India has contributed USD one million to the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund for the Resident Coordinator System.
The Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) is a specific fund housed within the UN Secretariat established to receive, consolidate, manage and account for all contributions and financial transactions of the new Resident Coordinator system in a transparent and effective way, according to the UN information.
"Tangible contribution. India is happy to tangibly contribute to reform of the @UN Development system," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted Tuesday.
The SPTF web portal, displays in real time all commitments, contributions and expenditures recorded for the fund.
Funding sources include voluntary contributions from the Member States, the doubling of cost-sharing amounts from the UN entities who are members of the United Nations development system and a one per cent levy applied to contributions for UN development-related activities ...

India contributes $1 million to UN fund

PTI Automatic

Birgit Nutter, the wife of "Game of Thrones" director David Nutter, has passed away. She was 56.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Birgit Nutter died on July 24 at St John's Health Center in Santa Monica from pancreatic cancer.
The Emmy-winning director's
GenreBend Productions issued a statement, in which she was described as an "always politically savvy" and "fun-loving" person.
She possessed "an eternally 'glass-half-full' view of life... (her) passion was her family and her vast circle of friends, across the globe, whom she touched with her bluhende leben - her powerful soul."
Birgit Nutter was born on December 22, 1962, in Gotzis, Austria. She moved to the US in the early 1980s to work as an au pair for a family in Florida, where she met David Nutter. They married in May 1987.
A memorial was held on August 3 at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church.
Besides her husband, she is survived by daughter Zoe and son Ben.

Birgit Nutter, wife of 'Game of Thrones' director David Nutter, dead at 56

Zinedine Zidane returned to save Real Madrid and the time has come for results.
In a packed-out press conference under the Santiago Bernabeu in March, the club's president Florentino Perez delivered the grandest of re-introductions.
"We need to start working on a glorious new era," said Perez. "That is why we welcome back Zinedine Zidane." Some might have expected a bounce but nobody blamed the coach when performances continued to drag and the gap behind Barcelona, rather than narrowing, widened.
Zidane took over a team with nothing to play for and a squad he knew was in need of reform. He knew because he had left it nine months earlier, just before it was broken.
There was no quick fix. In his 11 games at the end of last season, Madrid won five, the only promise of progress the words Zidane kept repeating. "Things will change, for sure," he said.
Zidane denied it but they were seen as trials, every line-up scanned for clues as to who would survive the summer.
Yet in some ways, none ..

Judgement day for Real Madrid as Zidane's second coming begins

Simone Biles continues to push the boundaries of her sport to the point even the American gymnast's rivals can only watch in admiration.
Sunisa Lee said she was "super happy" to take the all-around silver medal at the US championships this weekend, where Biles capped her record-tying sixth national all-around title with a never-before-seen "triple-double" floor exercise landing -- a finale featuring two flips and three twists.
Even Biles admitted she couldn't wait to see the replay of the move, whipping out her phone between rotations to check out the video.
"I didn't want to be the last person to see it," she said.
Biles -- who already has a vault skill and a floor exercise maneuver named for her as their originator -- pressed the limits in balance beam in Kansas City, too, with a double-flip, double-twist beam dismount.
Lee was more than content with her silver, while Morgan Hurd, who finished fourth, called Biles "superhuman".
"I do consider it a win, just because she's ...

Breathtaking Biles 'unbeatable' rivals say

The fossilised remains of a huge penguin almost the size of an adult human have been found in New Zealand's South Island, scientists announced Wednesday.
The giant waddling sea bird stood 1.6 metres (63 inches) high and weighed 80 kilograms, about four times heavier and 40cm taller than the modern Emperor penguin, researchers said.
Named "crossvallia waiparensis", it hunted off New Zealand's coast in the Paleocene era, 66-56 million years ago.
An amateur fossil hunter found leg bones belonging to the bird last year and it was confirmed as a new species in research published this week in "Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology".
Canterbury Museum researcher Vanesa De Pietri said it was the second giant penguin from the Paleocene era found in the area.
"It further reinforces our theory that penguins attained great size early in their evolution," she said.
Scientists have previously speculated that the mega-penguins eventually died out due to the emergence of other large ...

Giant penguin fossil found in New Zealand

Manchester City have been found guilty by FIFA of breaking the rules on international transfer and registration of players aged under 18, world football's governing body announced on Tuesday.
The Premier League champions could have faced a transfer ban, but instead FIFA's Disciplinary Committee fined City 370,000 Swiss Francs (339,000 euros or $379,000).
A FIFA statement said that the punishment "took into account the fact that Manchester City FC accepted its responsibility".
While confirming they were willing to accept the fine, City claimed the problems occurred before FIFA clarified the rules.
The club said in a statement that the fine concerned "the international transfer of players under the age of 18, particularly in relation to their trial periods and participation in friendly games."
"The club accepts responsibility for the breaches which arose as a result of misinterpretation of the regulations in question. All of the breaches occurred before December 2016 when guidance on ...

FIFA fine Man City over 'international transfer of minors'

Former champion Samantha Stosur and teenage Wimbledon sensation Coco Gauff highlight the list of US Open wildcards announced on Tuesday.
Gauff, 15, reached the Wimbledon main draw through qualifying then upset five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round before falling to eventual champion Simona Halep in the fourth round.
Gauff is joined by four other teenagers among eight wildcard invitees: a trio of 17-year-old Americans in Caty McNally, Whitney Osuigwe and Katie Volynets and 16-year-old French player Diane Parry.
Stosur, meanwhile, brings a veteran presence. The 35-year-old Aussie won the title in Flushing Meadows in 2011 and has reached the quarter-finals on two other occasions.
Other women's wildcards went to former US collegiate champion Francesca Di Lorenzo and three-time Stanford University All-American and New Jersey native Kristie Ahn.
On the men's side, Americans Bjorn Fratangelo, Marcos Giron, Denis Kudla and Jack Sock join US Open Wild Card Challenge winner ...

Stosur, Gauff headline US Open wildcards

Former champion Juan Martin del Potro, who had surgery in June to repair a broken right kneecap, won't be ready for the US Open, organizers said Tuesday.
The US Tennis Association said the 2009 champion from Argentina -- who was runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2018 -- will miss the tournament as he continues his recovery.
Del Potro shared a video of himself walking on a treadmill on July 31.
On June 21 he had said he would undergo surgery after breaking the patella in his right knee for the second time in nine months. At that time he said he didn't know if he'd played his last match.
So it's no surprise he won't be at Flushing Meadows; the USTA's announcement merely made it official.
Del Potro's withdrawal sent American Denis Kudla -- who was previously announced as a wildcard -- into the main draw. The USTA gave that wildcard to American Christopher Eubanks.

Injured del Potro officially out of US Open

Awkwafina is set to feature in the big screen adaptation of urban fantasy novel "The Last Adventure of Constance Verity".
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor-rapper will headline the project from Legendary Entertainment.
Based on the book by A Lee Martinez, the story revolves around Constance who has been battling with the supernatural and saving the world since her birth.
Now exhausted, she wants to have a life - a boyfriend, a normal job, best friends. How she balances her responsibilities as the chosen one and her dreams is the plot.
John Raffo has developed the screenplay.
Jon Shestack of "Dan in Real Life" and "Before I Fall" fame will produce.

Awkwafina to star in 'The Last Adventure of Constance Verity' adaptation

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic overwhelmed opponents at the WTA-ATP Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday, where Serena Williams withdrew because of back trouble.
Williams had hoped to rebound from the back spasms that forced her out of the WTA final in Toronto on Sunday, where she lasted only four games before retiring.
But the 23-time Grand Slam champion said her back was "still not right" casting a further shadow on her chances at the US Open starting in Flushing Meadows on August 26.
For Djokovic and Federer, back in action for the first time since the Serb's victory over the Swiss in the Wimbledon final, it was a smooth start to their US Open build-up.
Federer, seeded third, remained unruffled by a one-hour rain interruption at 2-2 in the second set, eventually defeating Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round at the event he has won seven times.
"I'm very happy, even if it was a bit tricky with the rain delay," Federer said. "I'm happy to be back on ...

Federer, Djokovic advance as Serena pulls out in Cincinnati

Mexican Pentecostal church the Light of the World is in crisis, its leader facing pedophilia charges, but that has not stopped thousands of people from around the world traveling to its headquarters to be immersed in a giant baptismal pool.
The leader of the controversial church, Naason Joaquin Garcia, was arrested in Los Angeles in June on sex crimes charges, including child rape.
Joaquin, who claims to be the last apostle of Jesus, and three co-defendants are accused of coercing minor girls into performing sexual acts by telling them that going against his wishes would be going against God.
But if the scandal has diminished the fervor of the five million members the church claims worldwide, there is no sign of it at the Light of the World's annual gathering this week at its headquarters in Mexico's second city, Guadalajara.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from 58 countries have descended on the western city to take part in a week-long "holy convocation," the church's main event of 

Mexico church holds mass baptism despite leader's sex crimes scandal

Harry Styles has passed on playing Prince Eric in Disney's upcoming live-action version of "The Little Mermaid".
Sources told The Wrap, the singer-actor is a fan of the project but "respectfully declined" essaying the role.
The reports of Styles being in negotiations for the part surfaced in July.
On Tuesday, both AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas incorrectly tweeted that the singer had been cast in the role. Both theatre chains later deleted the posts.
The former One Direction member would have featured opposite R&B singer Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle fame who is on board to play the title role of mermaid Ariel.
Styles made his acting debut with Christopher Nolan's World War II drama "Dunkirk" in 2017.
For "The Little Mermaid", Melissa McCarthy is already in talks to play Ursula and Javier Bardem for King Triton.
Also in negotiations to feature in the film are Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay, who will lend their voices to Scuttle and Flounder, respectively.
Rob Marshall is directing ...

Harry Styles turns down Prince Eric role in 'Little Mermaid' live-action

Singer Alanis Morissette and rapper husband Souleye have become proud parents to a baby boy.
The 45-year-old singer took to Instagram on Monday to announce the arrival of their third child Winter Mercy, who was born on August 8.
"He's here. Winter Mercy Morissette-Treadway. #8/8/19," Morissette captioned the picture of the sleeping baby.
Souleye, whose real name is Mario Treadway, shared the same snapshot on social media.
"@alanis You will forever be my heroine. thank you for your warrior strength and ability to so deeply love," the 39-year-old captioned the post.
The hip-hop artiste added Winter had a home birth like their other kids -- son Ever Imre, eight and daughter Onyx Solace, three.
Morissette announced her pregnancy in March.

Alanis Morissette welcomes son

Sophie Turner has addressed the future of Sansa Stark, her "Game of Thrones" alter ego, after the HBO show's finale saying she doesn't see the character becoming a wife or mother.
Sansa was named Queen in the North in the hotly-debated final episode of the epic fantasy series, which aired in May.
Asked what Sansa must be doing today, Turner told the Los Angeles Times, "No wars, no battles."
"I don't see her getting married or having children. She'd die of old age, very happy," she added.
The actor, who is nominated for an Emmy in the Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category along with co-stars Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie and Lena Headey, also reflected upon the growth of Sansa from a starry-eyed teenager of nobility to the shrewd leader of Winterfell.
"The fact that she doesn't want power is also something to be said for her. She only cares about the North. (Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss) and I spoke about it a lot... the ways people are blinded by power.
"She .

Don't see Sansa getting married, having children: Sophie on her 'GOT' character's fate

"13 Reasons Why" actor Ben Lawson has joined Katherine Heigl in "Firefly Lane" series from Netflix.
"Firefly Lane" follows Kate and Tully (Heigl), who meet as young girls and become inseparable best friends throughout 30 years of ups and downs, successes and failures, depression and disappointments.
Lawson will play Kate's former husband Ryan, who has a long professional history with Tully.
When an unthinkable betrayal breaks them apart the two women go their separate ways, and it is unclear whether they will ever be able to reconcile.
The series is based on the bestseller of the same name from author Kristin Hannah.
Maggie Friedman will write, showrun and executive produce the 10-episode series.
Original author Hannah is also on board as a co-executive producer.
Peter O'Fallon will direct and executive produce the first episode.

Ben Lawson to star in Netflix's 'Firefly Lane' series

President of the 73rd session of UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa has expressed solidarity with India over floods wreaking havoc in southern and western parts of the country.
Espinosa's spokesperson Monica Grayley said she has "sent her condolences to the people and the Government of India after the monsoon floods in the southern and western parts of the country, which led to over 140 deaths, and hundreds of thousands of people being evacuated."
She said the president of the UN General Assembly expressed her solidarity to all of those who were affected by the natural disaster.
Floods in southern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka, and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat have so far claimed 225 lives and lakhs of people had to be moved to safety. Kerala alone accounted for 91 of these deaths.
Over the weekend, the President of the UN General Assembly tweeted to express sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation caused by Typhoon Lekima in China that hit Zhejiang .

UN General Assembly Prez condoles loss of lives due to floods in India

Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan made a trip to Bhutan this week, during which the US underscored the importance of protecting and enhancing a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The deputy secretary of state, who visited Bhutan's capital Thimphu from August 12 to 13, is the highest-ranking American diplomat in two decades to visit this nascent Himalayan democracy.
Sullivan, during his two-day trip, held meetings with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji and Minister of Economic Affairs Loknath Sharma.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Bhutan later this week.
Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam, a valley at the trijunction between Bhutan, India and China, from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese Army.
Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on ...

Top US diplomat visits Bhutan, calls for rule-based order in Indo-Pacific region

Flights were departing Hong Kong airport largely on schedule on Wednesday morning, a day after pro-democracy protesters caused chaos with a disruptive sit-in that paralysed the busy transport hub.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled on Tuesday after demonstrators blockaded two terminals, the second consecutive day the airport has been targeted in the latest escalation of a 10-week political crisis that has gripped the international finance hub.
Protesters physically blocked travellers from accessing flights throughout the afternoon, before battling with riot police outside the terminal later that evening and turning on two people they accused of being spies or undercover police.
But by the early hours of Wednesday morning the vast majority of protesters had left the building and flights began taking off on a more regular basis.
The airport's website showed dozens of flights taking off overnight and listed hundreds more scheduled to depart throughout Wednesday, although many were ...

Flights departing Hong Kong airport after protest chaos

An Indian student has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for intentionally damaging computer equipment of a college in Upstate New York.
Vishwanath Akuthota (27) has also been ordered to pay USD 58,471 as restitution charge, United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith said on Tuesday.
Pleading guilty, Akuthota admitted that on February 14 he inserted a 'USB Killer' device into 66 computers as well as numerous computer monitors and computer-enhanced podiums owned by the College of St. Rose in Albany.
The device, when inserted into a USB port, sends a command causing the computer's on-board capacitors to rapidly charge and then discharge repeatedly, thereby overloading and physically destroying the USB port and electrical system.
Akuthota has been in custody since his arrest in North Carolina on February 22.

Indian student sentenced to 1 yr in prison for damaging college computers

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has joined the Congressional Pakistan Caucus as said that he would continue to pursue the American objectives of a strong US-India relationship and peace, and stability in the region.
The two-term Democratic Congressman representing Silicon Valley is the first Indian-American lawmaker to join the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, which is co-chaired by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (Democratic) and Congressman Jim Banks (Republican).
Both Jackson Lee and Khanna (42) are also members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, which is the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives.
Khanna, who in the last two years has made a mark in the House of Representatives on foreign policy and national security issues, joined the Pakistani Caucus after the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to the US last month.
"I am a proud member of the US-India Caucus and have supported legislation condemning the terrorist ..

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna joins Pak Congressional Caucus

Frenzied mob violence on Tuesday against two men protesters suspected of being spies from mainland China marked the second day of pro-democracy demonstrations that have caused mass cancellations and disruptions in Hong Kong's busy airport.
Calm eventually returned, with most of the protesters leaving the airport hours after officers armed with pepper spray and swinging batons tried to enter the terminal, fighting with demonstrators who barricaded entrances with luggage carts.
Riot police clashed briefly with the demonstrators, who said they planned to return to the airport early Wednesday.
More than 100 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, the fifth consecutive day that protesters occupied the airport. Airlines were still working through a backlog of more than 200 flights from Monday when the airport announced in the afternoon that check-in processes would once again be suspended.
"Democracy is a good thing," said signs that appeared to be aimed at mainland Chinese and foreign ...

Page 2178 - PTI Stories National