IPL 2020: AB de Villers looks confident during the practice session for RCB

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August 31, 2020

In confrontation in Ladakh, the Chinese army carried out “provocative military movements” to “unilaterally” on of Pangong lake but the attempt was defeated by Indian troops, the Army said.

Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand said, ‘ troops from Chinese People”s Liberation Army(PLA) “violated” the consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements on the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh. And carried out provocative military movements on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 to change the status quo’.

Although there was no physical clash between the troops of the two sides during China”s attempt to open a new front in the prolonged border standoff.

In a statement, Col Anand said that the Indian Army thwarted the Chinese intentions to “unilaterally” change facts on ground. Undertook measures to strengthen Indian positions in the area.

“On the night of 29/30 August 2020, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military. And diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” he added.

“Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” the Army spokesperson said.

India and Russia declares joint winners of Chess Olympiad

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August 31, 2020

India and Russia were declared joint winners of Fide Online Chess Olympiad on Sunday. After a lost connection and two forfeited games.

The grand finale was followed by a 64,000-plus strong audience. However ended as a technical glitch forced the Fide president to pass an equitable judgment as India registered their first-ever triumph at Olympiad level.

While the officials said these were “unprecedented circumstances”.

Teams from more than 160 countries have participated in this year’s online event, which began in July.

“The Online Chess Olympiad has been impacted by a global internet outage, that severely affected several countries, including India. Two of the Indian players have been affected and lost connection, when the outcome of the match was still unclear,” Arkady Dvorkovich, president of the International Chess Federation, said in a statement.

He said he decided to award both teams gold medals in the “absence of a unanimous decision” from the body’s appeals committee.

But the final is not the first time the tournament has come under scrutiny.

Nihal Sarin and Divya Deshmukh lose connection with the server and were declared to have lost on time. Notably, Deshmukh had been in a winning position before the loss of connection in the final round.

Incidentally, quarterfinale victory of India against Armenia had also similar complaints of a server lose. Armenian players had appeal saying they had lost internet connection but the appeal had been turned down. India then beat Poland in the semifinal to qualify for Sunday’s final.

Prashant Bhushan Fined Re 1 by Supreme Court in Contempt Case

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August 31, 2020

The Supreme Court fine of Re 1 against activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan in the contempt case for his post against the judiciary.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra asked Bhushan to give the fine by September 15. And if failing he will jailed for three months and debarment from law practice for three years.

“My lawyer and senior colleague Rajiv Dhavan contributed 1 Re immediately after the contempt judgement today which I gratefully accepted,” Bhushan said.

”I will respectfully pay the fine as I would have done in case of any other punishment that the court would have given me,” Bhushan said.

My lawyer & senior colleague Rajiv Dhavan contributed 1 Re immediately after the contempt judgement today which I gratefully accepted pic.twitter.com/vVXmzPe4ss
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) August 31, 2020

Justice Arun Mishra said, “If we do not take cognizance of such conduct it will give a wrong message to the lawyers and litigants throughout the country. However, we are showing magnanimity, instead of imposing any severe punishment. Freedom of expression is there but rights of others should also be respected.”

Meanwhile as per report, the top court on 14 August held Bhushan guilty of contempt for his tweets. The court had reserved its order on sentencing while granting time till 24 August to Bhushan to submit an unconditional apology. Bhushan had refused to submit an unconditional apology, saying that an insincere apology would amount to contempt of his conscience.

Nia Sharma wins the trophy of Khatron Ke Khiladi Made In India

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August 31, 2020

Nia Sharma wins the trophy of Khatron Ke Khiladi Made In India. Khatron Ke Khiladi is stunt-based reality show came to an end on August 30.

Khatron Ke Khiladi Made In India was a special edition, which was notably shot in India in Film City, Mumbai.

For the last stunt, they had to crawl through fire, swim through a muddy river, and excel in a watery coffin stunt. Nia beated her co-contestants Karan and Jasmine to take home the trophy.

After lifting the trophy, Nia Sharma said, “What started off as a fun special edition of Khatron Ke Khiladi Made in India, very quickly became my sole agenda to win the season. I gave my all to every stunt that I performed on the show Also, the team always showed immense faith in me and encouraged me to go and give my best. I wanted to win and I would not have been at ease with any other result. Winning the season brought a sense of happiness and satisfaction within me. It was also my answer to those people who thought Nia was only about makeup and styling”.

Warren Buffett turned 90, see how Bill Gates wishes him

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August 31, 2020

Warren Buffett turned 90. Buffett was born on August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father worked as a stockbroker and served as a U.S. congressman. His mother, Leila Stahl Buffett, was a homemaker. Buffett was the second of three children and the only boy.

Warren had business abilities at a young age. He formed Buffett Partnership Ltd. in 1956. In 1965 he had assumed control of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett became one of the world’s richest men and a celebrated philanthropist.

Bill Gates posted on Twitter, wishing the Business tycoon a happy birthday. “Happy 90th birthday, Warren!” the tweet said, and accompanying the words was a minute-long, artistically shot baking video.

Gates also shared a tribute for his friend on his blog ‘GatesNotes’. “Warren Buffett turns 90 years old today. It’s hard to believe that my close friend is entering his tenth decade. Warren has the mental sharpness of a 30-year-old, the mischievous laugh of a 10-year-old, and the diet of a 6-year-old,” the Microsoft co-founder wrote.

Happy 90th birthday, Warren! pic.twitter.com/8nH2EulTR4
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) August 30, 2020

Centre unlikely to hand over the ground on GST compensation

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August 31, 2020

The government is unlikely to give in to demands for changing the compensation formula for goods and services tax (GST) despite opposition-ruled states demanding that the Centre borrow from the market and transfer funds to meet the shortfall between actual collections and the promised growth of 14%.

Top government officials told TOI that the compensation mechanism and calculations of what it should be has been “hard wired” into the law and the proposals put before the states were based on two rounds of consultation with attorney general K K Venugopal.

Punjab has formally rejected both options provided by the Central government to make up for goods and service tax (GST) compensation shortfall. State finance minister Manpreet Badal has written to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman communicating the decision while seeking clarity on several concerns raised by the state.

Senior Karnataka Congress leaders, who have dealt with the subject of GST before, say the Centre has little choice under the Constitution but to borrow funds and honour its payment obligations under the GST law to the states.

“The Centre has to compensate states for the GST shortfall as laid down in the laws. It cannot transfer its responsibility to the states,” M Veerappa Moily told ET. He was the Union law minister when the GST law was drafted during the UPA-II regime.

In a note to the states Saturday, the Centre had rejected their demand that it should do the borrowing, and proposed two options — borrow Rs 97,000 crore (revenue shortfall arising on account of GST implementation and not taking into account the Covid-19 impact) or borrow the entire Rs 2.35 lakh crore.

Myntra announces Kiara Advani as its new brand ambassador

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August 31, 2020

Myntra, a fashion marketplace own by Flipkart, has roped in Kiara Advani as its brand ambassador and nationwide celebrity endorser to appeal and attract its young customer base across tiers.

Speaking about her association with Myntra, Kiara said, “Fashion is all about being comfortable in your attire and I believe comfort brings out the confidence in you. Myntra has changed the overall dynamics of online shopping, it’s a platform that has enabled us to find our fashion favorites with just a click. It’s been one of the most liked platforms amongst the youth and it makes me extremely happy to join hands with them and be associated with the brand.”

According to Myntra, non-metros and smaller cities are fast emerging as key markets for online fashion commerce and Advani’s projects on OTT platforms and social media presence will benefit the marketplace by strengthening its position as a fashion platform in the ecosystem.

Speaking on the association, Amar Nagaram, CEO, Myntra, said, “We are ecstatic about our association with Kiara Advani. She personifies fashion and style that appeals to a wide audience across geographies and age groups. Her association will be pivotal in helping us foster our relationship with existing customers while expanding our footprint into unexplored regions in India. This association gives impetus to our commitment of serving the evolving fashion and lifestyle needs using the power of technology while offering superlative customer experience, and unparalleled fashion content.”

As the brand ambassador, Kaira will fulfill her role by cementing a strong connection with Myntra’s existing customers, while attracting a new set of fashion-forward, digital-savvy and entertainment-oriented customers from across the nation. Additionally, her engaging social media presence, high resonance with the country’s youth population, and a strong fan following will help strengthen Myntra’s vision of democratising fashion.

Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84, Know here how the leaders from the political spectrum showed their condolences

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Harshit

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August 31, 2020

Former President Pranab Mukherjee, has passed away at 84 on August 31.

Mukherjee was the senior most leader of the opposition Congress party and emerged as a most successful President at a time.

Mukherjee had gone through an emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain at New Delhi’s Army Hospital Research and Referral. Earlier the hospital authority has said he was also tested positive for COVID-19 then his condition got more critical. He went through surgery and remained in a coma after that.

The veteran Congress leader’s health started declining on Monday after a lung infection resulted in septic shock.

This evening his son, Abhijeet Mukherjee, former lawmaker has and shared the information of the death of his father.

Pranab Mukherjee had served the nation as a president for 5 years from 2012 to 2017. Out of his 5 years Congress party held power for 2 years and BJP for 3 years. Mukherjee had been the finance, defense and foreign minister as well at a time.

Just after his death many leaders from the political spectrum showed condolences and prayed for his family.

With great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

I join the country in paying homage to him.

My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends. pic.twitter.com/zyouvsmb3V
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 31, 2020

I was new to Delhi in 2014. From Day 1, I was blessed to have the guidance, support and blessings of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I will always cherish my interactions with him. Condolences to his family, friends, admirers and supporters across India. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/cz9eqd4sDZ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2020

Deeply anguished on the passing away of former President of India, Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji. He was a vastly experienced leader who served the nation with utmost devotion. Pranab da’s distinguished career is a matter of great pride for the entire country.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 31, 2020

We are deeply pained by the passing of Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

Former President of India & one of the tallest leaders of the Congress Party, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for his integrity & compassion.

Our prayers are with his family, followers & the nation. pic.twitter.com/E7xsnb7xqM
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 31, 2020

Lakshmi Manchu, Taapsee Pannu condemn Rhea’s media trials, Swara Bhasker wonders if she is being framed

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August 31, 2020

Rhea Chakrborty, who is currently being grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) in connection with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, has garnered much required support from her peers. Rhea has been termed a prime suspect in the death case by the family of the deceased actor and has been at the center of troll ever since then. From rape threats to vile remarks against her family, the actress has received nationwide hatred after Sushant Singh Rajput’s passing away.

Rhea was recently interviewed by several media channels. During her interviews, Rhea described how her life has turned turned into a misery post Sushant’s death. She mentioned that whole nation has launched a witch-hunt against her without even hearing her side of the story. Rhea also urged her industry friends to speak up against the injustice towards her.

Finally, much to Rhea’s relaxation, several actresses including Laxmi Manchu, Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker have come out in her support.

Telugu actress Lakshmi Manchu shared a lengthy note, demanding her colleagues to stand up against the unfair treatment to the young actress.

In her note titled #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput #JusticeForRheaChakraborty, Lakshmi wrote, “I have complete trust in the judiciary system and all the agencies that are involved in bringing justice to Sushant. But until then can we restrain ourselves from being evil and cruel and lynching of person and her entire family without knowing the facts.”

@sardesairajdeep @Tweet2Rhea @itsSSR . Wake up my industry friends… stop this lynching. #letthetruthprevail pic.twitter.com/5SCEX8Un8H
— Lakshmi Manchu (@LakshmiManchu) August 30, 2020

“I can only imagine the pain the entire family is going through with these so-called media trials. If something like this happened to me I would want my colleagues to stand up for at least the ones that know me to say back off hang on leave her alone and I ask all of you to do the same back off hang on leave her alone until the entire truth is officially release,” she added.

Lakshmi found support in Taapsee, who retweeted her tweet and added, ““I didn’t know Sushant on a personal level nor do I know Rhea but what I know is, it only takes to be a human to understand how wrong it is to overtake judiciary to convict someone who isn’t proven guilty. Trust the law of the land for your sanity and the deceased’s sanctity.”

I didn’t know Sushant on a personal level nor do I know Rhea but what I know is, it only takes to be a human to understand how wrong it is to overtake judiciary to convict someone who isn’t proven guilty. Trust the law of the land for your sanity and the deceased’s sanctity 🙏🏼 https://t.co/gmd6GVMNjc
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) August 30, 2020

Meanwhile, Swara Bhasker also suspected that Rhea is deliberately forced into being a culprit. Replying to a post that highlighted Rhea had shared details about Sushant’s mental health with his family, Swara questioned, “Does it seem like Rhea is being framed?”

The chat message reportedly reveal that Susahnt’s manager Shruti Modi has shared his prescription with his sister in November 2019 along with the contact number of the doctor he was consulting.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra apartment on June 14. It was reported that the actor died by suicide, however, a month after the incident, his father lodged a complaint against Rhea Chakraborty and her family for abetment of suicide and money laundering.

Meanwhile, Rhea along with her brother Showik is currently being questioned by a team of CBI for third consecutive day.

Indian Navy deployed warship in South China Sea, the Indian Navy had also deployed its frontline vessels along the Malacca Straits

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August 31, 2020

Behaving swiftly after the Galwan valley clash on June 15 in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Navy sailed out its frontline warship for deployment in the South China Sea much to the displeasure of the Chinese who raised objections over the move during the talks between the two sides, according to news agency ANI.

China, which has been trying to overpower the region by increasing its presence through artificial islands and military existence has been objecting to the Indian presence there.

“Soon after the Galwan clash broke out in which 20 of our soldiers were killed, the Indian Navy deployed one of its frontline warship to the South China Sea where the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy objects to the presence of any other force claiming the majority of the waters as part of its territory,” government sources told ANI.

As per updates, the Indian warship is constantly maintaining contact with its American counterparts who were also operating on the other edge of the South China Sea, much to the displeasure of the China.

Around the same time, the Indian Navy had deployed its frontline vessels along the Malacca Straits near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the route from where the Chinese Navy enters the Indian Ocean Region to keep a check on any activity of the Chinese Navy.

A number of Chinese vessels also pass through the Malacca Straits while returning with oil or taking merchant shipments towards other continents.

The Navy is also going to fast track the purchase of 10 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Vehicles under a deal expected to be worth over Rs 1,245 crore.

Happy birthday Rajkummar Rao: Here’re 5 films of the actor that will leave you amazed

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August 31, 2020

One of the finest actors of Bollywood, Rajkummar Rao, is celebrating his 36th birthday today. In an industry ruled by the likes of Khans and Kapoors, the actor stood out by proving his mettle time and again. With his notable film career, Rajkummar has carved an irreplaceable niche for himself.

While every film by the actor is a must-watch, we’ve listed some of the films that brought out best in him.

Shahid

Shahid is the film that gained Rajkummar Rao his due recognition in the Hindi film industry. The film directed by Hansal Mehta was based on the life of lawyer and human right activist Shahid Azmi who was charged for plotting against the state. He was assassinated in 2010 in Mumbai.

Rajkummar’s performance in the film garnered heaps of praises from critics as well as international film festivals. His effortless portrayal of Shahid’s character also earned him National Award for Best Actor.

Citylights

Another masterpiece by the director-actor duo of Hansal Mehta-Rajkummar Rao brought magic in the theatres with Citylights. The film touched new heights in terms of acting, screenplay and story. It starred Rajkummar as a family man Deepak from a small town of Rajasthan who was forced into unwanted circumstances due to poverty and debt.

The film is also known for brilliant chemistry between Rajkummar and his real life girlfriend Patralekhaa.

Aligarh

Rajkummar played the role of a Delhi based reporter in critically acclaimed film Aligarh. For Aligarh, Rajkummar teamed up with Manoj Bajpayee and the duo created one of the most heartfelt films Indian cinema has witnessed. Set in the city of Aligarh, the film is based on the life of Ramchandra Siras whoso moral grounds were questioned for being a homosexual. Deepu, played by Rajkummar Rao, befriends him and helps him to come to terms with his reality.

Trapped

Trapped is one of the rarest films of Hindi cinema. The film, which is solely driven by Rajkummar, is a story of survival of a helpless boy who gets stuck in an empty apartment without food, water and electricity. Even in a limited space, Rajkummar managed to deliver an impeccable performance that will be remembered for generations.

Bareilly Ki Barfi

Bareilly Ki Barfi is an unconventional romantic comedy which starred Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Kriti Sanon in pivotal roles. The film showed us a humurous side of Rajkuammar, leaving us in splits and wondering if there’s anything that this man cannot pull up. Directed by Ashwini Iyer, the film featured Rajkummar as hopeless writer Pritam Vidrohi which is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining characters played the by actor.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Puri, hopeful of completing Air India’s privatization process within 2020

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August 31, 2020

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said, the government should not be running airports and airlines on adding that he is hopeful of completing Air India’s privatization process within 2020.

While addressing a virtual meet on Namo app, Puri said, “I can tell you from my heart the government should not be running airports and the government should not be running airlines.”

The Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) owns and manages more than 100 airports, including the one in Kerala’s capital city.

Last Tuesday, the Central government extended by two months the deadline for placing bids for Air India till October 30 as the Covid-19 fallout has disrupted economic activity globally.

The process of stake sale in the national carrier was initiated on January 27. This is the fourth extension given by the government for putting in bids.

The Civil Aviation Minister further defended the move for the privatization of airports by the Centre by stating that during the erstwhile Congress rule they had “privatised the Delhi, Mumbai airports.” (ANI)

Central government asked to review service record of employees who have completed 30 years of job

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August 31, 2020

In a massive development, the Centre has asked all its departments to review service records of employees who have completed 30 years in job to identify inefficient or corrupt staff and retire them prematurely in public interest, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

The employees’ performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J) and 56 (I), and also under Rule 48 (1) (b) of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives “absolute right” to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, “if it is necessary to do so in the public interest”.

“All ministries/departments are requested to undertake the periodic reviews in letter and spirit, including in public sector undertakings (PSUs)/banks and autonomous institutions, under their administrative control,” said the Personnel Ministry

“It is clarified that the premature retirement of government servants under these rules is not a penalty. It is distinct from ‘compulsory retirement’, which is one of prescribed penalties under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965,” said the order issued on Friday.

What will be reviewed’

Giving details on the applicability of FR 56 (J), the order said the service record of a group A and B category officer can be reviewed if he/she has attained the age of 50 years.

The Personnel Ministry has also asked all the departments to maintain a register for conducting such a review.

The review may include assessing officials based on the files dealt with by him or in any papers or reports prepared and submitted by him of The Personnel Ministry.

Trump supporters, Black Lives Matter protesters clash; 1 person dead

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