Court and sent to sentence of

ACTOR PANKAJ TRIPATHI TO BE HONORED IN MELBOURNE

Pankaj Tripathi who has given life to iconic characters on screen will be honoured at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne with the Diversity in Cinema award. This award is for artistes who have left an indelible mark in the industry through their different roles, across all formats, portraying incredible versatility with their varied performances. Trpathi keeps his characters and performances real and modest, and it is this quality that makes him a performer extraordinaire. He has made his presence reverberated in films as well as web series. He has also been nominated for the Best Performance (Male) in the film category for “Ludo” and for the Best Performance (Male) in Web series for “Mirzapur Season 2. ” His short film “Laali” has also made it to the festival this year.

in brief 7 die in crush as thousands try to get a flight out of Afghanistan

INDIAN AMERICAN VYING FOR SALISBURY COUNCIL SEAT Nalini Joseph is hoping to win a spot on the city council in Salisbury, Massachusetts, this November, and put her decades of experience in the courts to good use. Nalini wants to bring her experience and her ability to reach agreements regardless of political and ideological viewpoints to the city level as a council member, a Salisbury Post report notes. If elected to council in November, Nalini, 53, will be the first Indian American to serve, the report said. She was born and grew up in India after her father moved there to begin a ministry. After high school, Nalini moved to the US to attend Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She found her way to Salisbury in 2011. In the last 14 years, Nalini has served as district administrator of the Guardian ad Litem Program, which advocates for abused and neglected children through the state’s district courts, for Iredell and Alexander counties, the publication continued. NO-MASK RULE: SINGAPORE JAILS UK NATIONAL

KABUL: The Taliban fired in the air and used batons to make people line up in orderly queues outside Kabul airport on Sunday, witnesses said, a day after seven people were killed in a crush at the gates. On Sunday, there were no major injuries as gunmen beat back the crowds and long lines of people were being formed, the witnesses said.

Britain ’ s defence ministry said seven Afghans, including a toddler, were killed in the crush around the airport as thousands of people desperately tried to get a flight out, a week after the Islamist militant group took control of the country. Sky News showed footage of soldiers standing on a wall on Saturday attempting to pull the injured out from the crush and spraying people with a hose to prevent them from getting dehydrated. “Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible, ” the ministry said in a statement.

A Nato official said that at least 20 people have died in the past seven days in and around the airport. Some were shot and others died in stampedes, witnesses have said. Panicked Afghans have tried to get on flights abroad, fearing reprisals and a return to a harsh version of Islamic law the Sunni Muslim group exercised when it was in power two decades ago. The WHO and Unicef called for a humanitarian air bridge to deliver aid to Afghanistan to help more than 18 million people in need.

Leaders of the Taliban, who have sought to show a more moderate face since capturing Kabul last Sunday, have begun talks on forming a government. The US and other foreign countries, including Britain have brought in several thousand troops to manage the evacuations of foreign citizens and vulnerable Afghans, but have stayed away from the outside areas of the airport. “Our forces are maintaining strict distance from the outer areas of the Kabul airport to prevent any clashes with the Taliban, ” the Nato official said.

A Taliban official said that “ we are seeking complete clarity on foreign forces ’ exit plan “Managing chaos outside Kabul airport is a complex task, ” the official said. Another Taliban official blamed the US for the chaotic evacuation. “America, with all its power and facilities... has failed to bring order to the airport. There is peace and calm all over the country, but there is chaos only at Kabul airport, ” Taliban official said.

Afghans who fled the country this week have spoken about their despair at leaving loved ones behind and the uncertain future ahead. “It was very difficult to leave my country, ” a veiled woman said in Doha. “I love my country. ” On Saturday, the US and Germany warned their citizens in Afghanistan to avoid the airport. American officials cited the possibility of another threat: an attack by the Taliban ’ s Islamic State rivals. With the risks rising, 5,800 US troops at the airport had been “ metering ” the flow of Americans, Afghan allies and other foreigners through the gates, according to Major General William Taylor of the Pentagon ’ s Joint Staff. Taylor said that in the past week the US has evacuated 17,000 people, including 2,500 Americans.

Australia ran four flights into Kabul on Saturday night, evacuating more than 300 people, including Australians, Afghan visa holders, New Zealanders, US and British citizens, PM Scott Morrison said.

The Taliban ’ s swoop into power came as US-led forces were withdrawing after a 20year war that President Joe Biden sought to conclude. Biden has come under heavy criticism at home and abroad for the way the war has ended. On Saturday former President Donald Trump called it “the greatest foreign policy humiliation ” in US history, even though his own administration negotiated the withdrawal deal last year.

Taliban meet Karzai in talks to form govt

A Taliban commander and senior leader of the Haqqani Network terrorist group, Anas Haqqani, has met former president Hamid Karzai for talks, a Taliban official said, amid efforts by the Taliban to set up a government. Karzai was accompanied by the old government's main peace envoy, Abdullah Abdullah, in the meeting, said the Taliban official. He gave no more details. The Haqqani Network is an important faction of the Taliban, who captured Kabul. The network, based on the border with Pakistan, was accused over recent years of some of the most deadly terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Taliban destroy statue of foe, stoking fear

A statue of a prominent anti-Taliban fighter killed by the group before they took power for the first time in the 1990s has been decapitated in Bamiyan city, residents said. Abdul Ali Mazari, a political leader who represented ethnic Hazara community, was declared a national martyr in 2016 more than two decades after the Taliban said he had died in a gunfight aboard a helicopter. “We are not sure who has blown up the statue, but there are different groups of Taliban present here, including some... who are known for their brutality, ” a resident said. Pictures of the damaged statue being shared on social media showed it largely intact, but with the head resting at the plinth. Another resident said a group of Taliban fighters used a rocketpropelled grenade to destroy it earlier. “The statue is destroyed and people are sad — but also scared, ” she said.

A UK man living in Singapore was sentenced to six weeks in prison after he repeatedly refused to wear a face mask in public. Benjamin Glynn, 40, was found guilty on four charges of breaching coronavirus protocols. He refused to wear a mask on a train in May and at a court appearance in July. Glynn, who represented himself in court, was accused of causing a public nuisance and using threatening words towards public servants. He was earlier subjected to a psychiatric assessment ordered by the judge as a result of his conduct and remarks in court, according to local media outlet CNA. The judge told Glynn he was “completely misguided” in his belief he was exempt from Singapore’s laws on wearing masks. It is mandatory in Singapore to wear a mask outside home for everyone aged six and above

AFTER MOLEST OF YOUTUBER, ANOTHER VIDEO SHOCKS PAK

After a video of a woman YouTuber being assaulted by hordes of men on August 14 in Lahore recently went viral, another clip has surfaced apparently from the same day of another woman being assaulted in Pakistan. In the video, which was shared on social media, two women are seen travelling with a child in a rickshaw when a man jumps onto the footboard of the vehicle and apparently kisses her on the cheek. Startled, the women scream but no one intervenes. The News International reported that the rickshaw appears to be surrounded by men carrying the national flag, which indicates that the incident took place during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations. The video triggered anger on social media, with many people calling for the government to take strict action against sexual harassment.

Pakistan to allow fully jabbed Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib

Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to allow fu l l y- v ac ci nat e d Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur from next month with strict Covid-19 protocols, ahead of the 482nd death anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev on September 22, media reports said.

On this occasion, three-day rituals will be held at the shrine from September 20. Guru Nanak died in Kartarpur on September 22, 1539. Pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The decision to open the Kartarpur shrine was taken by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) due to the approaching death anniversary of Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev on September 22.

Dawn newspaper reported that the NCOC meeting unanimously decided to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur next month under strict Covid-19 protocols. Due to the Delta variant, India was in category C in Pakistan from May 22 till August 12, and a special approval was required for people coming from the country, including Sikh pilgrims.

However, fully-vaccinated persons with certificates will be allowed to enter Pakistan provided they show Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test reports which should not be more than 72 hours old. Apart from this, a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) will also be conducted at airports and in case of a positive result, the individual will not be allowed to enter Pakistan.

Besides, as per NonPharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs), a maximum of 300 people will be permitted to assemble at a time at the darbar. According to an official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), Pakistan had introduced three categories to deal with the coronavirus spread.

Afghan resistance force ready for conflict but open to negotiations

Kabul: Former Afghan government forces forming a resistance movement in a fortified valley are preparing for “long-term conflict” , but are also seeking to negotiate with the Taliban, their spokesman said.

Since the Taliban took control of the country, thousands of people have made their way to Panjshir, Ali Maisam Nazary said. There, Ahmad Massoud, the son of Mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated by al-Qaida two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks, has assembled a fighting force of 9,000 people, he added. The National Resistance Front’ s main goal is to avoid further bloodshed and press for a new system of government. But Nazary said the group is also prepared for “long-term ” conflict, and if the Taliban do not negotiate. “The conditions for a peace deal with Taliban is decentralisation - a system that ensures social justice, equality, rights, and freedom for all, ” said Nazary, the NRF’ s head of foreign ties.

Talks between local leaders from Afghanistan ’ s north and authorities in Pakistan were taking place until just days ago, he said. He added that Masood had different views to Amrullah Saleh, latterly the country ’ s vice-president who is also holed out in the valley and vowed to lead an uprising, on Pakistan.

Gujarati woman in fray for Canada polls

TORONTO: For the first time, Rinku Shah, a Gujarati woman, has been fielded as a candidate of Conservative Party of Canada for Toronto. She is a known name among the Indian community and had migrated from Vadodara to Canada 10 years ago. She has been engaged in community service for over eight years now and was also actively involved in Covidrelated work. Rinku was instrumental in providing essentials to more than 10,000 international students, senior citizens and retirement homes during the pandemic. She is Conservative party ’ s candidate from Humber River -Black Creek, Toronto.

Rinku Shah

For over eight years now, she has been working for the community and has facilitated several events for the consulate. A mother of a 10year-old boy, she has also been organising mega c o m m u n i t y festivals like Taste of India food festival, Ganesh festival, garba festival and kite festival to promote Indian heritage and culture among Indo-Canadian citizens. Rinku is pitted against Judy Sgro, the Liberal Party incumbent.

“Our party ’ s agenda is to secure the future. It includes the economy, jobs, accountability and mental health. Over a million jobs have been lost in the country during the pandemic and we wish to recover them, ” Rinku said. “As the first Gujarati woman to have contested polls, I have an immediate connect with the local population which has a sizable number of Gujaratis. There are many Sikhs in the Canadian parliament but no Gujarati. I am hopeful, ” she added.

She moved to Melbourne for higher studies after completing graduation from MS University of Baroda. She then moved to Canada with her husband Vrajesh. The polls are scheduled for September 20.

Virginia hotelier Vinay Patel named chair of AAHOA board of directors

DALLAS: The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA ) announced Virginia Indian American hotelier Vinay Patel is the new chair of AAHOA’ s Board of Directors. Patel became chair at the conclusion of the 2021 AAHOA convention and trade show, which was the first major convention in Dallas since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Serving America ’ s hotel owners as the AAHOA chair is an honor, and I look forward to working with AAHOA’ s nearly 20,000 members on the road to recovery, ” Patel said. “Industry estimates continue to project a full recovery sometime in late 2023 or 2024. Coming together as an industry is paramount to economic recovery, especially as new variants threaten to inhibit the reopening of America. I am confident that AAHOA’ s enhanced advocacy and education efforts as well as the implementation of our new strategic plan will help our industry get back on track. ”

Patel plans to focus on elevating the association ’ s advocacy and engagement at the state and local level, including coordinating political education efforts with the American Hospitality Alliance. “We must be united in our advocacy efforts, especially as we engage with local governments, ” Patel said.

In his inaugural address, Patel highlighted the importance of the industry ’ s collective efforts to keep the lights on during the pandemic as well as the necessity of remaining optimistic about the recovery and efforts to stop the spread of Covid. “We are in uncharted territory as a country as we emerge from this crisis. In a way, we are all letting our eyes adjust to the sunlight after spending more than a year in the darkness. It will be challenging. It will be frustrating. But AAHOA is here to help guide us as we rebuild, reinvest, and recover. ”

Patel joined AAHOA in 1993 and has served on its board since 2014. AAHOA members elected him as secretary in 2018. He is the president of Fairbrook Hotels, which owns and operates 11 properties including IHG, Hilton, Radisson, Choice, and Wyndham brands. Patel also serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association and is the president of the Herndon Hospitality Association.

AAHOA also announced its award winners during its convention, recognizing achievement and excellence in the hospitality industry. The winners received their awards during the general session. The

Vinay Patel award winners are: Nanda Patel;

Cecil B. Day Community Service

Award: Mitesh Jivan; IAHA

Independent Hotel of the Year:

Hotel Lexen; Outreach Award for Philanthropy: Masudur

Khan; Outstanding Women

Hotelier of the Year: Priti Patel;

Outstanding Young Professional of the Year: Saajan Patel; and

Political Forum Award for

Advocacy: Bijal Patel.

Indian American named deputy director of SEC’s enforcement division

WASHINGTON: The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the appointment of Sanjay Wadhwa as deputy director of the Division of Enforcement. The Indian American attorney most recently served as the senior associate director of the Division of Enforcement in the New York Regional Office, where he managed more than 150 personnel in enforcing federal securities laws. His new role is effective immediately, said the SEC press release. "Over the hundreds of investigations he has overseen, Sanjay has helped the SEC root out wrongdoing, pursue charges against those who seek to manipulate or defraud investors, and partner with criminal authorities to prosecute bad actors, " said SEC chair Gary Gensler. "Sanjay 's breadth of experience and dedication to protecting investors make him well qualified to serve as deputy director of the Enforcement Division. I look forward to working with him in his new role. " "Sanjay brings a tenacious approach to our work, and he is passionate about protecting American investors, " said Gurbir Grewal, the SEC's Director of Enforcement. "I am eager to work closely with him in his new role. " "It has been an honor to serve alongside the SEC's esteemed Enforcement staff for the past 18 years, " said Wadhwa.

Asian American population increases by 37 pc

WASHINGTON: The Asian American population grew almost 37 per cent over the past decade, even as the US overall experienced a slowdown in growth, according to new data released by the Census Bureau. The Bureau has not released disaggregated data for Asian American sub-ethnicities, including Indian Americans. Nicholas Jones, director and senior advisor of Race and Ethnic Research and Outreach at the Census Bureau, said that disaggregated data for several ethnic groups is expected to be released in late September.

“The US population is much more ethnically diverse than what we have measured in the past. ” he said. More than 24 million Asian Americans reside in the US, not including those who identified as multi-racial. California alone is home to more than six million Asian Americans, a 25 per cent jump over 2010 data.

About 4.6 million Indian Americans reside in the US, according to American Community Survey data released last year. The overall US population now stands at 331.4 million, an increase of 22.7 million, despite the slowdown in percentage of growth from previous Censuses.

The US Census is taken once every 10 years, and aims to count every resident in the US, regardless of immigration status. The 2020 Census had a couple of major hurdles: attempting to collect data during the Covid-19 pandemic and stayat-home orders; and an attempt to add a question about citizenship to the ninequestion form, which civil rights advocates fought against, fearing it would deter immigrants from filling out their Census forms.

Census data is used to allocate billions of dollars of funds to states to shore up infrastructure, public health, housing, and a myriad of public services. Cities and counties use the data to determine where to place new schools, transportation, hospitals, and other services.

The data collected by the Census determine the number of seats each state has in the US House of Representatives and is also used for redistricting: adjusting or redrawing electoral districts based on where populations have increased or decreased.

“These data, with their rich demographic characteristics, play an important role in our democracy, ” said Ron Jarmin, acting director for the Census Bureau. He noted that the pandemic

in brief

NEPAL’S LARGEST COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIALLY SPLITS

Nepal’s main opposition CPN-UML, the largest communist party of the country, has officially split, with one of its factions led by dissident leader Madhav Kumar Nepal applying for registration of a new political party. Madhav Kumar Nepal submitted an application at the Election Commission for registering his party named CPN-UML (Socialist), bringing to end a long-standing feud between him and former PM K P Sharma Oli. Earlier, President Bidya Devi Bhandari issued an ordinance to amend the Political Parties Act 2071, aimed at easing the procedure for political parties to split. The amendment ordinance stipulates that 20% or more members of the party’s parliamentary and central committees of a party can split their mother party. Previously, the act required dissidents to have the support of 40% of members for split.

ISMAIL SABRI IS MALAYSIAN PM

Ending political uncertainties of the past few months amid a worsening Covid crisis, Malaysia’s king appointed Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the PM. Sabri will become the 9th PM of Malaysia, bringing back the Malaybased UMNO party in the driving seat. Sullied by graft charges and the 1MDB scandal, UMNO was routed in the 2018 general elections. Former deputy PM under predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin, Sabri, 61, has been an influential, but moderate leader in UMNO. According to observers, as far as India-Malaysia ties go, Sabri will be on an even keel, focusing on trade. India’s trade deficit with Malaysia has reduced by about $1 billion in 2020-21, as compared to 2019-20.

S KOREA MULLS LEGAL STATUS FOR ANIMALS

South Korea is keen on amending its civil code to grant animals legal status said Choung Jae-min, the justice ministry’s director-general of legal counsel. It is likely to be approved by the parliament in September session, making South Korea among the few countries that recognise animals as beings, with a right to protection, enhanced welfare and respect for life. South Korea’s animal protection law states that anyone who abuses or is cruel to animals may be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison or fined 30 million won ($25,494), but the standards to decide penalties have been low as the animals are treated as objects under the current legal system, Choung said.

ONE COVID CASE SENDS ALL OF NZ INTO LOCKDOWN

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has put the country under strict lokdown after the country’s first Covid-19 case in six months was reported in Auckland. Ardern’s “go hard, go early” strategy has helped curb Covid but her announcement left people struggling to stack up essentials, businesses shutting abruptly and schools and offices making last minute changes to go online. All New Zealand will be in the toughest, level-four lockdown for at least three days. Auckland and Coromandel, a coastal town where the infected person also spent time, will be in lockdown for seven days. “The best thing we can do to get out of this as quickly as we can is to go hard, ” Ardern said. “Beating Delta means lifting our game. ” The country has overall reported about 2,500 Covid cases and 26 deaths. But New Zealand has been slower than other developed nations to inoculate its population. Only 32% of people have had at least one shot and 18% are fully vaccinated.

Covid jabs for kids may start only by March 2022

The government is likely to start vaccination of children against Covid-19 only by March 2022, even as three-four vaccines are likely to be approved for the Under-18 age group by December, official sources said. Zydus Cadila’s Covid19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D, is expected to get an emergency use authorisation for the 12-18 cohort by end of August, whereas Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin – the world’s only vaccine being tested for use in the age group of 2-18 yrs - is also likely to get a go-ahead by September.

There is also an mRNA vaccine being developed by Gennova Pharmaceuticals. Though the mRNA vaccine is currently under clinical trial for use in adults, it is likely to be approved for children without separate trials. These vaccines are already being given to children in other countries, an official said.

The Novavax Covid-19 vaccine, named Covavax in India with Serum Institute of India (SII) as its manufacturing partner, is likely to be approved for emergency use by December. The government aims to vaccinate the adult population by the year-end, but officials are aware that this also depends on persons being willing to be vaccinated apart from availability of the shots.

The government will prioritise children with co-morbidities - estimated to be around 30,00,000 - to receive the vaccines initially and then include others depending on availability. Overall, there are around 40o million young people below 18 years. “Covid vaccination among children will start only once all adults are vaccinated. We also have to ensure that there is adequate supply of the approved vaccines to cover all children, ” the official said.

Total of over 57o million doses have been administered across the country till Thursday last with over 49% of 940 million adult population getting at least a first dose of the vaccine. Around 14% of adults are fully vaccinated. Officials say vaccination of children should not stop schools from opening if staff is immunised.

“Children are not severely impacted by the infection. In most cases, it is mild. Primarily they spread the disease. So, if school staff and parents are all immunised, it is safe to open schools, ” the official said. Though the pace of vaccination has increased of late, limited supplies and the upcoming festival season are seen as challenges that may again impact the speed of the programme. Even though new vaccines like ZyCoV-D are expected to enhance supplies, it will depend on by when these vaccines are actually available and in what quantity.

Fifth FIR against former Mumbai police chief Param Bir

An FIR was registered against former police commissioner Param Bir Singh and dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze for allegedly extorting cash and cellphones collectively worth Rs119,000 from a construction contractor. Four civilians have also been booked, of which one, Sumit S, was arrested. The case has been transferred to the crime branch. This is the fifth FIR against Singh, who was promoted as director general (home guards) earlier this year.

The complainant, Bimal Agrawal, said he hoped police would offer protection to him and his family. Incidentally, Agrawal is a coaccused with Singh in an extortion case filed by Thane Nagar police in July 2021. In 2012, Agrawal was booked in a case by the economic offences wing of Mumbai Police and was also arrested in 2017 by the CBI and ED.

In his statement, Agrawal said he first came into contact with Waze in 2000-01 when he was receiving threat calls and had registered a police complaint. Almost a decade later, Waze visited Agrawal’ s office to learn more about the BMC’ s tendering process as Agrawal had taken up contracts with the BMC.

In the beginning of 2020, Waze informed Agrawal that Singh was set to be the new police commissioner. He egged on Agrawal to start a hotel business as he (Waze) was going to be entrusted with “ collection work. ” Accordingly, Agrawal became a partner in two restobars. Shortly afterwards, Singh was posted as the commissioner and Waze was inducted into the crime branch.

Agrawal’ s complaint states that Waze, having conspired with Singh, and his aides threatened him from time to time to pay up if he wanted to run his restobars without police harassment. Agrawal and his business partner handed over money to Sumit on a few occasions.

Param Bir Singh

India slams Pakistan ’ s ‘hospitality ’ for terrorists

With concerns mounting about possibility that Afghanistan could now be used as a launch pad for terrorist acts, India said at the UN Security Council that the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the country would only embolden terror groups active in the region, including Pakistan-based LeT and JeM, which continued to enjoy “ state hospitality ’’ .

Chairing a UNSC event on the threat from terrorist acts, external affairs minister S Jaishankar asked the council to not take a selective view of the issue as he underlined India ’ s concerns about developments in Afghanistan and its continued efforts to fight terrorist activities emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries from across its borders. Sources said UNSC member-states joined India ’ s call for a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations leading to adoption of a “ very strong, substantive and forward looking ’’ press statement that outlined key concerns, especially to ensure a “ strict check on terror financing and bringing perpetrators of terror attacks to justice ’’ . LeT and JeM operate with impunity

Whether it is in Afghanistan or against India, groups like Lashkare-Taiba and Jaish-eMuhammed continue to operate with both impunity and encouragement. It is, therefore, vital this council does not take a selective, tactical or even a complacent view of the problems we face, ’’ said Jaishankar .

“We must never countenance sanctuaries for terrorists or overlook the raising of their resources. And when we see state hospitality being extended to those with innocents ’ blood on their hands, we should never lack the courage to call out this double-speak. We heard from the aggravating attack of the pandemic. What is true of Covid is even more true of terrorism: none of us are safe until all of us are safe,

Former UP CM Kalyan Singh is no more

Kalyan Singh who was the UP chief minister when Babri Masjid was demolished, died after a prolonged battle against kidney-related ailments on Saturday. He was 89 and is survived by an MP son and a minister grandson. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him the voice of marginalized, while home minister Amit Shah said the country and its people would always be indebted to his contributions. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath termed his passing away as the end of an era.

Yogi, who was at the hospital when Kalyan Singh breathed his last, has announced a three-day mourning in the state. His last rites were performed on the bank of Ganga in Narora on August 23.

Kalyan Singh

Singh’ s appeal went beyond caste moorings

As the chief minister, Kalyan Singh is remembered as a tough administrator, especially during his first tenure between 1991 and 1992. As a politician, he is considered the first BJP leader to take it beyond the image of an upper caste party. So much so that BJP’ s successful experiment in 2014, uniting non-Yadav OBCs in its favour, is still called the “Kalyan Singh formula ” .

He was a Lodh, which

comes under the OBC, but his appeal went beyond the caste moorings. He started his political career in 1967 by winning the Atrauli Vidhan Sabha seat in Aligarh as a Bharatiya Jan Sangh candidate. He won the seat nine times till 2002, losing just once, in 1980. In the late 80s, he not only provided impetus to the Ram temple movement in the state, but also was able to unite Hindus, divided between upper and lower caste following implementation of the Mandal Commission report. It was because of this the BJP gained majority in the 1991 assembly elections and when it came to choosing UP BJP’ s leader, RSS chose Singh over the likes of Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, who is also said to be in the race for top post in the state at that time. India sees 13.6% dip in weekly Covid cases, sharpest fall in 2 months

India saw its sharpest fall in weekly Covid-19 cases in nearly two months with infections declining by 13.6% in the week ended Sunday, although testing for the virus was impacted during this period due to major festivals such as Onam and Rakhi.

The country reported just over 221,000 fresh cases in the week (August 16-22), down from 2,55,819 in the previous seven days. This was the first doubledigit fall in weekly cases since the June 28-July 4 week, when the number had dipped by 11.4%.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the day of the Rakhi festival, fresh cases dipped to a 166-day low of just around 22,500. A day after Onam, Kerala posted 10,402 new cases, its lowest daily tally in more than a month since 9,931 infections were detected on July 19.

During the August 1622 week, Kerala was among other major Covid-hit states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha to report a dip in cases as compared with the previous seven days.

However, with testing affected in Kerala due to festivities, the daily positivity rate in the state has climbed to over 16% in the past few days. This indicates that cases are likely to surge again next week once testing numbers are back on track. The northern states continued to report a very low number of new cases through the week.

The spike in infections in Himachal Pradesh, seen in the past two weeks, started to decline in the last seven days. The pandemic also continued to recede in the northeast, which had seen several weeks of surging numbers till earlier this month.

Deaths due to the coronavirus continued to decline gradually in the country. In the current week, 3,111 fatalities were recorded, a drop of 6.7% from last week's toll of 3,334. Maharashtra, Kerala and Odisha, in that order, reported the highest number of deaths during the week.

SOUTH INDIA

Give Election Commission-like autonomy to CBI: Madras HC to Centre

CHENNAI: The Madras high court issued a slew of directives to the Centre, including bringing an Act granting statutory status to the CBI with more powers and greater jurisdiction to the agency so that it becomes “ more independent” like the Election Commission and Comptroller and AuditorGeneral of India.

“There is always a clamour for a CBI investigation whenever any sensitive, heinous crimes are committed and there is no proper investigation by local police...such is the trust and faith of the people, ” the division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi said while considering a CBI plea that it has been working under constraints such as shortage of manpower.

“ ...Very sadly, the CBI is dragging its feet, whenever there is a demand for (an) inquiry, on the ground that resources and manpower available with it are restricted and, therefore, it cannot conduct investigations. This is the usual stereotypical defence of the CBI before courts. ” The bench passed the order while refusing to grant relief in a PIL filed by the Ramanathapuram District Pathikkapattor Sangam, seeking a CBI probe into a chit fund scam.

The judges recommended a separate budgetary allocation for CBI and stressed granting the director of the agency powers equivalent to that of a secretary to the government. The CBI chief shall directly report to the minister concerned or the PM, they said. The high court bench directed the CBI director to send a detailed proposal seeking further increase in divisions and wings along with staff strength within six weeks. On receipt of the proposal, the Centre shall pass appropriate orders on the same within three months, it said. The Supreme Court was the first to call the CBI a “ caged parrot speaking in its master ’ s voice ” back in 2013, when it censured the then UPA government for its handling of the agency after it was tasked with probing the coal block allocations case.

Noting that that an aura of reverence was attached to the CBI, the high court bench said the only way to ensure autonomy befitting that stature was to give it statutory status. The agency should also have a dedicated cadre of officers instead of relying on deputation, it observed.

On perusal of a detailed report on the queries raised by the court regarding the resources, manpower, investigating skills, infrastructural facilities and status of cases being investigated by CBI, the judges took note of the fact that the agency has been functioning under multiple constraints such as funding and facilities at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL).

The judges observed that delay in receiving opinion from forensic experts was one of the reasons for CBI’ s inability to close cases quickly. The laboratory should have facilities on a par with those available to FBI in the US and UK’ s Scotland Yard, they said.

PUNJAB

Sidhu summons his 2 advisers over their controversial remarks

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu summoned both his advisers Malwinder Singh Mali and Pyare Lal Garg to his residence to discuss their recent comments on Pakistan and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had warned against “ atrocious and illconceived comments that were potentially dangerous to the peace and stability of the state and the country ” , referring to the recent statements made by the two advisers on sensitive national issues like Kashmir and Pakistan.

A press release issued from the Chief Minister ’ s Office had said that Amarinder urged Sidhu ’ s advisers to stick to giving advice to the PPCC president and “ not speak on matters of which they clearly had little or no knowledge, and had no understanding of the implications of their comments ” .

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari has urged the party to introspect on whether those who do not consider Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India and have pro-Pakistan leanings should be part of the Punjab Congress. He said such people mocked all those who have shed blood for India. "I urge Harish Rawat, AICC Gen Secy in-charge Punjab to seriously introspect that those who do not consider J&K to be a part of India and others who have ostensibly Pro-Pakistan leanings should be a part of Punjab Congress, " he said on Twitter.

Avoid ill-conceived remarks

Amarinder said, “Kashmir was and is an inalienable part of India, ” adding that with his proclamation to the contrary, Mali had effectively and inexplicably toed Islamabad’ s line. “This is totally antinational, ” he said, also slamming Mali for failing to withdraw his statement despite the widespread condemnation it had evoked not only from other parties but also from within the Congress.

Ridiculing Garg ’ s statement that criticism of Pakistan by him (Captain Amarinder) was not in the interest of Punjab, the Chief Minister said Sidhu ’ s adviser was clearly disconnected from the ground reality. “The fact, which every Punjabi and in fact every Indian knows, is that Pakistan

’ s threat to us is real. Every day they are pushing weapons and drugs into Punjab via drones in a brazen attempt to destabilise our state, and our nation. Punjabi soldiers are dying at the borders at the hands of Pakbacked forces, ” pointed out the Chief Minister, dubbing Garg ’ s remarks as irrational and unjustified?

Navjot Singh Sidhu

WEST BENGAL

CBI sets up four teams to probe violence in Bengal

KOLKATA: The CBI formed four teams to probe the complaints of murder and rape collated by the NHRC-led committee, hours after the Calcutta high court five-judge bench handed over the cases to the central investigating agency.

The agency has also sought details of cases from West Bengal director general of police Virendra. Each team of seven members will be headed by joint director-level officers and include officers of deputy inspector-general and superintendent ranks.

According to sources, additional director Ajay Bhatnagar is likely to monitor the investigation ’ s progress. Sources said so far around 25 officers had been earmarked from Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai and from other states, and they would be divided into four teams.

Last week, the CBI wrote to the DGP seeking details of the cases. “The court has clearly demarcated the cases that CBI and SIT will investigate. We have asked the state government to provide us with details of the cases. FIR will be lodged following that, ” a CBI official said.

The HC’ s five-member division bench had earlier handed over to the CBI the investigation of murder, rape and atrocities against women allegedly committed during post-poll violence. In his observations, Acting Chief

Justice Rajesh Bindal said that in a number of cases, FIR was registered after the

NHRC-led committee flagged off the incidents.

There are FIRs registered against political workers and supporters of a party not in power.

According to CBI sources, the teams started work immediately after the probe was handed over. After they receive documents from the state government, the teams will head for Bengal where they will conduct an extensive investigation into the allegations.

Bengal government officials said they were examining the judgment but refused to specify whether they would challenge the HC order in the Supreme Court. “That is among the options being considered, ” an official said. The acting CJ, in the lead judgment, recorded the NHRC report, the state government’ s “ exception ” petition to the NHRC report, the procedure adopted by the NHRC and commented on the allegations of “bias ” against the NHRC and EC’ s responsibility.

The judges dealt separately with the allegations of bias against three members of the NHRC because of their affiliation to a political party. “The allegation against the committee is not material because this court has considered not only the report but other materials, including the arguments of the counsels, ” Justice Mukerji observed in his judgment.

in brief

DOING EVERYTHING TO CONTAIN COVID: KERALA HEALTH MINISTER

Amid continuous surge in Covid-19 cases, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the state government is taking the best possible measures to contain the disease. She said, "We are ramping up the testing to identify every single case. Our system is already on high alert and we are taking the best possible measures to contain the disease. Kerala Government has already started talks regarding vaccine production in the state. We are trying to introduce fill-finish units. We have discussed the issue with the Union Health Minister and the Centre's response is very positive. " Asked about her meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Veena said, "It was a very positive meeting. We asked for 11.1 million more doses of Covid vaccines by September end. He agreed to it. We are thankful to the central government. "

TAMIL NADU LOSES TWO LS SEATS

Tamil Nadu has faced "unfair" political representation in the Lok Sabha since 1962 after the state managed to successfully bring down its population, the Madras high court said recently. In its order, the court asked the centre to see if the Lok Sabha representation of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh - the other state that has seen a drop in representation in the parliament - be restored, or to see if the two can be compensated monetarily. The court pegged the monetary compensation to Tamil Nadu at £560 million. "Tamil Nadu and Andhra lost 2 Lok Sabha seats after they effectively controlled population. Why states which could not successfully implement population benefits with more representation in Parliament? Why not compensate these states with equal Rajya Sabha states, " the HC bench asked. In 1962, Tamil Nadu had 41 Lok Sabha members. The state's Lok Sabha representation was reduced to 39 ahead of the 1967 general polls after it successfully controlled its population growth.

LOW TURNOUT FOR DELHI GURDWARA BODY POLLS

The polling for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections witnessed a low turnout of 37.27 per cent on Sunday, officials said. The DSGMC which controls shrines in the city, including Rakabganj and Bangla Sahib Gurdwaras as well as various academic institutions and hospitals, goes to polls after every four year. In the DSGMC, 46 members are directly elected from 46 wards in Delhi. Rest of the members are appointed from different seats of Sikh religion and groups. The elections being conducted by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, has 342,000 voters. The voting percentage of male voters was 39.95 per cent and it was 34.95 per cent for females, officials said. The Punjabi Bagh ward recorded the highest voting percentage of 54.10 per cent while Sham Nagar recorded the lowest 25.18 per cent, according to the figures issued by the directorate.

HC JUDGE IN MAMATA’S LINE OF FIRE GETS PROMOTED

Kaushik Chanda, an Additional Judge of the Calcutta High Court whom the Supreme Court Collegium has appointed as a Permanent Judge, was in West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s line of fire over his alleged proximity to the BJP and the TMC leader had even opposed his confirmation. Justice Chanda had on July 7 recused himself from hearing a petition by the Trinamool Congress chief challenging the election of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram after she expressed apprehension of bias against her by the judge. Seeking reassignment of her election petition to another bench, Mamata’s counsel had also written to the Acting Chief Justice saying the chief minister “had objected to the confirmation of the Hon’ble Judge as a Permanent Judge of the HC and as such, apprehends that there is a likelihood of bias on the part of the judge concerned.

Indians in South Africa get threats, go into panic mode

As uneasy calm settled over the troubled KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces of South Africa, worst affected in the July violence following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, cracks are beginning to show. Their prime targets Indian-origin South Africans in Durban and Johannesburg - say they have been receiving WhatsApp messages threatening renewed or ‘Part-II’ of the violence, asking “Indians to go back from where they came ” .

Kimeshan Raman, a 33year-old resident of Durban and social activist, who has recently applied for an OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card, said, “It’ s a panic reaction. Messages and videos are being circulated targeting Indians. We want to protect our families. ” At least 330 people, many of them Indians, were killed in the riots that ravaged parts of South Africa for about two weeks, from July 9. It was four days after deadly arson and looting before President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed the army to quell the violence.

Indian-origin South African citizens have gone into panic mode, desperate for a “backup ” plan. Several of them admitted they have applied for the OCI cards or were in the process of doing so. Potential applicants blame poor upkeep of documents, including the ship list of indentured labourers brought from India nearly 150 years ago, and the lackluster response of the Indian Embassy to their plight. “We are scared of another round of violence. I will be applying for an OCI card, ” said Krishna Jagarnath, 35, a Durban resident, whose ancestors hail from Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi’ s granddaughter Ela Gandhi, who resides in Durban, said, “We are trying to unite people across racial lines and build peace and goodwill. ” But there ’ s a lot of uncertainty and insecurity because of threats from certain sections. “We don ’t know where they are going to attack and when they are going to attack, ” she said.

Shashi Tharoor cleared of charges in wife Pushkar ’ s death case

In a relief for Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, a Delhi court discharged him in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Special judge Geetanjali Goel said, "The accused is discharged. ” The order was pronounced in the presence of Tharoor, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa appearing on behalf of Tharoor, and additional public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava.

Tharoor, who attended the court proceedings virtually, thanked the court for discharging him of all offenses. "It had been seven and half years and it was a torture. I'm so grateful, ” he said. The order in the matter has been deferred several times earlier. On July 27, the prosecution had submitted that it wanted to bring on record and rely upon a recent judgment on the aspect of a "prima facie" case at the time of framing of the charges. Goel had directed for the judgment to be placed on record and its copy to be supplied to Tharoor's counsel. However, the court clarified, "I will not be entertaining any more applications. ”

Earlier on April 29, May 19 and June 16, the order was deferred due to the pandemic impacting the judicial work. The order pronouncement was adjourned again on July 2, after the court received an application from the prosecution seeking one week's time to file written submissions. Pushkar was found dead on the evening of Jan. 17, 2014. Initially, Delhi police investigated the same as a murder, with an FIR registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), charging Tharoor under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (cruelty by husband).

Shrivastava had argued that before her death, Pushkar had sustained injuries on her body, and they were reflected in the post-mortem report. He submitted that 27 tablets of Alprax were found in her room, although it was not clear as to how many pills she had consumed.

Shashi Tharoor

Meeting of 19 oppn parties calls for stir from September 20

Accusing the government of ignoring people ’ s issues and plunging the economy into a spiral, the opposition parties announced joint protests across states in September with Congress president Sonia Gandhi urging the parties to start preparing for the 2024 elections.

Sonia said the opposition must work for an alternative to unveil a government based on " values of the freedom struggle and the Constitution" . She urged the parties to rise above "compulsions" and work together while other leaders like West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the issue of leadership need not be addressed at present.

The protests, to be held between September 20 and 30, will be a joint show of 19 parties that attended a virtual meeting called by Sonia Gandhi. The deliberations

Sonia Gandhi

were attended by TMC, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPM, RJD, JD(S), RLD, NC and PDP, among others. The move is a clear bid to translate the coordination established at the leadership level in recent months and cemented during the just-concluded Parliament session, into a grassroots alliance.

Unity is not enough: Rahul

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said “ opposition unity

” was not enough and the alliance needed to present an “ alternative vision ” of what it stands for since the vision offered by the RSS-BJP is being liked by people. While CPM's Sitaram Yechury said "the opposition is united by the Constitution of India" , Rahul argued it needed to be fleshed out in people ’ s language that they could relate to and understand why it was important for the country.

For the fledgling axis, the planned protests require Trinamool Congress and Left coming together in West Bengal, Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka, SP, RLD and Congress in UP - an early test to the experiment being put in motion. The deliberations among things, emphasised unity in a joint statement issued after the meeting. Sonia noted that the Parliament session exhibited cohesion among parties, which will be sustained in future.

The alliance said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had sent a letter saying he could not attend the meeting because he was travelling, but expressed his agreement with the statement issued. The tricky subject of leadership of the opposition also came up for mention. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said the opposition should not dwell on the leadership issue and that "people will lead" . She said all anti-BJP parties should be roped in, including those which are at odds with Congress. "Fight is against BJP. Let us set up a core group and work together, " she said, in what appeared an allusion to outfits like BJD, TRS, AAP and YSRCP. "Let us keep our personal interests aside, ” she remarked.

Fresh tension grips AssamMizoram border

Three weeks after a violent clash between police forces of Assam and Mizoram, a firing incident last week escalated tension on the disputed interstate border again.

While Mizoram alleged that Assam police personnel fired on its civilians injuring one, the neighbouring state claimed that cops only returned the fire after miscreants from the other side of the border sprayed bullets on them.

H Lalthlangliana, district deputy commissioner of Kolasib, Mizoram, said the firing incident occurred at the disputed Aitlang area bordering Assam ’ s Hailakandi district when three residents of Vairengte town went there to collect meat from a friend, a resident of Bilaipur in Assam, who invited them to come.

One person was injured in the firing by Assam Police personnel who were guarding the inter-state border, he claimed. Hailakandi Superintendent of Police Gaurav Upadhyay said that an exchange of firing took place but declined to share details.

“No casualty has been reported on both sides, ” he said.

A senior district official, however, said that miscreants from the Mizoram side showered bullets in darkness from the top of Darasing Hills when workers were constructing a road leading to the border from Bilaipur under the MGNREGA scheme. “In reply to the firing from the Mizoram side, Assam Police personnel also fired several rounds, ” the official said.

Upadhyay said that he along with the Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi, Rohan Jha, rushed to the spot immediately after the firing at around 2 am. Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi that a neutral central force will be deployed along the disturbed Assam-Mizoram border.

Chief secretaries and DGPs of the two states attended the meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla. State police forces, however, have continued to guard the border. Representatives of Assam and Mizoram held talks in Aizawl on August 5 and agreed to resolve the inter-state border dispute amicably.

“Representatives of Governments of Assam and Mizoram agree to take all necessary measures to promote, preserve and maintain peace and harmony amongst people living in Assam and Mizoram, particularly in border areas, ” a joint statement issued after the meeting had said.

HC grants interim relief to Kundra

The Bombay HC continued interim relief against arrest to businessman Raj Kundra in a November 2020 case registered by the nodal cyber police station for alleged distribution of obscene content. The case also invoked the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

Kundra is in judicial custody in connection with another case under the Information Technology Act for alleged publishing and transmission of “ pornographic content” registered earlier this year. His counsel submitted that two other co-accused were granted protection earlier.

In a similar relief to co-accused Umesh Kamat, the HC continued interim relief of pre-arrest bail to him in the November 2020 case. Kamat’ s case, through his lawyer Sudatta Patil, is that his name is not even mentioned in the FIR and he has no role or nexus in the alleged offence. Kamat is out on bail in the case after a three-month stint in custody.

Both Kundra and Kamat have challenged the sessions court order which had refused them anticipatory bail, but had granted interim protection till rejection of their plea. Kundra ’ s senior counsel Shirish Gupte and Patil informed Justice S K Shinde that the copy of the sessions court order is not yet available. The prosecutor, PP Shinde, sought time till August 25 in Kundra ’ s petition to seek instructions for a response.

The HC adjourned both matters to August 25 and said pending hearing,

Raj Kundra

Zydus Cadila’s DNA-based Covid vax gets nod for use

Zydus Cadila

’ s anti-Covid jab ZyCoV-D secured regulatory approval for emergency use, becoming the world’ s first DNAbased vaccine for Covid-19 that will be administered to children above 12 years and adults.

The company has indicated a supply of around 50 million doses by December, a senior official said. The delivery of vaccines is likely to begin by next month-end. The DNA-based vaccine is the sixth shot to receive approval in India. While the government is yet to sign a final agreement with Cadila, supplies to the national programme are set to be augmented.

To start with, the company will supply around 10 million doses in a month. Pankaj R Patel, chairman, Cadila Healthcare, said that the vaccine showed 66% efficacy against moderate Covid infection and 100% against severe Covid, preventing serious disease and hospitalisation. The clinical trials were conducted on over 28,000 subjects, including kids, and were done when the Delta variant was prevalent across the country. This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for Covid-19.

According to the WHO, DNA technology is a radically new approach to vaccination that involves direct introduction of a plasmid containing the DNA sequence encoding the antigen (in this case the Covid virus) against which an immune response is sought. This approach offers a number of potential advantages over traditional approaches, including stimulation of both B and T-cell responses, improved vaccine stability, absence of any infectious agent and the relative ease of l a r g e - s c a l e manufacture, " says the WHO.

The three-dose Zydus vaccine, developed in partnership with the department of biotechnology, has been approved with a dosage cycle where the second and third shots will be administered at an interval of 28 days and 56 days, respectively, from the first dose. Among the other vaccines in use in India, Covaxin ’ s overall efficacy is 77.8% while Covishield has a proven efficacy of 70% in India. Sputnik V demonstrates 97.6% efficacy.

Till now vaccines, which are in trials or approved globally, use either the whole virus (Bharat Biotech), protein subunit (Novavax), viral vector (AstraZeneca/ Serum and J&J) or messenger RNA (Pfizer and Moderna) technology platforms. The Zydus shot is a needle-free vaccine administered using a special device, "PharmaJet" , which ensures painless intradermal vaccine delivery, the company said.

The company plans to manufacture 100 to 120 million doses of ZyCoV-D annually, and has started stockpiling the vaccine. The platform, because of its rapid plug and play technology, can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring, it says. "This is a historic milestone with ZyCoV-D, a product of Indian innovation becoming the world’ s first DNA vaccine being offered for human use and supporting the world’ s largest immunisation drive. We are particularly happy that our vaccine will contribute to this fight against Covid-19 and enable the country to vaccinate a larger population, especially in the age group of 12-18 years, ’’ Patel said.

The approval assumes significance as it will not only help the government ramp up vaccination but also play a crucial role in immunising children between 12 and 18 years once supplies improve going forward. Apart from the DNA-based vaccine, Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V are available in India, whereas vaccines developed by Moderna and J&J have also been approved with emergency authorisation. The Ahmedabadbased company has also conducted Phase 2 study for two doses of the vaccine but is yet to apply for Phase 3.

Empires built using terror have temporary existence, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that destructive forces and people following the ideology of creating empires using terror as a tool have an ephemeral dominance and they cannot suppress humanity forever. Modi’ s comments come in the wake of Taliban ’ s stunningly rapid takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent anarchy in the country, which has forced thousands people, petrified of the extremist group ’ s possible brutalities, to scamper for refuge in other countries.

PM Modi was speaking after virtually inaugurating several beautification projects at the famed Somnath temple. He cited the example of repeated plundering of Somnath temple and how it survived every attack. ‘This temple is emblematic of the belief that truth can

’t be defeated by falsehood and faith can

’t be crushed by terror. The destructive powers and thinking that tries to establish an empire on the basis of terror may dominate temporarily, but its existence is never permanent. It cannot suppress humanity for a long time. This was true when some tyrants were plundering Somnath and it is equally true even today when the world is apprehensive of such ideologies, ” he said without naming any country or terrorist organization.

Modi, who is also the chairman of Shree Somnath Trust, said, “This temple was demolished several times over several centuries in the past. Idols of deities were also desecrated. Attempts were made to erase its existence all together. But it came up again in its full glory every time it was destroyed. ” Recalling the contribution of India ’ s ‘Iron Man ’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in building the present Somnath temple, the PM also paid tributes to India ’ s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad and freedom fighter from Gujarat Kanaiyalal Munshi who played pivotal roles in its construction. Modi inaugurated projects worth £8.3 million which included a 1.4-km long ‘Samudra Darshan ’ promenade, a newly built museum housing ancient artefacts and the renovated Juna Somnath temple (also called Ahilyabai Holkar Temple), besides performing the ground-breaking ceremony for a Parvati Temple.

PM Modi also laid emphasis on p r o m o t i n g spiritual tourism saying that as Indian people ’ s propensity for spiritualism has ensured the country remained united for centuries. Describing the connection between economy and development of spiritual tourism, Modi said, “Gujarat has closely witnessed the results of linking modernity with tourism with projects like SOU and transformation of Kutch. It was the demand of every time period that we look for new possibilities in religious tourism and strengthen the links between pilgrimage and local economy. ” He

also hailed India

’ s jump to 34 in 2019 from 65 in 2013 in the the World Travel and Tourism Competitive Index.

IN MEMORY OF PIE CROSBY

Mira Kakad & Nishi Patel

Pie C Crosby, o our b beloved f friend, p passed away o on 5 5th J January 2 2021, a aged 3 38 y years old. S She b bravely b battled c cancer f for t the last 5 5 m months o of h her l life.

Pie was a unique personality, always giving and thinking of others before her-

"Pie's friends join part of the walk. From the left, Meera Shah, Alex Gaitan (Pie's partner), Jagruti Chudasama, Isha Gupta, Nishi Patel, Mira Kakad, Hannah ElBaz and Nita Gorasia"

self. In September 2020 Pie was diagnosed with cancer and our lives changed forever. Through the COVID pandemic, Pie very courageously fought a tough battle and it was very difficult to see the young mother go through such a painful journey. Pie passed away peacefully but she lives with us always and forever.

On 5th July 2021, we walked a marathon (26.2 miles) including some locations that were meaningful to her cancer journey, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The resources this charity provided were very helpful to Pie giving her positivity, hope and the strength to keep fighting. Our route passed the following significant locations: Orley Farm School, Wembley Park, Wellington Hospital, University College Hospital, Wood Green and Kensal Green Crematorium. We started the walk at 8.30am and finished at 10.30pm raising £3,683.

Macmillan Cancer Support provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer. It also looks at the social, emotional and practical impact cancer can have, and campaigns for better cancer care. They take the time to understand the individual, so that they can provide support, tools and inspiration needed to find their best way through, understand-

ing everyone´s cancer journey is unique. Unfortunately, we live in a world where 1 in 2 people are affected by cancer in their lifetime. We urge you to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support and help people who are fighting this tough battle.

Narendra Modi Third wave at hand, likely to imperil children, warn experts

Pie Crosby

" Nishi and Mira with Pie's daughter, Amelia" A committee of experts constituted under the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has warned of an imminent third wave of Covid that could peak around October and sought better medical preparedness for children who might be at similar risk as adults.

The report of the committee, set up on the directions of the home ministry, has noted that “ paediatric facilities - doctors, staff, equipment like ventilators, ambulances, etc. are nowhere close to what may be required in case a large number of children become infected” . The report has been submitted to the PMO.

The report has called for prioritising vaccination among children with comorbidities and a special focus on those with disability. Even with “ strict interventions ” , the peak of the third wave is expected to arrive by late October, the experts have concurred with earlier assessments of different institutions. Several studies have spoken of the likelihood of a third wave but these are estimates.

The vulnerability of children as they have not been vaccinated have been discussed and experts are of the view that they are not prone to severe infections though that can pass the virus to others. Other estimates have said the third wave, seen to be the result of renewed mobility, may prove to be less severe than the second. Covid care facilities for kids

The recommendations made by the committee has suggested “ a holistic home care model, immediate increase in paediatric medical capacities and prioritising mental health issues among children ” . It has mooted structuring of Covid wards in a way that allows children ’ s attendants or parents to safely stay with them through their recovery. The experts have expressed concern about 82% shortage of paediatricians in primary health centres and 63% vacancies in community health centres (the data cited from a parliamentary standing committee). “Therefore, the situation is already dire, and might worsen due to lack of adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), insufficient medical facilities and lagging vaccination, ” the report has warned.

It pointed out how during the second wave, about 60 to 70% children hospitalised due to Covid had co-morbidities and their low immunity was the primary cause behind many developing MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome), a

Hindus, Sikhs and Afghan nationals among 400 airlifted from Kabul

While India

’ s evacuation efforts in Afghanistan continued to focus on its own nationals, among the close to 400 people flown to India on Sunday were also about 60 Afghans, including 23 Sikhs and Hindus. With an increasing number of people, including foreigners, seeking help from India in their bid to exit Afghanistan, the Centre has deployed a team of diplomats and defence ministry officials at the Kabul airport to coordinate evacuation efforts with the US and other countries who have been facilitating the exercise.

The 60 Afghans, including two lawmakers Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa, were brought out amid reports that the Taliban were not allowing locals to leave the country. India had earlier assured Afghan nationals, including members of minority communities, with ties to it that it would prioritise visas for them and set up an emergency e-visa service for them.

A total of 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown earlier from Kabul to the Hindon airbase near Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals was brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated to the Tajikistan capital in an IAF 130J transport aircraft, officials said.

Six countries to fly out Indians

Six countries - UK, France, Germany, Qatar, UAE and UShave agreed to take Indian citizens who have been working for them in Afghanistan back to their countries from where India will bring them back. This is expected to ease the pressure on the evacuation process in Kabul, and make repatriation back here smoother.

Meanwhile 146 Indian nationals were flown into India from Doha after they were evacuated from Afghanistan earlier and an IAF C-130 evacuated 78 more people from Kabul on Monday afternoon. These passengers will reach Delhi on August 24 in an Air India special flight.

However, another Indian flight that was ready to evacuate more from Kabul couldn't take off because of firing at the airport. An Afghan security guard associated with Western forces was killed in a gunfight with unidentified assailants, according to international media reports from Kabul, throwing the airport again into chaos after the Taliban had managed to restore some order outside the airport. Official sources reiterated Monday that the first priority was to evacuate Indian nationals.

Afghan crisis shows why CAA is needed

Amid the ongoing evacuation from Afghanistan, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the problems faced by the Sikh and Hindu communities point to why the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was necessary. “Recent developments in our volatile neighbourhood and the way Sikhs and Hindus are going through a harrowing time are precisely why it was necessary to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act, ” Puri tweeted.

On Sunday, 168 people including 28 Afghan nationals and two senators landed in India in a special Air Indian Air Force flight. The government has promised help to Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan, as well as its friends in the country who need help.

Earlier in the day Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said he was happy to note that 209 Indian nationals were safely evacuated and flown to Delhi, along with other evacuees, of whom 24 are Afghan Sikhs. “I have been informed that MEA is working on evacuation of another 222 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. Praying for safety of all, ” he said.

The CAA, which came in to force in January last year, provides for citizenship for non-Muslim minorities - Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities - from Muslimmajority countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, if they fled due to religious persecution and entered India before 2015.

Sitharaman unveils £60 bn national asset monetisation plan

Indian Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a four-year road map for a £60 billion asset monetisation plan. A large chunk of this will be through brownfield assets of central ministries and public sector entities across roads, railways and power.

The FM made it clear that the plan only involves brownfield projects and not land and also promised to give incentives to states for undertaking disinvestment and asset monetisation. “Ownership of assets remains with the government and there will be a mandatory handback, which means they will have to give back after a specified time. Let there be no confusion that this government is selling away. No. These brownfield assets will still be the ownership of the government, ” Sitharaman said, while unveiling the road map, which is a crucial element along with privatisation of state-run companies for raising resources to push growth and create jobs against the backdrop of the pandemic.

The FM, in the 2021-22 budget speech, had announced the launch of asset monetisation programme as a funding mechanism for greater infrastructure spending. The government has already announced a £1,000 billion national infrastructure pipeline. The national asset monetisation pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog, in consultation with infrastructure ministries.

The assets include roads and highways, pipelines, power transmission lines, telecom towers, railways station re-development, private trains, tracks, goods sheds, dedicated freight corridor, 15 railways stadiums, 25 airports, 31 projects in nine major ports, 160 projects in coal mining, 761 mineral mining blocks, two national stadia, redevelopment of colonies and hospitality assets. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said there are over 20 asset classes across 12 ministries, which have been identified for the pipeline and these are brownfield de-risked assets, which will be offered for private investment. Sitharaman said the Centre will incentivise states to undertake disinvestment of PSUs and asset monetisation and outlined a three-point plan. States, which raise money through disinvestment of state PSUs or give up control, will be given an equal amount by the Centre.

Union minister Rane gets bail hours after arrest over ' slap Thackeray ' remark

Union minister Narayan Rane, arrested over his remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he called Thackeray 's "ignorance of the year India won Independence" , has been granted bail by a court in Maharashtra's Mahad. Rane was taken into custody by police in coastal Ratnagiri district, where he is travelling as part of the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, an official said.

Rane, who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet in July as Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, is the first Union Minister to be arrested in 20 years. Rane had claimed Thackeray forgot the year of independence during his August 15 address and had to check with his aides mid-speech. "It is shameful that the Chief Minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to ask about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given him a tight slap, " Rane said in the public meeting at Raigad.

Rane has been granted bail by the court in Mahad. His lawyer Aniket Nikam cited Rane's health conditions and that Rane is a Union Minister in the bail plea. Notice was not given before Rane was arrested and whatever sections were imposed were politically motivated sections, Nikam further argued.

Shiv Sena had filed cases against Rane over his remarks on Monday at a "Jan Ashirwad Yatra" organised nationwide by the BJP. Rane had lashed out at the media for reporting his ''imminent arrest'' , saying he was no ordinary man. "I haven't committed any crime. You should verify and show it on TV or else I will file a case against you (media). Despite not committing any crime, the media is showing speculative news about my 'imminent' arrest. Do you think I am a normal (ordinary) man?" he had said.

Narayan Rane

The Sena alleged that Rane, a former leader of the party, deliberately made the remarks to provoke tension in Maharashtra. Clashes erupted as Sena members marching towards Rane's home in Mumbai, carrying flags and shouting slogans, were stopped by BJP workers. Sena workers also targeted BJP offices in cities like Nashik. The BJP's Devendra Fadnavis said he didn't support Rane's comments but compared the police action to the Taliban.

Sena MP Vinayak Raut demanded his removal from the central government. "To impress the BJP leadership, Rane has been attacking Shiv Sena and its leaders. He lost his mental balance after his induction into the Modi-led ministry. Modi should show him the door,

" Raut said. Women officers in Indian Army cleared for promotion

Five women officers from “ combatsupport arms ” have for the first time been cleared for promotion to the rank of Colonel (time-scale) in the Army after completing 26 years of service like their male counterparts. The Army said a selection board has cleared the promotion of Lt Col Sangeeta Sardana (Corps of Signals), Lt Col Sonia Anand and Lt Col Navneet Duggal (Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers), and Lt Col Reenu Khanna and Lt-Col Ritcha Sagar (Corps of Engineers) to the Colonel (time-scale) rank.

An officer becomes a “ selectiongrade ” Colonel in around 15-17 years. The “ passed over ” male officers become Colonel (timescale) after completing 26 years of service. The promotion of the five women officers is the outcome of the Supreme Court order to the 13,00,000 strong Army last year to end the gender bias and grant permanent commission (PC) to women officers in eight more branches, in addition to previously existing legal and education wings. Consequently, the Army has till now granted PC to 424 of the 615 short-service commission (SSC) women officers (who can only serve for a maximum of 14 years) eligible for it. The Supreme Court had last week also allowed women to take the exam for the tri-Service National Defence Academy this year, in yet another order to ensure gender equality in the maledominated environs of the armed forces. Women officers, excluding the medical stream, number just about 1,650 in the 43,000-strong officer cadre in the Army. Till now, women officers could reach the rank of Colonel only in the medical, legal and education streams.

“The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers. Combined with the decision to grant PC to women officers from a majority of branches of the Army, this step defines the Army 's approach towards a gender-neutral force, ” said the Army.

The eight new branches for women officers to get PC are Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, EME, Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps and Intelligence Corps.

SCRUTATOR’S

Chautala takes exam at the age of 86 Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala took class 10 English exam last week. He sat for the exam at Arya Kanya Senior Secondary School in Sirsa. He had reportedly requested a writer because of a fracture and was allowed one. The 86-year-old president of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) reportedly finished the exam in two hours and left. Chautala had taken his Class 12 examinations under the Haryana Open Board earlier this year. But when the results were declared on August 5, his result was held back because he had not yet taken a mandatory Class 10 English exam. For his Class 12 results to be released, the veteran Haryana leader needed to clear the English compartmental exam. The former CM passed his Class 10 exam from the National Institute of Open School in 2017, while he was serving a jail sentence over his role in a teachers' recruitment scam. Chautala studied for the latest exam while in Tihar Jail, where he served his 10-year sentence from 2013. Along with his son Ajay Chautala and 53 others, the four-time CM was released last month, two months before schedule on account of a special remission. (Agency)

Grandparents rescue toddler from leopard

A couple in Madhya Pradesh fought off a leopard to save their two-year-old granddaughter in a village close to Kuno National Park, literally snatching the baby from its jaws. The leopard had sneaked into the backyard of their house while they were sleeping on the floor. Around midnight, 50-year-old Basanti Bai Gurjar woke up to the wails of the child, who was sleeping by her side. She was horrified to see the toddler ’ s right foot in the jaws of a leopard, which was dragging her away. In reflex, she kicked the leopard even before an involuntary scream escaped her throat. And went on kicking. The leopard wouldn ’t let go. Basanti’ s husband, 55year-old Jai Singh Gurjar, woke up to the screams of his wife and grandchild and the growling of the leopard. "I kicked it with all my strength, " he said. The couple grabbed the child and tried pulling her out of the leopard’ s mouth, while kicking the animal in the nose and eyes. The big cat let go of the toddler but turned on the couple, biting and slashing them. Both Basanti and Jai Singh were injured in their legs, but kept fighting till neighbours came running, armed with sticks. The leopard scampered back into the forest. (Agency)

A kind cop himself pays the fine of auto driver

A senior police inspector in Nagpur paid an auto driver's fine after coming to knew that he had brought money from his child's piggy bank to free his vehicle. According to Nagpur city police senior police inspector Ajay Malviya was moved when he saw the auto driver using his son's savings to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 and decided to pay the amount from his own pocket. The auto driver had reportedly parked his vehicle in a no-parking zone on August 8, for which he was issued a challan of Rs 200. He also had unpaid fines for which the total amounted to Rs 2,000. As he could not pay the fine his autorickshaw was seized by the police. For the auto driver, his vehicle was the only means of earning a living. Staring at a loss of income and unable to pay the fine himself, he brought coins from his son's piggy bank to the police - however, the police refused to accept the coins, local media reported. A teary-eyed driver then approached senior inspector Ajay Malviya. Noticing the plastic bag of coins in his hand, the cop asked him what the trouble was. Upon getting to know about the auto driver's financial situation, Malviya returned the boy 's money and paid the fine himself. (Agency)

A recreational park for cats

Upendra Goswami, a custom house agent, has been running his feline garden in Gandhidham with 200 cats since 2017. Goswami firmly believes that his elder sister Meena, who died at the age of 18 and loved cats, had come back to the family in the form of cat. In 2015 a cat came to his house and its activities convinced him and the entire family that it was his sister who had come back to them. In order to maintain the cat lineage, he started the garden to help the felines thrive. “I started feeling that my dead sister came back to my home as a cat and when I started to believe the cat which did not allow to touch anybody came and sat in my lap, ” Goswami said. Dismissing the charge of superstition, he said: “I was peon in the firm in which I am currently a business partner. The happiness and growth they brought into our lives is unimaginable. ” At the garden they were living without any human or dog interference. Now there are about 125 cats playing in Goswami’ s house. In 2017. Goswami brought a plot in Gandhidham near his house to create a cat garden to accommodate the huge family. (The Times of India)

Reticulated python breeds after 4 years Separated from their mother, they are in isolation and are healthy. Executive chairman S Paulraj said that reticulated pythons, native to South East Asia, are the longest snakes in the world and very sensitive. The new additions have been born after nearly four years. In 2017, a dozen eggs hatched and seven of them are alive. A couple of months ago, the park designed and created a new enclosure for its reticulated pythons. The male and female then mated. As soon as the authorities found out the female was getting ready to lay the eggs, she was separated from the others in the enclosure. “She was kept in an enclosure and it was ensured that she was not disturbed by anyone. She laid the eggs that hatched in about 65 days, ” he said. The new born pythons are being fed mice and small frogs on alternative days, while their mother is given a live chicken and bandicoot. World over, reticulated pythons are one of the most sought-after pets. In the wild, their life span is not more than 20 years, but they can live up to 28 years in captivity, he said. (Agency)

Haryana govt bans phrase ‘ gorakh

dhanda

The Haryana government has announced a ban on the use of the phrase “ gorakh dhanda, ” which is generally used to describe unethical and unfair practices. A decision was taken by CM Manohar Lal Khattar after a delegation of the Gorakhnath community met him and urged him to ban the phrase as it hurts the sentiments of the followers of saint Gorakhnath. The CM said as guru Gorakhnath was a saint, using the phrase ‘ gorakh dhanda ’ in any official communication, speech or in any context hurts the sentiments of his followers. Therefore, the use of this phrase in any context has been completely banned in the state. (Agency)

Activities of fake gurus irk HC

Society 's collective gullibility in matters of faith comes handy for fake godmen and the so-called spiritual gurus to exploit people to the hilt. The reverential faith reposed on such spurious gurus by their multitude of minions stands betrayed at the eventual exposure of their wickedness hid behind the mask of spirituality, said Madras high court, dismissing a bail petition by C N Siva Shankaran alias Sivashankar Baba, who was arrested by CB-CID on charges of sexual abuse. Justice M Dhandapani before whom the plea came up for hearing, expressed shock at the manner in which the common man, in spite of his intellect and faculties, is being brainwashed by persons, who, under the guise of spiritual awakening and intellectual liberation, commit perverted acts on the women folk, as is alleged in the present complaints. Stating that it would not be in the interest of justice if the self-styled god man is granted bail as he is also booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the court denied bail to the godman. (Agency)

Police dog sniffs out rapists/killers in 20 minutes

An indefatigable 18-month-old female Dobermann, a member of Vadodara rural cops ’ dog squad for about a month now, has proved to be the ‘Holmes ’ among canines, yet again. Jawa took less than half an hour to end a ghastly murder story by leading cops right up to six criminals who raped and killed a 38-yearold woman. Displaying high athleticism, sharp focus and a tenaciously determined sense of purpose the dog sniffed a dupatta and a bottle on the crime spot and started walking in the northern direction. It walked continuously for around 2 km, through fields and bushes until it crossed the busy AhmedabadMumbai railway line and entered a tent where it started barking agitatedly making it significantly clear that she arrived at her goal - leading to the arrest of six men. In this case, the mother of three children was gang raped by six men in a farm where she was cutting grass on the outskirts of Dethan village of Karjan taluka. The accused later strangled her to death fearing detection. The body was found by her family who were searching for her as she failed to return home till late. A case was registered and it took less than 30 minutes for Jawa to track down the culprits. (The Times of India)

Alia, Ranveer begin shooting for ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’

A brand new project that sees a collaboration between Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt has begun shooting. The movie sees Karan returning to the director ’ s chair after a gap of almost four years, stars a stellar cast of veteran actors including Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi.

Alia, Ranveer, and Karan shared a video showing snippets from the sets revealing Alia ’ s traditional look. The actor was dressed in Indian clothes with a red bindi on her forehead. Ranveer could be practising dance moves and also shooting a scene with Alia as Karan supervised the shoot. The crew can be seen hard at work.

Karan captioned the video, “The day is finally here & I have so many feelings going on in my head but what emerges at the top is - gratitude! As we begin our Kahani ka first schedule, seeking all your pyaar & aashirvaad! It’ s time to roll! Movie camera #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani #RRKPK. ”

Karan announced the movie on Ranveer ’ s birthday, July 6. Written by Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan and Sumit Roy, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ will release in 2022.

Kartik Aaryan resumes shooting for 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'

Prolific filmmaker Anees Bazmee who thinks laughter is the best medicine for Covid, is back to shooting with his leading man Kartik Aaryan for 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' , the sequel of sorts to the 2007 hit 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' with Akshay Kumar. Kartik who has been on a signing spree this year is back shooting for Bazmee ’ s comedy which got delayed due to the pandemic. Says Anees, “We were shooting for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in Lucknow when the pandemic broke out in March 2020. The shooting remained cancelled. But now we are back. Kartik and Tabu are with us. Their comic timing will shock audiences. ”

Director Bazmee is all praise for his leading man. “He brings a certain positivity to the set. His comic timing is impeccable. Audiences are going to love his scenes with Tabu. ” Interestingly Tabu and Kartik have formed a mutual admiration society. He can ’t sing enough praises of ‘Tabu M’ aam ’ .

She is all praise for Kartik’ s comic timing.

“The two are deadly in my film. Audiences will come away from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 hoping to see them together again, ” promises Anees. The last time Tabu shone within an unconventional pairing was when she did 'Andhadhun' with Ayushmann Khurrana. Anees promises a similar uncharted chemistry between Tabu and Kartik in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.

Shilpa Shetty posts quote on strength amid controversies

Actress Shilpa Shetty seems to be facing adversity in all its might. The actress and her family remain marred in controversy ever since her husband and businessman Raj Kundra got arrested in a porn apps case in July. The actor herself faces constant speculation and potshots online.

Shilpa took a three-week-long break from Sony TV reality show ‘Super Dancer ’ Chapter 4. But, as she returned to the judge ’ s panel of the show earlier this week, she made a statement about her courage without addressing any controversy. Shilpa spoke about a woman ’ s indomitable strength while praising a contestant’ s performance but later took to Instagram to share her thoughts on female power.

“There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise, ” she wrote in an Instagram post. Shilpa ’ s return to ‘Super Dancer ’ is her first public appearance since Kundra ’ s arrest. A source from show said the team had always been keen to get Shilpa back, however, she wanted to take her own time.

Glimpses of Salman Khan’s ‘Tiger 3’ revealed

Eagle-eyed fans of superstar Salman Khan caught him shooting for the much-awaited ‘Tiger 3 ’ in Russia. Salman and co-actress Katrina Kaif left for Russia last week to shoot for the third instalment of the ‘Tiger ’ franchise. A fan of the actor posted a series of pictures from the sets of the movie on social media.

The photos featured Salman sporting a long beard as he shot for a car chase sequence. Considering the actor plays a spy in the movie, the look may be one of his disguises. Another picture showed Salman posing with his Russian fans. The actor began shooting for ‘Tiger 3 ’ right before the second wave of the coronavirus struck India in March end.

The shoot was paused for four months until earlier this week, when the actors were shot leaving the country. The movie features Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist. Salman is expected to return to India by October to shoot for is reality TV show

Ananya talks about internet trolling, struggle and controversy

Actor Ananya Panday was the latest celebrity to arrive on Arbaaz Khan ’ s show ‘Pinch’ . Going by the format of the show, the host reads out hurtful tweets to the celebrities and they respond to the haters. Ananya is no stranger to trolling and hate, and has faced attacks for her take on nepotism, Instagram photos and captions.

Talking about trolling, Ananya said, “There ’ s no solution to the hate. If someone is filled with so much hate and poison, the response should be love. If you also respond with love, there will be more hate in the world.

” Unfazed by the comments, Ananya laughed at some, particularly regarding her accent.

“Everyone has opinions, some are funny, if they aren ’t too mean or something personal. ”

Ananya also talked about her ‘ struggling days ’ comment made at a roundtable interview with Rajeev Masand, where she equated struggle to not being part of ‘Koffee With Karan ’ . She said,

“I could have framed it in a better way. What I wanted to say didn ’t come across well and it came across wrong. I think I’ ve become calm, and I think before I speak. I’ m not saying this will be the last mistake I’ll make. I just want people to be on this journey with me, grow and change. I’ m very young and still in the limelight. Usually people my age are going to college and partying, but I wouldn ’t want to change my life now. ”

Ananya acknowledges that she has made mistakes, and will continue to do so. She said, “Honestly I’ ve made lots of stupid things. When someone asked me what I would eat for breakfast, I’ ve answered omelette with egg. ”

‘BellBottom' grosses £835,000 after three days

Actor Akshay Kumar-led action-thriller ‘BellBottom

’ has grossed £835,000 after three days of its box office journey. It collected £ 300,000 on its third day. Directed by Ranjit M Tewari, the film also stars Adil Hussain, Zain Khan Durrani, Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta, Denzil Smith, Dolly Ahluwalia, and Sunit Tandon in pivotal roles. The film is the first big release after theatres reopened.

Trade analyst Girish Johar said the film would have earned £2 million on opening day in pre-Covid times. He said,

“As industry insiders, we are not looking at it from the perspective of box office numbers, but it will help the industry ’ s revival. With the release of BellBottom, the wheels of the industry will start moving. ”

‘BellBottom ’ has received mostly positive reviews so far. Film critic Shubhra Gupta gave it 3 stars. She concluded her review by saying, “‘BellBottom ’ works on its stated metrics of see, no complexities, everything easy. Fun and games and rat-a-tat action, and no hostages lost, just as they didn ’t in real life after the rescue operation was pulled off successfully. We get the flag, but no strident flag waving. We get bad Pakistani terrorists who brainwash hapless Indians, but no loud jingoism. Bad guys lose. Good guys win. Jai Hind.

Kareena celebrates Jeh’s six-month birthday

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan is enjoying the time of her life in sun-soaked Maldives. While she has been treating her fans with gorgeous selfies every day, she shared a beautiful photo with her younger son Jeh on the completion of six months of birth.

Kareena captioned it, “Love, happiness, and courage to you always Happy 6 months my life. ” Kareena flew to Maldives along with husband Saif Ali Khan, and sons Taimur and Jeh to ring in Saif’ s 51st birthday. Before leaving for her vacation, Kareena launched her book, ‘Pregnancy Bible ’ , in which she detailed her experiences during pregnancy and motherhood.

The book paved way for a controversy as reports suggested her second child is named Jehangir Ali Khan. Kareena, however, remains unfazed. In an interview, she said, “Bollywood celebrities, in every situation, are a soft target. I’ m a very positive person. I’ m very happy and content and I want to spread positivity. In a time like Covid, I can ’t think of trolls, I can ’t think of any form of negativity. There ’ s no place for negativity in our lives because look at what the pandemic has taught us. It’ s bringing us closer, it has brought the world closer, we have to stand for each other. That’ s the way I think, all of us think and I think all of us should think. ”

Sonu Sood shows solidarity with victims of Afghan crisis

Actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood showed solidarity to victims of the Afghanistan crisis. He also pointed out that Indians who have been left homeless in the war-torn city need support like never before. The actor, who has been in the forefront helping migrant workers reach home after the nationwide lockdown was announced last year in March, has become quite the hero.

His acts of philanthropy have only exceeded since. Taking to Twitter, Sonu wrote about the need for jobs and a good living for the many distressed families. He tweeted, “The world should show the solidarity to Afghanistan by giving jobs and a good living to every Afghan family that became homeless. ”

Sonu also showed concern over those Indians who have been in Afghanistan for many years. He further wrote, “Also all the Indians who lived in Afghanistan all their life and now are homeless, they need us. It’ s Now or Never. Jai Hind. ”

Sonu ’ s fans supported his appeal and called him a “ super hero ” . The Taliban ’ s take over of Afghanistan has prompted several Bollywood celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Armaan Malik, Rhea Chakraborty, and Swara Bhasker to express solidarity with the war-torn country and its people.

Vaani Kapoor on role in ‘Shamshera’ : Lot of substance and char

Actress Vaani Kapoor is all set to play the female lead in Ranbir Kapoor-starrer action-adventure ‘Shamshera ’ . Directed by Karan Malhotra, the Yash Raj Films project is said to be set in the 1800s and tells the tale of a dacoit tribe fighting for their right and independence from the British. Vaani says the movie reminds her of 1993 blockbuster ‘Khalnayak’ featuring Sanjay Dutt, and Madhuri Dixit-Nene.

Vaani said, “We have grown up watching films like Khalnayak and a few other. It gave me a sense of that. It is a cook film and it is so different. ” She added, “I love Karan Malhotra ’ s ‘Agneepath’ . He knows how much to push each emotion. To be part of a film which is like that and coming from a filmmaker like Karan was icing on the cake. ”

The actor said her co-star will surprise the audience with his performance in the film. “The setting of the film is very different. Ranbir has a different look and character in the film. He has pulled it off and how. He will surprise you with this film, ” Vaani said.

About her role, she sad her character goes through a significant evolution in the film. “This girl has a cool evolution. The way Karan has mounted her is different. There is a lot of substance and charisma about her. It is a dream character, ” Vaani said. Also featuring Sanjay Dutt, ‘Shamshera ’ was originally set to arrive in theatres in July 2020, but was pushed to June 25 this year due to Covid-19. However, the uncertainty posed by the pandemic has delayed the film

Malayalam actor Chithra passes away at 56

Malayalam actor Chithra passed away last week following a cardiac arrest at her home in Chennai. She was a known name in the south film industry. Chithra acted in almost 100 films throughout her career and worked with the likes of Mohanlal and Prem Nazir in her debut film ‘Attakalasham ’ in 1983.

She went on to star in other hit Malayalam dramas including ‘Adavitam ‘Nadodi’ , ‘Ekalavyan ’ , ‘Devasuran ‘Commissioner ’ , ‘Aaram Thampuran ’ , and ‘Ustad’ . Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran mourned the demise of the actress, and tweeted, “Rest in Peace!” Chithra appeared in a Hindi film titled ‘Razia ’ and later was a part of the 1984 film ‘Ek Nai Paheli’ .

The actor is survived by her husband Vijayaraghavan and daughter Mahalakshmi.

Prithviraj -Manju Warrier to star in ‘Kaapa’

Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran announced his latest film ‘Kaapa ’ co-starring Manju Warrier. The movie will be held by cinematographer-turned-director Venu and penned by GR Indugopan. Billed as a story of Kerala ’ s capital Thiruvananthapuram, ‘Kaapa ’ also stars Asif Ali and Anna Ben.

Prithviraj shared an official announcement teaser of the film, and said that he is “ privileged” to be a part of it. “Privileged to be part of ‘Kaapa-The Ring of Death!’ #FEFKA Writers Union and #TheatreOfDreams Production. A story out of my city… Thiruvananthapuram. ”

Southern superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty launched the motion poster of the movie, which is presented by FEFKA. Both actors wrote on their respective social media handles, “Here ’ s the motion poster of ‘KAAPA’ , directed by Venu, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Manju Warrier, and Anna Ben. This is a venture initiated by FEFKA Writers Union and I wish them all the very best. ”

Filmmaker Selvaraghavan regrets lying about film budget

Filmmaker Selvaraghavan took his fans by surprise when he revealed that he lied about the budget of his cult movie ‘Aayirathil Oruvan ’ ahead of release to create hype around it. He took to his Twitter page and wrote, “The actual budget of #aayirathiloruvan was £1.8 million. But we decided to announce it as a £3.2 million film to hype it as a mega budget film. What stupidity! Even though the film managed to collect the actual budget it was regarded as average. Learnt not to lie whatever the odds are!”

Despite being a critical hit, ‘Aayirathil Oruvan ’ was considered a box office failure at the time owing to the inflated cost provided by the producers. The film is about a team of archaeologists who set out to trace the last whereabouts of the Tamil Chola dynasty. Starring Karthi, R Parthiban, and Reema Sen in the lead roles.

Selvaraghavan will be making the sequel with his brother

Dhanush playing the lead role. He is planning to mount this film on a large scale as just the preproduction work alone will take more than a year. The movie is expected to open in theatres in 2024.

The filmmaker is also directing Dhanush in a yet-to-be-titled film, which will hit the screens before ‘Aayirathil Oruvan 2 ’ .

Teaser of Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Mahaan’ unveiled

Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj unveiled the teaser of his upcoming film ‘Mahaan ’ featuring Vikram. The teaser opens with folk theatre artistes putting their

make-up on as they prepare to tell a mythological tale involving characters with supernatural powers. Next, we see Vikram enter on a motorbike. He ’ s carrying a prop behind his vehicle, which gives him an impression of a mythical character with multiple arms. The teaser suggests that Vikram ’ s character has many strengths and qualities.

‘Mahaan ’ is the 60th film in Vikram ’ s career. The movie marks the first collaboration between

Vikram and his son Dhruv. It also stars Simran, Bobby Simha, and Sananth. On the work front, Vikram has multiple projects. He has been simultaneously shooting for ‘Chiyaan 60 ’ , Mani Ratnam ’ s upcoming magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan ’ , and Ajay Gnanamuthu ’ s ‘Cobra

TV Listing

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 30 AUG FRI 3 SEP 2021

6.00 Var To NRI J!! 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

SATURDAY 28 AUG

6.00 MARI NANANDINO VEER 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI 21.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA

SUNDAY 29 AUG

12.00 Dholo Mara Malakno 15.00 Oxygen 18.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA 19.00 SHU CHALE CHE 19.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 21.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA 22.00 SHU CHALE CHE

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 30 AUG - FRI 3 SEP 2021

88.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18.30 DIL KA RISHTA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 BALIKA VADHU 2 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

SATURDAY 28 AUG

16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 FEET UP WITH THE STARS (SEASON 1) 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

SUNDAY 29 AUG

16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 BOLLYWOOD KI SHAAM BLOCKBUSTER KE NAAM DO RAASTE 21.30 DESI BEAT RESET

T20 World Cup: India to face Pakistan in first match

The International Cricket Council (ICC) last week announced the whole fixture for the Men's T20 World Cup which was scheduled to be held in India but will now taking place in the UAE and Oman. The competition for the coveted trophy will begin from October 17 to November 14 and as many as 8 teams will be involved in the qualification round. Only 4 will make it to the Super 12 stage, which will get underway from October 23.

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will play their first match on October 24. Both sides have been drawn in Group 2 of the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage. The group also features Afghanistan and New Zealand as the other two automatic qualifiers.

The Men in Blue will next face New Zealand on October 31 in Dubai before moving to Abu Dhabi and facing Afghanistan on November 3. They will return to Dubai to face the two qualifiers on November 5 and 8. India play a total of 4 matches in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. None of India's Super 12 matches are scheduled in Sharjah.

The tournament will begin with the Round 1 Group B encounter between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea on 17 October, with Scotland and Bangladesh, clashing the same evening. Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Namibia making up Group A - will be in action in Abu Dhabi the next day. According to ICC, the first semi-final will be held in Abu Dhabi on 10 November at 6 pm local time. The second semifinal will be in Dubai on 11 November. Both semi-finals have reserve days as well. The final clash of the tournament will take place in Dubai at 6 pm local time on November 14, Sunday, with the following Monday acting as the reserve day. Victim of racism abuse asks Yorkshire to come clean

Azeem Rafiq, 30, a former Yorkshire captain, has threatened to reveal the evidence of racism abuse he suffered unless Yorkshire release the full report on racism at the club. Earlier, Yorkshire acknowledged that an independent report had upheld some of the allegations of racism made by Azeem. In a statement, the county apologised for the “inappropriate behaviour ” .

However Rafiq accused the club of trying to play down his suffering by not mentioning racism in their apology. Rafiq also called for senior figures at Yorkshire - namely Mark Arthur, the chief executive, and Martyn Moxon, the director of cricket to stand down. The independent investigation was launched a year ago after Rafiq claimed “institutional racism ” at the club had forced him to contemplate taking his own life. In a separate employment tribunal case, the former bowler alleged

Azeem Rafiq

discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, as well as victimisation.

Yorkshire conceded that some of his complaints had been upheld, but did not specify which ones. The full report will be published in the coming weeks. Several Asian Yorkshire players are understood to have told the panel that they had been called a “ smelly P***” and that a former captain had routinely used the word “ n ***** ” . The panel was also told a number of coaches had been told not to select too many Asian players.

Yorkshire

’ s statement expressed their “ profound apologies ” and noted their failure to “implement policies and procedures ” , but left Rafiq incensed. “To try and tone racism down to inappropriate behaviour. . . I find it really difficult to understand what they think they are doing, ” he told Sky Sports News. “At the end of it [the statement] there is some sort of apology, but it is spoilt by the words that are used to try and minimise what my allegations were. ”

He added: “I want to know which of my allegations have not been upheld. Most of my allegations are about people who are at the club in leadership positions so to try and say these are historic allegations from a long time ago - yes there are some things on there that go back to the start of my career, but the majority of them are about people who are still there and from my second spell at the club.

“I think the chief executive, the director of cricket, everyone who was in that room when I said it, and the inclusion and diversity manager whose front room I sat in and cried my eyes out, they need to go. I can put stuff in the public domain and let people work it out for themselves - [I’ ve] no problem with that either. We need to avoid that car crash for everyone concerned. ”

Yorkshire ’ s statement insisted that the allegations were historical. “There were many allegations made against the club, most of which relate to a period more than ten years ago, ” they said. “Several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld and that sadly, historically, Azeem was the victim of inappropriate behaviour. This is clearly unacceptable. We would like to express our profound apologies for this.

Mayor ’ s Cricket Cup

The Mayor

’ s Cricket Cup is an inter-generational tournament held at world famous Edgbaston Stadium. It will bring together girls and boys aged 14-16 and adults over the age of 55 years for a fun mixed-team cricket tournament. The Mayor ’ s Cricket Cup is a collaboration between the West Midland’ s Combined Authority, Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, and the Edgbaston Foundation, the official charity of Warwickshire CCC and Edgbaston Stadium.

The tournament will take place on the morning of Sunday 26th September. The event will give young people the chance to play with the older generation. The event is part of an ongoing commitment of bringing different communities together and enabling people of all ages to stay active.

The tournament is being supported by Warwickshire County Cricket Club, with the club providing professional coaches and umpires on the day. This is a soft-ball event with mixed -aged teams of 8 a side, and we welcome players of all abilities. Registration for places is now open and places are limited. It will be a first come, first served basis. For more information on the event and registration, please visit. https://edgbaston.com/foundation/edgbastonfoundation-projects/creating-connections/registerfor-the-2021-mayors-cricket-cup/

Bright chances for T20 to become an Olympics sport

The chances of T20 cricket becoming part of the Olympics sport at the 2028 Los Angeles games has brightened. Paraag Marathe, the head of the Cricket USA, said international cricket had united behind the effort for the first time, and that even though the Olympics would be in the middle of the English cricket season it would pay dividends for the sport to be involved.

He met Ian Watmore, the chairman of the ECB, in London for talks on the next stage of the campaign to gain Olympic status. “I am hopeful that it is very likely, ” Marathe said. “For the first time 106 ICC member nations are supportive about getting cricket into the Olympics.

“You are talking about the second biggest sport in the world, and for the sport to be played in the biggest media market in the world in LA 2028 is just such a tremendous opportunity. For the first time we have a united effort of wanting to be in the Olympics. We have a billion fans of the sport around the world, including 30 million in the US, and we are just in the nascent stages of building something. Obviously we do it with full humility and deference to the IOC [International Olympic Committee] and the LA 2028 committee on being able to compete with other sports to be selected. ”

Marathe said the plan was for the T20 format to be used, but that there was flexibility if the IOC preferred something else, such as the Hundred. “The T20 format is probably the best one - it is easily digestible and works, it fits in with the format of American sports, which is roughly three hours, ” he told the Sport Unlocked podcast. “It’ s an understood format because of the success of the IPL but we will work with the IOC and if there is a different format they prefer then we are open to it. ”

SHAILI SINGH IS INDIA'S NEW LONG JUMP QUEEN

Shaili Singh

Shaili Singh, 17-year-old Jhansi girl, became the new long jump queen of India by winning silver medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi. She missed the gold by by just one centimetre. She was raised by her mother Vinita, a single parent to three children, who encouraged her to work hard to turn her dreams into gold. “It was a tough battle for my mom in the beginning. She had to raise three kids as a single mother. But all credit to her, she worked hard to support all of us. She is very strong. She was expecting a gold medal from me, ” Shaili said. The 17-year-old trains at the Anju Bobby Foundation in Bengaluru. After World junior medals by Neeraj Chopra (2016) and Hima Das (2018) in the past, the Kasarani stadium in the Kenyan capital saw the emergence of another young Indian athlete as Shaili won India’s second silver medal at the meet. The young Indians ended with a haul of two silver medals and one bronze. Coach Robert Bobby George, who was happy to help India win another world medal in long jump after a gap of 18 years, said: “She joined the sports hostel on Sep 4, 2017 and just after four months on Feb, 8 2018 she was in the national camp. She almost met my target. Even though she lost the gold today, she will get another chance in the next edition. I’m sure that she will rule the international scene for the next 10-12 years. She will erase Anju’s record, 6.83m, in the next three years, ” the coach said. The 17year-old went into the title round as a favourite to win the gold but in the end her best of 6.59m, 11cm better than her personal best that came in her third attempt, won her the second spot behind Sweden’s Maja Askag who touched down at 6.60m to complete a grand double of long and triple jump titles.

AMIT KHATRI WINS SILVER IN 10,000M RACE WALK

Amit Khatri

Amit Khatri won a silver in the men's 10,000m race walk event to clinch India's second medal at the World U-20 Athletics Championship in Nairobi after the 4x400m mixed relay team won bronze a few days back. The 17-year-old Khatri, the national record holder and world U-20 season leader, clocked 42 minute 17.94 seconds to finish second behind Kenya's Heristone Wanyoni (42:10.84) on the fourth and penultimate day of the championships. Khatri was leading after the 9,000m mark but the local athlete, Wanyoni, pulled ahead with less than two laps left in the race to win gold with a personal best time. The high altitude conditions in the Kenyan capital affected Khatri's performance as he struggled for breath during the race. “It is not the result I expected but I am happy with the silver medal. Even though I came here five days before the event to acclimatise, the high altitude affected me, " Khatri told the reporters.