Goa CM pats fishermen for saving Olive Ridley turtles

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Days after local fishermen saved five Olive Ridley turtles — a protected species — off Goa’s coast, after they were trapped in their fishing nets, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has hailed their effort.

Sawant in a tweet, which also has a video of the rescue effort embedded, said that the kind gesture was respectful of the natural ecosystem.

“I am grateful for the kind gesture of my Goan brothers, making our state a better place to live by respecting nature’s ecosystem,” Sawant tweeted late on Sunday.

On Friday, a video of four fishermen snipping away at their fishing nets to rescue the trapped turtles at Benaulim beach in South Goa had gone viral on social media.

The fishermen were subsequently feted by local Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Benaulim assembly constituency Churchill Alemao.

Several beaches in Goa, including Mandrem, Morjim, Agonda, and Galgibagh are annually visited by the Olive Ridley turtles, which are a protected species that fall under the Schedule 1 of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for laying of eggs.

With office sealed, UP Police puts complaint box outside

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The police authorities in Pratapgarh district have put out a complaint box where people can drop their complaints. This has been done after the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in the district was sealed after being declared a containment zone.

Abhishek Singh, SP (Pratapgarh) said that the complainants were facing hardship in getting their grievances registered and it was then decided to put out a complaint box to receive applications.

“The complaint box has been kept outside the containment zone and a policeman will pick up complaints on a daily basis. I am scrutinizing the complaints and forwarding them to respective police stations for further action. We are also monitoring online, the disposal of complaints and the action taken,” the SP said.

7 new corona cases in Agra, recovery rate increases further

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Seven more coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours till Monday morning in Agra took the district’s total tally to 1,139 even as 937 patients have been discharged so far after recovery. The death tally has increased to 77 so far, compared with 75 till Sunday morning.

The recovery rate of 82.41 per cent is encouraging, health officials said. On Sunday, Agra’s recovery rate was 81.71 per cent.

So far, 18,797 samples have been collected from 67 containment zones for testing.

Mathura also reported 12 new cases, Firozabad 11, Mainpuri 8, and Etah six.

Officials said the COVID hospital at the SN Medical College is in the process of installing 10 more ventilators even as city philanthropists have donated more than two dozen air conditioners for the convenience of patients.

Meanwhile, a random audit of coronavirus patients’ death reports has revealed that the delay in the start of treatment for various reasons was the main cause of high mortality in Agra.

A number of lives perhaps could have been saved if the patients were admitted to hospitals on time and treatment started promptly. But delay was caused by the reluctance of family members of patients to act and delay in testing of samples that allegedly took up to five days, according to some senior doctors.

In some cases, private nursing homes shifted critical patients when things got out of their control, to the COVID hospital.

The state government has stationed Energy Secretary M Devraj as the nodal officer to oversee and coordinate work done by various state agencies to combat the pandemic.

Minor beaten to death after buffalo damages crops

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A 15-year-old boy was beaten to death by three men after his buffalo damaged their sugarcane crop in the Sisaiya village in Shahjahapur.

An FIR has been registered against the three people under section 302 (murder) of the IPC. The accused are on the run.

Members of the boy’s family, along with Samajwadi Party district president Tanveer Khan, staged a protest outside the office of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Shahjahanpur, alleging that the police were shielding the accused.

The incident was reported on Saturday evening when the boy, Kuldeep Yadav, was playing with his friends and his buffalo entered the sugarcane field of farmer Sadhu Singh and his brother Dharmendra Singh.

Sadhu and Dharmendra were reportedly inebriated and caught the buffalo and refused to return it to the boy.

An argument took place and Dharmendra, his son Bhupinder, and Sadhu started beating Kuldeep brutally with sticks until he fell unconscious. Thereafter, the accused fled the spot.

Kuldeep’s father Mahesh took his son to a hospital in the Shahjahanpur city.

Kuldeep’s condition was critical and he succumbed to injuries on Sunday. His mother Rani Devi fell ill after hearing the news and is in hospital.

Station House Officer (SHO) Jag Narain Pandey said, “We have registered an FIR under section 302 (murder) and the accused will be arrested soon.”

He said that the motive behind the murder could be an election-related rivalry.

Italian PM closes economic consultations with call for unity

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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country was mulling a reduction in the value-added tax, part of a wider set of ideas he said would help hasten the GDP growth amid the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conte made the remarks on Sunday at Rome’s Villa Doria Pamphili at the end of eight days of States General consultations with government ministers, European Union officials, economists, and representatives from the corporations, the financial sector, and trade unions, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We have reopened Italy” in the wake of the coronavirus, Conte said, adding that “now we have to reinvent Italy”.

Some of the consultations took place in person at the 17th-century Roman villa, with others taking place via video hookup.

The measures that emerged from the talks were painted with broad strokes, with Conte stating that they would be finalized during high-level talks set to take place in September.

On Sunday, Conte called for Italy to “pull together” to limit the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

He said Italians “have it in (their) hands” to determine how quickly the country returns to normal after weeks of the coronavirus lockdown.

Among the specific measures is a plan unveiled by Conte to provide women with vouchers for up to 500 euros ($555) to help them move up corporate ladders.

That is one of the three pillars Conte announced at the start of the talks on June 13.

The other two pillars are “modernization and innovation” and “sustainable development”.

Italy, one of the hardest-hit nations in Europe, has so far reported 238,499 COVID-19 cases, with 34,634 deaths.

Beijing PepsiCo factory suspends production after COVID-19 cases

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A PepsiCo food factory in Beijing has suspended production after eight COVID-19 cases were found, some of whom had been to the Chinese capital’s wholesale food market where a fresh coronavirus outbreak was reported last week, authorities said.

Two of the cases from the factory in Daxing district had been to the Xinfadi wholesale market, Xinhua news agency quoted Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing center for disease control and prevention, as saying to the media on Sunday.

The factory has initiated an emergency response and took measures including suspending the production and operation, sealing the products, disinfecting the environment, and quarantining the personnel, according to Fan Zhimin, an official with the PepsiCo Greater China Region.

The information at the website of the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System shows the suspended factory mainly processes grains and produces potato-related and puffed food

Beijing has reported over 200 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases since June 11, mostly in connection with the Xinfadi market.

From June 11 to 20, Beijing had reported 227 confirmed domestically transmitted cases, all of whom were receiving treatment in hospitals.

COVID-19 cases surge in several US states amid reopening

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Several US states have witnessed a surged in the number of COVID-19 cases as businesses continue to resume operations across the nation, casting a shadow over the current path to reopening economies.

Florida, for example, reported 4,049 new cases on Saturday, setting a single-day record for the third day in a row, Xinhua news agency quoted data from the state’s Department of Health as saying on Sunday.

In California, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased to 173,324 as it recorded its highest single-day spike on Sunday.

According to the data from the California Department of Public Health, 4,515 new virus diagnoses were identified statewide in the last 24 hours, beating the previous record of 4,317 new cases reported on Friday.

South Carolina, Missouri, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Montana also hit records on the day, according to a report from The New York Times, which noted that Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Oregon hit records earlier in the week.

More than 30,000 new infections were reported across the nation on both Friday and Saturday, indicating a nationwide uptick in COVID-19 cases, despite a downward trend in over 10 states including New York and New Jersey.

“We’re seeing a resurgence in the south and the southeast, they really never got rid of their epidemics,” Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration, told CBS News on Sunday.

Gottlieb said Texas, Arizona, and Florida could be overwhelmed as cases continue to surge.

Noting that it is a mistake that many Americans are not wearing masks, Gottlieb urged the pubic to wear masks to protect others and themselves and help reopen the economy safely.

Calling the situation “very unsatisfactory”, Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economics professor at Columbia University, told Xinhua that as the virus continues to spread rapidly, the federal government has “basically lost interest” in controlling the virus.

“The results are likely to be very bad: a big resurgence of disease and deaths,” said Sachs, also a senior UN advisor.

Public health experts believe that states’ hasty efforts to reopen their economies, weeks of nationwide protests over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd, as well as some Americans’ unwillingness to practice social distancing or wear a mask, have all contributed to the recent surge in cases.

Since late April, US states, facing record unemployment, have gradually started to reopen their economies, despite not seeing a significant downward trend in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.

An influential COVID-19 model produced by the University of Washington raised its projections on June 18, forecasting more than 200,000 Americans could die of COVID-19 by October 1, an increase of 30,000 deaths from its projections in the prior week.

With 2,279,306 cases and 119,967 deaths, the US on Monday morning continued with the world’s highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Global COVID-19 cases nearing 9 mn: Johns Hopkins University

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The total number of global COVID-19 cases was nearing 9 million, while the deaths have increased to over 467,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

By Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 8,927,195, while the fatalities increased to 467,636, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

With 2,279,306 cases and 119,967 deaths, the US continues with the world’s highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the CSSE.

Brazil comes in second place with 1,083,341 infections and 50,591 deaths.

In terms of cases, Russia ranks third (583,879), and was followed by India (410,461), the UK (305,803), Peru (251,338), Spain (246,272), Chile (242,355), Italy (238,499), Iran (204,952), France (197,008), Germany (191,272), Turkey (187,685), Mexico (180,545), Pakistan (176,617), Saudi Arabia (157,612), Bangladesh (112,306) and Canada (103,078), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (42,717), Italy (34,634), France (29,643), Spain (28,323), Mexico (21,825) and India (13,254).

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Israel doubles since early June

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The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Israel has doubled since early June, according to figures released by the Israeli Ministry of Health.

It said 209 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in Israel, compared with 105 on June 1, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel increased to 20,778, with 145 new patients, while the death toll rose from 305 to 306, and the number of patients in serious condition remained 40.

The total recoveries rose to 15,694 after 35 new ones were added, while the number of active cases rose to 4,778, the highest since May 10.

Earlier on Sunday, the ministry ordered hospitals in the country to reopen coronavirus units immediately amid the new wave of cases.

Despite the rise in morbidity, Israel’s train services will resume on Monday, with a maximum of 500 passengers in each train, and body temperature measurement for each passenger using a thermal camera.

Train restrictions also include face mask obligation and a ban on eating and drinking onboard.

Still Sushanth death is Mysterious

The untimely death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has left everyone in grave shock. It was reported that the actor was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, 2020, and the autopsy report had confirmed that the actor died due to asphyxiation by hanging. Although Mumbai Police didn’t find any suicide note from Sushant’s residence, the investigation is still on in the case and the cops have been questioning people close to the MS Dhoni: The Untold Story actor.

And as per the recent update, it has recorded statement of around 15 people in the case. Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Trimukhe has also stated that they have record statements of Sushant’s managerial staff. Besides, the cops have also received the copy of contracts from Yash Raj Films. “In #SushantSinghRajput death case at Bandra Police Station, statements of his managerial staff recorded. Investigation officer has received contract copy signed by Rajput from Yash Raj Films. Statements of 15 people have been recorded,” Trimukhe had told ANI.

Meanwhile, Sushant’s close friends Mukesh Chhabra and Rhea Chakraborty were also questioned regarding the actor’s suicide. In Trimukhe’s words, “Chhabra’s last conversation was with Sushant on his birthday. The actor had called Chhabra to wish him on his birthday that was on May 27.” However, he also emphasised that the filmmaker couldn’t throw any light on the projects which Sushant had lost owing to professional rivalry. On the other hand, our sources had revealed that Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was interrogated for around 9 hours and she spoke about their wedding, rumoured break up and much more

Kisan Congress holds candle light march for martyred soldiers

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The Kisan Congress on Saturday staged a peaceful candlelight protest in the national capital over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops in Ladakh’s Galway valley. Over 50 Kisan Congress workers along with National Vice President Surender Solanki arrived at India Gate to pay tribute to the martyred soldiers.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Solanki said, “It is unfortunate that yesterday the Prime Minister said that there was no violation on borders. This is an insult to the martyrdom of our brave soldiers.”

He said that earlier there was a question that our Army Generals are fully empowered to smash the enemy. “Why were they sent unarmed?” he questioned adding that the Chinese media was showing Modi’s Friday’s statement and saying Galway valley is ours.

Solanki said, ” This is a huge tragedy and Congress will continue to question it. Galway Valley is an integral part of India.”

He said that neither soldier nor farmer is safe in the country today.

“The largest number of soldiers are the sons of poor farmers when the family is feeding 130 crores, people, then their son is keeping the country’s borders safe,” the Kisan Congress leader said.

His remarks came a day after Modi categorically stated in the all-party meeting on the Chinese intrusion in the Galway Valley and the killing of Indian soldiers that “no Indian post or territory is occupied by anyone.”

The Prime Minister had emphasized that all necessary steps for national security and construction of necessary infrastructure will continue to be taken at a fast pace. Modi had also reassured the leaders about the capability of the armed forces to defend the borders and said that they have been given a free hand to take all necessary steps.

Allu Sirish amused by ‘math’ of life

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Telugu star Allu Sirish is amused how everything in life revolves around mathematics.

“Everything in life is math, including food,” Sirish wrote on his Instagram Stories.

He also posted a picture of a food box along with a note, breaking down the food weight and calories.

Recently, Sirish revealed that he has made a conscious decision to increasingly use and support Indian brands.

“I have made a conscious decision to use and support more Indian brands. I’m aware (that) in a globalized world it may not be practical to avoid all foreign products, but let’s buy local as much as possible,” Sirish posted on Instagram along with a photograph of products of local brands he bought.

“By consuming Indian brands we help our own economy. Here are some products I purchased at the supermarket recently. All Indian brands. Many of us use local products but don’t like to admit as we think that makes us look less cool. It’s time to break that myth. Let’s not just buy local but be vocal about it. I urge you all to #GoLocalBeVocal,” he added.

Sirish, who made his acting debut in 2013 with the film “Gouravam”, was last seen on screen in the Telugu film “ABCD: American Born Confused Desi”. Directed by Sanjeev Reddy, the film also stars Rukshar Dhillon.

IOA urges Oly medallists, NSFs to lead Olympic Day celebrations

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The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday urged the country’s Olympic medallists, Olympians, National Sports Federations, and other stakeholders to lead the way in celebrating Olympic Day on June 23.

IOA President Narinder Batra said in a statement that some plans have already been shared with India’s national Olympic body. He said that there are many ways the celebrations can be undertaken amid the lockdown and social distancing rules in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“There are countless ways in which we can do this, even with the social-distancing restrictions in place. It could be some form of physical activity that each of us undertakes. It could even be by way of encouragement to Olympic sport. Make sure you do not breach Government guidelines when planning and pursuing your Olympic Day activity,” said Batra.

“I once again urge India’s Olympic medalists and Olympians to lead the celebrations. I am sure that National Sports Federations of Olympic sport and State Olympic Associations will not lag in encouraging their athletes and support staff to participating in Olympic Day Activity. It would be delightful to see our educational institutions get the student community involved.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has roped in badminton World champion P.V. Sindhu and Asian Games gold medal-winning wrestler Vinesh Phogat for its Olympic Day celebrations. While Vinesh is featuring in a recorded compilation workout video featuring 23 different Olympians from around the world, Sindhu will be performing a live workout on Instagram with 22 other top athletes.

Kerala reports single-day high of 127 new Covid-19 cases

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Kerala reported its highest 127 new Covid-19 cases, here on Saturday, beating the previous high of 118 recorded on Friday, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Of the 127 new cases, 87 came from abroad, 36 from within the country, three were local infectees and there was one health professional also,” said Vijayan.

At present, Vijayan said there were 1,450 positive cases and in the past 24 hours 4,817 samples were sent for testing.

There are 1,39,342 people in isolation at homes, corona care centers and in various hospitals.

Novartis discontinues HCQ trial over enrollment challenges

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Swiss drugmaker Novartis has announced to discontinue Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) clinical trial over acute enrollment challenges that have made the completion of the trial infeasible, and not because any safety issues were reported or efficacy conclusions made.

The Basel-based company said that it will, however, continue the worldwide supply of hydroxychloroquine for clinical trials and upon government requests.

“The recruitment challenge facing our HCQ trial has made it unlikely that the clinical team will be able to collect meaningful data in a reasonable timeframe to determine the effectiveness of HCQ in treating patients with Covid-19,” the company said in a statement late on Friday.

“No safety issues have been reported, and there are no conclusions on efficacy from the study,” it added.

Novartis will continue to provide a supply of HCQ for ongoing investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and upon government requests, as appropriate, where certain conditions are met and the medicine is used in accordance with a nationally endorsed treatment protocol.

“Researchers at Novartis continue to monitor ongoing guidance from health authorities on the further study of HCQ for Covid-19, as well as the decision by the US FDA to stop the emergency use authorization of HCQ for Covid-19 treatment,” said the company.

Novartis has donated up to 130 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, including millions in the US.

The World Health Organization (WHO) last week halted the testing of HCQ as a treatment for Covid-19 after new data showed no benefit.

Abhay Deol Explaining how ‘shamelessly’ the award function works

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Sushant Singh Rajput’s unfortunate death has not only brought back the insider vs outsider debate in Bollywood but also other unfair practices of the film industry.

Actor Abhay Deol took to Instagram on Friday to call out Bollywood award shows.Explaining how ‘shamelessly’ the award function works, the actor gave an example of his own film ‘Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara’ which was directed by Zoya Akhtar and featured Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar along with Deol.

The actor spoke about how he along with co-actor Farhan Akhtar got “demoted” at several award functions for their work in the hit film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’.

“`Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara`, released in 2011. Need to chant this title to myself everyday nowadays! Also a great watch when anxious or stressed.

“I would like to mention that almost all the award functions demoted me and Farhan from main leads, and nominated us as `supporting actors`. Hrithik and Katrina were nominated as `actors in a leading role`. So by the industry`s own logic, this was a film about a man and a woman falling in love, with the man supported by his friends for whatever decisions he takes,” Deol wrote.

Record 237 single-day corona recoveries in Odisha

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Odisha on Saturday reported a record recovery of 237 coronavirus patients in a single day, taking the total number of such patients to 3,534 in the state, the Health Department said.

“The untiring efforts of our COVID Warriors has led to an all-time high recovery of 237 patients in a day! We salute the dauntless spirit of our frontline workers,” said the department.

These recovered patients include 70 from Cuttack, 54 from Khordha, 20 from Jagatsinghpur, 19 from Kandhamal, 17 from Ganjam, nine each from Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj, eight from Keonjhar, and seven each from Dhenkanal and Puri.

Besides, four patients each from Kendrapara and Nayagarh, two each from Kalahandi, Malkangiri, and Sambalpur, and one each from Boudh, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh have also recovered.

Odisha has reported 4,856 corona cases so far, including 1,306 active cases and 12 deaths.

Opposition questioning our forces at such delicate time: Nadda (Ld)

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After training his guns at Rahul Gandhi for his “choice of words” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President J.P. Nadda on Saturday targetted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying the opposition was “questioning” the Indian armed forces at “such a delicate time”.

“It has been our party’s history that we have always stood by the national leaders in times of crisis. But our Opposition, at such a delicate time, is questioning our forces and are trying to weaken the morale of the nation,” alleged the BJP President while addressing a virtual rally for party cadres of Telangana.

During the all-party meeting on the India-China standoff on Friday, Sonia Gandhi had questioned the Modi government about “intelligence failure”, saying, “In fact, even at this late stage, we are still in the dark about many crucial aspects of the crisis.”

Nadda also attacked Sonia Gandhi for Congress’ sharp offensive against the Modi government for the steep fuel price hike.

“Sonia Gandhi questioned the hike in petrol prices. Does she not know that it has been hiked in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Maharashtra also? Don’t her CMs listen to her,” Nadda said.

Nadda also raised the cause of Muslim women by mentioning the Triple Talaq Act.

“Nine crore Muslim women were still under the shackles of Triple Talaq. Working on SC’s direction and backed by the will power of Prime Minister Modi, we managed to free all Muslim women from the atrocity of Triple Talaq,” the BJP President said.

He added that Islamic countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and others did not have the practice of Triple Talaq, while India continued with it.

Nadda also hailed the Prime Minister’s role during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, saying Modi was the first leader who called and initiated the G20 Summit to fight coronavirus.

“The whole world, be it UN, World Bank or WHO, praised Modi,” Nadda said.

He also referred to the various initiatives, including PM-KISAN Yojna, ‘Aatmanirbhar’s package, among others, which have been introduced to help different sections of the society.

More domestic flights likely soon: Minister

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To ease domestic mobility and accelerate passenger traffic growth, the Centre will allow flights to more destinations in the coming week.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said more destinations and frequencies would be added in the coming week. But these new flights and frequencies are likely to be within the 33 percent capacity cap.

Till now the domestic passenger traffic averages 65-72,000 passengers a day. Over 700 flights a day are operating.

Since the re-start of domestic services on May 25, more than a million passengers have been ferried by airlines.

On the re-start of international flights, Puri said it would depend on factors like ‘border acceptance’ norms in the arriving country and the traffic demand. He also hinted at the prospects of bilateral bubble arrangements, which will allow some international operations between countries.

At present, healthy demand for evacuation flights has been witnessed in the North America-India sector.

Stating that the ‘Vande Bharat’ mission has brought back 109,000 passengers, the Minister said, any increase in Vande Bharat flights was dependent upon the state government’s willingness and ability to absorb the returning passengers.

He said around 300 additional flights had been planned by Air India and Air India Express under the phase 3 and 4 of the mission. Around 750 flights have been offered to domestic private airlines under the mission.

Niharika and Chaitanya Love Story

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Konidela princess Niharika is all set to get hitched to Hyderabad-based business professional Chaitanya Jonnalagadda in August. Meanwhile, two different stories about how both Niharika and Chaitanya met with each other have been in circulation for the last couple of days.

The first story is that Niharika and Chaitanya knew each other through common friends since 2017. Apparently, it’s Niharika who proposed to Chaitanya on Valentine’s Day earlier this year. Around 10 days ago, Chaitanya’s parents visited Naga Babu’s house to discuss the young couple’s marriage.

Another story that’s doing the rounds is that both Konidela and Jonnalagadda families have been friends from a long time. In fact, Naga Babu’s and Chiranjeevi’s father Konidela Venkateswara Rao and Chaitanya’s father Prabhakar Rao’s father were good friends.

The latest buzz in the T-town circles is that it was Chiranjeevi who met with Chaitanya’s parents and formed the alliance. A big fat wedding is being planned this year end or in February next year.