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Apple’s new privacy portal shows what user data it keeps

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San Francisco As part of its annual privacy upgrades, Apple has introduced a new portal that lets users see what personal data the company has kept on them, the media reported.

The information collected may include data such as calendar entries, photos, reminders, documents, website bookmarks, App Store purchases, among other items, CNBC reported on Wednesday.

The search function is in line with Apple’s efforts to differentiate itself as a company that does not montetise user data as it does not treat customers as its products. The company takes pride in making money though its hardware.

“Whether you’re taking a photo or asking Siri a question, you can do it knowing that Apple doesn’t gather your personal information to sell to advertisers or other organisations,” Apple says in its privacy website.

According to a report in USA Today, users still have to wait a few days to retrieve the information, from the updated http://www.apple.com/privacy section of the Apple website, as the tech giant confirms the request, but it should be way easier to find the tools now than before.

Apple updates its privacy website every autumn, after the introduction of new phones and software upgrades to the mobile and computer operating systems, iOS12 and MacOS, which this year is called Mojave, the report said.

(IANS)

Need to strengthen internal, external security: RSS chief

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Nagpur RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday stressed on the need to further strengthen the armed forces to ensure enhanced “internal and external security” and pre-empt any subversive attempts from within or outside to harm the country’s unity and integrity.

On the external security front, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief, while addressing the traditional annual Dussehra rally at the Reshimbaug here, said that unless the nation was “self-reliant” in defence production, security could not be assured.

While the pace of national efforts in this direction has to be accelerated, it was essential to be more attentive to address the basic amenities of the armed, social and economic security of the armed forces and their families, he pointed out.

“There have been some laudable efforts in this regard by the government. Efforts were underway and speeded to enhance the morale of our armed forces, making them well-equipped to provide them with latest technologies. This is one of the reasons the country’s prestige is rising globally,” Bhagwat said.

He called for securing not only the land borders of the country but also the maritime borders, especially the hundreds of small islands/islets dotting the country from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Lakshadweep.

Targeting the Leftist forces, he said there has been attempts to create a vicious atmosphere in the country by establishing an “anti-national leadership with blind followers solely committed to the neo-left doctrine” propagated by the so-called “urban Maoists”.

Their cohorts were already established in various levels — intellectual circles and institutions — through the manufacturing of a vicious atmosphere that weakens the social unity, which is the bedrock of internal security of a nation.

“A world of psychological warfare is being carved out of this so-called ‘Mantrayayuuddh’ in our traditional ‘Rajneeti Shastras’ (Political Sciences),” Bhagwat added.

The chief guest at the occasion was Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi who spoke on children and juvenile security issues and problems being faced by a vast multitude of children worldwide and the need to secure them.

(IANS)

Separatist shutdown affects life in Kashmir Valley

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Srinagar A shutdown called by separatists affected life across the Kashmir Valley on Thursday with heavy security deployed here and other vulnerable places.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, called the shutdown against the killing of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, Mehrajudd in Bangroo, his associate Faiz Ahmad Waza and Rayees Ahmad in a gunfight on Wednesday in Srinagar’s Fateh Kadal area.

Shops, other businesses and public transport remained closed in Srinagar and other district headquarters of the Valley.

Skeletal private transport moved in the uptown areas of Srinagar.

Educational institutions were closed due to the Dussehra holiday.

The authorities have imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar’s old city areas.

Train services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns were suspended as a precautionary measure.

However, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the valley.

(IANS)

Hindi Film Review

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Jalebi

This “Jalebi” Is Neither Sweet Nor Tasty

Banner: Vishesh Films

Producer: Mukesh Bhatt & Sakshi Bhatt

Director: Pushpdeep Bhardwaj

Star Cast: Varun Mitra, Rhea Chakraborty, Digangana Suryavanshi, Aanya Dureja, Poorti Arya, Pravina Deshpande, Mahesh Thakur, Priya Yadav, Sonali Sudan, Jashn Kohli, Shabnam Kapoor, Farida Dadi, Arjun Kanungo, Sanchay Goswami, Chayan Trivedi, Abhishek Khanna & Yusuf Hussain

Music: Jeet Ganguly & Tanishq Bagchi

Vishesh Films, headed by Mukesh Bhatt & Mahesh Bhatt, are known for their small-budget & high-concept films. They have given some memorable films & even chartbuster songs but since the last few years, their reputation has taken a beating. None of their films after the blockbuster Aashiqui 2 in the year 2013 have worked well. The number of films made by the banner has also reduced. Their last film, Begum Jaan was released in the year 2017, almost one and a half years ago. Now they are back with Jalebi, which promises to be a clean & romantic love story & also its miles away from the erotic & the horror films that had become their trademark.

The scripted story of Jalebi reveals that it is the story of love & separation. Ayesha Pradhan (Rhea Chakraborty) is a depressed girl. She has written a bestselling novella but her troubled past is not allowing her to focus & write her next book. She is on her way from Mumbai to Delhi for a book reading session. In the train, her co-passenger is Anu (Digangana Suryavanshi) & her daughter Pulti (Aanya Dureja). Over the course of their conversation, Ayesha gets a jolt upon learning that Anu’s husband is none other than her ex–hubby Dev Mathur (Varun Mitra). The story goes back 7 to 8 years. Dev is from Purani Dilli where he does guided tours. He’s proud of his roots & proudly flaunts his locality & also his mansion, popularly known as Netaji Ki Haveli. Once, Ayesha takes this tour & falls for Dev, who in turn also develops feelings for her. In no time, they get married & that’s when cracks begin to develop in their relationship. Meanwhile, in the present day, the train halts at Bhusawal railway station & Dev enters their coach to give Anu a surprise. The ex-lovers, that is Dev & Ayesha, thus come face to face after all these years. What happens next forms the crux of the rest of the film.

Just like Begum Jaan, Jalebi is also a Bengali film remake of Prosenjit Chatterjee & Rituparna Sengupta starrer Praktan (2016), which was written by Nandita Roy & directed by Nandita Roy & Shiboprosad Mukherjee. Here in Hindi, Kausar Munir & Pushpdeep Bhardwaj’s story is disappointing & juvenile. There’s no head & no tail to the story & they end up doing total injustice to the original film. Kausar Munir, Pushpdeep Bhardwaj & Suhrita Sengupta’s screenplay is the biggest culprit. The film is bland & the trio has made no attempt to make situations exciting or novel. Kausar Munir, Pushpdeep Bhardwaj & Suhrita Sengupta’s dialogues are horrible to say the least. The manner in which the characters are talking to each other is laughable.

Pushpdeep Bhardwaj’s direction is amateur and he doesn’t even know the basics properly it seems. The way the film moves back & forth especially when Ayesha would hear a term or hear a song is so convenient & outdated. And the post-marriage problems are akin to a saas-bahu melodrama shown on television but even those daily soaps are more entertaining & even progressive than this film.

Jalebi is terrible from the word “Go”. The film begins with a loud cry of Ayesha on the black screen and hence, even before the 1st ever visual, the film gets unsettling! The beginning portion of Ayesha crying over abandoning her marriage is weird. Once the train portions begin, one hopes for the film to get a bit better. Also, there are 3 subplots involving varied passengers in the bogie. They seem interesting and you expect them to add to the film, in case the lead protagonists aren’t able to. Sadly, these 3 tracks are boring and contribute in no way to the film. The flashback portion begins well. Dev showing his house to the tourists is nicely done. Also the way Ayesha books the entire tour for herself just so that she can spend all the time with Dev is lovely. Once they get married, the film becomes routine & showcases problems beaten to death in films. The miscarriage portion is also poorly executed. The train portions aren’t that interesting, although few a developments are a bit unpredictable. If you expect the climax to at least lift the film to some extent, you’ll be dejected. The Kashmir sequence makes no sense and even more senseless is the justification given by Dev in the end.

Music also gets thumbs down, which is sad, since Vishesh Films was known for its songs. “Tum Se” is catchy but it’s not going to linger in one’s mind for long. “Tera Mera Rishta” is played during the courtship scenes, which as mentioned above, was the only good part of the film. The rest of the songs like “Mujhme”, “Pehle Ke Jaisa”, “Pal” & “Mera Pyaar Tera Pyaar” are nothing special. Raju Singh’s background score is bad. Same goes for Manoj Soni’s cinematography, few shots are taken from a very close range. The VFX is tacky and anyone can make out that the scenery seen from the window is fake. Sandeep Suvarna’s production design is alright and the set does look like an actual First AC bogie. But it’s funny to see the railway station being so empty in the end, and that too the busy Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station of Delhi. Devendra Murdeshwar’s editing is not good and even the film that’s just 112 minutes looked like a 3 hour plus film.

Performance wise Varun Mitra is disappointing. He looks weird in the scenes where he has to cry and even when he’s seen celebrating his wife’s pregnancy. In the beginning scenes, he does well. The actor has done well in the past, in Ishaan Nair’s unreleased film Kaash (2015). So, here, the fault could be of the director in failing to get better performance from him. Rhea Chakraborty is what makes the film bearable. She has done chirpy roles in the past and Jalebi is the 1st time ever that she is seen in a serious & mature role. She is the only one to benefit from this film as she proves that she can do a lot more than comic capers & special appearances. Digangana Suryavanshi is alright while Aanya Dureja is sweet. Arjun Kanungo (Arjun) is okay and his track makes no sense. Farida Dadi & Yusuf Hussain (the old couple in train) are fine but are letdown by the script. What exactly are they doing in the film one wonders! Poorti Arya (Renu; Dev’s sister) & the actor playing Dev’s mother are forgettable.

On the whole Jalebi will leave you with a bitter taste. It’s a film that has no plot or logic.

Tail Piece: At the box office, it will be a disaster. Just Skip it!

Fashion & Lifestyle Round Up

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The 14th Edition of “GLITTER 2018” Exhibition Held

The outset of the annual festive & wedding season is incomplete without the mention of GLITTER, India’s most celebrated Pre-Festive, Wedding & Lifestyle exhibition. The 3 days exhibition, was held from 12th Oct, 2018 to 14th Oct, 2018 at Hotel JW Marriott.

For this festive & bridal season, GLITTER had curated a marketplace wherein visitors got a chance to witness &n shop from over 80 hi-end designers from all over India in Ethnic & Western Couture (prêt-à-porter & also made-to-measure); Bridal Trousseau-must-haves for all the brides out there; Fine Jewellery for all occasions; Festive Wear & Lifestyle Accessories & Art. The offerings of the show not only made it the most awaited exhibition in the lifestyle segment but even a one-stop-shop for everyone’s festive & bridal fashion must haves.

The 14th edition of GLITTER housed more than 80 exceptional brands like Akansha Creations (Rose By Anupama) of Delhi; Aleah Ahmed of Delhi; Bharatsons Jewellers of Mumbai; The Cappuccino Collection of Mumbai; Charu Jewels of Surat; Dhadda Designer Diamond Jewellery of Mumbai; Zahairaa by Golank Diamonds of Mumbai; Johri of Mumbai; Kantilal & Bros Jewellers of Surat; Kara Handcrafted Bridalwear of Mumbai; Mehak Creations of Delhi; Monica Bhayana of Delhi; Maitri Mehta Label of Mumbai; My Best Friend of Mumbai; Nona’s Exclusif of Delhi; Riwaaya of Mumbai; The Pink Mirror of Kolkatta; Sammohi Design Studio by Moksha and Hiral of Mumbai; Sanzany Jewellery of Mumbai; Sola Jaipur of Jaipur; Soshai of Mumbai; Ushnakmal of Banaras; Polkie of Faridabad; Ritu Gadhaiya of Jaipur; Shrivas by Archita Mehta of Udaipur; Sid N Vani of Delhi to name a few.

Death toll in cyclone-hit Odisha rises to 52; damage put at Rs 2,200 crore

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The number of deaths in cyclone Titli-hit Odisha increased to 52, and the state government more than doubled the compensation amount to the kin of the deceased, an official said on Wednesday.

Authorities conducted a review meeting to assess the extent of damage due to the cyclone that battered the state on October 11.

The coastal state is estimated to have suffered damages worth Rs 2,200 crore, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.

“As per the primary damage assessment report, the overall damage including infrastructure and agriculture has been estimated at Rs 2,200 crore,” Padhi said.

A final damage assessment report will be prepared within two days, he added.

“39 deaths are reported from Gajapati district alone. 12 deaths are reported from Ganjam district and one from Kandhamal district,” said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi after the review meeting.

The state government enhanced the compensation amount from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for each family of the deceased.

Earlier, the state government had confirmed 26 deaths due to cyclone and subsequent floods.

Damage to roads has been estimated at Rs 500 crore, electricity infrastructure at Rs 133 crore, houses at Rs 150 crore and crops at Rs 233 crore.

The state government on Tuesday released Rs 102 crore for the people of Gajapati, Ganjam and Rayagada – the worst affected districts.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited Gajapati and Ganjam districts, announced that Baraghara village will be shifted from the hilltop to the foothills.

76 families of the village will be provided with pucca houses under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana.

The Chief Minister distributed “patta” to beneficiaries and said that the government would take care of the children who lost their parents in the calamity.

M.J. Akbar resigns from government

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Central minister MJ Akbar resigns over allegations of sexual harassment by multiple women
Calls for MJ Akbar to step down had grown louder after over a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour.
In a huge victory for the #MeToo movement in India, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs MJ Akbar, accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by over 20 women, has stepped down from his post in the ministry.

In a statement released by media, MJ Akbar stated that he had decided to step down from his post and fight what he has termed as ‘false allegations’ in his personal capacity.

“Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from my office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs. I am deeply grateful to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to the External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country,” according to MJ Akbar’s statement.

MJ Akbar has filed a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, who was the first woman to come out with her account of alleged sexual harassment by the former minister. Twenty women who worked with MJ Akbar during his career as a journalist have asked the court to consider their testimonies of being subject to MJ Akbar’s sexual harassment and misconduct, or were witness to the same.

Calls for the minister to step down had grown louder after over a dozen women had put on record their gut-wrenching stories of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour by the minister. MJ Akbar, who was a part of the NDA government, previously held various senior positions in multiple news media organisations, including The Telegraph, Asian Age and India Today.

There was a common pattern to survivors’ accounts – he would set up job interviews with aspiring women journalists in hotel rooms, repeatedly call them to his office cabin for meaningless conversation and chatter, entice them with major stories, send them out of the workplace and meet them at a hotel at odd hours.

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who had ducked questions by the media when asked about the allegations on Akbar, was criticised for her silence. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to answer any question other than those pertaining to Cabinet decisions including on Akbar and the #MeToo campaign.

Political parties like the Congress and the CPI(M) had called for Akbar’s resignation as well.

Several Indian women from various fields have been taking to Twitter to speak up about the sexual harassment and sexual assault that they have faced. Allegations have been made against many prominent men, including stand-up comedians, singers, senior journalists and editors.

 

ANI

Protests near Sabarimala turn violent, 2 female journalists injured

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 Police used lathis after protesters opposed to the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala temple turned violent and attacked journalists covering the stand-off here on Wednesday.

Two female reporters, working for Republic TV and Aaj Tak, were injured when the protesters turned their ire on the media contingent.

At Nilackal, activists belonging to the BJP, Congress, and Hindu groups are protesting the Supreme Court verdict allowing women aged 10-50 to pray at the Sabarimala temple, reversing a long-standing tradition.

The demonstrators were forcibly turning back stray women visiting the shrine despite police assurances that no one will be prevented from taking part in the pilgrimage.

Police tried to calm the protesters but they pelted stones on them, prompting the lathi-charge.

This further enraged the protesters, who smashed the window panes of a police vehicle which was carrying away the injured female journalists.

The protesters chased out another female journalist, working for a news portal, from a bus headed to the temple town.

IANS

HDK request to Union minister for supply of coal to K’taka’s power plants

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Kumaraswamy’s appeal to Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal comes amid a shortage of coal in Karnataka’s thermal power plants.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy raised concerns of a power crisis in the state and appealed to Union Minister of Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs, Piyush Goyal, to ensure a steady supply of coal to the state. The appeal comes amid a shortage of coal in the state’s thermal power plants.

On Wednesday, CM Kumaraswamy, in a letter to the Union Minister, pointed out that the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS), which has a capacity of 1720 MW, currently has no stock of coal. Kumaraswamy said that the dire situation had risen in the state after Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), a unit of Coal India Limited (CIL), supplied 6 Lakh MT of coal lesser than the quantity that was agreed upon in the Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) signed by the two parties.

He further urged the Union Minister to ensure that the deficit is removed by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), another coal company.

The RTPS which is an eight-unit power station needs 26,000 tonnes of coal on a daily basis to run its units. When its coal stocks are exhausted, the power station is forced to depend on coal rakes on a daily basis.

A year ago, the Karnataka government had raised a similar complaint after which a meeting was arranged between WCL and Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL). In the meeting held on October 11, it was agreed that WCL would dispatch one rake of coal to KPCL plants every day.

The RTPS is one of three thermal power stations in the state alongside the Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) in Ballari and the Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS) in Raichur. The Karnataka government has set up coal linkages in its thermal stations with three suppliers – Singareni Collieries Company Limited, Telengana, WCL, Maharashtra and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, Odisha.

PTI

BBMP invite garbage collection tenders for ward level to avoid corruption

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Bengaluru’s garbage collection problems – from improper collection to the corruption in garbage contracts – may be resolved soon since the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to award garbage collection contract tenders at the ward level.

The decision came after many reports of corruption surfaced regarding the number of garbage collection vehicles and the number of workers employed for the purpose. As per reports, at present, the garbage contractors who get the tender are in-charge of the manpower and the vehicles that are deployed for the job. There were reports of ghost payments – payments for non-existing vehicles. When asked about the missing workers and vehicles, it was a routine affair for the contractor to claim that they are in another ward. The new scheme aims to put an end to similar claims by the contractors.

Bengaluru Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun told media that a meeting has been scheduled for October 23 to finalise norms before it goes for the council’s approval. She also added that if local contractors fail to cooperate, the BBMP will invite tenders from global players.

This decision comes close to the heels of other problems faced by the BBMP in relation to the management of solid waste in the city. The Karnataka High Court had pulled up the BBMP for not carrying out solid waste management processes at the ward level and also for not paying the pourakarmikas (civic workers) for months together. In May, the BBMP encountered the issue to ghost payments to vehicles that were missing on the ground after it was proposed that the vehicles be tagged with radio sensors to keep track of them. 100 trucks were supposedly missing from the ground but were being paid by BBMP every month.

TNM

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