A mobile-based banking service for teenagers

TB Team
-
0
A mobile-based banking service for teenagers

Founded by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee Graduates, Kush Taneja, and Sambhav Jain, FamPay is “India’s first mobile-based banking services for teenagers that bring cashless convenience and much more to millions of teens and their parents.” It allows minors to finally make online (UPI & P2P) and offline payments without the need to set up a bank account.

IANSlife spoke to them to know the details of the innovation and the idea behind it. Read excerpts:

Q: What is the problem you are trying to solve and who is your target audience?

Jain: Today’s teens are digitally savvy, having grown up with technology as a mainstay in their day-to-day lives but so far have not had a digital payment solution to go cashless. A recent RBI report quoted a 23 percent rise in transactions per person and 87 digital payments apps in play. None of these apps, however, include the pre-banked segment of teenagers in the digital payments ecosystem. There are an estimated 250 million+ teenagers in India in the 12-18 year age group of which 20 million have smartphones. They are still reliant on getting cash for their expenses from their parents. This has now become an even bigger challenge in times of COVID-19 where most of the buying has moved to digital.

Another problem that is faced with cash is that parents do not have any visibility into the expenses made by their child. With family and its numberless card, minors can finally make online (UPI & P2P) and offline payments without the need to set up a bank account. Parents can send money to their kids on the app, with control and supervision over the amount of money the teens have and spend. In addition to the card, teens get their own unique UPI ID with which they get first-hand access to the growing UPI Payments network.

Q: What are the unique features of the app?

Taneja: FamPay and its numberless card, allows minors to finally make online (UPI & P2P) and offline payments without the need to set up a bank account.

It offers the perfect combination of parental control and independence for teens. Users can maintain a zero balance and there are no hidden charges or costs attached to any transactions.

Designed for the new age generation of teenagers, the app offers many cool social features. The app sports a social feed where friends can share their recent spending and react to updates. The app uses gamification to make money management fun. Teens are rewarded with a cashback on achieving a certain amount of savings for example each and every winner gets a chance to double their savings as well.

Q: What is the idea behind the Famcard? What change/innovation are you looking at bringing in?

Jain: FamCard is a first-of-its-kind numberless card that teenagers can now use to make payments online and offline independently, relieving parents of the trouble of giving them cash or their credit/debit card.

It has no numbers on the physical card which makes it very secure. It also has a special feature of “Flash PIN”, which is dynamic and is generated for every transaction. Teens can just flash this PIN to the cashier for offline payments, without the need of entering the PIN by themselves on the POS machines, allowing for true contactless payments amidst COVID-19.

Any product that addresses the needs of GenZ teens will have to resonate with their vibe. The design of the card is minimalist, sleek and it is a vertical card that matches their aesthetic style. The unconventional vertical card design is a hit with the GenZ and they do not need to worry about numbers on the card fading with the passage of time.

FamPay worked with NPCI to make this ‘first in India’ numberless card a reality. They collaborated to solve the complex backend supply chain which had to be reimagined and reconfigured to realize this pioneering effort. This card has been launched in partnership with IDFC Bank and is accepted across the RuPay payment network of merchants.

Q: Is it like any other debit card?

Taneja: It is like a debit card, but is unique because you do not require a bank account to get the card. Also, unlike other cards, this is only available to teenagers. Cards carrying the 16 digit number have been used for years now, but this number is not really required on the card when transacting offline. Our card is an innovative product in the sense of utility, one in a few across the world and the first in India. It facilitates contactless transactions with the utmost ease and security.

Q: How will you be ensuring security so as to minimize frauds?

Jain: We have the required licenses from RBI to operate the business and have partnered with IDFC bank and RuPay. The KYC check prohibits fraudsters from using the app without verification.

The card is specially designed for teenagers and we understand the importance of it being as secure as possible. As FamCard has no numbers, all the card details are saved on the FamPay app and there is no need to refer to the physical card to fill in details during online transactions. There’s no fear of card information getting disclosed in case it gets stolen or lost and the card can be paused, blocked, and managed at fingertips on the app. Every transaction is protected with a device that looks like a fingerprint, Face ID, pattern lock or PIN.

Q: What are your future plans?

Taneja: We are starting with digital payments but aim to grow as our users grow. FamPay would like to become the de-facto platform for teens and families that offers teens their first step to making payments digitally, managing their finances, and understanding money management skills. With a mission to raise a new, financially aware generation of Indians, FamPay is fuelling the cashless future and opening up its convenience to an entirely new and untouched segment of users.

58% rise in emoticon use, virus-related emojis trending in lockdown

TB Team
-
0
58% rise in emoticon use, virus-related emojis trending in lockdown

Recording a massive 58 percent increase during the lockdown period, usage of emoticons — or emoji — on social media platforms reflect the times we live in with more use of microbe emoji, face with a medical mask, folded hands, and face with head-bandage emoji.

Ahead of World Emoji Day on July 17, data from Bobble AI – a homegrown Artificial Intelligence innovation company – shows a transformation in the conversational trends of youth, particularly the millennials and GenZ.

The nationwide mood shift is reflected in virus- and medical-related emojis. Despite the change in trends, the face with tears of joy is still the most used emoji.

That’s not all. Top ten emojis used for ‘Work from Home’, additionally included laptop, fire, house, and chocolate bar emoticons – signaling a change in work cultures across the country.

Emojis used in conversations on dating apps tend to express joy, be more flirty and romantic. According to Bobble AI’s report, the most popular emojis on dating applications are – face with tears of joy, kiss mark, and face with smiling eyes.

Uber appoints Prabhjeet Singh as President of India, South Asia

TB Team
-
0
Uber appoints Prabhjeet Singh as President of India, South Asia

Ride-hailing major Uber on Thursday announced the appointment of Prabhjeet Singh as President Uber India and South Asia, tasked with overseeing the next phase of growth in the company’s mobility business across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The announcement came as Uber closed its Mumbai office last month as part of the global churning in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 disruption that has affected its business.

“I am thrilled to have been given the responsibility of leading Uber in India and South Asia, and look forward to collaborating with exceptional teams and gifted colleagues across the Uber family to strengthen our services and product offerings,” Singh said in a statement.

Singh joined Uber in August 2015 from McKinsey and Co, where he was an Associate Partner.

Since, he’s been part of the core team that adapted the global business model to India, launched multiple new cities and led several innovations, including scaling up Auto and Moto categories and building a multi-modal platform.

“I am confident Prabhjeet will exceed our expectations by leading Uber India SA on to the path of profitability, further consolidate our partnership with public transport authorities, continue our growth trajectory by expanding Auto and Moto to the next batch of cities, and build iconic teams,” said Pradeep Parameswaran, Regional General Manager for Asia Pacific Uber.

According to media reports, the Mumbai office had nearly 25 employees and over 150 staff on a contractual basis.

Uber India had in May announced to lay off around 600 full-time employees due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Maharashtra first woman SEC Neela Satayanarayan falls to Covid

TB Team
-
0
Maharashtra first woman SEC Neela Satayanarayan falls to Covid

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

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

Besides, she was a prolific poet, writer, 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 private suburban hospital a few days ago for Corona treatment and breathed her last early today.

Lukram Smil: ‘Actor with Asian features’ still sounds better than ‘Chinki’

TB Team
-
0
Lukram Smil: ‘Actor with Asian features’ still sounds better than ‘Chinki’

Manipur-based actor Lukram Smil, who played the protagonist in the digital film “Penalty”, says racism is so deeply embedded in the minds of people even in India that for the longest time actors from Northeast faced limited opportunities and remained victims of the syndrome.

On a positive side, in the wake of #blacklivesmatter, Lukram adds that casting directors call them “actors with Asian features” now, as oppose to “Chinki” or “Chinese looking” like earlier.

Lukram told IANS: “I think social media activism has at least started the conversation. Until a year back, I would say that people like us from the Northeast would get casting calls where we were said, ‘we’re auditioning you because we need a ‘Chinese looking’, ‘Nepalese looking’ character’. It feels really bad. Our struggle and rejection would start at regular auditions even before we gave auditions, because of the way we look. I mean what are they trying to say by calling us ‘Chinese looking’? Do we not look Indian? Forget about writing diverse characters for us, the racism is embedded in the mind of people in our society to the extent that they do not even count our ‘look’ as ‘Indian’ look! Only those who have faced this will understand how humiliating it feels.”

“Having said that, there is a change that we have noticed in recent casting calls. Now we are called actors with ‘Asian features’, ‘Northeastern’ etc. I think this is still a better term than calling us ‘Nepali’, ‘Chinese’ and, worse, ‘Chinki’,” added the actor.

“Penalty”, directed by Shubham Singh, features Kay Kay Menon, Shashank Arora, Manjot Singh, and Bijou Thaangjam, and is streaming on the OTT platform Netflix after a theatrical release last year.

“We really had a hard time to get showtime while releasing the film in theatres. Now I am getting a response to the film from everywhere. I am glad that people are watching the film,” Lukram said.

Did he always want to be an actor? “No, I am very shy by nature and when I stepped out of Imphal and went to Lucknow for my higher studies I started encountering racism. My confidence went down the drain. But I must thank Bijou, who told me not to confine myself and rather discover by coming to the city of dreams, Mumbai,” he shared.

After his struggle due to appearance and racism, is Lukram still hopeful to make a career in Bollywood? Citing the example of the recent film “Axone” he said: “With such a film, we are gaining a positive light, the right conversation around racism that is substantial. The constant discrimination that many sections face and the stereotypes we are a victim of should stop, and film can do that.”

“In ‘Penalty’, Football is a common element that brings people from every region together. I think like sports, films can also do that. If our Bollywood films are set in cosmopolitan places, then why aren’t the characters from all communities? Why do Punjabis have to be funny and all Northeastern have to be musicians? I am not complaining, but I am saying, we youngsters are questioning more so that the change comes,” Lukram signed off.

Odisha’s COVID-19 positive cases cross 15,000 mark

TB Team
-
0
Odisha’s COVID-19 positive cases cross 15,000 mark

The COVID-19 positive cases crossed the 15,000 marks in Odisha with 494 new infectees in the last 24 hours, informed the health department on Thursday.

The corona death toll also rose to 79 with two more deaths in the Ganjam district in the last 24 hours.

Two male patients aged 51 and 34 years succumbed to the virus. The total number of COVID deaths reached 48 in the Ganjam district.

The total positive cases have increased to 15,392 in the state.

Out of the 494 fresh positive cases, 322 were reported from the quarantine centers and 172 are local cases.

Ganjam district reported the highest 246 positive cases followed by Khordha (64) and Cuttack (38).

While the active cases stand at 4,813, as many as 10,476 have recovered so far.

Crowd funding, source of fund in Kerala gold smuggling case

TB Team
-
0
Crowd funding, source of fund in Kerala gold smuggling case

The ongoing probe by Customs and the NIA in the now controversial gold smuggling case, in which even the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is allegedly involved, has revealed it was crowdfunding — the main source of funds in gold smuggling.

The Customs on Thursday arrested two more people who have been identified as those behind financing the buying of gold.

The entire money required to buy gold is transferred through hawala to the UAE.

The case which has large scale ramifications across sectors first surfaced when P.S. Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate, here was arrested by the Customs on July 5 when he was facilitating the smuggling of 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage to Thiruvananthapuram from Dubai.

It turned murkier when the name of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate, here and employed with the IT Department, surfaced and it turned the full circle when her links with the principal secretary of Vijayan – M. Sivasankar, who is also the State IT Secretary, were revealed.

First Swapna was booted out and then Vijayan quickly removed Sivasankar from both the posts, but it was not enough as the Congress and the BJP went full throttle demanding the suspension of Sivasankar and the resignation of Vijayan.

The Centre also stepped in and the NIA was asked to probe the case, even as the Customs is already on it.

A day after NIA was put into service, Swapna and her friend Sandeep were taken into custody from Bengaluru and are presently under judicial custody.

It was after that the probe went into high gear and the Customs have by now completed a nine-hour grilling of Sivasankar, while the NIA has got vital leads after questioning Swapna, Sandeep, Sarith, and Rameez, all were arrested.

It was the leads, which led to the modus operandi of the operations and according to the Customs, the gold smuggling gangs consist of several layers and include financiers, here – who raise the money to buy gold from the Middle East. Then there is another section that transports it to the various end-users – which are the jewelers in the state and the vital clogs are those who coordinate the entire operations with precision.

At the end of the successful operation, everyone involved gets their due share and Customs have now found out this particular gang in the month of June alone has smuggled 70 kg of gold on three different occasions.

Swapna and Sarith are carriers and using their closeness which was built up when the duo worked at the UAE Consulate and her close links with Sivasankar also came as a boon.

According to the Customs, it has got vital evidence, the way Swapna functioned on July 5, the present smuggling attempt, which failed.

Her mobile was located in the tower where the entire operations were carried out from a flat, which is next door to the State Secretariat.

Another casualty attached to Vijayan — Arun Balachandran, a former IT fellow of Vijayan and now works in the IT department, who though claims he has nothing to do with it, other than arranging a flat on the directions of Sivasankar, has been now removed from his present post.

Now all eyes are on the Customs who is all set to call Sivasankar again, as his mobile phone has already been confiscated and sent for scientific examination.

The NIA is also expected to call in Sivasankar and as and when it happens, all the preliminary links would be established to reign in the fledging gold smuggling racket, but this is the first time, where higher-ups directly or indirectly appeared to have a role.

Surya Sharma on recognition coming his way post ‘Undekhi’

TB Team
-
0
Surya Sharma on recognition coming his way post ‘Undekhi’

Actor Surya Sharma, who is currently being lauded for his role as Rinku in the crime thriller web series “Undekhi”, has opened up on how he bagged the project and worked on his character.

“I was shooting for ‘Hostages’ in Delhi. One of the creative heads of the show came to me and told me to meet Siddharth Sen Gupta (creator of ‘Undekhi’). I met Sidharth sir after a week. That day, he was shooting in Versova. He called me on the set of ‘Apharan’ and explained to me the story and the character. Next, I called him and told him my point of view about the character. I think that was the moment when he thought I was the right person to play Rinku,” he told IANS.

Speaking about his character, Surya said: “Rinku is ruthless, fearless, and an untaxed kind of person. He owns the whole town. The best quality of Rinku is his love for his papaji. It was a challenge to maintain that demeanor for seven months, but we did workshops for three months and I used to visit Siddharth sir’s office every day. We worked on every detail, so nobody can question, or if they question we should have an answer. This is a character I wanted to play, and I am happy to be part of the wonderful team.”

Surya is quite happy with the response he has received so far, and he really wants to keep continuing the good work.

“I am loving the vibe and atmosphere. I am a workaholic. I don’t go out and socialize, so I don’t know what people really think about me, and I like the fact I don’t know,” he added.

India records highest 1-day spike of over 32k corona cases

TB Team
-
0
India records highest 1-day spike of over 32k corona cases

India recorded the highest single-day spike of 32,695 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and 606 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 9,68,876 cases with a death total of 24,915 the Health Ministry’s data stated on Thursday.

According to Health Ministry data, as many as 6,12,814 patients have recovered, almost twice the number of active patients at 3,31,146. The rate of recovery has touched 63.24 percent. India, however, remains the third worst-affected country after the US and Brazil.

During the last 24 hours, 3,26,826 samples were tested, as the testing lab network continues to expand. As on date, more than 1,206 labs have enabled people to undergo coronavirus tests.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state, with 2,75,640 cases and 10,928 casualties followed by Tamil Nadu with total 1,51,820 cases, including 2,167 deaths.

With 1,647 new coronavirus cases and 41 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national capital recorded a total tally of 1,16,993 cases and 3,487 deaths.

States with more than 10,000 cases included Gujarat (44,552), Uttar Pradesh (41,383), Rajasthan (26,437), Madhya Pradesh (19,643), West Bengal (34,427), Haryana (23,306), Karnataka (47,253), Andhra Pradesh (35,451), Telangana (39,342), Assam (18,666), and Bihar (20,612).

On the global front, the overall number of global Covid-19 cases has topped 13.5 million marks, while the deaths have increased to more than 5,83,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Google redesigning Gmail to make it a productivity hub

TB Team
-
0
Google redesigning Gmail to make it a productivity hub

Google has announced a major overhaul for Gmail that will expand the service beyond emails and become a productivity hub for the workplace.

The new design shows four tabs at the bottom of a user’s screen: Mail, Chat, Meet for video calling, and Rooms, CNET reported on Wednesday.

Rooms are similar to ‘Slack rooms’ which lets people on the same team at work collaborate in real-time.

“In Google’s version, people can chat, swap files and edit Google Docs without switching tabs,” the report mentioned.

“There’s the task of bringing them together, and the task of making them greater than the sum of their parts,” Javier Soltero, head of Google’s GSuite division for productivity apps, was quoted as saying.

Google Meet usage is surging. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said recently that it was adding 3 million new users a day during the pandemic and has 100 million meeting participants a day.

The video meeting for Android has surpassed over 10 crore downloads globally on Google Play Store.

Gmail currently has more than 1 billion users.

Gmail over the last couple of months has added a couple of new features to its Gmail app for iOS, including support for Siri shortcuts when sending emails, and adding attachments to emails from the iOS files app.

Helly Shah on resuming shoots: It’s a very good feeling

TB Team
-
0
Helly Shah on resuming shoots: It’s a very good feeling

Television actress Helly Shah is back at work. She has started shooting for the second season of “Ishq Mein Marjawan”. Helly says it’s a good feeling.

“Yes, it is a relief going back (to the set) after almost 100 days of house arrest. But the lockdown was extremely important,” Helly told IANS.

The actress is overjoyed on meeting people after such a long hiatus.

“But after the lockdown when we are coming out and meeting people on set at work, it feels great. I am so happy to be meeting people and talking to them and working again. It’s a very good feeling,” she said.

Helly plays the role of a simpleton named Riddhima in the show.

“I am playing the role of Riddhima. She is a simple girl, very compassionate. She really loves Kabir and has a very simple dream of living a beautiful dream with him,” she added.

Global COVID-19 cases top 13.5mn: Johns Hopkins

TB Team
-
0
Global COVID-19 cases top 13.5mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has topped 13.5 million marks, while the deaths have increased to more than 583,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Thursday morning, the total number of cases stood at 13,070,097, while the fatalities rose to 583,359, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of infections and fatalities at 3,495,536 and 137,358, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 1,966,748 infections and 75,366 deaths.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (936,181), and is followed by Russia (745,197), Peru (337,751), Chile (317,657), Mexico (317,635), South Africa (311,049), the UK (293,469), Iran (264,561), Spain (257,494), Pakistan (255,769), Italy (243,506), Saudi Arabia (240,474), Turkey (215,940), France (210,568), Germany (200,890), Bangladesh (193,590), Colombia (159,898), Argentina (111,146), Canada (110,693) and Qatar (104,983), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (45,138), Mexico (36,906), Italy (34,997), France (30,123), Spain (28,413), India (24,309), Iran (13,410), Peru (12,417) and Russia (11,753).

High-profile US Twitter accounts hacked to spread cryptocurrency scam

TB Team
-
0
High-profile US Twitter accounts hacked to spread cryptocurrency scam

A number of high-profile Twitter accounts have been simultaneously hacked by attackers to spread a cryptocurrency scam, according to a report by Tech Crunch.

Twitter has responded to the incident on Wednesday. “We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly,” Twitter Support said in a tweet, adding that users may be unable to tweet or reset passwords while they review and address the incident, Xinhua reported.

The scammer’s website was quickly pulled offline. Kristaps Ronka, chief executive of Namesilo, the domain registrar used by the scammers, told Tech Crunch that the company suspended the domain “on the first report” it received.

The accounts being hacked included technology company @Apple, ride-hailing company @Uber, Democratic presidential candidate @joebiden, Former president @BarackObama, Amazon co-founder @jeffbezos, Tesla and SpaceX founder @elonmusk, Microsoft founder @billgates, and legendary investor @WarrenBuffet. Some of the accounts were quickly back under their owners’ control and the tweets sent out when those accounts were compromised were quickly deleted, the report said.

According to the report by Tech Crunch, security researchers found that the attackers had fully taken over the victims’ accounts, and also changed the email address associated with the account to make it harder for the real user to regain access.

Tech Crunch said in the report that these kinds of scams are common. Scammers take over high-profile Twitter accounts using breached or leaked passwords and post messages that encourage users to post their cryptocurrency funds to a particular address under the guise that they’ll double their “investment”.

Mr Pilot was dismissed as Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan

Team TeluguBullet
-
0
Mr Pilot was dismissed as Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan

Sachin Pilot will need about a month of “me time” before the Congress can decide how to accommodate him, said top leaders in the party who have been in touch with the 42-year-old through the big bang crisis of his revolt.

Mr Pilot said this morning that he will not join the BJP – an utterance that softened his party’s stand on him. “He could be given an important national role. It may not be possible straight away, a cooling off period of a month may be needed,” said the Congress leader who is playing a key role in charting Mr Pilot’s course – or whatever remains of it – with the party. It’s important that Mr Pilot plan a “return” without conditions, said the Congress leader known for his proximity to party chief Sonia Gandhi.

“I am still a Congressman,” Mr Pilot told in this morning, adding that he will not join the BJP, even as the party began action against him to disqualify him as an MLA – it has given him till Friday to justify his “anti-party activities.” Yesterday, Mr Pilot was dismissed as Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan as also from the post of president of the Congress state branch.

At a press conference, Congress spokesperson RS Surjewala said Mr Pilot should leave the resort in Haryana where he has been sequestered with his loyalists. “We’ve seen Sachin Pilot’s statement that he won’t join BJP. I’d like to tell him that if you don’t want that, then leave the security cover of the BJP’s Haryana government, stop all conversations with them and come back to your home in Jaipur,” he said.

The fact that his rival, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, seems to have the support of enough MLAs to remain in power, could have shaped the tenor of Mr Pilot’s interview this morning, one that indicated he could be persuaded to remain with the Congress. The party has made it clear that while it is keen to retain him, it cannot countenance his demand that to be named Chief Minister instead of Mr Gehlot.

“The threat level to the Gehlot government has come down,” the Congress leader interviewed for this report said on the condition of anonymity. In Jaipur, Mr Gehlot’s squad, glamping at a fancy hotel, claimed it has strengthened its number to 109 – eight more than it needs to remain in office – according to sources close to the Chief Minister. A major confidence booster came from senior BJP leaders in the state including Gulab Chand Kataria who said the situation does not seem to merit putting Mr Gehlot through a trust vote – yet.

Mr Pilot and the Congress have, in the last 24 hours, taken refuge in ascribing great value to the relationship he shares with the Gandhis, offering highly redeemable points as a possible out of the current eruption.

Actress Rekha refusing to give samples for the corona virus test

Team TeluguBullet
-
0
Actress Rekha refusing to give samples for the corona virus test

The rule is that, if anyone is tested positive for Covid-19 then all the persons in contact with the patient or the ones who will live and work in his vicinity to get tested. Despite the fact that her security guard has tested positive last week, this senior actress is not interested in getting a swab test done.

With Amitabh Bachhan, his son Abhishek and son’s wife Aishwarya Rai turning out to be positive for Covid-19, the whole of Bollywood is shaken. But senior actress Rekha, whose security guard was tested positive last week, is refusing to give samples for the coronavirus test. Though the Mumbai Municipal Corporation officials have reached out to her, the actress has refused them entry into her residence.

Also, BMC officials are actually locking out the houses of celebrities after they test positive, and sanitising them. But Rekha is said to have refused even the sanitisation crew as well, conveying through her manager that she is fine and there is nothing to worry.

However, Rekha is said to have finally agreed for tests, but she will get tested only at a private lab and will submit the report herself to the government. She wouldn’t allow government to test her.

“He’s a big character for us and scoring important goals”

Team TeluguBullet
-
0
“He’s a big character for us and scoring important goals”

Frank Lampard admitted Chelsea are struggling with nerves as they chase a place in the Champions League next season after Olivier Giroud scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over already relegated Norwich at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Victory opens up a four-point lead for third-placed Chelsea over Leicester and Manchester United, who both have a game in hand later this week. But Lampard knows there is still plenty of work to do with a trip to champions Liverpool and sixth-placed Wolves visiting Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season to come in Chelsea’s final two league games of the season.

“I want more but that can wait. Where we are at as a team and our position in the table, three points is everything,” said Lampard.”If we want to really move on then it can be better. It’s not easy, there is a nervy feeling there for understandable reasons.”

Lampard was furious with his side’s lack of fight in surrendering to a 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United on Saturday that plunged Chelsea’s chances of a top-four finish into doubt.The former England international made five changes from the battering at Bramall Lane with Giroud among those restored to the starting line-up.

Chelsea have already significantly bolstered their frontline for next season with the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.But Giroud has more than justified the decision to also extend his contract by a year during football’s shutdown as Chelsea’s most potent striker since the restart.

“He’s a big character for us and scoring important goals,” added Lampard.Giroud saw a number of chances come and go in the first half as an attempted lob over Tim Krul fell gently into the Dutch ‘keeper’s arms before he sliced well over the bar when unmarked inside the area.

Christian Pulisic forced Krul into his best save of the first-half with a powerful drive that was just too close to the former Newcastle stopper.Just as Norwich looked set to hold out until the break, Giroud shrugged off Timm Klose to connect with Pulisic’s cross for his fifth goal in eight games.

“I missed some I don’t miss usually,” said Giroud. “I lost a bit of confidence but my desire to score was bigger, so I just tried to stay focused and on the cross of Christian I anticipated this header.”Norwich’s long-awaited fate of a return to the Championship was confirmed in a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of West Ham on Saturday.

There was more defiance from the Canaries in defence, but they failed to score for the seventh time in their last eight games to slump to a ninth straight defeat.Daniel Farke’s men failed to even test Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga or a defence that has been under the microscope for conceding 49 goals already in the league this season with a shot on target.

Rishabh Pant About Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Team TeluguBullet
-
0
Rishabh Pant About Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Indian batsman Rishabh Pant has picked former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his “favourite batting partner”. The 22-year-old batsman said that Dhoni lays out the “plan” which makes it “easy” for the batsman at the other end. Pant, the wicket-keeper batsman has been the key cog in the batting wheel of Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals. The left-handed batsman narrowly missed out on the IPL Orange Cap in 11th edition of the tournament, but his 684 runs from 14 innings was the lone bright spot for Delhi.

“My favourite batting partner is Mahi Bhai  but it’s rare that I get a chance to bat with him. If he’s (Dhoni) out there batting with you, things remain sorted. He lays out the plan and you have to just follow him. The way his mind works during chases is amazing,” said Pant during an online interaction with Delhi Capitals.

“Virat bhai , Rohit bhai  actually, whenever you bat with senior players, it’s a different experience altogether. Even when I am batting with Shreyas Iyer in IPL, it’s different chemistry altogether,” he added.

Pant would have been in action for Delhi Capitals if the IPL had commenced from March 29. However, the tournament was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Another lockdown in Bengaluru

Team TeluguBullet
-
0
Another lockdown in Bengaluru

After state authorities were earlier praised for the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Bengaluru has now turned into one of the cities where COVID-19 cases are spiking the fastest. Another lockdown is in place as a result – and this is stricter than earlier ones.

Perhaps it is awareness of these rapidly rising numbers – over a thousand new cases every day – that has increased compliance with the lockdown regulations. Many citizens feel the week-long lockdown is basically a good idea when it comes to their safety.

“The lockdown is a good thing. Coronavirus cases are increasing. Every day we see in the papers – another 1500 cases.A citizen said, “It is a good thing. It will make the cases less.”The lockdown is stricter this time around. Even shops selling essential items must shut by12 noon. Only medical shops can stay open. Online and food deliveries, however, are being allowed.

“They have given instructions that the lockdown should be enforced very strictly even as supply of essential supplies is to be maintained. This bandobast is going to be very different. There are going to be no passes,” Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, said.Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said 2,000 home guards have been deployed in the city to help enforce the lockdown.

“I have asked my police officer to strictly implement the lockdown. And I have asked people to cooperate. We have deployed over 2,000 home guards in Bengaluru as police and others have been quarantined. We are using our Civil Defence volunteers to supply food in containment zones. And fire-force equipment is being used to cleanse the city during this lockdown,” he said.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the Home Minister say that the lockdown will not be extended beyond a week. But state authorities also earlier said that another lockdown was not being considered. They did change their minds about that.

Madhuri Dixit pens quarantine poetry

TB Team
-
0
Madhuri Dixit pens quarantine poetry

Bollywood veteran actress Madhuri Dixit Nene has shared some profound thoughts in a post she has shared on social media.

Madhuri took to her verified Instagram account, where she shared a throwback picture, which seems to behave taken during a photoshoot in the nineties.

In the image, Madhuri is seen wearing a brown sweater, scarf and the sun rays render a golden on her flawless skin.

“Laakar thodi si khushi apne chehre par, humne khud ko dusron se ala bana liya, log dhoondte rahe muskraane ka kaaran, humne dusron ki khushi ko pana bana liya. #QuarantineThoughts,” she wrote alongside the image.

Earlier this week, on the 18 years of “Devdas”, Madhuri recalled how late veteran choreographer Saroj Khan gave her one of the finest dance performances of her career. Taking to Instagram, Madhuri penned a lengthy post, expressing her love for Saroj Khan and remembering how the late choreographer created the dance “Maar daala” for her.

Saroj Khan breathed her last on July 3.

Alia Bhatt introduces fans to her ‘calm in every storm’

TB Team
-
0
Alia Bhatt introduces fans to her ‘calm in every storm’

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has introduced fans to her “calm in every storm”, in a new post she has shared on social media.

Alia took to her verified Instagram account and shared a picture of herself along with her pet cat Edward. In the image, the actress is seen posing for the camera while Edward is asleep.

“My calm in every storm,” Alia captioned the image, which currently has 891K likes on the photo-sharing website.

Earlier this month, Alia, an ardent animal lover, welcomed a new cat named Juniper into her home.

On the work front, Alia Bhatt will next be seen in her father Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial, “Sadak 2”, which also stars Pooja Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead.

The film has been produced by Mahesh Bhatt’s brother Mukesh Bhatt and is set for an OTT release.

1...1,5891,5901,591...2,189Page 1,590 of 2,189