Maha makes CCTV must in all Corona wards

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Maha makes CCTV must in all Corona wards

Amid unending complaints of overcharging by hospitals, the Maharashtra government has made CCTV mandatory in all Covid-19 wards, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Thursday.

“The government has specified the cost of treatment in all such cases, and hospitals must adhere to it or face stringent action. If patients have grievances, they can come forward and complain to us. We shall be announcing a special helpline number for this also,” Tope told media persons.

Besides, family members or relatives outside the hospital shall be able to communicate with the patients inside the wards, he said.

Referring to the widespread fleecing of patients by ambulances, the minister said that the rates for this medical service will be declared by the municipal commissioners and district collectors.

“In case of overcharging by hospitals or the ambulances, patients can bring it to our notice and we shall take action,” Tope assured.

He once again appealed to people not to suppress any of their symptoms and come forward for treatment in everybody’s interest.

The minister’s statements are considered significant as patients’ have complained of exorbitant billing by many private hospitals, ambulance operators, emanate daily on social media from Mumbai and other parts of the state.

Besides overcharging, there are also complaints of inordinate delays by ambulance operators which resulted in at least one death of a patient sitting on the road awaiting an ambulance in Pune, which was highlighted by IANS on May 16.

Jadeja is one of the most reliable cricketers across formats: SCA chief

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Jadeja is one of the most reliable cricketers across formats: SCA chief

The Saurashtra Cricket Association on Thursday congratulated all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for being named by Wisden as Indias Most Valuable Player in the 21st century. The 31-year-old’s MVP rating, which was calculated using the cricket data analysis tool CricViz, was 97.3.

Additionally, the rating made Jadeja the second most valuable player of all time in Test cricket according to the analysis, only behind Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

In a release, the SCA said: “Everyone at Saurashtra Cricket Association heartily congratulates Saurashtra’s super lion Ravindra Jadeja on being felicitated by Wisden as Most Valuable Test Player of the 21st Century.”

Jaydev Shah, President of Saurashtra Cricket Association, while congratulating Ravindra Jadeja expressed, “Ravindra has the phenomenal talent and is one of the most reliable cricketers in all formats. He is amazing with ball and bat, and also as a fielder. He has many times been a game-changer in international as well as domestic cricket.”

Jadeja reacted to the news on Twitter. “Thank you Wisden India for naming me the ‘Most Valuable Player’. I would like to thank all my teammates, coaches, fans, and well-wishers for your support as I aim to give my best for our country. Jai Hind,” he tweeted.

Jadeja is a regular in the Indian limited-overs and Test sides since 2000 but has rarely featured in conversations about India’s most valuable player, a title that had initially been reserved for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virender Sehwag and later on M.S. Dhoni and current captain Virat Kohli.

Jadeja has 213 wickets in Test cricket and has scored 1869 runs at an average of 35.26. He has taken nine five-wicket hauls and also scored a century. In ODIs, Jadeja has 187 wickets and scored 2296 runs.

Security researcher finds flaw in Chingari site, firm says app safe

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Security researcher finds flaw in Chingari site, firm says app safe

Well-known French security researcher Elliot Alderson claimed that the website of Globussoft, the company behind social media app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, has been compromised. The company said that the app is completely safe.

According to the security researcher, the website’s drop script has reportedly been inserted with a malicious code that redirects the user to various other websites.

“The website of Globussoft, the company behind #Chingari, the so-called Indian #TikTok alternative, has been compromised. The malicious drop has been inserted to all the webpages,” Alderson tweeted late Wednesday.

Sumit Ghosh, co-founder, and Chief Product Officer, Chinagri replied, saying that although the Chingari app was incubated by Globussoft, the security or privacy of the app has not been compromised.

“Thanks for pointing the wp (Word Press) issue to me. Chingari was incubated under Globussoft and built by us, the security of Chingari app/website and our users is not compromised by any of this,” replied Ghosh.

He noted that the user data is safely stored on a dedicated and secure AWS server.

“Globussoft website and Chingari app have very different security/engineering teams and are totally unrelated. Chingari will soon be an independent company,” Ghosh added.

Downloaded over 3 million times, the Chingari app was founded by Bengaluru-based programmers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam last year and it is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns.

It allows a user to download and upload videos, chat with friends, interact with new people, share content, and browse through the feed.

A Chingari user gets the opportunity to get creative with WhatsApp status, videos, audio clips, GIF stickers, and photos.

The app is available in languages including English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

Klopp wants to finish the season strongly

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Klopp wants to finish the season strongly

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his side will not rest on their laurels next season after ending a 30-year wait to win the Premier League. The newly crowned champions head to closest challengers Manchester City on Thursday looking to build on their 23-point lead at the top of the table.

Klopp warned of the threat that City, a resurgent Manchester United and Chelsea, bolstered by the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, would pose next season. However, he dismissed any notion that Liverpool will slacken off after setting a record-breaking pace to claim the title with seven games to spare this season.

“We will not defend the title next year, we will attack it,” said Klopp on a videoconference on Wednesday.”I’ve learned when you think you have reached the pinnacle, you are already on the way down.”

“We don’t feel that. I don’t feel finally satisfied. It’s another step. It’s a big one, an unbelievably big one, but not the only thing I want to talk with the boys about in 20 years’ time.”

There were wild celebrations from Klopp, his players and Liverpool fans last Thursday when City’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea finally ended the three-decade wait.

But having had their title party delayed by three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Klopp wants to finish the season strongly and get back in rhythm ahead of a quick turnaround into the 2020/21 campaign.

“We prepare Man City with full focus,” said the German. “That doesn’t mean we will beat them, but it means we are prepared. That is how we will prepare next season as well.”We are not tired. We are just in the middle of something.”

LAVA launches contest to design the ‘next Indian’ smartphone

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LAVA launches contest to design the ‘next Indian’ smartphone

As the chorus grows against the use of Chinese brands, domestic mobile manufacturer Lava on Thursday launched ‘Design in India contest, inviting students and professionals to design the next Indian smartphone and grab job opportunities along with cash prices.

Students and professionals from engineering departments can participate in this contest in groups of one-three members, and win a chance to work for Lava’s Design-in-India team, the company said in a statement.

“Through this unique initiative, we want to give the youth of our country a platform to play their part in this nation-building process. We invite them to use their creative skills and bring fresh perspectives to our design methods,” Tejinder Singh, Head- Product, Lava International, said in a statement.

The registration process for this contest is open until July 9. The contest is open for BTech, BE, BDes, and MDes students or professionals.

The contest will be conducted in three parts – ideation, creating a prototype, and presentation to the jury.

Lava’s design team will mentor the contestants throughout the competition.

At the end of the competition, the top three winning teams will get a pre-placement interview opportunity at Lava. They will additionally receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.

“Being mentored by the Lava design team can be a very meaningful opportunity for the young talent of our country,” said Sanjeev Agarwal, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Lava International.

Lava in May announced to shift its entire mobile R&D, design, and manufacturing for the export market from China to India within the next six months, announcing to invest overall nearly Rs 800 crore in the due course of time.

Lava exports over 33 percent of its phones to markets such as Mexico, Africa, Southeast Asia, and West Asia.

As part of the transition, Lava will invest around Rs 80 crore this year and subsequently around Rs 800 crore over the next five years.

‘Poison 2’ director: Difficult to shoot with social distancing restrictions

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‘Poison 2’ director: Difficult to shoot with social distancing restrictions

Director Vishal Pandya, who is known for helming the “Hate Story” franchise and “Wajah Tum Ho”, has started shooting for his upcoming web-series “Poison 2”. He says it is tough to shoot with all the restrictions.

“It is difficult to shoot with these restrictions and all because what happens is ‘Ek Hota hai paper-like Kar aana’ (rules and regulations written on paper) that’s a different thing and implementing it that is a different thing. (There is) Social distancing and then unit strength is also less. It takes time,” Pandya told IANS.

He says eventually people will get the hang of it.

“I think it is going to take a couple of weeks to get into the groove and make it a habit,” he said.

In this heat, wearing the PPE suits gets uncomfortable, Pandya pointed out. “I could see people are getting a little uncomfortable. Of course, no one was saying but somewhere you could sense the irritation. It’s too hot wearing all these masks, PPE kits, and gloves,” he said.

Still, everyone is following guidelines, from the lightmen to spot boys and actors, he said.

The director said a lot of scenes have been reworked keeping in mind social distancing. “We changed a lot of scenes where one actor doesn’t have to touch the other actor. They have to maintain two to three feet distance. Somewhere, we are compromising from a creative point of view — I think it’s going to be with everyone,” he said.

Pandya saluted the frontline workers and health workers like doctors and nurses.

“Today, I salute all the front line warriors, doctors, and everyone because we wore the PPE kit for just half a day and I can see the reaction. So, I salute all the doctors for what they are doing,” he said.

‘Library Khidki’ for primary students in UP

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‘Library Khidki’ for primary students in UP

The basic education department in Uttar Pradesh has collaborated with the Tata Trust, for a concept of an e-magazine for children in primary and upper primary classes.

UP is the second state, after Rajasthan, to take up this alternative innovative solution, with an aim to ensure all-round development of children.

The e-magazine will reach students and teachers twice a week.

Each edition is divided into four parts-three for children and one for teachers.

Named as ‘Library Khidki’, the e-magazine will have e-material such as poetry and stories for children aged between 3 and 14 years.

The e-learning material, available in the form of text, audio, and video, will be made accessible to children, parents, and teachers mostly through social media platforms and the Diksha app.

The first edition of the e-magazine was released on June 30.

According to Tata Trust’s education officer Vishambhar, who is overseeing the e-magazine project in UP, the idea of this innovation is to ensure all-round development of children of government schools using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platforms.

He said, “Through this innovation, e-material for subjects like library, arts, life skills education will be shared for children. For teachers’ capacity building, useful e-material and academic papers will also be put online.

Additional Director (education) Lalita Pradeep said, “It’s a very innovative concept to reach out to children and their environment with such rich material. This will engage them in age-appropriate stories and content. Teachers and parents will have something very interesting to interact with their children.”

Indian paramilitary to induct transgender officers

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Indian paramilitary to induct transgender officers

The Indian government has decided to induct members of the transgender community in the country’s elite paramilitary forces ending discrimination against the marginalized section.

Working upon the modalities in that direction, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought suggestions and comments from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) on the matter. The ministry is working on the proposal to commission the “third gender” as officers in the paramilitary forces.

It has sought the opinion of all CAPFs on the modalities on the implementation of commissioning third gender officers as Assistant Commandants.

The ministry in a letter to CAPF on July 1, under the subject “Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination 2020 -Comments on draft rules regarding” sought suggestions from the forces over the issue.

It stated: “…the comments for incorporating the issues on transgender as the Third gender along with Male/Female in the rules of CAPF (AC) Examination, 202 is yet to be received from CRPF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF.”

The ministry says that the forces are “once again requested to examine” the issue and furnish comments on July 2, 2020, positively for taking a final view on the matter.

Recently, the Indian government has taken several steps for upliftment of the transgender community. On March 17, the Minister of State for Social justice and Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria in Lok Sabha stated that in order to provide for the protection of rights of transgender persons and their welfare, recently, The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, has been enacted with the effect from January 10, 2020.

“As per clause 14 of the Act, the appropriate Government shall formulate welfare schemes and programs to facilitate and support livelihood for transgender persons including their vocational training and self-employment,” the minister stated.

The lawmaker also stated that during 2019-20, an amount of Rs 5 crore has been allocated for the welfare of transgender persons.

The minister has also stated that the transgender persons are entitled to all kinds of reservations such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in cases of admission in educational institutions and for government jobs in their respective category.

“As per clause 9 of the Act, no establishment shall discriminate against any transgender person in any matter relating to employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, promotion, and other related issues,” the minister had pointed.

Cap on Covid charges, pushes small Delhi nursing homes to brink

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Cap on Covid charges, pushes small Delhi nursing homes to brink

Pankaj Solanki, a doctor who runs the 50-bed Dharamveer Solanki Hospital in Rohini, spent Rs 5 lakh to create a separate entrance for the COVID patients, installed monitors, jumbo oxygen cylinders, air conditioners, and a host of other structural changes to comply with COVID treatment norms.

Another 100-bed nursing home on the Najafgarh road built an entirely separate structure for the COVID patients inside its premises, equipped with all medical facilities, including for testing. Its owner said the motive was to bar contact between COVID and non-COVID patients — to check infection spread.

Solanki’s and the Najafgarh facility are among many small scale nursing homes which modified their infrastructure and build capacity to treat COVID patients after the Aam Aadmi Party government came out with an order directing the private hospitals/nursing homes to reserve 20 percent of their bed capacity for COVID-19 patients.

Weeks later, the government also capped charges for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The government fixed the charges for isolation beds at Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per day; Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 for treatment in ICU and Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 per day if a patient is put on a ventilator.

While for the public, the orders of reservation of beds and capping treatment charges for COVID-19 patients came as a huge relief; for the small-scale nursing homes, it was a nightmare.

The threat of contraction and competition with big leagues making small hospitals bleed. The owners of small-scale nursing homes are facing extreme hardship in following government orders. The owners said that while they are already witnessing a steep fall in the admission of non-COVID patients, the cap on treatment charges for COVID patients has created a situation as most of them opt for big corporate hospitals instead of these nursing homes.

“After conversion, the non-COVID patients stopped coming to the hospitals. With the cap on treatment charges, the COVID patients are turning towards big and corporate hospitals. Why would patients choose a small nursing home if they can avail of a 5-star treatment at the same price?” asked Dr. Bhaskar, who runs Kapil Hospital, a 50-bed nursing home in Burari.

The small-scale nursing homes are now worried about what lies ahead for them. The procurement of medical equipment, infrastructural changes, and employing more staff for converting a non-COVID hospital into a COVID facility have put a dent in their pockets.

The owners said that if the situation remains the same, they would be left with the only option to shut down their facility.

Many nursing homes said that their occupancy has decreased to 10 percent after the government orders.

The owner of Najafgarh hospital told that the maximum number of occupancy his nursing home reached in June was barely ten beds out of 100 available. “The COVID patients occupied only two,” he added. Similarly, Dr. Solanki said that he received only seven patients in June. Of them, five were non-COVID. “The non-COVID stayed only for a day,” he added.

Stall in surgeries reduced footfall in OPDs poses further challenges. The owners find it difficult in managing the daily expenses. The surgeries are the major source of income for private hospitals. “The OPD footfall has now reduced to 20 percent; the number of surgeries done is limited. The occupancy rate of COVID 19 patients is around 20-25 percent. The patients with moderate to severe symptoms are going to corporate hospitals because they have better facilities, and the rates are capped,” said Dr. Solanki said.

Meanwhile, the owners said that the revenue generated from the treatment of the COVID patients is insufficient to run the operations of the COVID dedicated wards itself. “To treat COVID patients, we hired additional nursing staff, resident medical officers, and sanitation workers. We divided them into two groups. While one group provides service for two weeks and another remains on stand-by. Then the previous group goes into isolation, and the stand-by group fills its place,” Dr. Solanki said.

Losing staff to stigma and big hospitals

The owners also said that they are also struggling to maintain the required number of staff since their facility converted to COVID care. Their staff is leaving jobs or showing reluctance to come on duty. Those who had agreed, are demanding high incentives, the owners said.

“Many among our staff are reluctant to come on duty because of the fear of contracting the infection. I have to persuade them with incentives despite a decrease in income,” Dr. Solanki said.
“I had to increase their salary by 25 to 30 percent only to make them (staff) stay. However, a few still left. I hired their replacement on 50 percent extra of standard salary package we offer,” Dr. Solanki added.

Meanwhile, the owner of the Najafgarh-based hospital said that the staff is allured by the attractive pay big and corporate hospitals are offering. He informed that around 10 workers from his hospital resigned and joined big hospitals recently.

Apart from these expenditures, other costs have been added to run a medical facility now like PPE kits, consumables, and increased electricity bills. The owners of small nursing homes said that expenditure has increased, and they are not generating even 50 percent of the required amount of the expenditure.

“We are also human. There are bank loans, EMIs, and families to feed as well. We can’t help others if we can’t help ourselves, and in the current situation, we are feeling helpless. We are struggling to survive and need some help from the government,” Dr. Bhaskar said.

The small nursing homes are hoping to receive some aid from the government. Their demands include workforce availability, relief in charges of electricity bills, and capping in prices of PPEs and consumables.

“We should not be charged with commercial electricity charges in this crisis. We want the government to provide us electricity on domestic charges. The rate of PPEs and consumables like masks and gloves are increasing every month. We want them to be capped. Besides, we are operating with minimum staff in high-risk COVID dedicated area. If at any point in time, 25 percent of our staff gets infected, it will be tough for us to run the facility. The government should provide a pool of health care workers who could be deployed on duty if more than 25 percent of staff gets infected,” Dr. Solanki suggested.

Dr. Ajay Bedi, vice-president of Delhi Medical Association, also suggested that the government should look into the challenges the small nursing homes are facing. “We are preparing a draft and would soon present it to the government, which will include our suggestions to solve the crisis faced by them (nursing homes),” he said.

Pause on petrol, diesel price hike for 3rd consecutive day

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Pause on petrol, diesel price hike for 3rd consecutive day

Fuel prices seem to have gone for a longer pause after rising in 22 of the past 26 days as oil marketing companies (OMC) kept the pump prices of petrol and diesel unchanged again on Thursday.

In the national capital, the petrol price on Thursday stood at Rs 80.43 per liter and diesel at Rs 80.53 a liter, same level as Tuesday and Wednesday when the OMCs went for a pause and kept the prices unchanged.

Sources in public sector oil companies said that consumers could get relief from the regular price rise of the two petroleum products in the coming days as the pause for three days now could be replicated in several of the coming days due to softening of the global oil prices.

Also, the oil companies have covered most of the shortfall arising when for 82 continuous days (from March 14 to June 6) petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged while the government substantially raised taxes on the products.

Starting from June 7, the petrol price has increased by Rs 9.17 and diesel by Rs 11.14 in the national capital. In other cities, the magnitude of the increase was similar. With global oil prices remaining around $ 40 a barrel, any fall in oil prices now may result in fuel consumers actually getting the benefit of a cut in the petrol and diesel prices.

But oil inventories in the US have fallen and that may again bump up the prices that could take crude closer to $ 45 a barrel mark. If this happens, and the price level is sustained for some time, fuel prices could rise further in India.

Zidane rests Hazard & warns Real Madrid about overconfidence

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Zidane rests Hazard & warns Real Madrid about overconfidence

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane caused a surprise after he left-winger Eden Hazard out of his squad to face Getafe in the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium on Thursday night.

Hazard still hasn’t got back to anywhere near his best form after a long-term ankle injury. Speaking in his press conference before announcing the squad, Zidane was asked about several hard challenges the winger had received since the return of football to Spain, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We know he is very good, and our rivals know that as well. Our rivals play hard, but we have to be relaxed. Eden has had a few problems because he has been out of action for a long time, and we have to have patience with him, but he will be fine again soon,” explained Zidane.

Barcelona’s 2-2 draw at home to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday means that Real Madrid can go four points clear of their title rival with a win on Thursday.

“I am happy and proud of the players because what they are doing isn’t easy. However, we still have six finals to play, and we have to give everything. We are in good shape, but that doesn’t mean anything,” commented the Real Madrid coach, who doesn’t want to see an excess of confidence.

“There are 18 points to play for, and I am not going to say anything until we are mathematically champions. I have been in this situation as a player, and at the moment, we haven’t won anything,” he insisted.

Singer Vishal Mishra: I know the value of opportunity

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Singer Vishal Mishra: I know the value of opportunity

Known for belting out hits like “Kaise Hua” in “Kabir Singh”, “Selfish” in “Race 3”, “Muskurayega India” and his latest Punjabi song “Kithe” among others, singer Vishal Mishra wants to support new artistes because he knows the value of an opportunity.

“It is my goal to make sure to extend whatever love and whatever God has given me, I have to extend it to people. I know the value of an opportunity, I have come from a very small town and it’s just beautiful that God has been kind. I want to extend my support, I hope I find people and work with them,” Mishra told IANS.

He added: “I always feel magic shouldn’t be stopped because of lack of amenities, and I would like to support people who have that magic.”

Talking about his latest song “Kithe”, Mishra calls it special as he has composed, sung, and produced the number.

“It’s (also) special because it’s my first song that I am doing in Punjabi. A full-fledged Punjabi song is an unknown territory I am entering into. It’s the melody I love and the words are beautiful, I am trying to maintain the hybrid sound that I have been trying to crack in ‘Qarib Qarib Singlle’, ‘Kaise Hua’, ‘Manjha’ to all the songs I have done.”

He says it’s about finding the balance “between western and Indian music”.

He seems to be ruling the charts with romantic songs but does Mishra plan to explore any other genres in music? “People have been kind and love everything that I have released. It’s not just romantic music, I am glad people love that side of me, I have explored a lot of genres. ‘Saandh Ki Aankh’ is an example of all folk art — I tried to do something that suited someone who is 65-70 years old as the lead of the film. It was difficult and had a different soundscape. ‘Kabir Singh’ was rock ballet,” he said.

“I hope people continue to shower love on all the genres I do,” he said.

Nokia phone maker acquires cybersecurity firm Valona Labs

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Nokia phone maker acquires cybersecurity firm Valona Labs

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, on Thursday announced it has acquired assets of the mobile, enterprise, and cybersecurity software firm Valona Labs for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition of new assets may further build upon the company’s reputation as a global leader in smartphone software updates and security.

“As a company that believes every phone should be built upon the foundations of security, reliability, and dependability, we are proud to announce the acquisition of assets of Valona Labs – a renowned and trusted mobile software business,” Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, said in a statement.

The smartphone maker is also launching a brand-new Centre of Excellence in Tampere, Finland.

The new center will specialize in software, security, and services, propelling HMD Global’s transition from a pure hardware business, to a combined hardware and services company, diversifying its intellectual property and differentiating its unique go-to-market offering.

In March this year, HMD Global entered a new service category with the launch of its global data roaming service, HMD Connect, which enables people around the world to benefit from a hassle-free data SIM.

Over the coming months, the center in Tampere will concentrate on developing this service further and begin work on other services such as remote device locking, enterprise mobility management, mobile device software security, secure network communication, and black-box testing.

The center will create an immediate need to hire new technical talent in the region and will be led by the former award-winning Head of Unit for Valona Labs, Ari Heikkinen.

Actor Patrick Stewart’s memoir announced

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Actor Patrick Stewart’s memoir announced

New Delhi, July 2 (IANSlife) The memoir of award-winning and globally renowned actor Sir Patrick Stewart, who has starred in ‘X-Men’ and ‘Logan’, will be published by Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

“The idea of writing a memoir based on my life and career has been in my mind for several years, but always the demands of work have pushed it into the background. Today there are no demands, nor is there a prediction when there might be. I am caught in the middle of shooting a new series, ‘Star Trek: Picard’, and I passionately want to see it through, but in the meantime…what? Well, I have a beautiful study in our house in Los Angeles, sunny and peaceful. I am 80 in a little over two weeks’ time. I have just treated myself to a gorgeous office chair. And…I have the time. But most importantly, I am loving what I am doing, even though I never thought I would or could,” the actor said.

The yet-to-be-titled book will be a revealing and heartwarming look into Stewart’s life and times, including his iconic roles on stage, television, and film in a career spanning seven decades? – whether as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his famed ‘Star Trek’ character; seven films across Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ global film franchise, including his critically-acclaimed work in 2017’s ‘Logan’; his three-time Olivier Award-winning stage work in ‘Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, and A Christmas Carol, and Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s Macbeth; and countless additional credits, the publisher said.

In the memoir, Stewart will also reflect on his childhood in Yorkshire, England, marked by poverty and domestic violence; as well as his lifelong political advocacy and ongoing charity work.

According to Jennifer Bergstrom, SVP & Publisher for Gallery Books Group, “no other British working actor enjoys such career variety, universal respect, and unending popularity – as witnessed through his seminal roles and his millions of fans across social media–it goes without saying that his long-awaited memoir will be a blockbuster bestseller.”

The book will also be published by Simon & Schuster UK, Simon & Schuster Australia and the audio edition, read by Stewart, will be released by Simon & Schuster Audio in a deal brokered by Jennifer Joel of ICM.

JP Dutta: I am like a father figure to Kareena, Abhishek

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JP Dutta: I am like a father figure to Kareena, Abhishek

Ace filmmaker JP Dutta had launched actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Abhishek Bachchan in Bollywood 20 years ago with his directorial “Refugee”.

In an interview with IANS, Dutta spoke about the romance drama “Refugee” and the bond he shares with Kareena and Abhishek.

“Kareena and Abhishek are like my children. I am sort of a father figure to them. I consider ‘Refugee’ as one of my special films because it gave Indian cinema two of its finest and versatile actors. They have completed two decades in the industry, and their work truly depicts the hard work they have put in. It feels great to see them where they are today,” Dutta beamed with pride.

He also recalled how Abhishek broke down during the shoot of one of the scenes of his debut film, which also featured Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, and Anupam Kher.

“I remember Abhishek doing a scene with Jackie Shroff. It was a highly emotional scene where Abhishek had to put a gun on his head. It was a long shot, and the way Abhishek nailed it was quite laudable. He had done it with a lot of conviction. He actually broke down in the scene and started crying. Even after saying ‘cut’, he continued crying. It took a while to soothe him. That shot made me realize how much involved Abhishek was in acting,” Dutta reminisced.

Dutta also recalled how he would always try to ensure Kareena and Abhishek were comfortable on the sets. “They were not at all nervous. They were full of energy and enthusiasm. I always tried to make them comfortable on the sets. It’s very important for any director to make his or her cast and crew comfortable. There’s no point of having a tensed atmosphere,” he added.

Released in 2000, “Refugee” revolves around a young Indian Muslim man, who helps illegal refugees from India and Pakistan across the border.

On completing two decades in the industry, both Abhishek and Kareena have thanked Dutta, their first director, on social media.

“J.P. Sahab was the best teacher. Caring, nurturing, and has since been an amazing guiding force for me,” Abhishek wrote.

Kareena shared the still of her first shot, thanking J.P. Dutta for her “life in the movies”.

Novak Djokovic donated the money to Novi Pazar

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Novak Djokovic donated the money to Novi Pazar

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic, who last week tested positive for coronavirus, donated more than 40,000 euros ($45,000) to a Serbian town badly affected by the pandemic, local media reported on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Djokovic donated the money to Novi Pazar, in Serbia’s southwest, to help it fight a growing outbreak of the disease, the SportKlub TV sports channel reported. The town declared a state of emergency in late June due to the spread of the respiratory disease.

After restricting the first outbreak of COVID-19 in early May, Serbia is now reporting a fresh surge, logging more than 200 cases daily recently compared to around 50 a month ago.

The Balkan nation was recently in the spotlight for allowing Djokovic to host a regional tournament that started in Belgrade in mid-June before a slew of COVID-19 infections forced organisers to cut it short.

Apart from Djokovic three other tennis players — Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki — who participated in the Adria tour, as well as his coach Goran Ivanisevic, tested positive.

Players had embraced across the net, played basketball and even danced in a nightclub the week of the first leg played in Belgrade.Djokovic was widely criticised for hosting the tournament.

The Serbian issued an unstinting apology for the now-cancelled Adria Tour, where social distancing was minimal and matches were played in front of thousands of fans.

Djokovic said he was “so deeply sorry” that the tournament “caused harm”.His wife Jelena also tested positive.

Serbia, with a population of about seven million people, has registered nearly 15,000 coronavirus infections and 281 deaths.

4 injured in California shooting

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4 injured in California shooting

At least four people were injured in a shooting along a highway in Oakland, California, police said.

The shooting took place at around 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Interstate 580 and four occupants in a vehicle were injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The Oakland Police Department is assisting CHP (California Highway Patrol) with a shooting that occurred on E/B 580 Freeway in the area of 106 Ave.

“At this time 4 victims have been reported injured. Traffic stopped, please use alternate routes,” the Oakland Police Department tweeted on Wednesday.

The victims were sent to local hospitals for medical treatment, and all remain in stable condition, according to the CHP.

The investigation was underway to determine the cause of the shooting.

Twitter deletes image tweeted by Trump for violating its policy

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Twitter deletes image tweeted by Trump for violating its policy

Twitter has taken action against US President Donald Trump, this time removing an image he tweeted, saying the image violated the company’s privacy policy.

Trump’s tweet showed a “meme” version of a photo taken by The New York Times in 2015. Trump tweeted along with the photo: “In reality, they’re not after me, they’re after you. I’m just in the way”.

After the NYT complained to Twitter, the micro-blogging platform removed the picture. The tweet now shows “media not displayed” notification on Trump’s tweet.

Late last month, Twitter flagged a tweet from Trump which promoted violence by saying if protesters tried to set up an “autonomous zone” in Washington, DC they would be met with “serious force”.

This was the fourth time Twitter red-flagged Trump’s tweet for glorifying violence or violating its policies.

Twitter earlier labeled a video tweeted by him which mocked CNN as manipulated media.

In May, Twitter labeled two Trump tweets that made false claims about mail-in ballots in California.

Facebook also removed a Trump campaign ad featuring a symbol used by Nazis for political dissenters, saying the ad violated its policies.

UP gets 50,000 antigen test kits for critical districts

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UP gets 50,000 antigen test kits for critical districts

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has procured 50,000 antigen testing kits to strengthen the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said that the kits will be used to screen hidden coronavirus cases in critical districts, including Meerut.

He said that the total count of COVID-19 cases in the state has crossed the 24,000-mark.

Prasad said that cases in the Meerut division were a cause of concern and aggressive testing has been planned.

Of the new cases reported, 170 were from districts in the Meerut Division, including Gautam Buddha Nagar (58), Ghaziabad (52), Meerut (42), Bulandshahr (17), Baghpat (9) and Hapur (8).

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the state health and medical education department to set up a dedicated lab for Ghaziabad district.

Districts with over 10 active cases include Lucknow (54), Moradabad (25), Kanpur (23), Aligarh (19), Bulandshahr (17), Varanasi (16), Bareilly (15), Mathura (15), Gorakhpur (13), Ayodhya (13), Prayagraj (12), Unnao (12), Ballia (10) and Mau (10).

Vaani Kapoor cast opposite Akshay Kumar in ‘Bellbottom’

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Vaani Kapoor cast opposite Akshay Kumar in ‘Bellbottom’

Actress Vaani Kapoor will star opposite superstar Akshay Kumar in the upcoming espionage thriller “Bellbottom”. This will be Vaani’s first film with Akshay.

“I am elated to share the screen space with Akshay sir. I am also thrilled to partner with the whole team who have already made me feel at home at this initial stage of our film. Hoping that this excitement will translate beautifully on screen,” Vaani said.

Inspired by true events, the film is set in the 1980s, the story is about one of India’s forgotten heroes.

Directed by Ranjit M. Tewari, the film is scheduled to go on floors later this year. It is written by Aseem Arora and Parveez Shaikh.

Welcoming Vaani to the team, director Ranjit said: “Vaani’s character in the film is extremely intriguing. She has a certain flair and we’re all very excited to have her on board!”

Explaining the casting choice, producer Jackky Bhagnani said that the script made him choose a fresh pairing.

“Vaani is an intelligent and effective actor and I have loved all her performances. The female lead in �Bellbottom’ has to be in sync with Akshay sir’s screen persona. The role is meaty and I am confident that Vaani will ace this one,” said Jackky, who is backing the film with his banner Pooja Entertainment.

“Bellbottom” is scheduled to release on April 2, 2021.

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