Woods grouped with McIlroy, Koepka at The Memorial

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Woods grouped with McIlroy, Koepka at The Memorial

Five-time champion Tiger Woods has been grouped with World No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka at the prestigious Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

The tournament is scheduled to be played behind closed doors in the wake of coronavirus pandemic between July 16-19.

This will be Wood’s first appearance on the golf course in five months as he last featured in an event in February when he took part in the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.

Woods will be eyeing a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour wins when he takes to the event at Muirfield Village Golf Club. He had equaled Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 titles at Zozo Championships in Japan last October.

A variety of changes will be on offer for Woods in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. The 15-time major winner is used to having spectators cheer his every shot but this time, there will be absolutely no one besides the people involved in the tournament.

“It’s not just that everything looks different, but the energy is clearly different,” Woods told reporters earlier this week. “There’s nothing to feed off. You make a big putt or a big par, or a big chip or hit a hell of a shot, there’s no-one there.

“All the distractions, the noise, the excitement, the energy. It’s just a silent and different world,” he added.

Hacking incidents that haunted Twitter in the past

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Hacking incidents that haunted Twitter in the past

The latest hacking incident that impacted the Twitter accounts of high-profile public figures including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, could set a new record in terms of the scale of the attack, but it is not the first time hackers took control of accounts in the microblogging platform.

The CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, also could not escape the designs of the hackers.

In late August last year, hackers broke into Dorsey’s account and posted a flurry of rogue tweets, including racial slurs.

The micro-blogging platform later said that it secured Dorsey”s account which became a victim of “SIM swapping” or “SIM jacking” where a mobile number is transferred to a new SIM card.

By taking control of Dorsey’s number, hackers posted tweets via text messages on his Twitter account.

A hacker group called “Chuckling Squad” claimed that it was behind the cyberattack on Dorsey’s Twitter account.

“The phone number associated with the account was compromised due to a security oversight by the mobile provider,” Twitter had said in a statement at that time.

In 2016, another group called OurMine hacked Dorsey’s handle to send out a message about “testing your security.”

More recently, several teams with the National Football League in January this year found that their social media accounts, including Twitter accounts, were hijacked.

According to a report in ZDNet, the hacker’s group called OurMine was involved in the incident that occurred during the busy Super Bowl week.

Some of the accounts were hacked by removing the profile picture, Twitter header, Twitter name, and, in a few cases, the Twitter bio.

Others included tweets, claiming the hacking was carried out by OurMine.

In June 2016, a report said that hackers might have used malware to collect more than 32 million Twitter login credentials.

These credentials also made it to the dark web for sale, according to the report on TechCrunch. Twitter, however, stated that its systems had not been breached.

In 2015, the Twitter and Youtube accounts of the US Central Command were reportedly hacked by a group claiming to back the terrorist organization Islamic State.

According to a Fox News report, for several minutes, the Twitter account of the Central Command was filled with incendiary messages promoting the IS, including one that said, “American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back. ISIS.”

FTP, NCA & domestic cricket to highlight BCCI’s Apex Council meeting

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FTP, NCA & domestic cricket to highlight BCCI’s Apex Council meeting

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) all-important Apex Council meeting will take place on Friday and the major areas of discussion will be the FTP (Future Tours Programme) which has been heavily disturbed by the coronavirus pandemic, the progress made with regards to the construction of the new National Cricket Academy (NCA) facility and most importantly the fate of domestic cricketers who need to be safeguarded against the pandemic and its economic effects.

The other points on the agenda are discussions on the 2021 World T20 and tax matters related to it, Bihar cricket, filling up of vacancies of employees of the board, payment of grants of newly affiliated units, an extension of digital services of BCCI and IPL.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI functionary said that the FTP and the domestic structure and fate of domestic players should ideally be the biggest talking points when the decision-makers meet as the world is slowly moving towards life in the post-coronavirus era.

“You cannot put one above the other. As you know, while the FTP is very important considering how he moves forward after so many series cancellations and piling up of commitments, domestic cricket needs equal importance. As we are aware our president is very vocal about safeguarding the interest of domestic players and that is how it should be.

“Along with preparing and going through the international plan, the domestic structure also needs a major look. We have to find a way to ensure that we can restart domestic cricket as soon as we get the green signal from the government. The IPL will also play a major role in this and we should be able to take a final call on the venue for the 13th edition of the league,” the functionary pointed.

Asked about the discussion on the new NCA facility, the functionary said: “That will also be an important area of discussion as that is a huge land we have and can house around three proper international standard grounds. So the progress made so far and what are the areas that need to be worked on will also be discussed when we sit down tomorrow.”

Coming to the matter of World T20, the functionary said that it will be more to do with the tax-related discussions for the 2021 edition and not so much about this edition which is now more or less a closed chapter.

“We will be discussing the matter of tax exemption as we have time till December so don’t expect a decision tomorrow. It will be more about seeing the ways we can work towards it as India hosts the T20 World Cup next year. We might also see our president discussing what is the status when it comes to this edition which is now more or less set to be shifted to 2022,” the functionary explained.

Jack Dorsey apologises over Twitter hack

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Jack Dorsey apologises over Twitter hack

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday apologized for the maga crypto scam that hit his platform, saying he feels terrible this has happened.

In a tweet, Dorsey who was the first to take on US President Donald Trump by flagging his controversial tweets said it was a tough day for the company.

“Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened,” Dorsey tweeted after Twitter accounts of major public figures including US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Apple, and Uber were simultaneously hacked by attackers to spread a cryptocurrency scam.

Twitter shares were down 3.3 percent after the news, wiping out more than $1 billion from its market cap.

“We’re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened,” said Dorsey.

Twitter later said that they detected what “we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools”.

“We know they used this access to take control of many highly-visible (including verified) accounts and Tweets on their behalf. We’re looking into what other malicious activity they may have conducted or information they may have accessed and will share more here as we have it,” it added.

Indian school principal wins $1mn in Dubai Duty Free draw

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Indian school principal wins $1mn in Dubai Duty Free draw

The principal of the Indian High School in Ajman has won a million dollars in the Dubai Duty-Free (DDF) raffle draw, it was reported.

Malathi Das won a million dollars on Wednesday, after the draw held in Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport, reports Gulf News.

Speaking to Gulf News, Das said she was grateful for the win.

“In current times, this is a great blessing. Rest assured, the money will be put to good use.”

Das said she was waiting to head home to India where she would like to help some of her relatives in need of money.

She also said she would like to set aside some money for the school in Ajman where she is currently the principal.

According to the organizers of DDF, Das is the 165th Indian national to win million dollars since the promotions began in 1999.

DDF also said Indian nationals make up the highest number of DDF Millennium Millionaire ticket buyers.

Disengagement at LAC with China intricate, requires constant verification: Army

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Disengagement at LAC with China intricate, requires constant verification: Army

The Indian Army on Thursday stated that the disengagement process at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is intricate and “requires constant verification”. It also emphasized that India is taking the de-escalation process forward through “regular meetings at diplomatic and military level”.

During a 15-hour long deliberation which started on Tuesday and ended on Wednesday, Indian and Chinese military delegates reviewed the progress on “implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement” at Eastern Ladakh, a statement issued by the Army said.

Indian delegate’s main agenda of the meeting was complete pullback of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Pangong Lake and Depsang areas in Eastern Ladakh.

The talks started at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday and ended at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Indian delegates asked Chinese troops to completely withdraw from Pangong Lake and Depsang.

The Indian Army stated that India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the prevailing situation along the LAC.

“Commanders from PLA and Indian Army held a meeting at Chushul, on the Indian side, for the fourth round of talks, on 14 July 2020,” the army said. The meeting took place between 14 Corps commander Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin in Chushul.

The third meeting in June was on for almost 12 hours when India put across a strong message that the PLA has not abided by the disengagement consensus.

The fresh statement issued by the Indian Army stated that the engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the Special Representatives of India and China earlier, on July 5, to discuss complete disengagement — Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India and Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China spoke on the telephone then.

“The Senior Commanders reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement,” the statement said.

It also said that the two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement. “This process is intricate and requires constant verification. They are taking it forward through regular meetings at the diplomatic and military level,” said the force.

India and China have been locked in a 10-week-long standoff at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border. They are now engaged in military and diplomatic deliberation to de-escalate the situation at the border areas.

Last week, a diplomatic meeting took place between both the country’s delegates. The meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on July 10 where Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs and Chinese by Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides recalled the agreement reached between the two foreign ministers on June 17, as well as the agreement between two Special Representatives during their telephonic conversation on July 5, and reaffirmed that both sides will ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols.

They also agreed that for the overall development of bilateral relations it was essential to maintain enduring peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

A total of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed on June 15 in their worst clash in four decades at another disputed border area — Galwan Valley. China attempted to change the status quo at the border at various places moving inside the Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

Two TN District Collectors test positive for Covid-19

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Two TN District Collectors test positive for Covid-19

District Collectors of Coimbatore and Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu have tested positive for coronavirus and have been admitted to hospitals.

Coimbatore Collector K. Rajamani and Kancheepuram Collector P. Ponniah tested Covid-19 positive after their swab samples results came on Wednesday.

According to officials, their condition is stable.

This is the first time, District Collectors have tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier three ministers and several other legislators have turned Covid-19 patients in the state.

LaLiga chief Tebas again launches scathing attack on Man City

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LaLiga chief Tebas again launches scathing attack on Man City

LaLiga President Javier Tebas has continued to be critical of Manchester City and Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) after the Premier League giants saw their European ban overturned recently. Their initial fine of 30 million euros was also brought down to 10 million euros.

European governing body UEFA had banned City in February for breaching their Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations between 2012 to 2016. The city couldn’t have taken part in the Champions League or the Europa League for two years if CAS hadn’t ruled in their favor.

“We all know what City do,” Tebas told ESPN. “When they were punished (by UEFA originally), there was no surprise among the majority of us involved in European football.

“I don’t want to say (people were) happy, but at last, there was a sense of justice against these big state-owned clubs, the other being Paris Saint-Germain (PSG),” he added.

Fellow Premier League managers, namely Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham Hotspur’s Jose Mourinho, had also hit out at the CAS ruling earlier. While Klopp had called it a bad day for football, Mourinho referred to it as a disgrace.

“In contrast, when the CAS reversed the decision, there were protests — from Klopp, Mourinho — because we all know they’re trying to find a way around the FFP rules. As Klopp said, it was a bad day for football,” Tebas said.

“City will be in the Champions League next season because the CAS did things badly, not because City has done things properly.”

Following the ruling, City manager Pep Guardiola had demanded an apology and stated that they were damaged by the accusations. Also, he had given examples of former Premier League managers Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, saying clubs need to spend money in order to remain at top of the pile.

“City, in the last five years, along with PSG, are the club that has spent the most. The city hasn’t signed with their own resources, like Manchester United do, who bring in money through television or sponsors. They sign with petrodollars, with money obtained through oil by the (owners in the) United Arab Emirates,” Tebas said

“The state-owned clubs in Europe do what they want. Fictitious sponsors, naming rights (for stadiums) in the case of Man City. The Etihad Stadium is not worth (what is paid for it) and that creates a very dangerous economic situation for us,” he added.

US drug overdose deaths jump 4.6% in 2019: CDC

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US drug overdose deaths jump 4.6% in 2019: CDC

The number of deaths due to drug overdose in the US has increased by 4.6 percent between 2018 and 2019, preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed.

According to the data revealed n Wednesday, around 70,980 people in the US died from a drug overdose in 2019, up from 67,850 last year, reports Xinhua news agency.

Between January and April this year, drug overdose deaths rose by 11.4 percent, compared with the same period of 2019.

Opioids are the main factor behind drug overdose deaths, the CDC said.

Cocaine and psychostimulants accounted for 45.4 percent of the total in 2019, rising from 34.7 percent in 2017.

Smith & Warner’s return won’t worry Indian pacers, says Gambhir

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Smith & Warner’s return won’t worry Indian pacers, says Gambhir

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has backed BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to put forward his candidature for the post of ICC Chairman, saying it will be good for the country to have their representation in the top management of the International Cricket Council.

On July 1, Shashank Manohar stepped down from the post of ICC chairman after twin two-year tenures at the helm. Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja has assumed the responsibilities of the chairperson until a successor is elected.

“I am not privy to what Sourav Ganguly is thinking. But yes, it will be good if India can have their representation in the top management of the ICC,” Gambhir told IANS.

“India deserves democratic representation in the ICC,” he stressed.

CSA Director of Cricket Graeme Smith has also supported Ganguly to take over as ICC Chairman.

The 38-year-old also backed the Indian team to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy when they travel for the proposed four-match Test series Down Under beginning December 3.

Virat Kohli’s side in the 2018/19 series became the first Indian side to beat Australia in a Test series in their own den. The series featured stellar performances from batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, and Kohli and the fast bowling battery featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

But that series saw both Steve Smith and David Warner missing out as they were serving a ban for their involvement in the Sandpaper Gate. This time around, they are expected to be a part of a strong batting line-up. But Gambhir believes that the Indian pacers will still pose a threat.

“India has fast bowlers to challenge any team in any conditions. I am sure with success on the last tour of Australia in the bag, if we go to Australia we will be serious challengers to the hosts,” said Gambhir.

Gambhir also expressed his opinion on the Men’s T20 World Cup, which is in doubt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ICC has not yet made any decision on the tournament, currently slated to be held in October-November in Australia.

“Look these are not easy decisions to make. It has to be a well-thought outcall. I am sure ICC will clarify their stand sooner than later. It is important that they take everyone else in confidence,” said Gambhir.

Cricket in India has been on a standstill since mid-March and Gambhir believes the sport would resume in the country only when the situation gets better. More than 9 lakh cases have been reported so far in the country while over 24000 people have lost their lives to the deadly disease.

“Personally speaking whenever the time is right, cricket in India will resume,” said the 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup winner.

“Well, it depends on multiple factors. I am absolutely confident that BCCI will take a calculated call on this.

“No one is in a hurry as human lives are far more important. At the same time, some bit of cricket will immensely help in uplifting the mood of the nation. So it is a delicate decision…a bit of catch 22,” he added.

Jewellery industry needs digital strategies for post-Covid growth: Report

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Jewellery industry needs digital strategies for post-Covid growth: Report

The jewelry industry which is going through a slowdown in consumption demand amid the pandemic would require digital strategies for its growth post the Covid-19 crisis, according to a report by the World Gold Council.

The report noted that although the online gold market is still in its nascent stage in India, digital and social activity plays a key role in the purchase journey.

“In urban India, consumers browse online/mobile apps pre-purchase and use online blogs and social media for ideas and inspiration. Mobile apps/wallets are playing a key role in the growth of Internet Investment Gold,” it said.

COVID-19 has caused retailers in India to re-evaluate their brick and mortar business model and implement an enhanced digital strategy, said the report on the online gold market in India, adding that successful retailers embrace an omnichannel strategy to boost online sales.

“There is a real opportunity for growth in India’s online gold market if it can improve the end-to-end gold jewelry purchase journey and thus establish the ‘loyalty loop’. To drive market growth post-COVID-19 the industry needs digital strategies that will ensure gold jewelry reaches more consumers at the consideration stage of their purchase journey and reaches them more often,” it said.

The WGC report noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 and consequent closure of stores from mid-March caused jewelry sales to collapse.

With stores closed, retailers such as major jewelry brands rolled out various incentives and offer in April, such as providing opportunities to lock in prices, discounts on the gold rate, gold ownership certificates or gold vouchers, and exchange of gold coins for jewelry via their e-commerce websites during Akshaya Tritiya, it said.

“Even so, online sales volumes were nowhere near the same period in 2019. COVID-19 has forced jewelry retailers to reconsider their brick and mortar business model and implement digital as a core strategy, the report said.

This focus on digital will be key to a successful growth post-COVID-19, but more importantly, the seamless integration of offline and online channels will play a crucial role in driving sales, it added.

Maha’s 1st woman SEC Neela Satyanarayana succumbs to Covid (Ld)

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Maha’s 1st woman SEC Neela Satyanarayana succumbs to Covid (Ld)

Multi-faceted personality and retired IAS officer Neela Satyanarayana – who created history as the first woman State Election Commissioner (SEC) – succumbed to Covid-19 at a hospital, official sources said here on Thursday.

An IAS officer of the 1972 batch, Satyanarayana, 71, held many important posts in the state government and finally crowned her 42-years of bureaucratic service with the post-SEC.

Popular as “a people-friendly IAS officer”, she was reputed for her fearless approach, never bending before the political class vis-a-vis public interest during the course of duties across several departments in the state government.

Besides, Neela Satyanarayana made a mark as a prolific writer, poet, lyricist, singer, composer, and music director who had composed songs for scores of Marathi films and a couple of Bollywood movies.

She had been admitted to a suburban government hospital a few days ago for Corona treatment and breathed her last early today, shocking state political circles.

Condoling her death, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the state will always remember her as “an experienced and sensitive person who excelled in the field of arts and literature, inspired youth towards civil services” and making the SEC closer to the masses.

Expressing shock, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that her contributions to governance and literature will always be an inspiration for all.

Grieving over Neela Satyanarayana’s demise, state Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said that she was “a tough administrator and also a sensitive author” and her untimely death was saddening.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar expressed grief and said “She was the first woman SEC. We have lost a humane and empathic ex-officer”.

Over her 42 years of services, Neela Satyanarayana handled key responsibilities in textile, finance, revenue, culture, information & public relations among others and post-retirement, the then Congress-NCP government made her the first woman to head the coveted Constitutional post of SEC, till July 2014.

After demitting the office of SEC, she remained busy with social-cultural-academic activities, training women and youth through programs like ‘Kranti-Jyoti’ and ‘Aarohi’, etc.

Amazon extends corporate work from home policy to 2021

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Amazon extends corporate work from home policy to 2021

In line with the policies announced by other tech majors like Facebook and Google, Amazon has extended the work-from-home order for its corporate workforce until January 8 next year.

“As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we are extending the time frame for those who can do their job effectively from home to January 8, 2021. Meanwhile, Amazon’s corporate buildings are open and available to all employees,” Amazon said in a blog post on Wednesday.

“We continue to do everything we can to ensure a safe office environment including temperature screenings upon entry, physical distancing guidelines, providing face coverings, and enhanced cleaning protocols,” it added.

According to a report in The Verge, Amazon is also planning to extend restrictions on nonessential business travel until the end of the year.

Earlier, Facebook and Google announced work-from-home policies that extend through 2020.

Twitter, on the other hand, gave its employees the option of working from home “forever”.

Amazon announced a slew of measures to protect the health of its employees amid Covid-19.

However, the e-commerce giant has also faced protests from former and current employees for its Covid-19 policies.

Samsung launches Galaxy M01s for Rs 9,999 in India

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Samsung launches Galaxy M01s for Rs 9,999 in India

Expanding its popular Galaxy M series, Samsung on Thursday launched a new budget smartphone Galaxy M01s for Rs 9,999 in India.

The phone comes with a 6.2-inch Infinity-V display. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P22, Octa-Core ( 2Ghz, 1.5Ghz) processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable storage of up to 512GB via a Micro-SD card.

The smartphone is available across Samsung’s offline retail stores, Samsung.com, and other major e-commerce portals.

“The new Galaxy M01s smartphone is being launched in the sub-INR 10000 price segment. This stylish smartphone comes with the promise of trust and quality of Samsung at an attractive price,” the company said in a statement.

The phone comes with a 6.2-inch Infinity-V display. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P22, Octa-Core ( 2Ghz, 1.5Ghz) processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable storage of up to 512GB via Micro SD card.

The Galaxy M01 is equipped with a dual-camera setup with a combination of 13MP primary as well as a 2MP depth sensor and for the front, it has an 8MP selfie shooter.

It runs the Android 10 operating system and is backed up by a 4,000mAh battery.

Researchers develop coating that kills corona virus in 1 hour

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Researchers develop coating that kills corona virus in 1 hour

The researchers have developed a surface coating, which, when painted on common objects like doorknobs or light switches, can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in one hour, the virus that causes COVID-19.

According to the study, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the results of the tests have been outstanding.

When the coating is painted on glass or stainless steel, the amount of virus is reduced by 99.9 percent in one hour, compared to the uncoated sample.

“The idea is when the droplets land on a solid object, the virus within the droplets will be inactivated,” said study researcher William Ducker from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.

“One hour is the shortest period that we have tested so far, and tests at shorter periods are ongoing,” Ducker added.

“We have to use our chemical knowledge and experience of other viruses to guess what would kill it (SARS-CoV-2),” the study author wrote.

Since mid-April, Ducker has been working with Leo Poon, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong, to test the film’s success at inactivating the virus.

For the findings, the research team spread three different kinds of coatings on glass and stainless steel. Then, they shipped the samples to Poon.

Results have shown that the coating is robust. It does not peel off after being slashed with a razor blade.

It also retains its ability to inactivate the virus after multiple rounds of being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and then disinfection or after being submerged in water for a week, based on the tests.

If the project’s success continues, it is a significant discovery in fighting the virus’ spread.

Now, the research team hopes to attract funding in order to mass-produce the coating film.

“To be sure, the film doesn’t replace other safety measures that people should take to stop the spread of the coronavirus, such as hand washing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask,” the study author wrote.

“People won’t have to worry as much about touching objects, it will be both practical and reducing fear,” they noted.

Trump replaces re-election campaign manager

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Trump replaces re-election campaign manager

US President Donald Trump announced that he has replaced his re-lection campaign manager Brad Parscale, amid recent polls showing the President has fallen further behind presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

“I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump Campaign Manager,” Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying in a tweet on Wednesday.

“Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a very long time and has led our tremendous digital and data strategies, will remain in that role while being a Senior Advisor to the campaign.”

To clarify the President’s seemingly ambiguous tweet, Fox News cited two top campaign officials as saying that “there are not two campaign managers”, and that Stepien, currently deputy campaign manager and a veteran GOP operative, will have total executive control after the promotion.

The personnel reshuffle came at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is still raging in the US, crushing the national economy, and when racial discrimination showcased in brutal killings of African-Americans by police has triggered sweeping protests not seen in decades.

Feeling the urgency to salvage his re-election bid, Trump resumed his rally on June 30 in the city of Tulsa, US state of Oklahoma, an event in which the actual number of participants fell far short of what the campaign boasted.

The underwhelming rally amid the pandemic was largely blamed on Parscale, with whom Trump’s frustration has grown ever since, according to US media reports.

Meanwhile, Biden’s lead over Trump in the polls has widened to double digits.

In two polls released on Wednesday, Biden was ahead of Trump by 15 percentage points in a Quinnipiac University poll and retained an 11 percent edge in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Trump, who repeatedly denounced media polls as being biased against him, said in the Wednesday tweet that a victory in the 2020 election “should be a lot easier as our poll numbers are rising fast”.

Tasked with helping run Trump digital campaign ad in 2016, Parscale was tapped as the president’s 2020 campaign manager in February 2018.

Stepien has involved himself in politics for years, previously working for former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and serving as Trump’s national field director in 2016.

Security guard arrested for raping minor girl in PMCH

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Security guard arrested for raping minor girl in PMCH

A security guard of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the largest hospital in Bihar, has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl outside a COVID ward in the hospital, police said.

A police official said on Thursday, that on July 8, the minor girl was seen wandering at Barh railway station. The child helpline rescued the 15-year-old girl and handed over to the PMCH for the COVID test.

It has been alleged that on the night of July 8, the ward’s security guard Mahesh Prasad (40) took the victim to the bathroom and raped her.

The victim did not reveal this to anyone out of fear. When the members of Child Helpline came to see her on Wednesday, she narrated the ordeal.

Aarti Jaiswal, in-charge of Patna Mahila Police Station, said an FIR has been lodged in this connection on the basis of the victim’s statement and the accused has been arrested.

She said that the victim has been medically examined, the report of which is yet to come.

Police is investigating the entire case, she added.

IOC chief reluctant to hold Tokyo Olympics behind closed doors

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IOC chief reluctant to hold Tokyo Olympics behind closed doors

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Friday reiterated their desire to hold Tokyo Olympics with spectators in the stands and not behind closed doors.

The multi-national event was initially set to be hosted in July this year but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will now take place from July 23 till August 8 in 2021.

Professional sports around the world are getting back on their feet as matches are being held behind closed doors. However, Bach ruled out the idea of doing the same with the Olympics next year.

“(Our planning) includes all different countermeasures, but no, an Olympic Games behind closed doors is clearly something we do not want,” Bach told reporters via videoconference.

“So we are working for a solution which on the one hand is safeguarding the health of all the participants and on the other hand is also reflecting the Olympic spirit.”

Bach had earlier conceded that Tokyo Games will have to be entirely scrapped if it cannot be held next year. Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had initially raised such concerns and Bach accepted the same.

“You cannot forever employ 3,000 to 5,000 people in an organizing committee,” Bach had told BBC Sport. “You cannot have the athletes being in uncertainty.”

“There is no blueprint for it so we have to reinvent the wheel day by day. It’s very challenging and at the same time fascinating.”

Apple releases watchOS 6.2.8, iOS 13.6 with digital car keys

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Apple releases watchOS 6.2.8, iOS 13.6 with digital car keys

Apple has released watchOS 6.2.8 for Apple Watch along with 13.6 updates for compatible iOS and iPadOS users with support for the Car Key feature.

With 13.6, on iPhone and watchOS 6.2.8 on Apple watch, can now act as keys for compatible cars. As Apple demonstrated during the WWDC 2020 keynote, one can simply hold an iPhone close to the car’s door handle to unlock it using NFC technology.

Luxury automobile manufacturer BMW recently announced that its BMW Connected app for iPhone and Apple Watch has been updated with support for the digital key.

The Car Key functionality is available for a “broad range of models,” including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4 if manufactured after July 1, 2020.

iOS 13.6 update also introduces a toggle for customizing updates, providing users with granular control over the downloading and installing of new iOS and iPadOS versions.

To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released an iOS 12.4.8 update for older devices unable to run iOS 13.

Meanwhile, the watchOS 6.2.8 software update enables people in a handful of additional countries including Bahrain, Brazil, and South Africa to take advantage of the ECG in Apple’s wearable.

watchOS 6.2.8 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery.

Apple also released iOS 12.4.8 for older iPhones that don’t support iOS 13.

Children under 12 stuck in India, unable to fly alone to UAE

TB Team
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Children under 12 stuck in India, unable to fly alone to UAE

The UAE-based parents of children under 12, who are stranded in India, are in a tight spot as several airlines have refused to let unaccompanied minors fly back home and are now appealing for exemption from the rule in these trying times, a media report said.

Starting July 12, Indians wanting to return to the UAE have been given a 15-day window to travel back on the condition that they have valid residency permits. They also have to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate.

But parents of minors said they are feeling helpless as children are unable to avail of the travel opportunity despite having return permits, Khaleej Times reported.

“It has been more than three months since my daughter has been stuck in India. We have GDRFA approval for her but the airlines are not accepting her booking, saying she is under 12,” Poonam Sapre, a Dubai-based woman, told Khaleej Times.

Her daughter Eva Sapre, 10, is in Hyderabad and is awaiting a reunion with her parents.

“She is just 10 and it has already taken an emotional toll on her. She is eager to come back and is asking me every day about her return. This is so frustrating.”

Barring Emirates and Etihad, other airlines including flydubai, Air Arabia, and Air India Express are not accepting unaccompanied minors. With India extending the travel freeze till July 31, normal flights are yet to resume and only special flights are allowed between India and UAE under a bilateral agreement.

Sapre said only flydubai is flying the Hyderabad-Dubai route, and the carrier has restrictions on minors traveling alone. “My daughter is too young to fly through indirect routes,” claims the mother.

When Khaleej Times reached out to the airlines for comment, they confirmed that such rules on unaccompanied minors were already in place even before COVID-19 travel restrictions came into effect.

Another Dubai-based distressed parent, who did not want to be named, said her eight-year-old son is in Kerala and is unable to fly due to airline policies on unaccompanied minors.

“I called up Air India Express and they said this has been their rule even before the COVID-19 outbreak. I am appealing to them to reconsider and make an exception during these trying times so that our children can come home safely,” she said.

Faced with this eventuality, some parents are forced to fly out of the UAE so they can accompany their children on the flight back home.

An Indian woman, who is currently in Mumbai, said she flew out of Dubai on Monday morning solely for the purpose of bringing back her twin daughters, aged 10.

“I had no choice. Ideally, they could have traveled together, but under these circumstances, I thought it best to get them with me personally,” said the woman.

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