Golf: Anvitha picks up title on her second pro start in the 8th Leg of WPGT

Bengaluru, June 20, 2024
Anvitha Narender, who held at least a share of the lead from the opening round completed a comprehensive seven-shot win in the eighth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPGT).

In only her second professional tournament, the New Jersey-born golfer, who was T-8 on her debut a week earlier, shot three fine rounds in the 60s for 69-65-68 to total 8-under 210 and beat amateur Lavanya Jadon, who had a rough start, but held on for a round of 73 and finished second at 1-under 209.

Vidhatri Urs, who like Anvitha, is playing only her second pro event, shot the day’s equal best of 68 despite a finish that had a double-bogey and a bogey at the end. Vidhatri, who was T-3 last week, finished third time at even par 210 with cards of 72-70-68.

Anvitha starting the day with a two-shot lead, found herself five ahead after the first three holes despite making only three pars. Her playing partner Lavanya, who was two behind at the start, double-bogeyed the second and bogeyed the third. The third player in the lead group, Seher Atwal parred the first six holes.

Anvitha dropped a shot on the Par-5 fourth, where Lavanya birdied for a two-shot swing. However, Anvitha fought back with birdies on the sixth and the eighth and seemingly ran away with further birdies on the 12th and the 13th.

As the players found the going tough in the closing stages, Anvitha could afford bogeys on the 14th and the 17th though she had a birdie in between on the 16th.

With a final round of 68, she coasted to a comfortable seven-shot win as Lavanya had three bogeys and two birdies on the back nine.

Vidhatri after a bogey start made a charge with five birdies in the next eight holes, including three in a row from eighth to the tenth. Five pars and a birdie on the 16th put her second behind Anvitha, but a double bogey and a bogey on the last two holes dropped her to third place as Lavanya ended second with three pars at the end.

Seher had a rough back nine with four bogeys on a tough scoring day.

Another amateur, Saanvi Somu from Bengaluru, shot 1-over 71 and was tied fourth with the experienced Seher Atwal, who dropped four bogeys in her last seven holes in a card of 3-over 73 and a total of 2-over 212.

The 2023 Hero Order of Merit winner, Sneha Singh, who had a share of the lead after the first day, began in a disastrous manner with four bogeys in her first seven holes. She had one birdie and another bogey in a round of 74 and was sixth at 6-over 216.

Gaurika Bishnoi, winner last week, also dropped shots at the tough closing holes as she finished bogey-bogey for 70 and was Tied-7th with Snigdha Goswami (74), who had four bogeys and no birdies.

Four players, Amandeep Drall (69), Jahaanvie Walia (70), Agrima Manral (71), and Rhea Jha (74), one of the co-leaders after Day 1, ended in a tie for ninth place.(Agency)

Fake call centre luring people with overseas jobs busted in Gurugram; 8 held

Gurugram, June 20, 2024
Gurugram Police have arrested eight persons, including four women, for allegedly running a fake call centre and duping people on the pretext of providing overseas jobs.

The suspects created a fake job website — internationaljobsolutions.com — and collected data of the job aspirants from an online portal (shine.com) whom they duped over the past six months, the police said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Nagender Kumar, Vikrant Singh, Ravi Kumar, Kajal, Garima, Ranjan Kumar, Sahil Punia, and Agnes Franesh.

The police received a tip-off on Thursday about an illegal call centre operating from the Palam Vihar area in Gurugram. A raid was conducted which led to the arrest of the eight accused persons, said Varun Dahiya, ACP (Crime).

The accused tele-callers lured unemployed youth promising overseas jobs and even sent them forged appointment letters on WhatsApp against a sum of Rs 2-3 lakh.

The tele-callers were given a salary of Rs 18,000 per month, the ACP said.

Ten mobile phones, four laptops, and other incriminating items were seized during the raid, the officer added.(Agency)

Sharad Pawar: Congress entitled to LoP post, INDIA bloc constituents will support

Pune (Maharashtra), June 20, 2024
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that the Congress will decide who will be the new Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and the selected one will be backed by the INDIA bloc constituents.

Talking to media persons, Pawar said, “In the INDIA bloc, Congress has bagged the highest number of seats and would be entitled to the LoP post.”

“Before the Lok Sabha session starting from June 24, the INDIA bloc will have a meeting and finalise the name for the LoP post. We shall endorse the decision,” said Pawar.

The NCP (SP) supremo added that the post of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is unlikely to go to the Opposition parties, contrary to speculation in political quarters.

“Last time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not honour the promise (to give Deputy Speaker post to the Opposition), though we shall discuss it this time,” declared Pawar.

Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA 3.0 government at the Centre, Pawar said that the people’s faith in PM Modi has been shattered both in Maharashtra and elsewhere in the country, and the masses do not believe in the ‘Modi Guarantees’ any longer.

Against this backdrop, the NCP (SP) supremo said that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SP) are poised to win at least 155 of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections due in October.

“In the recent LS elections, of the 48 seats, the MVA allies bagged 31 seats. If we calculate the six assembly segments that make up these parliamentary constituencies, then we have secured leads/wins in 155-plus Assembly seats in the LS polls. This indicates that the people’s mood is against the MahaYuti,” Pawar pointed out.

Scheduled to wind up his three-day tour of the drought-hit regions of Baramati on Thursday, Pawar revealed that after the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, he would embark on a tour of the state and in all the constituencies where the MVA allies will contest the Assembly elections.(Agency)

Raashii Khanna on completing decade in Tollywood: My first brush with fandom happened here

Mumbai, June 20, 2024
Actress Raashii Khanna recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of her acting debut in Tollywood with ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’ and said it was her first brush with fandom.

Raashii fondly recalled her debut film, ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’, describing it as her “comfort film.”

“Completing ten years in the industry feels surreal. I didn’t know the language or the culture, but you embraced me like your own and kept giving me chances to prove my talent,” she said.

Released in 2014, ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’ is a romantic comedy directed by Srinivas Avasarala and also stars Naga Shaurya.

The film is an adaptation of the 1897 French play ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ by Edmond Rostand and revolves around a young girl, Prabhavati, and two men, Venky and Uday, who love her.

The actress thanked everyone who has been a part of her journey and believed in her talent.

Raashii said: “I remember when we were shooting ‘Oohalu Gusagusalade’, I was naive and scared. Years later, it has become my comfort film, a reminder of where it all began. But it feels just like yesterday. The film will always hold a special place in my heart as it was my first big hit.”

“My first brush with fandom happened because of Tollywood, and the love Telugu people have showered on me has been limitless. I’ll always be thankful for everything,” she added.

At present, Raashii has films ‘The Sabarmati Report’ and ‘Talakhon Mein Ek’ in the works. She also has a Telugu film, ‘Telusu Kada’, in the pipeline.(Agency)

Mamata govt distances itself from celebration of West Bengal Foundation Day at Raj Bhavan

Kolkata, June 20, 2024
West Bengal Foundation Day was observed at the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday with the state government machinery and the members of the state cabinet distancing themselves from the programme.

Raj Bhavan insiders said that the celebration of West Bengal Foundation Day, which started on June 20, 2023, lacked the pomp and grandeur that was there in the same programme last year.

Insiders said that June 20 has been chosen as West Bengal Foundation Day since on the same day of 1947, the then Bengal Legislative Assembly held a meeting to decide if the Bengal Presidency would stay with India or Pakistan, or be divided, having the Hindu majority districts staying with India as West Bengal and the Muslim majority areas forming East Pakistan.

However, the ruling Trinamool Congress has been against celebrating the day as it believes that this date historically signifies the pain of partition. Instead, the state government through a proposal passed on the floor of the state Assembly last year decided to choose Bengali New Year Day as the date for the celebration of the West Bengal Foundation Day.

“Last year only when the Governor started celebrating West Bengal Foundation Day on June 20, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested him against doing so. But he did not listen. We cannot stop him from doing so. But we are not participating,” said a member of the state cabinet who did not wish to be named.

Commenting on the development, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the historical significance of June 20 can never be changed or ignored.

“Last year the President of India announced June 20 as the West Bengal Foundation Day. Had Dr Shyamprasad Mukhopadhyay not been there we could not have stayed in Independent India. A party can enforce certain things because of its numerical supremacy in the Assembly. But that does not mean that the history can be changed,” Adhikari said.(Agency)

Wildfires rage across California, engulf acres of forest

San Francisco, June 20, 2024
The fast-growing Sites wildfire in Northern California remained just 5 per cent contained, officials said.

The Sites Fire, about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, the capital city of the western US state of California, broke out on Monday and is among over a dozen wildfires that have ripped through the state, Xinhua news agency reported.

The blaze, currently the largest and fastest-growing wildfire in Northern California, has engulfed some 15,656 acres in Colusa County. Evacuations are ongoing, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In Sonoma County, the Point Fire, which erupted Sunday in Geyserville and has burned more than 1,207 acres, was 50 per cent contained as of Tuesday evening.

In Calaveras County, a blaze that erupted on Monday afternoon has been dubbed the Aero Fire, and it has been deemed a threat to more than 3,600 structures. It was 33 per cent contained on Wednesday afternoon, having charred more than 5,351 acres.

Officials warned that the risk of new fires erupting in Northern California remained high.

The probability of ignition is “still up at around 100 per cent,” said fire behaviour analyst Jonathan Pangborn of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.(Agency)

Atiq Ahmad’s sister-in-law’s house demolished in Prayagraj

Prayagraj, June 20, 2024
The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) on Thursday demolished the house of Zainab Fatima, who is the wife of gangster Atiq Ahmed’s brother Ashraf.

“This building was constructed under the name Zeeshan Fatima. This is constructed on Waqf land. They could not prove their ownership. Hence, the order to demolish it was passed,” said PDA Zonal Officer N. Hashmi.

Last week, the Prayagraj police compiled records of illegal properties of five members of slain gangster Atiq Ahmad’s gang across the state, officials said.

The Bareilly police have already listed the properties of two brothers-in-law of slain gangster Ashraf — Saddam and Zaid Master. Both are history-sheeters at the Puramufti police station.

Ashraf was also killed along with Atiq Ahmad in April last year.

The Bareilly police have already slapped the Gangster Act against Saddam, currently lodged at Budaun jail, and Zaid Master will be booked under the same too.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City), Deepak Bhuker, said that police had been compiling details of illegal and benami properties of five more gang members of slain Atiq Ahmad’s gang.(Agency)

Lupita Nyong’o attended Taylor Swift, Beyonce concerts despite being on vocal rest

Los Angeles, June 20, 2024
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o revealed that she injured her vocal cords while working on the upcoming animated movie ‘The Wild Robot’.

The actress had to wear a badge to inform fans why she was keeping quiet at shows.

Appearing on ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’, she said: “Sometimes people, fans thought I was being rude because I wouldn’t say anything. I’d just be like, (striking a pose).”

“So, then, I just thought, okay, let me let people know what’s going on and that way they’ll have sympathy for me instead of hatred.”

The actress said: “Well, okay, so, she’s a robot. And she goes through this journey to finding, I guess, what we would call humanity, like empathy.”

“And so, at the start of the movie, I chose to do this very kind of like super positive voice. And it was just not in my local register, which is a lot lower.”

“And so, I did it for way too long over a number of days, and I got a vocal polyp. And so, I lost my ability to speak. And my doctor put me on vocal rest. I was on vocal rest for three months.”

The actress wanted to avoid undergoing surgery, especially after being told by her doctor that 35 per cent of people recover naturally, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“And I was so determined to be part of that 35 per cent. And I did. I cured myself,” she said.(Agency)

Uzbekistan: 4 drown, one missing after car falls into canal

Tashkent, June 20, 2024
A rescue team has retrieved four bodies after a car carrying five persons in it fell into a canal in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya region, while one person is still missing, local media reported.

According to the press service of the regional Department of Internal Affairs, the accident occurred in Shirin on Monday when the driver lost control and drove the car into the canal.

The driver and the four passengers in the car could not escape, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bodies of the driver and three passengers, as well as the car, were found and retrieved from the water by divers from the emergency rescue team. The search for the remaining passenger is going on.(Agency)

3 IS militants killed in airstrikes in Iraq

Baghdad, June 20, 2024
Three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Thursday in airstrikes in the northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said.

Based on intelligence reports, Iraqi warplanes carried out an airstrike at 6:30 a.m. local time in the rugged area of Wadi al-Shay, southwest of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, leaving three IS militants killed, according to a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated to the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

The warplanes carried out another airstrike on the nearby caves and tunnels used by the militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement gave no immediate details about the results of the second airstrike, but said more information would be released later.

A source in the Iraqi army told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that a force from Kirkuk Operations Command was dispatched to the scene to search the attacked sites.

The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have sneaked into the urban centres, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.(Agency)