What started as a passion project for Aamir Khan in 2017, has grown into an initiative that is changing the landscape for budding writers in the Indian film industry. The second edition of Cinestaan India's Storytellers 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. Over the past three months, the four-member jury — consisting of Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Juhi Chaturvedi and Rajkumar Hirani — sifted through numerous entries to choose five compelling stories that can be taken to the screen. While the on-ground event to announce the winners has been cancelled due to the current scenario, the superstar will unveil the new talent on social media today.

Excited to be part of an endeavour that celebrates screenwriting — an aspect he considers the backbone of every successful film — Khan urges budding writers to not let the prevailing situation dampen their creativity. "Budding scriptwriters should continue writing with more enthusiasm, especially during these times. Every filmmaker needs a good script," says the actor.

California-based NRI Sejal Pachisia has bagged the top prize of a whopping Rs 25 lakh for her story, On the Boundary. The second and third prizes have been won by Digant Patil and Soumil Shukla for Guilt and Laakh Maavla respectively. The prize is financed by Cinestaan Digital, an internet media firm focussed on building cinema-related products for Indian audiences. The chosen scripts will become part of its story incubator programme.

Screenwriters Anjum Rajabali and Juhi Chaturvedi

Rajabali, jury chairperson, says the contest was designed to provide a platform to new talent, thus helping deserving outsiders to gain a toehold in the industry.

"It's important that we raise the standard of our scriptwriting so that the quality of our cinema improves," he states.

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In the recent episode of Mahabharat, which is clearly enjoying a fantastic or should we say a historic re-run on television, the viewers got to witness what became the reason for the Mahabharat- The Cheer Haran of Draupadi! For all those who saw this iconic moment on television or rather experienced and felt it, the memories can never get wiped out, and for those who witnessed it for the first time, were left in awe and had goosebumps!

Taking to their Twitter accounts, the netizens couldn't stop hailing the way the scene was staged, the actors performed, and the manner in which the entire drama unfolded. A user wrote about Roopa Ganguly, who played Draupadi, that nobody can become a better Draupadi than her.

Have a look right here:

@RoopaSpeaks no one become a better draupadi like you!! mam❤️❤️🥰 #Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/STNuwKiUm0

— PARTH (@10thwonderparth) April 20, 2020

Another user wrote- "GOOSEBUMPS while watching Shri Krishna protecting Draupadi during Cheer Harana. My blood boiled to see how everyone stood mute & did nothing to protect her dignity." (sic):

GOOSEBUMPS while watching Shri Krishna protecting Draupadi during Cheer Harana 🙏🏻
My blood boiled to see how everyone stood mute & did nothing to protect her dignity!
It was this Adharma everyone eventually paid for. One who can’t protect his wife doesn’t deserve one.#Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/yUKa2tzV5S

— Dishu Chaurasia (@chaurasia_dishu) April 20, 2020

Someone else stated- "Nitish Krishna was just 23 years old when he casted to play Krishna's role in this epic seriel. just like Ramayana this show had aleo broken many recored and people used to leave all important work to watch this. wonderfully played role by him big salute." (sic):

#Mahabharat @nitishkrishna8 was just 23 years old when he casted to play Krishna's role in this epic seriel. just like Ramayana this show had aleo broken many recored and people used to leave all important work to watch this. wonderfully played role by him big salute pic.twitter.com/MnNxJGFKhK

— Librandus ki marne wala (@librandu_kumar) April 20, 2020

It was time for another appreciation tweet, a user wrote- "Shree Krishna was the only man who saved Draupadi Chirharan. Vidur and vikran(young brother of Duryodhan) was the other two men who tried to stop Chirharan. Also, Rupali nailed it. No one can play the role of Draupadi better than her." (sic):

Shree Krishna was the only man who saved Draupadi Chirharan. Vidur and vikran(young brother of Duryodhan) was the other two men who tried to stop Chirharan. Rest all were Assholes.

Also, @TheRupali has nailed it. No one can play the role of Draupadi better than her. #Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/BFGjVUXHMr

— Ruthless MS (@EngineerMs14) April 20, 2020

We are slowly gearing towards the episodes that will give us an insight into how the entire battle of the Mahabharat unfolded and the sheer audacity and scale that the makers managed to bring on the screen back when there was barely any technology and visual effects at their disposal. Some more goose-flesh moments await the viewers!

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The Philippines is to take forward its tax reform agenda in January, with a second package of proposals to be tabled before Congress, after the first package was endorsed with some vetoes by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Attention women! It's time for you to make friends in your office as a study has found that strong friendships among women co-workers, especially in male dominated organisations, are less likely to experience conflicts.

Researchers from the Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences suggested that when employers foster an office environment that supports positive, social relationships between women coworkers, especially in primarily male dominated organisations, then they are less likely to experience conflict among women employees.

Study author Jenifer Merluzzi from George Washington University conducted the study. The team surveyed 145 management-level employees regarding workplace dynamics at two large U.S. firms that were primarily male-dominated environments, with women representing less than one-third of the workforce.

They found that while men and women are equally likely to cite having a difficult co-worker, compared to men, women are more likely to cite another woman as a difficult co-worker than they are to cite a man, or not cite anyone. However, this tendency is reduced among women who cite having more women coworkers for social support and friendship at work.

Knowing that unique gendered network characteristics such as the gender compositions of an employee's social support at work were associated with negative ties can help organisational leaders anticipate potential trouble spots within their firms where gendered conflict may erupt.

"Understanding the relational side of conflict also bears practical importance as companies increasingly organise using diverse teams, heightening the reliance on informal ties between and within gender to get work accomplished,' Merluzzi noted. The research appears in the journal of Organization Science.

The outbreak of coronavirus has made it difficult for people to get treated for other illnesses without being a COVID-19 suspect. However, the Bigg Boss 2 contestant, Sambhavna Seth who is well known for her vlogs, was rushed to the hospital in the dead of the night. Her husband, Avinash Dwivedi, took to Sambhavna’s Instagram to inform her fans of the situation.

According to Avinash’s message, Sambhavna had to be rushed to the hospital twice. When she was unwell a couple of days ago, her husband accompanied her to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and the couple came back home at 5 am. However, they took her back to the hospital again. While her fans were extremely worried about her health, Sambhavna spoke to a portal and clarified the reason behind it. She said that her blood pressure dropped low and she fainted, she is also suffering from a severe ear infection and her ear is completely blocked.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sambhavna Seth (@sambhavnasethofficial) on May 4, 2020 at 11:16pm PDT

She further spoke about the stress they had to go through to get her admitted to a hospital. Sambhavna clarified that no hospital opened its gates till 4 in the morning. She tried a few hospitals before the staff at Kokilaben attended her and asked her to leave soon after the treatment, which is why she had to go back again.

Actor Tom Cruise is taking his love for action scenes one step higher! According to Deadline, the actor is reportedly planning to shoot in space with the help of Elon Musk's Space X. There is no studio attached to it yet but he is working with NASA for the same.

Jim Bridenstine, who works as an official administrator at NASA, confirmed the news on Tuesday. "NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality," he wrote on Twitter.

NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality. pic.twitter.com/CaPwfXtfUv

— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 5, 2020

Deadline reported, " Tom Cruise and Elon Musk’s Space X are working on a project with NASA that would be the first narrative feature film – an action adventure – to be shot in outer space. It’s not a Mission: Impossible film and no studio is in the mix at this stage but look for more news as I get it. But this is real, albeit in the early stages of liftoff."

Tom Cruise has three upcoming projects including Top Gun: Maverick and Mission Impossible 7 & 8. All three have been postponed amid coronavirus pandemic.

ALOS READ: Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 postponed amid coronavirus pandemic

With the increasing cases of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the lockdown till May 17. The lockdown first commenced on March 25 for a 21 day period. But had to be extended owing to the increasing cases.

However, the lockdown has badly hit the economy of the country with several people going out of a job. One industry that has completely shut down is the entertainment industry. The cinema halls were the first one to shut down in the country. Speaking to a tabloid about resuming Bollywood movies shoots, Ashok Dubey, the General Secretary of Federation of Western Indian Cine employees said that they spoke to CINTAA recently and are making guidelines on how they can proceed with shootings. Ashok Dubey said that nothing has been finalised. He said that Mumbai is a red zone and so they cannot think of shooting right now. Dubey also spoke to Sidharth Roy Kapur who said that they will have a conference call with Indian Motion Picture Producers (IMPPA), Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) and Western India Film Producers' Association on how to deal with the situation and go ahead.

A few days back, the Producers guild had shared a document that lists precautions to be taken while shooting including proper sanitation, use of masks, etc. Dubey said that the guidelines are correct but how are they to shoot when there are spot boys and workers who travel from their home and back and how they are supposed to test everyone daily when the reports take time to come.

He also questioned about reducing the number of people on the sets. He questioned how the people left out will manage their livelihood and how to assure them a salary. Dubey said that there are several factors to be considered before proceeding with the shoot.

Ashok Dubey said that the TV producer body is in a hurry to start shooting bit is not possible. He said that it will be like digging its own grave if it does something like this. He further said that social distancing is not possible on the sets and lightmen cannot work 12 hours with a PPR kit. Dubey said that there is a difference in giving suggestions and actually implementing it.

Dubey said that the Government has not released any guidelines for the film industry to start shooting. Producers' Guild has just said that these precautions are to be taken while shooting; they haven't said to start shooting and take these precautions.

ALSO READ: Actors to do makeup at home, doctors to be on set and more new safety measures set up by Cine bodies

There have been reports that have suggested that the She-Hulk series at Disney + is in works! Now, the confirmation has come from the makers that the scripting is completed for Disney+ series is complete.

She-Hulk writer Dana Schwartz took to Twitter on May 6 and wrote, "The She-Hulk room ended so if you happen to be a showrunner looking for a writer who makes jokes and writes books and knows a lot of historical fun facts, hit me up!!!!"

The She-Hulk room ended so if you happen to be a showrunner looking for a writer who makes jokes and writes books and knows a lot of historical fun facts, hit me up!!!!

— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) May 5, 2020

Recently, Mark Ruffalo confirmed that he was in early talks with She-Hulk makers to return as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. “There’s nothing completely at a place where it’s a done deal,” the actor told Variety recently. “There’s some talk of having Banner/Hulk show up in [the Disney Plus series] ‘She–Hulk.’ If we come up with something good, that would be really interesting. Right now that’s about it. That’s all there is on the table.”

According to the comics, lawyer Jennifer Susan Walters developed Hulk-like abilities when she received a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. Now, it seems like this might be a great segway for the actor to return to the Marvel universe. The character first appeared in the comics in the 1980s as a member of the Fantastic Four.

ALSO READ: Mark Ruffalo reveals he had turned down the role of Hulk in The Avengers, has an idea for standalone movie and speaks about She-Hulk series

Rishi Kapoor bid adieu to the world on April 30 after battling for two years with cancer. However, we will get to see him on the big screen for one last time with Sharmaji Namkeen. 

Honey Trehan, co-producer of the film while speaking to a tabloid revealed that they will release the film in the theatres. He said that they owe it to Rishi Kapoor and said he is grateful to Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar for investing in the film monetarily and emotionally. 

The film had gone on floors in December. Sharmaji Namkeen revolves around a sexagenarian who discovers the joy of life after retirement. Honey said that he had shot a major portion of the film in January in Delhi and had a four-day schedule pending. The crew was supposed to shoot in Mumbai in march but their plans went for a toss owing to the pandemic. 

Rishi Kapoor had crucial scenes in the final schedule. However, with the sudden demise of the lead actor, the unit have to complete the film in his absence. Trehan said that they will be using advanced technology, an amalgamation of VFX and some special technique to finish the film without compromising on the quality. 

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Jonas remembers Rishi Kapoor as she pens a piece for Time magazine

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”

Containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days, the Union Health Ministry said. According to the ministry's 'Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19', a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative.

The closing of the surveillance for the clusters could be independent of one another provided there is no geographic continuity between clusters. However, the surveillance will continue for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). States shall ensure that all required steps are taken to contain clusters within the large outbreak and chain of transmission is broken, it said.

The document stated that in India also, clusters and large outbreaks have been noted in parts of the country and unless they are contained in time, the risk of further spread remains very high. Large number of cases has been reported from Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Centre has declared 170 hotspots — 123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with clusters. Besides, it has identified 207 non-hotspot districts with clusters. In a bid to utilise the extended lockdown period to the maximum extent to contain the spread of Coronavirus, states have been asked by the ministry to classify districts witnessing higher number of cases or high growth rate as hotspots, districts where some cases have been found as non-hotspots, and those which have reported no cases as green zones.

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Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday indirectly targeted Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by saying that the Raj Bhavan "shouldn't become centre for political conspiracy".

In a sharp attack on Koshyari - without naming him - the Sena MP said he was somehow reminded of a 'shameless' governor, the late Thakur Ram Lal, who served in the Raj Bhavan in Andhra Pradesh in the early 1980s.

#ShivSena MP #SanjayRaut on Sunday indirectly targeted #Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by saying that the Raj Bhavan "shouldn't become centre for political conspiracy". pic.twitter.com/1Y6fM0F85f

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 19, 2020

"Remember! History doesn't spare those who behave unconstitutionally. Samajhne walon ko ishaara kaafi hai!" Raut said in tweets on Sunday.

The Sena MP's outburst is viewed against the backdrop of a recent Maharashtra Cabinet request to the Governor to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as a Member of the Legislative Council for one of the two vacant seats from the Governor's quota.

This is to prevent a constitutional crisis as Thackeray must become a member of either house of the state legislature by May 28, failing which he would be required to step down.

In view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Centre has postponed all elections, but the picture is likely to become clear after May 3.

Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, and took oath as the CM on November 28, 2019.

The Sena President's rise to power - the first ever member of the Thackeray clan to hold political office - came after Koshyari had sworn in a two-member government of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar, which collapsed in barely 80 hours.

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Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.

Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.

The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID 19 as on April 21 at 9 pm. "Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added.

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This year has brought so many firsts and new experiences and this year’s Earth Day, April 22, will certainly be among them. While people can’t get outside and participate in the same outdoor and collective experiences in person, they are celebrating the Earth on Twitter this year.

 The conversation on Twitter has spiked 285% around the discussion of 'action' and 'innovation' in sustainability and there have been more than 1 million Tweets tying this period of COVID-19  to impacts on the environment and 20 million unique Tweets about the environment since last Earth Day.

Ahead of Earth Day, Twitter has launched a new #EarthDay2020 emoji to encourage environmental conversations. To commemorate the 50th Earth Day, Twitter India (@TwitterIndia), Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) and Earth Day Network (@EarthDay_India) are partnering for #FightForFifty: a campaign that highlights 50 years of Earth Day and gives a common platform to 50 crowdsourced steps that we can take in our daily life to combat climate change and live sustainably.

Noted environmental activists and celebrities are joining the environmental conversation.

 Actress Dia Mirza (@deespeak) and singer-actor Monica Dogra (@MonicaSDogra) too participated in a Live Twitter Panel on April 21, 2020, to talk about 50 years of #EarthDay2020 and climate action. You can also watch the chat from last night to take a few points that Dia Mirza (@deepspeak) has advised for sustainable living #EarthDay.

This #EarthDay , join us for #FiftyForFifty Live with @deespeak, @MonicaSDogra, @EarthDay_India and @Tamseel_h to discuss what each one of us can do to save the planet. https://t.co/vkSUXPQ90o

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) April 21, 2020

A small step for sustainability 🌱
Our planet is a lot more beautiful when it's green.
Let's keep it that way...#EarthDay2020#StayAtHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/BxKdEMsFqP

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) April 22, 2020

When you realize “Heart” and Earth are spelt with the same letters, it all starts to make sense! Happy 50th #EarthDay!

#EarthDay2020 #WorldEarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/bUs68xpOON

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) April 22, 2020

Nature is healing: Of late, as the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping people indoors, reduced industrial and human activities have led to the rejuvenation of nature. Twitter has been witnessing volumes of discussions around how the lockdown has given the environment a chance to revive its lost glory.

This #EarthDay, we are sharing with you a few pictures of guests from the wild coming out on the streets of India during the COVID19 lockdown. This includes a special visit by two peahens to the house of the U.S. Ambassador to India as well! #EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/F9hD46YX0k

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 22, 2020

Earth is healing by itself.
#EarthDay #EarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome
Shot with @Sony @SonyAlpha @sony_india 77 Mark 2.
Post Processing: @SkylumSoftware pic.twitter.com/kUmePoP5x8

— Madhusudhan Reddy (@imMadhu1) April 22, 2020

Tweet, Tweet! It’s a bird: While people continue to spend time at home, they are taking up #BalconyBirding and reading books on nature.

I could speak to you about the importance of a single tree, but I will show you instead.

Flowering Neem tree, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/F2CMXGvLPN

— Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) April 20, 2020

Last evening’s #balconybirding helped me make these photos, with a stunning sunset in the backdrop!

Parakeets, a kite and a crow, and an egret?

Nature is beautiful, even in cities! 🌇ðŸ¦Âœ#BirdWatching @sonyalpha pic.twitter.com/uh2lYLCvCS

— Isha (@ishaachitnis) April 20, 2020

Feed the #birds and they'll feed your soul with a look of gratitude.🥰🥰

Let's not forget to keep water & food for them in our balcony/terrace.

Celebrate #EarthDayAtHome by watching beautiful birds & squirrels enjoying their meal.

I enjoy this everyday.😇#EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/4XyfAPizr0

— Manu Gulati (@ManuGulati11) April 22, 2020

Reading Nature (@ReadingNature), a book club on Twitter, asked its followers to talk about their favourite #naturebooks on #EarthDay, and people are sharing some interesting reads through videos.

For #EarthDay, we asked you to tell us about the #nature books📚you have loved over the years & WOW! We are thrilled to share your stories thru the day!
We begin with Editor Scissorhands @bijal_v (who gave us the idea for this #thread) reading us some delightful kid-lit (1/n) pic.twitter.com/bwMtvu0r7p

— ReadingNature (@ReadingNature) April 22, 2020

To bring out more focused conversations on sustainability, Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) has also launched three #FiftyForFifty Twitter Lists on topics like Balcony Birders, Climate Activists and Sustainable Fashion. A Twitter List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List, usually around a particular topic of your choice.

Organisations such as the UNESCO MGIEP (@UNESCO_MGIEP), WWF India (@WWFINDIA) and Earth Day Network India (@EarthDay_IN) are organising virtual concerts with performances from the finest musicians as a tribute to the Earth.

SOUND ON 🔊

What better way to kick off this #EarthDay2020 than listening to @EarthDay_India's Ambassador, Dr. L Subramanium's "Earth song".#EarthDay #EarthSong pic.twitter.com/XTOKG7Iae7

— Earth Day Network (@EarthDayNetwork) April 22, 2020

Celebrate this 50th #EarthDay & #ShineYourLight with
🎼5 Grammy Award Winners
🎵40+ artists
🎧With @rickykej @baabamaal @ElsieLaura @wouterkellerman @VishwaMBhatt1 @LonniePark
🗓ï¸Â Wed. 22 April
⏰8:00 pm IST

RSVP your attendance now:https://t.co/k65HTgKft4 pic.twitter.com/gqEuQAehLT

— WWF India (@WWFINDIA) April 19, 2020

Let’s come together this #EarthDay to pledge our solidarity to the planet and collectively work for sustainability.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with the chief ministers of all the states on April 27 over the COVID)-19 crisis. The Prime Minister has held two such interactions earlier with the chief ministers over the coronavirus situation and lockdown imposed to prevent its spread.

Before the lockdown was announced on March 24, the prime minister had interacted with the chief ministers on March 20 to discuss the means to check the spread of the deadly virus. In his last such interaction with the CMs, Modi had thanked the states for supporting the decision of the 21-day nationwide lockdown and praised how all the states have worked together as a team to check the spread of the virus.

The lockdown which was initially meant for 21-days was later extended till May 3 by the government. Meanwhile, the total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country rose to 19,984, including 15,474 active cases.

So far, 3,869 patients have been cured and discharged while 640 deaths have been recorded, as per the data provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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YouTubers in the PUBG Mobile scene in India. Godnixon mostaly famous for his tips & tricks videos where he shows various unique ways in which you can make the best possible use of the area/buildings be it bridges, squad houses, triple storey builds, warehouses and so on. With over 845K subscribers on YouTube and around 60+ million views on his YouTube channel, he is one of the mainstream content creators out there for PUBG Mobile.

Amazed by the quality of content available on his channel, Fnatic India has decided to take GodNixon overboard as their content creator. Is this a move to help the Fnatic PUBG squad perform better than their performance right now with some help from one of the best content creators out there? Or is it just that they want to take a step forward in a positive direction so as to create more opportunities for budding content creators out there?

GodNixon is one of the figureheads of the Indian PUBG Mobile community and was chosen as the country representative for India during PMCO in 2019. In the announcement video, he revealed that at the moment he is stuck in a hotel in Bangalore as the entire country is under lock down and he can’t get back home. As a result, he hasn’t been able to release content as regularly as he would like to. However, he did mention that we can expect a variety of content from both him and Fnatic in the near future.

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After a late night order on reopening of shops amid the Coronavirus lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued a clarification saying that only standalone shops are allowed to open. It further stated that the order does not apply to COVID-19 containment zones or liquor stores. "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open," the ministry clarified.

The ministry clarified that sales by ecommerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only. It also cleared that liquor stores will be shut as the relaxations do not apply to them. "Sale of liquor and other items continues to be prohibited as specified in the National Directives for COVID-19 management," it added.

Don't hurry: CAIT to traders
The largest traders' body Confederation of All India Traders lauded the decision, but issued a caution to the traders to follow orders by their state governments in the matter and also sanitise shops and market places before resuming business. CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, "The central government has taken this decision only after fully assessing the present circumstances." "We appeal to traders across the country to not open their shops in their extreme enthusiasm. Since trade and shops is a state subject, only states governments are empowered to take the decision," Khandelwal added.

Shops to open in Gujarat
The Gujarat government on Saturday declared that all the individual shops, neighbourhood shops and other small commercial activities outside containment zones will be permitted from Sunday.

No gatherings in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday made it clear that no public gatherings will be allowed in the state till June 30. "CM Adityanath has given strict instructions to the officers that no crowd of any kind can gather until June 30," Mrityunjay Kumar, media advisor to Aditynath, said on Saturday.

4 N-E states COVID-19 free
With the recovery of the second patient in Tripura on Saturday, four of the eight northeastern states—Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim—have become Coronavirus-free, officials said on Saturday morning. According to health officials, there are 15 active cases in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram, besides a 33-year-old trader from Dimapur, Nagaland, undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12.

'Halting DA unnecessary'
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposed the Central government's decision to cut back hike in dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners. In a video message released by the Congress, Singh said, "We should be on the side of people whose DA is being cut. I believe it is not necessary at this stage to enforce hardship on government servants and armed forces personnel."

Man kills wife over kids' future

A man in Delhi allegedly killed his wife after an argument over their children's future turned violent. The couple has nine children and the ongoing lockdown created uncertainty over their future. This was the second marriage for both of them. The accused himself informed the police about the incident. The incident took place in Madipur JJ Colony, which has been declared a containment zone by the authorities. The accused used a stick to kill her.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said India should look at converting the world's "hatred" for China amid the coronavirus pandemic into an economic opportunity for itself by attracting large-scale foreign investments.

Interacting with overseas Indian students via video conferencing, the minister for MSME and Road Transport and Highways said across the world now, there is "hatred for China. Is it possible for us to convert it into an opportunity for India?" Referring to the economic package announced by Japan for its businesses exiting China, Gadkari said, "I feel that we should think on that and we will concentrate on it. We will open the Indian scenario for that. We will give the clearances and everything to them and attract foreign investment."

Asked if India can take any action against China incase it is found to have deliberately "suppressed" information on coronavirus, the minister said this was a sensitive subject related with the Ministry of External Affairs and the prime minister, and therefore it will not be appropriate for him to comment on it. Gadkari said all government departments, particularly the finance ministry as well as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), are formulating policies to win the "economic war" post the COVID-19 pandemic and fulfil the prime minister's dream of making India a USD 5 trillion economy. "At the same time, we can make infrastructure of Rs 100 lakh crore," he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months and masks and face covers will be part of life while asserting that the country needs to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. The remarks came during his interaction with Chief Ministers via video conferencing to discuss the emerging situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The country has seen two Lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. As per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," Modi said, according to an official release.

COVID-19 impact will remain visible in coming months, need to fight it with impetus on economy: Modi

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/6eX7vLdAgn pic.twitter.com/aBYrrrTzQy

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 27, 2020

Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori', he said that "masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead". "We have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19," Modi said. The Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months.

"India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," he said.

Prime Minister Modi, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. "Prime Minister Modi added that under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign," the release said.

Prime Minister said that we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. He emphasized on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures: PMO on PM's meeting with CMs pic.twitter.com/cjk9KaY6IQ

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

The Prime Minister emphasised on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures and on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19.

"We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens. People associated with Universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation," he said. He also highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots i.e. the red zone areas. "The efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones," he said.

On the issue of getting back Indians who are overseas, the Prime Minister said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. He also urged Chief Ministers to factor in the changes in weather - advent of summer and monsoon - and the illnesses that can potentially come in this season, while strategizing ahead. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown so that maximum lives are saved.

"The Chief Ministers praised the leadership of the Prime Minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus. They spoke about the need to keep a close vigil on international borders, and also on addressing the economic challenge and ways to further boost health infrastructure. The leaders expressed gratitude towards the police force and medical staff for the exemplary work done by them in the fight against COVID-19," read the release.

Impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months, masks & face covers will be part of our life: PM Narendra Modi in his video conference meeting with Chief Ministers pic.twitter.com/aEhVdXnuBx

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

This was the fourth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on March 20, April 2, and April 11. Today's meeting comes just a week ahead of the scheduled ending of the nationwide lockdown. On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

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As India enters the final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the Novel Coronavirus.

In a video-conference with the chief ministers, fourth such interaction since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the Coronavirus hotspots, the government said in a statement.

The PM underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months", it said. "The PM said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," the statement added.

Modi also said that masks and face covers will become part of lives of people in the days ahead, adding everyone's aim must be to ensure rapid response under the current circumstances. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible. "The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," the statement said quoting the Prime Minister.

CRPF reaches out to cops over jawan's arrest

The CRPF has taken up with the Karnataka Police the "unpleasant" case of alleged manhandling and handcuffing of its CoBRA commando by cops and has sent a team to follow-up on the matter, officials said on Monday. The CoBRA unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. The force has written a letter to Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP), Praveen Sood stating that the "unpleasant situation could have been avoided had the state police taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest" of the jawan on April 23 in Belagavi district.

As govts decide on next plan of action...

. SC rejects petition: The SC on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking direction to the Centre to conduct en masse door-to-door testing for COVID-19 and challenging the validity of PM CARES fund, and termed it having "political colour."

. Kanpur a Corona hotspot: With 33 more Corona positive cases emerging in the past 24 hours, Kanpur is now a major COVID-19 hotspot in UP after Agra. The tally of Corona positive cases in Kanpur is now 185 and the city has 25 hotspots.

.Lockdown extension: Odisha Health Minister, Naba Kishore Das on Monday said that the COVID-19 lockdown should be extended for another month. "There is a need for the extension of lockdown and it should further be extended by one month," said Das after attending the video-conference of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and chief ministers of all states.

. COVID cess on ultra-rich: Former Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy on Monday suggested imposing "COVID cess" on the ultra rich to offset the loss of revenue, as he called for citizen-centric measures and lower the cost of living, to help those affected by the lockdown.

. Relaxations in Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government on Monday relaxed a number of activities including sale of essential goods, courier services for essential goods, e-commerce operations in essential goods and Common Service Centres during the lockdown period.

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Restrictions enforced in West Bengal to fight Covid-19 will continue till May 21 with curbs on normal life varying in intensity based on the extent of spread of the viral infection in a particular area, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

"We want the restrictions to continue till May 21. We have to be careful till that time," Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Chief Minister, however, clarified that she was not announcing any extension on lockdown, as that decision will be taken by the central government. "I am talking of restrictions, which is different from the lockdown," she added.

Banerjee said while the restrictions would be strictly implemented in every red zone (areas with a large number of corona positive cases), the impact will be less severe in orange zones (areas with a limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently, where restricted activities would be allowed).

Districts with no coronavirus positive cases are included in green zones.

"If an area which is now an orange zone, shows an increase in the prevalence of the disease and enters the red zone, the restrictions will be made stiffer, and vice versa. There will be more relaxations given in the green zones, but the areas will be placed under stiffer restrictions if more positive cases are detected putting them under orange or red zone categories," she said.

The Chief Minister announced the formation of a cabinet committee on COVID management, chaired by Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra. Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, and Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya will be part of the committee. Mitra and Chatterjee will work from home.

The Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, and the Home Secretary will be among the committee members. Banerjee said her government was discussing on resuming more activities in rural areas that come under the green zone.

She announced that home delivery companies, which were so long allowed to ferry only essential goods, would now be permitted to reach non-essential items also.

"We have to think of giving relaxations that won't harm the people," she said. She said though relaxations have been given on 100 days' job guarantee scheme, the problem was in getting labourers.

The Chief Minister appealed to the centre to ensure international borders were closed, and not allow domestic and international flights, and train services till the situation normalises. Inter-state bus services or travel also should not be allowed, except for emergencies.

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An Uttar Pradesh Police Constable posted in Agra allegedly shot dead his wife on Monday and absconded, taking along his three minor daughters, police said.

Accused Yatindra Kumar Yadav shot his wife Saroj multiple times at their residence in Awas Vikas Colony in Shikohabad, Firozabad Superintendent of police (rural) Rajesh Kumar said.

The police officer said the accused had an illicit affair with a Mathura-based woman. "Prima facie, the accused was pressuring the victim to sell off the house so that he could use the money to settle down with his paramour," he said.

The newly constructed house was in the name of Saroj and was worth around Rs 40-45 lakh. The couple has daughters aged 10, 7 and 5.

The accused hails from Awapura village in Kurah police circle in Mainpuri and had joined UP Dial 112 unit just a month back.

Yatindra was earlier booked in a case of kidnapping but the woman victim later gave a statement in his favour, after which a departmental inquiry against him was called off.

According to the police, there were multiple superficial injury marks on Saroj's body, indicating she was hit before she was shot dead. The victim's parents told the police that Yatindra often assaulted and mentally harassed Saroj.

The SP said that several teams were working to track down the accused and the three kids.

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After two Sadhus were found murdered in Bulandshahr the Congress has attacked the Chief Minister for deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The murder of the two Sadhus came after a family of five have been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Prasada in a press statement said, "It's time that the chief minister should step down as law and order situation is worsening day by day."

The Brahmin leader of UP has been accusing the government of targeted killing of Brahmins in the state and said that the government is trying to cover up such cases.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier tweeted that there should be no politics over the killing of sadhus but the Congress leaders have ceased the opportunity to attack the government.

Priyanka Gandhi in her tweet said, "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue."

Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. One of the accused has been arrested by the police.

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The Congress on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out a clear exit strategy for Coronavirus lockdown after May 3, saying the nation is waiting for it. Congress chief spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister is expected to lead the nation in crisis like these.

"We once again appeal to the PM to come out with a clear exit strategy for the lockdown, to state the roadmap for economic revival and to deal with the health pandemic post May 3, as also restrict the lockdown only to hotspot zones," he told the media at a press conference through video-conferencing. He said the chief ministers requested the PM to tell the nation what is the exit strategy from the lockdown.

"What is the government's strategy on the health front and the economic front in terms of post lockdown period? What is the roadmap for the future course after May 3? How is the PM going to come out with financial action plan 2 as Sonia Gandhi has demanded and so have many experts, be it for starvation, migrant labourers, or be it for kickstarting the economy or the small and medium enterprises?" the Congress leader said.

The appeal comes a day after Modi met chief ministers of various states through video-conferencing and sought their views, while also spelling out the government's strategy on tackling COVID-19. Most of the chief ministers have demanded extension of the lockdown and urged PM to take a call on the exit strategy, while asking him to have a cautious approach in opening it.

States navigate through Corona crisis

Relaxations in Delhi: The Delhi government has allowed from Tuesday some relaxations in the ongoing lockdown and has approved services of electricians, plumbers and sale of educational books even as it has said no other relief will be given till May 3. In an order issued late on Monday night, the government also allowed the movement of inter-, intra-state and air travel of all healthcare workers and scientists.

More cases in TN: Two city police personnel and a flower vendor at the Koyambedu market on Tuesday tested positive for Coronavirus, officials said. Authorities have taken up disinfection work and testing of those associated with the trio who become the latest COVID-19 patients, taking the total in Tamil Nadu to 1,940, they said. Pay cut stalled: The Kerala high court on Tuesday stayed for two months the operationalisation of the state government order to deduct the salary of government employees for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the interim order considering a batch of petitions filed by a section of employees and their organisations challenging the government decision. Bengal's bus drivers seek help: A bus operators' association in West Bengal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a financial package for the passenger transport sector, which has taken a severe hit amid the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

'Contactless dining' free for restaurants

Zomato CEO, Deepinder Goyal on Tuesday said that the company has made its 'contactless dining free for all restaurants across India and other global destinations for a period of at least six months. Restaurants in India, the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Portugal, Philippines, Indonesia, and Lebanon will have to only bear the payment gateway fee and Zomato won't charge any fee from them.

Don't buy veggies from Muslims: MLA in video

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Barhaj constituency in Deoria district, Suresh Tewari, was on Tuesday seen in a video clip, telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors. The clip has now been widely shared on social media, triggering a controversy. "I am saying openly don't purchase vegetables from Muslims (ek cheez dhayan mein rakhiyega, main bol raha hoon openly, koi bhi miyan ke hathon sabzi nahi lega)," the MLA can be heard saying in the clip.

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Hitting out at the Congress party, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that wilful defaulters were beneficiaries of 'phone banking' under the UPA regime and the Modi government is chasing them to recover the dues. She was responding to the opposition's allegations of loan waivers worth Rs 68,607 crore in the form of write-offs of top 50 wilful defaulters during the first half of the financial year ended March 2020. The Finance Minister, through a series of tweets posted late night on Tuesday, said that the Congress has attempted to mislead people, and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi should introspect why his party fails to play a constructive role in cleaning up the system. "Shri @RahulGandhi MP (LS) and Shri @rssurjewala spokesperson of @INCIndia have attempted to mislead people in a brazen manner.

Typical to @INCIndia, they resort to sensationalising facts by taking them out of context. In the following tweets wish to respond to the issues raised. "@INCIndia and Shri.@RahulGandhi should introspect why they fail to play a constructive role in cleaning up the system. Neither while in power, nor while in the opposition has the @INCIndia shown any commitment or inclination to stop corruption & cronyism," she said. Highlighting that between 2009-10 and 2013-14, scheduled commercial banks had written off Rs 1,45,226 crore, she quipped, 'Wished Gandhi consulted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on what this writing-off was about'. She also referred to media reports quoting former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan as having said that a large number of bad loans originated in the period 2006-2008 and "too many loans were made to well-connected promoters who have a history of defaulting on their loans".

"Those defaulters who do not repay despite having capacity to pay, divert or siphon-off funds, or dispose of secured assets without bank's permission are categorised as wilful defaulters. They are those well connected promoters who benefitted from UPA's `phone banking'," she added. In another tweet she said, "Earlier, on 18.11.2019, in the Lok Sabha for an unstarred Question no:52, a list of 'Borrowers flagged as wilful defaulter by Public Sector Banks under CRILIC (Central Repository of Information on Large Credits) reporting as on 30.09.2019 (For borrowers with exposure of Rs. 5 crore and above, Global operations) was provided."

Bank-wise details of aggregate funded amount outstanding and amount technically/prudentially written off pertaining to top 50 wilful defaulters was provided as an annex to the answer to Lok Sabha starred question 305 of Gandhi on March 16, 2020. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he had asked the government in Parliament the names of the top 50 bank loan defaulters, but the Finance Minister did not answer his question. "Now the RBI has given the names of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and many of BJP's ''friends'' in the list of bank frauds. That is why this truth was held back from Parliament," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Congress alleged the government waived loans worth Rs 6.66 lakh crore since 2014 till September 2019. Sitharaman said this is an attempt of Congress leaders to mislead on wilful defaulters, bad loans and write-offs. She emphasised that it is the Narendra Modi-led government which is pursuing cases against these wilful defaulters and 9,967 recovery suits, 3,515 FIRs, invoking of Fugitive Amendment Act in cases are on now. The total value of attachment and seizures in the cases of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya is about Rs 18,332.7 crore, she said. Sharing details, she tweeted: "Vijay Mallya Case: Total value at the time of attachment was Rs 8,040 crore and of seizure was Rs 1,693 crore. Value of shares at the time of seizure was Rs 1,693 crore. Declared fugitive offender. On extradition request by GoI, UK High Court, has also ruled for extradition."

In case of Mehul Choksi she said, "attachments of Rs 1,936.95 crore including foreign attachment of Rs 67.9 crore. Seizure of Rs 597.75 crore. Red Notice issued. Extradition request sent to Antigua. Hearing for declaration of Mehul Choksi as fugitive offender is in progress." On the Nirav Modi case, the Finance Minister said, "Immovable and movable properties worth more than Rs 2,387 crore attached/seized. (Attachment Rs 1,898 crore and Seizure Rs 489.75 crore). This includes foreign attachments of Rs 961.47 crore. Auction of luxury items for Rs 53.45 crore. He is in prison in the UK."

Provisions are made for non-performing assets (NPAs) as per the four-year provisioning cycle laid down by the RBI, she said, adding, upon full provisioning being done banks write-off the fully provided NPA but continue to pursue recovery against the borrower and no loan is waived off. On Tuesday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded answers from the Prime Minister on why their loans were waived. "This is a classic case of promoting ''dupe, deceive and depart'' policy of the Modi government, which can no longer be accepted and the prime minister has to answer," Surjewala said. He said the entire country is fighting the coronavirus and the government has no money to pay.

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ates, but has the money to condone and write off Rs 68,607 crore of bank loan defaulters.

Maharashtra government has decided to allow standalone shops including liquor shops to open in green, orange and red zone areas, but not in containment zones.

As per the guidelines, only five non-essential shops can be opened in each lane. However, there is no restriction on the number of shops selling essential items opening.

The government has issued a list of guidelines informing what will be allowed and not allowed in different zones of the state

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The third phase of the countrywide lockdown begins Monday with "considerable relaxations", but curbs will continue in containment areas so that the gains achieved so far in the fight against COVID-19 are not "squandered away", officials said on Sunday. The country has been divided in three zones – Red, Orange and Green – based on Coronavirus risk-profiling. The extended lockdown is slated to last till May 17.

According to the home ministry, activities prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zones are: air, rail, Metro travel; inter-state movement by road; schools, colleges, and other educational, training and coaching institutions; hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants.

Places of large public gatherings – cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes – social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings and religious or public worship places are in the prohibited list. However, movement of individuals for non-essential activities in all zones, barring containment areas, is allowed but strictly between 7 am and 7 pm.

Barber shops, spas and salons in Green and Orange zones is allowed to open as is the sale of non-essential items by e-commerce firms. Sale of liquor will be allowed with certain conditions in all zones, barring containment areas, in standalone shops, not in markets or malls.

Sale of liquor, barber shops and salons were not allowed during the first two phases of lockdown. In all zones, persons above 65 years of age, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and children below 10 years shall stay at home, except for essential and health purposes.

'10,000 patients cured'
Meanwhile, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that India's COVID-19 mortality rate of 3.2 per cent is the lowest in the world and over 10,000 Coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the disease so far.

"Today more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients have been discharged. Those still admitted at hospitals are on the road to recovery. If in last 14 days doubling rate was 10.5 days, then today it is around 12 days," the minister told ANI after visiting Lady Hardinge Hospital. Agencies

CRPF headquarters shut as two test positive

The headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here has been sealed after a personal staff of a senior officer and a bus driver of the paramilitary tested positive for Coronavirus, officials said on Sunday. The five-storeyed building is located inside the Central Government Offices (CGO) complex on Lodhi Road. A personal secretary of a Special Director General (SDG) rank officer working in the headquarters tested positive for the virus on Saturday, they said.

Nation thanks COVID-19 warriors

. Healthcare workers on Sunday had an "inspiring" start to the day as helicopters hovered over hospitals across the country and showered flower petals to thank the "Corona warriors". While the workers were "elated" and "overwhelmed" by the gesture, they also said it will send out a message to those who have stigmatised and humiliated them.

. The excise commissioner of Karnataka has issued an order granting permission to distilleries, breweries and wineries situated outside the containment zones to begin production activity.

. The audit committee constituted by the West Bengal government to ascertain if a death was due to COVID-19 or a pre-existing ailment will henceforth study only select Coronavirus cases and submit its report to the government, a senior member of the panel said on Sunday.

. In view of the extension of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown by two weeks, Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has announced new guidelines to be followed in the state. According to the new guidelines, Sundays will be a closed day for everything including vehicle movement.

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Emphasising on the plight of migrants and the money being charged from them for ferrying them back to their home, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that the party will bear the cost of their rail tickets.

In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, our workers and labourers form the "backbone" of our economy and their hard work and sacrifice are the foundation of our nation.

She said that as the Central government barely gave a four-hour notice of the lockdown, workers and migrant labourers were denied the opportunity to return to their homes. Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot - without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones.

"The very thought of their plight is enough to break our hearts as there was also the outpouring of support from fellow Indians for their inspiring resolve," she said.

The Congress leader lamenting at the government said, "What is the responsibility of our government? Even today, lakhs of workers and migrant labourers are languishing in different parts of the country and wish to return to their homes and families but there is neither adequate money nor provision for free transport."

"What is particularly disturbing is that the Central government and the rail ministry are charging them for train tickets in this hour of crisis," she said.

Sonia Gandhi said, "The Congress has, therefore, taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee (state unit) shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard."

"This will be the Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," she said.

Her remarks came amid the reports that the migrants were being charged for their travel by trains to their respective states.

The railways has earlier said that it was charging the state governments for the Shramik special train tickets.

The railways also clarified that the Shramik Special trains are meant for "nominated people" identified and registered by state governments and the railways will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any groups.

The railways has started to run the Shramik Special trains for transporting the labourers from May 1, almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and Express trains services were suspended.

Till now the national transporter has run over a dozen of Shramik Special trains on the request of the state governments to ferry the migrant labourers.

Emphasising on the role of labourers in country's growth she said that they are the ambassadors of our nation's growth.

Attacking the government, she further said that when our government can recognise its responsibility by arranging free air travel for our citizens stranded abroad, when the government can spend nearly Rs 100 crore on transport and food, etc. for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 crore to the PM's corona fund, then why can't these essential members of our nation's fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?

She said that Congress has been raising the issue of transporting the migrants from the outset of the lockdown.

"There needs to be provisions for the safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns. However, despite our repeated demands, the Central government and the Rail Ministry have chosen to completely ignore the same," she said.

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A day after reopening the liquor shops, Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday increased alcohol prices by 50 per cent. The government said the move was aimed at discouraging liquor consumption. The shops had reopened on Monday with a hike of 25 per cent in liquor prices.

A day after reopening the #liquorshops, #AndhraPradesh government on Tuesday increased alcohol prices by 50 per cent.

The government said the move was aimed at discouraging liquor consumption. The shops had reopened on Monday with a hike of 25 per cent in liquor prices. pic.twitter.com/u3cb6rO5f6

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) May 5, 2020

However, the hike failed to deter the tipplers, who gathered in large numbers at the shops across the state, flouting the social distancing norm to check the spread of COVID-19. As the scenes of long queues and chaos raised fears of further spike in the number of corona cases in the state and the government came under criticism for encouraging liquor sale during a pandemic, it hiked the prices by 50 per cent on Tuesday.

Officials said the new prices will come into force with immediate effect. However, shops will open only after the issue of formal orders and the new prices are updated online. There was utter confusion on Monday when the shops reopened for the first time after the lockdown began as the prices following 25 per cent hike were not updated online.

The government claimed that another 50 per cent hike has been taken as further step towards discouraging alcohol consumption. With the latest hike the prices have increased by 75 per cent in two days. Officials said the latest decision was taken to discourage liquor consumption in view of the conditions that prevailed on Monday.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government said the number of liquor shops would be further reduced by 15 per cent by the end of this month. The YSRCP, which had promised total prohibition, started phase-wise implementation after coming to power in May last year.

As a first major step towards prohibition in October last year, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government took over the state. The state-owned Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation Limited (APBCL) took control of the liquor shops from private contractors after reducing the number of outlets to 3,500 from 4,380 earlier.

In December, the government had claimed that as a result of its steps the liquor consumption came down in the state.e retail liquor business and increased the price to discourage consumption.

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Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that he will hold a meeting with the Maharashtra Chief Minister to discuss the worsening COVID-19 situation in the state, as 34 out of its 36 districts are affected by the infection.

"The situation in Maharashtra is certainly a matter of concern right now as 34 out of 36 districts are affected by COVID-19. I will hold a meeting with the Chief Minister as well to discuss further course of action to control spread of the virus in the state," the Minister said at a press conference here.

The situation in Maharashtra is certainly a matter of concern right now as 34 out of 36 districts are affected by #COVID19. I will hold a meeting with CM as well to discuss further course of action to control spread of the virus in state: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan pic.twitter.com/g2Ez09pNLM

— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2020

"Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad, Solapur, among the 34 districts are a cause of concern for us," he added. The Union Health Minister further said the Centre's aim was to ensure that no new cases come up from districts in Maharashtra and assured all help to the state in the coming days.

"There are 1,026 containment zones in Maharashtra right now, as per my knowledge. The team from Centre and doctors are stationed there and we will give further help to Maharashtra as per the need," the Minister said.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra had 15,525 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday morning, including 617 deaths. However, 2,819 patients have been cured and discharged after receiving treatment for the disease.

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A gas leak in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizag district in the wee hours of Thursday has left eight people, including a child and over 120 people hospitalized. According to ANI, Styrene gas leakage had occurred at the LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village in Vizag early this morning.

Residents in the area complained of irritation in eyes, breathlessness, nausea and rashes on their bodies following the gas leak. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have rushed to the spot and reports say that the gas leak has been contained.

Many politicians have taken to Twitter to condemn the incident and are urging their local party members to provide help to people who have been affected by the gas leak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted saying that he monitoring the situation in Vizag closely and is praying for the wellbeing of the people.

Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely.

I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2020

President Ram Nath Kovind offered his condolence to the victims of the gas leak and said that he is saddened by the incident.

Saddened by the news of gas leak in a plant near Visakhapatnam which has claimed several lives. My condolences to the families of the victims. I pray for the recovery of the injured and the safety of all.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 7, 2020

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam and prayed for the speedy recovery of those hospitalised. He also urged Congress workers in the area to provide all necessary support to those affected by the gas leak.

I’m shocked to hear about the
#VizagGasLeak . I urge our Congress workers & leaders in the area to provide all necessary support & assistance to those affected. My condolences to the families of those who have perished. I pray that those hospitalised make a speedy recovery.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 7, 2020

Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the incident as disturbing and  is praying for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam

The incident in Vizag is disturbing.

Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation.

I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 7, 2020

Many other political leaders have taken to the micro-blogging site and expressed their shock over the incident.

The news of gas leak from a Polymer plant in #Visakhapatnam is worrying. My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope and pray the situation is brought under control as soon as possible.#vizaggasleak#AndhraPradesh #PrayForVizag @ysjagan pic.twitter.com/AeCc8IMVK8

— Jayant Patil (@Jayant_R_Patil) May 7, 2020

Deeply disturbed to hear about the gas leak from a chemical plant in #Vishakapatnam. Praying for the well being of everyone affected. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.#VizagGasLeak

— Dr. Mahesh Sharma (@dr_maheshsharma) May 7, 2020

Gas leak at LG Polymers in #Vishakapatnam is more fatal and terrifying situation than #COVID19.

Many are suffocating, aged and children are most vulnerable; animals are dying.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families who lost their dear ones.

#VizagGasLeak 🙏

— Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 7, 2020

MP Suresh Prabhu reacted to the incident, calling it discomforting. "I am contacting Administration and our local unit to address the problems of those who are affected and to provide medical help and other necessary relief," he tweeted.

Several police personnel, who came for the rescue operation, also suffered symptoms like breathlessness, irritation in eyes and fell unconscious. Sources said the vapour leak occurred in the early hours of Thursday when some workers of the plant were making preparations for the re-opening of the unit following easing of the ongoing lockdown restrictions.

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New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday said it played a vital role in controlling the gas leakage and rescue operations during the styrene gas leakage in LG Polymers in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The central paramilitary force, in a statement, said the CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam along with one foam tender immediately rushed to the spot and joined the operation with local authorities and the state fire service.

"On Thursday, styrene gas leakage occurred in LG Polymers plant, Gopalapatnam, Visakhapatnam (AP). On receiving information from local police, personnel of CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam rushed to the spot and joined the operation," the CISF said in a statement.

It said gas affected 20 people were rescued and rushed to hospital.

"Additional Breathing Apparatus Sets, spare cylinders were sent to the spot for rescue operations by CISF Unit VSP Visakhapatnam. Later at about 9.45 a.m. as per the request of local authorities, the hydraulic platform with additional CISF Fire Service Wing personnel was sent to the spot to join the operation to stop the gas leakage."

It said the CISF Fire Service Wing personnel with foam tender actively participated in the joint operation with local authorities and state fire service to stop the gas leakage.

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The country woke to the news of migrant workers being mowed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad on the wee hours of Friday . The workers, who were walking to Bhusawal from Jalna, were returning to Madhya Pradesh. They had been walking along the rail tracks and slept on the rail tracks due to exhaustion.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO)  has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who were killed in the Aurangabad train accident.

Prominent political leaders took to Twitter to express their shock and grief over the incident. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Praskash Javadekar, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and  former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were among the political leaders who have condemned the accident on the micro-blogging site.

President Kovind said that he was saddened ‘beyond words’ after learning about the incident and wished speedy recovery to the injured.

Saddened beyond words to learn about the loss of lives in the railway track accident near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. Wishing speedy recovery to the injured.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 8, 2020

Prime Minister Modi tweeted expressing his anguish over the incident and said that all possible assistance is being provided.

Extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Have spoken to Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and he is closely monitoring the situation. All possible assistance required is being provided.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 8, 2020

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal expressed his condolences to the deceased and said that he has called for an inquiry in the incident.

à¤Â†à¤ÂÂÂœ 5:22 AM पर नाà¤Â‚दà¥Â‡ड़ डिवà¥Â€à¤ÂÂÂœन à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बदनापà¥Âर व à¤Â•रमाड सà¥Âà¤ÂŸà¥Â‡शन à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बà¥Â€à¤Âš सà¥Â‹यà¥Â‡ हà¥Âà¤Â शà¥Âरमिà¤Â•à¥Â‹à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ मालà¤Â—ाड़à¥Â€ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ नà¥Â€à¤Âšà¥Â‡ à¤Â†नà¥Â‡ à¤Â•ा दà¥Âà¤Â–द समाà¤Âšार मिला।

राहत à¤Â•ारà¥Âय à¤ÂÂÂœारà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ, व à¤Â‡नà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âवायरà¥Â€ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ à¤Â†दà¥Â‡श दियà¥Â‡ à¤Â—à¤Â हà¥Âˆà¤Â‚। दिवà¤Â‚à¤Â—त à¤Â†तà¥Âमाà¤Â“à¤Â‚ à¤Â•à¥Â€ शाà¤Â‚ति हà¥Â‡तà¥Â à¤Âˆशà¥Âवर सà¥Â‡ पà¥Âरारà¥Âथना à¤Â•रता हà¥Â‚à¤Â। https://t.co/NnOmPNfATU

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) May 8, 2020

Here’s how many other leaders reacted to the incident.

Extremely saddened & shocked to know about the #Aurangabad rail accident where migrant labourers lost their lives.
My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 8, 2020

I am deeply distressed by the death of labourers in a rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) May 8, 2020

Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) May 8, 2020

It is most heart wrenching to know several migrant workers were crushed to death by a train in #Aurangabad. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength in this terrible time.

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) May 8, 2020

I am struck by grief to hear of the horrific incident involving a goods train which ran over innocent migrants in #Aurangabad, Maharashtra. My deep condolences to the families of the deceased. May their souls rest in peace. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 8, 2020

Deeply saddened by the unfortunate train tragedy in Aurangabad. My sincere condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.#Aurangabad

— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) May 8, 2020

Pained beyond words at the loss of lives due to a rail accident in Maharashtra. I have spoken to Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal, concerned authorities in the central govt and railway administration to ensure all possible assistance. My condolences with the bereaved families.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 8, 2020

The incident left two workers injured whereas three others who were also part of the group survived as they were sleeping some distance away from rail tracks.

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New Delhi: Director-General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SN Pradhan, on Friday refuted reports of a second gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam district and clarified that it was some fumes which released during the neutralisation process.

"There are rumours in some section of media about a second gas leakage, let me categorically place on record that there is no such second leakage in Vizag. Some fumes get released during the process of neutralising. It happens during the neutralisation process. It is a technical process. That process will continue," Pradhan told ANI.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responded to reports of another gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam and clarified that it was a "minuscule technical leak" and the situation is under control.

"There are media reports that there was another leak. This is clarified that this was a minuscule technical leak. It is required to bring the container in control. It is been controlled and the process of neutralisation is already in process. The situation is under control," the MHA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Pradhan said, "Few fumes get released during the neutralisation process. These fumes do not go out and mostly remain in the vicinity of the company only, but that does not mean that it's secondary leakage happened there. The smell of this gas can passes through the air little bit outside, but assessing it as a second leak is utterly wrong."

The NDRF DG appealed to the media to not to run fake news on the gas leak without cross-checking so that people do not get panic.

"The neutraliser chemical has reached the spot in good quantity and it is being used in the process. Rumour mongering must be avoided in the interest of people," he said.

Pradhan informed that experts from Pune and Nagpur, including scientists are monitoring the situation on the ground since last night.

"We are preparing a roadmap with the local administration. This work is being done jointly by the state, Centre and local administration. Tourism minister of the state also visited the spot. We are also present at the spot. Since last night, the experts from Pune and Nagpur including scientists are monitoring the situation on the ground. At the moment, our two commandants and three scientists are camping there," he explained.

"Two teams of 5th battalion of NDRF are on the ground. The situation is under control. The NDRF teams will stay back in the area until the situation is absolutely under control," Pradhan said.

On Thursday, styrene gas had leaked in the gas plant of LG Polymers in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam district on Thursday morning, which claimed 11 lives.

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Pune: In a bid to limit the movement of people in containment zones, the civic body in Maharashtra's Pune city will distribute ration kits to 70,000 families in the hotspot areas from Friday onwards, an official said.

As of Thursday, the Pune Municipal Corporation has over 2,140 COVID-19 cases, of which 1,600 were reported from Bhavani Peth, Dhole Patil Road, Kasba-Vishrambaug, parts of Shivajinagar and Yerwada areas.

"We want people in the containment zones to stay indoors and not venture out even to buy essentials. We will distribute 1 lakh ration kits to 70,000 families in these areas," municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said.

These kits will contain five kg of flour, three kg of rice, pulses, oil and other essential items that can last up to 15 days, he said. "Community workers and civic employees will distribute these kits from Friday onwards," he added.

Apart from ration kits, the PMC also plans to provide sanitisers and one lakh masks to residents of containment zones.

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The Supreme Court on Friday observed that the state governments should consider online sale or home delivery of liquor during the nationwide lockdown that's in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The remarks came from a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B.R. Gavai during the hearing of a PIL through video conferencing. The PIL complained of indiscriminate flouting of all social distancing norms at the liquor vends after they were reopned on May 4.

The top court observed that it is not feasible to pass orders on the PIL filed under Article 32 and instead asked the state governments to consider selling liquor through other viable options, keeping in place social distancing norms. The court said, "We will not pass any order. States should consider indirect sale or home delivery of liquor to maintain social distancing." Advocate Sai Deepak, representing the petitioner, submitted that the opening of liquor shops should not meddle with the lives of the common people.

The petition under Article 32 of the Constitution sought direction from the apex court to the Centre in order to declare the new Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Union of India, which permit the sale of liquors at liquor vends through direct contact sales during the lockdown period "as unconstitutional, null and void". The petition argued that prohibition of sale of liquor for human consumption at liquor vends through direct contact sales during the lockdown period would eventually contribute to containing the spread of Covid-19 in India, until the National Disaster Management Authority or the Centre declares India to be Covid-19 free.

Serpentine queues were reported across Delhi and many other parts of the country after the liquor vends opened in the third phase of the lockdown. At many liquor vends in Delhi-NCR, people disregarded social distancing norms while queuing up to purchase liquor.

Liquor shops had been shut down across India after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 midnight. They reopened on May 4.

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Sophie Turner, who stars as Phoenix in the film series "X-Men", has said that she would relish the opportunity to reprise her role in the future.

"I don't even know what the deal is, whether Disney wants to continue on the 'X-Men' journey. I would always be down to go back to that character and that cast and that experience ... We had the best time on those movies. I would kill to go back," she said in a video chat seen on Twitter, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Turner is currently starring in the TV series "Survive", where she plays a survivor of a plane crash who has to make it back to civilisation. She hopes the new show will make those suffering with mental illness feel "less alone".

Turner said: "What drew me to the script was the way that mental illness was written so accurately in my opinion. It felt real to me. I also loved the notion that this girl who wanted to die so badly ends up fighting for a life that she never wanted to live in the first place."

She also feels "Survive" will help to make people feel less alone. "I hope that the story of this girl finding something to live for helps others find the ability to do that, too," she said.

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American actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife, Camila, donated approximately 80,000 face masks to COVID-19 first responders in Texas and Louisiana, officials said. The couple gave away the masks at the Austin Fire Department on Friday, Fox News said quoting KEYE.

Expressing its gratitude, the Austin Fire Department tweeted on Saturday, "The C-shift at Station 32 got a surprise yesterday, when McConaughey and @iamcamilaalves stopped by to let us know we're getting several 1,000 N-95 masks soon, part of their donation of 80K to healthcare workers, FFs, and police officers in #ATX and #NOLA! DC T.

just keep winning #HookEm @UTAustin @Jeopardy https://t.co/eqdQf8FAL2

— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) April 7, 2020

Smith, AFD" Earlier on Sunday, the COVID-19 death toll in Texas reached 270, following a rise of nearly 1,000 more positive tests for the disease in the state. Overall, roughly 13,500 cases have been reported so far, according to Fox News. Camila wrote on Instagram about the donations. She wrote, "Our mission is to protect those who protect us, by providing healthcare workers, firefighters, police officers and others with approximately 80,000 masks needed to battle the #COVID19 virus."

She hoped that the move would "inspire you to pick a lane to help others whatever that lane is even if your lane is helping your neighbour, calling people, emotional support, donations, volunteer... pick a lane and do it well! Stay strong this too shall pass..." Last month, McConaughey urged students at the University of Texas in Austin to stay at their homes after dozens tested positive following an ill-fated spring-break trip to Mexico.

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Lady Gaga on Sunday kicked off the virtual concert One World: Together At Home online with her soulful Smile performance. According to Variety magazine, Smile is a classic majorly popularised by Jimmy Durante and Nat King Cole.

The musician had co-ordinated with the leaders from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other musicians to begin the show.

Lady Gaga started the show by asking viewers to put their wallets aside as the show wasn't a fundraiser and didn't ask for donations. The online concert was organised to express gratitude towards the frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19.

Terming the special show as the 'love letter to the world,' the pop star shared pictures and videos of other performers as well.

Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the globe had joined the WHO's initiative of the online concert to thank and celebrate the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the virtual concert raised over USD 127 million for the relief efforts of COVID-19.

Some of the artists that were a part of the show are Elton John, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Celine Dion, and the Rolling Stone.

The show was hosted by the most popular hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert.

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Taylor Swift won millions of hearts with her performance of hope at the virtual concert One World: Together At Home where she performed Soon You'll Be Better.

According to E! Online, the Grammy winner musician didn't use words but the lyrics of her song and her music to do the talking while she expressed gratitude towards the frontline workers during the show.

The singer was seen spreading a ray of hope as she sang, "Soon you'll be better, cause you have to."

Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the globe had joined the WHO's initiative of the online concert to thank and celebrate the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic.

Some of the artists that were a part of the show are Elton John, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Celine Dion, and the Rolling Stone.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the virtual concert raised over USD 127 million for the relief efforts of COVID-19.

The show was hosted by the most popular hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert.

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Amid the lockdown, veteran actor Richard Gere has welcomed his second child with wife Alejandra Silva. According to Spanish magazine Hola!, they are now parents of a baby boy, reports dailymail.co.uk. It is believed that they are enjoying the new addition to their family at their ranch outside New York.The reports that Gere, 70, Silva, 37, were expecting their second child first surfaced in November. The immensely-private couple never officially confirmed the news.

The couple got married in April 2018, and announced they were expecting their first child together in August that year. Silva and Gere, who met in 2014 at a luxury Italian boutique hotel Silva bought with her former husband, welcomed son Alexander in February 2019. Ahead of the birth that time, Gere said he was "not all at" worried about becoming an older parent, and wanted to be a "hands-on dad".

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Veteran actor Sylvester Stallone extended his warm wishes to the Hollywood superstar Al Pacino who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. The 'Rocky' legend greeted the 80-year-old turned icon on Saturday on Instagram.

The 'Rambo' actor shared a dashing picture of the two on his official handle showing both in Black, all suited up. Taking it to the captions, the 73-year-old wrote: "A very very happy birthday to the brilliant Al Pacino !!!!"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A very very happy birthday to the brilliant Al Pacino !!!!

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) onApr 25, 2020 at 12:26pm PDT

Scores of comments followed the post with many of the icon's fans extending birthday wishes. Having an impressive array of films under his belt, Pacino has been a part of classics like the 'Godfather' series, 'Scarface', 'Serpico', 'The Devil's Advocate', and many more during a career spanning more than five decades.

Regarded as one of cinema's greatest and most influential actors, the legendary actor received the Academy Award for his character in the 1992 released movie 'Scent of a Woman'

Recently, the superstar also starred in ace filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood', along with the other star cast -- Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie

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Late actor Irrfan Khan not only proved his acting mettle in Bollywood but has also left a mark over Hollywood cinema with his class-apart acting skills. Several Hollywood filmmakers on Wednesday paid tribute to the legendary actor and mourned the loss.

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow took to Twitter and expressed his grief over Irrfan's demise. "Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan. A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain. In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember "the wonderful aspects of our existence" in the darkest of days. Here he is, laughing," he wrote.

Have a look right here: 

Deeply sad to have lost #IrrfanKhan. A thoughtful man who found beauty in the world around him, even in pain. In our last correspondence, he asked me to remember “the wonderful aspects of our existence” in the darkest of days. Here he is, laughing. pic.twitter.com/8eAsSOO9Ie

— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) April 29, 2020

American filmmaker Ava DuVernay also paid tribute to the late actor. "A grateful fan of #IrrfanKhan here. Gone too soon. When he is on screen, you can't take your eyes off of him. He lives on in his films," she said in a tweet. Take a look:

A grateful fan of #IrrfanKhan here. Gone too soon. When he is on screen, you can’t take your eyes off of him. He lives on in his films. pic.twitter.com/aA9RAjsxSl

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 29, 2020

Irrfan appeared in several international films such as Jurassic World, Inferno, Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire and others, over the years.

The actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Khan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

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Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has expressed her condolences on the demise of Indian actor Irrfan Khan, in a message shared with IANS.

"I had the privilege of working with Irrfan Khan on the set of A Mighty Heart. He stood out for his generosity as an artist, which made it a pleasure to work in any scene with him. I remember the intensity of his commitment, and equally his smile. I send my condolences and my sympathy to his family, his friends, and all admirers of his work, in India and around the world," Jolie said in her message.

"A Mighty Heart", is a 2007 drama directed by Michael Winterbottom based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl. The film accounts the aftermath of the kidnapping of Marianne's journalist husband Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, and his subsequent beheading by the kidnappers.

Jolie played Marianne Pearl while Irrfan impressed Karachi police chief Zeeshan Kazmi, in a well-written role. Most of the Karachi sequences of the film were shot in Pune.

The critically-acclaimed film was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and is widely considered one of the earliest films to train the global spotlight on Irrfan Khan.

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences better known as Oscars on Wednesday remembered the internationally acclaimed Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan and also condoled his demise.

"A mainstay of Bollywood cinema and incredible talent in films like 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'Life of Pi' and 'The Namesake,' Irrfan Khan left his imprint on global cinema. An inspiration to millions, he will be greatly missed," tweeted the Academy.

Khan's 'Slumdog Millionaire' is a recipient of the Oscar award in many categories.

The last rites of the 'Life of Pi' actor were performed at the Versova cemetery earlier today.

The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Irrfan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster has condoled the demise of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan who passed away on Wednesday.

"Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the family and friends of Irrfan Khan, renowned and respected Indian film actor. He was a true talent in the cinema industry, and his loss will be deeply felt," Juster said in a tweet.

Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the family and friends of Irrfan Khan, renowned and respected Indian film actor. He was a true talent in the cinema industry, and his loss will be deeply felt. #RIPIrrfanKhan. pic.twitter.com/OqF4BV2JKf

— Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) April 29, 2020

The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53. Irrfan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

With critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit, Irrfan was regarded as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema.

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"'Yaar, main ja raha hun. Please khayal rakhna' (I am leaving, please take care of my family), was what he told me in our last conversation, before he resumed duty at Jammu," said Sudhir Tayde, about Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Sanjay Rajput.

Sanjay was one of the 40 CRPF personnel who were slain in Pulwama on Thursday, when a car laden with explosives rammed their bus in a terror attack. He was also one of two jawans from Buldhana district, Maharashtra on it. The other was Nitin Shivaji Rathod. The duo, like others on the bus, was resuming duty after a holiday.

'Son will join defence forces'
Nitin Shivaji Rathod, 36, was a resident of Chorpangra village in Buldhana district. Nitin is survived by his parents, his wife Vandana, 28, and two children, Jeewan, 8, and Jivika, 5. He had joined the CRPF when he was 23.

Vandana recalled, "Just a week back we were together having meals and enjoying with everyone. I will dedicate my son to the defence forces too, as it was my husband's dream."

Sanjay Rajput

Villagers want revenge
The mood was sombre in Chorpangra village. No one has cooked since Thursday night when they got the news. All the villagers were at Nitin's house. Many people displayed their anger and said the government must take strong action against Pakistan.

Everyone remembered Nitin. Baburao Sawadkar, a teacher from Vasant Primary and Secondary Ashram School, who taught Nitin said, "Since his school days he was patriotic. He was good in studies and always participated in cultural programmes. He would always play an Army soldier in them. He would sing patriotic songs in these programmes and knew many of them by heart."

Nitin's childhood friend, Raju Rathod, said he was a hard-worker. They had studied together till they graduated. "Since age 13, he wanted to join the defence forces. During college he was often adjudged the best sports person. He was an excellent cricket and kabaddi player. He was also a good wrestler. In college days, he also worked as a labourer to pay for his education."

Extended service by five years
Sanjay Rajput, 49, the other jawan who was slain, was a resident of Malkapur in Buldhana district. He had recently shifted to Nagpur for his children's education. Sanjay had served the CRPF for 23 years and had extended his service by five years and was transferred to Jammu. He is survived by his wife Sushma, and two sons, Jay, 12, and Shubham, 11.

His brother recalled him as a brave person and said, "We had talked to him on Wednesday. He told us that due to snow, the roads were blocked and so they had to camp in another area. We have not informed our mother about his death, because this will be the second shock this year, as our elder brother died seven months back in a road accident." He too said once Sanjay's children each are 18 years old, he would want them to join the defence forces.

Prayers in mosques in memory of jawans
A condolence meeting was held and prayers were offered in memory of the CRPF jawans in many mosques in Pune city on Friday. Maulana Farukh Sahab of Noor-e-Hira masjid said, "The act is heinous and no religion talks about such inhuman acts. This act is against humanity and we condemn it."

Some youths from Pune, including local politician Amit Bagul and his friends, have written a letter in their blood, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to avenge the deaths of the CRPF personnel.

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Pune: Two men working in the canteen of a city-based college were found dead on Wednesday inside their room, which had been fumigated for pest control, police said on Thursday. According to police, their room had been fumigated on Sunday and the duo had gone to their friend's place to stay for two days. They returned to their room on Tuesday night to sleep but were found dead the next day.

Police suspect that they died of suffocation due to the inhalation of poisonous fumes. The victims were identified as Ajay Beldar (20) from Jalgaon and Ananta Khedkar (20) from Buldhana, they said. "Both of them were working in the canteen of the college located in Dhankawadi area of the city. The canteen manager had provided them a room on the campus to stay," a senior police officer from Bharati Vidyapeeth police station said.

"Their room was fumigated for pest control on Sunday, following which Ajay and Ananta went to their friend's place to stay. They returned on Tuesday and after working in the canteen for the day, they retired to their room to sleep at night. We suspect that they suffocated to death while they
were asleep," he said. On Wednesday morning, when both of them did not turn up at the canteen for work, their manager went to their room. When he did not get any response despite repeatedly knocking at the door, he entered the room by breaking the window glass at the back of the room.

The canteen manager then found both of them lying motionless in the room. He, with the help of other people, took them to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead. Police have registered a case of accidental death. "The post-mortem report has ruled out any possibility
of foul play. It indicates that they died of suffocation," the police officer said. "We are now recording the statements of the canteen manager and also the persons who carried out the pest control treatment in the room. Based on these statements, further action will be taken," he said.

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A class 12 student allegedly committed suicide in Gurugram's upscale residential condominium in DLF phase 5 area on Tuesday night The deceased, a resident of DLF Carlton Estate, jumped from the balcony of his flat on 11th floor of the building at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The local police is investigating his alleged involvement in Bois Locker Room Instagram account.

"We have seized his mobile phone and sent to forensic lab for analysis. We have also involved cyber crime cell to investigate his social media accounts and nature of chatting he does, to understand his character and possible reason of taking extreme step," said Deepak Kumar, SHO of sector 53 police station.

The police official ruled out any foul play during preliminary investigation. The deceased has not left any suicide note. Further action will be taken only after detailed reports of his mobile analysis is received. As of now, legal proceedings under CrPC 174 have been initiated.

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