1. Prabhat Koli, 1st Asian Teen To Swim UK-France Channel.
Prabhat Koli comes from a long line of city fishermen who conquered the Arabian Sea, but this 18-year-old has far grander plans of becoming master of the seven seas.
The Chembur resident last week became the youngest male to swim across the turbulent waters of the Tsugaru Channel at 18 years, one month and five days, breaking Japan`s Honoka Hasegawa`s record of 18 years, four months and 20 days that was set last year. Young Koli completed the Tsugaru channel in nine hours and 52 minutes.
2. Renu Satti Quits As Paytm Payments Bank CEO.
Paytm Payments Bank CEO Renu Satti has resigned from the role and will now head Paytm`s new retail initiative. Paytm will look for a replacement for Satti, who had taken over the CEO role last year.
"Renu Satti will be leading the charge as COO of this new (retail) initiative... She has already resigned from Paytm Payments Bank CEO position and the Bank will soon be recruiting a new CEO," Paytm said in a statement.
In the past, Satti has built businesses ground up that include marketplace, movie ticketing and most recently Paytm Payments Bank. "She has been a champion of new business launches and her acumen makes her a perfect candidate for leading this important launch," the company said.
Under its `New Retail` model, consumers will soon be able to discover nearby pharmacies, groceries and other shops to place an order and get instant deliveries. Paytm is also building P2P logistics with a network spread across the country which will be utilised for intra-city deliveries, the statement said.
The company has already partnered with a large network of local shops, restaurants, pharmacies and groceries for accepting Payments and will soon extend New Retail` services to them, it added.
"We will work with local restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies to enable them for local ordering and delivery," Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said. Local ordering is expected to become one third of Paytm orders and gross merchandise value (GMV) by 2020, he added.
3. Surendra Rosha Named HSBC India CEO.
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) on Monday announced the appointment of Surendra Rosha as Chief Executive Officer for HSBC India, subject to regulatory approvals. “Rosha succeeds Jayant Rikhye, who is taking a leave of absence for medical reasons,”the Bank said in an official statement.
Rosha, who is currently HSBC’s Head of Financial Institutions Group (FIG) for Asia-Pacific,has 27 years of experience in financial services sector. He began his career in financial services when he joined HSBC’s India operations in 1991.
4. Veteran Bengali Writer Ramapada Chowdhury Passes Away.
Acclaimed Bengali writer Ramapada Chowdhury, passed away after he suffered multi-organ failure and died following a cardiac arrest.
He was known for his story ‘Abhimanyu’ which was made into a Hindi movie ‘Ek doctor ki maut’.
Chowdhury had penned famous literary works such as ‘Pratham Prahar’ (1954), ‘Banpalashir padabali’ (1960), ‘Ekhoni’ (1969), ‘Kharij’, ‘Bari badle jay’ (1988), ‘Abhimanyu’ (1982). He was conferred the Sahitya Academy award for ‘Bari badle jay’ in 1988.
Born on December 28, 1922, at Kharagpur, Chowdhury’s most active years were between the 1950s and ’80s. His last book, ‘Harano Khata’ was published in 2015. Many of his works had also been made into critically acclaimed Bengali films ‘Dwiper nam tiarang’ (1963), ‘Ekhoni’ (1970), ‘Picnic’ (1972), ‘Banpalashir padabali’ (1973), ‘Je jekhane danriye’ (1974) and ‘Kharij (1982).
He was also the recipient of Rabindra Puraskar, Ananda Puraskar and Rabindranath Tagore Memorial International Prize. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief at the sad demise of Chowdhury.
5. DMK Chief M Karunanidhi Passes Away.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi - five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who dominated the state`s politics for six decades along with arch-rivals MG Ramachandran and later, J Jayalalithaa - died at a hospital in Chennai Tuesday evening. The 94-year-old leader was admitted to Kauvery Hospital on July 28 after he contracted urinary tract infection and developed a high fever.
He died at 6.10 pm. "Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond," the hospital said in a statement.
On July 29, Mr Karunanidhi`s vital signs had weakened triggering huge concern, but the crisis passed within hours. The hospital later called it a "transient setback" and the doctors advised a longer stay, citing "age related overall decline, altered liver function and haematological parameters".
On Monday evening, his health took a downturn again. In a bulletin, the hospital said maintaining his vital organ functions remains "a challenge" in view of his age-related ailments and the next 24 hours would be crucial.
The body of the DMK president was taken to his home in Gopalapuram in Chennai and was later shifted to his other residence in CIT Colony. It was taken to Rajaji Hall this morning for people to pay their last respects. Karunanidhi`s mortal remains will be laid to rest later today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolence for the death of Mr Karunanidhi, calling him a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart devoted to the welfare of the poor. In a series of tweets, he said:
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1. Kannada Poet M.N. Vyasa Rao Passes Away.
Noted Kannada poet and film lyricist M.N. Vyasa Rao passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday morning. He was 73 and is survived by his wife, daughter and a son. Vyasa Rao collapsed after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while having his breakfast and died in his house, sources said.
A bank employee by profession, Vyasa Rao entered Kannada film industry as a lyricist in 1975 in the hit film Shubhamangala directed by thespian Puttanna Kanagal. The songs he wrote for the film — “Suryangu chandrangu bandare munisu” and “Nakondla Naku” — remain classics even today.
He worked as a lyricist for many Puttanna Kanagal films and later expanded his repertoire. Many of his other poems are also known as ‘bhaavageetes’ (light music).
Vyasa Rao was also a novelist and had authored several detective and literary novels in Kannada, apart from writing short stories.
He was also a recipient of Karnataka Rajya Sahitya Academy award for his short story collection “Maleyalli Neneda Maragalu”.
2. Bhushan Steel Appoints Tata Steel`s TV Narendran As Chairman.
Bhushan Steel Ltd, acquired by Tata Steel Ltd, on Sunday said that its board of directors has approved the appointment of T.V. Narendran as chairman and non-executive additional director of the company. Koushik Chatterjee too has been appointed as non-executive additional director. Narendran is the chief executive and managing director of Tata Steel while Chatterjee is chief financial officer and executive director.
A new management team has been put into place at Bhushan Steel after it was acquired by Tata Steel through India’s new insolvency and bankruptcy process.
“The board of directors at their meeting held on 11th July 2018 approved appointment of T.V. Narendran as chairman and non-executive additional director and Koushik Chatterjee as Non-Executive-Additional Director with effect from 11 July,” Bhushan Steel said in a statement.
On 18 May, Tata Steel—which had won the bid for Bhushan Steel in an insolvency process—completed the acquisition of 72.65% stake in Bhushan Steel where the latter’s lenders received 7.25 crore equity shares worth 2 each, after conversion of 14.5 crore worth loans in the company.
3. Actor Rita Bhaduri Passes Away.
Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri, who worked extensively in films and television shows, including the ongoing "Nimki Mukhiya", died here on Tuesday, said a source from the hospital where she was admitted for over a week.
Rita was at the Sujay Hospital in Vile Parle. She was fighting a weak kidney and was on dialysis.
"She died at around 1.30 a.m. and her family members took her body from the hospital at around 4 a.m.," the source told IANS.
With a career spanning over five decades, Rita played important supporting parts in movies like "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa", "Kya Kehna", "Dil Vil Pyar Vyar" and "Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon". She also featured in Gujarati movies.
On the TV front, her credits include popular shows like "Hasratein", "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai", "Khichdi", "Ek Nayi Pehchaan", "Amanat", "Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka" and "Kumkum". She was particularly popular for playing roles of a mother or grandmother.
In "Nimki Mukhiya", she was seen as a Imarti Devi, the grandmother of the house. Actor Shishir Sharma took to his Facebook account to share the news of Rita`s demise.
"We deeply regret to inform you that Rita Bhaduri has departed for her journey beyond... Extremely sad. Lost a wonderful human being... A mother to many of us. Will miss u Ma," he wrote.
Sharma informed that the actress` funeral rites will be held on Tuesday at 12 noon at the Cremation Ground, Parsi Wada Road, Parshiwada, Chakala, Andheri East.
4. JK Rowling To Release Next Book `Lethal White`.
Back in March 2017, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling revealed (after playfully teasing fans) that the title of her next novel would be Lethal White. No, this is not the name of a deadly new Harry Potter adventure, but rather a continuation of the Cormoran Strike crime series she writes under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Lethal White — which will be released on Sept. 18, it was announced Tuesday — is the fourth book in the Galbraith/Strike series, following A Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, and Career of Evil.
Lethal White presents Strike with a new case when a troubled young man named Billy comes to his office to ask for help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child. Despite the weirdness of Billy’s story (“I seen a kid killed…. He strangled it, up by the horse”), Strike detects sincerity and decides to investigate alongside his assistant-turned-agency-partner Robin Ellacott. As Strike and Robin pursue the truth of Billy’s story through the backstreets of London, a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and a beautifully sinister country manor house, they’re pursued by new challenges. Strike’s newfound fame makes it hard for him to operate the way he once did, and Robin’s invaluable contributions to the business make her personal relationship with Strike rather tricky.
Check out the Lethal White cover below. C.B. Strike, the BBC’s TV adaptation of the Galbraith novels starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger, makes its American premiere June 1 on Cinemax.
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1. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Elected Mexico`s President.
Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by rampant corruption and violence, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico on Sunday, in a landslide victory that upended the nation’s political establishment and handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country.
Mr. López Obrador’s victory puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second-largest economy for the first time in decades, a prospect that has filled millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.
The outcome represents a clear rejection of the status quo in the nation, which for the last quarter century has been defined by a centrist vision and an embrace of globalization that many Mexicans feel has not served them.
The core promises of Mr. López Obrador’s campaign — to end corruption, reduce violence and address Mexico’s endemic poverty — were immensely popular with voters, but they come with questions he and his new government may struggle to answer.
2. P K Shrivastava Appointed DG Of Ordnance Factory Board.
P K Shrivastava took over the reins of the Ordnance Factory Board as its new director general and chairman with effect from today, an OFB spokesman said here.
Shrivastava was earlier the additional director general of ordnance factories and member at OFB.
He was also in-charge of OFB`s Armoured Vehicles headquarters at Avadi in Chennai.
Srivistava joined Indian Ordnance Factories` Service in 1982 and in a career spanning 36 years, he has been with Ammunition Factory Khadki, Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Ordnance Factory Varangaon, Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Armoured Vehicles headquarters and at OFB headquarters as member of personnel division, the spokesman said.
A mechanical engineer, he has also authored a book `Total Quality Management`.
3. Major General VD Dogra Becomes 1st Serving Indian Army Officer To Complete Ironman Competition.
Major General VD Dogra has become the first Indian Army officer to complete the Ironman Triathalon event, considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world, in Austria, the Army has claimed.
The Ironman Triathlon comprises three consecutive events 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km marathon—all completed in a day without a break.
“He is the only serving army officer from the Indian Army to have done a full Ironman and the only General across the globe to have done so,” Army spokesperson Col. Aman Anand said.
The competitors have to complete the events in sequence within 17 hours to earn the title of ‘Ironman’.
Ironman Austria was held in the scenic town of Klagenfurt and over 3000 atheletes participated in the event. He completed the Full Ironman at Klagenfurt in 14 hours and 21 minutes. Maj Gen Dogra is currently DG Resettlement
4. Saraswati Prasad Assumes Charge As SAIL CMD.
Senior bureaucrat Saraswati Prasad has taken over the additional charge as chairman and managing director of steel PSU SAIL, the company said today.
"Saraswati Prasad, Special Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Steel, has taken over the additional charge of the post of Chairman and MD of SAIL on July 1, 2018," it said in a BSE filing.
Prasad succeeds P K Singh who retired on Saturday.
"P K Singh has ceased to be the Chairman & MD of SAIL with effect from June 30, 2018," the filing said.
The government headhunter PESB had earlier recommended the name of Anil Kumar Chaudhary for the top post of SAIL. Chaudhary is the director finance of the country`s largest steel maker.
5. Tony Award Winner Liliane Montevecchi Passes Away.
Born in Paris in 1932, Montevecchi was best known for her performance in the musical ‘Nine,’ which won her a Tony Award.
Montevecchi started her career as a ballerina in the company of Roland Petit. She moved to Hollywood in the 1950s, where she worked as an MGM contract player. She had small roles in such films as The Glass Slipper with Michael Wilding, Daddy Long Legs with Fred Astaire, and The Sad Sack with Jerry Lewis.
In 1958, she made her Broadway debut in the musical revue La Plume de Ma Tante. After that, she had a starring role in the Folies Bergere, appearing throughout the 1970s in a touring company.
Her biggest success came in 1982, when she appeared on Broadway in Nine, a musical based on Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2. Directed by Tommy Tune, Montevecchi won a best featured actress Tony for her part as a producer. In a nod to her past, her showstopping number was Folies Bergere.
Montevecchi also earned a Tony nomination for her 1990 appearance in Grand Hotel. She was honored in 2013 by the French Minister of Culture as an Officer of Arts and Culture to France and the world at large.
Montevecchi is survived by her companion of 30 years, Italian actor, Claudio Saponi. A private burial will be in held in Paris, followed by a memorial service in New York that will be announced.
6. Payments Council Of India Appoints Vishwas Patel As New Chairman.
Payments Council of India (PCI), an apex body representing the companies in the payments and settlement system, has announced the appointment of Vishwas Patel,CEO of Infibeam Avenues, as its new chairman.
It has also announced the appointment of Loney Antony, Managing Director, Hitachi Payment Services, as its new co-chairman.
He has been associated with PCI ever since its inception in 2013 and was serving as the co-chairman of PCI. He takes over from Naveen Surya, who has been elevated to the post of Chairman Emeritus.
In his capacity as the Chairman of PCI, Vishwas will drive the agenda of creating a sustainable environment conducive to the development of digital payments industry in India. He, along with Loney and Naveen, will strive towards achieving the government’s target of growing the volume of digital transactions to 30 billion for the financial year 2018-19.
7. Major General Jose Eladio Alcain To Head UN Military Observer Group In India, Pakistan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed a veteran Uruguayan Army official as head of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan.
Major General José Eladio Alcain of Uruguay will be Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). He will succeed Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden, who will complete his two-year assignment this month.
According to a statement from the UN spokesperson`s office, Alcain has had a distinguished career with the Uruguayan Army since 1977. Most recently, he held the position of Director of the National Health Service of the Armed Forces (2015-2018).
Prior to this, he served as Third Mechanized Cavalry Brigade Commander and as Director of the Architecture and Engineering Section of the National Health Service of the Armed Forces (2012-2013).
He also worked as an instructor at the Uruguayan Peacekeeping Training Centre (2000-2017) and the Uruguayan War College (2003-2018). UNMOGIP was established in January 1949.
The first team of unarmed military observers, who eventually formed the nucleus of UNMOGIP, arrived in the mission area in January 1949 to supervise, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and to assist the Military Adviser to the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP), established in 1948 by Security Council resolutions 39 and 47.
Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of 17 December of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of 17 December 1971 and to report thereon to the Secretary-General.
India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).
Given the disagreement between India and Pakistan about UNMOGIP`s mandate and functions, the Secretary-General`s position has been that UNMOGIP can only be terminated by a decision of the Security Council.
In the absence of such a decision, UNMOGIP has been maintained with those same arrangements since then.
8. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel Appointed NGT Chairperson.
Supreme Court judge Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired on Friday, was appointed as the chairperson of National Green Tribunal. He is best remembered for passing the controversial judgment on diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act.
The post of the chairperson of the green tribunal, which disposes cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, had been vacant for the past eight months after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired on December 19 after completing his five-year tenure.
Goel, who was elevated to Supreme Court on July 7, 2014, had previously served as Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and prior to that, he was the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. Born on July 7, 1953, Justice Goel had also held the position of executive chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority. With the retirement of Goel, the strength of the Supreme Court goes down to 22 against a maximum of 31 judges.
9. Anju Khosla, Oldest Indian Woman To Complete Ironman Triathlon.
At an age when most people begin to plan for retirement, Anju Khosla is revving up life chasing fresh adventures.
At 52, she has just become the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon – one of the toughest one-day sporting events. The New Delhi resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria, in 15 hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.
It comprises 3.86 km swimming leg, 180.25 km bike leg followed by a marathon (42.2 km), to be completed without a break.
“My family is very fitness oriented; it is a vital part of our lives. It has been a gradual process through the last 10 years that has brought me to this point. Not many women take up the sport, especially in India. I was checking the records and found I am only the fifth Indian woman to complete it, and by virtue of my age, I am the oldest Indian woman to have done it,” said Anju, who runs a financial services company.
“Age brings you experience but is also a limiting factor as my body can’t train like a 30-year-old. The average age for a triathlete is 30-35 when they peak. At 52, you can’t be doing the same so I had to break up my training sessions. But I guess I always had that athletic streak in me since childhood,” said the daughter of an army officer.
10. Jeremy Hunt Appointed New UK Foreign Secretary.
Jeremy Hunt has been named as foreign secretary to replace Boris Johnson, one of three men who supported remain during the referendum campaign who were promoted in an evening reshuffle.The health secretary was called to Downing Street to be offered the job by Theresa May after a tumultuous day of resignations in response to her soft Brexit plans.
Matt Hancock, the culture secretary, was appointed as Hunt’s successor at health, while Jeremy Wright, the attorney general, is to become culture secretary. The Tory MP Geoffrey Cox was later named as the new attorney general.Hunt backed remain in 2016 and after the vote to leave the EU, considered running for the party leadership vacated by David Cameron on the basis of a Norway-style deal and a second referendum on the exit terms.
But he changed his mind and hit out at Airbus for warning about the impact Brexit uncertainty was having on jobs. Hunt was the longest-serving health secretary since the creation of the NHS in 1948 and had refused to leave his job in January when May had asked him to do so during a reshuffle.
At that point, he persuaded the prime minister he still had a job to do, although that was before he helped secure a £20bn funding commitment for the health service at the time of its 70th birthday.Hancock was a close ally of George Osborne, and was a strong remainer in the referendum campaign. As culture secretary, he sometimes adopted an interventionist approach, warning of the dangers of addiction to computer games and called on schools do more to ban mobile phones.
11. Indian Satyarup Siddhanta Scales World`s Highest Volcano.
Satyarup Siddhanta has become the second Indian mountaineer after Malli Mastan Babu to climb Mt Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world.
Ojos del Salado is a stratovolcano (a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash)in the Andes on the Argentina-Chile border and the highest active volcano in the world at 6,893 metres (22,615 ft).
Satyarup is also set to be the first Indian to climb Mt Sidley, the highest volcano of Antarctica, which will help him realise the dream of scaling seven summits and seven volcanic summits.
He skied the last degree to South Pole and hoisted the Indian flag at -40 degree centigrade.
Such is his passion for climbing, that Satyarup didn`t think twice to leave his regular job before making his first attempt to scale the Mt Everest, in 2015.
He suffered financial losses after being forced to cut short his ascent due to a massive earthquake followed by an avalanche in the base camp. But he managed to scale it in 2006.
12. Tushar Arothe Resigns As India Women`s Cricket Coach.
The Indian women`s cricket coach has quit just over year into the job after a string of defeats and apparently alienating players, four months before the World Twenty20. Tushar Arothe, who was instrumental in India reaching the final of the women`s World Cup in England last July, stepped down from his post Monday citing "personal reasons". But a senior official in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told AFP that a few senior players were not happy with Arothe`s style of training.
"Some players and selectors met BCCI administrators to convey that they were not comfortable with Arothe`s method of training," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Arothe, 51, was appointed last April after his predecessor, the former women`s captain Purnima Rau, was sacked by the board.
The team also had a dismal Twenty20 tri-nation tournament against England and Australia in March and then lost a one-day international series against Australia.
However, it was the twin defeats against minnows Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, including one in the final in Kuala Lumpur last month, that hurt the most.
The 10-nation ICC women`s World T20 is scheduled to take place in the West Indies November 9-24.
The Indian men`s team also witnessed a similar situation last year when former captain Anil Kumble quit as coach after his relations with skipper Virat Kohli became "untenable".
13. T Latha Appointed New MD & CEO Of Dhanlaxmi Bank.
Dhanlaxmi Bank Limited has appointed T Latha as the Managing Director & CEO. She has taken over from G Sreeram, who has retired from the office on July 1, 2018, on completion of his tenure.
Her appointment will be for a period of three years w.e.f July 2, 2018.
Latha has 35 years of banking experience with Punjab National Bank across a host of roles and responsibilities including Branch Management, Regional Management and National Level Credit Management handling a portfolio of around Rs 400 billion.
As a General Manager in Punjab National Bank, she was in charge of credit operations dealing with large corporate credits.
She has handled Finance, Credit, Strategic Business Development, People Management, NPA Resolution and Audit.
14. Spiritual Leader Dada Vaswani Passes Away.
Spiritual leader J P Vaswani, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission who influenced millions through his books and preaching, died in the city on Thursday morning. He was 99, a few days short of his 100th birthday which falls on August 2.
“He was admitted to a city hospital for age-related problems three weeks ago. His condition deteriorated a couple of days back. He was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and passed away this morning,” said Usha Karnani, one of his close aides.
The Mission had planned grand celebrations to mark Vaswani’s 100th birthday.
Vaswani was last seen in public on May 30 at a function at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission attended by President Ram Nath Kovind. The President, who inaugurated the Sadhu Vaswani International School, bowed before the ever-smiling Vaswani who offered him his blessings and wished him success. On Thursday, the President was among those who mourned Vaswani’s death. “Sad to hear of the passing of Dada J P Vaswani, a spiritual leader who contributed so much to our society. He dedicated his life to the betterment of humanity, promoting simple living, high thinking and education. My condolences to his countless followers,” Kovind said on Twitter.
15. Mukesh Ambani Dethrones Alibaba`s Jack Ma As Asia`s Richest Person.
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani has surpassed Alibaba Group`s Jack Ma to become Asia`s richest person.
While Ambani was estimated to be worth $44.3 billion on Friday as RIL shares rose 1.6 percent, Ma`s wealth stood at $44 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The petrochemical-to-telecom has added $4 billion this year to Reliance honcho`s wealth.
The market valuation of Reliance Industries surged past Rs 7 lakh crore mark during Friday morning trade. Earlier this month, Ambani announced the launch of fixed-line broadband services Jio GigaFiber.
"We will extend fiber connectivity to homes, merchants, small and medium enterprises and large enterprises simultaneously across 1,100 cities to offer the most advanced fiber-based broadband connectivity solutions," said Mukesh Ambani while addressing the shareholders at the Reliance Industries` 41st Annual General Meeting.
Ambani also noted that Reliance is India`s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the private sector. He also announced the launch of Jio Phone 2 which will hit the markets by August 16 this year and will be available at a price of Rs. 2999.
"We are now taking the JioPhone to the next level, with added capabilities and functionalities. Reliance is bringing WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube to the Jio Phone. We will now extend fiber connectivity to homes, merchants, small and medium enterprises and large enterprises simultaneously across 1,100 cities to offer the most advanced fiber-based broadband connectivity solutions," daughter of Mukesh, Isha Ambani said while addressing the shareholders at the Reliance Industries` 41st Annual General Meeting.
16. Mohammad Kaif Announces Retirement From Competitive Cricket.
Mohammad Kaif announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket on Friday, almost 12 years after he last played for the Indian team in which he stood out as much for his acrobatic fielding as for his effective middle-order batting.
The 37-year-old Kaif played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs for India and will always be remembered for his match-winning knock of 87 at the Lord`s during the epic Natwest Trophy final in 2002.
“I`m writing to you today to announce my retirement from all forms of first-class cricket,” Kaif intimated acting president C.K. Khanna and acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary in an email.
He was a part of the Indian team that reached the World Cup final in South Africa. Along with Yuvraj Singh, Kaif was among the stars to emerge from the U-19 India stable after leading the Colts to a maiden Junior World Cup triumph in 2000.
Kaif, who has won the Ranji Trophy for Uttar Pradesh, last played first class cricket for Chattisgarh. “I am retiring today as it`s been 16 years since the historic NatWest Trophy win in which I was glad to play my part, and I`d like to remember that as I bow out,” he wrote.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have worn the India cap, and to have gone on to play 125 ODIs and 13 Tests for India, and for several other moments.”
Kaif will always be remembered as being one of the finest fielders that India has ever produced.
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