However successful a fashionista or a film-maker Karan Johar is, his children are his most difficult critics. From his choice of glasses to his choice of films, everything gets dismissed by twins Yash and Roohi, who also keep trolling their father quite mercilessly.

In a video shared by Karan on Instagram, he tries to turn an in-house entertainer for the kids and attempts to sing a song. Roohi is seen trying to switch on the music player while Karan tells her he will sing instead. However, the moment he starts singing, both the children plead him to stop and tell him he is giving them a headache. LOL! He does make a second attempt too, but has to give up after another round of discouragement comes in. Watch the hilarious video below.

 

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No appreciation for my singing #lockdownwiththejohars

A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on May 7, 2020 at 11:49pm PDT

Arjun Kapoor came up with a fresh reason why the kids might have got a headache, and dropped the funniest comment. "U just wear simple clothes," he wrote. Well!

Karan's children have earlier brutally fat-shamed him, saying that he resembles an elephant. This one was mild in comparison!

If not for the lockdown, Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan starrer Coolie No 1 would have been playing in the theatres right now. The film directed by David Dhawan is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Sara Ali Khan spoke about her experience working with Varun Dhawan.

Three-film-old Sara Ali Khan worked with Varun Dhawan for the first time. While the trailer of their film has not been released yet, fans are already rooting for this pairing based on the pictures from the sets of Coolie No 1 and the camaraderie shared by the two on social media. Talking about her experience working with Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan said, “I think I had an absolute blast working with Varun. Firstly, I think he knows his job so, so well and he is fully focussed on that, which I think is important when you are on a film set. That side, I think he is very, very supportive as a co-actor. He is superbly friendly and he is a lot of fun. I think I had one of my best experiences so far working with him. He knows how to be professional and serious and we need to give work the importance it needs and deserves, but he is also, in general, a very fun and chill person. So, I think he is one of the only people who I have worked with and actually hang with as well. I really like that about him. He is definitely one of my favourites.”

Watch video here:

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara had started shooting for Atrangi Re before the lockdown was imposed. Atrangi Re directed by Aanand L Rai also stars Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.

For all of you who do not know, Sara Ali Khan happened to be a great student throughout her school and college days. An alumna of Columbia University, she originally wanted to go to Oxford University to pursue her higher studies, and had a difficult time coping when she did not crack through!

In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, the actor opened up on being disheartened after the university rejected her candidature. She also recalled how she called mother Amrita Singh and nearly threw a fit. "Mom had gone out with Ibrahim, and suddenly she gets a call from me, howling. And when I mean howling, I don't mean crying in a lady-like fashion. I mean screaming, and crying loudly. She was like, 'what happened? what's going on?' I could not stop crying," she said, adding how her mother got really worried and kept asking her what went wrong. After calming herself down and breathing a little, she informed her mom that she was rejected by Oxford University.

For those uninitiated, Sara's grandfather Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was quite a scholar who studied Arabic and French at Oxford's Balliol College. Sara's aunt Soha Ali Khan went to the same college to study modern history.

Love for Oxford certainly runs in the family!

Football legend Diego Maradona, the manager of struggling Argentinian club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, has praised the decision to suspend relegation from the country's top division until 2022.

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) confirmed the move on Tuesday as it cancelled the rest of the top flight season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The move spares Gimnasia from an almost certain drop to the second division, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's not the end that we would have wanted, but it's a good decision," the 1986 World Cup winner told Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

"We were convinced that we were going to avoid relegation anyway. But this is reward for a group that has given everything for this club."

Gimnasia needed a strong showing in the Superliga Cup to have any chance or remaining in the top tier under Argentina's complex promotion-relegation system that considers results over a three-year cycle. The Cup competition was aborted last month after just one round.

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Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has asked the "Hand of God" to deliver the world from COVID-19 pandemic and allow normal life to resume. The World Cup winner referred to his hand-assisted goal in the 1986 World Cup after Argentine football chiefs voted to end the current season as well as suspend relegation, saving Diego-managed bottom club Gimnasia from the drop.

"Today this happened to us and many people say it is a new Hand of God," said Diego, alluding to his infamous goal against England. "But today I'm asking for that hand to end this pandemic so people can go back to living their lives, healthy and happy." Then-Argentine captain Diego responded to the controversy over his goal at the World Cup in Mexico by saying "it was the Hand of God!"

Argentina went on to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-final. On being thrown a lifeline by the suspension of the season, he told Argentine daily Clarin: "It's not the ending we had wanted, we were convinced we could save ourselves on the pitch."

Argentina has been in lockdown since March 20 against the Coronavirus, which by early Wednesday had infected 4,114 people with 207 deaths.

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Argentine footballer Paulo Dybala has tested positive for Coronavirus for the fourth time recently. His pop-star girlfriend Oriana Sabatini has also contracted the virus.

However, the couple have continued to keep their spirits high despite the setback. The Argentine pair have been constantly posting pictures and videos on social media to keep themselves and their fans entertained.

In one such post, the Juventus star and Oriana are seen honing their PlayStation skills.
In another video, the Argentine football star is seen working out in his home gym and simultaneously joining in a TikTok dance routine with Oriana.

In yet another video, Paulo is playing the piano while Oriana is singing. Some of Paulo's football pals like Douglas Costa, Claudio Marchisio and Nicolas Tagliafico have been impressed with his musical ability and even commented on the video.

Paulo and Oriana, the niece of Argentine tennis legend Gabriela Sabatini, first met in 2017 but announced their relationship only after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

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Manchester City's Kyle Walker says he is being "harassed" after admitting he breached coronavirus lockdown rules to visit his sister and parents. The defender was forced to issue an apology last month after media reports that he had hosted a party at his home. But Walker has hit back at the latest stories, insisting that he is being targeted and that the ongoing controversy is affecting his family's health.

In a statement on his official Twitter feed, Walker wrote: "I have recently gone through one of the toughest periods of my life, which I take full responsibility for. "However, I now feel as though I am being harassed. "This is no longer solely affecting me, but affecting the health of my family and my young children too." Walker admitted contravening coronavirus regulations again by visiting Sheffield to see his sister and his parents -- for which he could be fined and cautioned by police.
"In relation to the events on Wednesday, I travelled to Sheffield to give my sister a birthday card and present, but also to speak to one of the few people I believe I can trust in my life," he said.

"She hugged me to remind me that she cares and that I am loved. What am I meant to do -- push her away? "I then travelled to my parents' house to pick up some home-cooked meals. Again, it's been an extremely tough couple of months for them." He criticised the media for invading the privacy of his family, saying he constantly felt he was being followed.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish was forced to apologise in March after breaching lockdown rules, while Everton strongly criticised Moises Kean for hosting a party last month.

Walker said the response to his actions had been disproportionate, raising mental health concerns and saying his family had been "torn apart" by the continuing scrutiny.

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Our long-drawn independence struggle saga is filled with innumerable stories of bravery and valour. Sadly, a few of them have been lost in the pages of history or only have local awareness. Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy is one such great man who is credited to have fought a decisive battle a decade before the great 1857 rebellion. Ram Charan takes up the challenge of making a film on this figure, titled SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY, and it features his father, megastar Chiranjeevi. The presence of actors from other industries and that it releases in Hindi and other versions make SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY a pan-India film in the truest sense. So does SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY manage to entertain and stir up the viewers? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1025279" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Syeraa-Narasimha-Reddy-10.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY is the story of India's first chapter of freedom struggle. The year is 1857. The soldiers of Rani Lakshmibai (Anushka Shetty) are wondering whether a handful of them will be able to fight the huge British army. In order to motivate them, the Queen narrates the story of the brave Narasimha Reddy (Chiranjeevi) who revolted against the British a decade before the 1857 revolt. The story then goes in flashback mode. Narasimha Reddy is a ruler of a part of the territory in South India called Rayalaseema. He is a part of a polygar which consists of several other rulers like Avuku Raju (Sudeep), Basi Reddy (Ravi Kishan) etc. All these kings get pension from the British and are expected to be submissive to the Crown. Narasimha Reddy however is in disagreement with this arrangement and is finding a way out to free his kingdom from the clutches of the British. The region faces drought and to appease the rain gods, Narasimha Reddy's learned mentor Guru Gosayi Venkanna (Amitabh Bachchan) asks for a <em>yagna</em> to be conducted. Narasimha is shocked as he learns that the last time a similar yagna took place was in his childhood and that time, he was married off to Siddhamma (Nayanthara). But the married couple was kept apart as there was a <em>'dosh'</em> in their union and they could reunite only after another <em>yagna</em>. Narasimha Reddy is devastated at first as he loves Lakshmi (Tamannaah Bhatia). With a heavy heart, Narasimha Reddy leaves Lakshmi and advises her to use her dancing talent for the greater good. He then accepts Siddhamma and begins his married life. Despite the drought, the British officer Jackson (Oscar Skagerberg) asks for tax from farmers. He even mocks them and once while he’s doing so, Narasimha Reddy arrives and teaches him a lesson. An angry Jackson enters a village ceremony and eliminates 5 farmers and a child. Narasimha Reddy is so angry that he enters the British settlement, attacks the soldiers and then beheads Jackson. The other rulers of the polygar refuse to help him at first but then join Narasimha Reddy in challenging the mighty British Empire. What happens next forms the rest of the story. Paruchuri Brothers's story is excellent and makes for a grand, patriotic film. They have obviously fictionalized a lot of developments in the plot but it has been done very well. Surender Reddy's screenplay is confusing in the beginning as too many characters get introduced and it might seem difficult to understand who is exactly related to whom. But in the later sequences, the script is quite effective and packs a punch. Manoj Muntashir and Jitender Pawar's dialogues are sharp although some of them are over the top. Surender Reddy's direction is quite massy and simple. Most of the important scenes are well executed and leave a lasting impression. He stirs up the viewer’s emotions beautifully. One can’t help but hate the British for their atrocities and one can’t help but root for Narasimha Reddy for his acts. On the flipside, the initial portions are strictly average. The film moves too fast, since it’s already too long at 171 minutes and hence, a few scenes don’t make the desired impact. There’s also a déjà vu of BAAHUBALI, the Hollywood flick 300 and even surprisingly THE AVENGERS and this was avoidable in many places. SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY’s initial portions are not very impressive. The proceedings are neither great nor terrible – it’s somewhere in between. The first 30-40 minutes are spent in introducing the characters, the setting, location etc. The entry of Siddhama makes for a great twist in the tale. But a few developments are difficult to digest at this point. Sidhamma remembers her marriage, which took place in the childhood, without fail but Narasimha Reddy doesn’t even know he’s married! However, the film really picks up in the scene where Jackson arrives at a farmland and mocks a farmer. The manner in which Narasimha Reddy gives a monologue and challenges Jackson is clapworthy. The intermission sequence however is even better and the audiences in single screen cinemas will go crazy at this point. The second half too has some great moments though they could never reach the level of the aforementioned sequences of first half. It also gets a bit too long. But it keeps one engaged. The finale is powerful and the film ends on a rocking note. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ram Charan REVEALS Why He Has Not Acted In Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy | Chiranjeevi | Big B</span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/ram-charan-reveals-why-he-has-not-acted-in-sye-raa-narsimha-reddy-chiranjeevi-big-b-2/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY has a great ensemble cast but the film belongs to Chiranjeevi. No two doubts on that! He owns the film with his performance and style. It’s also commendable to see him doing action at this age so well. His stardom is intact and that adds a lot to his character and to the film at large. Sudeep is quite good as the mysterious and badass ruler and would be liked by audiences. Tamannaah Bhatia has a supporting role but she springs a surprise in the second half. Watch out! Nayanthara gets a very raw deal and the only scene where she leaves a mark is when she confesses her love for Narasimha Reddy. Vijay Sethupathi (Raja Paandi) has a late entry but is entertaining. Jagapathi Babu (Veera Reddy) creates an impact in the pre climax. Oscar Skagerberg is excellent as the villain and would be remembered, though he’s there only in the first half. Ravi Kishan and Mukesh Rishi act well but their voices are dubbed by someone else, which makes their performance a little awkward. Lakshmi Gopalaswamy (Narasimha Reddy’s mother) is passable. Lastly, Amitabh Bachchan is smashing in the special appearance while Anushka Shetty as always is impressive. Amit Trivedi's music is nothing great but works in the film. <em>'Jaago Narsimha Jaago Re'</em>, played in the beginning, fails to make a mark. <em>'Sandal Meraa Mann'</em> isn’t memorable either. <em>'Sye Raa'</em> comes at an excellent juncture and very well shot. <em>'Saansein Teri Desh Hai'</em> is played in the end credits but doesn’t have the period feel. Julius Packiam's background score is way better and adds to the drama and exhilaration. Ratnavelu's cinematography is top-notch and goes on another level in the battle and action scenes. Rajeevan's production design is quite grand as well as authentic. Greg Powell, Lee Whittaker, Ram-Laxman and A Vijay's action is one of the highpoints of the film. It’s gory at times but done well overall. Anju Modi, Sushmita Konidela and Utthara Menon's costumes are regal. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is quite fast-paced and even reckless at places, which could have been avoided. On the whole, SYE RAA NARASIMHA REDDY is a great patriotic saga and a visual spectacle that leaves a tremendous mark thanks to its plot, Chiranjeevi’s performance and massy execution. At the box office, it has the potential to succeed.

Bollywood actress and Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta turned 42 years old on April 16, 2020. Lara Dutta's birthday celebrations, however, were not stopped due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Lara Dutta's husband Mahesh Bhupathi was the one to bring in her birthday and host what was called a 'virtual birthday party' at their home in Mumbai.

Mahesh Bhupathi also took to Instagram to share a couple of photos and a video of Lara Dutta's birthday celebrations along with their daughter Samaira. The couple also had their close friends on a video conference to wish Lara Dutta on her birthday. Mahesh Bhupathi described how the part went and also had a fun caption to go with it. Virtual birthday party done .. Happy Birthday, Lara. May God continue to bless you with this amazing husband and incredible kid for another few decades atleast. Yes, we ate well today." Here's Mahesh Bhupathi's post on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Virtual Birthday Party done .. Happy Birthday @larabhupathi . May God Continue to Bless you with this amazing husband and incredible kid for another few decades at least 😍😍 . Ps .. yes we ate well today . Thanks for the amazing cake @hakunamatatapatisserie

A post shared by Mahesh Bhupathi (@mbhupathi) onApr 16, 2020 at 6:50am PDT

Lara Dutta made her Bollywood debut in 2002 with the superhit film Andaz alongside Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra, who also made her debut. Both actresses won the Filmfare award for Best Female Debut.

Lara Dutta has since appeared in a list of Bollywood hits such as Masti, No Entry, Housefull, Partner, Bhagam Bhaag and Don 2. She also ventured into production with the film Chalo Dilli in 2010.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Lara Dutta got engaged in September 2010 and tied the knot in February 2011. In January 2012, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi welcomed their daughter Samaira into the world.

Russian tennis beauty Maria Sharapova turns 33 on Sunday, but the celebrations already began for the former World No. 1, a day earlier. On Saturday, she shared this picture of a cake with her four million Instagram followers and captioned it: "This little piece of cake goodness arrived at our doorstep this morning [happy early birthday to meeee] and didn't make it past noon."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) onApr 17, 2020 at 5:18pm PDT

Originally known as a German tree cake, the Japanese got some skin in the game and crafted several versions of their own. It's one of my favourite morning coffee indulgences. Thank you, Yutaka!!"

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Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova has allegedly flouted the strict Coronavirus-caused lockdown rules in the US, where over 55,000 have died due to the pandemic.

According to British tabloid, The Sun, Maria, 32, recently visited some friends around Los Angeles with boyfriend Alexander Gilkes, 41, whom she has been dating since 2018.

Maria was photographed on Friday, relaxing on a balcony alongside another couple at a Manhattan beach pad.

The quartet were in clear breach of the two-metre social distancing norm that has been laid down by the authorities in LA where there have been 850 COVID-19 deaths
till date.

A few days ago, Maria had announced on Instagram that she was heading to a friend's beach house. "Last night, we took a sunset road trip along PCH, picked up lobster brioche rolls from @broadstreetoysterco drive thru and made our way to a friend's beach house," the 2004 Wimbledon champion wrote.

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Tennis stars like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, Kei Nishikori and others will participate in a virtual charity tennis tournament. IMG is the company coordinating the tournament titled "Stay at Home Slam" and it will be streamed on Sunday on Facebook Gaming and on the tennis Facebook page of IMG. Two-person teams will compete using the Mario Tennis Aces game on Nintendo Switch.

Competitors will play the video game from their homes across the country, and each will receive $25,000 donated to the charity of their choice, with the winner of the tournament receiving an additional $1 million in donation. "I am proud our IMG tennis clients came together so quickly to support a multitude of great causes," said Max Eisenbud, SVP of tennis clients at IMG as per the official website. "It is a testament to the people we work with across all our divisions that we were able to bring this to life in such a short amount of time."

"It's been incredible to see the creative ways athletes are using social media to support people during this difficult time," said Evan Shugerman, Facebook Athlete Partnerships Lead. "We're excited to be partnering with IMG to contribute to those efforts, which will bring some of the world's top athletes together on Facebook for an entertaining and impactful competition."

Legendary tennis player John McEnroe and popular YouTube personality iJustine (Justine Ezarik) will be commentating the matches.

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Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has revealed that fellow tennis star and World No.1 Novak Djokovic was once fanboying on her over dinner. During an Instagram Live chat with the Serbian ace, Sharapova, who called time on her illustrious career in February, said: "I remember we played this little exhibition. I was young, you were young, way before you had any Grand Slam titles. I don't know if you'd even won a tournament at that point," said Sharapova. This part of the chat was shared by ATP Tour on their official Twitter handle.

"We're not going to start hugging trees, right?"@MariaSharapova with the one-liners for @DjokerNole today. 🤣#tennisathome pic.twitter.com/bweyZMuJ2v

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 5, 2020

"You said that if you'd win (in a mixed doubles match), I would have to pay dinner. I was like, ‘Okay, whatever, who is this kid?'" Sharapova recalled. "You won and you were like, ‘We have dinner tonight. We're going to the Japanese place!' I was like, ‘Are you serious? You and me, going to dinner, tonight?' So we did. We ended up going to dinner and it was so funny because you pulled out I think it was an old Kodak camera and you asked the waiter to take a photo of us… and here we are," she further said.

"It's actually what happened. Maria is saying the truth," Djokovic said, laughing. "I think you were fanboying," Sharapova replied. Djokovic recently said that he was "mentally empty" and "confused" at the beginning of the ongoing freeze of the tennis calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The sport has been on a full stop for over a month due to the pandemic outbreak.

Novak Djokovic

Djkovic has enjoyed a revival in form after a slump in late 2017 and most of 2018. He was set to defend his Wimbledon title this year before the grass court Grand Slam was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War.

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The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is working on a tie-up between hospitality provider Airbnb and locals for offering home-stay to tourists visiting the Elephanta Caves island located in Mumbai Harbour. The policy aims to overcome the security concerns due to high security installations facing the island that does not allow construction of hotels and night stay.

Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal said the 29th two-day Elephanta Festival, beginning January 27, will be held on the island itself again. After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the festival venue was shifted to the Gateway of India in south Mumbai. "Seventy years after Independence, the island is soon to get proper electricity connection depending upon the testing of the electricity meters," the minister said. Rawal said there are about 1,200 to 1,500 homes on the Elephanta island, also known as Gharapuri Island, located east of Mumbai.

The minister said no new constructions are allowed on the island due to high-security installations of ONGC and the Navy. The Caves are declared a heritage site by the UNESCO and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Rawal said the government in a tie-up with the Mumbai Port Trust and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is planning a cable car over the sea for travelling to the island. The island is expected to get proper electricity connection within a week's time.

"The Elephanta festival will coincide with the culminating phase of the Mumbai Shopping Festival that will end on January 31," he said, adding that the Elephanta fest will comprise activities like treasure hunt at Elephanta, a sculpture and a painting contests with prize money. Besides this, the festival will have art, dance and music performances by Zia Nath, Sangeeta Trivedi, Sumeet Nagdev, Hans Raj Hans and others, Rawal said.

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Once a bed of colourful flora, the famous Kaas plateau in Maharashtra is now witnessing less blooms, worrying officials, tourists and nature lovers alike. The plateau, recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a heritage site in 2012, is home to around 350 flowering plants, including some rare and endemic species.

Kaas Plateau. File pic

With the flowering already going down, a couple of fire incidents last month in the area, causing a damage to the flora at the site in Satara district, has now set off alarm bells for the administration. The state government has thus decided to take up a slew of measures, like better guarding of the place and inviting researchers to study why this picturesque site in the Western Ghats is losing its blooms, which were a big tourist attraction.

According to forest officials, human negligence, possibly lit cigarettes, could have caused the twin fires that gutted a portion of the world famous plateau recently. "The forest department, along with a joint management committee of forest officials and local villagers-turned-volunteers, has now decided to take certain safety measures to avoid incidents which could endanger the flora of the Kaas plateau," the range forest officer, Sachin Dombale, said.

He said those guarding the plateau have now been provided hand-held pressure water sprayers. "The plateau does not have big trees or plants. It is actually a grassland, so even if the grass catches fire, it can be doused with the help of these sprayers," he said. Earlier, six people used to guard the entire plateau of around 1,800 hectares. After the fire incidents, now 12 people are manning it in the day and six at night, he said.

Now, the visitors are frisked at the entry gate of the tourist site and are not allowed to carry inside combustible items like cigarettes, matchbox or lighters, he said. Somnath Jadhav, the president of the joint committee, said they have also started putting up "firebreaks" along the roadsides. "For the firebreaks, we burn the vegetation and grass in five metres of area along the roadside, so even if someone throws a combustible object, there won't be a fire," he said.
However, due to unavailability of power supply in the forest area of the plateau, they have not been able to put up CCTVs for keeping a watch.

"But, we are now thinking of using solar panels to address the power issue, Jadhav said. He said the gram sabhas of five villages (the locals of which are part of the committee), have also decided to put forth their proposals to safeguard the plateau and conserve its biodiversity and flora. One of the committee members said the state government should provide funds for proper maintenance of the site.

"We have to depend on the fees collected from visitors during the season, which is only for two months (September and October), to pay for the maintenance and salaries of the people working to guard the place," he said. "We seek government's attention, cooperation and funds so that this plateau of flowers can be conserved," he said. Jadhav said for last three to four years, the growth of some species of flowering plants on the plateau is on a decline, thereby calling for a study to find out its reason and restore the beauty of the place.

"We are now planning to write to various universities in Maharashtra to send some researchers and students of botany to study the reason behind this," he said. "We are making all-out efforts to conserve the plateau, which is home to some rare, endemic and threatened species of flowering plants, as it would then also lead to an increase in the number tourists at the site," he added.

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Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep is a group of islands, 200–440 km off the southwest coast of India. These islands form the smallest union territory of the country. The Lakshadweep region has about 600 species of fish, 78 species of coral and over 100 species of other marine invertebrates. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the fascinating marine life underwater.

This year BNHS will be visiting the Tinnakara Island; The charming isolated Thinnakara Island is situated just opposite side of Bangaram island and share the same lagoon and are part of the Bangaram atoll. You need not worry if you do not know swimming; you can still enjoy the deep blue sea and move among the amazing corals, fishes, shells, shrimps and crabs. Most of the snorkeling will be in waist-deep coral lagoons.

Batch I: 3rd – 7th March, 2018
Batch II: 10th – 14th March, 2018
Batch Size: 15 participants only
Accommodation: Twin sharing in furnished Non Ac beach tents house on the Tinakara Island.
Camp fees: Rs. 47,500/- for members and Rs. 49,000/- for others (ex Aggati).
Cost Includes: Stay and food, Pick-up and drop from/to Aggati one snorkeling session per day on the island.
Cost excludes: Flight/rail tickets, all expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips beverages, camera fees, extra water activities, SCUBA, any cost not specified above.
Reporting: Participants to meet on Day One morning at Aggati Airport Lakshadweep 10.10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule) drop on last day at Aggati Airport at 10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule).

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A still from the short film Ahalya (2015)

We have all done it at some point in our lives. Watched a film or a documentary and played detective with it. Why does Anakin Skywalker get seduced by the dark side to become Darth Vader? Or, what is that makes Kareena Kapoor's character so confident and self-assured in Jab We Met? Or, what's the allure of the amoral Ma Anand Sheela in Wild Wild Country?

We love deducing human behaviour and motivations, especially those characters that seem to suggest one thing on the surface, and something else if you dig deeper. Which is why a recent screening of Ahalya, a short Bengali film made by Sujoy Ghosh, found nearly 120 takers at G5A Foundation in Mahalaxmi. A free screening by the Psychoanalytic Therapy and Research Centre (PTRC), the film was followed by a discussion through the lens of psychoanalysis.

Instead of looking at the film-making aspects, the psychological and emotional motives of the characters were the focus. Leading the discussion were psychoanalysts Nuzhat Khan and Micky Bhatia, faculty members at PTRC. "A great deal of our work and training, right from our students days, has got to do with mental illnesses, but there is a lot that we do which is not related to this. At seminars, we watched films, gaining a much deeper understanding of the characters," says Khan, recounting sessions where they have broken down films such as Black Swan, known for their obvious psychological depth, and also those such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.

PTRC's monthly screening followed by a psychoanalytic discussion. Pic/PTRC

Ghosh's film made headlines when it was streamed on YouTube in 2015, for its gripping plot that revisits the tale in The Ramayana. While you can look up the film online, Khan says that the discussion after the screening showed that there were several layers to the characters. One reading took on the young police inspector Indra's 'castration anxiety', one of Sigmund Freud's earliest psychoanalytic theories. Fearing punishment by Ahalya's husband, old enough to be his father, Indra tries to restrain his evident interest in Ahalya.

However, after he gets intimate with Ahalya, he is turned into a figurine — that's castration, symbolically, by the elderly husband showing the younger man who's boss. And, for that matter, Ahalya pretends to be an ingénue, while in fact she is a seductress. Once you explore these layers, says Khan, you will realise that there are no true villains in the film. "Had the filmmaker been there, he would have been aghast hearing our analysis," she laughs, adding, "Filmmakers, like other artists, express their subconscious or unconscious through their works. They are only semi-conscious of what they are doing. If they fully knew why, they may never make a film or any work of art.

"PTRC, a charitable trust, has been working in Mumbai for more than 40 years, almost quietly, to provide mental health services and also train professionals in the area. Given the rising interest in mental well-being, we use terms such as "repress" and "Oedipus complex" in our day-to-day lives. Banu Ismail, a child analyst and psychoanalyst with PTRC, says that at their film screenings, they open up discussions with the public to encourage different perspectives. "Psychoanalysis doesn't happen only in the consultation room. That said, there are several misconceptions about the area, and these events help clarify those," says Ismail, who will helm the next discussion of Gautam Vaze's Marathi short film, Aai Shapat on June 6 at G5A, focusing on anxiety guilt. The free screenings are followed by a lecture on another day, for which there is a registration charge.

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A former defense and trade minister, Nirmala Sitharaman became the first woman finance minister of India after Indira Gandhi.

She has inherited an economy facing a number of risks.

She faces immense challenges as finance minister. India's economy is starting to splutter on the back of a slow-down in consumption and private investment.

Fixing this and jump-starting the economy are the first order of business.

The data released on Friday was disappointing at different levels.

Lower growth in GDP, stagnant growth in core sector in April 2019, and the government just about managing the 3.4% deficit number in FY19 pose puzzles for the new Cabinet which assumes responsibility of kick-starting the economy.

A look at key macroeconomic indicators presents a gloomy picture.

Sinking GDP Growth Means FM Nirmala Sitharaman has to Push for Sweeping Reforms

According to the data released by the Central Statistics Office on Friday, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 5.8% in the last quarter of financial year 2019 (FY19), between January and March.

GDP Growth Slips to 5-Year Low

The data demonstrates GDP growth slowing steadily, from 8 to 7 to 6.6% in the first three quarters of FY19.

The signs of slowdown are visible throughout the economy.

Growth of Core Sector Industries Remained Flat

India's core economy grew at 4.3% in FY19, its second slowest pace in the past 5 years, down from 4.9% in FY15, according to latest data by the ministry of commerce and industry.

The 8 core industries include Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery, Fertilisers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.

8 Core Sectors Report Flat Growth in FY19

The growth rate is also flat since fiscal FY18 which had also recorded a 4.3% growth.

Manufacturing and Services Sector Activity Decelerates

Core sector growth will have a direct impact on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) as these sectors account for a major chunk of total factory output.

Worries Rise as Factory Output Shrinks in March

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) are used to gauge the level of activity in the manufacturing sector.

What Does the PMI Say?

The country's manufacturing sector performance fell to an eight-month low in April as new business growth moderated, curbed by the elections and a challenging economic environment.

The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index declined from 52.6 in March to 51.8 in April, reflecting weakest improvement in business conditions since August 2018.

However, this was the 21st consecutive month that the manufacturing PMI remained above the 50-point mark.

In PMI parlance, a number above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction.

The April PMI data indicated a softer increase in new orders had restricted growth of output, employment, and business sentiment.

Further, the Indian service sector lost momentum in April, with rates of new business and output growth both cooling to seven-month lows.

Indian Service Sector Loses Momentum Too

Falling from 52.0 in March to 51.0 at the start of FY19, the seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index pointed to the weakest upturn in output since last September.

Besides these, there are many other indicators of a slowdown.

A decline in consumer demand, a slowdown in government spending, and weak private investment have likely impacted India's growth in the fourth quarter.

One such high frequency indicator is automobile sales.

What do these numbers indicate?

Vehicle sales are a very important economic indicator about how the people of India feel about their economic prospects.

After all, no one is forcing anyone to buy a car and given that if a consumer buys a car, he chooses to make a down payment and/or take on an EMI.

This is only possible if the consumer is feeling positive about his future economic prospects.

Automobile Sales Skid as Demand Remains Sluggish

On Saturday, India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, reported a 22% decline in sales in May, the lowest in seven years.

Other auto-makers such as Tata Motors, Eicher Motors, and Hero Moto Corp reported declines in sales too.

All these economic indicators basically provide evidence of the Indian economy slowing down further since January 2019.

Another major area that needs immediate attention by the government, is job creation.

According to a CMIE survey, the unemployment number stands at 41 million people. That is too big a number to be ignored.

Now, job creation at such a mass level won't be a walk in the park. To set the wheels in motion, the government will have to look at infrastructure spending.

Capacity expansion in new projects has seen a gradual slowdown in the past few years.

Infra Capacity Expansion Likely to Be the Key Focus of the Modi Government

From Rs 3.3 trillion in June 2018, the number has come down sharply to Rs 2.1 trillion as of March 2019.

Co-head of research, Tanushree Banerjee believes this is first area the government will look to focus on.

Apart from creating jobs in the infrastructure sector, it opens a lot of other avenues.

Here's an excerpt of what she wrote in The 5Minute WrapUp:

• Better infrastructure will mean better connectivity to non-metros. This will attract manufacturing companies to set shop in these towns. It will give a boost to the urbanisation of the population.
  
  This is a trend I see clearly playing out in the coming years.
  
  Infrastructure spending -> Improved roads -> Increased two-wheeler sales.
  
  It is just one of the 50 irreversible trends I believe will carry the Sensex to 1,00,000.

Typically, when the capacity utilisation rises, it prompts companies to expand their capacities. If this gradual pick-up sustains, it could lead to a pick-up in private sector investment.

Thus, a revival in the investment cycle could be underway despite the current economic slowdown.

And, as far as equity markets are concerned, participants were expecting a weak fourth quarter growth data.

As such, the now published data may not weigh on the market but will raise expectations from the government and the RBI.

The pressure points in the form of finance, tax rates, infra expenditure, specific sector-related policies etc, must be addressed.

While the weak GDP data will be an important input for the Union Budget.

Most investors are now keen to know what's in store in the first week of July.

Warm regards,
Rini Mehta

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday said someone must answer to the questions which are still unanswered in regards to the Sri Lanka Easter bombing last year.

"A year on we all share the pain of the families grieving lives lost, we stand with you and for you. We remember. So many questions still unanswered, but answer them someone must," Sangakkara tweeted as people across the world celebrated Easter on Sunday.

Sri Lanka celebrated a quiet Easter Sunday amid the coronavirus lockdown, while remembering the victims of the terror attacks that killed at least 270 people on the resurrection day last year. People largely stayed indoors and offered prayers from home with the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, leading an Easter mass from a TV studio because of the pandemic.

The attacks wounded over 500 and deepened communal tensions in Sri Lanka. The bombings, carried out by local Islamist extremists with suspected foreign ties, was claimed by the Islamic State. Police said that they have killed or arrested all suspects in various counter-terror operations carried out in the days after the mayhem.

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Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has stated the real inspiration behind his swashbuckling batting technique was 'Angad' -- a character in mythological epic 'Ramayan'.

Sehwag, who was known for his great hand-eye coordination with minimal footwork, on Sunday shared a picture of 'Angad' on Twitter and said: "So here is where I took my batting inspiration from. Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. #Angad Ji Rocks."

So here is where i took my batting inspiration from :)

Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi , namumkin hai . #Angad ji Rocks pic.twitter.com/iUBrDyRQUF

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 12, 2020

According to mythology, it is believed that Angad -- who was part of vanar sena which helped Lord Ram in rescuing his wife Sita from Lanka -- was sent as an emissary to the court of Ravan in order to avoid war.

However, Ravan declined the offer and then to break his ego, Angad challenged that if anyone present in the court would be able to lift his feet from the ground then Lord Ram would accept defeat and leave Lanka.

But it is believed that none of the warriors present in Ravan's court was able to lift Angad's feet.

Sehwag, who played 251 ODIs and 104 Tests for India, scored 8,273 and 8,586 runs respectively. In fact, he is the only Indian cricketer to hit two triple centuries in Test cricket.

The swashbuckling opener also played 19 T20Is for India in which he amassed a total of 394 runs.

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Cricket is rightly considered as a religion in India and is the most celebrated sport in the country. Whoever makes a career in cricket has one longing wish to play for the country and Indian cricketers rightly inspire with their story and innumerable achievements. With a dream to become a cricketer since childhood, Jeel Pareshbhai Gajipara grew up looking at his hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni's journey as a sportsperson. Gajipara born on October 24, 2001, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is a notable name in the cricket. Since his school, he was fascinated by the sport after which he decided to make become a cricketer.

Currently, he is pursuing his B.Com from GLS University. The young and good looking guy also loves to do modeling. However, he considers cricket as his only passion in life. He has played for both domestic as well as international tournaments. He has played for many tournaments from Nepal, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. The batsman has also created many records for himself including his smashing batting of 97 runs from 32 deliveries for the Mumbai domestic team. Some of his other best scores include 136 runs in 67 deliveries, 116 runs in 71 deliveries and 177 runs in 122 deliveries respectively.

These batting scores totally show his love for the sport and prove that he is here to stay. His hard work and passion for cricket will one day surely fulfill his dream. Calling MS Dhoni as his idol, Jeel has a dream of playing for India and be successful as the former Indian skipper. "Before playing for India, I want to play in the IPL (Indian Premier League)", he quoted. For his achievements, Jeel was also featured in a Gujarati newspaper and had his interview on E24 news channel. The young blood's journey is commendable and we hope to see him play for the Indian Cricket Team one day.

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Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has described Brian Lara as "sheer class", saying he never felt confident whenever he bowled to the West Indies legend. Afridi and Lara locked horns only twice in Test cricket but the former Pakistan skipper said the left-handed batting great had quite an "effect" on him.

"I got him out a few times but whenever I was bowling to him I always had the feeling in the back of my mind that he is going to hit me for four the next ball. He had an effect on me. I never bowled with any confidence to him," Afridi was quoted as saying by Wisden.

The 40-year-old Afridi, who snapped 395 and 48 wickets in 398 ODIs and 27 Tests, lavished praise on Lara, saying he had a brilliant footwork. "He was a world-class batsman who dominated the best spinners he came up against, even the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan in Sri Lanka," said Afridi. "His footwork against spinners was brilliant and the way he batted against such bowlers was a wonderful sight. He was sheer class."

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India's top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara misses playing badminton on the outdoor courts. Sporting action across the world is on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and in India a nationwide lockdown in place till May 3 has imposed restrictions on movement of people.

Pujara, used to enjoy badminton outdoors apart from cricket. Now he plays with his wife or with his Saurashtra team-mate Jaydev Unadkat. "Usually when I am at home in Rajkot, we go and play badminton on weekends on proper courts. That is something I am missing," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Pujara as saying.

"With my wife - she wants to learn. At times if Jaydev Unadkat is in Rajkot, he is a decent badminton player, so I play with him," he added. Pujara also revealed that he is very competitive when it comes to playing badminton and he cannot let anybody win.

"No, no. I can't allow my wife to win. I can't allow anyone to win against me at badminton. That is not possible. I've been telling her that she has to get better at it and win that way. I don't want to lose to make her happy that she has beaten me. As a sportsperson your mentality is to make sure that the other person becomes stronger than you," Pujara said.

Pujara was supposed to be in the UK, playing for Gloucestershire, at this time of year, but all plans have been tossed away due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He had signed a deal in February to represent the county for the first six matches of the championship. He was set to become Gloucestershire's first Indian player after Javagal Srinath in 1995.

But with the first seven rounds of the Championship postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and international travel severely limited, he will be unable to fulfil his deal. The batsman was last seen in action during India's two-match Test series against New Zealand.

Controversial Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) general secretary Vinod Tihara is in a Meerut jail for allegedly violating GST norms, a development which has come to light a month after he went "incommunicado" and fuelled speculation of being self-isolated with symptoms of COVID-19. "A Delhi resident named Vinod Tihara was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) wing of Noida on March 17 on allegations of violations of GST norms and is currently in Meerut jail," SSP Meerut, Ajay Sahni, told PTI.

The SSP's version was later corroborated by Meerut Jail Superintendent Dr B P Pandey, who gave more details on the charges against Tihara. "Vinod Tihara, a resident of Delhi's Rohini has been in Meerut jail since March 17. The case no is 2/20 and he has been charged under Customs Act 132 and 135," Pandey said. Under Section 132 of Indian Customs Act, "if a person knowingly makes, signs or uses, or causes to be made, signed or used, any false declaration, statement or document in the transaction of any business relating to the customs, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both."

Under section 135, there are multiple clauses and sub clauses dealing with "misdeclaration, fradulent evasion and carrying, concealing or purchasing goods which are liable to confiscation." There was no immediate clarity on the exact violation Tihara has been accused of committing. Tihara is Delhi cricket's representative at the BCCI and an influential figure in state's cricket body. He had been "unreachable" since mid-March leaving DDCA officials, including members of his faction, flummoxed.

"For the longest time, we were under the impression that Vinod ji has tested positive for COVID-19. One or two people who contacted his family members were told that he is under isolation. His phone is switched off for the past one month," a senior DDCA office-bearer told PTI. During a recent online hearing in a matter of financial misappropriation of funds, organised by DDCA ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma via Skype, one of the body's lawyers, known for his proximity to Tihara, told the apex council members that he had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

"We all freaked out as we had met Tihara till March 15 at various places. We told him that why weren't we informed as we all needed to quarantine ourselves. "He then changed track and said that if you people would have been COVID-19 positive, then you would have known by now. It was very suspicious," the Apex Council member who was suspended that day, said.

In fact, some of the members are now wondering how did a letter signed by Tihara in support of one of the lawyers, whose service was being terminated, was submitted to Ombudsman, when all this while he had been in jail.

It is understood that because of the lockdown, his bail plea has been deferred.

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Even though all the cricketing activities remain suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan is making sure he remains in touch with the game by playing it indoors with his family. Dhawan recently shared a video on Instagram where he is seen playing cricket indoors along with his son Zoravar.

In the video, Zoravar can be seen bowling to his father as the Indian opener defends the ball well on the off-side. The video also has commentary inputs along with crowd noises inserted in the background of the past.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Quarantine Premier League ka sabse gripping moment 😅 Dhawan vs Dhawan 💪🏻😈

A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial) onApr 22, 2020 at 8:30am PDT

The 34-year-old captioned the video: "Quarantine Premier League ka sabse gripping moment Dhawan vs Dhawan." Last week, Dhawan had shared a video of him dancing with his son on a popular Bollywood song "Daddy Cool".

"Life is so much fun with this mastikhor insaan! Sachi bolu toh daddy aur beta dono hi cool! Love this little one," the left-handed opener had captioned the video on Instagram.

With the nation-wide lockdown in place due to COVID-19 pandemic, Dhawan has been keeping himself busy with all kinds of different activities at home. He has been sharing all kinds of videos like that of washing clothes to playing and training with his kids to dancing with his wife Ayesha.

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Australia's world number one pacer Pat Cummins finds India's middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara the toughest batsman to bowl at in Test cricket and called him a "pain in the back" for his team.

With his solid batting at number three, Pujara had played an influential role in India's historic triumph Down Under in 2018-19. Cummins held Pujara in high esteem when asked which batsman he found toughest to bowl to during a Question & Answer session that was arranged by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).

"There are a lot of them out there, unfortunately. But I am going to go with someone different, and he is (Cheteshwar) Pujara from India. He was a real pain in the back for us," Cummins said. The unassuming Pujara had helped India claim their maiden Test series victory in Australia last year by amassing a staggering 521 runs at an average of over 74 with three hundreds and a half-century. Cummins recalled the difficulty the Australian bowlers faced in dislodging Pujara.

"He (Pujara) was an absolute rock for them in that series. (He was) really hard to get out. Just ultra concentration all day, day after day. He is the hardest one in Test cricket so far, I think," Cummins added. Pujara was named the Man of the Series for his stellar showing, proving to be the player that made all the difference.

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It was on this day in 1997, that the former Sri Lanka batsman Aravinda de Silva became the first player in the history of cricket to score two unbeaten centuries in the same Test.

The right-handed batsman achieved the feat against Pakistan in Colombo. Opting to bat first, de Silva came into bat with Sri Lanka 124/2.

De Silva played a knock of 138 runs in the first innings from 208 balls. His innings was studded with 19 fours and this knock took Sri Lanka's total to 331.

Pakistan was bundled out for 292 in the first innings and this gave hosts Sri Lanka a lead of 39 runs.

In the second innings, de Silva played an unbeaten knock of 103 runs off just 99 balls and this helped Sri Lanka to declare their second innings at 386/4, setting Pakistan a target of 426 runs.

Pakistan managed to hang on in the second innings and the side registered 285/5 and as a result, the match ended in a draw.

De Silva played 93 Tests and 308 ODIs for Sri Lanka. He was also a part of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad.

He registered 6,361 runs in the longest format at an average of 42.97.

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Feeling like a kid again, England batsman Jason Roy can't wait to get back on the cricket field but says it would make sense to postpone the T20 World Cup in October-November if teams don't get enough time to prepare for the mega event. All cricketing activities have come to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of T20 World Cup in Australia is also in doubt.

"If players aren't able to prepare in the right way and are not able to get over to Australia, then it makes sense to postpone it," Roy was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "But if it goes ahead, it's our job to play cricket - and if we're told we have three weeks to prepare to go and play in the World T20, all the boys will be putting the yards in to make sure we're ready for that.

"I think all the boys are on edge, waiting for the call saying, 'Right, we have a month turnaround or a six-week turnaround. Get in the nets and go hit some balls.' I think the boys will be as ready as they can be," said the 29-year-old opener. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) too has suspended activities until July 1. While Roy is eager to be playing again, he said safety is paramount.

"I've got a huge amount of trust in the ECB. I think they will look into every single avenue of all the positives, all the negatives. So, I guess I would trust in what they say, probably have a chat with Morgs (Morgan) and see where his head's at and go with that. "I don't think I'll have too many questions, especially when it got to the stage of 'Right, we're going to play', because there'll be a lot of people in those meetings discussing whether it's the right thing to do or not."

Roy also has no issues in playing in front of empty stadiums. "I just want to play some cricket to be honest. I think for us to be able to go out there and play some cricket would be an incredible feeling. I feel like a kid again. "I guess we're governed by the government here, we don't really know what is going on or what the safety measures are. There's way bigger things out there. I'm more than happy to play behind closed doors, it would just be nice to get out there," he added.

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England star all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his first ever half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder who admitted that the longest he had ever run was 8 km, will be running a half marathon near his home. "A half marathon is always been something that I've thought about doing a but never really got around to overdoing it. Obviously we have been in lockdown so I thought what a great option to go out and if I'm going to do it I might as well try and raise some funds for a good cause," Stokes said in an Instagram video.

Stokes got inspired by the efforts of three men who ran full marathons in their back gardens over the weekend. "I will be hopefully inspiring people to make some donations towards the Cricket Garden Marathon, I'm just trying to add some more funds to what they've managed to do for the great cause," said Stokes. "I've done absolutely no training, the longest distance that I've ever run is 8 kilometres. So, I don't even know I'm going to be able to complete it but hopefully, I can," he added.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year.

The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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India skipper Virat Kohli on Tuesday teased ace batsman Cheteshwar Pujara by sharing a throwback picture from a Test match against Australia.

In the photograph, the skipper can be seen taking a one-handed blinder at second slip while Pujara glances at Kohli from a fair distance.

First session after lockdown be like 👀 @cheteshwar1 I hope you will go for the ball pujji 😜😜 pic.twitter.com/5DAGgpzbbw

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 5, 2020

The Indian captain wanted Pujara to be fit before the first practice session of the team once the coronavirus enforced nationwide lockdown is lifted.

"First session after lockdown be like ?? @cheteshwar1 I hope you will go for the ball pujji," Kohli tweeted.

Pujara who has played 77 Test matches came up with a witty response and said," Yes captain, and I shall catch it with both hands @virat.kohli."

Indian skipper Kohli is widely hailed as the run-machine and has many records under his belt.

In 86 Test matches, he had 7,240 runs studded with 27 centuries and 22 half-centuries. In 248 ODIs, he has amassed 11,867 runs with an average of 59.33.

In the shortest format of the game, he has played 82 games in which he slammed 2,794 runs at an average of 50.80 with the help of 24 fifties.

On the other, Pujara has been a key cog in the batting wheel of team India in the longest format of the game. He has amassed 5840 runs at an average of 48.66.

Both cricketers are currently spending time with their families as the COVID-19 pandemic as brought all sporting action across the world to a grinding halt.

Kohli would have been in action for Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) had the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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England star all-rounder Ben Stokes on Tuesday ran his first half marathon to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder completed the run in the one hour 39 minutes and 41 seconds. Stokes who has played 63 Test and 95 ODIs for England completed the marathon near his home and made an appeal to fans to donate towards the foundation.

"Please donate! That was so hard! it's all for a great cause: the NHS Charities Together and Chance to Shine foundation if you can please go and donate," said Stokes in a video posted on Instagram. "Guys please check my story if you are able to help out and donate towards @NHSCharities and @Chance2Shine ..I've just competed a half marathon to support the 3 guys with their efforts to raise money who did a full marathon in their back gardens," wrote Stokes on Instagram.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year. The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed a fine snack prepared by his daughter Sara, 22, and happily shared his experience on social media.

Sara prepared a plate of beetroot kebabs for her father on Thursday and he simply loved them. Sachin shared this picture on Instagram, holding up a plate full of beetroot kebabs (left). Alongside, he posted another picture (right) of the plate, but this time it was empty. "Gone in 60 seconds! Thanks for the fabulous beetroot kebabs @saratendulkar," Sachin captioned his post that went on to receive nearly one million 'likes' within a few hours.

In an Instagram story, Sachin added that Sara also prepared a Tabbouleh (a Lebanese vegetarian salad), which was also a hit with the family, who are currently in lockdown at their Bandra home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "This was over before we could say Tabbouleh," wrote Sachin.

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South African spinner Keshav Maharaj admitted that he is interested in captaining the Proteas in all formats one day. The position of South Africa's Test captain has been vacant since Faf Du Plessis stepped down from the position in February. Maharaj has not been among the frontrunners for the position but he led the Dolphins to the domestic One Day title. The Dolphins were awarded the title by Cricket South Africa after the season had to be curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I've really enjoyed captaincy from the time I've been handed the opportunity this past season," he is quoted as saying by Sport24. "I really want to captain the Proteas. It's been my dream. Not a lot of people in the national set-up actually know that, but the few who have approached me on the matter know that." Maharaj even said that he would like to captain South Africa in all formats and lift trophies with the team. Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock is captain of the ODI side and had led South Africa in T20Is against England and Australia this year.

"I'd like to captain the South African team across all three formats and I want to raise a World Cup trophy with my own hands, as the leader of the side," he said.

"I didn't merely want to play for the Proteas. Lifting that silverware has always been my childhood dream."

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Saudi Arabia is to abolish flogging as a form of punishment, according to a directive from the Kingdom's Supreme Court, adding that flogging will be replaced by imprisonment or fines.

The directive issued on Friday says this was an extension of human rights reforms brought by King Salman and his son, the country's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports the BBC.

The last time that flogging in Saudi Arabia hit the headlines was in 2015 when blogger Raif Badawi was subjected to the punishment in public, reportedly after being convicted of cybercrime and insulting Islam.

He had been due to receive 1,000 lashes in weekly beatings but global outrage and reports that he nearly died put a stop to that part of his sentence.

This comes as campaigners have said that Saudi Arabia has one of the worst records for human rights in the world, with freedom of expression severely curtailed and critics of the government subject to what they say is arbitrary arrest, the BBC reported.

Earlier on Friday, the most prominent Saudi human rights campaigner died in jail after a stroke which fellow activists say was due to medical neglect by the authorities.

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BANK OF MAHARASHTRA share price has zoomed 9% and is presently trading at Rs 10.

Meanwhile, the BSE BANKEX Index is at 22,787 (up 2.1%).

Among the top Gainers in the BSE BANKEX Index today is BANK OF MAHARASHTRA (up 8.6%).

Over the last one year, BANK OF MAHARASHTRA has moved down from Rs 15 to Rs 10, registering a loss of Rs 5 (down 35.9%).

On the other hand, the BSE BANKEX has moved down from 32,704 to 22,787, loss of 9,917 points (down 30.4%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE BANKEX Index stocks during this same period were [param_historic_top3].

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.8%).

The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 3.0%), INDUSIND BANK (up 2.9%) and BAJAJ FINANCE (up 2.8%). Other gainers include AXIS BANK (up 2.7%) and RELIANCE IND. (up 2.5%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are RELIANCE IND. and SBI.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.5%). The top gainers in the NSE Nifty include DR. REDDYS LAB (up 4.1%), INDIABULLS HOU. FIN. (up 3.8%) and HUL (up 3.2%). Other gainers include HINDALCO (up 2.5%) and ZEE ENTERTAINMENT (up 2.3%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 16.35%).

BANK OF MAHARASHTRA Financial Update...

BANK OF MAHARASHTRA net profit declined 103.6% YoY to Rs 1 billion for the quarter ended December 2019, compared to a loss of Rs 38 billion a year ago. Operating income rose 14.0% to Rs 30.2 billion during the period as against Rs 26.5 billion in October-December 2018.

For the year ended March 2019, BANK OF MAHARASHTRA reported 328.3% increase in net profit to Rs 47.6 billion compared to net profit of Rs 11.1 billion during FY18.

Revenue of the company grew 2.2% to Rs 108 billion during FY19.

The current Price to earnings ratio of BANK OF MAHARASHTRA, based on rolling 12 month earnings, stands at 6.7x.

This article (BANK OF MAHARASHTRA Surges by 9%; BSE BANKEX Index Up 2.1%) is authored by Equitymaster.

Equitymaster is a leading 'independent' equity research initiative focused on providing well-researched and unbiased opinions on stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

BHARAT DYNAMICS share price has plunged 5% and is presently trading at Rs 231.

Meanwhile, the BSE 500 Index is at 12,146 (up 0.8%).

Among the top losers in the BSE 500 Index today are BHARAT DYNAMICS (down 5.4%) and LAURUS LABS LTD (down 9.0%).

TV18 BROADCAST (up 7.9%) and E.I.D. PARRY (up 7.6%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, BHARAT DYNAMICS has moved down from Rs 281 to Rs 231, registering a loss of Rs 50 (down 17.8%)..

The BSE 500 has moved down from 14,958 to 12,146, loss of 2,812 points (down 18.8%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE 500 Index stocks during this same period were ADANI GREEN ENERGY (up 431.9%), ABBOTT INDIA (up 142.8%) and NAVIN FLUORINE (up 115.0%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.0%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are RELIANCE IND. (up 4.0%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are INDUSIND BANK and ICICI BANK.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.1%). ZEE ENTERTAINMENT (up 5.1%) and DR. REDDYS LAB (up 4.2%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 17.03%).

The FM also said that about three crore farmers with agricultural loans totaling Rs 4,22,113 crore availed the benefit of the 3-month loan moratorium announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in March

Globally, efforts are underway to develop a vaccine to treat Covid 19 which has stalled economic activity and led to death of over 2.77 lakh people across the world

Dalal Street expects ICICI Bank to report healthy earnings in Q4

Using CRISPR/Cas9, a gene editing tool gene, the FREP1 gene can be inactivated to reduce mosquitoes vulnerability to Plasmodium parasite, a genus that causes malaria in humans.

Cyprus's Ministry of Finance says the island has signed a double tax agreement with Saudi Arabia with respect to taxes on income and for the prevention of tax evasion.

Kanpur administration has directed all pharmacies to register the name, address and contact number of people buying paracetamol or medicines for cough, cold and fever or breathing problems.

The Swiss Federal Council has announced that it will expand a system of guarantees for SMEs to provide support for start-ups during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Swiss Federal Council has announced that it will expand a system of guarantees for SMEs to provide support for start-ups during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Isle of Man Treasury has warned that time is running out for taxpayers who have failed to declare all their taxable income.

French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has issued a statement on its tax arrangements in response to media coverage of the so-called "Paradise Papers."

Value-added tax avoidance will be considered by a new EU anti-tax avoidance committee, the creation of which is expected to be endorsed at an EU parliamentary plenary on March 1, 2018.

Switzerland and South Korea have signed a joint declaration on the automatic exchange of tax information from 2018.

Achieving food and nutrition security, reducing inequality, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems.

A recent study sheds new light on the climate-groundwater relationship, finding that the 2015-2016 El Niño weather event replenished groundwater very differently in southern Africa and in East Africa just below the equator.