Twitter faces real tough task to moderate voice tweets

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Twitter faces real tough task to moderate voice tweets

As Twitter rolled out a limited test to record audio tweets and attach those to the original tweet, the concerns are now been raised on how the company will moderate such tweets as tackling hateful, abusive, or racist audio messages require more effort than using AI to curb disinformation on normal tweets.

One good thing is that audio can only be added to original tweets and the users can’t include those in replies or retweets with a comment.

This makes the job a bit easier to find a person who posts a bad audio tweet, and the moderators swing into action to block or flag his tweet or account.

However, unlike Facebook which currently has over third-party15,000 content moderators policing its main app as well as Instagram, Twitter has a small team of human moderators.

In case of an audio tweet, one has to listen to it to reach a conclusion if the voice tweet contains inflammatory or abusive content which then needs to be flagged.

Or AI models get on to the job to go through audio tweets but then, how are they supposed to scan voice tweets in various languages?

Even Facebook moderators do blunders. Tasked with reviewing about three million posts a day, Facebook moderators make about three lakh mistakes in 24 hours in deciding what should stay online and what should be taken down, according to a new report from New York University’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.

The number of blunders was derived on the basis of a statement made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a white paper in November 2018. The Facebook CEO admitted that moderators “make the wrong call in more than one out of every 10 cases.”

According to a report in Vice, at a time when online platforms are struggling to remove misinformation and fake content, audio tweets may be “a new mechanism to harass people”.

“As we’ve previously reported, Twitter has far fewer human moderators than other social media giants, so adding such a labor-intensive type of content to moderate seems like it could go poorly,” said the report.

In the case of Facebook, the research found that to efficiently sanitize the platform, Facebook needs to end the outsourcing of content moderation and double the number of people who moderate the content on a daily basis and significantly expand fact-checking to debunk misinformation.

Most of these workers are employed by third-party vendors, said the report, adding that the frequently chaotic outsourced environments in which content moderators work impinge on their decision making.

The onus is now on Twitter to sort these things out while voice tweets are still in the testing phase and create a good mix of AI-human moderation to control what people utter via voice tweets on its platform before the users flood the micro-blogging platform with complaints.

Some 860,000 immigrants may be illegally living in UK: Report

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Some 860,000 immigrants may be illegally living in UK: Report

Some 860,000 immigrants may be illegally living in the UK, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in an official report

“Its (the UK Home Office’s) last estimate was around 430,000 people in 2005. More recent estimates from other organizations suggest the population might have doubled, although the NAO has not validated these estimates,” Xinhua news agency quoted the report released on Wednesday as saying.

The Home Office encourages people to return voluntarily, but those returns have reduced, from an average of 1,200 a month in 2015 to approximately 460 in 2019, said the independent public spending watchdog.

It has enforced the removal of 7,400 of the 13,100 immigration offenders returned in the 12 months to the end of November 2019.

Almost 5,000 of those were foreign national offenders, the NAO report said.

The report said the Home Office is helping to stop more people from entering Britain without proper documentation or through clandestine means.

According to the NAO, the Home Office’s vision for Immigration Enforcement is to “reduce the size of the illegal population and the harm it causes”.

It supports this vision through its operational missions of preventing illegal migration through greater compliance with laws, tackling threats associated with immigration offending and maximizing returns of the illegal population and foreign national offenders to their country of origin.

Truck driver held for raping migrant teen in UP

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Truck driver held for raping migrant teen in UP

A truck driver raped a 15-year-old girl after offering her family a lift in his truck.

Bijnor Superintendent of Police (SP) Lakshmi Niwas Mishra said: “Police have registered a case against the truck driver Umesh Chand. The incident took place on Tuesday and the accused has been sent to jail on Wednesday.

“The medical examination of the girl is being conducted. Chand is a resident of Almora district in Uttarakhand.”

According to reports, Umesh Chand, picked up the migrant family in Haridwar and when the vehicle reached Bijnor, he asked the parents to get down ahead of a police barrier and meet him at the next check post.

He moved on with the minor girl and her three siblings. At a secluded spot, he raped the girl and sped away with her siblings.

A few hours later, the girl managed to borrow a phone from a passerby and contacted her parents. She narrated the events to her parents who immediately informed the police and barricades were set up on all exit points.

The driver was caught and the three minor children were rescued.

According to police, the family members of the teenage girl worked in Dehradun and were stranded in the city since lockdown.

Japan scraps bill to extend retirement age of prosecutors

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Japan scraps bill to extend retirement age of prosecutors

The Japanese government and the ruling coalition have decided to scrap a controversial bill intended to extend the retirement age of public prosecutors amid a backlash from opposition parties and the public.

Prior to the Public Prosecutors’ Office Act being dropped on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had postponed seeking its passage amid accusations it would give the Cabinet too much influence over the judiciary and undermine the independence of prosecutors, reports Xinhua news agency.

The proposed revision of the Public Prosecutors Office Law had been met with condemnation from the opposition camp and the public, who stood against the plan to raise the retirement age for prosecutors to 65.

Many opposed to the bill believed the move would undermine the independence of prosecutors, with a clause in the bill allowing the Cabinet to the extent the retirement age of senior prosecutors by up to three further years causing a furor.

The opposition camp and the public said that the bill would not only undermine prosecutors’ independence but could also lead to the partisan appointment of personnel being made by the government.

The planned retirement of Hiromu Kurokawa, the former head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office who resigned after a gambling scandal, was, at the time, postponed until August, which was six months after his due retirement age, following a decision made by the government in January.

Kurokawa was seen to be the preferred candidate to become the next prosecutor general by Abe.

The decision, however, was rebuked by opposition parties and the public, with claims made that by dubiously changing the interpretation of the law, Kurokawa’s tenure could have been extended.

The controversy over the contentious bill has, along with the denouncement from opposition parties, drawn a lot of vocal criticism from the public and high profile celebrities, who have been ardently calling for the bill to be permanently scrapped.

The Japanese hashtag meaning “I oppose the revision of the public prosecutor’s office law” began trending on Twitter from May 8, and attracted increasing support of celebrities as well as members of the public.

Woman raped in moving bus in UP

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Woman raped in moving bus in UP

A woman passenger traveling with her minor children from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh to Noida has alleged that she was raped by the driver inside the bus between the Lucknow and Mathura stretch, the police said.

The accused driver is absconding. However, the other driver has been apprehended for allegedly intimidating her, police said on Wednesday.

According to the police, the incident took place in an overnight sleeper bus, in the presence of 12-13 other passengers. The rape happened in the moving bus sometime during the night.

The victim registered her complaint at the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police station after she reached here.

“An FIR was immediately registered. The bus has been seized. One person identified has been arrested. A medical board constituted will examine the victim. All co-passengers are being traced and will be questioned. Forensic team will inspect the bus,” Vrinda Shukla, DCP (Women Cell) Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Ram temple ‘aarti’ to be streamed live on social media

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Ram temple ‘aarti’ to be streamed live on social media

Devotees will now be able to witness all the five daily ‘aarti’ at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple on the social media.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is making arrangement for live telecast of the ‘aarti’ on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

According to Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the temple, the ‘Mangala aarti’ that is held in the morning will be streamed live, followed by ‘Shringar aarti’, then the ‘Bal bhog and aarti’ and then the ‘Sandhya aarti’ in the evening and the last ‘Shayan aarti’.

“The ‘Shringar’ process in which the temple is decorated will also be streamed live, he said on Wednesday.

The temple trust is also preparing to launch its official website, while its Facebook page has already been launched.

The trust is also getting its official twitter handle verified and all updates related to temple construction will be posted here for the information of the people.

Trust member Anil Mishra said that the trust will release all the official details about the temple construction through the website. The office of the trust has just started functioning.

Microsoft tried to sell its face recognition tech to US DEA: Report

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Microsoft tried to sell its face recognition tech to US DEA: Report

Microsoft which said last week it will not sell facial recognition technology to police departments, reportedly tried to sell the technology to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to a report in The Hill citing emails released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the DEA “piloted the facial recognition technology and that Microsoft hosted agency personnel at its Virginia office for demos and training”.

The DEA, however, did not purchase the technology at the time.

“It is bad enough that Microsoft tried to sell a dangerous technology to a law enforcement agency tasked with spearheading the racist drug war, but it gets worse,” Nathan Freed Wessler, senior staff attorney at the ACLU, said in a statement.

“This is troubling given the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s record, but it’s even more disturbing now that Attorney General Bill Barr has reportedly expanded this very agency’s surveillance authorities, which could be abused to spy on people protesting police brutality,” he added.

Microsoft was yet to comment on the report.

After IBM and Amazon, Microsoft President Brad Smith who is known as the torchbearer vouching for an ethical and responsible AI last week said the company would not sell its facial recognition technology to police.

“As a result of the principles that we’ve put in place, we do not sell facial recognition technology to police departments in the US today,” Smith said.

Smith said the company will not sell facial recognition until there’s a “national law in place grounded in human rights that will govern this technology”.

For years, racial justice and civil rights advocates had been warning that this technology in law enforcement hands would be the end of privacy. It would supercharge police abuses, and it would be used to harm and target Black and Brown communities in particular.

According to Kade Crockford, Director, ACLU, banning face surveillance won’t stop systemic racism, “but it will take one powerful tool away from institutions that are responsible for upholding it”.

“The companies refused to get out of this surveillance business. It wasn’t until there was a national reckoning over anti-Black police violence and systemic racism, and these companies getting caught in activists’ crosshairs for their role in perpetuating racism, that the tech giants conceded — even if only a little,” Crockford said in a separate blog post.

“Face surveillance is the most dangerous of the many new technologies available to law enforcement. The technology is a particularly serious threat to Black people,” he added.

Maharashtra notches 114 Covid-19 deaths, cases again cross 3K

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Maharashtra notches 114 Covid-19 deaths, cases again cross 3K

Maharashtra recorded another 114 Covid-19 deaths, and cases crossed the 3,000 figure again with 3,307 new patients, 90 days after the first death was reported in the state, health officials said here on Wednesday.

With this, the state death toll climbed to 5,651 and total cases shot up to 116,752 till date. On May 11, the state recorded the highest new cases – 3,607 and on June 15, the maximum fatalities – 178.

For most days in June, the state has been recording three-digit deaths and 3,000-plus figures of new patients.

Wednesday’s figures come to roughly three deaths every 13 minutes, and a whopping 138 new cases notched every hour in the state.

The Health Department said of the total number of cases declared till date, 51,921 were active cases – and for the third consecutive day, the number has dropped, indicating a positive sign.

Despite the gloomy data on the perpetually growing number of Covid-19 deaths and cases, the state continues to record an impressive recovery rate, standing now at 50.68 percent, but also a worrisome mortality rate of 4.84 percent.

Of the total 114 fatalities, Mumbai notched 77 deaths – taking the city death toll up to 3,244, while the number of Covid-19 positive patients here went up by 1,359 cases to 61,587 now.

Dharavi – Asia’s biggest slum – continued to show improvements with only 17 new cases, taking the total to 2,106 cases while the number of fatalities were stable at 77.

Besides Mumbai’s 77 deaths, there were 22 fatalities in Pune, seven in Jalgaon, two each in Nandurbar, Malegaon and Latur, and one each in Yavatmal and Thane (Mira-Bhayander).

On the positive side, a total of 1,315 fully cured patients returned home on Wednesday, taking the number of those discharged to 59,166.

The MMR (Thane Division) remains a ‘hotspot’ with a total of 4,054 Covid-19 deaths, and the number of positive cases touching 86,512.

Thane – with 20,167 cases and 642 fatalities – has emerged as the second worst-hit district after Mumbai.

Pune district has dropped to the third position with 13,250 patients and 610 deaths till now. However, Pune Division ranks second (after MMR) with 16,023 patients and 828 deaths.

The next major region of concern is Nashik Division with 379 deaths and 4,909 positive cases, followed by Aurangabad Division with 185 fatalities and 3,600 cases, and finally Akola Division with 96 deaths and 1,895 cases.

Latur Division has 35 deaths and 695 cases, Kolhapur Division40 deaths and 1,618 patients, and finally Nagpur Division, 14 deaths and 1,402 cases.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the second phase of 1,200-bed ground hospital at Bandra Kurla Complex, a month after the first phase of the 1,000-bed facility became operational in the same premises.

The BKC hospital has 108 ICU beds and 12 for dialysis and 392 beds with oxygen, and other facilities, making these the first of its kind in the country, he said.

Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated a 1,024-bed hospital with 500 oxygen beds, 76 ICU beds, 20 beds for dialysis and triage patients, and scope to expand by another 300 beds.

Shinde said similar mega-health facilities are coming up in Kalyan-Dombivali, Badlapur and Bhiwandi towns in Thane district, the country’s second worst-hit after Mumbai district.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home-quarantine decreased from Tuesday’s 586,686 to 582,699 now, while those in institutional quarantine increased from 27,242 to 27,582.

There are as many as 80,545 beds currently available in 1,555 institutions for Covid-19 related quarantine in the state as on Wednesday.

Stanley Hospital probe denies body kept for hours next to patient

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Stanley Hospital probe denies body kept for hours next to patient

A probe committee formed by the Stanley Medical Hospital has ruled out the body of Covid-19 patient having been left lying on a ward bed for several hours, said a top hospital official.

The committee said the photograph that got circulated in the social media must have been taken when the body was about to be shifted to the mortuary and the surrounding screen were removed.

“An inquiry committee was appointed and it concluded that the body was not left on the Covid-19 ward bed for eight hours. The body was kept out of sight for others by putting a screen around the bed,” Dean P. Balaji told IANS.

A picture of a packed dead body on a bed next to another bed occupied by a patient went viral on the social media on Tuesday, prompting a probe.

The five member probe team was headed by T.Sivakumar, Head of the Department, Department of General Surgery.

The report said a 65-year-old male was admitted on June 13 and died on June 15 at 8 a.m. The death was certified and a screen was put around the bed on which the body was lying.

The body was packed as per Covid-19 norms and the papers were sent to an official for obtaining release order to send the body to the mortuary.

“The above formalities and shifting to mortuary took another hour and the patient was shifted to mortuary by 10 a.m. on June 15… the whole event took 2 hours,” the report said.

“The photograph should have been taken when the body was about to be shifted to the mortuary when the surrounding screen was removed for shifting,” the report said.

According to the committee report, as per the guidelines for safe disposal of Covid-19 body, the corporation official was informed.

“The body is usually taken from the hospital once the time slot for burial is fixed. The patient’s relatives were also informed about the death. The corporation inspector, after fixing time and place of burial and making necessary arrangements as per Government norms took the body by ambulance from the mortuary by 5.30 p.m. on June 15,” the probe report said.

Karnataka to step up random Covid testing in specific groups

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Karnataka to step up random Covid testing in specific groups

Karnataka health department has devised a random Covid testing strategy using RT-PCR pooled sample technique to examine people who generally come in contact with a large number of people, an official said on Wednesday.

“Those who are likely to come in contact with the maximum number of persons in markets, malls etc should be included in the samples as per the capacity of the districts which should be inclusive of samples collected by routine testing,” said Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar.

He said random testing strategy has been adopted to ensure effective surveillance amid rising infections.

Some of the categories of people identified by Akthar include slum dwellers, vendors and bill collectors in malls, supermarkets, footpaths and delivery boys of food chains and couriers among others.

The senior official has also advised the BBMP commissioner and district deputy commissioners to consult with local expert committees to identify more people and locations for random sample collection testing.

Real estate remains preferred asset class for investors amid Covid: Report

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Real estate remains preferred asset class for investors amid Covid: Report

Real estate continues to be a preferred asset class for investors amid the uncertainty emerging out of the pandemic, according to a report by National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and Housing.com.

Titled ‘Concerned yet positive – The Indian Real Estate Consumer (April-May 2020)’, the report showed that the real estate consumer remains positive with regard to the economic scenario and income stability for the coming six months.

“Real estate (35 percent) is still perceived as the preferred mode of investment, followed by gold (28 percent), fixed deposits (22 percent), stocks (16 percent) and home buyers, open plots are likely to slowly return to the market in the coming six months,” it said.

Price-points of residential realty have remained muted for the past few years, but are still a key deterrent, with the perception of being still unaffordable, according to nearly half of the potential homebuyers surveyed, who are currently staying in rented accommodation.

A majority of respondents surveyed (73 percent) comprise ‘first time homebuyers’, who are looking to buy a ‘ready-to-move-in-house’ for end-use and are from the age group of 25-45 years. While 60 percent of respondents opined that for the next six months, they would prefer a ready-to-move-in property, 21 percent said they were okay with a property with a delivery timeline of maximum one year.

The survey was conducted in April and May 2020, through a random sampling technique for a fair representation across regions. The insights presented in the survey represent the view of more than 3,000 potential homebuyers.

Feeling is T20 World Cup would not be possible this year: Mani

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Feeling is T20 World Cup would not be possible this year: Mani

Holding the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia as per schedule would not be possible according to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani. Mani said that holding a multi-national tournament in a bio-bubble is very difficult as opposed to doing so for a bilateral series

“We have had a lot of discussions and the feeling is it (T20 World Cup) would not be possible this year. ICC has World Cups lined up in 2021 and 2023, so we have a gap year where we can adjust this event,” Mani, who also heads the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Finance and Commercial Rights Committee, told reporters on Wednesday.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 15 but has been shrouded in doubt due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“God forbid if some player(s) falls ill or mishap occurs during the tournament, it will have a big impact and create panic in the cricket world and we can’t take that risk.

“Having a bio-bubble environment is feasible for say a bilateral series like Pakistan in England, but it is very difficult when 16 teams are involved,” he said.

Mani’s comments come on the heels of Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings saying that it is unlikely for the World Cup to be held this year.

“Trying to get 16 countries into Australia, when most countries are still going through Covid spiking, is unrealistic, or will be very, very difficult,” said Eddings.

“The country is proud of them as they sacrificed their lives while killing the enemy” : Modi

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“The country is proud of them as they sacrificed their lives while killing the enemy” : Modi

In a strong message to China after the killing of at least 20 Indian soldiers in the violent face-off with Chinese troops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India wants peace but is capable of giving a befitting reply, if instigated.

His remarks came at the sixth interaction with Chief Ministers, via video conferencing, to discuss the situation emerging post-Unlock 1.0 and plans ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have prayed for the welfare of humanity. We have always worked with neighbouring countries in a friendly way and cooperation. We have always tried that our differences should not turn into disputes. We never provoke anyone. But we can never compromise on country’s integrity and sovereignty. We have always displayed our power in protecting the country’s integrity and sovereignty,” the Prime Minister said.

“I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not be in vain. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country are most important. And no one can stop protecting our country. India wants peace but it is capable of giving a befitting reply if provoked.

“The country is proud of them as they sacrificed their lives while killing the enemy,” he added.The Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of 15 States and Union Territories, who are present in the meeting via video-conferencing today, observed a two-minute silence as a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the violent face-off.

At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15.

The violent face-off happened in Galwan valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to “unilaterally change” the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.

Prime Minister Modi has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas on June 19.

PM admitted that the spread of the virus was unequal

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PM admitted that the spread of the virus was unequal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the second of his two-part video consultations with various chief ministers on the coronavirus crisis today by stressing on the need to increase testing rates and simultaneously scale up existing health infrastructure, as well as offer support to those facing discrimination because they tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The Prime Minister, who will interact with some of the worst-affected states and plan for the way forward after the current phase of lockdown ends on June 30 , also pointed to increasing recovery rates – the number of people who fought off the virus – as a sign that the viral outbreak was being contained.

“We need to strengthen health infrastructure so we can treat every infected patient. The recovery rate is increasing but it is also important to stress on increased testing so we can quickly isolate those infected and treat them,” he said.

There are over 900 COVID-19 testing labs across the country, the Prime Minister said, adding that there were “millions of COVID special beds, thousands of quarantine and isolation centres and adequate oxygen supplies”.

“There is also an emotional aspect of this fight. We also have to make efforts to help people overcome stigma born from fear of infection. The number of people who have recovered is very high and is increasing rapidly. Therefore, if someone has coronavirus, they do not need to panic,” the Prime Minister added.

However, the increase in recovery rates – at 52.79 per cent on Wednesday evening, according to the Health Ministry – comes amid a worrying spike in fresh infections.

India reported 10,794 new cases in the preceding 24 hours, the ministry said this morning, taking the total number of cases past the 3.5 lakh-mark. This is the sixth consecutive day in which over 10,000 cases have been reported.

The surge in cases has been particularly high in national capital Delhi and financial capital Mumbai. Delhi has reported nearly 45,000 cases and Mumbai more than 60,000.

PM admitted that the spread of the virus was unequal.”In some cities, overcrowding, lack of physical distancing, movement of thousands every day… these have made the fight against coronavirus more challenging,” he explained.

The Prime Minister also reminded people to wear face masks when outside and use hand-sanitisers frequently to avoid infection.

Praising states for their role in containing the virus, the Prime Minister said the “discipline shown by the people of the country during the lockdown”, which came into force in March, had prevented exponential growth of the virus.

On Tuesday, the PM met with the leaders of 20 states to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the road ahead. He said that while economic activity would resume as lockdown restrictions are lifted, the pace of resumption would depend on the spread of infection.

He hailed the fight against the virus as the best example of cooperative federalism”.India has reported over 3.54 lakh COVID-19 cases so far, with 11,903 deaths linked to the virus. It is the fourth worst-affected country in the world, with only the United States, Brazil and Russia worse off.

Sushant and Rhea were about to get married

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Sushant and Rhea were about to get married

Its been two days actor Sushant Singh Rajput left millions of his fans to heavenly abode, but the news is still shocking and indigestible. , Moreover, the debates on how Bollywood sidelined the actor, how he lost offers due to nepotism and various issues are keeping the topic much alive, making fans to remember him 24/7.

Amid this devastating news, the more painful reports came in that Sushant was all excited to marry his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty in November. The couple had made plans for their wedding and they were also about to search for a new house in Badra to shift together post their wedding. Broker Sunny Singh said, “Sushant and Rhea were about to get married. And so they were looking for a house in Bandra.” He added that Rhea was one of his old clients and had revealed that the couple were on the lookout for a new space.

Sushant’s cousin has revealed the wedding plans to the media in his today’s interview. Though he did not take Rhea’s name, it was obvious as the actor was dating Rhea. The families, who were gearing up for the big day have collapsed with the shocking news.

Both Sushant and Rhea were one of the favourites and daily couples for paparazzi as they were often clicked together at the gym before the lockdown. Ever since Sushant’s demise, Rhea did not post anything on her social media, but she visited Cooper hospital yesterday to see her man for one last time.

Colonel Santosh Babu was killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops

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Colonel Santosh Babu was killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops

Colonel Santosh Babu, the army officer who died for the country on Monday night, was to be transferred to Hyderabad but the move was delayed by the coronavirus lockdown. He last spoke to his parents on Sunday, a day before he was killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.

Colonel Santosh Babu from Telangana and two jawans, Havildar Palani from Tamil Nadu and Sepoy Ojha from Jharkhand, were among 20 soldiers killed in the first fatal clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers since 1975.

Santosh Babu’s wife, daughter, 8, and son, 4, who live in Delhi, have been flown to Telangana.The Colonel’s parents B Upender and Manjula are in deep shock. Their only son, who had always won medals and certificates, was their north star.

In his phone call on Sunday evening with his parents, he seemed concerned about the border tension but he said it could not be discussed as it was a sensitive subject. “I told him to be careful,” said his father.

Santosh Babu told his parents not to worry, that the situation on the ground is not like it is being made out in the media. He also shared with them that he had just congratulated his younger sister and brother-in-law on their wedding anniversary.

Yesterday, the officer’s parents could not believe at first that he had been killed in action.”We are under deep shock. We could not believe it when we got to know about our son. I could not believe it as he was very brave. In the last fifteen years, he had been very successful. I immediately asked an officer. Later, several officers of the Army contacted me directly on phone. They said they are making arrangements to get the body from that place to Suryapet,” B Upender said.

The retired banker said he always wanted his son to join the army, something he could not do. “I could not join the army and serve my country. So I wanted my son to join the defence forces and serve our country though my relatives discouraged the idea.”

“I am both sad and proud. My son has laid down his life for the country. As a mother I am sad. He was my only son,” Colonel Babu’s mother Manjula said, breaking down frequently as she faced the cameras.

Santosh Babu was in the 16 Bihar regiment as Commanding Officer.He joined the Army in 2004 and was first posted in Jammu and Kashmir, according to his father.Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed his grief over the death of Colonel Babu.

“Colonel Santosh has sacrificed his life for the nation and his sacrifice cannot be valued in any terms,” said the Chief Minister, announcing that his government would support the family anyway it could.

Film frat pay homage to Galwan martyrs

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Film frat pay homage to Galwan martyrs

Celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Mahesh Babu and Taapsee Pannu among many others have paid homage to soldiers who were martyred during a face-off with China in Ladakhs Galwan Valley.

Twenty Indian army men were killed in an unprecedented violent clash with Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday night, Indian Army said on Tuesday.

Here’s what they have tweeted:

Amitabh Bachchan: “They sacrificed their lives to protect our country, to keep us safe and secure. SALUTE Indian Army Officers and Jawans! JAI HIND.”

Akshay Kumar: “Deeply saddened by the death of our Bravehearts in #GalwanValley. We will forever be indebted to them for their invaluable service to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to their families.”

Hrithik Roshan: “It leaves me with a heavy heart to know of the lives lost in Ladakh & the unrest we are faced with. Our defence stands tall on the ground. My highest respect to the martyred in the line of duty. Condolences & prayers for their families. May the departed & living find peace.”

Ajay Devgn: “Salute every soldier who laid down his life protecting India’s border & honour. Jai Jawan, Jai Bharat. RIP Brave Hearts. My thoughts are with your families during this hour. #GalwanValley #IndianArmy.”

Mahesh Babu: “Deeply disturbed and saddened to learn that our soldiers were martyred at #GalwanValley. Your sacrifice for the nation will forever be etched in our hearts. We salute your bravery and patriotism. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Jai Hind.”

Sanjay Dutt: “Mourning the loss of our brave jawaans who were martyred at #GalwanValley. My condolences to their families & salute to the Indian Army who has always put the nation first! #JaiHind.”

Taapsee Pannu: “As if Corona was not enough to fight with now we have to lose our brave hearts as well! Every soldier martyred is a loss no one can compensate for. The families of those soldiers lost their peace for a long time to come so that we all can have a sound sleep. Indebted.”

Sonakshi Sinha: “We will forever be indebted to you’ll and all those who fight for us putting their lives at stake. With utmost respect, deepest condolences to their families. #neverforget.”

Rakul Preet Singh: “Just at loss of words for what 2020 has subjected us to. The brave hearts Martyred at the #GalwanValley comes as another terrible news. My heart goes out to their families. The nation salutes you #JaiHind #IndianArmy what will it take for peace to prevail.”

Abhishek Bachchan: “Salute and respect to our soldiers in #GalwanValley. Deepest condolences to their families and their brothers and sisters in the forces. #JaiHind.”

Huma Qureshi: “Heartbroken about the death of our brave soldiers #GalwanValley We are forever indebted to the sacrifice of our bravehearts.”

Kajal Aggarwal: “A big salute to our Indian soldiers who were martyred at #GalwanValley Om shanti my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.”

Riteish Deshmukh: “I bow down to every martyred soldier. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Deepest condolences to the families of these great sons. Our Brothers. #GalwanValley #JaiHindKiSena.”

Ronit Roy: “Salute to all the Indian Army personnel who lost theirs lives in the #GalwanValley while protecting the nation. Condolences and prayers to their families. Amar Rahega Veer jawan! Salute. Jai Hind.”

Hansika Motwani: “Salute to our Indian soldiers who were martyred at #GalwanValley. Let’s pray for the bereaved families. My deepest condolences to their families???? #saluttothebravehearts #RIP brave hearts #JaiHind #IndianArmy.”

Esha Deol: “RIP brave hearts.”

Realme X3, Realme X3 SuperZoom phones to launch in India on June 25

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Realme X3, Realme X3 SuperZoom phones to launch in India on June 25

Realme on Wednesday confirmed that it will launch Realme X3 and Realme X3 SuperZoom smartphones in India on June 25.

“The X you are waiting for is here! We are not only bringing you 60X Super Zoom but also bringing Super Speed with our new flagship #realmeX3 and #realmeX3SuperZoom. Unveiling on 25 June at 12:30PM,” tweeted Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme and CEO, Realme India.

Realme X3 Super Zoom with 5x optical zoom and 120Hz display was launched in Europe last month at 499 euros.

Realme X3 Super Zoom features a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC, up to 12GB of RAM.

The smartphone houses a quad-rear camera setup carrying a primary 64MP sensor, an 8MP ultrawide-angle lens, another 8MP periscope-style lens setup for 5x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom and a 2MP macro lens.

The smartphone is backed by a 4,200mAh battery and supports 30W fast charge via USB Type-C port.

Meanwhile, Realme X3 may sport a 6.57-inch FHD+ display, an octa-core processor paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

It is also likely to have a 4,100mAh battery and come with a quad rear camera setup, with a 48MP primary sensor and an 8MP secondary sensor.

Avast appoints Nick Viney to lead Telco, IoT security business

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Avast appoints Nick Viney to lead Telco, IoT security business

Digital security provider Avast on Wednesday announced the appointment of industry veteran Nick Viney as Senior Vice President and General Manager for its Telco, Internet of Things (IoT) and Family business unit.

In his role, Viney will oversee Avast’s global strategy for the business unit and will lead the development of the company’s position in smart home security while expanding its overall portfolio of security products and partners including telecommunications providers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Viney joins Avast from Cyber 1, a publicly listed enterprise cybersecurity provider, where he was Group CEO.

Prior to that, he held Regional Vice President roles at McAfee in both the consumer and corporate sectors during his time there.

“Avast is a company I have long admired for its commitment to innovation, focus on the customer and for its mission to make the world a safer place for everyone, particularly the most vulnerable in our society,” Viney said on his appointment.

“These are values I have stood by throughout my entire career and I’m looking forward to leading some important projects for the company that are tackling real-world cybersecurity problems and issues for consumers today.”

Viney also held leadership positions within the consumer, SMB and enterprise business units at Google and Microsoft.

His experience covers multiple channels to market including the mobile and carrier sector and the IoT market as well as OEM and retail.

People saw decrease in sexual behaviour during Covid-19: Study

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People saw decrease in sexual behaviour during Covid-19: Study

One in five adults in the US have experienced change — mostly a decrease — in their sexual behavior during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers said.

The study examined changes in solo and partnered sexual behaviors from mid-March to mid-April in an effort to learn more about Americans’ sex lives and relationships during the first month of social distancing.

“Our data illustrate the very personal ways in which different pandemic-associated factors may create or inhibit opportunities for solo and partnered sex,” said study co-author Devon Hensel from Indiana University in the US.

The study, published in the preprint repository medRxiv, used the US nationally representative probability survey of adults to look at changes in 10 solo and partnered sexual behavior categories.

Across all the 10 behaviors studied, 50 percent of participants reported no change or stability in their sexual behaviors over in the period under survey.

Another third of the participants reported that they had either increased or decreased in some behaviors. The most common behaviours to increase and decrease were the same.

Among the participants reporting an increase in sexual behaviour, the most common increases were hugging, kissing, cuddling or holding hands with a partner. Similarly, those reporting decreases mentioned the same sexual behaviours — hugging, kissing, cuddling, or holding hands.

The study found that participants with any children at home under the age of five were three times more likely to report increased hugging, kissing, cuddling or holding hands with a partner in the period under survey, while having elementary-aged children was often linked to decreased reports of these behaviours.

Those findings could be attributed, the study said, to parents of smaller children being able to better maintain pre-pandemic schedules and routines.

Likewise, parents of small children could have reported an increase in hugging, kissing, cuddling or holding hands because it is part of group/family interactions such as family cuddles.

In terms of mental health factors, the study found that depressive symptoms and loneliness were associated with both reduced partnered bonding behaviours, such as hugging, cuddling, holding hands and kissing, as well as reduced partnered sexual behaviours.

The researchers said these mental health factors could be attributed to social distancing measures, which, while necessary, can exacerbate feelings of depression and loneliness for some people.

“This study is a reminder that pandemics impact every aspect of the human experience, including sexuality,” Hensel wrote.

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