India logs 10,929 fresh Covid cases

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India logs 10,929 fresh Covid cases

India on Saturday reported 10,929 fresh Covid-19 cases, 14.2 per cent lower than Friday’s overall infections, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Also in the last 24 hours, a total of 392 fresh fatalities were recorded which increased the nationwide death toll to 4,60,265.

The recovery of 12,509 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 3,37,37,468. Presently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.23 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

The active caseload stands at 1,46,950 and the number of active cases presently constitute 0.43 per cent of the country’s total positive cases, the lowest since March 2020.

Also in the same period, a total of 8,10,783 tests were conducted across the country.

India has so far conducted over 61.39 crore cumulative tests.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate at 1.27 per cent has remained less than 2 per cent for the last 43 days now.

The daily positivity rate stands at 1.35 per cent, which has also remained below 2 per cent for last 33 days and less than 3 per cent for 68 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 20,75,942 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s Covid inoculation coverage has reached 107.92 crore as of Saturday morning.

This has been achieved through 1,09,36,027 sessions.

Report says Facebook bad for 360 mn users, Meta denies

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Report says Facebook bad for 360 mn users, Meta denies

Facebook addiction is hurting sleep, work, relationships and parenting for about 12.5 per cent of users (nearly 360 million), according to the company’s internal documents seen by the media.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Facebook researchers have found that 1 in 8 of its users report are engaged in compulsive use of social media.

Facebook calls this the “problematic use of its platform”.

“They were perceived by users to be worse on Facebook than any other major social-media platform, which all seek to keep users coming back, the documents show,” the report said late on Friday.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, denied the report, saying the WSJ “has once again chosen to selectively pick and choose from internal company documents to present a narrative that is simply wrong about how we use research to address an important issue — this time about problematic use”.

“Problematic use does not equal addiction. Problematic use has been used to describe people’s relationship with lots of technologies, like TVs and smartphones,” said Pratiti Raychoudhury, Vice President, Head of Research at Meta.

“Since 2018, we have introduced nearly 10 products to better support people’s well-being, including problematic use of our apps, and that work continues today,” Raychoudhury said in a blog post.

The report cited an internal study to find out about how many people on Facebook experience problematic use.

“The app hurts sleep, work, relationships or parenting for about 12.5 per cent of users, who reported they felt Facebook was more of a problem than other social media,” the report claimed, citing the internal documents.

“That’s irresponsible because, as is noted in the study itself, the research was designed to be as expansive as possible to help us better understand the challenge,” Meta replied.

Sandalwood’s ‘lover boy’ Ganesh all set for courtroom comedy ‘Sakhat’

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Sandalwood’s ‘lover boy’ Ganesh all set for courtroom comedy ‘Sakhat’

Ganesh, Kannada film industry’s lover boy, also known as the ‘Golden Star’, is all set to entertain audiences with ‘Sakhath’, a courtroom comedy. The movie is slated for a November 26 release.

The plot revolves around a character who makes people believe that he is blind, on the lines of the superhit Bollywood film ‘Andhadhun’, but there’s no connection beyond this between the two movies.

The movie is directed by Simple Suni, who’s known for his experimental movies. Produced under the RVN Productions banner, the film has Surabhi playing the female lead opposite Ganesh. Nishvika Naidu, Sadhu Kokila, Rangayana Raghu and Kuri Pratap play the other principal characters.

Samsung leads European smartphone market despite challenges

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Samsung leads European smartphone market despite challenges

Samsung has retained its top spot in the European smartphone market in the third quarter (Q3) having largely recovered from its supply woes earlier on in the year.

According to a Counterpoint Research report, Xiaomi, Apple and Oppo have gained significant share over the last year in the European market.

Xiaomi continued to grow well across most European markets while Oppo gained well in Western Europe, helped along by its recent merger with OnePlus.

“realme is one of the fastest growing brands in Europe and has firmly established itself as a top five vendor with strong sales in Russia, Spain and Italy. Vivo is also growing fast, albeit from a smaller base,” said Research Associate Director Jan Stryjak.

Europe’s smartphone market appears to have largely recovered from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, although sales are now being impacted by the ongoing chip shortage.

The sales in Q3 2021 were only marginally down (1 per cent) compared to the same period last year.

Apple was boosted by the launch of the iPhone 13 towards the end of the quarter.

The end of the quarter was a mixed bag for Xiaomi and Apple. Xiaomi took a big hit in September due to some significant component constraints.

The iPhone 13 launch was a big success for Apple. Despite going on sale towards the end of September, the iPhone 13 appeared to be more popular than last year’s iPhone 12.

“If it can keep up with demand (which seems to be a challenge in some markets), Apple may well be in for a record-breaking Q4 in Europe,” the report noted.

Karnataka’s BJP govt rattled as Bitcoin allegations reach PMO

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Karnataka’s BJP govt rattled as Bitcoin allegations reach PMO

Karnataka’s ruling BJP seems to be rattled as the allegations against top state party leaders in the Bitcoin scandal have reached the Prime Minister’s Office.

Sources say that the allegations are being taken seriously and the PMO has recommended further investigation in the matter. This has created furore among a section of the leadership, especially the top-rung leaders, and party insiders say that the development could lead to major changes in the ruling establishment.

The opposition Congress has stated that it will file an application under RTI on the Bitcoin scandal, according to its state chief D.K. Shivakumar.

Sources claim that an anonymous letter contains the explosive details of the state’s top BJP leaders allegedly joining hands with main accused in the Bitcoin scandal Srikrishna Ramesh aka Sriki to make money.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the PMO has suggested high level investigation as the scandal involving hacking of international banks has seriously damaged the image of the country.

The sources also alleged that the accused had hacked into ‘Jan Dhan project’ which has 80 lakh accounts and minted money in hundreds of crores.

It is also alleged that the main accused Sriki was hacking into various state government e-tender portals, including of the Irrigation Department and Upper Krishna Project, and big contractors had taken his help to bag lucrative contracts, the sources said.

Sources also say that the recent IT raids across the state in which hundreds of crores of disproportionate assets were found in the preliminary investigation, is also linked to Bitcoin scandal. However, the investigation agencies have yet to confirm this.

Sources also allege that an influential politician’s son in state has taken the help of Sriki to transfer huge amounts of money to Mauritius.

There is speculation that the party’s Central leadership is thinking on major changes in the state unit following this development, and it is said that the complaint and all details are provided by the BJP insiders in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar has again urged Chief Minster Basavaraj Bommai to make public the document referring the Bitcoin scandal to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “The Chief Minister himself has stated that he had referred the scandal to the ED. I want him to release documents,” he demanded.

Sources in Congress say that Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah is gathering documents on the scandal and will hold a press conference on Monday to make explosive charges against ruling BJP leaders in the state.

Stadia to let you join multiplayer games without invite

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Stadia to let you join multiplayer games without invite

Tech giant Google is finally allowing Stadia players to join multiplayer games without needing an invite.

This basic feature is available on most console platforms and PC launchers, but it has taken Google nearly two years to add it to Stadia, The Verge reported of Friday.

A new support page confirms the feature is live in Far Cry 6 on Stadia, so friends can join you without you having to dig into menus and issue an invite.

Google mentions the feature is only available in “select games”, and is disabled by default, the report said.

The join without an invite feature is also available in the Stadia app for Android, and is available through the web version that runs on iOS, it added.

Google has been gradually adding features to Stadia over the past two years since its launch, including a new 30-minute game trial for Hello Engineer last month.

Proteas to benefit from knowing outcome of Aus-Windies game in match against England

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Proteas to benefit from knowing outcome of Aus-Windies game in match against England

South Africa will have the benefit of knowing exactly what they have to do to go through to the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup when they take on the Eoin Morgan-led England in a late-evening ‘Super 12’ game on Saturday.

With Australia playing the afternoon Group 1 game against the embattled West Indies on Saturday, the Proteas will get a clear picture of the scenarios needed to qualify for the last-4 stage ahead of the Aaron Finch-led side.

Both South Africa and Australia are on six points from four games, though the former are third in the Group 1 standings because of inferior Net Run Rate (NRR). England are leading the group with eight points from four outings.

South African skipper Temba Bavuma labelled the clash against England as a quarterfinal. If the Proteas lose later on Saturday, they will be out of the competition. “It’s been labelled as a quarterfinal for us; it’s a must-win game. I think that’s the main point. I guess what helps us is that Australia’s game happens before our game, so we’ll get a better understanding of how we need to approach it. We’ll have an opportunity, somewhere along our game, to control our net run rate or alter our approach.”

South Africa will have to defeat England and also maintain a healthy NRR. But for the Proteas, beating a tough England side is not out of the question, as they have impressed as a unit with three wins from four matches.

“We are not relying on one or two superstars to get us over the line, our whole team is contributing,” said Dwaine Pretorius. “There’s a lot of guys that have got in, scored runs. Our team is in a very good space. What astonishes me is how this team has struck together. It doesn’t really matter what controversy comes out or what is happening at board level or CSA level. The guys are forming a family.

“We are not going to stop fighting until the last ball is bowled. We are not going to leave anything to chance. That’s our promise to each other in the team every day,” said Pretorius.

But Morgan’s side aren’t going to underestimate a South African team they have faced frequently in the last couple of years, particularly not at a ground that fails to play to England’s strengths.

“The conditions we had out in South Africa and when I played in Cardiff against them are totally different to the ones that we’re going to have here,” England batter Dawid Malan said.

“They’re obviously a really strong team and they’ve got some fantastic bowlers, especially at Sharjah, with the way that (Anrich) Nortje and (Kagiso) Rabada bowl their lengths when they bowl there. A slower wicket that keeps slightly low – I think that suits them quite a lot.

“But I hope that what I’ve done in the past against them, I can take that forward into this game with what I’ve learned from facing their bowlers and how I’ve gone about scoring against them,” added Malan.

Mark Wood is yet to feature in the tournament for England but, fitness-permitting, will come into the side in place of Tymal Mills, who has been forced to withdraw. Tom Curran is an alternative if Wood fails to prove his fitness.

South Africa are expected to be unchanged, although the option of going at England with an extra spinner in Bjorn Fortuin will be tempting.

Probable England XI: Roy, Buttler, Malan, Bairstow, Morgan (captain), Livingstone, Ali, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid, Wood.

Probable South Africa XI: De Kock, Hendricks, Bavuma (captain), Markram, Van der Dussen, Miller, Pretorius, Rabada, Maharaj, Nortje, Shamsi.

Taapsee shares her love for London as she prepares for Mithali Raj biopic

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Taapsee shares her love for London as she prepares for Mithali Raj biopic

Fresh from the release of ‘Rashmi Rocket’, Taapsee Pannu took to Instagram to express her love for London. Posting pictures of her at the iconic St James’s Court hotel, she wrote in the caption: “Miss my hot coffee in cold London mornings with a home away from home to come back to. Already sure Im gonna be back soon.”

It’s pretty much an established fact that Tapsee loves to travel. The actress works hard, but always makes it a point to find some time to unwind before setting off on a new film’s journey. After working through a packed schedule of back-to-back films, Tapsee was recently in London for her vacation where she shopped, roamed around and soaked up the city’s flavours to her heart’s content.

Some time back, the actress had shared pictures and stories from her last trip to London. She also visited the Lord’s and posted a picture of herself donning the jersey of Mithali Raj, looking super impressed by the memorabilia of the Indian’s women’s cricket captain.

Tapsee will be next seen essaying the role of Mithali Raj in the upcoming biopic ‘Shabaash Mithu’, directed by Srijit Mukherjee. She has a number of other interesting projects lined up, such as the Telugu film ‘Mishan Impossible’, whose poster she shared on Diwali, the ‘Run Lola Run’ adaptation ‘Looop Lapeta’, Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Dobaaraa’, and ‘Blurr’, the Hindi remake of the Spanish ‘Julia’s Eyes’.

Djokovic overcomes Fritz; stays on course for sixth Paris Masters title

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Djokovic overcomes Fritz; stays on course for sixth Paris Masters title

Serbian world No. 1 Novak Djokovic continued his quest for a record 37th ATP Masters 1000 crown, overcoming the early resistance of American Taylor Fritz to reach the Rolex Paris Masters semifinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win in 74 minutes here.

The 34-year-old Djokovic, who has won 46 of 52 matches in another standout season, will now meet seventh seed from Poland Hubert Hurkacz for a place in the Paris Masters final, a title he has won five times.

Djokovic is currently tied with Spain’s Rafael Nadal on 36 Masters 1000 trophies.

Hurkacz booked a place in the Paris Masters last-4 beating first-time ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist James Duckworth 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5 in two hours and 13 minutes.

“I was absent from the Tour for two months, coming into this tournament, and the last competitive match I played was in the US Open final, compared to the other guys playing one or two events prior to Paris,” said Djokovic after the win on Friday evening.

“I knew that I needed to start well, with good intensity and put in a lot of hours on the practice court. But it’s different when you play points in a competitive match,” he told atptour.com.

“I am pleased with the way I played against (Hungary’s Marton) Fucsovics (in the second round) and today I did have ups and downs. I am not really pleased with the way I closed out the sets. I lost my serve to love (at 1-1), then (at) 5-3, again, I served for it with new balls and lost to love again. Those kinds of things shouldn’t happen, I know that. I backed myself up with good returns and read Taylor’s serve very well to get into rallies. I closed out the last couple of service games well and that’s a positive.”

Djokovic’s athleticism helped him land a blow at 3-4 in the first set, and while Fritz’s shot-making helped him break back immediately, greater depth of stroke from the Serbian clinched the 38-minute opener.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev’s quest for his third ATP Masters 1000 title of the season got a further boost as he moved past Casper Ruud of Norway 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.

The world No. 4, who has triumphed at this level in Madrid and Cincinnati this season, was strong on serve against the Norwegian, winning 86 per cent (37/43) of points behind his first serve to advance after one hour and 36 minutes.

“I thought he served extremely well which made it very difficult to break,” Zverev said. “I’m happy with the win and to be in the semi-finals.”

Zverev is currently playing some of the best tennis of his career, having won 28 of his past 30 matches, with this run starting at the Tokyo Olympics, where he won the Olympic singles gold medal. The 24-year-old also lifted the trophy in Vienna last week.

The fourth seed has fond memories in Paris, enjoying a run to the final in the French capital last year. But he will be hoping to go one step further this week and will next meet Daniil Medvedev after the Russian edged French qualifier Hugo Gaston 7-6(7), 6-4.

Ruud, like Zverev, has earned five tour-level titles in 2021.

In a strong performance, Zverev played aggressively and raised his level in the crucial moments, saving all three break points he faced to advance. The German now leads Ruud 2-0 in their ATP head-to-head series.

Meta planning physical stores to showcase its products: Report

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Meta planning physical stores to showcase its products: Report

Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, The New York Times reported.

According to the report, the stores would be used to introduce people to devices made by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and, eventually, augmented reality glasses.

These devices are gateways to the metaverse, a futuristic digital world where people move from virtual to augmented versions of reality almost seamlessly, the report said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week renamed his company Meta and laid out a vision for pursuing the metaverse as the next social platform.

The stores would help show people that virtual reality and augmented reality can be fun and exciting, exactly the way Zuckerberg sees it, the report said.

The stores aim to make the world “more open and connected,” according to the company documents viewed by The Times.

They are also intended to spark emotions like “curiosity, closeness”, as well as a sense of feeling “welcomed” while experimenting with headsets in a “judgment free journey”, according to the documents.

A Meta spokeswoman said the company couldn’t confirm plans for stores but said its latest virtual reality headset was “in high demand” and that its hardware was available at partner retailers.

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