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Political strategist Prashant Kishor resigns as advisor to Punjab CM

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Prashant Kishor

CHANDIGARH: Political strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday tendered his resignation from the post of Principal Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections.

Kishor’s letter read, “As you are aware, in view of my decision to take a temporary break from active role in public life, I have not been able to take over the responsibilities as your Principal Advisor.”

“Since I am yet to decide on my future course of action, I write to request you to kindly relieve me from this responsibility. I take this opportunity to thank you for considering me for this position,” added the political strategist in his letter.

In March this year, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had appointed Kishor as his Principal Advisor ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in the state.

Taking to Twitter, Captain Amarinder had said that he looked forward to working with Kishor for the betterment of the people of Punjab.

“Happy to share that @PrashantKishor has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab!” the Punjab CM had tweeted.

Speaking to ANI soon after being appointed as Principal Advisor to the Punjab CM, Kishor had said that he would start working in Punjab in the next few days along with all other responsibilities.

Earlier, the election strategist was roped in by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021 and had indicated in the past that he will quit Twitter if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) performs any better in the state than his prediction.

As a political strategist, Kishor worked with many parties and helped them win various elections.

He helped Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar to win the Assembly polls in 2015. Following this, Kumar appointed Kishor as the vice president of JD-U. However, Kishor was expelled from JD-U in January 2020 over his disagreement with the party on the issue of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Last year, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin had announced his party’s collaboration with Prashant Kishor’s poll strategy group Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) for the 2021 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. 

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates finalise their divorce

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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and entrepreneur Melinda

SEATTLE:The divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates has been finalised.

The New York Times reports the court documents didn’t detail how they would divide their assets.

Bill Gates was formerly the world’s richest person and his fortune is estimated at about $150 billion.

They met after she began working at Microsoft as a product manager in 1987.

The two were married in 1994 in Hawaii.

The Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the most influential private foundation in the world, with an endowment worth about $50 billion.

It has focused on global health and development and US education issues since incorporating in 2000.

The two have said they will continue to work together as co-chairs of their foundation.

However, if after two years Gates and French Gates decide they cannot continue in their roles, French Gates will resign her positions as co-chair and trustee, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced earlier this month.

If French Gates resigns, Gates would essentially buy her out of the foundation, one of the world’s largest private charitable organisations, and she would receive resources from him to do her own philanthropic work.

The resources received would be separate from the foundation’s endowment, according to foundation.

No time for disappointment, have to focus on bronze medal match: Skipper Manpreet and Sreejesh

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TOKYO: The 2-5 loss to Belgium in the Olympic semifinals on Tuesday is disappointing but Indian men’s hockey team captain Manreet Singh and star custodian P R Sreejesh said the side has no time to dwell on the heartbreak as it has to refocus for the bronze medal play-off on Thursday.

The eight-time winners of Olympic gold, the last of which came way back in 1980, fell short against world champions Belgium, losing 2-5 in the semifinals here on Tuesday.

“It is really hard for me right now because we came with a winning mindset, but unfortunately we didn’t win the match. Now we need to focus on our next bronze-medal match and we need to work and we need to get the medal,” Manpreet said after the loss.

“It’s a great honour for us reaching the semifinal after a long time, but now I think we need to focus because the next match is going to be really important for us. At least we should win a bronze medal for the nation,” he added.

The skipper said having toiled hard for the last five years to reach this level, India deserved a better result on Tuesday.

“It’s always been hard work and togetherness. This team has been together for the last four or five years. We have worked really hard to be reaching this level. We deserve better, and unfortunately we couldn’t get it today.”

Sreejesh agreed with his skipper and said the loss against Belgium is a thing of the past now and the team needs to focus on returning home with a medal from here.

“Disappointed, but you don’t have time to worry about that. You need to forget about that and think about the future. Now we still have a chance to win a medal and that’s more important for us than crying at this time,” he said.

“It’s more important for us to think about the future, watch the match, think about where we lost, where we committed the mistakes, rectify that, and move on,” added.

Senior India defender Rupinder Pal Singh too feels that all is not lost in the ongoing Games for them.

“Of course it’s heartbreaking for us, reaching the semifinal after 41 years and we were here to win a gold medal. That was our aim, but we lost today. The great thing is we have a chance to finish third in the next game so we will focus on that,” he said.

Rupinder believes a medal from Tokyo will be big for the sport back in the country.

“If we win that, it’s going to be for us only. Of course there are a lot of people behind this and supporting us. But we are going to win for us first and then (everyone else). That’s a great motivation, too,” the tall drag-flcker said.

Rupinder credited team’s self belief for its success in Tokyo.

“That’s the hard work behind it and the belief. That’s the most important thing behind (us) reaching here. I feel like the younger guys are working really hard for us and we are converting good chances.

“We need to work hard for the next game.”

Manpreet and Sreejesh, meanwhile, were also in awe of the women team’s feat in the ongoing Games and wished the side luck for the maiden semifinal appearance against Argentina on Wednesday.

“They played an amazing game against Australia. We wish them the best of luck for their semifinal (against) Argentina. I hope they win,” Manpreet said.

Sreejesh added: “That’s a great wake-up. The first three matches they lost, but the girls fought really well and won the last three matches, which was so crucial for them.”

“Yesterday’s match, upsetting Australia, that was a tough call and I think the girls are tough enough to win a medal in this tournament.”

Sreejesh praised Belgium’s Alexander Hendrickx, who made all the difference by scoring a hat-trick to take the Red Lions into the Olympic semifinals for the second consecutive time.

“He (Hendrickx) always scores at the right time. That gives the team more confidence. I think the second goal was a bit my mistake, but still, the way he flicks the ball it is always a bit tough for a goalkeeper,” he said.

India will face the losing team from the other semifinal, between Australia and Germany, in the bronze medal play-off match on Thursday.

China sticks to goal of having carbon emissions peak by 2030

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HONG KONG: China will stick to its goal of having its carbon emissions peak by 2030 and will release more complete reduction plans soon, the country’s climate change envoy said Tuesday, even as US and British officials urged it to do more to limit global warming.

Envoy Xie Zhenhua said in an online webinar on climate change that China will release updated plans to reduce emissions soon and elaborate on its plans during a UN climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, later this year.

China has said its carbon emissions should peak by 2030 and then decline, with a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.

The country, the world’s largest carbon emitter, has argued that it is still a developing economy and should not be held to the same standards as developed countries in reducing carbon emissions.

The former US special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, said at the same webinar, organised by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation, that China has not announced plans to do enough in the 2020s.

“Peaking (carbon emissions) by 2030 in China cannot get the job done, and I don’t think it represents a best effort to hold to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Stern said.

“Nor is China’s substantial planned expansion of its coal fleet in its 14th Five-Year Plan compatible with what needs to happen.”

Stern said what China does or does not do at home has a huge impact, not just on its own future but on the entire world, and that China’s global standing and reputation could be significantly damaged if it is seen as the main reason why the goal of keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius is not kept alive.

Lord Adair Turner, chairman of the UK Energy Transitions Commission, urged China to have its emissions peak before 2030 and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 – a decade earlier than its goal – as by then it will be a rich, developed country.

“I think we need to face a simple mathematical fact that if China does not peak emissions until 2030, I do not think we have anything like a 50/50 chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Centigrade (Celsius), nor a 90% chance of keeping global warming below two degrees Centigrade,” Turner said.

China’s Xie said countries have different national conditions, stages of development and historical responsibilities, and that China has a larger proportion of coal as a natural resource and less oil and gas.

He said developed countries have already gone through industrialization for more than 200 years and are allowed longer timeframes to go from peak carbon emissions to carbon neutrality compared to China.

“It is estimated the European Union would need some 60 years in its transition from carbon peak to neutrality or net zero emissions, and the US would need 45 years, while China will strive to achieve this goal in about 30 years,” Xie said.

“Therefore, in such a short period of time, China still faces many difficulties and challenges to achieve this,” he said.

“This is a process, it cannot be achieved all of a sudden.”

Xie urged countries to work together to implement their commitments instead of arguing whether the goal should be to keep global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius.

Man arrested for ‘objectionable’ comments about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on WhatsApp message

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

A case was registered against the man under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and he was arrested based on a complaint filed by the district coordinator of the RSS-backed student organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the officer said.

“Vishal Maurya of Ganesh Colony here made some objectionable comments about Bhagwat. A complaint was filed by ABVP district coordinator Akash Kumar stating that his comments hurt their feeling and that the youth also misbehaved with him,” Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra said.

The man’s mobile phone has been seized and a detailed probe into the matter is underway, the officer said.

COVID-19 India Update:records 42,625 cases and 562 deaths in a day

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NEW DELHI: With 42,625 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,17,69,132 and the active caseload increased to 4,10,353, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.

The number of active cases increased to 4,10,353 and accounted for 1.9 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate rose to 97.37 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

An increase of 5,395 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 18,47,518 samples were tested on Tuesday taking the number of tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 47,31,42,307.

According to the Union Health Ministry, India recorded 42,625 new #COVID19 cases, 36,668 discharges & 562 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate stood at 2.31 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.36 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,09,33,022, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.34 per cent, according to the data.

Cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country so far has reached 48.52 crore.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5; and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28; 70 lakh on October 11; 80 lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November 20; and the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crore coronavirus cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23.

Antibody cocktail centres in Karnataka will blunt Covid third wave edge: Experts

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BENGALURU: While Karnataka’s 13-member Technical Advisory Committee under Dr Devi Shetty has given a preparedness list to mitigate the third wave, clinical doctors, including pulmonologists, say the state should also think of opening monoclonal antibody daycare centres.

“Every district, or at least major cities, should have monoclonal antibody daycare centres along with triage centres. I have administered it to more than 100 patients now, and seen tremendous results,” said Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, pulmonologist, Manipal Hospitals.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic versions of the body’s natural line of defence against severe infection, now deployed after the virus has broken past the vaccine’s barrier of protection. The therapy is meant for Covid patients early on in their infection, and those who are at high risk of getting even sicker to help keep them out of hospital. This risk group includes people aged 65 and older, who have diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, obesity, asthma or who are immuno-compromised.

According to Dr Gopikrishna, consultant physician, Sevakshetra Hospital, availability of this treatment at subsidised rates will definitely help those who cannot afford it. “The drug will cost around Rs 1 lakh. The cocktail drug has definitely been a miracle,” he said.

Recently, Biocon Biologics, in collaboration with US-based Adagio Therapeutics, applied for an exclusive licence to manufacture and commercialise antibody treatment, for prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
“Recently, FDA permitted the use of such treatment in breakthrough infections too. It makes a lot of sense for the government to invest in treatment of Covid-19 and not just in prevention,” said Dr Sanjay Gururaj, consultant physician at Shanti Hosptial.

29 ministers to take oath, says Karnataka CM Bommai BSY’s son BY Vijayendra not on the list

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Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: At 2.15 PM on Wednesday, 29 legislators of the BJP will take oath as ministers in the Basavaraj Bommai cabinet.

In an unusual press conference ahead of the cabinet expansion, Bommai said that the central leadership of the BJP has decided not to have any Deputy Chief Ministers.

“The list has been finalised and I have sent it to the Governor. Twenty-nine ministers will take oath of office. Unlike last time when there were three DCMs, the high command has decided that there will be no DCMs this time,” Basavaraj Bommai told the press. He added that his 30-strong cabinet, including himself, will have three Dalits, one ST, seven OBC, Eight Lingayat, seven Vokkaligas and two Brahmin ministers. 

While new faces have been inducted, senior leaders and former ministers like Jagadish Shettar, Suresh Kumar, Arvind Limbavali, Laxman Savadi, CP Yogeshwar, R Shankar and Srimanth Patil have been dropped from the cabinet.

Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, KS Eshwarappa, Shivaram Hebbar, Byrathi Basavaraj, Dr K Sudhakar, B Sriramulu, R Ashok, V Somanna, B C Patil, Umesh Katti, Araga Jnanedra, S Angara, Munirathana, V Sunil Kumar,  MTB Nagaraj, Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, Govind Karjol, ST Somshekar, Shashikala Jolle, Narayan Gowda, Prabhu Chauhan, Kota Srinivas Poojary, Gopalaiah, BC Nagesh, Halappa Achar, Maadhuswamy, Anand Singh, CC Patil, Murgesh Nirani are set to be inducted into the cabinet.

Notorious Rowdy-Sheeter Syed Naseer booked under Goonda Act

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Pramesh Jain

The Shivajinagar police booked a 31-year-old rowdy under goonda Act on Tuesday and remanded to judicial custody.

The accused Syed Naseer is a habitual offender involved in over 11 criminal cases.

Senior officer told reporters,Though the accused is on bail he continued to be involved in antisocial activities disturbing law and order and creating fear psychosis among the members of the general public,violating the bail conditions.

The police prepared a detailed report and submitted it to the city police commissioner seeking necessary directions.

Based on his directions,the police arrested Naseer and remanded him to judicial custody to keep him in the prison without bail for at least one year .

Meanwhile the Bengaluru district police conducted a rowdy parade and carried surprise checks on their houses on TUesday.

Several teams of police raided and inspected the houses of habitual offenders and escorted them to the Nelamangala ground to be produced before the Superintendent of Police,Vamshi Krishna .

The police inquired about their activities and took details of the residence and mobile numbers .

SP,Vamshi Krishna addressing the habitual offenders warned them to med their ways and abide the law or face strict action.This is the first and last warning given and henceforth anyone involved in antisocial activities will be strictly dealt with,he said .

Road closed in Bengaluru’s Good Shed road for white-topping: Alternate routes here:

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Pramesh Jain

The Traffic movement on Goodshed road and TCM Royan road has been restricted following white topping work initiated by BBMP from Thursday.

Kamal Pant,city police commissioner while issuing orders on the traffic restriction said that  restriction of traffic movement on the above roads is in force from August 5th 2021 till the completion of the work.

According to the orders,due to white topping work roads including goodshed road,old Mysore road,market flyover from Dr.B R Ambedkar down ramp to TCM Royan road junction will be affected .

The Chickpet traffic police have made alternative arrangements for the vehicles.

Alternative routes are here :

Vehicles coming on this road to reach Majestic  can proceed on Mysore road bodybuilders junction,service road,Sirsi junction, take left turn to road connecting to JJ Nagar junction,Binny mill tank bund road,Balakaimandi junction,Binny mill circle,right turn to proceed on TCM Royan road  junction,proceed on goodshed road to reach shanthala junction to move further .

The traffic police have been instructed to put up required signages to make alternative arrangements and help the motorists to reach to their destination safely.

White topping is a new technology of providing cement concrete overlay on the existing damaged and distressed bitumen roads with a purpose either to restore or to increase the load carrying capacity, or both.

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