Am ready to unleash special deliveries in IPL T20: Kuldeep

TB Team
-
0
Am ready to unleash special deliveries in IPL T20: Kuldeep

Unfazed by the pressure of expectations after an underwhelming IPL show last season, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav says he is ready to unleash a few new tricks with the ball tailored for the T20 format when the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting on September 19.

Statistically, IPL 2019 was the spinner’s worst IPL season, when he picked just four wickets in nine games at a poor economy rate of 8.66. This led to him getting dropped by KKR for the business end of the competition. The team finished fifth and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Kuldeep last played a T20 game for India in January against Sri Lanka in Indore. The 25-year old bowler from Uttar Pradesh was part of India’s ODI side which played New Zealand in Hamilton on February 5, before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill.

“I have worked on a few deliveries especially for the T20 format. It will be there for all to see during the IPL,” Kuldeep revealed to IANS in an exclusive interview from Abu Dhabi.

Kuldeep said that his chances of success would be enhanced by helpful conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coupled with his seamless acclimatization to the sultry conditions in India.

“These conditions suit me. It is very hot here. When I was at home, it was the same… hot and humid. So, I did not feel the heat that much here,” he said. “From that point of view, I am happy. If you talk about the wicket, I am happy as we expect spin-friendly wickets. So, I can get a lot of advantage here.”

Asked about the takeaways from a forgettable IPL season, Kuldeep said he does not rush things anymore and is more willing to accept failure which in the long run helps in becoming a better player.

“You need to plan every time. The experience is very important. At the same time, you always get time to do a certain thing. You should not rush it. There are chances of mistakes if you rush things. Cricket is such a game where you cannot do well all the time. You have to face failure. Only then you become a good player,” he said.

“This experience is something I will learn from, what happened to me last time in the IPL. It happens to everybody. The struggle is a part of the game. It should not be hyped in such a manner that affects performance. People will talk. A player should not be judged on that basis. You rarely get to see the effort put in. It works sometimes and doesn’t at certain times,” said Kuldeep, who burst onto the limelight with a four-for against Australia in Dharamsala on debut in 2017.

As an established regular India player, Kuldeep is looked up to in the KKR ranks to deliver the goods.

Is there the pressure of expectation? “I don’t take it as pressure. Yes, there are expectations from the fans, family, and team. You always want to live up to that. I don’t have pressure but I do want to meet the expectations and take the team forward,” said Kuldeep who by now has played six Tests, 60 ODIs, and 21 T20s.

“As a senior player, you always want to perform and fans also expect the same. So, you do feel nervous maybe, but I don’t take it as pressure,” he emphasized.

Kangana on Jaya Bachchan reaction: Would you say the same if your daughter was beaten, drugged, molested?

TB Team
-
0
Kangana on Jaya Bachchan reaction: Would you say the same if your daughter was beaten, drugged, molested?

Actress Kangana Ranaut has criticized Samajwadi Party MP and actress Jaya Bachchan for her remarks against people who are trying to tarnish the image of the film industry and questioned whether her stance would change if her children were involved.

“Jayaji would you say the same thing if in my place it was your daughter Shweta beaten, drugged, and molested as a teenager, would you say the same thing if Abhishek complained about bullying and harassment constantly and found hanging one day? Show compassion for us also,” Kangana said.

In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Jaya Bachchan demanded the government to provide protection and put a ban on the unending bashing being faced by members of the film industry.

“Some of the people who have got name and fame has said it is ‘gutter’,” she said, without naming the individuals but added they should not defame the industry.

“It is the film industry that gave name and fame to many people. There is a continuous process to defame the industry for the things done by a handful, she added. Previously, Kangana had called the film industry a “gutter” and alleged that 99 percent of the people who work in it have been exposed to drugs.

Kangana tweeted: “Like a famous choreographer once said “rape kiya toh kya hua roti toh di na” is that what you implying? There are no proper HR departments in production houses where women can complain, no safety or insurances for those who risk their lives every day,no 8 hours shift regulations.”

“This mentality that gareeb ko roti mila toh that’s enough need to change,gareeb ko roti ke saath samman aur payaar bhi chahiye, I have a full list of reforms I want from centre government for workers and junior artists,some day if I meet honourable Prime Minister I will discuss,” the actress added.

Kangana continued: “As and when I get time to meet authorities I will share the detailed list of reforms I have prepared for labourers in the film industry across India so that young leading Indians can fight for similar reforms for their underprivileged friends in their own respective fields.”

Well-balanced KKR need consistency to win 3rd IPL title

TB Team
-
0
Well-balanced KKR need consistency to win 3rd IPL title

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will look to the make the most of an efficient leadership group coupled with world-class performers in their bid to bounce back after the two-time champions flattered to deceive last season, crashing out of the play-off zone for the first time since 2015.

As part of the preparations for the 13th edition, beginning in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 19, KKR snapped up star Australian seamer Pat Cummins for a record Rs.15.5 crore, the most expensive overseas purchase in the history of the IPL. But it was the signing of England’s ODI World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan that further added to their arsenal, not only for the left-hander’s batting exploits but also his skills as a leader, besides captain Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik was not at his best donning the skipper’s hat last time as the team finished fifth. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s decisions were frowned upon by sceptics and the team suffered from inconsistency.

KKR’s chief mentor David Hussey said at a recent media interaction from Abu Dhabi that Morgan would be a great ally to Karthik and his calm demeanor can help the team win matches. “He is a World Cup-winning captain. He has captained England for a long time — classy player. He will be a great ally for Dinesh Karthik,” former Australia and KKR batsman Hussey said.

“Maybe fielding in the ring and talking to the bowlers while our captain’s behind the stumps, keeping wickets. He is also a very cool calm and collected person so…he will be very handy in the middle order controlling things with our captain as well.”

Batting wise, KKR were over-reliant on Andre Russell with the big-hitting West Indies all-rounder scoring 510 runs in 13 innings despite batting lower down the order, something which was not to his liking.

This time the middle order will get the much-needed support from Morgan besides Karthik and Nitish Rana. The hugely talented Shubman Gill will be expected to open the batting along with Sunil Narine who had a strike-rate of 150-plus last time opening the batting. For firepower, there is dashing England opener Tom Banton who can bat anywhere as seen in the England-Australia T20 series recently.

KKR’s bowling was abysmal last season with Russell topping the list of wicket-takers with 11 scalps. The spin trio comprising Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla failed miserably, though the West Indian had found some form at the back end of the league stage and finished with 10 wickets in 12 games with an economy rate of 7.82.

Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, and Harry Gurney were expected to be the X-factor but could not produce the spark as they were treated with disdain by the opponent batters.

In contrast, young Sandeep Warrier, who was a late replacement of injured seamer Kamlesh Nagarkoti, impressed with his control and accuracy with the new ball in the three games he played.

This time, KKR will have Cummins to bank on, besides a much improved Ferguson and the likes of Warrier and Prasidh Krishna for backup. KKR will also have the services of USA fast bowler Ali Khan who has replaced Gurney.

Strengths:

KKR’s strength will be the balance in all departments. From a leadership point of view, Morgan and Cummins will be there to assist Karthik. There are firepower and talent across the batting and bowling arsenal and on a given day, KKR has match-winners who can blow any opposition away.

Weaknesses:

KKR can tread an inconsistent path and at times their decision making leaves much to be desired. Karthik drew flak for his leadership last season and although he has Morgan by his side, the seasoned campaigner would do well to be more flexible this time and cut the coat according to the cloth. The spinners floundered last time and if the same happens this season, there could be pressure on Cummins and Co. to deliver in warm conditions where they need to manage their workload.

Squad:

Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (captain, wicket-keeper), Ali Khan, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Varun Chakravarthy, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Praveen Tambe, Nikhil Naik (wicket-keeper)

Coaching staff:

Brendon Mccullum (head coach), Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), Kyle Mills (bowling coach), David Hussey (mentor), Omkar Salvi (assistant bowling coach), James Foster (fielding coach), Chris Donaldson (strength and conditioning coach), Kamlesh Jain (head physiotherapist)

Google to launch Pixel 5, new Chromecast on Sep 30

TB Team
-
0
Google to launch Pixel 5, new Chromecast on Sep 30

Google is prepared to launch the Pixel 5 smartphone, a Chromecast, and a smart speaker during its annual hardware event on September 30.

The Pixel 5 was officially announced during the launch of the Pixel 4a.

According to a report in GizmoChina, the virtual event titled ‘Launch Night In’ would be streamed live.

The Pixel 5 phone is likely to be made available first in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.

Recent Pixel 5 renders revealed a punch-hole selfie camera at the top left and a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. It also showed a dual-rear camera setup.

According to market rumors, the company could price it $799 onwards.

A brand new Nest-branded Google Home speaker will also be announced during the event.

Google teased a new Nest Home speaker in July, by releasing an image and a video of the device.

Parliamentary panel for abolishing tax on LTCG from investments in startups

TB Team
-
0
Parliamentary panel for abolishing tax on LTCG from investments in startups

The Standing Committee on Finance (2019-20) has recommended to the Centre to abolish tax on Long Term Capital Gains for all investments in startups which are made through collective investment vehicles (CIVs) such as angel funds, alternate investment funds (AIF), and investment LLPs.

The committee in its report on “Financing The Startup Ecosystem” said the tax should be removed at least for the next two years to encourage investments amid the pandemic.

“The Committee would like to strongly recommend that tax on Long Term Capital Gains be abolished for all investments in startup companies (as designated by DPIIT) which are made through collective investment vehicles (CIVs) such as angel funds, AIFs, and investment LLPs,” it said.

It suggested that after this 2 year period, the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) may be applied to collective investment vehicles (CIV) so that revenue neutrality is maintained.

Investments by CIVs are transparently done and have to be done at fair market value, the Standing Committee said, adding that it is easy to calculate the STT associated with these investments.

“This can be done in lieu of imposing LTCG on these CIVs and to make the taxation system fairer, less cumbersome, and transparent. This will also ensure that investments in unlisted securities are on par with investments in listed securities,” it said.

It has also recommended that there should be no punishing of domestic risk capital at any level, as the current tax disparity is proving advantageous to foreign capital through low tax jurisdictions and low taxes for fund management services.

As per the panel, such a move will establish a level playing field for domestic investments in comparison to foreign investments and domestic listed in comparison to unlisted securities.

The committee recommended that to encourage domestic investments in unlisted debt and equity securities, once the pandemic period concessions are lifted, CIV capital gains should always be taxed at the same rate as listed securities.

20% increase in people with heart complications amid Covid: Report

TB Team
-
0
20% increase in people with heart complications amid Covid: Report

There has been a 20 percent rise in patients suffering from advanced cardiac complications as they are not visiting hospitals due to the fear of contracting Covid-19, a report by a city hospital revealed on Tuesday.

The report from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi showed that patients with cardiac ailments have been postponing their hospital visits for their routine medical examination ever since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

According to the data, several factors have contributed to an upsurge in patients suffering from heart attacks during the lockdown.

Primarily, lack of activity increased the consumption of tobacco and alcohol and decreased doctor consultations along with self-medication amongst other reasons.

“Unlike previous years, this year we have seen a remarkable decline in people with cardiac ailments voluntarily planning their elective cardiac procedures and also following schedules of their routine checkups,” Mukesh Goel, Senior Consultant, Cardio-Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said in a statement.

The hospital said that Covid-19 though a highly contagious infection has a mortality rate of only 2 percent worldwide, that too in cases confirmed with RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test.

“If we take into account the results of serosurvey, mortality might be only 0.15 percent. While the death rate in an untreated heart-related ailment is more than 30 percent,” the hospital said.

According to Apollo, recently a 72-year-old woman from Faridabad suffered a massive heart attack leading to rupture of the heart wall after ignoring acute heartburn for over 12 hours.

Owing to the fear of visiting a hospital and contracting COVID- 19, she decided to continue with that state of health in spite of suffering from discomfort in her chest.

Her condition deteriorated within hours and after suffering throughout the night she was referred to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals by a local doctor.

In another similar case, senior cardiologists from the hospital successfully performed a complicated surgery on a 59-year-old man with a Left Ventricular Aneurysm (a major heart attack.)

The patient had been suffering from heart-related ailments for the past six months and was delaying his treatment owing to the fear of COVID.

“It is, therefore, important to emphasize that heart patients must not ignore any deterioration in symptoms or delay medical attention to avoid any further health complications,” the doctors wrote.

Samsung announces titanium model of Galaxy Watch3

TB Team
-
0
Samsung announces titanium model of Galaxy Watch3

Samsung on Tuesday announced the titanium model of Galaxy Watch3 featuring premium materials and a signature rotating bezel.

The watch will be available from September 18. At the launch, it will come in a 45mm Bluetooth variant in mystic black.

“Providing a holistic and luxurious design, a premium metal strap will be included in the box. The strap comes in Mystic Black to complement the body of the smartwatch and features a texture that matches the look and feel of the titanium model,” the company said in a statement.

In terms of specifications, the Galaxy Watch3 Titanium boasts all the features of Galaxy Watch3, packaged in a premium design.

The watch runs Tizen-based Wearable OS 5.5. Under the hood, it is packed with advanced health monitoring features, including blood pressure and ECG monitoring2.

It also comes with other fitness and wellness capabilities – including blood oxygen (SPO2) tracking, 3 home training programmes, and sleep management.

It features a 1.4-inch (360×360 pixels) circular Super AMOLED display on the 45mm variant with the same resolution that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass DX.

The smartwatch is powered by the dual-core Exynos 9110 CPU, Mali-T720 GPU, and packs 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.

TikTok ban won’t affect employees salary payment, US says in filing

TB Team
-
0
TikTok ban won’t affect employees salary payment, US says in filing

An executive order issued by the Donald Trump administration last month that prohibits any US transaction with TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would not affect paycheques of the employees, the government said in a court filing.

The executive order issued on August 6, apparently to protect “national security”, bars any transaction with ByteDance by any person after 45 days.

Worried that the order would affect their livelihood, the employee sued the Trump administration.

TikTok also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration as it accused the US authorities of stripping the rights of the company without any evidence to justify the extreme action and issuing the order without any due process as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment while banning the company with no notice or opportunity to be heard.

In a filing in Northern California District Court, the administration said that it has sent assurances to TikTok employee Patrick Ryan, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, that the order would not affect paycheques or other benefits that the employees receive, CNET reported on Monday.

“The Department of Commerce can state that it does not intend to implement or enforce Executive Order 13942 in a manner which would prohibit the payment of wages and/or salaries to Plaintiff or any other employee or contractor of TikTok,” the filing stated.

Doing their jobs would not amount to violating the order, the filing said.

Another executive order, also issued in August, ordered TikTok to divest its US operations by September 20 or face a ban.

Cloud major Oracle on Monday confirmed a deal with ByteDance to serve as the “trusted technology provider.”

TikTok also said that it had submitted a proposal to the US administration to resolve its “security concerns”, Xinhua reported.

“We can confirm that we’ve submitted a proposal to the Treasury Department which we believe would resolve the Administration’s security concerns,” the company said in a statement, adding this step would help to continue the company’s operation in the future.

“This proposal would enable us to continue supporting our community of 100 million people in the U.S. who love TikTok for connection and entertainment, and the hundreds of thousands of small business owners and creators who rely upon TikTok to grow their livelihoods and build meaningful careers,” the statement read.

Covid experience has made me mentally tougher to face any situation: Manpreet

TB Team
-
0
Covid experience has made me mentally tougher to face any situation: Manpreet

Indian men’s hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh, who was tested positive for Covid-19 along with five other players last month, has revealed that it was not easy for him, especially mentally, to spend the time in hospital and subsequently going through isolation at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility.

“I have not done anything for a month and that’s a long time in a sportsperson’s career, especially when every day is about improving and being the best,” said Manpreet.

But Manpreet and five other players who tested positive for the Covid-19 feel fortunate to have a support system that constantly monitored their well-being.

“To be honest, initially when the results came out, we were slightly stressed. But Hockey India officials, particularly the CEO (Elena Norman), was quick to assure us of all the support and told us not to worry about hockey or how this will impact our future in the sport. She emphasized that we need to get better first and that Hockey India along with SAI would ensure the best treatment and rehab.

“This was reassuring and true to their words, we received best facilities in the hospital with SAI sending us healthy food every day for the five days that we were in the hospital and constantly checked with the medical team there of our well-being,” said Manpreet.

The captain emphasized that during the isolation in SAI for two weeks, they were checked on every day by Hockey India officials to know if there were any shortfalls. “Hockey India officials would check on us almost every day if the food being provided is good if our tele-treatment was done regularly if we are monitoring our oxygen levels regularly and so on.

“Coaching staff and teammates too would check on us through video calls. These things really helped us remain upbeat. Though it did sting a little to know all our teammates were back on the pitch while we were still in isolation, I feel this experience has made me mentally tougher to face any situation,” he admitted.

The players on completing the isolation were put through general tests after which the doctors expressed they were fit to resume activities.

“We underwent a general check-up after two weeks of isolation. We got ECG, blood test and chest X-ray was done and only after the doctor gave us a go-ahead, we have begun very basic activities from last week.

“While SAI is putting together a post-recovery action plan to ensure a smooth return to sports activities, the chief coach engages in a one-on-one pep talk with us that gives us the confidence of returning to old form soon,” Manpreet said.

Looking back at the past five months which involved over two months of staying indoors at SAI and the subsequent six-week break before returning to Bengaluru again, Manpreet said as players they are fortunate to receive the best care.

“From my personal experience, I can say we were very fortunate to get the best care. All through the lockdown, good coordination between Hockey India and SAI ensured players’ best interest was given top priority. Our fitness was maintained throughout with a good indoor workout regime planned by the support staff.

“We were given a break just when we were starting to feel mentally fatigued and had begun missing our families. When we came back, the authorities ensured we were all tested, provided the best care and a secure bio bubble was formed on the campus to keep us from getting exposed to the virus.

“The SOP to return to sports activities was made well in advance by Hockey India and approved in time by SAI so that our Olympic preparation is not hampered and we would have enough time to return to old form before competitions begin. It is overwhelming to receive this kind of support and we are determined to make all their efforts worthwhile by performing well,” stated the skipper.

Delhi police destroy over 16K quarter bottles of illicit liquor

TB Team
-
0
Delhi police destroy over 16K quarter bottles of illicit liquor

Continuing its crackdown on illegal liquor sales in the national capital, the Delhi police have destroyed 16,262 quarter bottles of country-made illicit liquor, seized in various Excise department raids in South district.

The liquor bottles were crushed using a JCB in an open area, following an order from the Excise department.

During its crackdown, the police arrested a bootlegger on Sunday and seized 1,100 quarters of illicit liquor from him in the Tigri police station area in South Delhi.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was residing in a rented house and worked as a daily wage laborer. On inquiry, the house owner was found to be a bad character of the area involved in more than 20 cases under the Excise Act.

Earlier on September 12, two bootleggers were arrested in two separate incidents and around 2,030 quarters of illicit liquor in 41 cartons were seized. Police also seized two vehicles from their possession.

“During interrogation, one of the accused disclosed that he was transporting illicit liquor to one of the suppliers in Delhi. He further disclosed that he was getting Rs 20,000 each month,” said a senior police officer.

southeast Delhi police also launched a crackdown on illicit liquor on September 13 and confiscated 624 quarters of illicit liquor with the arrest of three bootleggers in three separate raids — Badarpur, New Friends Colony, and Okhla Industrial Area.

On September 12, in Dwarka, 95 quarters of illicit liquor were seized in Chhawla and one accused was nabbed.

“On the same night, in Baba Haridas Nagar ERV staff intercepted a car and arrested the driver after the recovery of 44 cartons of country-made illicit liquor from the vehicle,” police added.

Focus shifted from governance in Bihar in the past, says Modi

TB Team
-
0
Focus shifted from governance in Bihar in the past, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of seven projects in Bihar and said that focus had shifted from governance to other things in the state in the past.

“In the early days after Independence, Bihar was led by big and visionary leaders who also tried their best to remove the distortions caused by slavery. Then came a period when — instead of building basic facilities in Bihar and providing modern amenities to the people — the priorities and commitments completely changed. The result was that the focus shifted away from governance in the state,” the Prime Minister said in an apparent dig at the Rashtriya Janata Dal, without naming it.

“In Bihar, work can be done now at such a fast pace; the work will get completed after it is kick-started, which could not be imagined 15 years ago,” he remarked.

He stressed on urbanization and proper facilities in urban areas to help the state achieve the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bihar’. He said that gone were the days when a few metro cities enjoyed better amenities.

Of the seven projects, four are of water supply, two of sewage treatment, and one of riverfront development. The total cost of these projects is Rs 541 crore.

Modi said that cities situated along the Ganges will have sewage treatment plants to help preserve the river. He inaugurated a sewage treatment plant built under the Namami Gange program at Beur and Karmalichak in the Patna Municipal Corporation area.

The Prime Minister said that the country was in the process of developing many ‘Ganga Grams’, of which Bihar too was a beneficiary. He also inaugurated water supply projects built under the AMRUT Mission in Siwan Municipal Council and Chapra Municipal Corporation jurisdictions.

He pointed out that riverfront development helped boost tourism, adding that 130 ‘ghats’ are already being developed.

“One such riverfront has already been completed in Patna and another will follow in Muzaffarpur,” he added.

He also highlighted that ‘Project Dolphin’ will help the Gangetic dolphins, particularly those found in Bihar.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were among the dignitaries who joined in at the virtual inauguration of the projects.

In his trademark concluding remarks, the Prime Minister cautioned people to be proactive about basic COVID-19 protocols like wearing face masks and maintenance of a safe distance from each other.

Racism exists but we have to stop it: Neymar

TB Team
-
0
Racism exists but we have to stop it: Neymar

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker Neymar has said he could not leave the field without responding to Alvaro Gonzalez after claiming the officials ignored his accusations of racism against the Marseille defender.

Neymar was one of five players sent off on Sunday as Marseille clinched their first victory against PSG in nine years after Andre Villas-Boas’ side beat PSG 1-0 in a game that will be remembered for aggressive fouls and a late brawl.

The Brazilian was sent off for slapping Gonzalez in injury-time, who he accused of racism as he left the field and also on social media following the match.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Neymar has now said he “acted like a fool” to earn a red card but said that it is important that those in power reflect on the role of racism in sport.

“Yesterday I revolted. I was punished with red because I wanted to hit someone who offended me,” Neymar said.

“I thought I could not leave without doing something because I realized that those in charge would not do anything, did not notice or ignored the fact. During the game, I wanted to answer as always: playing football. The facts showed that I did not succeed. I revolted…

“In our sport, aggressions, insults, swearing are part of the game, of the dispute. You can’t be affectionate. I understand this guy partly, all are part of the game, but racism and intolerance are unacceptable.

“I am black, son of black, grandson and great-grandson of black also. I am proud and do not see myself as different from anyone. Yesterday, I wanted those in charge of the game (referees, assistants) to position themselves impartially and to understand that there is no longer such a place for a prejudiced attitude.

“Reflecting and seeing all the manifestation of what happened, I am saddened by the feeling of hatred that we can provoke when, in the heat of the moment, we snap.

“Should I have ignored it? I don’t know yet… Today, with a cool head, I say yes, but in due course, my companions and I asked the referees for help and we were ignored. That’s the point!

“We who are involved in entertainment need to reflect. The action led to a reaction and got where it did. I accept my punishment because I should have followed the path of clean football. I hope, on the other hand, that the offender will also be punished.

“Racism exists. It exists, but we have to stop it. No more. Enough!

“The guy was a fool. I also acted like a fool for letting me get involved in that… I still have the privilege of keeping my head up today, but we all need to reflect that not all black and white people are in the same condition.

“The damage from the confrontation can be disastrous to both sides. Whether you are black or white, I don’t want to and we shouldn’t mix subjects. Skin color we don’t choose. Before God, we are all equal.

“Now, yesterday, I lost in the game and I lacked wisdom. Being in the center of this situation or ignoring a racist act will not help. I know. But pacifying this ‘anti-racism’ movement is our obligation so that the less privileged will naturally receive their defense.

“We will meet again and it will be my way: playing football. Stay in peace! Stay in Peace! You know what you said… I know what I did. More love in the world.”

However, Gonzalez has denied Neymar’s allegations. “There is no place for racism. A clean career and with many team-mates and friends on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes you have to learn how to lose and accept it on the field. Incredible three points today, Allez l’OM thank you, family,” he wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, PSG also threw their support behind Neymar. In a statement on Monday, PSG urged the French league’s governing body (LFP) to investigate the matter.

“Paris St Germain strongly supports Neymar Jr who reported being subjected to racist abuse by an opposing player,” the club said.

“The club restates that there is no place for racism in society, in football or in our lives and calls on everyone to speak out against all forms of racism throughout the world.

“Paris St Germain looks forward to the LFP’s Disciplinary Commission to investigate and ascertain the facts, and the club remains at the LFP’s disposal for any assistance required,” it added.

PSG have lost each of their first two Ligue 1 matches and will face Metz on Wednesday.

Facebook’s ‘Oculus Quest 2’ revealed in promo videos

TB Team
-
0
Facebook’s ‘Oculus Quest 2’ revealed in promo videos

A pair of promotional videos have revealed Facebook’s ‘Oculus Quest 2’ VR headset after being uploaded to the social media’s marketing hub, before the company’s big announcement this week.

According to the videos, the headset will be smaller and lighter and comes with a soft-touch fabric rather than a hard plastic strap as before.

The standalone headset which doesn’t require external sensors or processing hardware will play all original Quest games. It can also display VR games running on a Windows PC via the Oculus Link just like the original headset.

The Quest 2 would be significantly more powerful with Qualcomm’s VR-oriented Snapdragon XR2 processor instead of Snapdragon 835.

It would come with 6 GB of RAM, up from 4 GB, and 256 GB of storage for games and other apps rather than 128 GB.

The Quest 2 should be the highest-resolution Oculus headset yet with 2K per eye and 50 percent more pixels than before. Facebook didn’t reveal the refresh rate, though rumors have pointed to 90 Hz rather than 72 Hz with the Quest.

In terms of pricing, the original Oculus Quest starts at just under $400. Potential customers have to wait and see if Facebook has similar pricing for its next Oculus Quest.

With the Facebook Connect developer conference scheduled to start on September 16, it is likely that an official announcement is not too far.

Time to prioritise Venus, says NASA chief after surprise finding

TB Team
-
0
Time to prioritise Venus, says NASA chief after surprise finding

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has called for prioritizing Venus after astronomers detected signs of alien life in the atmosphere of the planet.

Venus has so far not been a significant part of the search for life because of its extreme temperatures, atmospheric composition, and other factors.

In a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy on Monday, scientists said they detected a gas called “phosphine” in the atmosphere of Venus which could indicate the presence of life in the clouds of the planet.

“Life on Venus? The discovery of phosphine, a by-product of anaerobic biology, is the most significant development yet in building the case for life off Earth,” Bridenstine said in a tweet on Monday.

“About 10 years ago NASA discovered microbial life at 120,000 ft in Earth’s upper atmosphere. It’s time to prioritize Venus,” he added.

Although the high clouds of Venus have temperatures up to a pleasant 30 degrees Celsius, they are incredibly acidic — around 90 percent sulphuric acid — posing major issues for any microbes trying to survive there.

But doing an analysis of the source of “phosphine” detected in the atmosphere of Venus, the scientists ruled out non-biological sources, meaning that something alive could be the source.

The team, which included researchers from the UK, US, and Japan, believes their discovery is significant because they can rule out many alternative ways to make phosphine, but they acknowledged that confirming the presence of “life” needs a lot more work.

NASA, which was not involved in this research, has an extensive astrobiology program that searches for life in many different ways across the solar system and beyond.

“Over the past two decades, we’ve made new discoveries that collectively imply a significant increase of the likelihood to find life elsewhere,” NASA said in a statement after the surprising finding.

As with an increasing number of planetary bodies, Venus is proving to be an exciting place of discovery, it added.

Two of the next four candidate missions for NASA’s Discovery Programme are focused on Venus, as is Europe’s EnVision mission, in which NASA is a partner.

“Venus also is a planetary destination we can reach with smaller missions,” NASA said.

SC grants interim protection from arrest to Punjab ex-DGP

TB Team
-
0
SC grants interim protection from arrest to Punjab ex-DGP

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest for three weeks to retired Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in connection with the 1991 kidnapping-murder case of Balwant Singh Multani.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy, and MR Shah asked the Punjab government to file its reply on the anticipatory bail plea of Saini while asking him to cooperate in the investigation. The bench issued a notice on Saini’s plea, returnable by three weeks.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Saini, submitted before the bench that his client was a decorated police office and the Punjab government was after him since he had got filed two charge sheets naming present Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Rohatgi said Saini had risen through the ranks when the Sikh militancy was raging in Punjab.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, opposing Saini’s bail plea, contended that Multani was picked up from his residence in SAS Nagar (adjoining Chandigarh) in 1991 and Rohatgi was attributing motives to a Judge who had declined to entertain Saini’s bail plea in the case.

Luthra pointed out that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had noted that former Director General of Police Saini had “misused” his powers.

The bench asked what was the hurry in arresting the retired IPS officer in a 1991 case, after nearly 30 years.

Luthra insisted that the court had noted that a person (Multani) had succumbed to injuries after inhuman treatment by Saini and that even after his retirement, the accused officer had the power to have some official files in his control.

Senior Advocate KV Viswanathan, representing Multani’s brother, argued that Saini was a “notorious police officer” and alleged that his client’s brother was killed at the hands of the petitioner.

The top court said that no arrest can take place before Punjab’s reply is heard on the matter. The bench also gave one week thereafter to Saini to file his rejoinder. The case is likely to come up after three weeks.

Multani, a Junior Engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation, was allegedly picked up by police in December 1991, after a terror attack on Saini (then SSP of Chandigarh) left three policemen dead.

On September 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court declined to entertain his anticipatory bail plea in the case.

“In the light of the seriousness of offenses that have come about, there being every likelihood of petitioner stifling fair investigations and trial and for which custodial interrogation of the petitioner is very much essential to piece together this unfortunate incident, necessitates dismissal of the instant bail application,” the court had said.

In May, Saini was booked at a police station in SAS Nagar (Mohali) along with six others in the case. In August, a murder charge was added after two of the accused policemen gave details of the crime.

A trial court in SAS Nagar in Punjab had on September 12 issued an arrest warrant against Saini in the case and directed the police to present Saini before it by September 25.

Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed the retired police officer’s anticipatory bail plea, following which he moved the Supreme Court.

Saini is also facing trial in a special CBI court in Delhi in the alleged abduction of automobile businessman Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar, and their driver Mukhtiyar Singh.

Centre bans onion export to control domestic prices

TB Team
-
0
Centre bans onion export to control domestic prices

With an increase in onion prices in the country, the central government has banned its export, which is expected to bring the prices of the staple down.

Onion exports from the country had increased considerably during the coronavirus pandemic, due to which domestic prices increased and supply decreased within the country.

At present, the retail price of onions is above Rs 40 per kg in Delhi and neighbouring areas. On Monday, onion prices at the Azadpur wholesale market ranged from Rs 13.75 to Rs 27.5 per kg.

According to a notification issued on Monday by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the export of all varieties of onions has been banned with immediate effect. The notification said that provisions of transitional agreements will not apply under this notification.

Market experts say that onion exports from April to July 2020 went up by nearly 30 per cent compared with the previous year. Onion prices may witness another hike as heavy rains across south India have damaged standing onion crop.

Rajendra Sharma, General Secretary, Azadpur Mandi Potato Onion Merchant Association (POMA), said that the export ban was a good decision to put an end to increasing onion prices. Due to crop failure in south India, there is shortage of onion supplies and hence the Union government should focus on import as well, Sharma added.

During the festive season last year, onion prices had skyrocketed. In different parts of the country, including Delhi, onions were sold at Rs 150 per kg. This forced the government to adopt various measures, including the decision to import onions from abroad as well as export restrictions.

‘JL 50’ producer Ritika Anand on how Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur came on board

TB Team
-
0
‘JL 50’ producer Ritika Anand on how Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur came on board

Actress Ritika Anand, who features in and has produced the four-episode web series, JL 50, says that although she was always keen to cast Abhay Deol as the protagonist of the show, she and writer-director Shailender Vyas were initially apprehensive about approaching him. She added she feels fortunate to have a cast that includes Pankaj Kapur and Piyush Mishra along with Abhay.

Talking about the casting of Abhay in as Shantanu Ritika in the sci-fi thriller, she said: “Abhay was the first choice and an intimidating one too. We had heard so much about how he only gives a nod to excellent scripts. We had confidence in the script but we weren’t sure how he’d take the time travel angle of the story. However, upon Shailender and Piyush ji’s suggestion, we sent Abhay the script and after a few anxious nights, we heard that he loved the premise of the story and the script of the film.”

According to Ritika, the idea of sci-fi came to her mind in 2016.

“In March of 2016, I suggested to Shailender that we should make a Hindi film on quantum physics, time travel, and inane crashes. At the offset, my suggestion was met with an ‘it doesn’t work with an Indian audience’. However, with some deliberation, I got Shailender to write a detailed 13-page story synopsis in March 2016. Around June or July the same year, amidst challenging times, I once again suggested to Shailendra that we convert the synopsis into a full script,” Ritika said.

However, from scripting to raising the fund and finding the cast, and releasing the show, took her four years.

Talking about casting Pankaj Kapur, she said: “We had approached Pankaj ji for a film in 2015, called ‘Palki’, which didn’t materialize with him. However, for ‘JL50’, Shailender was certain that he wanted Pankaj Ji for the role of professor Das and this time we weren’t going to let it fall through. We weren’t sure though that he would accept a script with such fantasy and unreal elements, when we went to see him after he had read the script, he told us that he had watched ‘Interstellar’ and ‘JL 50’ reminded him of it. It was a compliment and we were thrilled to have him on board,” she added.

The show released on the OTT platform SonyLIV September 4.

Xiaomi launches affordable Redmi 9i with 4GB RAM in India

TB Team
-
0
Xiaomi launches affordable Redmi 9i with 4GB RAM in India

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Tuesday launched a new budget smartphone Redmi 9i at a starting price of Rs 8,299 (4GB+64GB variant) in India.

The 4GB RAM with a 128GB internal storage variant will cost Rs 9,299.

“The smartphone will be available in three color variants, nature green, sea blue, midnight black across mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Homes, and Mi Studios starting September 18,” the company said in a statement.

The smartphone features a 6.53-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 20:9 aspect ratio with TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification for better visibility in reading mode.

The device is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 chipset clocked at 2.0 GHz coupled with 4GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage. It also has a dedicated microSD card slot allowing expansion up to 512GB.

Redmi 9i houses a 5000mAh battery. It comes with a 13MP AI camera on the rear with features such as AI Portrait mode, AI scene detection, document scanner, and kaleidoscope.

There is also a 5MP AI selfie camera with AI portrait mode.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+: Seamless multi-tasking arrives on Android

TB Team
-
0
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+: Seamless multi-tasking arrives on Android

Device makers are constantly looking to refine their best-selling products with productivity and creativity in mind in the social distancing era when the home is the office. Samsung Galaxy tabs delivered wonderful Android-based experiences earlier somehow missing a complete package to date.

With the 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display-packed Galaxy Tab S7+ LTE, the company has hit the jackpot, fulfilling most of the criteria for a professional or a creative buddy to unleash Android capabilities at its optimum best — at work, home, or on the go.

Those who are not on the Apple iPad Pro or, for that matter, not on the iOS ecosystem at all, this new Samsung tab does complete justice for seamless Android navigation amid killer features.

Priced at Rs 79,999, The Mystic Black device (6GB+128GB variant that can go up to 1TB with a micro-SD card) with an improved S Pen removes the need of a fully-packed laptop from your life.

How? Let us find out.

One of the USPs on the device (that supports a 16:10 aspect ratio picture) is ‘Audio Bookmark’ in Samsung Notes app that allows you to record interviews, lectures, or online meetings as you write, and then sync the two together.

This feature makes it stands apart from the rest of the similar devices ((iPad Pro to has this killer feature but the pencil makes a bit of a tapping sound as audio is being recorded).

We can easily navigate lengthy recordings by tapping on a sentence and automatically jump back to the corresponding audio timestamp.

The device offers good mouse support and integrates seamlessly with an external monitor.

If you add a highly-responsive Book Cover Keyboard (that costs an additional Rs 17,999) and a mouse, it becomes the best alternative to a notebook for work at home or office.

The improved S Pen is another striking feature which is a great improvement from the S6 series.

Engineered with a rounded form factor and an elongated tip, the S Pen offers a natural writing and drawing experience.

Combined with the display’s refresh rate of up to 120Hz, the S Pen’s biggest leap in responsiveness to date reduces lag significantly, allowing us to write with life-like precision and accuracy when we take notes.

For the multi-taskers, the Galaxy Tab S7+ LTE offers an enhanced multi-active window.

You can run up to three apps simultaneously — make video calls, monitor email and take notes all at once.

With the App Pair tool, one can even tie up three apps together for simultaneous launch to save time in a hurry.

The tab that runs Android 10 also comes with an edge screen, similar to the feature on Galaxy smartphones, providing quick access to the most-used apps.

If you are looking for a true PC-like interface on the tab, use the improved Samsung DeX along with the Book Cover Keyboard.

This upgraded keyboard comes with an added line of intuitive function keys, a larger touchpad, and several new angles, so that you can comfortably write, type, and sketch when you’re away from a desk.

Samsung’s close partnership with Microsoft brings big benefits to tab users too. One can quickly sync Samsung Notes with Microsoft OneNote and Outlook.

Available for the first time on an Android tablet, the popular drawing app ‘Clip Studio Paint’ will help digital artists. It comes preloaded on the tab (Samsung is also offering YouTube Premium free for 4 months).

With up to 120Hz refresh rate, we enjoyed smooth gaming and social media time (quad speakers sound by AKG is there).

The 10,090mAh battery that supports 45W super-fast charging is “intelligent” that adapts power output based on the activity.

Equipped with 5G and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, the tab is always connected.

Conclusion: The device is the best Android experience yet in a tab and for multi-taskers, the tab can up their game to a brand new level.

In simpler words: Get computer-like experience on a tablet. In the era of productivity, new form factors are arriving fast and Galaxy Tab S7+ LTE is a refreshing change.

4 crore scholarships given to minority EWS, 54% to girls

TB Team
-
0
4 crore scholarships given to minority EWS, 54% to girls

The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that since 2014-15 till date, over four crore scholarships have been distributed to the students belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS) of the minority communities. Of this, a 54 percent scholarship has been given to the girl students.

The information was given by Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in the Upper House on Monday.

The Ministry implements various welfare schemes for the socioeconomic and educational empowerment of six Centrally notified minority communities, namely the Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis, and Sikhs.

During the period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, the total fund allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs was Rs 21,160.84 crore and the actual expenditure was Rs 19,201.45 crore, which is approx 90.75 percent of the total fund allocated.

Since 2014-15 to date, a total number of 4,00,06,080 scholarships have been distributed to the students belonging to the economically weaker sections of the minority communities, by incurring a total expenditure of Rs 11,690.81 crore.

An amount of Rs 9,223.68 crore has been spent for providing scholarships to 3,06,19,546 beneficiaries under various scholarship schemes of the Ministry during the period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, out of which about 54 percent scholarships have been awarded to the minority girl students.

1...1,4871,4881,489...2,196Page 1,488 of 2,196