ED continues questioning Rhea, Showik, now dad Indrajit also joins

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ED continues questioning Rhea, Showik, now dad Indrajit also joins

Actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and father Indrajit Chakraborty on Monday deposed before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money-laundering probe connected to the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Their questioning began around 12.15 p.m.

The ED on Friday had quizzed Rhea, her ex-manager Shruti Modi, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda in connection with the case. The ED had also questioned Showik on Friday for over eight hours and for over 18 hours on Saturday and on the intervening night of Sunday.

This is for the first time that Rhea’s father Indrajit was being questioned by the ED in connection with the case.

ED sources said that the agency suspects illegal money transactions and investigators have a clear picture about the whole matter.

On earlier occasions, Rhea has remained evasive during the questioning and claimed to be innocent.

The ED will question the actor and her family members regarding three of Rajput’s companies she is partners in. Rhea has told the financial probe agency sleuths that Rs one lakh was the paid-up capital, which was shared by the three of them (Sushant Singh Rajput, Rhea, and Showik Chakraborty), and apart from that, she hasn’t spent any more on the company.

The ED is also looking into two properties owned by Rhea and her family. Regarding the Khar (East) flat that is in her name, Rhea has told the ED officials that she took a housing loan for Rs 60 lakh and the rest of the amount, around Rs 25 lakh, have been paid through her own income. The agency will also question her father about another property.

The agency has asked for income tax returns of the last five years from the Chakraborty family.

The ED on July 31, registered the case on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR on the complaint of Sushant’s father K.K. Singh, who alleged that Rs 15 crore was withdrawn or transferred from his son’s Kotak Mahindra Bank account holding Rs 17 crore.

The ED had registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Rhea and her family members on the basis of Singh’s complaint submitted at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna.

Sushant and Rhea were said to be in a live-in relationship before the actor’s death on June 14. Sushant’s father has accused Rhea of taking money from his son and also threatening to disclose his medical reports to the media. Sushant’s family had also accused her of keeping him away from them.

The case was transferred to the CBI from the state police on August 7.

Over 100 buildings damaged in North Carolina quake

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Over 100 buildings damaged in North Carolina quake

More than 100 buildings were damaged in North Carolina after a 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit the US state, officials said.

The quake, the most powerful in the state since 1916, struck at 8.07 a.m. on Sunday at a depth of about 9.1 km, which is considered a shallow quake, Xinhua news agency quoted the US Geological Survey (USGS) as saying.

The epicenter is near Sparta, a town of about 1,800 people in Alleghany County.

Daniel Roten, the county’s emergency management coordinator, told local media outlet WFMY News that he has not heard of any injuries reported from the earthquake.

He estimated more than 100 buildings were damaged in Allegheny County, adding that his team was still in the assessment process.

A few homes had to be evacuated due to the extent of the damage, he added.

The earthquake was also felt as far away as in South Carolina and Georgia, according to a CNN report.

Samsung boosts mobile privacy with Make in India tool ‘AltZLife’

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Samsung boosts mobile privacy with Make in India tool ‘AltZLife’

In a bid to empower people especially young smartphone users maintain privacy, Samsung on Monday launched a new feature called AltZLife that will help them easily switch between normal mode and private mode by simply double-clicking on the power key.

The on-device function intelligently suggests moving private content to the secure folder before you hand over the device to someone else.

The feature is currently available on Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 smartphones, the company said in a statement.

“An industry-first innovation, this intelligent feature has been designed keeping in mind the inherent need of consumers, especially Gen Z, for enhanced privacy when it comes to storage and access of content on their smartphones,” said Manu Sharma, Senior Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India.

The two ‘Make for India’ solutions that are part of AltZLife – Quick Switch and Content Suggestions – have been developed by a team of young engineers at Samsung R&D Institutes in Bengaluru and Noida using insights from consumer research.

This is how the new feature works.

Quick Switch helps users in switching between two instances of the same app instantly: One instance in normal mode and the other in private mode.

For example, a consumer can easily move between the normal Gallery and a private Gallery; or from a normal WhatsApp to a private WhatsApp with a simple double click of the power button.

The private versions of these apps are secured by Samsung Knox in the Secure Folder of Galaxy smartphones, said Samsung.

When switching from private to normal mode, no authentication is required.

Content Suggestions is an AI-based app inside the Secure Folder, and its on-device AI-powered engine automatically suggests users move private images of pre-selected categories to the Secure Folder.

“For this to happen, users have to simply select specific faces or a type of image they want to tag as private and keep them secured in the private gallery of the Secure Folder,” said the company.

Once the initial setup is complete, the AI engine kicks in and identifies relevant images from the entire gallery.

Earlier this year, Samsung launched other AI-based ‘Make for India’ features on Galaxy A series devices. This includes Alive Intelligence, which offers a Multilingual Keyboard, Smart Crop, Useful Cards, and Finder.

50% Indian workforce may be AI ready in next 6-10 years: Microsoft

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50% Indian workforce may be AI ready in next 6-10 years: Microsoft

The organizations that have deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) with skilling initiatives in India are generating most value from this new-age technology, and senior executives predict that half of all employees will be equipped with AI skills in the next 6-10 years, a new Microsoft survey said on Monday.

In India, all AI-leading companies said they are actively building skills of their workers, or have plans to do so, while over 93 percent of senior executives surveyed from these companies were sure their business was gaining value from AI.

The research surveyed employees and leaders within large enterprises across industry verticals in India, and 19 other countries, to look at the skills needed to thrive as AI becomes increasingly adopted by businesses, as well as the key learning from early AI adopters.

“AI is at the heart of digital transformation – which has accelerated at an extraordinary pace – and will continue to play a critical role in helping businesses be more agile, resilient and competitive during this time,” said Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India.

However, the path of unlocking the full potential of AI lies in “combining its deployment with skilling initiatives that focus on both tech and soft skills”, she stressed.

Notably, 98 percent of the employees surveyed among all the AI companies were highly motivated for reskilling.

While 98 percent of AI leading firms in India were increasing skills investments and interestingly, the overall number of Indian employees interested in skilling (85 percent) is more than double that of employees across all surveyed markets (38 percent).

Both the senior executives and employees surveyed found a direct link between having the skills needed to thrive in an AI world and the value organizations gain from their AI implementations.

The combination of skilling and AI deployment is helping businesses succeed, said the report.

Nearly 94 percent of senior executives from AI leading businesses acknowledged that they are already seeing value from AI deployment.

In fact, Indian AI intermediate companies are also not too far behind in this aspect –- with 87 percent sharing the same view.

The gap between the two categories across all the countries surveyed, however, is much wider at 25 percent.

The research showed that AI-leading firms are focused on ensuring that AI is complementing the talents of their people.

“We’re seeing a virtuous circle emerge among the companies seeing the greatest value from AI. These leaders have seen that having the right skills enables them to unlock value from AI, which encourages them to extend their use of AI and, in turn, continue in up-leveling skills in their organization,” said Srivathsa.

PM inaugurates submarine OFC connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands

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PM inaugurates submarine OFC connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated a submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair, which will enable the delivery of faster and more reliable mobile and landline telecommunication services to the islands, on par with other parts of India.

“This optical fiber cable project is a gift for the people of Andaman before Independence Day. This is a symbol of our commitment to ease of living. Be it online classes, tourism, banking, shopping, or telemedicine, thousands of families in Andaman and Nicobar will now get access,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that tourists will also reap huge benefits from this facility as the better net connectivity is the first priority of any tourist destination. “The problem of mobile and Internet connectivity has now been resolved. Apart from this, physical connectivity through road, air, and water is also being strengthened.”

He pointed out that the project will lead to high-speed broadband connectivity, fast and reliable mobile, and landline telecom services, which in turn will give a big boost to the local economy and delivery of e-governance, telemedicine, and the-education services.

The project is funded by the government of India through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.

About 2,300-km long cable has been laid at a cost of about Rs 1,224 crore.

The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island, and Rangat.

The foundation stone of this project was laid by the Prime Minister on December 30, 2018, at Port Blair.

The submarine OFC link will deliver a bandwidth of 2×200 Gigabits per second between Chennai and Port Blair, and 2×100 Gbps between Port Blair and other islands.

The provision of reliable, robust, and high-speed telecom and broadband facilities in these islands will be a landmark achievement from the viewpoint of consumers, as well as for strategic and governance reasons.

The 4G mobile services, which were constrained due to limited backhaul bandwidth provided via satellite, will also see a major improvement.

Enhanced telecom and broadband connectivity will boost tourism and employment generation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and also give an impetus to the economy and thus raise the standards of living of the populace.

Better connectivity will also facilitate the delivery of e-governance services such as telemedicine and tele-education. Small enterprises will benefit from the opportunities in e-commerce, while educational institutions will utilize the enhanced availability of bandwidth for e-learning and knowledge-sharing.

Business Process Outsourcing services and other medium and large enterprises will also reap the benefits of better connectivity.

Mumbai Customs, DRI seizes heroin camouflaged as ‘ayurvedic’ medicine

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Mumbai Customs, DRI seizes heroin camouflaged as ‘ayurvedic’ medicine

In one of the biggest narcotics haul in Mumbai, the Mumbai Customs and Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized 191 kg of heroin worth around Rs 1,000 crore from a cargo container at Nhava Sheva Port Trust, officials said here on Monday.

The seizure of the drugs, being declared as ‘ayurvedic medicine’ — believed to have originated from Afghanistan — was made late on Saturday.

Two customs clearing house agents who attempted to get it cleared through the customs have been arrested and sent to police custody for 14 days.

The narcotic, stated to be of high-grade quality, was concealed in plastic pipes painted in bamboo color and sought to be passed off as traditional common medicine, said the officials.

Further probe is underway into the source of the supply, the modus operandi, and whether the same has been tried before to evade the various enforcement agencies.

Researchers to study inhaled sedatives for severe Covid-19

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Researchers to study inhaled sedatives for severe Covid-19

In a fight against the novel coronavirus, Canadian researchers will be looking at whether the inhaled sedatives can replace those that are delivered intravenously in infected patients requiring ventilation.

The multi-center clinical trial aims to address a global shortage of intravenous (IV) sedatives while improving patient outcomes.

According to the researchers, when Covid-19 patients develop severe respiratory failure and need to be ventilated, they require sedation.

“While IV sedatives are currently used, there is concern about global drug shortages, particularly if there’s a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall,” said Marat Slessarev from the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada.

“Even if we have enough ventilators, we won’t be able to ventilate patients without sedatives,” Slessarev added.

The clinical trial will study the replacement of IV sedatives with inhaled sedatives.

Inhaled sedatives, also called volatiles, are widely available due to their use in operating rooms to sedate patients during surgery.

While they have not been routinely used to sedate patients needing ventilation, early studies suggest they could be safe and even more effective than IV sedatives.

Preliminary studies in non-COVID patients with severe respiratory failure suggest that inhaled sedatives can reduce lung inflammation, shorten the duration of ventilation, and potentially improve survival.

“Inhaled sedatives could, therefore, reduce the pandemic’s strain on ventilator capacity while improving patient outcomes,” Slessarev said.

According to the team, since these drugs are safe, cheap, and readily available, they can easily be used to address IV sedative shortages if found effective.

The researchers will recruit approximately 800 patients from across Canada and the US including patients.

Each patient will be randomized to receive either IV sedatives or inhaled sedatives.

Patient outcomes such as survival and length of ventilation will be compared between the two groups to determine which method of sedation is most effective.

“This is the largest trial of its kind. If inhaled sedatives can shorten the length of ventilation or improve survival in patients with serve respiratory failure, this could cause a paradigm shift in the way we sedate patients in intensive care units (ICUs) around the world,” Slessarev noted.

Darshan Kumaar: Took me years to understand how industry functions

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Darshan Kumaar: Took me years to understand how industry functions

Actor Darshan Kumaar says insiders do have an edge over outsiders in Bollywood, but nothing can outshine talent.

“Obviously, insiders, who know the industry from their childhood and whose fathers are stars or producers, have been stars over outsiders, who come from outside and who don’t know the ABCD,” he said, adding about outsiders like him: “It takes many years to understand the industry and how it works, which they (insiders) know from before.”

“They are prepared from before (for) what they have to do whereas we (get to) know about these things when we come here, so it takes time. But if you are talented no one can stop you,” he said.

The “Mary Kom” actor continued: “Thanks to the audience, they want to see good actors. In the past, one set of styles could work but now it has changed, as audiences get bored if an actor is doing one set of roles. It is a good time for theatre actors who are working on their skills, and acting as they can perform different roles and look their best.”

“If you don’t perform well, the audience will not like you, and in the future, you will not get work. So, this insider and outsider debate does not exist there. So, it might work once but later you have to show your talent and skills to get work,” he added.

Looking back at his journey, Darshan said: “I started from doing theatre in Delhi and then came to Mumbai and joined Neena Gupta’s group for 14 to 15 years, and through these years I have learned a lot. When I first came to Mumbai, I did not know anyone and it took me years to understand how the industry functions. Like meeting everyone, going for auditions, how to meet casting directors, and how to give photos in different offices. We had a very limited budget, so we would leave in the morning with one packet of biscuits and give auditions the entire day. Eating those biscuits with tea or water is what I have seen. So, I think the passion for work and acting and sacrifices did helps as an actor.”

After “Mary Kom”, Darshan went on to do “NH 10”, “Sarbjit”, “A Gentleman”, “Baaghi 2”, and “The Family Man”. He currently stars in the web series “Avrodh: The Siege Within”, which is live on SonyLIV.

Sensex up 300 points, Nifty above 11,300 mark

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Sensex up 300 points, Nifty above 11,300 mark

The key Indian equity indices traded on a positive note on Monday morning with the BSE Sensex gaining over 300 points.

Healthy buying was witnessed in healthcare, capital goods, auto, and banking stocks.

Around 10.15 a.m., Sensex was trading at 38,344.31, higher by 303.74 points or 0.80 percent from the previous close of 38,040.57.

It opened at 38,168.42 and touched an intra-day high of 38,420.68 and a low of 38,163.71 points.

The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange was trading at 11,309.45, higher by 95.40 points or 0.85 percent from its previous close.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, and Sun Pharmaceutical, while the major losers were Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, and Asian Paints.

Fight coronavirus like a soldier: Punjab CM

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Fight coronavirus like a soldier: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday appealed to the people of the state to fight the coronavirus pandemic in unison and with morale like that of a soldier.

“Back in my Army days, I had learned a very important lesson that when we fight together we don’t get battle fatigue,” he said in a tweet.

“I urge all Punjabis to come together against Covid-19 for it’s a long fight and we’ll need to inspire one another and, importantly, keep up our morale.”

On the Chief Minister’s directive, the state Medical Education and Research department have set up four new Covid-19 viral testing labs to enhance the daily testing capacity of 4,000 tests from the next month with 1,000 tests per day per lab.

Also, the total viral testing capacity in three medical colleges in Patiala, Amritsar, and Faridkot cities would be ramped up to 5,000 tests per day per college by August 31, an official spokesperson told IANS.

He said this initiative would go a long way to fight the pandemic as early diagnosis is key to contain and curb the spread of the disease.

Over 6.15 lakh tests have been carried out in the state to date.

Punjab has so far reported 23,903 cases with 586 deaths.

Citizenship query: It’s not unusual, Chidambaram comes out in Kanimozhi’s support

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Citizenship query: It’s not unusual, Chidambaram comes out in Kanimozhi’s support

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, a native of Tamil Nadu, has come out in support of DMK MP Kanimozhi, who had tweeted about an incident at an airport wherein she was asked about her citizenship and pointed to his own experiences.

“The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Kanimozhi at the Chennai airport is not unusual. I (too) have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens, who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations, and sometimes even face to face,” Chidambaram said.

The former Union Minister said: “If the Centre is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English.”

While non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional spoken Hindi, why cannot Hindi-speaking recruits to these posts learn functional spoken English?” the senior Congress leader asked.

Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed her allegation as an ‘electoral stunt’. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh tweeted to counter Kanimozhi’s charge, saying that “assembly elections are 8 months away … the campaign starts”.

India records 62,064 new corona cases, record over 1,000 deaths

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India records 62,064 new corona cases, record over 1,000 deaths

India, the third country worst hit by COVID-19 pandemic, recorded a spike of 62,064 coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing the total tally to 2,215,074. The country tested a record of over 1,000 deaths in a single day.

The number of recoveries mounted to over 15 lakh, more than twice the active cases. Out of the total cases, 6,34,945 are active cases, 1,535,743 have recovered from the disease while 44,386 people have lost their lives in the fight against the deadly virus.

Notably, India recorded the highest number of recoveries in a single day at 54,859. The recovery rate has gone up to 68.78 percent.

On Sunday, the government tested 7,19,364 samples, which dipped to 4,77,023 on Monday. A total of 2,45,83,558 samples have been tested so far.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total of 5,03,084 cases and 17,367 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 2,90,906 cases and 4,808 deaths. The southern state is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

Globally, the overall number of coronavirus cases has topped 19.7 million, while the deaths have increased to over 729,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 19,778,566 and the fatalities rose to 729,692, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of infections and fatalities at 5,044,435 and 162,919 respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in second place with 3,035,422 infections and 101,049 deaths.

Abducted UP boy found abandoned in bus

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Abducted UP boy found abandoned in bus

A five-year-old boy, who was kidnapped from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district, was found abandoned in a bus in Ghaziabad.

Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) driver Vikal and conductor Deepak found the abandoned boy crying on the bus, which was on its way to Moradabad via Ghaziabad from the Greater Noida depot.

The boy, when questioned by the driver and conductor, could not tell the address but gave them a phone number of his family member.

Vikal and Deepak called the boy’s family who then informed the two that the boy had been kidnapped from Moradabad.

The kidnappers had reportedly demanded a ransom of Rs 30 lakh but seemed to have changed their plan and abandoned the child in the bus.

After speaking to the boy’s relative, Vikal and Deepak informed Moradabad police about the incident.

Moradabad SP (rural area) Vidya Sagar Mishra asked them to bring the boy to the police station and hand him over to the police.

State Transport Minister Ashok Kataria has praised Vikal and Deepak and has decided to felicitate the two.

Transport Corporation Managing director, Raj Shekhar also appreciated the efforts of the bus driver and conductor in rescuing the child.

Paytm launches portable Android POS device for Rs 499 a month

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Paytm launches portable Android POS device for Rs 499 a month

Leading digital payment service Paytm on Monday launched an Android-based, pocket-sized point of sale (POS) device that is enabled with integrated billing software, camera for QR scanning, and supports 4G SIM cards Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Available for an introductory monthly rental of Rs 499, the ‘Paytm All-in-One Portable Android Smart POS’ can accept orders and payments on the go.

Aiming to invest Rs 100 crore on the distribution and marketing of these devices in the financial year 2021, Paytm said it will issue over two lakh devices within the next few months that are likely to generate over 20 million transactions per month.

“This affordable pocket-sized Android POS device will enable everyone from SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to delivery personnel of Kirana stores to collect payments safely,” said Renu Satti, Senior Vice President at Paytm.

According to the company, it is more powerful and secure than the portable Linux-based POS devices currently available in the country.

The POS device comes bundled with Paytm’s ‘Scan to Order’ service.

This is how it works.

The ergonomic device weighs 163 grams, is 12mm thick, and has a 4.5-inch touch screen.

It comes with a powerful processor, all-day battery life, and an inbuilt camera to scan QR codes and instantly process payment.

The device has several industry-first features like Cloud-based software for billing, payments, and customer management.

It works with 4G SIM cards, Wi-Fi and has Bluetooth connectivity to ensure payments never fail and stays round the clock connected with all of Paytm’s bouquet of services.

The smart POS device is integrated with the ‘Paytm for Business’ app to generate GST compliant bills and also to manage all transactions and settlements, said the company.

The Paytm for Business App has witnessed over 20 million downloads and is one of the most popular merchant apps on Google Play Store and App Store.

“Our ‘Paytm for Business’ app, Khata, and payout services are providing the much-needed digitization support to businesses to improve their efficiency,” Satti said.

‘COVID-19 pandemic will continue for 6 more months in Iran’

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‘COVID-19 pandemic will continue for 6 more months in Iran’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue for another six more months in the country which is currently the hardest-hit in the Middle East.

As of Monday, the total number of coronavirus cases in Iran stood at 326,712, with 18,427 deaths.

A total of 284,371 coronavirus patients have recovered, while 4,022 are in critical condition.

“Until we obtain a vaccine that is effective and gets a sufficient quantity of it… We will be confronting this situation,” Rouhani said in a statement on Sunday.

However, it is not feasible to “completely cancel economic, social, cultural, and religious activity”, nor to act as prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

Rouhani asked the public to respect social distancing procedures, saying punitive measures will be announced next week against those who transgress norms and get infected with COVID-19.

38 fresh cases in Agra as B.Ed examinees flout Covid norms

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38 fresh cases in Agra as B.Ed examinees flout Covid norms

As India’s COVID tally breached the 22-lakh mark on Monday, Agra reported a surge of 38 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 2,103.

This was after 20,000 students trooped to the district on Sunday to appear for the B.Ed entrance examination at 42 centers set up by the Agra University. After March 17, this was the first examination conducted by the university. Along with locals, a large number of students from neighboring districts and Rajasthan appeared for the examinations.

Although elaborate sanitation and social distancing measures were announced, the examinees and their guardians largely ignored the safety norms. Many did not have masks. Social distancing was hardly observed.

With overall conditions anywhere near normal, the district administration is under pressure from the tourism lobby and the school bodies, demanding permission to reopen. Informed sources said the schools could reopen from September 1 in a staggered manner.

Hoteliers have asked for reopening of the Taj Mahal and restaurants.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma is scheduled to attend a meeting of senior officials at the Circuit House later on Monday to take stock of the situation. The district administration had given permission for holding the examination, despite the weekend lockdown.

Questions are now being raised at the callous negligence by the administrative machinery. The cost of this lapse could be high, health activists said.

The number of recovered cases in Agra now stands at 1,694. The recovery rate is 80.55 percent. More than 66,000 samples have been collected.

Despite 1,694 recoveries, the number of plasma donors is only 20 in Agra, a health official said.

The administration has decided to test samples of all inmates in the temporary jails. All accused will now be tested before being transferred to the jails.

The Covid-19 scare has affected work in government offices after a number of clerks, drivers, peons were found positive. Two municipal corporation officials were found positive on Sunday. The attendance has been reduced to below 30 percent daily in the collectorate and the divisional commissioner’s offices.

Firozabad has reported 36, Mathura 30, Etah 30, Mainpuri 23, and Kasganj three cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

District authorities in Mathura have already announced restrictions on the entry of outsiders for the Sri Krishna Janamashtmi celebrations. The temples are already shut till August 31.

Former WWE wrestler ‘Kamala’ passes away

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Former WWE wrestler ‘Kamala’ passes away

WWE legend James Harris, popularly known to fans as Kamala, has passed away at age 70.

Under the frightening face paint of Kamala, the 6-foot-7, 380-pound Harris battled the greatest Superstars in sports-entertainment history, including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, and Andre the Giant. He wrestled more than 400 matches over the course of several stretches with the WWE.

“He terrorized opponents and thrilling audiences in Mid-South, World Class Championship Wrestling, WCW, and WWE until 2006,” WWE said in a statement.

“WWE extends its condolences to Harris’ family, friends, and fans,” it added.

Expressing remorse, WWE NXT General Manager William Regal said on Instagram: “My deepest condolences to the family of James Harris. I first saw him on TV when I was a child in the UK and at live shows as “The Mississippi Mauler” Big Jim Harris and then had the pleasure of being on shows with him in the US. A lovely man.”

“RIP Kamala. I’m happy I had the opportunity to share a locker room with him many years ago. A giant of a gentleman. Godspeed sir,” said Frankie Kazarian on social media.

“Another legend who deserved to be in WWE Hall of Fame and alive when that time came. An all-around great talent and good guy that got over and stood out wherever he went. RIP to the great “Ugandan Giant” Kamala. His memory will live on forever,” said Elijah Burke.

Toshiba wraps up laptop business, sells remaining shares to Sharp

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Toshiba wraps up laptop business, sells remaining shares to Sharp

Japanese tech giant Toshiba, once well-known for its satellite range of laptops meant for heavy use, has finally decided to quit the laptop business.

Toshiba has quietly sold its remaining 19.9 percent stake in its Dynabook laptop brand to Sharp, officially exiting the laptop business.

The company earlier sold the 80.1 percent stake to Sharp in 2018.

“Toshiba Corporation hereby announces that it has transferred the 19.9 percent of the outstanding shares in Dynabook that it held to Sharp Corporation. As a result of this transfer, Dynabook has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sharp,” the company said in a statement.

Toshiba entered the market for laptops in 1985.

It introduced its ‘Satellite’ range of laptops to take on IBM’s ‘ThinkPad’ series. The company was outsourcing its laptop production until 2015, though it started manufacturing newer models at its facility in China.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Toshiba was among the top PC manufacturers, but the growth of Lenovo, HP, and Dell made it tougher for Toshiba to continue its success in the market.

Toshiba’s share of the PC market had dwindled from its 2011 peak of 17.7 million PCs sold to about 1.4 million in 2017.

Atul Kulkarni: Pandemic will enhance disparity, impact economy and education

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Atul Kulkarni: Pandemic will enhance disparity, impact economy and education

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will only enhance the existing inequality and disparity in Indian society and also impact economy and education, feels actor Atul Kulkarni.

“Everything is uncertain today but one thing certain, especially in a developing country like India, is that the disparity and inequality in our society are going to grow. Not only economic disparity, but it will also have an effect on the education,” Kulkarni told IANS.

With educational institutions shut owing to lockdown, online education has become an alternative for students.

Commenting on the same, the actor said: “For online education, you need certain equipment at home. You need parents who can teach children at home. If you go to a village or even in Mumbai if you go to a slum, such cultural capital is not with parents. As a result, you will see a huge inequality and disparity in education, which is going to come and bite us seven or eight years from now. The attempt of every government should be to reduce that inequality.”

Asked how his life changed over the past few months of lockdown, the actor commented: “I have not really missed shooting or the sets. I have not really missed Mumbai because I have been staying in my farmhouse for the last four months. I have really enjoyed my stay at the farmhouse. My NGO works from there and works on that front is going on.”

On the work front, the National Award-winning actor features in the recently-released Amazon Prime web series “Bandish Bandits”.

Sharing his experience of working in the musical, the actor said: “Music is the ‘Atma’ of ‘Bandish Bandits’. I am happy that I got this opportunity to try something I have never done before — to act as a classical singer.

“Classical singing is extremely difficult, to sing the Sargam isn’t very easy especially when you have the breathless Shankar (Mahadevan) lending his voice to you!” he added.

Asked if he would like to go through training to get a hold of classical singing, the actor joked: “I would perhaps need 49 births to sing classical!”

Mandeep Singh latest hockey player to test positive for coronavirus

TB Team
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Mandeep Singh latest hockey player to test positive for coronavirus

Striker Mandeep Singh is the latest member of the Indian men’s hockey team to test positive for the novel coronavirus. He is, however, asymptomatic.

“Mandeep Singh, a member of the Indian men’s hockey team, who was given the COVID-19 test (RT PCR) along with 20 other players at the National Camp at SAI’s National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, has tested COVID-19 positive, but is asymptomatic,” Sports Authority of India (SAI) said in a statement on Monday.

“He is being administered treatment by doctors, along with the other five players who have tested positive,” it added.

Earlier, captain Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, and Krishan Pathak had also been diagnosed with COVID-19 upon arrival at the center for the hockey national camp which began on August 4.

Coach Graham Reid had however said that all the five tested players were doing fine.

“I am constantly in touch with all five of them and they are doing fine. SAI has made every arrangement to give them the best care. The chefs are making special dishes for them as per their choice, beyond the mess menu, and the athletes are very happy about it,” Reid said.

“I am self quarantined on the SAI campus and I am very happy with the way SAI authorities have handled the situation,” Manpreet had said. “I am very happy that they made the testing of athletes mandatory. That proactive step helped in identifying the problem right in time. I am doing fine and hope to recover very soon.”

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