Tamannaah’s ‘Babli Bouncer’ Shooting Wraps Up

The shooting of Tamannaah Bhatia-starrer ‘Babli Bouncer’ has been completed.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who has helmed the project, took to Instagram on Thursday and announced the wrap of the film.

“It’s a wrap #BabliBouncer. 3 months, 42 days. Great memories, lovely camaraderie, fabulous team-work, Super fun. A big thanks to all my actors, technicians and everyone who has contributed from the inception till the finish,” he wrote.

Alongside the note, he dropped a video, in which the whole team can be seen cheering and hooting.

‘Babli Bouncer’ is touted as a coming-of-age feel-good story with a slice-of-life comedic tone set in the real ‘bouncer town’ of North India – Asola Fatepur.

Fox Star Studios and Junglee Pictures have produced the drama, which also features Saurabh Shukla, Abhishek Bajaj and Sahil Vaid in pivotal roles. (ANI)

Experts Debunk WHO’s Claim On Excess Covid Deaths In India

By Shalini Bhardwaj

After the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that India had 4.7 million “excess” COVID deaths, the country questioned the modelling methodology used by the organisation and said it is disappointed with its ”one-size-fits-all” approach.

According to the WHO report, more than 4.7 million people in India are thought to have died because of COVID-19.

Lashing out for projecting excess mortality estimates, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, speaking to ANI said, “Unfortunately, in spite of our emphatic writing, rational communication at the ministerial level, they have chosen to use the number that is based on modelling assumptions– one size fits all kind of assumptions.”

Dr Paul said that India has been telling WHO that the country does not agree with the methodology followed by India.

“We understand that this report has covered what they label as excess mortality, in the year spanning COVID19. India has been telling WHO via diplomatic channels with data that we don’t agree with the methodology followed for us,” he added.

However, Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Balram Bhargava said, “Once we have this systematic data, we do not need to rely on modelling, extrapolations and taking press reports and utilising them for putting into a modelling exercise.”

All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi Director Randeep Guleria objected to the WHO’s approach and gave three reasons for it.

“I have objections and I will give three reasons for that. India has a very robust system of birth and death registration which has been going on for decades. We know it works very well and that data is available,” said Guleria.

AIIMS Director further said that data should be used to see the number of excess deaths that happened during this time and excess deaths that could be attributable to COVID and WHO didn’t use that data.

“Secondly– data that WHO used is more on hearsay evidence– what’s there in media or unconfirmed sources. That data is questionable. Modelling on that data isn’t the correct and scientifically right thing to do, especially, when you have data that is more robust,” he said.

Giving the last reason Dr Guleria said India has been very liberal in offering compensation for people who died of COVID, that is, there is a very open manner.

“So, even if there were excessive deaths that were COVID related, they would have been recorded because people would have come forward, and their relatives would have come forward for compensation. This has not been the case as far as the numbers that WHO is predicting,” said AIIMS Director.

Further speaking on WHO’s claim on COVID deaths in India, he said that India needs to present the data which is scientific and more on an evidence basis.

“So, the prediction seems to be way beyond what actual numbers are and is based on data that is not substantiated. That is why I think that this is something which we, as a country, should object to and we need to present our data which is scientific and more on evidence basis,” he added.

In a press briefing on Thursday organised by World Health Organisation (WHO) said that India had 4.7 million “excess” COVID deaths, 10 times more than the official figure. The technical officer at the department of data and analytics William Msemburi said, “The reported Covid-19 number is 481,000 and the estimated excess is 4.74 million. So 481,000 reported COVID-19 numbers and then an excess mean of 4.7 million. The uncertainty around that is 3.3 million to 6.5 million. So, those are the estimated numbers for India.” (ANI)

Man Killed For Marrying Muslim Girl In Hyderabad, Two Arrested

Hyderabad’s Saroornagar police arrested two relatives of Ashrin Sulthana alias Pallavi for their involvement in the murder of Billipuram Nagaraju on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Syed Mobin Ahmed, brother of Ashrin Sulthana and Mohammed Masood Ahmed.
Both the accused were arrested on Thursday and are being produced before the Hon’ble Court for judicial custody, stated the Saroornagar police.

“Case registered under IPC Section 302, SC/ST Act. The probe is to be concluded soon. We’ll apply at fast track court so that its trial is concluded soon, and accused are punished. The deceased’s family will be provided with monetary benefits, job”, said DCP of LB Nagar.

A newlywed couple riding a bike was attacked with an iron rod and stabbed on Wednesday at 9 pm resulting in the man being killed on the spot at Panjala Anil Kumar Colony of Saroornagar in Hyderabad.

According to police, both the accused developed grudge against the deceased, as he had married the sister of the accused Syed Mobin Ahmed.

“The deceased Billipuram Nagaraju, who belongs to SC-Mala Community, and Ashrin Sulthana of the Muslim community were in love for more than five years. They were classmates from school and both studied in the same school and college. She is the sister of the accused Syed Mobin Ahmed. Sensing that his sister was in love with the deceased, Mobin had warned her. On 30.01.2022 she came out of her house situated at IDPL Colony, Balanagar leaving her mobile phone in her house itself. On the next day Nagaraju and Ashrin Sulthana got married at Arya Samaj in Old City, Hyderabad”, read the police statement.

“The accused hatched a plan to kill Nagaraju. One month ago, the accused tried to locate the deceased but failed to identify his location. Again, on 4-05-2022, the accused started searching the location of the deceased and initially they found him at Maruthi showroom, Malakapet. But it was not convenient there to assault the deceased. Then, they followed the deceased on their scooter and found the deceased at Panjala Anil Kumar colony, Saroornagar”, said the police.

“They stopped Nagaraju while he and his wife Ashrin Sulthana were on their bike. Mobin pushed him and after he fell, they started beating him with an iron rod on his head indiscriminately. Mobin then gave the iron rod to Masood Ahmed. Mobin then took a knife that was carried with him and started stabbing. Thus both the accused brutally murdered Nagaraju by beating him with a centering iron rod and stabbing him with a knife. After confirming his death, they fled”, said police.

The deceased’s wife Ashrin Sulthana said, “Syed Mobin Ahmed and five other people were there when the incident happened. I only recognized my brother and I don’t know the others.”

“We had a love marriage and he was my classmate since Class 10. I liked Nagaraju a lot. He even told my mother that he will convert his religion and will marry me but my mother didn’t listen. I know Nagaraju for 11 years”, she added.

“Nagaraju was beaten by five members at the signal. I begged everyone to let us go. Why did the public come now? He was killed in front of everyone, can’t the world see? At the signal, I requested people for help. If I would have died I wouldn’t have felt sad. I tried to save Nagaraju by covering him. But there were five other people pushing me away from him and other people were beating him. Nagaraju was wearing a helmet but despite that, they injured his skull.

The ACP LB Nagar along with his team apprehended Syed Mobin and Masood Ahmed within hours and seized the centering iron rod and knife used in the crime. (ANI)

Last Date For CUET Application Extended Till May 22

The National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the Common Universities Entrance Test (CUET), has decided to extend the last date for application submission for CUET 2022 up to May 22.

“We are extending the last date for application submission for Common University Entrance Test (CUET) up to 22-05-2022. We hope that this will provide additional opportunity to the students to apply for CUET. Wish you all good luck. More details at https://cuet.samarth.ac.in”, stated the NTA on Thursday.

Earlier the CUET 2022 application’s last date was May 6. Application of the CUET began on April 6.

Last date for fee payment of CUET exam is May 22, 2022 till 11.50 pm.

The CUET registration form 2022 is available on the official website– cuet.samarth.ac.in.

The CUET-qualified candidates will be able to register for admission to undergraduate courses in central universities across the country. The CUET UG exam for the academic session 2022-23 will be held in computer-based mode. Candidates will be required to select any four cities of their choice while filling out the application form. Applicants will be allotted the exam center according to their selected preferences.

The National Testing Agency will conduct the CUET 2022 in 13 languages including English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. The entrance test will be held in 547 cities within India and in 13 cities outside India.

“CUET (UG) -2022 will provide a single-window opportunity to students seeking admission to the Central Universities across the country under various Undergraduate programmes,” reads the official statement. (ANI)

Militant Attacks In Pakistan Went Up 24% In April: Report

The number of militant attacks in Pakistan increased by 24 per cent in April, but deaths and injuries decreased by 53 per cent as compared to March this year, an Islamabad based think-tank said.

Last month, the militants carried out 34 attacks, in which 55 people were killed, including 34 security force personnel, 13 civilians and eight militants, according to figures released by Islamabad-based think-tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The militants carried out 26 attacks across the country in March, in which 115 people were killed and 288 people injured, Xinhua news agency reported citing the PICSS report.

According to the report, most of the attacks took place in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), now part of the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, followed by other parts of KP and southwest Balochistan province.

In April, PICSS recorded 16 militant attacks in erstwhile FATA, in which 31 people were killed, including 21 security force personnel, seven militants and three civilians, while 10 people were injured, including six security force personnel and four civilians.

In KP, militants carried out 10 attacks, in which 17 people were killed, including 12 security force personnel and five civilians, while injuring six people, three civilians and three security force personnel, according to the report.

In Balochistan, four militant attacks were witnessed, in which one security force personnel and one civilian were killed, while five people were injured, including one security force personnel and four civilians, the report added. (ANI)

TOPS Approves Extension Of Neeraj ‘s Training In Turkey

Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Division has approved Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) proposal to provide financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh approximately for extension of Neeraj’s training camp at Gloria Sports Arena, in Antalya, Turkey.

Neeraj and his coach, Klaus Bartonietz have been in Turkey since the end of March 2022 and will now continue their training at the Antalya camp for another 14 days as Neeraj prepares for the upcoming CWG, Asian Games and Athletics World Championships.
The financial assistance with cover Neeraj’s training cost at Gloria Sports Arena along with his and Klaus’s accommodation, travel, food, and Medical Insurance expenses among others. It will also include a daily allowance of US $50 each for both Neeraj and Klaus for any other expenses they might require during their stay. (ANI)

B’desh Sends Emergency Medical Supplies To Sri Lanka

Bangladesh on Thursday sent emergency medical supplies to Sri Lanka as the island nation faces one of the worst economic crises since gaining independence.

At a token handover ceremony held at the State Guest House Padma, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque handed over a few boxes of medicines to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan D.S. Seneviratne, Xinhua reported.
Momen described the supply of medicine as an expression of solidarity and friendship between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, at a time when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomatic relations.

Meanwhile, Seneviratne said Sri Lanka values the friendly relationship with Bangladesh and is committed to further strengthening it.

Essential Drugs Company Limited, state-owned Pharmaceuticals Company in Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries, have each contributed medicines worth 100 million takas as gifts to Sri Lanka, Xinhua reported citing the statement from the Bangladesh foreign ministry.

The statement further said that the medicine is expected to reach Sri Lanka in a few days.

Sri Lanka is facing one of the worst economic woes since gaining independence in 1948. It is grappling with food and electricity shortages, affecting many people, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours.

The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has left the country unable to buy enough fuel, with people facing an acute scarcity of food and basic necessities, heating fuel, and gas. (ANI)

Amit Shah In J-K

Amit Shah: TMC Is Spreading Rumours On CAA

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday slammed the Trinamool Congress for spreading rumours about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and said that the Central government will implement it once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

The Home Minister, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants that the refugees who have come to Bengal should not get citizenship.
“TMC is spreading rumours about CAA that it won’t be implemented on the ground, but I would like to say that we will implement CAA on the ground the moment the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Mamata didi only wants that the infiltration continues and the refugees who have come to Bengal should not get citizenship. CAA was reality, is reality and is going to be a reality,” said Shah, while addressing Paschim Bango Samman Samavesh in Siliguri, West Bengal.

The CAA allows persecuted minorities belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to avail Indian citizenship.

Shah also thanked the people of Bengal for helping raise BJP’s tally in Assembly to 77 from three and said that the party will continue to fight against the “atrocities” of TMC.

“When we fielded in the last Bengal assembly elections, we had only 3 seats. You increased the BJP from 3 seats to 77 seats. By giving 2.28 crore votes to BJP in the assembly elections, you have strengthened the party in every village. BJP will not stop its fight unless and until Didi will not stop the rule of atrocities, corruption, catastrophe, syndicate on the people of Bengal,” he said.

The Home Minister further attacked the ruling TMC in the state and said, “People of Bengal gave a mandate for 3rd time to CM Mamata Banerjee. We thought Didi will get better, but corruption, syndicate, and killings of BJP workers are yet to stop. Mamata Didi shouldn’t think that BJP won’t fight back.”

The Home Minister alleged that after the post-poll violence in Bengal, the Human Rights Commission said that there is no rule of law in Bengal, it is the rule of the ruling party.

“Here 101 people were killed, 1829 people were injured and TMC goons were found guilty in more than 168 cases,” he said.

He asked why the Chief Minister didn’t send a delegation to Birbhum where 8 women and a child were burnt alive.

“She sends a delegation whenever an incident happens across the country, but why didn’t she send a delegation to Birbhum where 8 women and a child were burnt alive, aren’t they her people?” asked Shah.

The Home Minister said that the Bengal has the highest electricity prices in the entire country and the highest petrol price.

“Even today, the poor of Bengal do not get the benefit of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Mamta didi does not implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme out of fear of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he added.

He further said that Banerjee always misled the Gorkha brothers and sisters.

“I have come today to tell the Gorkha brothers and sisters that if there is one party which thinks in the interest of Gorkhas, it is only BJP. We have said that a permanent political solution to all the problems will be found within the limits of the Constitution,” he added.

On Friday, the Home Minister will visit Teen Bigha and interact with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at BoP Jhikabari in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district. (ANI)

SC Reserves Order On Abu Salem’s Plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved an order on extradited gangster Abu Salem’s plea raising the issue that as per the extradition treaty between India and Portugal, his jail terms cannot extend beyond 25 years.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh reserved the order after both parties concluded their arguments.
The bench also sought to know from the government what is the starting point of detention.

Meanwhile, during the hearing, the court remarked that when it was reading some other cases from the UK, it found that India has never violated the extradition assurance.

Abu Salem’s advocate apprised the Supreme Court of India that the Supreme Court of Portugal had stated that if the requesting state (India) exceeds the terms of the agreement, then the accused (Abu Salem) shall be extradited again back. Abu Salem’s advocate apprised the SC that there is a violation of the terms of the agreement and assurance given to Portugal.

SC observed that the exercising of power by the executive and by the court is different.

Abu Salem’s advocate also apprised the court that his client was in custody in Portugal since 2002. Abu Salem was also arrested on the virtue of a red corner notice, the lawyer said.

He also apprised the court that his extradition started in 2003 and went for almost 2 years and custody was handed over in 2005.

Centre had earlier submitted that the Central government honouring its assurance will arise only when the period of 25 years is to expire.

The Centre had said the compliance of the assurance given to the Portugal government during the extradition of gangster Abu Salem will be done at an “appropriate time” and the judiciary, as the Constitution of India envisages, is independent in deciding all cases in accordance with the applicable laws.

The Supreme Court was hearing the plea of Abu Salem which contended that as per the extradition treaty between India and Portugal, his jail terms cannot extend beyond 25 years.

The Home Secretary also clarified that the Government of India will abide by the assurances in accordance with the law and subject to the remedies as may be available at that stage.

Explaining the Extradition Act, 1962, the Centre, in its affidavit, said it is an Act enabling the executive of one State [the term “State” being used in the parlance of international law] to deal with another State to extradite the accused/ convict persons and these powers are executive powers and while exercising such powers, it is an inherent understanding that it would bind the executives of the respective States.

The government also said that before the said date, the convict appellant Salem cannot raise any arguments based on the said assurance.

The Centre Government remarked that the contention of the petitioner about non-compliance of assurance is premature and based on hypothetical surmises and can never be raised in present proceedings.

Salem has raised issues that the 2017 judgment of a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) Court sentencing him to life imprisonment was against the terms of the extradition treaty.

Salem’s advocate Rishi Malhotra had said that on December 17, 2002, the Government of India gave a Solemn Sovereign assurance to the Government of Portugal that if the appellant Salem is extradited for trials in India he would neither be conferred with the death penalty nor be subjected to imprisonment for a term beyond 25 years.

He had also said that the TADA Court were not according to the extradition order. He further added that the Government can exercise its powers under section 432, 433 CrPC to commute the sentence of Life imprisonment in order to bring down within the ambit of assurance of the sentence of not more than 25 years as the execution of the sentence was purely in the domain of Government.

The petitioner had also said that the government should ensure to bring down punishment consistent and commensurate with the assurances but it cannot be said that the Court’s hands were tied in not awarding punishment to Salem for more than 25 years.(ANI)

German President Holds Talks With Zelenskyy

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which the counterparts discussed “misunderstandings of the past,” media reported on Thursday, citing the German president’s office.

It was a first phone conversation between the presidents since a series of political and diplomatic scandals broke out between Berlin and Kiev after the Ukrainian authorities refused Steinmeier a visit in April. After that, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he was not yet planning visits to Ukraine.
Steinmeier and Zelenskyy discussed “misunderstandings of the past” during the conversation, and Zelenskyy personally invited Scholz and the entire German leadership to visit Kiev, the DPA news agency said.

According to Spiegel, the conversation lasted 45 minutes, and Steinmeier assured Zelenskyy of Germany’s full support for Ukraine. (ANI/Sputnik)