Rhea appeared in ED at appointed time: Actress’s lawyer

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Rhea appeared in ED at appointed time: Actress’s lawyer

Actress Rhea Chakraborty is a law-abiding citizen who duly met with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at the appointed time, her lawyer observed on Friday.

Rhea arrived at the ED office to be questioned over financial dealings and investment into properties, pertaining to the investigation into the death of her late boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The directorate is questioning her about financial transactions from Sushant’s bank account over the last one year.

The ED on July 31 registered a money laundering case against Rhea and her family members. The case pertains to alleged “suspicious transactions” worth Rs 15 crore from the late actor’s account.

“Rhea Chakraborty is a law-abiding citizen. In view of the fact that the ED has informed the media that the request to postpone the attendance is rejected. She has appeared in the ED at the appointed time and date,” said the actress’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde.

Rhea arrived at the ED office here along with her brother Show Chakraborty at 11.50 am for the questioning. The ED will record her statement under the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

This comes after the directorate rejected Rhea’s request for deferring her questioning earlier in the day.

“Rhea Chakraborty has requested a postponement of recording her statement till the Supreme Court hearing,” her lawyer had said previously.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear next week Rhea’s plea seeking transfer of the Bihar Police probe to Mumbai Police.

Last month, it was revealed that Sushant’s father KK Singh has filed an FIR in Patna, accusing Rhea, her father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, brother Showik Chakraborty, house manager Samuel Miranda and business manager Shruti Modi of abetment to suicide, fraud and holding Sushant hostage.

Sushant was found hanging on June 14 at his Bandra apartment. The post mortem report has stated the actor committed suicide. CBI has currently taken over the investigation into the death.

Goa to start administering Remdesivir to Covid-19 patients

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Goa to start administering Remdesivir to Covid-19 patients

Goa’s Health Ministry on Friday received 1,008 vials of Remdesivir from pharma major Cipla. Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that is administered to Covid-19 patients and results in faster recovery, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

“This anti-viral drug will be beneficial in suppressing the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Uncontrollable viral replication is often responsible for tissue damage and deaths in patients infected with the virus,” Rane said in a statement.

The minister also said that the anti-viral drug will be administered to moderately and severely-ill patients suffering from COVID-19 and would help to suppress the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2.

“The drug will help in faster recovery of COVID-19 patients. Introduction of Remdesivir in the COVID-19 treatment protocol will also help us reduce COVID-19 deaths associated with co-morbidity,” Rane said.

Goa is currently witnessing a sustained spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. The state has recorded 7,614 coronavirus cases in all, out of which 2,095 are active. 66 people have died after contracting the deadly infection.

Will eat grass but will raise budget of Pakistan Army, says Akhtar

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Will eat grass but will raise budget of Pakistan Army, says Akhtar

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar once again has spoken about things outside of cricket and this time he had something to say about the budget of the Pakistan Army.

He feels that the annual budget of the armed forces should be increased significantly and for that civilians like him are even ready to make the necessary sacrifices. Akhtar also urged the chief of armed forces to work together with the civilians.

“If Allah ever gives me the authority, I will eat grass myself but I will increase the budget of the army,” Akhtar said in an interview with ARY News.

“I will ask my army chief to sit with me and make decisions. If the budget is 20 percent, I will make it 60 percent. If we insult each other, the loss is ours only,” he added.

This isn’t the first time when Akhtar has said something with respect to the armed forces. Earlier, the speedster claimed that he had turned down a 175,000-pound county contract with Nottinghamshire to fight the 1999 war against India in Kargil.

“People hardly know about this story. I had a 175,000-pound contract with Nottingham. Then in 2002, I had another big contract. I left both when Kargil happened,” Akhtar said.

“I stood on the outskirts of Lahore. A general asked me what I’m doing there. I said war is about to start and we’ll die together.

“I left county (cricket) twice like this and the counties were shocked. I wasn’t concerned about that. I called up my friends in Kashmir and told them I am ready to fight,” he added.

Shweta’s post as Rhea appears before ED: Be careful who you mess with

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Shweta’s post as Rhea appears before ED: Be careful who you mess with

Shweta Singh Kirti, sister of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has shared a cryptic social media post on Friday when his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai.

“Someone said be careful who you mess with because you don’t know who protects them in the spiritual world,” reads Shweta’s post on her verified Facebook account, along with a painting of Lord Shiva.

“Har Har Mahadev #justiceforsushantsinghrajput #godiswithus #Warriors4SSR #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput #jaijaishivshambhu,” Shweta added along with her post.

The ED on July 31 registered a money laundering case against Rhea and her family members. The case pertains to “suspicious transactions” worth Rs 15 crore allegedly carried out from the late actor’s account.

Rhea arrived at the ED office here along with her brother Show Chakraborty at 11.50 a.m. for questioning. The ED will record her statement under the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Yogi to review pandemic situation in western UP

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Yogi to review pandemic situation in western UP

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has embarked on a three-district tour of western Uttar Pradesh to review the Covid-19 situation in view of the increasing number of cases of the Coronavirus.

He will review the pandemic situation in Bareilly, Meerut and Saharanpur divisions, and visit Bareilly, Saharanpur, and Noida on Friday and Saturday.

Adityanath took a review meeting on the entire situation in the state on Friday before leaving for his tour.

According to the official spokesman, the chief minister will behold a meeting with officials in Bareilly on Friday evening, and inaugurate a Covid-19 care hospital in Noida on Saturday. He will then proceed to Saharanpur for a meeting.

Adityanath will return to the state capital on Saturday evening.

New education policy foundation of 21st century ‘new India’: PM

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New education policy foundation of 21st century ‘new India’: PM

The new National Education Policy (NEP) is the foundation of a ‘new India’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, adding that the policy will help close the gap between education and research.

The Union Cabinet had recently cleared the NEP proposing sweeping changes in school and higher education. It is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.

Addressing a conclave on transformational reforms in higher education under the National Education Policy’, Modi said, “The New Education Policy is the foundation of the 21st century ‘new India’. It will give youth the education and skills they need and will help close the gap between education and research.”

Emphasizing on the need for critical thinking, Modi said that the current education system focuses on ‘what to think’ but the new policy will focus on ‘how to think’.

“There were no major changes in the education system in the past few years. It had caused a herd mentality in our society, instead of curiosity and imagination,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister also said that there is a need to lay emphasis on “inquiry-based, discovery-based, and analysis-based ways” to help children learn better.

“With changing times, a new global system has risen, and hence it was essential for India to change its education system accordingly. Creating a 5+3+3+4 curriculum and replacing the 10+2 structure was a step in this direction,” the Prime Minister added.

Alluding to the mother tongue as a mode of teaching, he said that there is a need to make students global citizens, but at the same time, they should also be connected to their roots.

“We have recommended teaching in mother tongue till at least class 5. The learning power of students is bound to improve if the language they speak in and the language in which lessons are taught are the same.”

The Prime Minister also said that it is a matter of happiness that no section of the country has stated that the policy has any bias. “The National Education Policy is being discussed across the nation today. People from different fields and ideologies are giving their views and reviewing the policy. It is a healthy debate.”

WHO warns ‘vaccine nationalism’ not good for world

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WHO warns ‘vaccine nationalism’ not good for world

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned against vaccine nationalism, cautioning rich nations that if they keep treatments to themselves they cannot expect to remain safe if poor countries remain exposed.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, it would be in the interest of wealthier nations to help every country protect itself against the disease.

Ghebreyesus said that vaccine nationalism is not good, it will not help the world, the Guardian reported.

“For the world to recover faster, it has to recover together, because it’s a globalized world: the economies are intertwined. Part of the world or a few countries cannot be a safe haven and recover,” Ghebreyesus told the Aspen Security Forum in the US, via video-link from the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva.

He also said that Covid-19 could be less when those countries who have the funding committed to this

According to the report, several countries are racing to find a vaccine for coronavirus, which has killed more than 7,00,000 people globally.

The WHO chief also said that the Covid-19 pandemic can not be defeated in a divided world and hoped that the US will “reconsider its position” on its decision to withdraw from the world body.

OnePlus smartphones users can now play PUBG at 90 fps

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OnePlus smartphones users can now play PUBG at 90 fps

OnePlus has announced a partnership with PUBG Mobile to bring exclusive early access support for 90 frames per second (fps) in the game support to its smartphones.

The new setting is available on select OnePlus phones, including OnePlus 8 series, OnePlus 7T series, and OnePlus 7 Pro.

“OnePlus is very close with our community of tech enthusiasts, so we know that mobile gamers are looking for a more immersive and smoother experience,” Pete Lau, Founder, and CEO of OnePlus said in a statement.

Users worldwide (except Mainland China, Japan, and Korea) will be able to exclusively access the 90fps option till September 6.

To enjoy games at 90fps, the user needs to change the refresh rate of the device by clicking on Settings, Display, and Screen Refresh Rate.

Open PUBG Mobile, click on the Settings button on the bottom right corner and finally click on the Graphics tab and select ’90 fps’.

Earlier, OnePlus also partnered with Epic Games to customize the Fortnite gaming experience on OnePlus smartphones with 90Hz displays.

Apple again dominates India premium smartphone market in Q2: IDC

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Apple again dominates India premium smartphone market in Q2: IDC

Riding on the success of its iPhone 11 and iPhone XR devices, Apple once again dominated the India premium smartphone market with 48.8 percent market share in the lockdown-hit June quarter, the IDC India said on Friday.

Shipments in the premium ($500 and above) segment declined by (-35.4 percent) in the second quarter (YoY) but Apple maintained its lead, followed by Samsung and OnePlus.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR together accounted for 28 percent shipments in this segment in Q2, said the IDC report.

The mid-premium segment of ($300-$500) with a share of 4.8 percent declined YoY by 48.4 percent, with top models such as Samsung’s Galaxy A51 and A71, Vivo’s V19, Apple’s iPhone SE (2020) and the OnePlus 7T.

According to Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India, Apple should continue to focus more on the $700-$850 (Rs 50,000-Rs 61,000) segment.

“That is the sweet spot for iPhones in India with added attractive offers for making the new model lineup a little more affordable, however, continuing to focus on older-generation portfolios for volume growth,” she told IANS.

In the first quarter, Apple dominated the premium ($500 and above) segment with a market share of 62.7 percent.

The ($700 and less than $1,000) segment registered a high growth as well, as shipments doubled YoY, with the iPhone 11 accounting for 68 percent of shipments in this price segment.

Apple has started manufacturing its highest-selling model iPhone 11 in India which is a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Currently, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 are being assembled by Foxconn at its Chennai manufacturing plant while iPhone 7 is being assembled by Wistron in Bengaluru.

Original iPhone SE and iPhone 6s were assembled by Wistron but those were discontinued in 2019.

Apple is also reportedly planning to assemble its new iPhone SE in India.

The iPhone maker has already asked one of its suppliers in China to start shipping components for the iPhone SE 2020 to its manufacturing partner Wistron in India.

Blood test may point to patients at higher risk for Covid-19 death

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Blood test may point to patients at higher risk for Covid-19 death

Five biomarkers, medical indicators found in the blood, associated with higher odds of clinical deterioration and death in Covid-19 patients, say researchers.

The study, published in the journal Future Medicine, will help physicians better predict outcomes for Covid-19 patients.

“When we first started treating Covid-19 patients, we watched them get better or get worse, but we didn’t know why,” said study co-author Juan Reyes from the George Washington University (GW) in the US.

“Some initial studies had come out of China showing certain biomarkers were associated with bad outcomes. There was a desire to see if that was true for our patients here in the US,” Reyes added.

For the findings, the research team evaluated 299 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 admitted to GW Hospital between March 12 and May 9, 2020.

Of these patients, 200 had all five biomarkers being evaluated – IL-6, D-dimer, CRP, LDH, and ferritin.

Elevated levels of these biomarkers were associated with inflammation and bleeding disorder, showing an independent increased risk for ICU admission, invasive ventilatory support, and death.

The researchers found that the highest odds of death occurred when the LDH level was greater than 1200 units/l and a D-dimer level was greater than 3 µg/ml.

“We hope these biomarkers help physicians determine how aggressively they need to treat patients, whether a patient should be discharged, and how to monitor patients who are going home, among other clinical decisions,” said study first author Shant Ayanian.

Currently, physicians determine risk for Covid-19 deterioration and death based on age and certain underlying medical conditions, like having an immunocompromised state, obesity, and heart disease.

Performing a simple blood test for patients admitted to the emergency department, then also making decisions based on biomarkers present, may further aid point-of-care clinical decision making.

The research team will continue to analyze this data to help physicians make more informed decisions for patients, as well as help hospitals that may need to stratify resources.

A digital play on lives during lockdown

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A digital play on lives during lockdown

A digital theatre play featuring ten diverse monologues written by nine established playwrights, ‘One on One – Unlocked’, is all set to premiere online next week. It features some of India’s finest actors including Rajit Kapur and Aahana Kumra.

The lockdown has affected us in different ways – introspective, illuminating, irritating, igniting, isolating. Nine gifted playwrights – Abhishek Majumdar, Adhir Bhat, Akarsh Khurana, Anu Menon, Ashok Mishra, Hussain Dalal, Purva Naresh, Raghav Dutt, Rahul da Cunha – write of their experiences, their perspectives of the 150 days of solitude, if not physically, certainly in the mind.

Through the monologues, the audience will meet a range of characters — an exasperated Hawaldar, an isolated hipster, a young actress trapped in her flat, an outspoken hospital intern, a philosophical alcoholic, a young working woman forging new friendships, an anxious mother, a wayward boy forced to stay back in a madrasa, a compounder in a quarantine center, a spunky cable TV repairman. These stories vary from hilarious to heart-warming, from eureka moments to experiential thoughts.

The play is by Paytm Insider’s new theatre initiative, Front & Centre, which brings a taste of theatre through digital experiences. It is produced by Rage Productions.

The play has been directed by some of the best in the business – Akarsh Khurana, Anand Tiwari, Gurleen Judge, Nadir Khan, Rajit Kapur, Shikha Talsania, Sukant Goel and Q. The talented cast includes Aahana Kumra, Anu Menon, Gagan Dev Riar, Hussain Dalal, Joy Fernandes, Neil Bhoopalam, Raghav Dutt, Rajit Kapur, Seema Biswas, Veronica Gautam.

According to Rahul da Cunha, Rage Productions, the play combines theatre, technology, a theme like COVID, and twenty-two stalwart playwrights, actors, and directors all creating stories in a lockdown – a period that has been both isolating and inspirational.

Tickets priced at Rs 499 are available on the platform.

India smartphone market set to recover in festive season: IDC

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India smartphone market set to recover in festive season: IDC

After a steep decline of over 50 percent in Q2, the India smartphone market is set for a gradual recovery in the second half as the country enters the festive season, the IDC India said on Friday.

The online channel registered a high market share of 44.8 percent in June quarter but declined 39.9 percent (YoY) in unit terms due to lockdown restrictions on the delivery of electronics as well as severely limited stock for most of the quarter.

“The surge in demand is expected to continue throughout the first half of 3Q20 (third quarter) as well, requiring a steady supply of devices in the market,” said Navkendar Singh, Research Director, Client Devices & IPDS, IDC India.

IDC expects the market to show signs of recovery in the second half of the year, as the country approaches the festive quarter, with the majority of the consumers looking to buy low-end and mid-range devices.

However, this will be dependent on brand marketing and channel initiatives, especially by eTailers during the festive sales.

“Brand initiatives around multi or hybrid channel strategies will also play a key role as offline partners and brands will be looking for pockets of growth in these crucial next few months,” explained Singh.

Overall, the June quarter saw a sharp year-over-year decline of (-50.6 percent) in the second quarter to 18.2 million units, as the country remained under lockdown through the first half of the quarter.

Many offline channel partners adopted new ways of marketing by reaching out to consumers through social media platforms, WhatsApp, references, etc., for doorstep demos and deliveries, as well as accepting contactless payments.

“However, these initiatives were limited to big and medium-size retail outlets in metros and Tier 1/2 cities, and was not able to arrest the steep annual decline of -56.8 percent for the offline channel,” said Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India.

The average selling price of smartphones remained flat at $161 in the second quarter in the country. The sub-$200 segment reached a high of 84 percent share due to dampening consumer sentiment.

Xiaomi continued to lead with total shipments of 5.4 million in despite falling (-48.7 percent) YoY.

Samsung surpassed Vivo for the second slot despite a strong YoY decline of (-48.5 percent) in 2Q20 to 4.8 million units.

Vivo slipped to the third position, with shipments of 3.2 million units, declining by (-42.9 percent), said the IDC report.

adidas launches fresh home kit of Man Utd for 2020/21 season

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adidas launches fresh home kit of Man Utd for 2020/21 season

adidas has launched a fresh new 2020/21 season home kit of Manchester United, Indias most-followed football club.

The “Manchester United DNA” has been a focus for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team, and the home jersey for the forthcoming season aims to encapsulate the DNA of the club, using the threads of the club crest itself to produce a subtly patterned base fabric.

Inigo Turner, Design Director at Adidas, said: “For this season, the design team at Adidas researched the values and iconography that connect athletes and fans, and looked to fuse these with modernity and innovation, to create something that connects the people and stands for unity.”

“We pretty quickly landed on the crest as it is the representation of the heart and passion of the club, it is symbolic and iconic across the world. It is significant as the first component added to each design, and one that makes up the threads of the shirt design for the 2020/21 season,” he added.

Taking influence from the intricacies of the yarn-stitched application onto the shirt, a fine graphic print provides a unique pattern and detailing onto a color-block background. The name of the club is also engineered into the print, visible through the use of different red tones.

The jersey will be available at adidas online store www.shop.adidas.co.in & select retail stores at Rs 4,999.

Apple iPhone 12 camera lens supplier facing quality issues: Report

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Apple iPhone 12 camera lens supplier facing quality issues: Report

Apple is expected to launch four new iPhones under the iPhone 12 series and now a new report suggests that one of the camera lens suppliers for the upcoming non-Pro iPhone 12 models is facing quality issues.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Genius Electronic Optical has discovered issues with cracking coatings on the wide-angle camera lens destined for the lower-end 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models. The problem appeared during high-temperature/high-humidity (HTHH) testing, reports MacRumors.

However, the issue would not impact the launch or shipping schedule of the upcoming iPhone as Apple’s other main suppliers are expected to make up the difference.

“We believe that in the uncertain timetable for Genius to solve the quality problem of film cracking, Apple will give priority to purchasing Largan’s low-end wide-angle lens at least in the initial supply stage to ensure that the two aluminum-framed iPhone 12 can be as scheduled,” the report quoted Kuo as saying.

The upcoming iPhone 12 series is expected to include two premium variants.

iPhone 12 Pro will come in 6.1-inch or 6.7-inch sizes and may feature a high refresh-rate 120Hz ProMotion display, as presently seen on iPad Pro.

The rear camera module on the device will house four sensors with a LiDAR scanner which was introduced in the recently launched Apple iPad Pro.

All four iPhone models are expected to feature OLED displays and 5G support.

Bull-run persists in precious metals; gold above Rs 56k/10 gm

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Bull-run persists in precious metals; gold above Rs 56k/10 gm

Amid the global uncertainty, investment demand, and supply concerns, touching fresh record levels has become the new normal for gold and silver prices. Continuing with the bull run, gold futures on Friday touched a new all-time high of Rs 56,191 per 10 gram.

Currently, the active October contract of gold on the MCX was trading at Rs 55,950 per 10 gram, higher by Rs 105 or 0.19 percent from the previous close.

For gold, it has been the global economic uncertainty amid the pandemic which has made investors flock towards the yellow metal, which is traditionally considered a safe-haven asset.

Similarly, the futures contracts of silver on MCX surged recorded a new high on Friday as it touched Rs 77,949 per kilogram.

The September contract of silver is currently trading at Rs 76,900 per kilogram, higher by Rs 848 or 1.12 percent from its previous close.

According to market experts, industrial and investment demand have picked up of late for silver as economies are opening up gradually post the pandemic-related lockdowns. Further global supply constraints have been a major factor for the recent surge.

Peru, the world’s second-largest silver producer, saw its mine supply fall by one-third due to the COVID-induced lockdowns.

US initial unemployment claims fall to less than 1.2 mn

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US initial unemployment claims fall to less than 1.2 mn

The number of initial unemployment claims in the US fell to 1.186 million last week, following an increase for two consecutive weeks, the Labour Department.

In the week ending August 1, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped by 249,000 from an upwardly revised 1,435,000 in the prior week, Xinhua news agency quoted the Department as saying in a report on Thursday.

Initial unemployment claims peaked at a record 6.87 million in the week ending March 28 amid theCOVID-19 shutdowns, with figures declining for 15 weeks consecutively, before the trend was reversed in the week ending July 18 amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

With the latest numbers, more than 55 million initial jobless claims have been filed over the past 20 weeks, indicating a mounting economic fallout related to the pandemic.

The report also showed that the four-week moving average, a method to iron out data volatility, decreased by 31,000 to 1.34 million.

The data comes one day before the Labour Department releases its monthly jobs report.

Sri Lanka’s ruling party wins parliamentary polls

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Sri Lanka’s ruling party wins parliamentary polls

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa won a landslide victory in the August 5 parliamentary election by gaining a majority in the new 225-member parliament, the Election Commission said on Friday.

The SLPP won 145 seats, making it the single largest party to gain a nearly two-thirds majority in Parliament reports Xinhua news agency.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya or the United People’s Front, led by former presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa was the runner-up by winning 54 seats while the ITAK, a Tamil political party, won 10 seats.

One of Sri Lanka’s oldest political parties, the United National Party, led by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe did not win any seats.

Rajapaksa will be sworn in as the nation’s new Prime Minister following his party’s victory, likely by the weekend after which a new cabinet will be appointed next week.

According to the country’s constitution, the cabinet will be limited to 30 ministers.

Rajapaksa, in a short statement on his official Twitter account soon after the party’s victory, thanked his voters and expressed gratitude to them for placing their trust in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and himself.

“We will ensure Sri Lanka will not stand disappointed during our tenure,” Rajapaksa said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a statement released late on Thursday night said he was confident of establishing a strong parliament following the SLPP’s victory.

Sri Lanka held its parliamentary election on August 5 which was declared as one of the most peaceful elections held in the island country’s political history.

A 71 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

Sri Lanka’s new Parliament will convene on August 20.

Odisha sees single-day record of 1,833 new corona cases

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Odisha sees single-day record of 1,833 new corona cases

Registering its highest single-day surge, Odisha reported 1,833 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total tally to 42,550, the Health Department said on Friday.

The state also registered its highest single-day corona casualties during the period. With 12 more patients succumbing to the virus, the state’s death toll reached 247.

Three deaths each were reported from Sundargarh and Ganjam, and one each from Mayurbhanj, Kendrapada, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, and Gajapati.

Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts reported their maiden COVID-19 deaths.

Of the 1,833 new cases, 1,118 were detected at quarantine centers while 715 were local contact cases.

Maximum 298 cases were reported from Khurda district, followed by Ganjam (279), Rayagada (152) Cuttack (124), Sundergarh (110), Kalahandi (84), Balasore (69), Puri (67), and Nayagarh (61).

For the first time, the Khurda district crossed the Ganjam district in the number of positive cases.

Delhi HC nod for DU’s online Open Book Exams

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Delhi HC nod for DU’s online Open Book Exams

The Delhi High Court on Friday gave its nod for the conduct of online Open Book Examinations (OBE) for final-year students of Delhi University.

Justice Prathiba M Singh, while giving the go-ahead, passed certain directions to be followed by the DU and the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The court directed that the questions should be posted on the online portal as well as emailed to all the candidates.

“Students are to be given two hours for attempting the question papers. One extra hour shall be granted for uploading of the answer sheets on the portal,” the court said.

It directed that an auto-generated email shall be sent to the students to acknowledge that their answer sheets have been accepted.

The bench also directed the CSC Academy — whose Common Service Centres will be used by the students lacking in requisite infrastructure to sit in the exams — to notify all its centers to be used for the conduct of OBE.

“DU Grievances Officer shall redress the emailed complaints of students regarding the process within 48 hours. If not, the matter shall automatically be referred to the Grievances Redressal Committee,” the High Court added.

The court had on Wednesday reserved orders on a batch of pleas that challenged the university decided to conduct online Open Book Examinations for final-year students.

Initially, the varsity announced that the exams would commence from July 1, but later postponed the same to July 10 and again till August 15 without giving a specific date for examinations.

20GB Intel data with key chip secrets leaked, probe on

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20GB Intel data with key chip secrets leaked, probe on

An anonymous hacker has broken into chipmaker Intel, publishing a link on the social media to a 20GB data containing confidential intellectual property (IP) related to key chip engineering.

Many of the files in the 20GB folder allegedly “have NOT been published ANYWHERE before and are classified as confidential, under NDA or Intel Restricted Secret.”

According to a report in Tom’s Hardware quoting Swiss IT consultant Till Kottmann, the password-protected zips in the folder may be accessed using either “Intel123” or “intel123” as the password, which may have been set by Intel itself.

The folder which is circulating wildly on social media has been billed as “Intel exconfidential Lake Platform Release ;)” and was originally posted on the mobile messaging platform Telegram.

Intel replied to the data breach, saying the company was investigating this situation.

“The information appears to come from the Intel Resource and Design Center, which hosts information for use by our customers, partners, and other external parties who have registered for access. We believe an individual with access downloaded and shared this data,” the company was quoted as saying in the report.

Kottmann earlier posted on Twitter a link to a file-sharing service that contained the 20GB Intel folder.

Some reports claimed that some of the leaked files are marked with NDA license agreements to “Centerm Information Co. Ltd., a Chinese company established and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China”.

According to Kottman, the files were obtained earlier this year.

The anonymous leaker said more files will be shared soon, and “the future parts of this leak will have even juicier and more classified stuff.”

The report cautioned against downloading any file from the link as it may pose a hacking risk.

Intel’s Resource and Design Center is dedicated to providing the company’s partners with non-disclosure documentation (NDA) documentation for product integration purposes.

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