Two jawans killed in gunfight with Maoists in Odisha

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Two jawans killed in gunfight with Maoists in Odisha

Two Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans were killed in an exchange of fire with the Maoists in a forest on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border, said police on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Sudhir Kumar Tudu (28) of Mayurbhanj district and Debasis Sethy (27) of Angul district.

At least five Maoists, including four women, had died in the gunbattle that took place in Odisha’s Bhandarangi Sirki forest area on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border on Wednesday.

They belonged to the Bansadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali division of the banned CPI (Maoist), said police.

On the basis of reliable intelligence input, an operation was launched on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border on September 8. Two composite teams of the SOG and the District Voluntary Force (DVF) of the Odisha Police participated in this operation.

CA investigates ‘racist, uneducated’ comments against Dan Christian

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CA investigates ‘racist, uneducated’ comments against Dan Christian

Cricket Australia on Wednesday spoke against “blatantly racist and uneducated ” comments directed at cricketer Dan Christian, who recently spoke out about the casual racism he has experienced in Australian cricket.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the board has also launched an investigation to identify and potentially sanction the senders of racist abuse towards Christian on social media a day after the all-rounder, who is Aboriginal, appeared on Cricket Australia’s new series Cricket Connecting Country.

“We are deeply disappointed to see blatantly racist and uneducated comments in the aftermath of Cricket Connecting Country’s premiere last night,” Cricket Australia wrote on their Twitter handle on Thursday.

“Whilst we have chosen not to name the publisher of these comments publicly, we want to strongly reinforce that any form of racism or discrimination has no place in cricket, sport, or wider society. Comments like these demonstrate just how far we still have to go,” the board further said.

Christian, who represented Australia in 19 ODIs and 16 T20Is, had spoken about the subtle kind of racism that exists in the Australian setup.

“I think it (racism) is an issue in Australian cricket, I don’t think it’s as ‘in your face’ as you might see around the world or even elsewhere in the Australian culture,” he had said on the show on Wednesday.

“I think it’s definitely there, it’s more of casual racism, just little throwaway lines here and there, made to be jokes and a lot of that for me personally has been around the color of my skin and the fact that I don’t look Aboriginal or whatever that means. That’s the most noticeable thing for me,” he added.

Twitter launches ‘search prompt’ on suicide prevention in India

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Twitter launches ‘search prompt’ on suicide prevention in India

In a bid to prevent suicide and self-harm during the ongoing pandemic times, Twitter on Thursday in a partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) launched a dedicated search prompt to serve information and updates from authoritative sources on ‘suicide prevention’.

When someone searches for terms associated with suicide or self-harm, the top search result will be a prompt directing them to the relevant information and sources of help available on Twitter. This is an expansion of Twitter’s #ThereIsHelp prompt which was specifically put in place for the public to find clear and credible information on critical issues. The search prompt will be available on iOS, Android, and mobile.twitter.com in India in both English and Hindi languages.

Some of the search keywords include #CommitSuicide, #EndLife, #HowtoHangMyself, #Howtohangyourself, #PainlessDeath, #Suicidal, #SuicideAttempt, and more.

“This dedicated search prompt will increase our ability to be compassionate towards people around us and help them in need by letting them know #ThereIsHelp,” B.N. Gangadhar, Director at NIMHANS, said in a statement.

Twitter is also activating a custom emoji in the shape of an orange ribbon — the international symbol for World Suicide Prevention Day. The emoji would appear when people tweet with the hashtags #WorldSuicidePreventionDay, #WSPD, #WSPD2020, #SuicidePrevention through September 25 and was activated in 23 languages.

“By launching this dedicated search prompt, we welcome another opportunity to amplify awareness and help resources around suicide prevention on Twitter, and contributing to the ongoing efforts required to address this serious issue,” said Mahima Kaul, Head of Public Policy, Twitter India.

Walmart tests drone delivery amid competition with Amazon

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Walmart tests drone delivery amid competition with Amazon

Retail giant Walmart has started testing drone delivery of grocery and household essential items in a bid to take on e-commerce giant Amazon.

Walmart said it has partnered with Israel-based drone delivery company Flytrex to launch the pilot in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

“Our latest initiative has us exploring how drones can deliver items in a way that’s convenient, safe, and — you guessed it – fast,” Tom Ward, Senior Vice President, Customer Product, Walmart, said in a blog post.

“The drones, which are controlled over the cloud using a smart and easy control dashboard, will help us gain valuable insight into the customer and associate experience, from picking and packing to takeoff and delivery,” Ward said.

Walmart’s move comes at a time when e-commerce has gained prominence due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Amazon late last month said that it had received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US for drone delivery of packages.

With the possession of what is called Part 135 air carrier certificate, Amazon can run its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones.

Following the crucial approval, Amazon said it will start testing customer deliveries.

Walmart said that the learnings from pilots such as the one started in North Carolina will help shape the potential of drone delivery on a larger scale.

“We know that it will be some time before we see millions of packages delivered via drone,” Ward said.

“That still feels like a bit of science fiction, but we’re at a point where we’re learning more and more about the technology that is available and how we can use it to make our customers’ lives easier,” he added.

Covid-19: European cross country c’ships in Dublin cancelled

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Covid-19: European cross country c’ships in Dublin cancelled

The European cross country championships which were set for December 13 in Dublin, Ireland has been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the governing body European Athletics has confirmed.

The event was expected to draw more than 600 athletes from about 40 European countries and regions, but the travel restrictions across the continent associated with the virus have brought too many uncertainties, said the European Athletics, adding that they made the decision in an executive board meeting on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The decision to cancel the European Cross Country Athletics Championships was a very tough choice for European Athletics,” said interim president Dobromir Karamarinov on Wednesday.

“I know that all the athletes and entire athletics community were looking forward to this event but I ask them to keep heart,” he noted.

Following the cancellation of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championship in April, the last major European Athletics event this year has been canceled.

The 2021 edition of the championships will be held in Turin, Italy.

Samsung launches Galaxy M51 with ‘monster’ battery in India

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Samsung launches Galaxy M51 with ‘monster’ battery in India

Expanding its popular Galaxy ‘M’ series, Samsung on Thursday launched M51 with a Snapdragon 730G processor along with a ‘meanest monster’ 7000mAh battery in India.

Galaxy M51 is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 6GB/128GB variant and Rs 26,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant.

The smartphone will be available on Amazon.in, Samsung.com and select retail stores on September 18.

Galaxy M51 also comes with an in-box Type C 25W superfast charger that aims to recharge the 7000mAh battery in less than two hours.

“Galaxy M51 is the latest and the most powerful of all the M series models launched ever. With the only 7000mAh battery industry-wide and the host of other spectacular features, the Galaxy M51 rightfully lays claims to its marketing campaign tagline of the “Meanest Monster Ever,” said Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Samsung India.

Samsung is aiming to log $3.5 billion gross merchandise value (GMV) for its highly successful Galaxy ‘M’ series by the end of this year.

“Our average selling price (ASP) for the Galaxy ‘M’ series is likely to grow at 50 percent in 2020. We will double our online business market share in 2020 on the back of 100 percent growth (year-on-year) in the second half (July-December) this year,” Warsi told IANS in an interview this week.

The smartphone features a 6.7-inch sAMOLED Plus Infinity-O display and it is powered by Snapdragon 730G Mobile Platform coupled with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Galaxy M51 sports a quad-camera setup which includes a 64MP main Sony IMX 682 sensor, 12MP Ultra-Wide lens, a dedicated 5MP Macro lens, and a 5MP depth lens for portrait shots with live focus. The phone also houses a 32MP camera in the front.

The company said there will be a limited period introductory offer from September 18 to September 20 on Amazon.in.

Potential customers using HDFC credit and debit cards would get up to Rs 2,000 instant cashback on both EMI and non-EMI transactions when they purchase the Galaxy M51.

ISS-bound spacecraft named after late astronaut Kalpana Chawla

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ISS-bound spacecraft named after late astronaut Kalpana Chawla

American aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman has named a spacecraft after late astronaut Kalpana Chawla who became the first Indian-born woman to go to space.

The spacecraft that will be named “S.S. Kalpana Chawla” will carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).

“Northrop Grumman is proud to name the NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft after former astronaut Kalpana Chawla,” the company said.

“Chawla was selected in honor of her prominent place in history as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space,” it added.

The launch of the Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus spacecraft “S.S. Kalpana Chawla” is scheduled for September 29 from Wallops Island, Virginia.

Northrop Grumman said it is the company’s tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight.

Born in Karnal, Haryana on July 1, 1961, Chawla first went into space in 1997 and become the second Indian person to fly in space after astronaut Rakesh Sharma.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in 1982 and a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas-Arlington in 1984. She was awarded a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988.

Chawla flew on STS-87 (1997) and STS-107 (2003) and has logged 30 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes in space, according to NASA.

She died in 2003 in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. The shuttle disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The mishap happened 16 minutes prior to the scheduled landing.

Manohar undid severe damage ICC’s ‘Big Three’ formula inflicted: Ehsan Mani

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Manohar undid severe damage ICC’s ‘Big Three’ formula inflicted: Ehsan Mani

The International Cricket Council’s ‘Big Three’ formula, devised by former BCCI chief N Srinivasan along with England and Australia and by which the three countries were to receive the lion’s share of ICC revenues, inflicted ‘severe damage to world cricket’, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani has said.

Mani, who was ICC president from 2003-06, felt that the formula was “imposed” on all other ICC members. He alleged that the ‘Big Three’ countries “threatened” not to play with those who did not agree to the new method of sharing total ICC revenues — 20.3 percent for India, 4.4 percent for England, and 2.7 percent for Australia – from 2015-2023.

“Certainly, during my time at the ICC, I was very fortunate that we had a united Board comprising all the members. That equation was very badly damaged by the so-called ‘Big Three’. India, England, and Australia got together and imposed changes on the others that were not in the interest of others, threatening not to play with them unless they agreed (with the changes). Everyone is now scrambling to look after their own interests in an unhealthy environment (at the ICC),” Mani, 75, told IANS in an exclusive interview.

“The ‘Big Three’ formula was not in the interest of any form of cricket. It has done severe damage to world cricket. They have taken away money from the global development fund and ICC associate member countries. The whole thing was very undesirable. All the major ICC events were divided between these three countries – India, Australia, and England,” thundered Mani.

The ‘Big Three’ formula was diluted after India’s Shashank Manohar took over from Srinivasan – he was removed by the BCCI as its nominee to the ICC – and became the first independent elected ICC chairman in 2014.

Mani, a former left-arm pacer, praised Manohar for dismantling the ‘Big Three’ method to an extent but said much more work needs to be done to bring financial parity and harmony within the ICC member countries.

“Mr. Manohar had to try and undo a lot of the damage. But a lot more has to be done and it can only be done through a proper governance review of the ICC, which will take place, otherwise, we will have countries that will go bankrupt,” warned the Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England & Wales), who has spent a lifetime dealing with financial matters at the highest level.

“I have a lot of respect for Mr. Manohar. I think he was superb; he was very good. He was decisive. What I am saying is that he started something that needed to be built on and taken to the next stage,” Mani said.

After Manohar’s two-year first term as ICC chairman expired in 2017, he was given another two-year term. Then, the Nagpur-based senior advocate showed no interest in continuing further.

Mani, however, wanted Manohar to carry on. “It would have been good for cricket if he had continued. But he has his own reasons not to continue. One has to respect that. He gave the ICC a fair bit and one has to accept that and thank him for that. But then we have to move forward. No institution can be built around one person. I would have liked him to continue,” he averred.

In some quarters, Mani’s name was also floated as Manohar’s successor. “That’s true. I am back in cricket (administration) only to help the PCB, and have no other interest,” he said.

With Mani ruled out, Colin Graves, who recently demitted the office of the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman after five years, and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, are being considered as front runners to succeed Manohar. If Ganguly is chosen/elected, he would have to leave the BCCI post. His tenure as BCCI president has already expired and the issue is present in India’s Supreme Court.

Now, the ICC Board is trying to decide a formula through which an independent chairman could be elected or chosen unanimously. Mani refrained from commenting on the issue. “I won’t comment on that. That’s for the ICC to answer,” he said.

Asked specifically about Graves’ and Ganguly’s names being floated, Mani said: “I am not going to talk about chairmanship at all. It’s a matter of the ICC Board and its members to vote and decide.”

Mani said he hasn’t met Ganguly in person since he took over the BCCI reins in October. Both are of the ICC Board as representatives of their national bodies.

“I know Sourav from the time he was playing for India as captain and I have the highest regard for him. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 situation, we have had no face-to-face meeting. We have spoken on the phone once or twice. And we, obviously, speak at the ICC meetings. But at those meetings, every country is looking after its own interests,” he said.

1 in 2 working women in India suffering from pandemic stress

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1 in 2 working women in India suffering from pandemic stress

The Covid-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the emotional well-being of working women in India as nearly one in two of them (47 percent) are experiencing more stress or anxiety, a new survey said on Thursday.

Worryingly, more than two in five working mothers are working outside their business hours to provide childcare, nearly twice as many men (25 percent), according to the ‘Workforce Confidence Index’ survey by Microsoft-owned LinkedIn that was based on the responses of 2,254 professionals in the country.

For working men, the number stood at 38 percent, pointing towards a disproportionate impact on women in these testing times.

Around 1 in 3 (31 percent) working mothers are currently providing childcare full-time when compared to nearly 1 in 5 (17 percent) working fathers.

“One factor is balancing office and domestic work, the bulk of the latter being shouldered by women. Studies reveal increased participation of men during the pandemic, but women still spend most time caring for children,” said Neha Bagaria, CEO of online portal JobsForHer.

The data suggested that working mothers are more likely to bear the brunt of distractions from childcare while men seek support from friends and family.

Only one in five (20 percent) working mothers rely on a family member or friend to take care of their children when compared to 32 percent of men.

The findings showed that more than 46 percent of working mothers report working till late to make up for work, and 42 per cent are unable to focus on work with their children at home.

About one in four freelancers anticipate an increase in their earned income (25 percent) and personal savings (27 percent), while close to one in three (31 percent) expect their number of investments to increase in the next six months, the survey said.

Kavita Seth: Wherever I perform, fans always request me to sing ‘Iktara’

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Kavita Seth: Wherever I perform, fans always request me to sing ‘Iktara’

Singer Kavita Seth says she feels incomplete without soulful music.

Kavita is best known for her evergreen number “Iktara” in the 2009 coming-of-age drama, “Wake Up Sid”. She has gone onto carve a niche in the contemporary pop and film music scene with her soulful Sufi style of singing.

“‘Ikatara’ is one of my special songs. Wherever I perform, my fans always request me to sing the song. I am incomplete without ‘Iktara’. I have received immense love and fame after the song,” Kavita Seth told IANS.

She also recalled how she cried when she heard the song in the cinema hall while watching the film with the audience.

“I remember it was the first day of the film’s release. I went to a theatre to watch it and I was so overwhelmed by the audience’s reaction. People were literally singing ‘Ikatara’. It made me emotional and tears were rolling down my cheeks. I never thought ‘Ikatara’ would become such a big hit,” Kavita said.

She recalled her first reaction after recording the song: “I returned to the studio and told (composer) Amit Trivedi that I was not happy with the way I had sung the song and I wanted to record it once more. Amit Trivedi said the song had already gone for editing. When the song was released, I realized how well it had been received by the people.”

Credit to lyricist not a favour, it is our right: ‘Teri mitti’ writer Manoj Muntashir

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Credit to lyricist not a favour, it is our right: ‘Teri mitti’ writer Manoj Muntashir

New-age Bollywood lyricist Manoj Muntashir says the recognition is the right of every creative person. He adds that although award-winning lyricists do get due recognition these days, there still exists an ignorance about lyrics writers, which discourages many budding talents to pursue good writing.

“One has to give due credit to the lyricist and some of my colleagues including Swanand Kirkire, Varun Grover, Amitabh Bhattacharya, and others are raising their voice in the matter. Look, no one is doing a favor by giving credit to a lyricist. It is our right, not a prize. I am not talking it for myself because I always got my credit. But many budding lyricists do not get that and the fact surely is a sign of discouragement,” Muntashir told IANS.

The lyricist who has written some memorable songs lately, including “Teri mitti” in last year’s Akshay Kumar-starrer “Kesari”, added: “In the western world, there is a culture of singer-songwriters. In Bollywood, we work as a team of lyricist, composer, and singer. Everyone should understand that.”

Manoj is also known for penning recent superhit songs like “Galliyan” (“Ek Villain”), “Kaun tujhe” (“M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story”), and “Phir bhi tumko chaahunga” (“Half Girlfriend”), among many others.

Talking about his process of writing songs and poetry, he said: “I think poetry comes from the experience of life. From the way you observe the force of life, people, their emotions — it becomes poetry, an expression of a poet. It becomes ‘Teri mitti’. Also, you see, expressing your thoughts in a paragraph is different from writing just four lines to express yourself, in the form of poetry. So, yes, one can truly say that poetry is the labor of love.”

According to Muntashir, while words and good composition matter, casting the right voice for a song is equally important.

“An average voice also can bring life to good lyrics but I would say that a great, rather a correct voice, can immortalize a song. There are songs that are meant for some singers and when you hear them after ages, you realize why the song became timeless.”

Citing the example of the immortal Lata Mangeshkar song, “Lag jaa gale”, he said: “The song is from the 1964 film, ‘Woh Kaun Thi?’. Today, after so many years, when we listen to the song, can we imagine anyone else than Lata Mangeshkar? That is the power of that magnetic voice. I am very conscious about selecting the right voice for my songs.”

Who is his favorite playback singer? “That is a bad question, how can I choose? As I said, some songs are meant for them but that does not mean others are not good. Having said that, there is something very special about Arijit Singh, Armaan Malik, Jubin Nautiyal, and Neeti Mohan. There is something about their voice that adds a soul to my lyrics. Neha Kakkar also has her style and some songs are meant for such a voice,” he said.

Bhumi Pednekar: Audience appreciation validates my choice of films and roles

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Bhumi Pednekar: Audience appreciation validates my choice of films and roles

Ever since her Bollywood debut in 2015, Bhumi Pednekar has managed to give several credible performances. The actress says she is more than happy that her hard work has impressed the audience.

Bhumi made her debut in the 2015 film “Dum Laga Ke Haisha”. Over the past five years, some of her best roles have been in “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan”, “Saand Ki Aankh”, “Bala” and “Toilet : Ek Prem Katha”.

“I’m grateful to the audience for showering so much love on my films and me. An actor always wants to be appreciated for his or her work and their love is a huge validation that I’m choosing the right films and picking the right roles. Every actor wants their films to do well and I’m glad that my films have worked,” Bhumi said.

She is hopeful that her next “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare”, co-starring Konkona Sensharma, will also be well received by the audience.

“I hope ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare’ receives a lot of love from the audience, too!” she keeps her fingers crossed.

Bhumi feels her character, Kitty, in Alankrita Srivastava’s film is a true representation of an average girl in today’s new India.

She said: “Till now, with the line-up of releases that I had, these girls (characters played by Bhumi) still fit the moral boundaries that were set up. But Dolly and Kitty just break all social conditioning. I just felt like this girl is truly a part of the new India. This is exactly what new India is.

About her character, she added: “We are vocal, we speak up for what we want, we are ambitious survivors, we are go-getters. But at the same time, we are still connected with our roots, we are still connected with our values and our culture and this character exactly signify that.”

Odisha records highest single-day spike of 3,991 Covid-19 cases

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Odisha records highest single-day spike of 3,991 Covid-19 cases

Odisha recorded its highest single-day spike of 3,991 new Covid-19 cases, taking the state’s infection tally to 1,39,121, the state health department said on Thursday.

As many as 11 more persons died due to Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours, pushing the state’s total fatalities to 591.

Two deaths each were reported from Khurdha, Cuttack, and Puri districts while one each was reported from Bhadrak, Ganjam, Koraput, Nayagarh, and Rayagada.

Of the new positive cases, 2,315 cases were reported in quarantine while 1,676 were local contacts.

Khurda district reported the highest 687 positive cases followed by Cuttack 392 and Puri 332.

With this, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Odisha mounted to 33,182 while 1,05,295 persons have recovered from the disease so far.

Telangana adds 2,534 fresh Covid cases to breach 1.50 lakh mark

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Telangana adds 2,534 fresh Covid cases to breach 1.50 lakh mark

With 2,534 new coronavirus cases, Telangana’s tally breached the 1.50 lakh mark on Thursday, while 11 more patients succumbed to the infection, said, health officials.

After the addition of 2,534 new cases in the last 24 hours, the tally went up to 1,50,176, officials added.

As many as 11 more persons with Covid-19 infection died across the state, taking the toll to 927.

Telangana became the ninth state in the country to cross the 1.50 lakh mark. The state government, however, claims that with a low fatality rate and a better recovery rate, the state is on a better footing than many other states in handling the pandemic.

Health officials said the fatality rate in the state declined further to 0.61 percent against the national average of 1.68 percent.

Out of the total fatalities, 53.87 percent had comorbidities.

Telanganaa¿s recovery rate at 78 percent is slightly higher than the national average of 77.83 percent.

The last 24 hours ending at 8 p.m. Wednesday saw 2,071 recoveries. With this, the overall recoveries in the state climbed to 1,17,143.

According to a media bulletin, the number of active cases in the state stands at 32,106 including 25,066 in-home/institutional isolation.

Out of the total COVID cases reported in the state so far, 69 percent (1,03,621) were asymptomatic and 31 percent (46,555) symptomatic.

The latest figures indicate that the situation continues to be under control in Greater Hyderabad but districts are adding new cases.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) saw 327 new cases during the last 24 hours. The state capital’s neighbouring districts Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri reported 195 and 132 cases respectively. Sangareddy, another district bordering the state capital, recorded 96 cases.

Outside Hyderabad and surrounding districts, Nalgonda recorded the highest single-day jump of 149. Warangal Urban reported 124 new cases, Kamareddy 123, Khammam 109, Karimnagar 107, and Siddipet 103.

Ramping up the testing further, 17 government and 38 private laboratories and 1076 rapid antigen test centers across the state conducted 63,017 tests. These include 28,358 primary and 8,822 secondary contacts.

The state has so far conducted 19,53,571 tests. However, there was no information available as to how many of these are rapid antigen tests.

The state health authorities said samples tested per million population improved further to 52,619. This is much higher than the daily testing target of 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day.

Age wise COVID positive details show that 65.3 percent of those tested positive were in the age group of 21-50 years. Officials said that 24.71 percent are above 51 years of age. About 10 percent were aged below 20 years.

Officials said 64.41 percent of those tested positive were male while the remaining 35.59 percent were female.

Out of 20,396 beds under government, 17,712 beds are vacant including 1,615 ICU beds.

A total of 197 private hospitals treating COVID patients have 10,346 beds, out of which 5,990 are vacant.

Next few months will be critical to hit old form again, says Chinglensana

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Next few months will be critical to hit old form again, says Chinglensana

It’s been a little over three weeks since the Indian men’s hockey team resumed sports activities at the ongoing national coaching camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility after a forced five-month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Easing into activities has been the mantra for the team which ensured their fitness levels were maintained during the lockdown period where players were restricted to their rooms. “It’s been a tough phase for me personally because I had only just returned to competitive hockey earlier this year after a long injury-break that had kept me out of action almost all through 2019,” expressed midfielder Chinglensana Singh Kangujam.

The Manipur-born Arjuna Awardee emphasized that he has been taking things slow and not putting pressure on himself to hit top form immediately. “It will take some time (at least two-three months) for all of us to hit the same form we were in earlier this year. This period will be critical for us. The good thing is that we don’t have any major competition till the end of this year which gives us enough and more time to return to the form we were in during the FIH Hockey Pro League earlier this year.”

“Chief coach Graham Reid is also not in any rush and he has mentioned to us that the team management will be looking at starting intensive training only later this year,” stated Singh.

Singh further said that this ‘slow and steady’ approach ensures players are not under any pressure.

“It is very reassuring for the players that coach Reid is constantly talking to the players and giving us enough time, it does not put pressure on us. We will know where we stand when we play internal matches which we have been told will happen only later this year so the next few months we can purely focus on individual well-being both physically and mentally, and work on improving our fitness and speed,” he added.

This time-off from competitive hockey, Singh believes, has given players an opportunity to retrospect about their own game and understand the areas that they need to work on.

“Time off competitive hockey always gives players a chance to be retrospective and figure out what aspects of their individual game requires improvement. I am sure we will bounce back as more mature and stronger, formidable team,” he concluded.

Ram Temple Trust a/c: Rs 6L fraudulently withdrawn

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Ram Temple Trust a/c: Rs 6L fraudulently withdrawn

An amount of Rs 6 lakh has been fraudulently withdrawn from the bank account of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.

An FIR has been lodged in this regard at the Ayodhya Kotwali police station. A team of cyber experts has also been asked to investigate the case.

According to the report, money was withdrawn from two banks in Lucknow by cheque cloning.

The matter came to light when the fraudster made a third attempt to withdraw Rs 9.86 lakh from the Bank of Baroda branch.

The bank manager made a verification call to Trust Secretary Champat Rai, who denied having issued any such cheque.

“On further inquiry, it was found that money had been withdrawn earlier, too,” said a police official.

A sum of Rs 2.5 lakhs was withdrawn from the bank on September 1 and then a sum of Rs 3.5 lakh, two days later.

Ayodhya circle officer Rajesh Kumar Rai said that a case had been registered and investigations were underway.

It may be recalled that a fake website that was seeking donations for the Ram temple had come to light a few days ago and the matter was being investigated.

Agra reports 96 fresh cases, one death from Covid-19

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Agra reports 96 fresh cases, one death from Covid-19

With 96 fresh cases of Covid-19 and one more death in a day, the Taj city is in the grip of a fear-wave.

As markets open and restrictions are lifted, the chances of more people getting infected go up, explain the doctors but the district administration finds the pressure difficult to negotiate on a daily basis.

The medical infrastructure at the S.N. Medical College is under strain and is facing shortages of medicines, Oxygen, and even trained hands. Senior doctors in the private health sector have virtually disappeared, surgeries have stopped and a significantly large number of trained hands to battle the pandemic, are reluctant to continue to give their services inviting risk. A senior police official, two cops, and a post-master tested positive on Wednesday.

In the past 24 hours, Agra reported 96 fresh cases and one death of a senior citizen. The number of active cases now is 730 while the number of samples tested so far is 1,39,432.

The situation continues to remain grim in Aligarh, Mathura, Firozabad with cases of Covid-19 positive cases going up each day.

The state health department has asked the district administrations to increase the number of beds in government hospitals.

Though the private sector hospitals have now begun to admit COVID cases, the number of complaints each day of overcharging and negligence have also increased. “Their packages are exorbitant, beyond the ordinary people,” complained one member of a victim family.

OPPO announces price, availability of F17 smartphone in India

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OPPO announces price, availability of F17 smartphone in India

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO on Thursday announced the price and availability of its recently-launched smartphone OPPO F17 in India.

The F17 will come in two variants of 6GB+128GB as well as 8GB+128GB for Rs 17,990 and Rs 19,990, respectively.

The device will go on sale from September 21 across all offline and leading e-commerce platforms, the company said in a statement.

With a sleek 7.45mm body, the OPPO F17 weighs just 163 grams with 1.67mm ultra-thin bezels created from laser-carving technology.

The device was launched last week along with OPPO F17 Pro which is available at Rs 22,990 for the 8+128GB variant.

OPPO F17 sports a 6.44-inch full high definition (FHD) Waterdrop Fullscreen and comes with the third generation of in-display fingerprint unlock technology.

The device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor coupled with up to 8GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.

The device houses a 16MP main camera, a 119-degree wide-angle 8MP camera, a 2MP monochrome camera, and a 2MP retro camera. The smartphone also comes with a 16MP front camera.

Equipped with 30W VOOC 4.0 technology, OPPO F17 claims four hours of talk with just a five-minute charge, the company said.

Nestaway eyes small-town India as tenants exit Metros

TB Team
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Nestaway eyes small-town India as tenants exit Metros

As the ongoing pandemic triggers reverse migration, online home rental company Nestaway Technologies on Thursday launched a partnership/franchising model to make inroads into the smaller cities and towns in India.

According to reports, Covid-19 has caused massive disruption in the home rental industry in India as there has been massive reverse migration of youth to their hometowns.

“We need to be where tenants are. Pre-COVID, the tenant base was crowded in central business districts and few busy areas in Tier I cities. We see a tectonic shift in consumer behavior now,” said Amarendra Sahu, Co-founder, and CEO, Nestaway.

“While our existing model works best in busy pockets of the city and offers a full-stack service to make living easier, post-COVID, customers want less rent and fewer services,” he added.

Reports claim that reverse migration is as high as 50 percent in cities like Bengaluru with over 30 percent of homes now lying vacant.

“That is why we are making the decision to add a franchised version of our services so that local entrepreneurs can customize it as per the need of customers in their geographies,” Sahu said in a statement.

As part of this new model, the independent property managers would have access to the same product, technology, and know-how as the existing on-roll property managers.

Based on its internal migration and tenant exit data, Nestaway said over 10,000 people have vacated their rental homes in the last three months and have gone back to smaller cities or their hometowns.

Nestaway has seen a three times uptick in owner requests from smaller towns and cities.

The company said it aims to do at least 30 percent of its business from non-metros in the next two years.

Launched in 2015, Nestaway currently has more than 50,000 tenants and 60,000 homes in its network.

World’s first floating Apple store opens in Singapore

TB Team
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World’s first floating Apple store opens in Singapore

The Cupertino-based iPhone maker on Thursday opened Apple Marina Bay Sands, its first floating retail store with a glass dome that appears as a floating sphere and sits directly on the water.

The store introduces a new retail experience at one of the most iconic locations in the country.

“Our retail stores bring the best of Apple together and we’re so proud to welcome you to our newest home in Singapore — the breathtaking Apple Marina Bay Sands. Enjoy the view!” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a tweet.

The all-glass dome structure is fully self-supported, comprising 114 pieces of glass with only 10 narrow vertical mullions for structural connection.

Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, an oculus located at the apex of the dome provides a flooding ray of light that travels through space, according to Apple.

The interior of the glass is lined with custom baffles, each uniquely shaped to counter sun angles and provide a nighttime lighting effect.

With trees lining the interior of the dome, the green garden city of Singapore flows into the store, providing additional shading and soft shadows through the foliage.

Visitors can explore curated Apple products and accessories, receive personal technical support, or simply take in the stunning view of Marina Bay.

“The Forum is centered around a Video Wall, which will serve as the stage for ‘Today at Apple’ sessions featuring Singapore’s artists, musicians, and creators,” Apple said.

Apple opened its first store in Singapore at the Knightsbridge building along Orchard Road in 2017.

Its second store, located at Jewel Changi Airport, opened in July last year.

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