Bank of India board mulls raising funds on August 3

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Bank of India board mulls raising funds on August 3

Bank of India on Wednesday said that its Board of Directors will consider raising funds through several options including the further issue of equity shares and bonds at its meeting on August 3.

Shares of the bank surged after the announcement. At 12.05 p.m., its shares on the BSE were trading at Rs 47.20, higher by 3.17 percent from the previous close.

“The Board of Directors of the Bank of India would be considering at their meeting proposed on August 3, 2020, the proposal of raising funds including by way of a further issue of equity shares, bonds, etc. through various modes which may include the issue of equity shares through a Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) at an appropriate time subject to receipt of applicable regulatory and/or statutory approvals including approval from shareholders of the bank,” the bank said in a regulatory filing.

Several banks, both private and public, are looking at raising funds of late.

Bank of India’s board is also scheduled to consider and approve its unaudited (reviewed) financial results for the quarter ended June 30 in its meeting next week.

Raj Guv again returns proposal for Assembly session

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Raj Guv again returns proposal for Assembly session

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Wednesday returned a state government proposal to call a special Assembly session, for the third time.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called the rejection a ‘love letter’, even as the former extended an olive branch to the rebel Congress MLAs.

Officials said that the Governor raised objections over the rising cases of COVID-19 in Rajasthan and again inquired how social distancing could be maintained in the Assembly during the special session.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot rushed to meet Mishra soon after he received the information on the return of the proposal.

Addressing a function at the Congress state unit office here, Gehlot said a “prem Patra” or love letter had come from the Rajasthan Governor. “I am going to meet him to ask what he wants,” Gehlot said at the party office before the meeting.

This is the second time he has referred to the Governor’s rejection as a love letter. Earlier, he had said the words while addressing Congress MLAs camping at the Fairmont Hotel.

Gehlot claimed a conspiracy to topple his government but asserted that the party stood strong in the face of a political onslaught.

Going soft on the dissidents, he said that those who had “cheated” the Congress in the past can return to the party fold and apologize to party chief Sonia Gandhi.

“For the first time in 70 years, a Governor has raised such questions. Can you understand where the country is going?” he commented.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a PCC function where new party unit chief Govind Singh Dotasara assumed the charge.

After the first two proposals sent by the Rajasthan government were rejected, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sent a third petition to the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday to convene the Assembly session.

Chenab Bridge: A bridge of hope and challenges

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Chenab Bridge: A bridge of hope and challenges

Kashmir inaccessibility was a wake-up call for Indias then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When he returned to New Delhi after visiting Kargil in July 1999, he remarked, “We have not attacked any country in our fifty years of independence, but we have been attacked several times and lost our land…. We are determined not to lose our land in the future.” Preparations for a rail link in the Kashmir Valley began immediately.

In 2002, the Indian government broke ground on the railway, which it hoped will one day connect Baramulla, Kashmir’s northernmost city, to New Delhi. But despite being prioritized by Vajpayee as a “project of national importance,” construction on this strategic undertaking was plagued by setbacks.

For example, in 2009, a protracted dispute over gradients broke out between two private companies that had been commissioned to work on separate sections of the line.

But the biggest delay by far has been due to the plan’s most ambitious feature, the Chenab Bridge — a mile-long crossing made of blast-proof steel designed to withstand both earthquakes and explosives. When completed, it will be the loftiest railway span in the world, stretching across the Chenab River at a height greater than that of the Eiffel Tower. Scheduled to be completed in 2009, the bridge is the only section of the railway which is still unfinished. The latest target date in the summer of next year. But delays, nevertheless, have persisted.

There was also the threat of terrorism that had to be factored in. To be sure, there has been apprehension from day one that the signature Chenab bridge, just 60 km from the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, could be a potential target for terrorists. Even the possibility of aerial attacks had to be considered.

In securing the bridge, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) played its part. Under DRDO’s advice, the bridge has been so designed that even if one of the 17 piers supporting it is blown up, the bridge will not collapse. The deck of the bridge can withstand a heavy TNT blast.

According to the plan, a ring of aerial security will also be provided to safeguard the bridge. In addition, an online monitoring and warning system will be installed on the bridge to protect the passengers and train in critical conditions.

Unsurprisingly, after becoming the head of government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought reports to understand the cause of repeated delays.

Following this investigation, Modi paid a one-day visit to J&K. In July 2014, while inaugurating the railway’s latest link, connecting Katra to Udhampur, Modi declared: “Our aim is to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through development, soon Kashmir will be prosperous and peaceful. The new rail link will speed up the process of development in the state.”

“The journey started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be continued…,” Modi stressed, describing the railway as a gift not just for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but for the whole of India.

Understanding its critical role, Modi directed officials to progress on the Chenab Bridge without any delay. The Chenab Bridge is being constructed between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of J&K, India. When completed, it will span 1,315 meters and the deck will be 359 meters above the water level, making it the highest rail bridge in the world.

Modi added that the construction of the Chenab bridge is the most challenging task of the whole Kashmir Rail link project. But at the same time, after the completion of the bridge, it will be recognized globally as an engineering marvel.

The bridge can bear wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour and a minus-20-degree centigrade temperature. Over 5,462 tonnes of steel will be placed high over the river-bed.

The most daunting challenge the engineers face is the wide gorge of the Chenab River. With its headwaters high up in the Himalayan mountain range, the river carves a deep gash that leaves its elevation more than 1,000 feet below the level of the rail line.

The engineers decided that the only bridge-type suitable for the location would be a massive steel arch — the highest-ever built for a railway at 1,056 feet from deck to water. Only an arch is capable of handling the weight of a 300-ton locomotive along with thousand tons of passenger cars. With a length of 1,532 feet (467 meters), the main span will rank among the world’s 10 longest arches.

There have been some false starts as well. In September of 2008, it was announced that the Chenab Railway Bridge has been canceled despite the completion of the approach viaducts in 2007. Difficult geological conditions on the steep slopes supporting the arch foundations were cited as the reason as well as the development of a lower, more direct route through tunnels. In 2013 this decision was reversed with the bridge being constructed as originally planned.

“This is the most challenging project in the 150-year-long history of the Indian Railways. The highest railway bridge in the world, that will connect Kashmir with the rest of India through the rail line will be completed by December 2021,” Sanjay Gupta, Chairman of Konkan Railway said in a statement.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the deadline for the completion of the railway project has been moved ahead from June 2022 to December 2021.

Whenever the Chenab Railway Bridge is finally completed, it will be more than just another bridge but a prestigious symbol of how far India and its railway engineers have come since the country’s first mile of railway track became operational more than 150 years ago.

For the people of Kashmir, the railway will provide a magnificent opportunity of integrating with the rest of India for exciting opportunities provided by one of the most rapidly advancing and dynamic economies of the world. In turn, the rest of India will be further enriched by the permeation of Kashmir’s magnificent cultural heritage.

Ashley Roberts wants to learn Italian to hang out with Harry Styles

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Ashley Roberts wants to learn Italian to hang out with Harry Styles

Singer Ashley Roberts finds One Direction star Harry Styles cute.

In an interaction with The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column, Ashley praised Harry a lot, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“He (Harry Styles) properly has a ‘Boogie Nights’ mustache going on and I have to say, what I love about Harry is he’s just so adventurous with his looks. He tries different things and I’m a fan of that. I think he looks cute, I’m for it,” she said.

Ashley now wants to improve her own Italian language skills to impress Harry, who recently revealed he has been learning the language.

She added: “I know a little bit but not much. I need to up my game so I can hang out with Harry.”

88% workers in India prefer work from home: Survey

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88% workers in India prefer work from home: Survey

At least 88 percent of the Indian workers prefer to have the flexibility of working from home, (WFH), while 69 percent believe their productivity has increased while working remotely, a new survey revealed on Wednesday.

The survey conducted by expense, travel, and invoice management solutions provider SAP Concur, also shows that merely 11 percent of Indian organizations have embraced end-to-end digital finance and administrative processes.

Across India, 36 percent of mid-large sized companies are still using manual processes for submitting business expenses, the study said.

According to the survey, manual processes in expense management, and the resulting inefficiencies may be causing India estimated productivity losses of $2.25 billion per year.

“Bringing in digital transformation for expense claims or invoice processing can have a huge multiplier effect on business and cost control and at the same time provide the operational agility needed for business continuity,” Mankiran Chowhan, Managing Director–Indian Subcontinent, SAP Concur, said in a statement.

The study also found that current expense management systems’ support for modern payment methods is inadequate.

According to the data, more than a third (39 percent) of respondents said they want their expense management software to integrate with external apps to enable added functionality like reimbursement of payments made through super apps (umbrella apps containing other apps).

While 76 percent of employees in India said their organizations provide subsidies or completely pay for a mobile plan, broadband internet, and IT peripherals, 22 percent Indian employees want their organizations to pay for all expenses needed for a productive working environment at home, the report said.

The survey also revealed that 79 percent of Indian employees strongly link their overall finance and administrative experience and their overall satisfaction of working for their organizations.

Will always remember taking Tendulkar’s wicket: Rajat Bhatia hangs boot

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Will always remember taking Tendulkar’s wicket: Rajat Bhatia hangs boot

Domestic veteran Rajat Bhatia on Wednesday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, thus bringing an end to a career that spanned over 20 years.

“Yes, I made the decision to retire from all forms of cricket in the morning. I have sent a mail to the BCCI and to DDCA as well,” Bhatia confirmed to IANS.

The all-rounder played 112 first-class games in which he scored 6,482 runs and took 137 wickets. He was part of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy title win in 2008 and had played a brilliant knock of unbeaten 139 in the final against Uttar Pradesh. In List A cricket, he played 119 matches, scoring 3038 runs and scalping 93 wickets.

The all-rounder’s last appearance in representative cricket came in Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League where he played four List A games for Mohammedan Sporting Club in 2018-19.

“I was supposed to retire from the game in September 2019 because I was not playing domestic cricket last year. But I thought I could still wait as I was playing as a professional in Bangladesh. But then things changed there and I got to know that they will not take any professionals,” said Bhatia.

“So, I thought this is the best time to take retirement because it’s a special day for me as it’s my daughter’s birthday. Hence, I decided why not take this decision on a day which I can remember,” he added.

The Delhi-born cricketer turned out for his home franchise – Delhi Daredevils – for three seasons in the Indian Premier League, but his best returns came under Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders. The 40-year-old was twice part of the title-winning sides – in 2008 with the Rajasthan Royals and 2012 with the Kolkata Knight Riders. In all, he played 146 T20 games, scoring 1251 runs and picking up 111 wickets.

The domestic veteran featured in every single season from the inaugural IPL until the 2017 edition. However, he could never make it to the national team.

“As an individual, I will always remember taking Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket three times in the IPL,” said Bhatia when asked to pick one special moment from his career which stands out for him.

When quipped about his future plans, Bhatia said: “I am already a biomechanic specialist in training. I was doing the course for the last three years.”

“I invested in this kind of thing because it’s a specified kind of training which, I think, one should be doing because it is related to all kinds of sport. And I want to give back to cricket through this.”

Bhatia further said that although he doesn’t want to become a coach, he would like to offer tips to budding cricketers if an opportunity knocks at his door.

Moderna’s Covid vax shows great result in monkeys

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Moderna’s Covid vax shows great result in monkeys

The pharmaceutical company Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, which is currently in clinical trials, has shown successful results in monkeys.

Two doses of an experimental vaccine known as mRNA-1273 induced robust immune responses and rapidly controlled the Covid-19 in the upper and lower airways of Monkeys exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported.

In this study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, three groups of eight rhesus macaques (monkeys) received two injections of 10 or 100 micrograms of mRNA-1273 or a placebo.

Injections were spaced 28 days apart. Vaccinated monkeys produced high levels of neutralizing antibodies directed at the surface spike protein used by SARS-CoV-2 to attach to and enter cells.

“Notably, animals receiving the 10-micrograms or 100-micrograms dose vaccine candidate produced neutralizing antibodies in the blood at levels well above those found in people who recovered from Covid-19,” the researchers wrote.

The experimental vaccine also induced Th1 T-cell responses but not Th2 responses, they added.

According to the study, induction of Th2 responses has been associated with a phenomenon called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD).

Vaccine-induced Th1 responses have not been associated with VAERD for other respiratory diseases.

In addition, the experimental vaccine-induced T follicular helper T-cell responses that may have contributed to the robust antibody response.

Four weeks after the second injection, all the monkeys were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 via both the nose and the lungs.

Remarkably, after two days, no replicating virus was detectable in the lungs of seven out of eight of the monkeys in both vaccinated groups, while all eight placebo-injected animals continued to have to replicate the virus in the lung.

Moreover, none of the eight monkeys vaccinated with 100 micrograms of mRNA-1273 had detectable virus in their noses two days after virus exposure.

This is the first time an experimental Covid-19 vaccine tested in nonhuman primates has been shown to produce such rapid viral control in the upper airway, the investigators noted.

“A Covid-19 vaccine that reduces viral replication in the lungs would limit disease in the individual while reducing shedding in the upper airway would potentially lessen the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and consequently reduce the spread of disease,” they added.

Meanwhile, Moderna has also begun a phase-3 clinical trial to evaluate the mRNA-1273 vaccine, designed to protect against the Covid-19 virus, which includes 30,000 participants the US clinical research sites, who do not have Covid-19.

Help pours in for Hyderabad woman techie selling vegetables

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Help pours in for Hyderabad woman techie selling vegetables

Help is pouring in for a woman techie forced to sell vegetables to make both ends meet after losing her job in a multinational company due to the nationwide lockdown enforced in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has offered a job to Unadadi Sharada while the Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) has also come forward to help after learning about her story.

“My official met her. The interview is done. Job letter already sent,” tweeted Sonu Sood in response after a Twitter user drew his attention to her plight.

Sharada said she was happy to receive the call from Sonu Sood. She did not reveal the nature of the job offered but said she would take a call after consulting her family members.

Sonu Sood has been helping hundreds of people in distress, especially the stuck migrant workers, and even helping provide employment to those rendered jobless.

The 26-year-old woman has been selling vegetables in Srinagar Colony in Hyderabad for the last few days.

Unadadi Sharada, who was employed in an American information technology services company before she lost her job, said she did not believe in “false prestige” and hence started selling vegetables to support her family.

Her day starts at 4 am as she goes to the wholesale market to buy vegetables which she ferries to her roadside shop for sale. She feels that there is no shame in what she is doing.

After all, she pointed out, it was by selling vegetables that her parents gave her and three other siblings the best of education. Venkatesh and Saramma, who had migrated to Hyderabad from Warangal district over two decades ago, are proud of their daughter.

The couple sold vegetables and worked as laborers to make a living and educate all their children — three daughters and a son.

Their eldest daughter is an Assistant Professor at a private engineering college. Sharada is their second daughter, who after her B. Tech in Computer Sciences got a job in a Gurugram company in 2016 but came back to Hyderabad in 2018 to join another firm.

After the lockdown began, the company informed her that they will not be able to pay even half of her salary. Her parents were sad over the turn of events but she decided not to sit at home and wait.

“It did not take long for me to decide what I should do in this situation. I decided to support myself and the family by selling vegetables,” she said.

Sharada’s younger sister works in the administrative section of a hospital while her brother is also into selling vegetables.

TITA, an industry body of software professionals, has come forward to help. TITA Global President Sundeep Kumar Mukthala will meet her soon with a job proposal.

She has also received job offers from other quarters, including start-ups. “I have not yet made up my mind. I will discuss with the family members and take up a job which I find most suitable,” said Sharada.

Yogi ‘furious’ as 3rd kidnapping victim found dead

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Yogi ‘furious’ as 3rd kidnapping victim found dead

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is said to be infuriated by the increasing number of kidnapping and murder cases in the state.

According to official sources, the Chief Minister has now asked officers to “show results or face the music”. This comes after another case of kidnapping and murder case was reported from Kanpur Dehat on Tuesday. A string of similar cases has been reported from Kanpur and Gorakhpur as well.

Adityanath has also said that strict actions will be taken against the accused who will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA) that empowers the concerned government to keep a suspect in jail for 12 months without any charge.

State DGP H.C. Awasthi, late on Tuesday night, also issued an advisory for all police personnel and asked them to deal with complaints of kidnappings promptly and with seriousness.

The developments come after another man was allegedly abducted and killed in Kanpur Dehat on Tuesday. His body was found in a well.

The victim Brajesh Pal was allegedly abducted from Bhognipur on July 16 and his body was found in Devrahat area of Kanakheda village on Tuesday evening.

Pal used to work as a manager at a toll plaza on the Kanpur-Jhansi highway. On July 16, he had gone to work at the toll plaza and stayed there till midnight. He later decided to sleep in the toll plaza premises.

In the morning, when the security staff arrived at the toll plaza, they found it locked from inside and a search was launched for Pal. When his cousin dialed his phone, a stranger received the call and demanded Rs 20 lakh in ransom.

Soon after receiving the call from kidnappers, Pal’s family reached the police station with the audio clip.

On Tuesday, police arrested one of Pal’s acquaintances who led the team to the well where the victim’s body was found.

The family has alleged lapses in the investigation done by the police which led to the victim’s death.

SP Anurag Vats said that the police had acted promptly in the matter and had arrested one of the accused who led them to the place where the body had been dumped.

The family alleged that the victim’s cousins were taken to the police station and were allegedly beaten up. One of the cousin’s hand was fractured, the family alleged, and another one also sustained injuries.

The Chief Minister has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to Brajesh Pal’s family.

It is noteworthy that a lab technician, Sanjeet Yadav, from Kanpur was kidnapped on June 22 and his abductors had demanded a ransom of Rs 30 lakh for his release. An FIR was registered at Barra police station.

Sanjeet Yadav’s family alleged that they managed to arrange Rs 30 lakh on the insistence of the Kanpur police and left the bag with the money on the railway track on July 13, as directed by the kidnappers.

The police remained a silent spectator and Sanjeet was not released.

Later, after the arrest of five accused, it was revealed that Sanjeet had been murdered on June 26/27 and his body was thrown in the Pandu River. The body is yet to be recovered.

The state government has suspended four police personnel, including IPS officer Aparna Gupta, for laxity in the probe into the kidnapping and murder of the Kanpur lab technician.

In another such case, a class 6 student in Gorakhpur was kidnapped and killed within hours of his abduction even as the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore.

The body of the 14-year-old boy was recovered from a jungle area near a canal here on Monday evening.

The 14-year-old boy was the son of a grocery and ‘paan’ shop owner.

Meanwhile, the opposition has been mounting a blistering attack on the Yogi government on its failure to control the crime graph.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, through a series of tweets, said that the law and order situation is deteriorating.

“At this time, it is the responsibility of the police and administration to take action in such matters with promptness and efficiency,” she added.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said, “There is no fear of police in minds of criminals and encounter policy of the state government has failed.”

Yet another defeat for Viswanathan Anand in Legends of Chess tournament

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Yet another defeat for Viswanathan Anand in Legends of Chess tournament

Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand suffered his seventh defeat in the ongoing Legends of Chess tournament as he went down 0.5-2.5 to world No.3 Ding Liren.

Anand, who came into Tuesday’s game against the Chinese after ending his six-match losing streak, lost the first game in just 22 moves. The second game ended in a 47-move draw in the second. However, Liren sealed victory in the third game with black pieces in 41 moves.

After losing the first six matches in a row, Anand had on Monday got back to winning ways, beating Israel’s Boris Gelfand 2.5-0.5.

The 50-year-old, who is making his maiden appearance on the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, had earlier lost to Ian Nepomniachtchi, Peter Leko, Peter Svidler, Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, and Anish Giri.

Legends of Chess pits Carlsen, Ding Liren, Nepomniachtchi, and Giri, semifinalists at the Chessable Masters which is also a part of the Magnus Carlsen Tour, against six legends aged 40-52, who have been at the top of world chess at various points in their career.

Following the conclusion of the 10-player round-robin league, the top-four will move into the semi-finals, which are currently scheduled to be played from July 31-August 2. The final will be played from August 3-5.

The winner of this event will qualify for the $300,000 Grand Final scheduled from August 9 to 20.

Hybrid new normal of work brings new challenges: Microsoft

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Hybrid new normal of work brings new challenges: Microsoft

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to transform our daily lives, the Asia-Pacific region has accelerated an increase in overall technology adoption, realizing a hybrid new normal of work that comes with its own set of challenges, Microsoft said on Wednesday.

Microsoft, with research from TechRepublic Premium, looked into the impact the pandemic has had on the region’s legacy work styles and business operations.

Microsoft found that while organizations have prioritised technology adoption to enable remote working environments and overall business transformation, the change was not driven through technology alone.

According to Joe Sweeney, IBRS Advisor and Future of Work Expert, one common response among people in their jobs is to “work harder and not switch off.”

Those who have started working from home are fielding calls from their bosses late into the evening, underlining the need to redraw boundaries for out-of-hours contact.

Organizations will need to reassess how performance is measured. Collaboration tools can measure activity but not the value that an individual has brought to the organization.

Organizations are now finding that it is the “introverts” that are delivering while working from home, while the “star player” extroverts are no longer the center of attention.

The research found that nearly half (47 percent) of people working from home reported managing at-home distractions as a challenge.

“Organisations, as well as managers and teammates, should do their part to not only help employees create a distraction-free environment but also be more flexible in the delivery of work and empathize with people’s challenges of working from home,” said the research paper.

As technology becomes a growing staple for employees, training will need to go hand-in-hand to unlock the full potential of hardware and software.

“As different parts of the world were hit by Covid-19, life and work were changed overnight for everyone,” said Kady Dundas, Head of Marketing, Microsoft Teams.

“We know that we have about 200 million meeting participants each day, which equates to 4.1 billion minutes of meetings. Those data points show the tremendous movement to remote work,” Dundas added.

To cultivate the future workplace, organizations in the region would need to accelerate the process of developing policies enabling individuals to break away from the standard 9 to 5 hours, setting reasonable expectations around availability and relooking performance indicators.

“Business leaders must refresh their focus on policies that enable the upkeep of robust security strategies and effective collaboration. As lockdowns continue to ease across the region, the next step will be a renewed focus on policy during this hybrid new normal of work,” said Microsoft.

Broad had a spring in his step & was out there on mission: Tendulkar

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Broad had a spring in his step & was out there on mission: Tendulkar

Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has heaped praise on England pacer Stuart Broad who has entered the elite 500-wickets club in Test cricket.

Broad reached the 500-wicket milestone when he got the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite on the final day of the third Test against the West Indies in Manchester which England won by 269 runs to win the Wisden Trophy. Broad ended the series as the highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps, despite not playing in the first Test in Southampton.

“Congratulations to England on their emphatic series win. And like I said earlier, Stuart Broad had a spring in his step and was out there on a mission. Congratulations also to him on picking his 500th Test wicket. Terrific achievement!” Tendulkar said in a tweet.

The 34-year-old on Tuesday became the second Englishman to scalp 500 Test wickets after partner-in-crime James Anderson, who had also achieved the feat against West Indies in 2017 at the Lord’s. Interestingly, Brathwaite was Anderson’s 500th scalp as well.

Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan is currently the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 800 scalps. He is followed by Shane Warne (708), Anil Kumble (619), and James Anderson (589), Glenn McGrath (563), Courtney Walsh (519) and Broad (501).

Ayodhya put on high alert following terror threat

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Ayodhya put on high alert following terror threat

With central intelligence agencies alerting the state police about possible attempts by terror groups to disrupt and sabotage the ‘bhumi puja’ ceremony of Ram temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya next week, all law enforcing agencies in Uttar Pradesh have been put on high alert.

Details of intel note shared with the state government say that an attempt is likely to be made by Pakistan’s ISI backed terror organization to carry out an attack on August 5. The ISI has ordered the top leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed to launch an attack.

The terror strike could even be a lone wolf kind of attack or a strike in a crowded place. Based on human intelligence and electronic intercepts, it is suspected that a small group of terrorists can infiltrate the country.

According to official sources, security arrangements will be at an all-time high for the ‘bhumi puja’ ceremony which, incidentally, coincides with the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. The security alert will remain in place till August 15, Independence Day.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several top BJP leaders including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and many other leaders of the RSS are also expected to be present in the program which will also be marked by the presence of top industrialists and bureaucrats from the country.

The area from the Saket Mahavidyalaya, where the Prime Minister chopper will land, to the Ram Janmabhoomi site, has already been cordoned off and residents of Ramkot locality have been issued passes for commuting.

Regular security drills are being carried out and door-to-door checking is also being done.

A senior official in Ayodhya said that security personnel will be deployed on all rooftops and drone cameras will monitor the movement in this area.

Verification of all hotels, lodges, guesthouses is underway and the entry points to the holy city are being sealed.

‘Aarya’ actress Priyasha Bhardwaj is hooked to web series format

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‘Aarya’ actress Priyasha Bhardwaj is hooked to web series format

Actress Priyasha Bhardwaj is gradually making a mark in the web series space and is sure loving the format.

Priyasha, who has worked in shows like “Aarya”, “Kaafir” and the upcoming “Mirzapur 2”, told IANS: “I love the web series format. It allows an actor the bandwidth to play around and explore deeper since individual characters get more screen time as against in films.”

“My first ever project was a series where I played a very small character — that of an ICU nurse in an episode of ‘Made In Heaven’. It was an inconsequential character with two lines (dialogues), but I still tried to give the character a backstory and an intention, since I didn’t have the crutch of good dialogues. And when it was pack-up for me and I was saying my goodbyes, director Nitya Mehra said, ‘You’re really good you know!’ I smiled but my subtext was ‘I’m so glad you noticed’,” she recalled.

After auditioning for several films and web series, she was signed on for the web series “Kaafir”, starring Dia Mirza, last year.

“I essayed the role of a journalist, Naina Balsara, who played a key role in taking the story forward. I still yearned to play a part where I can show a character graph or arc, play a character very different from myself. Luckily last year, I did two such characters — Soundarya in ‘Aarya’ and Jamuna in ‘Mirzapur 2’,” she said.

Priyasha hopes to work in films as well. “But there definitely is something more inviting about the web series format,” she said.

Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll tops 88,000

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Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll tops 88,000

Brazil has recorded 921 new deaths from Covid-19, bringing the national death toll to 88,539, officials said.

Meanwhile, tests have detected 40,816 new infections, taking the total caseload to 2,483,191, said the health ministry on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by Covid-19, second only to the US, both in terms of caseload and death toll.

The state of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, is the epicenter of the national outbreak, with 487,654 infections and 21,676 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 159,639 infections and 13,033 deaths, and Ceara, with 165,550 cases and 7,613 deaths.

Chinese mainland reports 101 new confirmed Covid-19 cases

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Chinese mainland reports 101 new confirmed Covid-19 cases

The Chinese health authorities said on Wednesday that it received reports of 101 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, including 98 locally-transmitted cases and three imported ones.

Eighty-nine of the 98 locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, eight in Liaoning Province, and one in Beijing Municipality, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.

No deaths related to the disease or new suspected Covid-19 cases were reported on Tuesday.

Indian-origin author Avni Doshi’s ‘Burnt Sugar’ in 2020 Booker Prize longlist

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Indian-origin author Avni Doshi’s ‘Burnt Sugar’ in 2020 Booker Prize longlist

Indian-origin author Avni Doshi’s “Burnt Sugar” and two titles from Bloomsbury – “Apeirogon” by Colum McCann and “Such a Fun Age” – by Kiley Reid are among the 13 books in the 50,000 pounds Booker Prize 2020 longlist announced, with jury chair Margaret Busby saying that each of them “carries an impact… deserving of wide readership”.

The longlist was drawn up on Tuesday by a panel of five judges that apart from Busby, included editor, literary critic and former publisher author Lee Child; author and critic Sameer Rahim; writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist and translator Emily Wilson.

The list was chosen from 162 novels published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. The Booker Prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English and published in the UK or Ireland.

The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 15 and the winner, who can expect international recognition, will be announced in November. Each of the shortlisted authors will receive 2,500 pounds and a specially bound edition of their book.

The 2020 longlist, or ‘The Booker Dozen’ as it is known, is: Avni Doshi (US), “Burnt Sugar” (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House); Diane Cook (US), “The New Wilderness” (Oneworld Publications); Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), “This Mournable Body” (Faber & Faber) , Gabriel Krauze (UK), Who They Was (4th Estate, HarperCollins), Hilary Mantel (UK), “The Mirror & The Light” (4th Estate, HarperCollins); Colum McCann (Ireland/US), Apeirogon (Bloomsbury Publishing), Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia/US), “The Shadow King” (Canongate Books), Kiley Reid (US), “Such a Fun Age” (Bloomsbury Circus, Bloomsbury Publishing) ; Brandon Taylor (US), “Real Life” (Originals, Daunt Books Publishing); Anne Tyler (US), “Redhead by The Side of The Road (Chatto & Windus, Vintage); Douglas Stuart (Scotland/US), “Shuggie Bain” (Picador, Pan Macmillan); Sophie Ward (UK), “Love and Other Thought Experiments” (Corsair, Little, Brown) ; and C. Pam Zhang (US), “How Much of These Hills is Gold” (Virago, Little, Brown).

“Each of these books carries an impact that has earned it a place on the longlist, deserving of wide readership. Included are novels carried by the sweep of history with memorable characters brought to life and given visibility, novels that represent a moment of cultural
change, or the pressures an individual faces in pre- and post-dystopian society,” Margaret Busby said.

“Some of the books focus on interpersonal relationships that are complex, nuanced, emotionally charged. There are voices from minorities often unheard, stories that are fresh, bold and absorbing. The best fiction enables the reader to relate to other people’s lives; sharing experiences that we could not ourselves have imagined is as powerful as being able to identify with characters.

“As judges we connected with these writers’ well-crafted prose, the mastery of detail, the arresting sentence, the credibility of the narrative arc, the ability to use to the full, the resources of storytelling. Unplanned, our final selection encompasses both seasoned
favourites and debut talents ? a truly satisfying outcome,” Busby added.

Gaby Wood, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation, noted that when the judges had drawn up their longlist, one of them asked: ‘Out of interest, how many debuts are there?’

“We counted. It was more than half the list. That’s an unusually high proportion, and especially surprising to the judges themselves, who had admired many books by more established authors, and regretted having to let them go. It is perhaps obvious that powerful stories can come from unexpected places and in unfamiliar forms; nevertheless, this kaleidoscopic list serves as a reminder.

“In this year of seismic change, visibility for new books published in the UK has been drastically low. So, however unintended the ratio, it’s especially heartening to know that some authors who have launched their careers in the midst of Covid-19 may now have a chance to reach the readers they deserve,” Wood added.

Sushant’s father files FIR against Rhea for abetting suicide

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Sushant’s father files FIR against Rhea for abetting suicide

Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case has taken a dramatic turn after it emerged that his father K.K. Singh has filed an FIR in the Rajiv Nagar police station here accusing six people, including actress Rhea Chakraborty, for abetment to suicide.

Rajiv Nagar police station in-charge Yogendra Ravidas said on Tuesday that Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K.K. Singh has accused six people, including Chakraborty, for abetment to suicide in his complaint (FIR number 241/20). The police are investigating the case.

Chakraborty has admitted to being the late actor’s girlfriend in an open letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah while pleading for a CBI probe into the matter.

“Rhea Chakraborty and five other persons have been charged under Sections 340, 341, 380, 406, 420, and 306 of IPC after Sushant Singh Rajput’s father filed an FIR against them. Further investigation is going on in the case,” Sanjay Kumar, IG, Patna Central Zone, told reporters here.

In his complaint, Sushant’s father said, “While my son was doing extremely well in Bollywood till May 2019, a girl named Rhea Chakraborty and her family members and others got in touch with him so that she could use his contacts to make a career in the film industry.”

“She along with her family members, namely Indrajit Chakraborty, Sandhya Chakraborty, and Shauvik Chakraborty, started interfering in my son’s life. They even forced him to move out of the house he was living in, saying that some paranormal activities were going on there which had a big-time impact on my son’s mind. They forced him to live in a resort near Mumbai airport,” he said in his complaint.

He has also mentioned in the FIR that Rs 15 crore was transferred from Sushant’s bank account to a few other bank accounts which were not linked with the late actor in any way.

He even accused Rhea and her family members of stealing Sushant’s laptop, cash, jewelry, credit cards with PIN numbers, etc. and threatening the late actor of making his medical reports public.

In the FIR, it was also mentioned by the late actor’s father wondered why no consent of family members was sought for his son’s treatment if he was suffering from some mental illness, as claimed.

He said: “My son never had any kind of mental illness… wondering what happened all of a sudden after he came in contact with Rhea. This should be probed.”

Sushant’s father also sought to know the kind of treatment the late actor received and the medicines given to him.

He also demanded an investigation against the doctors whom he suspected was involved in “a conspiracy along with Rhea”.

K.K. Singh wrote in the FIR that he and other family members tried to reach out to Sushant several times but Rhea “did not let them contact” the late actor, and also did not allow him to come to Patna.

Expressing his haplessness, he mentioned in the FIR: “I am an old man… I am 74. I am saddened by the death of my son (Sushant). Almost 40 days have passed since my son died but Mumbai Police is yet to begin an investigation against the prime accused.”

Meanwhile, a four-member team of Bihar Police has reached Mumbai and met with concerned police officers probing the matter and are studying the papers pertaining to the sensational case which created a huge upheaval in the entertainment industry, confirmed Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Trimukhe.

Though it was not immediately clear what further action the Bihar Police plan to initiate, there have been demands from various quarters, including Rhea herself, to hand over the investigations to the CBI.

Chakraborty had earlier disclosed that she received rape and murder threats on social media over the actor’s death and added that she “only wanted to understand what prompted him to take the step”.

Sushant Singh Rajput allegedly committed suicide on June 14 in his flat in Bandra. Mumbai Police are already investigating the case and several people have been already been interrogated.

Several organizations have been demanding a CBI probe into the matter as the death of the actor has literally opened a can of worms with nepotism charges, groups and lobbying in Bollywood coming to the fore with many people coming out of the closets with their claims of being sidelined by a selected group.

So far, around 40 people have already recorded their statements, including director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, filmmakers Aditya Chopra, Mukesh Chhabra, Shekhar Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt, and film critic Rajeev Masand, among others.

Chakraborty’s statement was recorded at the Bandra Police Station on June 18, four days after Sushant’s demise.

“#SushantSinghRajput ‘s father, #KKSingh has registered an FIR against Actress #RheaChakraborty in #Patna. He has alleged that Rhea took money from Sushant and instigated him to commit suicide. Sushant and Rhea dated for a while before the actor died by suicide on June 14,” trade analyst Ramesh Bala tweeted from his verified account on Tuesday evening.

Bollywood actor Shekhar Suman, who has been actively voicing his demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Sushant’s death, tweeted from an unverified account on Tuesday evening: “Case filed against Rhea and her family under section 306 for abetment to suicide..also section 340 and 342.#CBICantBeDeniedForSSR”

“Good news coming in..Presumably, the cops from Patna are in Bombay already after an FIR has been filed by Sushanr’s (sic) family and an SIT has been formed to investigate the matter. #CBICantBeDeniedForSSR #justiceforsushanthforum,” Suman said in a separate tweet.

Sushant Singh Rajput made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with the movie “Kai Po Che”. He was appreciated for his performance in “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!”, “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story”, “Sonchiriya” and “Chhichhore”.

“Dil Bechara”, his last movie which was released online on July 24 on Disney+Hotstar, has drawn praise from the critics.

Rohit, Dhoni are captains who like to listen: Raina

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Rohit, Dhoni are captains who like to listen: Raina

Batsman Suresh Raina feels that Indias limited over vice-captain Rohit Sharma is the “next M.S. Dhoni” due to his leadership quality and the effect he has on the dressing room.

Rohit has enjoyed considerable success as a captain. He has led Mumbai Indians to four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, thus making them the most successful team in the league, and was the captain of the Indian team that won the 2018 Asia Cup.

“I would say that he is the next M.S. Dhoni for the Indian cricket team,” Raina said on The Super Over Podcast that is hosted by South African all-rounder J.P. Duminy, star India batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues and podcaster Liam Flint.

“I have seen him, he is calm, he likes to listen, he likes to give confidence to the players and on top of that, he likes to lead from the front. When the captain leads from the front and at the same time gives respect to the dressing room atmosphere, you know you have it all,” Raina said.

“He thinks everyone is a captain. I have seen him, I have played under him when we won the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. I have seen how he gives confidence to young players like Shardul (Thakur), Washington Sundar and (Yuzvendra) Chahal.

“Around him, players enjoy the intensity, they enjoy his aura. I think when you enjoy the aura of a player, you like to be positive and I think that is what he is good at. He is one of the top-most, after M.S. Dhoni, who was brilliant. He has won more (IPL) trophies than MS, but I would say they both are very similar. Both of them, as a captain, like to listen.

“When your captain is listening, you can solve a lot of problems, you can solve the mental problems of the players. So in my book, they both are wonderful,” Raina said.

US stocks fall as traders eye earnings, Covid-19 relief package

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US stocks fall as traders eye earnings, Covid-19 relief package

Wall Street’s major indexes dropped on Tuesday, as investors digested a slew of disappointing earnings reports and eyed the debate over a US Covid-19 relief package.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 205.49 points, or 0.77 percent, to close at 26,379.28. The S&P 500 was down 20.97 points, or 0.65 percent, to 3,218.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 134.18 points, or 1.27 percent, to 10,402.09, Xinhua reported.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors finished lower, with materials down 2.18 percent, leading the laggards. Real estate rose 2.05 percent, outperforming the others.

US-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower, with eight of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P US Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.

On the earnings front, 3M shares slid 4.85 percent on its lower-than-expected revenue and profit for the second quarter.

US fast-food giant McDonald’s also reported second-quarter earnings that missed expectations. The stock closed down 2.49 percent.

Meanwhile, investors remained cautious as US lawmakers haven’t settled their differences over the size and scope of the next Covid-19 relief bill.

Senate Republicans released their $1-trillion Covid-19 relief proposal on Monday afternoon, which includes a reduction in federal unemployment benefits, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals, and liability protection for businesses and schools.

Wall Street awaited a key announcement from the Federal Reserve.

The US central bank kicked off its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday, followed by an interest rate decision on Wednesday.

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