Buses are back on the road in Bangalore

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Buses are back on the road in Bangalore

Bengaluru has started to look more like its pre-lockdown version. From Tuesday morning, buses are back on the road – with fewer passengers permitted. Autorickshaws – with their distinctive green and yellow colours – are also back. And taxis can be hired once again. All this is of course outside containment zones which continue to have only essential services.
But difficulties remain. One auto driver, Chandrashekar, told NDTV, “They have allowed autos, but there are no passengers. I have had only two. We are just driving around and waiting.”

Transport Minister Laxman Savadi said, “Except for the red zones, the cantonment area, public transport will be there in all areas. There will be restrictions – only 30 people allowed in a bus. Even in taxis, Ola, Uber, autos, it will be one plus three in taxis and one plus two in autos. But on Sundays, they will not be allowed.”

All shops outside the containment zones were allowed to open. Parks were open from Tuesday morning, which was a relief for many. There were queues of walkers and joggers outside the well-known Lalbagh.

But the response on easing of restrictions was mixed from the public.One man said, “For the economy it is good. But for coronavirus recovery it is difficult. It may spread more. But we cannot be in the house only for all things.”

Another expressed his concern about the bus services. “Running BMTC is dangerous. They can’t clean each seat, each time. What if someone who has coronavirus comes and sits on the seat?” he said.

Another man said, “The only hope is if mandatory distancing is maintained in public, private vehicles along with masks. But I find that is missing. My worry is let us pray the cases don’t increase. It is one lakh today in India.”

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal Secular said, “The state government has taken the decision to relax the lockdown restrictions without proper preparation. Even today people are suffering – coming on the streets and facing a lot of problems. The government is unnecessarily giving problems to people.”

Karnataka has decided against allowing travellers from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to enter the state till the end of May. People arriving from other states will have to undergo two weeks institutional quarantine.

Aakash Chopra faced a lot of flak from fans on social media

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Aakash Chopra faced a lot of flak from fans on social media

Aakash Chopra, former India Test cricketer, has made a name for himself as an analyst. However, Aakash Chopra, while naming his 14-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, decided to leave out former India captain MS Dhoni and faced a lot of flak from fans on social media. In a chat with former India fast-bowler Ajit Agarkar, Chopra recalled that he had to turn off social media for few days as he and his children were abused by fans.

“You had a very strong opinion and I aligned with your opinion regarding MS Dhoni’s selection. I had to turn of social media for a few days, received so much abuse. Once it started, it reached my home and they even abused my children,” Aakash Chopra told Ajit Agarkar.During the chat, Agarkar said that he still is unsure about MS Dhoni taking the field in the World Cup.

“Dhoni has not played since almost an year now but a call on retirement is his and whether to pick him or not is entirely up to the selectors,” Agarkar had said.MS Dhoni last played for India during the 2019 World Cup semi-final and has not taken the field since then.

Dhoni was set to lead Chennai Super Kings in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League but the Board of Control for Cricket in India postponed the lucrative league indefinitely as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.

OLA to lay off 1,400 employees, says revenue down 95% in 2 months

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OLA to lay off 1,400 employees, says revenue down 95% in 2 months

Ride-hailing major Ola has decided to lay off 1,400 employees amid the coronavirus crisis.

Outlining the severe impact of the pandemic on the industry and the company, in an email to the employees on Wednesday, co-founder & CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal on Wednesday said OLA’a revenue over the past two months has come down by 95 percent.

“In these circumstances, today I write to all of you with the toughest decision I have ever taken — the need to downsize our organization and let go of 1,400 of our valued employees,” Aggarwal said in his mail.

The CEO said the crisis has affected the livelihoods of millions of the partner drivers and their families across India and in the international geographies.

“In this moment, various teams across the group have pursued, in spite of the many constraints, to serve drivers, citizens, and the nation at large,” the note from Aggarwal said.

He said this will be a one-time exercise and will be complete by the end of the week for India mobility business and by the end of next week for Ola foods and Ola Financial Services. No more COVID related cuts will be done after this exercise, the mail added.

The CEO, in his mail to the employees, noted that this crisis necessitates the need to conserve cash aggressively so that we are able to invest in opportunities in the future.

“While we restructure our organization to the new realities of our business, we are also going to recommit ourselves to strengthening our operational excellence and leverage a lot more technology to improve efficiencies and reduce cost across all parts of our business. We are increasing our investments and adding people capabilities in R&D across the group through this crisis to double down on innovation and engineering”.

He said during Wednesday-Saturday, the HR team will have one-on-one conversations with each and every one of the impacted employees, adding the company has tried to bring together a comprehensive benefits plan that will ensure that every single team member affected is given maximum support on all fronts — financial, healthcare, emotional, and career-support.

Every affected employee will receive a minimum financial payout of three months of their fixed salary, irrespective of the notice period. Beyond this, those employees who have spent significantly more time with OLA will be eligible for higher payouts depending on tenure, according to Aggarwal’s mail.

Further, all eligible ESOPs will vest forward to the closest quarter. For those who may not have completed a year, as an exception, the company will enable pro-rated vesting for the period of time spent with it.

All affected employees will be able to continue using their medical, life and accident insurance cover for themselves and their families up to December 31, 2020, or the start of their next job whichever is earlier, to help minimize the financial burden of health and other risks.

“We have taken a decision to offer medical insurance for up to 2 parents (or in-laws) to each employee. This parental insurance will cover parents for all pre-existing ailments up to the age of 90, for a sum of Rs 2 lakh. This insurance will continue for all our departing colleagues till 31st Dec 2020 or the start of their next job whichever is earlier,” he told the employees.

Further, the Ola Talent Acquisition team would help regarding outplacement support for as many people and in helping find suitable roles for them outside Ola.

Coronavirus cases in Russia cross 300,000-mark

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Coronavirus cases in Russia cross 300,000-mark

The total number of coronavirus cases in Russia on Wednesday crossed the 300,000-mark with 8,764 fresh cases being reported in the last 24 hours, according to the authorities.

The total number of cases in the country now stands at 308,705, the emergency task force said.

Over the same period, 135 people died, raising the death toll to 2,972, while 9,262 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 85,392, Anadolu Agency reported.

The country continues mass testing for COVID-19 in an attempt to detect the disease in the early stages when it is less contagious.

As many as 7.1 million tests have been carried out so far, finding 273,000 people with the suspected virus.

Despite strict measures, which include lockdown of the capital Moscow, ban on entry of foreigners and stateless people, and suspension of international air and railway traffic, Russia is the second-worst coronavirus-hit country in terms of the number of cases.

Three top Russian officials, including Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, are being treated in hospital for the coronavirus, while three more were earlier discharged after recovery.

The pandemic has claimed more than 323,400 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in China last December. The US and Europe are currently the world’s worst-hit regions.

More than 4.9 million cases have been reported worldwide and nearly 1.7 million people have recovered to date, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The death count due to COVID-19 raise in INDIA

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The death count due to COVID-19 raise in INDIA

The death count due to COVID-19 raise to 3,303 and the number of cases climbed to 1,06,750 in the country today, registering an increase of 140 deaths and a record spike of 5,611 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 61,149, while 42,297 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray urged people not to step out of their homes in red zones like Mumbai, Pune and surrounding areas. The state has recorded 37,136 cases. Mumbai will not see any relaxations of the lockdown, and with a rising number of cases and the city’s tally reaching 21,335, Mumbai will completely focus on reducing the number of cases, the Guardian Minister for Mumbai, Aslam Shaikh told NDTV.

Passenger train service will expand from the existing 15 trains to more than 200 starting next month. The service will involve non-air conditioned trains, which had not been allowed so far. The 15 trains that have been running since May 12, are air-conditioned trains and the passengers are required to maintain rules of social distancing and use masks and sanitisers.

One of the worst storms to hit Bay of Bengal

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One of the worst storms to hit Bay of Bengal

Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years, is likely to hit Bengal this evening between 4 and 6 PM. Amphan weakened from a super cyclone to an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Tuesday, causing strong winds and heavy rain in parts of Odisha and Bengal as it advanced towards the Indian coast.

This afternoon, the storm lay centered over northwest Bay of Bengal, just 95 km from West Bengal’s Digha town. Officials anticipate massive destruction when the cyclone strikes.

The storm is expected to pack winds gusting up to 185 kilometres per hour when it crosses West Bengal’s Digha and Hatiya island of Bangladesh where around 20 million have been moved to over 12,000 shelters.

It is only the second “super cyclone” to form in the northeastern Indian Ocean since records began. Indian Navy is on “high alert” on the east coast for relief efforts, an official statement said.

Big B asks people to ‘quarantine the bitterness’

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Big B asks people to ‘quarantine the bitterness’

Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday shared a post urging people to let go of bitterness.

” Ayie man me kisi kone me kisi ke bare me padi kadwahat ko quarantine kare kya pata koi rishta ventilator par jaane se ruk jaye (Let’s quarantine the bitterness lying in some corner of our mind. Who knows, this way we might prevent a relationship from being put on a ventilator),” Big B wrote.

Along with it, he posted a video that shows him smiling as he places his hand on his heart.

Reacting to the post, a user commented: “Rightly said.”

Another one replied: “Much needed advice.”

On the film front, the veteran actor will be seen sharing screen space with Ayushmann Khurrana in Shoojit Sircar’s “Gulabo Sitabo”, which will release on Amazon Prime Video on June 12.

Nepal PM blaming India for the spread of coronavirus

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Nepal PM blaming India for the spread of coronavirus

After a “new map” claiming parts of Indian territory, Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli has delivered a new shocker in his offensive against India. Virus from India “looks more lethal” than Chinese and Italian, Mr Oli said in a speech in parliament, blaming India for the spread of coronavirus cases in his country.

“Those who are coming from India through illegal channels are spreading the virus in the country and some local representatives and party leaders are responsible for bringing in people from India without proper testing,” Mr Oli said in his speech in Tuesday, his first in parliament since a major health scare.

“It has become very difficult to contain COVID-19 due to the flow of people from outside. Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian now. More are getting infected,” said the Nepal PM, in comments that have baffled New Delhi and outraged officials in India.

This has escalated the rift between India and Nepal over a new road inaugurated by India.In the same speech, his first in parliament since a health scare, Mr Oli also said Nepal would “bring back at any cost” the Kalapani-Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh area, which is part of Indian territory.

Recently, the Nepal cabinet had endorsed a new political map incorporating Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani, which are part of Indian territory.

India and Nepal share a 1,800 km (1,118-mile) open border. The Lipulekh Pass is claimed by Nepal based on the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli it entered with the British colonial rulers to define its western border with India.

Kathmandu also claims the highly strategic areas of Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, although Indian troops have been deployed there since New Delhi fought a war with China in 1962.

After a new road was inaugurated on May 8 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh connecting the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand with Kailash Mansarovar route in China, Nepal has protested against it and is also considering putting up a security post in the area.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the road going through Uttarakhand”s Pithoragarh district “lies completely within the territory of India”.

It had said that the road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. “Under the present project, the same road has been made pliable for the ease and convenience of pilgrims, locals, and traders,” the foreign ministry said.

Rana Daggubati broke the news of his personal life

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Rana Daggubati broke the news of his personal life

A week back Tollywood Hulk Rana Daggubati broke the news of his personal life that he is seeing Miheeka Bajaj, a wedding planner and will tie knot soon.

After this, Rana’s father and producer Suresh Babu reportedly told that the wedding might be held in December. For this families of both Daggubati and Bajaj need to meet first and discuss many things.

The first step for Rana and Miheeka wedding is going to be laid today as Daggubati and Bajaj families will be meeting today. Around 4’o clock this afternoon, both the families will gather. Today morning there are several reports on social media that Rana’s Engagement is happening today, but all those reports are false, this is just a family gathering today, said a close source.

Firstly it will be the engagement and then the wedding ceremony. Most probably a date of engagement will be finalized in this meeting, said the sources.

But we are not sure whether the media will be informed about the developments as Suresh Babu prefers to keep things in low key.

Superstar Mohanlal is 60 years ‘young’

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Superstar Mohanlal is 60 years ‘young’

One of Kerala’s most popular sons — superstar Mohanlal who has crossed numerous milestones in a career spanning four decades — is turning 60.

Winner of five national awards, for those in the industry he is Lal, but those who consider him near refer to him as ‘Laletten’.

According to the Malayalam almanac, his birthday was on Tuesday but according to the Christian calendar it falls on Thursday.

Already celebrations have begun, but in a low key manner on account of the lockdown norms in place.

By now, his Fans Associations have delivered the traditional Kerala Sadya (lunch) to his dearest friends at their homes.

The star is locked up at his Chennai residence and is busy on his mobile connecting with his close friends who have been with him since his glittering screen career began way back in 1978, when he did his first film ‘Thiranottam’ .

Speaking to IANS, his closest friend who has been with him since their college days, leading producer Sureshkumar who has produced six blockbusters said, not a day passes by without them having a chat on the mobile.

“It was just the other day when I told him that Priyadarshan (ace director) and I have already turned 60 and he also will soon. I said though we are 60, we feel like we are 18, soon he corrected me and said not 18 but 16. Such is Lal and let me tell you, we continue to be as naughty as in our heydays,” said Sureshkumar.

Sureshkumar’s family includes his yesteryear actor wife – Maneka, elder daughter Revathy,- who is an assistant to Priyadarshan and worked with the superstar and his national best actor award winning younger daughter Keerthi, who has acted with Lal.

“We are a family, each one of us have worked with him in one or the other way. My wife has been his co-star in a number of films, the younger daughter was his co-star, while the elder one has worked with him in a few films behind the scenes. We know him inside out and we all wish him a great year ahead and an extremely busy greater career,” said Sureshkumar.

The trio of Lal, Sureshkumar and Priyan began their careers together and catapulted each other to great heights through films like “Aram + Aram Kinnaram”, “Poochekuoru Mukuthi”.

By now he has acted in over 340 films, which include other south Indian languages too. But for the first time in his career, he has been sitting idle ever since the lockdown began.

Jagdish, a co-actor in many of Lal’s memorable films like “Hey Auto” and numerous others said Mohanlal is a superlative actor and one who can go to any extent to make his character stand out.

“We have had a great working career extending to more than three decades and today I am his deputy in the AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) where he is the president. We wish him all the best,” said Jagdish.

Even during the lockdown, last month Lal interacted with State Health Minister K.K.Shailaja and about 250 health professionals across Kerala and appreciated their great service to the society.

The highlight of the nearly one hour long interaction was when he sang a hugely popular Malayalam film song, “lokem muzhuven sukem pakeran ayi snehadeepeme mizhi thureku” from the film ‘Snehadeepame Mizhi Thurakku’ which released in 1972 and is directed by P. Bhaskaran.

The superstar profusely thanked each and every health worker who is doing yeoman service for society and pointed to them that the coming days are crucial for the state.

Popular Malayalam director Tulasidas who has directed 34 films which include two popular Lal films said he has been fortunate to work with practically all leading stars in the industry.

“I will say, when it comes to Lal, he is the easiest to work with as he has no hang ups and interacts with everyone including the light and food boys. A highlight is that on the sets he always addresses the director as only ‘Sir’ and he does not give any tension to anyone in the sets. And another feature is if by any chance he is having any tension, it’s also evident on his face. He called me last week to find out how I am managing the lockdown. I did wish him then in advance,” said Tulasidas.

Mohanlal’s film, directed by Priyadarshan, “Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham” is currently held up on account of the lockdown.

In 2009, he was inducted into the Territorial Army as a (Hon) Lt.Colonel.

One of the first films that he is scheduled to do after the lockdown ends is produced by his closest aide, Antony Perumbavoor, and is a sequel ‘Drishyam -2′, the first one released in 2013 turned out to be one of the all time biggest grossers.

And now all eyes are on his debut directorial venture “Barroz’, which is a 3 D film and is expected to go on the floors next year. Portugal has been shortlisted as the location for the shooting.

Janhvi on house help testing COVID-19 positive: Staying at home the best solution

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Janhvi on house help testing COVID-19 positive: Staying at home the best solution

After a domestic help in their residence tested COVID-19 positive, actress Janhvi Kapoor has urged everyone to stay indoors, saying being at home is still the best solution.

“Staying at home is still the best solution we have. Stay safe everyone,” wrote Janhvi on Instagram.

Along with the note, she shared the detailed statement her father, producer Boney Kapoor, has posted on Tuesday while declaring that Charan Sahu, a house help at the Kapoor residence, had tested positive. “Myself, my children and the other staff at home are all fine and none of us is showing any symptoms. In fact, we haven’t left our home since the lockdown started. We are thankful to Govt of Maharashtra and BMC for their swift response. We shall be diligently following the instructions and advice given to us by BMC and their medical team. We are sure that Charan (the house help) would soon recover and be back at home with us,” went Boney Kapoor’s statement.

The domestic help Charan Sahu, aged 23, has been living with Kapoor and his family at their residence in Green Acres, Lokhandwala Complex. He had been unwell since Saturday evening, and Kapoor sent him for a test. Charan tested COVID-19 positive, following which he was kept in isolation. Subsequently, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and government staff arrived at the Kapoor residence and took away Charan for quarantine.

UP prison inmates make masks, listen to ‘jail radios’ amid lockdown (IANS Special)

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UP prison inmates make masks, listen to ‘jail radios’ amid lockdown (IANS Special)

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh began taking all precautionary measures in the state’s jails even before the nationwide lockdown was enforced from March 25 onwards, including thermal screening and manufacture of sanitizers and face masks etc, a senior officer said.

In a telephonic interview with IANS, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (Prisons), Anand Kumar, said that an alert had been sounded to state jails on March 12 even as the coronavirus threat was looming large over the country so as to ensure the safety of both inmates and jail staff. Thermal screening was provided in jails as a precautionary measure.

The task of manufacture of face masks, sanitisers and soaps was also taken up around that time. “Till May 7, jail inmates have manufactured around 11.49 lakh face masks, out of which 8 lakh have since been provided to government and non-governmental organizations. Also, the inmates and jail staff are using face masks. The manufacture of masks is still continuing,” the DGP (Prisons) said.

The senior IPS officer said that the ‘jail radios’ were also coming in handy to fight the stress and anxiety among inmates amid the coronavirus scare in the country.

Prisons Department spokesman Santosh Verma said that these radio systems were currently in operation in 26 jails, including those in Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Gorakhpur, Itawah, Agra, Lucknow, and Noida.

Verma said that these jail radios had helped prisoners keep themselves busy during the nationwide lockdown. Exchange of news and views through these radios have kept the jail inmates abreast of what is happening in the outside world. Interestingly, these jail radios are operated by prisoners, with jail staff having nothing the do with the endeavour.

Official sources said that the 71 jails in Uttar Pradesh house more than 90,000 undertrials and convicted prisoners. As the coronavirus threat loomed large, authorities paroled out 2,251 convicted and 13,453 undertrial prisoners. So, there are still over 75,000 prisoners lodged in state jails.

Ten of the 71 jails in Uttar Pradesh are said to be overcrowded — Moradabad, Jaunpur, Lalitpur, Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Devaria, Mathura, Varanasi, Shahjahanpur and Itawah. As for the numbers, the Prayagraj jail is the most overcrowded, lodging over 4,000 inmates as compared with its capacity of 2,060 prisoners only.

DGP Kumar said that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the jails, 56 temporary jails were set up in 45 districts of Uttar Pradesh. As many as 783 prisoners are lodged there, including 538 Indians and 245 foreigners, so that inmates lodged in regular jails were saved from the spread of coronavirus.

Verma said that 100 PPE kits have so far been made in Meerut jail, costing Rs 600 each. He pointed out that a face mask costing Rs 95 was available in the markets outside at five-six times this cost.

The work of making PPE kits was also going on in Lucknow Model Jail. At least 132 kits have so far been supplied to Balrampur hospital.

DGP Kumar said that they had made efforts to provide sewing machines in jails which so far did not have these, in order to speed up the manufacture of face masks.

As for coronavirus cases reported in different jails, the senior officer said that the death of an inmate in Agra jail had come to light. “However, we are trying everything possible to ensure that the jail inmates across Uttar Pradesh are saved from the threat of coronavirus,” he added.

Warner & wife wish Telugu star Jr NTR on birthday

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Warner & wife wish Telugu star Jr NTR on birthday

Australia cricketer David Warner on Wednesday wished Jr NTR, one of the most popular actors in the Telugu film industry, on his 37th birthday.

Warner and his wife Candice wished NTR in a unique style by dancing to the tunes of one of his most popular songs “pakka local” from the movie ‘Janatha Garage’ released in 2016.

“Happy birthday Jr NTR have a great day. We tried but wow the dance is fast,” Warner posted alongside a TikTok video on his Instagram account.

Earlier, Warner and his family had also danced to the tunes of ‘Ramuloo Ramulaa’ and ‘Butta Bomma’ from the Telugu movie ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’.

On Tuesday, Warner posted a TikTok video wherein he, his wife and his two daughters were seen shaking their legs on popular Punjabi number “Slowly Slowly” sung by Guru Randhawa. “Yes we have lost it now. Glow in the dark night,” Warner had captioned the post.

Last week, the swashbuckling Australian opener and his wife were seen slaying the hook steps of superhit Bollywood song from the 90s, Muqabla featuring Indian dance icon Prabhu Deva. Before that, he was seen grooving to the tunes of popular Bollywood number ‘Shiela Ki Jawani’ along with his daughter.

In normal circumstances, with no outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent shutdowns, Warner would have been currently leading Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League which now stands postponed.

Anushka Sharma: Success of ‘Paatal Lok’ is because of its content

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Anushka Sharma: Success of ‘Paatal Lok’ is because of its content

Anushka Sharma is naturally “overwhelmed” with all the accolades her new production, the web series “Pataal Lok”, has received.

“I’m overwhelmed with the love and adulation that the audience and critics have showered on our labour of love ‘Paatal Lok’. The success of ‘Paatal Lok’ is because of its content. In today’s day and age, superlative content is truly the most important yardstick and (her brother) Karnesh and I, at (their production house) Clean Slate Filmz, have always looked to give the audience something that they might have never seen before,” Anushka said.

“As a producer who is also an actor, I have only tried to entertain through innovative, highly engaging and clutter-breaking storytelling,” she declared.

Anushka, who stepped into film production in 2015 with “NH10” at the age of 25, says she has brought her learnings as an actor at play.

“Karnesh and I realised quite early that content landscape was going to witness a massive change as we get more and more exposed to global content, and I have tried to bring my learnings on this as an actor at play with Karnesh at Clean Slate Filmz.”

Anushka says the success of “Paatal Lok” validates her production company’s strategic focus on content curation.

“Despite being a young production house, we have stuck our neck out and thankfully our instinctive content choices have stood out. It has been a huge learning experience for all of us at Clean Slate Filmz as we have taken baby steps into having a razor-sharp focus on content curation. The success of ‘Paatal Lok’ is a massive validation of our beliefs, planning and curation strategies.”

Anushka credits the entire team of the web-series for the success and says she has learnt as a producer in the process.

“We share this incredible moment with our entire team, who have shared our vision and taught us many things in the process. ‘Paatal Lok’ creator Sudip Sharma has been the captain of the team, leading from the front. It is his brilliance that has captured the underbelly from a lens that’s unique, inspiring and discomforting,” she said.

“The directors of the show, Prosit Roy and Avinash Arun Dhaware, have starkly and breathtakingly brought alive the rawness of the script on screen and our exceptionally talented cast led by Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee and the likes of Swastika Mukherjee, Niharika, Jagjeet, Gul Panag, Ishwak, Asif Basra, among others have poured their hearts out to translate the magic of script to screen,” she added.

Gold prices rise amid global uncertainty, silver gains

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Gold prices rise amid global uncertainty, silver gains

Gold prices in India rose on Wednesday amid the economic uncertainty and the gains in prices of the yellow metal in the global markets.

Currently, the June contract of Gold on the MCX is trading at Rs 47,275 per 10 gm, higher by Rs 225 or 0.48 percent from its previous close.

The June contract of gold on COMEX was at $1,752 per ounce, higher by 0.4 percent from its previous close.

Bachhraj Bamalwa, a Kolkata-based jeweler, said that as the economic scenario is not stable globally, investors are moving towards gold. Investors generally turn to gold in times of uncertainty as it is considered as a safe haven asset.

However, Bamalwa, who is also a former Chairman of the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, noted that due to the restrictions and lockdown globally to combat the COvid-19 pandemic, there is not much demand in the physical markets, including the major jewelry manufacturing industries of Italy and Turkey. The major demand is coming from international gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

In the domestic spot market, the yellow metal is currently trading at around Rs 48,900 per 10 gm, against the previous closing level of Rs 48,500, he said.

On Monday, both in the spot and futures market, gold touched record levels of Rs 49,700 and Rs 47,980 per 10 gm, respectively, before slipping from the highs.

Silver futures also surged on Wednesday. The July contract of silver on the MCX is currently trading at Rs 49,450 per kg, higher by Rs 629 or 1.29 percent from its previous close.

IIT-Guwahati finds new ways to prevent memory loss due to Alzheimer’s

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IIT-Guwahati finds new ways to prevent memory loss due to Alzheimer’s

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) on Wednesday said its researchers have discovered new ways that can help prevent or reduce short-term memory losses associated with the Alzheimers disease.

The research team explored new ways to prevent the accumulation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain that are associated with short-term memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease.

They reported some methods such as the application of low-voltage electric field and the use of ‘trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain.

The idea of using ‘Trojan peptide’ comes from mythological “Trojan Horse” used as subterfuge by the Greeks in the battle of ‘Troy’.

“Approximately hundred potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease have failed between 1998 and 2011, which shows the gravity of the problem,” lead researcher Vibin Ramakrishnan, Professor, Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, IIT-G, said in a statement.

A defining hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of Amyloid beta peptides in the brain. The research team seeks methods to reduce the accumulation of these peptides, in order to arrest the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Last year, the IIT-G researchers found that application of a low-voltage, the safe electrical field can reduce the formation and accumulation of toxic neurodegenerative molecules that cause short-term memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.

They found that external electric/magnetic field modulates the structure of these peptide molecules, thereby preventing aggregation.

“Upon exposure to an electric field, we could retard the degeneration of nerve cells to an extent of 17–35 per cent. This would translate to about 10 years delay in the onset of the disease,” said Dr Ramakrishnan.

Working further in this area, the research team explored the possibility of using ‘Trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of these neurotoxic molecules.

They have designed ‘Trojan peptides’ by adopting a similar approach of ‘deceit’ to impede the aggregation of the amyloid peptide, arrest the formation of toxic fibrillar assemblies, and reduce poisoning of nerve cells that leads to memory loss.

“Our research has provided a different path that may extend the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it would take testing in animal models and clinical trials before bringing in such new therapeutic approaches into human treatment,” the researchers noted.

Strong winds, heavy rain in south Bengal districts

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Strong winds, heavy rain in south Bengal districts

Cyclone Amphan, which has weakened from a super cyclone to an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’, is likely to make landfall in Bengal between Wednesday afternoon and evening even as strong winds accompanied by heavy rain lashed different south Bengal districts since morning.

Amphan (pronounced UM-PUN) lay 155-km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha, 177-km south of Digha and 260 km from West Bengal capital Kolkata. It has moved towards the north-northeast with a speed of 22 km/hour during the past 6 hours.

According to MeT department sources, Amphan will move towards north-northeast and pass through the West Bengal-Bangladesh coastline between Digha and Hatiya Island, located close to Sunderbans region, with a wind speed of 155-165 km/hour gusting to 185 km/hour.

Over 3 lakh people have already been evacuated from the coastal districts of West Bengal, including East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, and North 24-Parganas.

Other south Bengal districts like West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, and Kolkata will also experience heavy rain during the cyclonic spell — one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal since 1999.

Meanwhile, the departure of 02301 Howrah-New Delhi AC Special Express has been canceled in view of cyclone Amphan on Wednesday, eastern Railway (ER) sources said. Similarly, 02302 New Delhi-Howrah AC Special Express on May 21 will also remain canceled.

West Bengal disaster management authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation. A control room has been opened at the state Secretariat Nabanno.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has formed a task force spearheaded by Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, which will monitor relief-and-rescue operations during cyclone Amphan.

Sources said that at least seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in six West Bengal districts including East Midnapore, West Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah.

At least 12 NDRF teams have also been kept on stand-by as the cyclonic storm is likely to hit a large part of the coastal districts with “very heavy rainfall”.

Besides West Bengal, a warning has also been issued for Odisha, Sikkim, and Meghalaya till Thursday.

Daily internet use may lead to social isolation

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Daily internet use may lead to social isolation

Spending too much time using the internet? Read this carefully. Researchers have found that older adults who go online every day are more likely to be socially isolated than those who use the internet less frequently.

Published in the journal Ageing and Society, the study examined data from 4,492 adults in England, with an average age of 64. Overall, 19 per cent reported high levels of loneliness and 33 per cent were classified as socially isolated.

“Our findings suggest that older adults who reported using the internet weekly or monthly may have a better balance between their real-world and online contacts, and it’s possible that many in this category are simply too busy to go online every day,” said study lead author Stephanie Stockwell from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK.

Social isolation is an objective measure of a person’s social relationships, including the size and diversity of their social network, and the frequency of contact. The research, which took place before COVID-19 social distancing measures were introduced, found no link between internet use and loneliness.

The study found that older adults who went online occasionally (once a week or once a month) were less likely to be socially isolated than daily internet users, with daily users recording levels of social isolation similar to those who never went online.

Searching for information, sending emails and shopping were the three most common online activities, and over two-thirds of those in the study (69 per cent) reported using the internet every day. The findings showed thatAthose going online daily were more likely to use a smartphone, while laptops were preferred by less frequent users.

“We were surprised that daily internet users recorded similar levels of social isolation as those who never use the internet. It might be that many of these people go online to combat their social isolation,” Stockwell said.

Alternatively, going online more frequently might actually cause greater social isolation among some older adults as they reduce their physical contacts.

“Older adults with access to the internet are likely to be using it much more often at the moment due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, but our findings indicate this is unlikely to improve levels of social isolation,” Stockwell noted.

Microsoft opens Azure quantum platform for developers

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Microsoft opens Azure quantum platform for developers

Microsoft has announced to make its Azure platform for quantum computing available for select developers and enterprises as a limited preview.

At its Build developer conference, the company said on Tuesday that developers will be able to take advantage of nearly two decades of quantum research infused into every layer of the Azure Quantum stack.

The developers will get access to an open ecosystem of diverse quantum software, hardware and solutions from Microsoft and its partners 1QBit, Honeywell, IonQ, and QCI.

They will have an ability to have a quantum impact with pre-built solutions that run on classical computers (what Microsoft refers to as quantum-inspired solutions).

While Microsoft is yet to publically announce a quantum supercomputer, Google has built a quantum computer that is way ahead than the world’s top supercomputers in the calculation – solving tasks in nearly three minutes that would otherwise take current supercomputers 10,000 years to achieve.

Researchers at Microsoft are currently busy writing the software to build a scalable computer that will help humanity unlock solutions to problems in areas such as clean energy, global warming, materials design and much more – including solving the mysteries of our universe.

If all goes well, Microsoft is confident about having one such scalable super machine within the next five years.

Based on quantum bits, the computer will not use classical bits but qubits that are not limited to binary and can have properties of 0 and 1 simultaneously, thus trying every possible number and sequence simultaneously to unlock vast amounts of data.

The current bits in computers store information as either 1 or 0, thus limiting the potential to make sense when faced with gigantic volumes of data.

Would you dare to travel in 2020?

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Would you dare to travel in 2020?

Itching to travel but unwilling to take the risk? A survey conducted by Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC indicates that you’re not alone.

Around 14 percent of Indians are willing to travel in 2020 itself once the nationwide lockdown is lifted, says a survey. It further indicates that 64 percent are likely to opt for a domestic holiday this year while 36 percent for an international tour.

The survey was conducted from over 2,500 consumers across India’s metros and Tier 1 & 2 cities (including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Guwahati, Jamnagar, Surat, Vizag, Indore, Jaipur, etc.).

The Holiday Readiness Travel Report – Future of Travel post-COVID-19 covered four age groups: below 30 years, 31-44 years, 45-59 years and 60 years and above; 76 percent being in the 28-55 age segment.

Key highlights of the survey are:

Travel is set to rebound: 14 percent respondents indicated that they are likely to travel in 2020 once restrictions are lifted. While 45 percent of respondents plan to defer their holiday to 2021, 41 percent are undecided. The festive seasons were preferred in 2020: either November (29 percent) or December (50 percent).

Key travel drivers: 72 percent of respondents preferred reputed brands across their journey – including tour operators, hotel chains, etc. Health and safety ranks as the primary concern for 75 percent of respondents; with 35 percent willing to increase their spend to ensure the same.

Domestic tourism is set to take centre stage: A domestic holiday was the first choice of 64 percent respondents. Destinations selected were Ladakh (20 percent), Goa (17 percent), North East (15 percent), Kerala (11 percent); Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir followed closely; Bhutan (17 percent) in the Indian sub-continent. Destinations at a driveable distance were also preferred, including Coorg, Ooty, Mussoorie, Shimla, Amritsar, Munnar, etc.

36 percent of respondents showed a preference for an international holiday. Short-haul destinations (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi) saw strong interest (41 percent). Long-haul destinations that traditionally witness demand in Q4 also featured, like Australia & New Zealand (20 percent); USA (16 percent). What is noteworthy is the significant demand for Europe at 38 percent; favored destinations included Switzerland, France, Germany, UK, Czech Republic.

Size of group: Respondents displayed a noticeable preference towards traveling in smaller groups- primarily due health/hygiene. 63 percent of respondents were inclined to travel solo, with their immediate/extended family or friends/colleagues; 25 percent of respondents preferred to travel in small groups of below 20 co-travelers and 12 percent opted for a group size of approximately 35+.

Holiday Duration: 86 percent of respondents chose a holiday duration between 4-11 days (51 percent preferring 4-7 days, 35 percent preferring 8-11 days); 14 percent opted for a holiday of over 12 days.

Shift in holiday spending patterns: 67 percent of respondents stated that they would spend less than Rs. 1 lakh per person on their next holiday, while 11 percent said that they would spend up to Rs. 2 lakhs per person.

Booking channels: Consumers continued to express interest in a personal touch/reassurance to their travel booking experience- with 58 percent opting to purchase holidays through retail outlets or home service (38 percent retail and 20 percent home visits). This was followed by 40 percent opting for online channels (Website/App) and 12 percent stating preference for video chat.

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