Complaints soar over useless face masks, handmade sanitisers and school meal scams

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More than 500,000 unusable face masks, and a garage selling fake Covid-19 testing kits, are among the hundreds of frauds investigated by trading standards officers since the start of the lockdown.

According to the Local Government Association, fraudsters have gone into overdrive during the past six weeks to exploit the public’s fears and the fact that they are stuck at home.

Systemic flaws within Glynn county’s district attorney offices led to a lack of action against the men involved in this ‘modern lynching’

In the days and weeks after Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed, multiple Glynn county law enforcement officials failed to thoroughly investigate his death and, in one case, refused to allow police officers to make arrests, the Guardian has learned.

Related: Ahmaud Arbery is dead because Americans think black men are criminals | Benjamin Dixon

People all over the world are now being advised to wear face masks to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

Luckily, Disney is here to bring a spark to this new corona fashion wear, especially for kids who are more frightened these days. 

In a statement on its home page, the company expressed its commitment to serving the communities during these challenging times by creating a new line of family-friendly reusable cloth face masks featuring its timeless stories and beloved characters.  

Disney announced it will donate one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the U.S. and pledged to donate all the profits to the non-profit organization, Medshare, which specializes in redistributing medical supplies to hospitals in need. 

From Baby Yoda to Winnie The Pooh and Mickie Mouse, the masks are aimed at kids and kids at heart who can finally have a chance to let out their inner character. 

You can purchase a four-pack of face masks for $19.99 in small, medium, and large sizes. 

Check out some of the cool designs. 

Ikegami also serializes mini-series spinoff of BEGIN manga

Trailer previews sci-fi action game from Tales of Vesperia team

HBO Max streams Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Re:ZERO, In/Spectre, more on May 27

Anime begins streaming on Thursday

Reader participation determines protagonist's direction in story

New manga in Blue Giant franchise sees Dai going to America

The post Forever unclean. appeared first on Indexed.

The headline says it all! Let’s dive right in. Costume Contest We had such fun with our Fanart Contest that we want to honor another section of the Dresden fandom’s creatives: cosplayers and cosplay photographers! Read all the rules, then submit your Cosplay Contest entries to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th. Coloring Pages Running low on [...]

A pulmonary blood clot killed the brother of an Idaho woman who’s facing charges in the disappearance of her children — a case that attracted worldwide attention with revelations of her doomsday beliefs and connection to three mysterious deaths. Autopsy and toxicology reports were released Friday for Alex Cox, who died in Arizona in December. In July, Cox fatally shot his sister’s estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in what he said was self-defense.

Demand for milk has dropped with the closure of cafes and restaurants during the coronavirus crisis.

People will be allowed to exercise outside more than once a day, First Minister Mark Drakeford says.

Jen was present for, and actively participated in, the very beginnings of the creative and blogging web, and her famous book, now in its umpteenth edition, is still the best introduction to web design I know—probably the best that will ever be written.

The post My Brunch with Jen appeared first on Zeldman on Web & Interaction Design.

Against the board...
Information being hidden
I am a resident of Seawoods Estates Phase 1 complex. I want to express my gratitude for highlighting the difficulties faced by residents in accessing the accounts of the society and ensuring transparency. We have been struggling for over three months now to get some answers from the board members of Seawoods Estates Limited on how so much money in the sinking fund was depleted, and for details of contracts with various vendors. But every single enquiry was blocked using some excuse or the other, such as Company Law provisions for secrecy. I myself have received a written reply from SEL in this regard.

The mistake CIDCO made in incorporating a housing complex as a Limited Company is now haunting the residents. Unlike a CHS, the management is able to treat residents as minority shareholders with no rights in the running of the company or access to any information about accounts.

Your earlier reports have helped us save the water body behind Delhi Public School from encroachment and also prevent cruelty against stray dogs in our complex. We need continued support from socially conscious journalists and law enforcement and regulatory authorities to save us from our plight.
Vinod Sankar

False case by BOD
I am willing to answer any queries on the false case filed on me by directors using CEM as complainant for not toeing their line. This is the modus operandi: target one individual and hold him up as an example so than the rest can shut up or else. Similarly, last year individual families in this housing complex were thoroughly harassed over a disagreement with the same directors. Some of them will testify. I also have written proof, a sheaf of papers.
Mrs Kavita Shah

Board is outright corrupt
Compliments to you for the fair coverage of the activities by the board of directors at SEL. The board is outright corrupt and is being controlled by handlers like RK Puglia, Alok Agrawal and a few others who have made SEL a milch cow while treating the fellow residents as either goondas or stupid. They have made SEL a project company, neglecting the day-to-day maintenance and upkeep of the complex. Thank you for your help, it will go a long way in ridding the SEL of the corrupt BOD.
Shashank Jan

Why hide information?
Many thanks for your article on mid-day, which brings awareness among residents of NRI Complex Phase I. The article will be an eye-opener for the board and may compel them to think about their actions and about the need for transparency. The residents are asking one simple thing: sharing of information on expenditure. As all members are shareholders, they should get it as this is our money, too. The directors should not take the escape route just because SEL is a company and they are not obliged to share the desired information.
GD Behera

Autocratic board!
All that has been stated in the paper is true and I fully endorse all statements informed by Mr Butala. There is much correspondence which remains un-replied to, totally autocratic behaviour by the board of directors and chairman, non-transparent approach and high-handedness in every action. When 99% of the complex is run as a CHS, why is this run as a company? Also, there is no headway from the BOD on this as they find it convenient to hide facts under the company banner and the company has tried every stunt to hide information from residents. The plethora of events speaks about the adverse working process of company against its own residents.

The management was trying to force upon residents BIOGAS and DG SETS projects that were not required owing to various health and environmental reasons. The residents' consensus was not taken. The management has managed to crush people's voices since the voting process was under a cloud and manipulated. Even though the proxy against the resolutions handed over to the BOD were more than what they had by sizable numbers, they managed to reject the proxies collected by us without stating reasons and showing up what went wrong. There is a complete goof-up since the BOD was desperate to pass the accounts for FY17-18 in the EGM as there was personal liability on the directors.

During the AGM all the major resolutions were dissented by the residents so how come the same accounts were passed at the EGM, which is huge proof of their manipulation. We want the whole process audited and checked by a third party, but the company wants a non-transparent approach. The present directors, previous directors and a few handlers have teamed up and formed shell companies that appear to be siphoning funds. There are personal interests involved and hence even after all the major resolutions were dissented by residents, the directors have not resigned. This is not a profit-making company and if the services and work is not liked by residents, which you think are honorary, it is best to resign or else prove your position. Both remain not done by the board of directors and they continue their oppressive behaviour.
Capt. Bipin Gupta

In defence of the board...
Fight of power
The woman who is at the forefront in this case against the management didn't bother to arrest the heavy leakage from her flat to the flat below for the last two years, which led to heavy damage to the structure of building no. 25 in the complex. It's a fight of convenience and power in the complex. If so many issues of swindling of money and corruption exist, why is there not even a single complaint to any of the agencies?
N K Sharma

What's the big deal?
I am a resident of Seawoods Estates for the last 10 years. This is the first time I am hearing of an 'NRI Residents Welfare Association'. I have checked with my friends and have drawn a blank. There has been no notification by our management regarding same, and to my knowledge all formation of committees and associations is always communicated through official channels using mail and notice boards. I checked with the NRI phase 2 residents, too.

They, too, have not heard of any such association. Regarding the Rs 23.5-crore repairs agenda for the AGM, it was kept in abeyance and the management had issued a circular that the matter will be taken up after a residents' committee decided on the matter. That the committee is still working is proof that the residents are aware of the problem regarding the repairs needed in the buildings and are working hard to formalise the method of repairs. The copies of building-wise audit reports were given to residents and they have come back with verification and additional photographs of areas where more repairs are needed.

'Review of Accounts of Last 8 years' was on the agenda at our EGM on Nov 9, 2018. It was not accepted by the residents through voting. Your article also mentions that SEL has an income of R 9 to 10 crore every year. This is not an income but the contribution of members given as M&R charges for the complex. We have 1,500 plus flats, hence this huge figure, so what's the big deal?
Ritu Mittal

Contradictions in report
I was shocked to see the cover page report with completely baseless headlines and misinformation attempted to impact the value of over 1,500 accommodations in our prestigious premium complex NRI Complex Phase 1 also known as Seawoods Estates.

I would request you to check the self contradictions in the article. As you mention, the police confirmed no untoward incident at the AGM. So, what's this story on bouncers? That the AGM went off smoothly because of police presence is an obvious answer to the intent of the sponsors of your article. Is there any harm in legally getting police presence to improve attendance, generate confidence in fearless participation, while you will see from police records the background and antecedents of the people involved in the disruption plan?

You mention the statement supposedly by Hafeez Contractor on the state of the building, the mega size of the enviable complex, in your report, but highlight estimated cost of repair out of proportion! There have been past incidents. AGMs have rejected budgets and/or accounts due to some misinformation or misrepresentation of a few.

Boards earlier, too, have come back with clarification or changes to get the same approved and/or adopted the next time around, post information sharing. Whilst the perpetrators of negativity and defiance have once again succeeded in a backdoor entry by pressure, whether political, media misuse, muscle or lung power to come to power without democratic elections.
Raj Pugalia

Not the true picture
I was shocked to see the false news in your newspaper. The points as given below will help understand the true picture. NRI Complex is one of the best-managed complexes at undoubtedly the lowest per square feet M&R charges - just Rs 2.5 per square foot against Rs 5-10 per square foot being charged by other complexes. For residents here, this is most clean, hygienic and secure place to live in, with the best standard of living.

Despite low M&R charges, the facilities as compared to other complexes are much better and there has been unprecedented development in the last two years to further improve the standard of living of residents and to meet regulatory compliances as per details below. These works had been pending in the complex for the last 5 to 7 years.

1. Club was almost non-functional two years back, but is now brimming with activity with pool renovation, new gym, yoga/meeting Room, community hall, restaurant, renovated squash and tennis courts, etc.
2. Fire Fighting System: We never had a fire system for emergencies as the original system was dysfunctional for 10+ years. The complete system was commissioned in the last 2 years and now we have the NMMC Fire Office certificate.
3. Lift Upgrades: Lifts at the complex were 20 years old and needed emergency upgrades. This was done last year and the proof is power savings of 22% in FY 18
4. Improvement in housekeeping, security and gardening The majority view is that this is the best complex.
Harish Motwani

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Acupuncture may not boost chances of IVF success

Undergoing acupuncture treatment during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) might not increase a woman's chances of conceiving, finds a study. The study, however, showed that acupuncture is no better than placebo for improving IVF success.

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body, has become a widely used treatment prior to and during IVF.

It showed no significant benefit from IVF when compared with a short course of acupuncture using dummy needles placed away from "true" acupuncture points.

"Our findings do not support acupuncture as an efficacious treatment compared to sham," lead investigator Caroline Smith, Professor at the Western Sydney University in Australia.

For the study, published in the journal JAMA, the team included over 800 Australian and New Zealand women to examine the effects of acupuncture administered prior to and following an embryo transfer (ET).

The participants were given either acupuncture or a sham acupuncture control (a non-insertive needle placed away from the true acupuncture points).

The results showed the rate of live birth was 18.3 per cent among participants who received acupuncture versus 17.8 per cent who received the sham acupuncture control, a non-significant difference.

While a short course of acupuncture may statistically be no better than sham at improving live birth and pregnancy outcomes, a psycho-social benefit from acupuncture was reported by women undergoing IVF, the researchers said.

"Some studies suggest reproductive outcomes maybe improved when acupuncture is compared with no treatment," Smith said.

"Feeling relaxed and reporting relief from stress and women feeling good about themselves is to be welcomed for women as they undergo an IVF cycle," explained co-author Michael Chapman, Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

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A nagging defect in his superbike allegedly led to the death of biker Zoheb Merchant, 28, on Sunday morning. The Virar resident was on his way home after a joyride with his biker gang, when the front brake of his MV Agusta F3 800 jammed at Manor, throwing him off in another direction. This was the third time his superbike had malfunctioned since he bought it.

Merchant is survived by his parents, three brothers, wife and a six-year-old son. He was the eldest in the family and had a business selling firecrackers. The incident occurred on Sunday morning when Merchant and his group of 15-18 bikers had gone on their usual Sunday ride from Virar to Dahanu. When they were on their way back, the front brake of Merchant's bike allegedly jammed, leading him to lose control of the bike and ram into a divider.

Front brake of Merchant's bike allegedly jammed, leading him to lose control of bike and ram into divider.

One of his friends said, "We have a bikers' group and every Sunday morning, we ride the bike while following proper safety and traffic norms. Whatever happened came as a huge shock to us. Suddenly, some defect occurred in his bike, jamming the brake of the front tyre disc, which then led to him losing control of the bike and falling on the road." Third time Since they were riding at full speed, the impact of the malfunction became such that he was thrown off the bike in another direction. His vehicle, meanwhile, fell near the direction of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway.

Merchant's bike is manufactured by the Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta, and retails for around R 20 lakh. According to his friends, since he bought it, he'd faced the same defect twice, which is an electric malfunction that jams the front tyre disc. He'd got it fixed and extended the vehicle's warranty till March 2019. He'd also written a Facebook post about the earlier issues he faced. However, the same defect occurred a third time, leading to his death.

Cause of death not known Another friend said, " We managed to bring an ambulance to the spot and took him to a government hospital on the highway, where he was declared dead on arrival. Looking at his body, doctors were shocked at not finding any external injuries." He had minor injuries on his head due to the impact of the fall. The cause of death has not been revealed as the post-mortem report is yet to be released. His friends suspect he died of internal bleeding.

This is the third time the MV Agusta 800 had allegedly malfunctioned.

While the case had initially been registered at the Virar police station, the matter has been transferred to the Manor police station as the incident occurred in their jurisdiction.

An officer from Virar police station said, "We have registered a case under section 304( a) ( death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against unidentified accused." Motoroyale, the dealer from whom Merchant bought the bike, couldn't be reached for comment.

18 No. of bikers in Zoheb's group

3 No. of times his bike glitched

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The Endgame is near, and we are talking quite literally here about the latest instalment in the Avengers series of superhero movies, which releases on April 26. After this week's brouhaha over Game of Thrones Season 8, it's the next big visual experience that has sent fans in a tizzy. And a pub in Khar is now hosting a pre-launch party of sorts for them, with various activities and F&B offers themed around the film.

"We have collaborated with digital community Things2doinMumbai, and brought ticket sponsors on board for the event. In terms of the activities, there are Avenger- related games and trivia, winners for which will get free tickets and discounted ones when the movie releases. We also have an array of themed cocktails in store," says Pragnesh Rai, owner of SamBar, which will host the evening, adding that there are a number of discounts on the existing menu, too, with drinks starting at Rs 39.

The cocktails include a beer-based one called black wid'wow; iron anna, which has whisky; tha end, which is vodka-based; and a super-potent Long Island iced tea that's aptly named hammered by Thor.

As for the games, these include Ant Man, where a player will be given three soda bottles and raisins. The aim is to drop these raisins from eye level into all three bottles, without bending down. Then there's Black Widow. For this, one person will hold a hula-hoop and another will have a fake spider placed on his head. The latter has to go through the hoop in the shortest possible time, without dropping the spider. All in all, it sounds like an event perfectly suited for fans of the Avengers. And even if you aren't one, you can still gain from the cheap booze, meaning it's a win-win.

ON April 18, 6.30 pm
AT SamBar Pub & Kitchen, Vora Building, 3rd Road, Khar West
Log on to insider.in
FREE

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UN Women India launched a video campaign called #MujheHaqHai on Wednesday which emphasises the power and potential of women in today's world.

The video features a host of independent and courageous women, who have excelled in their respective spheres and mapped India globally. The video sends out a strong message for female empowerment to women all over India with the belief that they have an equal participation in all walks of life.

Apurva Purohit, the President of Jagran Group, is one of the prominent personalities featured in the video alongside the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mithali Raj and Sania Mirza, to name a few.

Apurva Purohit, President, Jagran Group

Apurva Purohit said, "It’s an absolute honour to be a part of this initiative by UN Women India. Any and every small step towards the empowerment of women and giving them their rightful place under the sun is the need of the hour today. We need more examples of women who are breaking barriers every day so that the girls tomorrow can rise and shine. While there is enough discourse on everything that is not right, this initiative is a beacon of hope, one that celebrates the struggles, dreams and aspirations of women who have emerged as winners. #MujheHaqHai is an ode to the undying spirit and grit of the woman of today."

At the launch event, mid-day online caught up with Nishtha Satyam (Deputy Representative UN Women India MCO), who stated that, "Through this event, we are trying to create a movement that is based on Human Rights, a movement that recognises women rights as Human Rights, where women exercise their voice and make choices without any fear or judgement, and shape their careers and lives. We are trying to create a movement based on women understanding their own rights as individuals."

Talking about the outcome, she added, "Women should realise their own potential and rights and be able to pursue their dreams without any inhibitions or fear of repercussions. That would be the grandest outcome from a movement like this."

Aamir Khan had a customary cake-cutting ceremony with the media at his Bandra home, holding a press conference. On his birthday, the actor, who turned 54 today, made an announcement of his next film titled Laal Singh Chadda. Aamir's next release is a remake of Hollywood film Forest Gump (1994). The film starred Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and was based on a novel of the same name.

Following this, Aamir Khan will take off for North Ireland to attend the ongoing Belfast Film Festival. He will be in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir on 16th to discuss his body of work.

Check out the pictures of Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebrations here. (All pictures/Shadab Khan, Yogen Shah)

Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebration

Aamir Khan was accompanied by his wife Kiran Rao.

Aamir Khan cuts his birthday cake

Fans across the nation have been pouring in wishes for Aamir by posting the actor's pictures, which also saw a strong social trend with the #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan.

Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao at his 54th birthday celebrations with media persons

Kiran Rao clicked while feeding the birthday cake to Aamir Khan

Known as Mr Perfectionist of the industry, Aamir Khan for Bollywood has over the years created an image that many look up to. From making films that address the pertinent issues of the society, to speaking his mind on raging issues even off camera, Aamir Khan has always been the one with a calculative brain and has used his position to impart a change in the society.

On the professional front, Aamir Khan likes to explore with the character he plays and the actor likes to surprise his fans with new characters. To experiment with roles, Aamir grows his hair and beard before every film. This also gives him the flexibility to play with multiple looks in one film. We wonder, what Aamir Khan's look would be in Laal Singh Chadda!

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Aamir Khan!

Also Read: Aamir Khan is a family man, these picture-perfect frames are proof!

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Coolpad 'Note 6'. Pic courtesy/Twitter

Chinese handset maker Coolpad launched 'Note 6', an offline exclusive product in India on Tuesday. Two of the most notable features of Note 6 are 5.5-inch HD display and 8MP+5MP dual front cameras. The company in a statement said that smartphone will be available from Tuesday in 32GB and 64GB internal storage variants with 4GB RAM for Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.

Note 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, backed by 4,070 mAh battery and runs on Android 7.1 Nougat Operating System (OS). "Coolpad 'Note 6' will offer a great value for money smartphone for Indian customers," said Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India.

"We are also planning to introduce more aggressive offline devices in the next few months to expand in the offline market through our retails partners and multi-brand outlets," Tajuddin added.

Coolpad "Note 6" will be available at over 300 multi-brand stores across eight states including Delhi-NCR, Telangana and Maharashtra.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Xiaomi India on Wednesday announced the launch of "Mi Music" and "Mi Video" to offer value-added Internet services in India.

"With the launch of these two apps 'Mi Music' and 'Mi Video', we hope to serve millions of Xiaomi smartphone users with a better user experience through enhanced Internet services," Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, said in a statement.

"Mi Music" is a pre-installed music app which offers an integrated music streaming service along with the ability to store offline music and has nearly seven million daily active users in India, the statement said.

"Mi Video" is a pre-installed video app that provides integrated video streaming across platforms.

"Mi Video" content is currently powered by Hungama Play, SonyLiv and Voot. It offers more than 500,000 hours of content with nearly 80 per cent free content, the statement added.

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iVOOMi on Thursday launched its first health band, 'FitMe', in India at Rs 1,999. The fitness band sports a 90mAh battery, scratch-proof display heart rate monitor, sleep monitor, running mode, vibration reminder, pedometer, GPS and other features, the Chinese electronics company said in a statement

"The 'FitMe' health band is sleek, smart, dust-proof and water resistant and features a display of 128x32 pixels resolution that makes it crystal clear from all viewing angles," said iVOOMi India CEO Ashwin Bhandari.

With "IP67," the watch remains water-resistant for 30 minutes, has auto-sync for "Smart Me OS 2.0" and is capable of OTA (Over the Air Software) updates.

"FitMe" is chargeable without a USB cable; the display can be directly connected to any USB port to charge the device. The health band on available on Flipkart and 

Available on Flipkart, the health band comes with a six-month warranty.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Telecommunications service provider Ericsson on Thursday introduced a new category of radio products called Street Macro in India to enable a smooth evolution from 4G to 5G.

Street Macro is a new site type that addresses the need for operators to grow in cities with limited available radio locations.

The company also launched new radio products that support "Massive MIMO" technology to simplify use for wider 5G adoption.

"Operators today are looking at ways and means to increase network capacity, especially in urban areas. Ericsson's Street Macro adds a new layer in the network layer to boost capacity enabling service providers to cater to the growing demands of data users," Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, told reporters here.

According to Ericsson's new economic study of enhanced mobile broadband, evolution to 5G will enable 10 times lower cost per gigabyte than current 4G networks.

To help operators capture growth opportunities presented by new 5G use cases, Ericsson has expanded its 5G Core System offering with new capabilities to support 5G New Radio (NR) standard and also enhanced its Distributed Cloud solution.

The announcement came on the sidelines of Ericsson's annual technology roadshow in India, where the company recreated a "Do Zone" to showcase the highlights from Mobile World Congress 2018.

To date Ericsson has signed 39 memorandums of understanding with service providers for trials, the company said.

Aiming to disrupt India's mid-segment smartphone market, Samsung is set to launch four new smartphones -- two each in Galaxy "A" and Galaxy "J" series -- this month.

The upcoming Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ smartphones could be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 while the devices in Galaxy "J" series could cost customers Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, industry sources told IANS on Friday.

Two of the four smartphones in the upcoming line-up would come with dual camera set-up, the sources added.

All of them will be made at the company's Noida facility. The smartphones will feature Samsung's super AMOLED "Infinity Display" -- bezel-less screen that creates an immersive viewing experience.

Notably, Samsung's flagship smartphones such as Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 series feature the "Infinity Display". Now, with the upcoming devices, the display feature would be introduced at lower price points in the Indian market.

The South Korean giant first introduced the "Infinity Display" in Galaxy S8 series in 2017.

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Uncharted has dropped its latest installment and it is significant simply because there is no Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the previous Uncharted games. Instead, this time, you get to play with Chloe Frazer backed with Nadine Ross, who are in India searching for the Tusk of Ganesh. We don't know if Naughty Dog planned this, but a game featuring a Ganesh related artifact releasing just around the time of Ganpati Utsav is pretty good timing.

The game unfolds in the mountains of India during a civil war, with everything you would expect, in an Uncharted game — lots of fast paced gun play, spectacular ancient ruins, overgrown jungles and easy to solve puzzles. It is a formula that has worked well for the series in the past and why would you mess with something that works.

You may find both Chloe and Nadine familiar if you have played Uncharted before, they have appeared in the previous games. Chloe as a sidekick in two games and Nadine as the antagonist of the last Uncharted. To get the artifact that leads to the Tusk of Ganesh, Chloe infiltrates the war-torn city dressed in a kurta, she looks very Indian in the outfit. This is very different from any other Uncharted game because it deals with claustrophobic, garbage-filled city streets instead majestic jungles the game is used to. It's a nice change but a short one, once you manage to find the relic it is straight off to the jungle for you.

The Lost Legacy is a lot like Uncharted 4, it plays almost similar, some of the guards look familiar and even some of the ruins. The game is comfortable with what it is and there aren't any new surprises that push the gameplay forward. What it excels at is the ride and that is an action-packed ride that would put Indiana Jones to shame. What you can do is enhance the experience with their new photo mode, it makes everything a little more fun. The photo mode lets you change the expression of Chloe's face temporarily. This, of course, can be used to take hilarious screengrabs.

The game looks amazing on the PS4 Pro, the jungles and the ruins are grand to say the least, enough to make you want to go a nearby forest in search of ancient picturesque monuments. It's a nice use of local mythology to create a brilliant fantasy world.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is great for newbies. Since it doesn't require you to have previous knowledge of the characters or any hard to play sections, it is pretty much a no-brainer for any gamer.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 2,499

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the State Legislative Council. According to sources, Thackeray asked for PM Modi's help, saying if it doesn't happen, he will have to resign. The PM said that he would look into the matter and get more details. The Maharashtra Cabinet on April 28 once again asked Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Thackeray to the State Legislative Council.

Earlier on April 9, the state Cabinet had recommended Thackeray's name for one of the two vacant MLC seats that were to be nominated by Koshyari to the Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis. Thackeray was sworn-in as the Maharashtra Chief Minister on November 28, last year. He is currently not a member of either of the House -- Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council.

According to the Constitution, Thackeray has to be elected to either Assembly or Council within six months in order to continue in his post.

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At a time when Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari is being blamed for delaying granting a legislative council membership to Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, the former has recommended the Election Commission of India (ECI) to schedule elections to the nine vacant seats of the Council as early as possible.

The request made on Thursday is quite significant because Thackeray must get elected to either house before May 27 if he were to continue in office and give Maharashtra a stable government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents have also asked the governor and ECI to hold elections if nomination under the governor's quota wasn't possible. The nine seats fell vacant on April 24 but the commission postponed the elections because of the pandemic.

In his letter, the governor has said that the lockdown has been relaxed in many ways and hence the elections to the council seats could be held under certain guidelines.

Welcoming the move, Opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis said, "This would be constitutional because the members would be elected in due process and it would also adhere to a norm that the governor's nominee should be made a CM or minister."

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Four more cases of Coronavirus were reported from the APMC market — three in the vegetable and one in the grain market — on Thursday, increasing the uncertainty about the operation of the wholesale grain and vegetable market.

The infected include three traders and one purchaser. APMC already has 24 traders and 16 staff, including security guards, NMMC doctors and a pharmacist, in home-quarantine after they came in contact with an infected person. Besides, 14 others from the market are infected. The spike also raises concerns about the steps taken by the APMC committee to combat the spread of the virus at the cost of nearly a crore.

Shivaji Daund, commissioner of the Konkan division, said, "We are awaiting the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) report on the latest positive cases. Accordingly, we will decide on whether to continue the operations."

A crore spent on precautions

Shashikant Shinde, APMC elected committee member and Mathadi workers union leader said, "Last week, six positive cases were reported at a hotel within APMC premises. It was decided that the market would shut down but due to government pressure, the decision was changed and only the hotel was sealed. Vegetable trucks are directly entering Mumbai. Very few trucks with vegetables, grains, fruits, spices, visit APMC."

Shinde added that according to the government APMC is an essential service and hence cannot be shut down. "I had recently suggested that we keep the market open for just three days of the week. The suggestion was turned down."

Highly placed APMC officials said the committee has spent nearly R1 crore to set up disinfectant spraying machines, a war room, and to get the market cleaned twice a week. Another nearly R50 lakh was spent to make alternative arrangements for 402 stalls for vegetable and fruit vendors in Kharghar, but that won't be utilised as traders feel the market in Vashi is already set.

Market insiders said, "We are using disinfectants and have thermal scanners at the main entrance but nothing can detect asymptomatic false-positive carriers of COVID-19. People coming in contact with such carriers are testing positive. The number will only increase in the coming days."

Another elected member of the APMC committee said, "Another problem is traders placing orders for multiple trucks full of produce.

"We allow only three hundred trucks to enter APMC per day and 300 are parked at the terminal waiting for entry. This shows that some traders are keen on making money during a pandemic."

Security officer infected

Last week, a 50-year-old security officer attached to the Maharashtra Security Board and deployed at APMC, tested positive. Five security guards, three officers, and two clerks attached to the fruit market had come in contact with him and were sent to home-quarantine.

"We were tested two days ago. The report will come in another two days. We are asymptomatic and are in home quarantine. The security officer used to attend meetings and take rounds of the fruit market," said Ishwar Masram, deputy secretary of the fruit market, who is also in home quarantine.

Sources within the market said, "Though it is not clear how the security officer got infected, the buzz in the market is that he attended a meeting organised by a state minister who is recuperating after getting infected. Our concern is that it is practically difficult to trace whom the concerned person came in contact with unless the person has downloaded the government's Ayush application that maps positive patients and their contacts."

"APMC has a staff of 550 people. The concern is that if one tests positive, 10 to 15 people contacts will have to be traced and tested. This means the number of working men will reduce as everyone will have to be quarantined," said Shirish Badgujar, assistant secretary APMC.

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Ahead of the crucial Legislative Council election in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan here on the occasion of Maharashtra Day and met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Their meeting lasted for around 20 minutes. The move comes at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to hold a meeting over elections to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am today. Every year, Governor and Chief Minister meet on Maharashtra Day in a traditional parade at Shivaji Park but this year the celebrations are curtailed due to COVID-19. So, the Chief Minister went to Raj Bhavan to call on the Governor, a CMO official said.

Earlier, Governor Koshyari had requested the ECI for the election to nine seats of the Legislative Council in the state. The Governor has made the request in a letter to the Election Commission, to fill the 9 seats in the legislative council, that has been lying vacant from April 24, "with a view to ending the current uncertainty in the state." He has stated that the Central government has announced many relaxation measures regarding the enforcement of lockdown in the country. As such the elections to the council seats can be held with certain guidelines, said Koshyari.

"Since Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the State Legislature, he needs to get elected to the Council before May 27," he added. Earlier, Election Commission had withheld the election process for these 9 seats in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country. This came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the State Legislative Council. According to sources, Thackeray sought Prime Minister Modi's help, saying if it doesn't happen, he will have to resign.

Prior to that, the Maharashtra Cabinet had on April 28 once again had asked Governor Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Thackeray to the State Legislative Council.

Before that on April 9, the state cabinet had recommended Thackeray's name for one of the two vacant MLC seats that were to be nominated by Koshyari to the Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis.

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Forced to agree to discounts due to the aggressive policies of delivery platforms, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and its member had started the #Logout campaign last August in protest. While the campaign turned out to be successful to an extent with aggregator platforms forced to change their predatory pricing policies, the NRAI decided to put a definitive plan into action to find a way out. The association has now announced plans to launch an alternative discovery and delivery platform, which will come into force by August-September.

"We realised that this is the new way of doing business [online aggregators] and we cannot ignore it, so let's make it better for us. With this platform, the customer data will be ours, discounts will be decided by the restaurants, and services will be unbundled. Every individual restaurant that gets the order will own the data; NRAI is not the owner of the data. Existing aggregators had become digital landlords. We are not saying that the app will replace the current players overnight, it's just another choice which will be available," says Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI; CEO and executive director of deGustibus Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

The project had been in the works months before COVID-19 hit the industry and all members were of the opinion that a marketplace cannot decide what the buyer and seller should do about the price. The high rate of commission is another concern. Restaurants are also forced to compulsorily buy the full bouquet of services by the platform, for example restaurants cannot use their own delivery fleet despite having one. One of the biggest issues for restaurateurs is that the customer and transaction data is the sole property of the aggregator, something that platforms started utilising to launch and promote their own properties.

Gauri Devidayal, restaurateur

Members of the F&B industry feel positive about the move. "These aggregators have used every situation to their advantage. Even now these guys are trying to raise the commission at a very high percentage. We are more than happy that the organisation is launching this platform which will help us work on a lower commission and reduce our expenses, especially now," said Ryan Tham, owner, The Good Wife, Koko, Foo.

Gauri Devidayal, Co-founder The Table, Magzine Street Kitchen, Iktara, Mei13, Mag St. Bread Co, saod , "The commissions and discounts offered by them were not at all viable for restaurants. This platform will also smoothen the ordering process and remove the need for us to organise a rider when delivering out of our radius."

Meanwhile, NRAI has already collaborated with a tech company to work on this platform, and the money for the platform is also being pumped in by the company; Katriar is tightlipped about the name for now.

Ryan Tham and Avik Chatterjee

Avik Chaterjee, founder, Hoppipola, Episode One, admits that everyone in the industry is in survival mode during lockdown: "Anything that will make us bear lower expenditure will be the best service for us. NRAI is not putting in money in this; this may change in the future. This hasn't been done to spite anyone, it is to protect what's best for our trade and take control of our own business decisions," he says.

Smaller restaurants will benefit the most from this as the platform will allow the owners to accept orders as small as R20 and use their salaried employee for delivery. NRAI is also working on two other tech projects, a loyalty programme, and a platform for transactions which might run parallel to the aggregator platform.

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Most athletes in India are looking at Olympic postponement as more time in hand for training but not race walker Bhawana Jat, who isn't quite sure about the Games going ahead even in 2021 after the mayhem unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic this year. Bhawana, who qualified for the Olympics in 20km race walk after pulling off a shock win at the National Championships in February, feels that the athletes are staring at an uncertain future due to the pandemic, which has caused over 100,000 deaths globally.

"I was disappointed at Olympics being postponed because I was in a very good shape and I was hoping to do well. The Asian Championships (to be held in March in Japan) was an ideal platform to test myself at the international level. That also got postponed due to COVID-19," she told PTI. "It's uncertain now when the competitions will restart, the season for this year is over in this situation. It is a relief that I have already qualified for the Olympics.

"I don't know what will happen next year. I will have to start from scratch. I don't know whether the Olympics will even be held next year," she added. The 24-year-old is currently based at the Sports Authority of India Centre in Bengaluru where there is no outdoor training due to the lockdown. She is the only woman race walker at the centre which also has eight other male athletes of the same event. "We do weight training, core strength training or skipping or work with the medicine ball. I walk inside the hall for 15 or 20 minutes," she said.

"Our coach (Alexander Artsybashev) has told us not to rest too much and be active all the time unless we are sleeping at night. So, I play carrom for one hour and then dance to Hindi songs with other athletes from other sports. That is how we keep moving," she added. Hockey players are also currently staying at the SAI Centre Bengaluru. Bhawana had clocked a national record 1:29.54, well inside the Olympic qualification time of 1:31:00, to win the gold in the National Championships held in Ranchi in February.

"Since the time I took up this sport, I have been dreaming of an Olympic medal. That is my ultimate aim. But as of now I am not thinking about Olympics, I am thinking about when this pandemic will end," she said. She said the athletes follow strict social distancing rules at the SAI Centre. "Nobody can go outside and nobody is coming in the centre from outside. While standing in queue for food at the mess, we have to be two metre apart. To get own stuff like shampoo or toothpaste, we have to tell the hostel people who bring them for us.

"Earlier, at least four trainees coud sit at the mess table but now only two can sit there." Bhawana comes from a poor farmer's family at Kabra village in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, which is adjacent to Bhilwara, considered a model district in the country's fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Asked if she feels anxious about her parents' well being in Rajasthan, she said, "I will not exactly say that but of course I am concerned about them but I can't do anything. I cannot go there unless the lockdown is lifted.

"I talk to them on phone everyday. Our village is not affected but they will have to go out for farming. My parents will not tell me anything about small matters in the family. They will think that it will affect me."

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Actress Nimrat Kaur worked with Irrfan Khan in the much-feted film "The Lunchbox" that went on winning several award and accolades internationally. The news of his sudden demise came as shock to her.

"It is a personal loss for everyone at this point in time. For everyone who watched his movies or worked with him and met him personally, this is absolutely shocking. I think the face of Indian cinema will not be the same without Irrfan Khan. He was a one-man army. Every film and film stars are on one side and his films are on the other. My heart goes out to his family at this point in time, when we all are suffering under a specific situation. Losing a loved one is always painful but I think this (the COVID-19 lockdown) is worse. I cannot imagine I am talking about Irrfan in the past tense," Nimrat told IANS.

Nimrat worked with Irrfan in "The Lunchbox", the directorial debut of Ritesh Batra, which released in 2013. The film screened in several prestigious international festivals, and notably won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

Sharing her memory of working with Irrfan in the film Nimrat said: "We did not have many scenes together but we got a chance to converse extensively during the premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival. I was quite overwhelmed by the response to the film, the way it was celebrated and what it became overnight! I remember I asked him, ‘how do you handle so much appreciation, adulation when a film meets a great success like this?' he smiled and told me, ‘sock up to good times and don't be shy of celebration. This is the gift that God has given us. The bad time is around the corner.'

"This moment does not come very often in life. So take it as a gift after all the struggle we have gone through.' He always said to embrace the good time because that's when we celebrate life," recalled Nimrat.

Irrfan had been admitted in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection on Tuesday and passed away on Wednesday. The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour a while back and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment.

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Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30 at 8:45 am IST after battling leukaemia for over two years. His last rites were performed at the Chandanwadi Crematorium in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, near the H.N Reliance hospital where he was admitted. Family members and close friends were at the rites throughout.

Almost everyone from the Bollywood industry took to their social media accounts to pay homage and tribute to the actor and his legend and legacy. His niece Karishma Kapoor had something more to say than just paying condolences. Karishma shared a beautiful family portrait on her Instagram handle. The picture includes Neetu Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Babita Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rima Jain, Armaan Jain, Aadar Jain and Kunal Kapoor, among other members of the family.

 

 

 

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Family ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) onMay 1, 2020 at 4:23am PDT

The picture left Rishi's fan emotional who poured their heart out in the comments section by saying that they will miss Rishi.

Karisma is the elder daughter of Randhir Kapoor who is Rishi's elder brother. Earlier in the day, Karisma had shared a black and white throwback photo and wrote, "Always looking over family... chintu uncle will miss discussing food and restaurants with you... #uncle #legend".

 

 

 

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Always looking over family..💔 chintu uncle will miss discussing food and restaurants with you.. #uncle #legend

A post shared by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) onApr 30, 2020 at 1:06am PDT

Kareena Kapoor Khan, too, remembered her Chintu uncle in a sweet way. She shared a clip from husband Saif Ali Khan's film, Hum Tum, in which Rishi Kapoor can be seen singing the classic Hindi song, 'Main Shayar Toh Nahi', from his own movie Bobby, which was his first leading role.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 30, 2020 at 8:34am PDT

 

 

 

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The best boys I know... Papa and Chintu uncle ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 30, 2020 at 2:02am PDT

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There is an offer to all the "risk-taking" casting directors! Ace filmmaker Karan Johar on Tuesday said that he is available to play "father roles." "I know my acting stint was scarier than the current virus but there is no harm in hoping for a second chance!" the 48-year-old director wrote on Instagram.

 

 

 

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I know my acting stint was scarier than the current virus but there is no harm in hoping for a second chance! So to all enterprising casting directors ,to all risk taking filmmakers , to critics with a high threshold of pain and to easy to please audiences I have an announcement to make!!!! I AM AVAILABLE FOR FATHER ROLES! ( at 48 with a poor track record I promise i can’t afford to be choosy)

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) onMay 5, 2020 at 8:02am PDT

Sharing a selfie with his signature pout and with some visible grey hair, the director further wrote, "So to all enterprising casting directors, to all risk-taking filmmakers, to critics with a high threshold of pain and to easy to please audiences I have an announcement to make!!!!"

"I AM AVAILABLE FOR FATHER ROLES!," he added.

Wrapping up the post on a funny note, the 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' director also said that: "at 48 with a poor track record I promise I can't afford to be choosy."

The hilarious post grabbed several Bollywood celebrities' attention, who took to the comment sections to share their thoughts about the offer.

"Mere pet pe kyon laat mar rahe ho sir ..," wrote actor Anil Kapoor. Meanwhile, actor Kriti Sanon noted: "Father with the perfect pout!"

On the other hand, actor Shilpa Shetty is quite "liking" the director's new look. "Actually liking this look on you @karanjohar," Shilpa wrote in the captions.

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The stay-at-home period has given Ayushmann Khurrana a breather from his acting commitments to pursue other creative hobbies. Over the past few weeks, he has often shared poems about life during the lockdown, the valour of the frontline workers and other subjects he holds close to his heart. The actor has lined up a special surprise for moms on Mother's Day tomorrow — he will be launching the single, Maa, that he created with friend and frequent collaborator Rochak Kohli.

Though the duo had developed the song years ago, they rendered it only recently amidst the lockdown. "The spirit of motherhood has always amazed me, and I am glad to celebrate this ever-nurturing force through the song. Rochak and I will be singing this track together. It is an honour to dedicate it to mothers who selflessly shape our lives," says Khurrana. The number has been penned by Gurpreet Saini.

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Several Bollywood personalities have spoken about facing the casting couch or having met people who asked for sexual favours in order to get a good project. The latest celebrity to speak about this issue was Ayushmann Khurrana, who was asked by a casting director to show him his 'tool' to get the role in a film. 

Now, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi actress Chitrangda Singh, in an interview with Spotboye has spoken about sexual favours asked for in Bollywood. She shared, "There are people like this everywhere. Right from my modelling days to Bollywood - I have seen them at all times."

Saying that this happens in the corporate world too, Chitrangda added, "Corporate industry is just as bad. Yes, it has happened to me but, I would like to say that the Bollywood industry is not the place where anybody forces you. There is enough space and respect for everyone and their choices."

Chitrangda further added, "You do feel bad when you lose an opportunity but then those are the choices you make. So, you don't sulk about it. It feels bad and I have lost out on projects too but at the same time if you are comfortable with it, then go ahead and do it. I am not here to judge anyone."

In fact, Chitrangda emphasised that its not just sexual favours that are sought, too. "There is not just sexual favour but other sorts of favours too, which people seek. That's the way world functions, so you make your choices and live the way you like. I am not taking away from anyone who has been in the situation, I am not judging. This is just my point of view."

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Lawmakers in the Philippines have endorsed plans for a tax amnesty scheme that will cover estate taxes, general taxes, and delinquent accounts, covering liabilities up to December 31, 2017.

The Filipino Government has said it is planning to launch its proposed estate tax amnesty next month.

The Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue has launched a digital tax payments system.

Courting lovers by sending flowers is a thing of the past, for teens and adults nowadays. They have found a rather 'sexy' way to lure the object of their affection -- 'sexting' i.e. sending nude or semi-nude selfies of oneself to a boyfriend, girlfriend, crush or casual acquaintance from smartphones. This is also termed by some researchers as a 'sexual selfie'.

We look at factors that have led to this fast-emerging trend...

Representational picture

'Sext messages' and 'sexual selfies' popular with most adults
A recent survey revealed that, almost half of all adults - or 47 per cent - send sexy text messages or selfies to their partners. And one in nine people ‘sexts’ their partner every day, a new survey has found.

But the poll of 2,000 adults conducted by mobile phone experts found that one in 10 have mistakenly texted an inappropriate message to a friend or family member.

The poll also found almost one in five phone users are risking their relationship by secretly sexting people other than their partner.

Girls as young as 14 send sexy texts and selfies!
A new study has shed light on how an increasing number of girls in their early teens are resorting to sexting and sending explicit selfies to their boyfriends.

The study of 14 to 15-year-old girls revealed that four out of 10 did not find anything wrong in taking a topless selfie.

And one in six underage girls did not see anything inappropriate about posing fully nude for others.

Celeb nude photo scandals a major reason
Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the report, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages.

Given that so many stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Khloe Kardashian and many others have been involved in sexting scandals in recent times, have those stars made it seem okay to be sending nude photos and sexually explicit messages?

'Sexting' termed worst technology jargon!
The term ‘sexting’ has been chosen as the most irritating phrase to enter lexicons in recent years. However, selfie as a term has been appreciated and even included in day-to-day conversation.

A UK tech magazine, which conducted the poll, a few years ago, awarded ‘sexting’ its ‘Unspeakable Award’ for the worst new piece of technology jargon.

Sexting teens are not offenders
According to experts, to consider labeling a teen a sex offender because of a sexting incident -- a label that will stick for life -- defies common sense.

A Canadian researcher presented a paper on children's sexuality, defending the practice as a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin-the-bottle."

The expert argued that such online activities are safer than traditional sexual games because there is no immediate physical contact and thus are less likely to lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

It's not the same as face-to-face sexual relationships
The way people get involved in and develop sexual relationships with others has changed dramatically over the last 20 years due to the increased availability of devices such as computers, video cams and cell phones.

But at the end of the day there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact in our sexual relationships, according to a new study.

In 2017, Aamir Khan started a project to boost budding writers in the Indian film industry. The second edition of Cinestaan India's Storyteller Script Contest, a nationwide hunt for scripts where the five winners take home a total cash prize of Rs. 50 lakh was launched this February. From the past few months, the four-member jury consisting of Aamir Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Juhi Chaturvedi and Rajkumar Hirani has gone through numerous entries to choose five compelling stories that can be taken to screen. 

However, this time instead of the on-ground event to announce the winners, Aamir Khan will unveil the winners on social media. Meanwhile, Khan is urging writers to not let the prevailing situation dampen their creativity. He said that budding writers should write with more enthusiasm, especially during these times. 

Says Rohit Khattar, Chairman of Cinestaan Digital, “I am grateful to our esteemed jury in working with us to bring Indian storytelling talent to the forefront especially during these surreal times. Thank you to the thousands of writers who had applied. The quality of the work was stellar and we would like to congratulate the winners who are truly deserving and wish them success.”

Speaking about the winners, Anjum Rajabali, the Jury Chairperson said, ‘We started this contest with the larger objective of attracting more people to write scripts. It’s very important that we improve the quality of our scriptwriting so that the quality of our cinema goes up. The caliber of scripts in this edition was better than last year and it’s heartening to see that the talent is developing. Thank you to the jury members for giving their valuable time in reading and assessing the scripts. Truly appreciate the Cinestaan team’s hard work. I have not seen this kind of unconditional support and generosity before, with the only reward being to encourage good writing in this country.’

Juhi Chaturvedi says, ‘As a writer, I understand the joy of being appreciated, especially on a big platform like this which motivates us to write more. Congratulations to the winners. I’m very happy that through this contest I was able to be a small part of your journey.’

Raju Hirani while congratulating the winners said, ‘I’m happy that the objective with which this contest was started, to inspire scriptwriters and give them a platform to send their scripts from all parts of the country - slowly and steadily we are moving towards our goal. The caliber of scripts this year has been better than last year.’

All the entries of the second edition of the contest went through a transparent and stringent process of evaluation at various levels. The shortlisted synopsis were asked to send in a complete script which were then assessed and then the winners selected by the jury. All scripts have been registered by the contestants with the Scriptwriters Association and other similar recognized bodies to ensure that the writers' content is completely protected.

‘Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest’ was launched by Cinestaan Digital Pvt. Ltd. and is India’s biggest Script Contest. The winners of the contest are awarded cash prizes worth Rs. 50 lakhs.

ALSO READ: Aamir Khan dismisses distributing money to the poor in wheat bag, says “Robin Hood doesn’t want to reveal himself”

Tata Trusts has begun a pan-India community outreach to induce adoption of health practices, as promoted by the Government of India, in rural areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Beginning March 31, the exercise is expected to have already reached about 12 million people in 21 states.

The campaign '5 Kadam, Corona Mukt Jeevan', ranges from video messages in the country's languages, even dialects, short animation videos and infographics to audio messages, and SMS based messaging.

For wider deployment by any interested organisation, the Trusts have made publicly available through social media about 300 such videos and audio messages, in different languages, and dialects like Dongri, Kumaoni, Ladakhi, Garhwali, Santhali, Mundari, Kutchi (Gujarat) and Koborok (Tripura). All of them are available in the playlist here.

Over 70 celebrities from all over India, have lent their support with video and audio messages. Among them are Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh, Ila Arun, Atul Kulkarni, Malini Awasthi, and Sanju Samson for Rajasthan Royals, to name a few.

The Trusts have deployed more than 430 master trainers in these 21 states who in turn have trained a pool of over 8,700 community resource persons (village volunteers) to deliver the message till the last mile.

Through the existing network of the Trusts' programmes, the volunteers, associate organisations of the Trusts, community radios, village-based public address systems, and use of various internet and communication technologies, the programme is expected to have reached out to about 12 million people till date.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that not more than 50 people would be allowed at wedding functions and not more than 20 people could attend the last rites of a deceased person.

#WATCH Delhi is ready to re-open now...We will not be able to sustain the lockdown for long as the economy is in peril. The revenue has fallen from Rs 3500 Crores in April month of previous years to Rs 300 Crores this year. How will government function?: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/jKzVp0959b

— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2020

"Not more than 50 people are allowed at wedding functions and not more than 20 at last rites of a deceased person," said Kejriwal during a video conference. "The Center's decision of lockdown on March 24 was very important. If we had not implemented the lockdown, then the situation in the country could have been horrific now," he added.

He further said: "That time the country was not ready to fight COVID19. We had no idea of social distancing. Neither the people nor hospitals were ready. We had no personal protective equipment kits or testing kits either." The CM said that they would not be able to sustain the lockdown for long as the economy is in peril.

"The revenue has fallen from Rs 3,500 crore in April month of the previous years to Rs 300 crore this year. How will the government function?" The Delhi government will take strict action against those found spitting at public places," he added.

As per the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Delhi is 4,122, including 1,256 recovered/migrated and 64 deaths.

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The Karnataka government has withdrawn its request to the railways to run special trains to ferry migrant labourers to their home states, hours after builders met Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa to apprise him of the problems to the construction sector in case they left.

The principal secretary in the Revenue Department, N Manjunatha Prasad, who is the nodal officer for migrants, had requested the South Western Railways on Tuesday to run two train services a day for five days except Wednesday, when the state government wanted services thrice a day to Danapur in Bihar.

Karnataka CM, B S Yediyurappa addresses the media about the ongoing COVID-19 situation, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

However, later, Prasad wrote another letter within a few hours that the special trains were not required. Several migrants in the city were desperate to return home as they were out of job and money. “Since the train services are not required from tomorrow, the letter cited under reference above is withdrawn,” Prasad wrote to the SW Railway general manager on Tuesday.

The Railway officials said they have received the letter seeking withdrawal of the previous one for running special trains. However, Prasad was not available for comments. The builders had apprised the CM about the shortage of labourers if they were allowed to go back home, said a source privy to the issue.

Rs 1,610-cr package for the distressed

The Karnataka government announced a '1,610-crore relief package for the benefit of those in distress due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The measures announced by Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa would bring relief to farmers, flower-growers, washermen, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, MSMEs, large industries, weavers, building workers and barbers. While the government will reach out to about 7.75 lakh auto and taxi drivers by providing a one-time compensation of '5,000 each, a similar assistance will also be extended to barbers and washermen (dhobis), who are also facing the heat of joblessness due to the lockdown.

WB asked to open cross-border transportation

With the Bengal government not adhering to the Centre's guideline on goods transportation through the India-Bangladesh border, the MHA has issued strict direction to the state to implement it “without any delay”. The state was also asked to submit a compliance report immediately. “You are directed to allow cross land border transportation through all Indo-Bangladesh borders without any delay and send the compliance report,” Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla said.

Delhi's Twitter handle for COVID queries

The Delhi government launched a Twitter handle for addressing COVID-19 related queries and complaints. The handle @DelhiVsCorona will ensure authentic information about the disease and serve as a one-stop solution for all the COVID-19 related queries and complaints, the government said. Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal has formed a team to monitor this Twitter handle. The team will gather live status of the situation and provide authentic information, it said.

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