijing imposed a security law for the city that has been condemned by countries around the world.

The Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was passed unanimously late Wednesday, imposes sanctions on banks that do business with Chinese officials who are involved in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in the city, the BBC reported.

“The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown against the people of Hong Kong, intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

She added that the law was an “urgently needed response to (China’s passing) of its so-called ‘national security’ law… which is purpose-built to dismantle democratic freedoms in Hong Kong”.

Before the bill was signed, the US had already begun eliminating Hong Kong’s special status – halting defense exports and restricting the territory’s access to high-technology products.

Last year, the US had also signed into law the Human Rights and Democracy Act, supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

China’s security law, which came into effect on Tuesday night, It lists four categories of offenses – secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

The maximum penalty for each crime is life imprisonment, although the suggested sentence for some minor offenses is less than three years’ imprisonment.

Suspects can be extradited to mainland China in cases that involve “complicated situations” of interference by foreign forces; cases in which the local government cannot effectively enforce the law and ones where national security is under “serious and realistic threats”.

Also on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the passing of the law was a “clear and serious breach” of the 1985 Sino-British joint declaration, the BBC reported.

But on Thursday China threatened “corresponding measures” to block the citizenship plan.

“If the British side makes unilateral changes to the relevant practice, it will breach its own position and pledges, as well as international law and basic norms,” said the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

Athletes laud scribes on World Sports Journalists Day

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Athletes laud scribes on World Sports Journalists Day

Indian sportspersons on Thursday hailed journalists on the special occasion of World Sports Journalists Day. Athletes from different sports took to social media to pay tribute to the scribes who, according to them, are the link between sportspersons and fans.

Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote on Twitter: On World Sports Journalists Day, I salute the wonderful fraternity of sportswriters who bring our stories to you with such passion. I am grateful to all the sports journalists who have played an important role in my cricket journey. We owe a huge part of our sporting life to them.”

Former World No.1 shooter Anjali Bhagwat tweeted: “Happy World Sports Journalists Day to all our journalist friends, you all play a major role in our sports journey. Thank you very much for your support and love. We salute your efforts and dedication.”

Veteran India batsman Suresh Raina wrote on his Twitter handle: “Today, let’s dedicate this day to our sports journalist, who is the voice of all athletes. Happy World Sports Journalists Day to all my professional colleagues. I wish them all the best and would like to thank them for bringing sports to everyone.

Asian Games gold medal-winning sprinter Hima Das tweeted: Congratulations to all the sports journalists on the occasion of #WorldSportsJournalistsDay.”

Hockey star SV Sunil wrote on Twitter: “My best wishes and heartfelt gratitude to sports journalists on #WorldSportsJournalistsDay. We often forget the sacrifices you’ll make to cover sports and sportspersons. You’ll play a key role in our careers. Thank you for choosing to promote sports.”

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