Dont miss these top money and investing features:

These money and investing stories, popular with MarketWatch readers this past week, offer ways to manage your financial portfolio and to invest strategically during the coronavirus pandemic and afterwards.

The U.S. stock market is itself a forward-looking instrument. This is the one leading economic indicator stock investors should follow

Value Line survey sees 8% annualized returns between now and April 2024, writes Mark Hulbert. This respected market-timing model just flashed a bullish four-year outlook for stocks

Value strategy continues to lag in a market where earnings growth is scarce, writes Mark Hulbert. These beaten-down stocks should be big gainers, but investors arent in a bargain-hunting mood

Taking another look at Fixed Index Annuities How to turn the S&P 500 into a bond

Ohio Rep. Ryan: Emergency Money for the People Act covers what the CARES Act missed. One $1,200 stimulus check wont cut it. Give Americans $2,000 a month tax-free to fire up the economy

Insolvent pension plans could drag some cities into bankruptcy Coronavirus will make Americas cities feel the pressure of pension debt

Expand the purchase of Main Street loans; limit the purchase of government loans. The Fed should not be bailing out the underfunded pensions of cities and states

A new offering from Fidelity Investments inhabits a gray areas amid the market shift, and suggests that theres more life left in the mutual fund space than ETF-watchers might realize. A loyalty program for mutual funds? Fidelity tries something new

ETF industry veterans expect to see mutual funds convert their structure to what they consider a superior wrapper for asset management. Will mutual funds get a second wind... as ETFs?

Tal Cohen, head of North American markets at the Nasdaq, discusses the resiliency of major tech companies amid a volatile earnings season. Nasdaq says tech companies will soar this earnings season

Plus: Sign up hereto get MarketWatchs best mutual funds and ETF stories emailed to you weekly!

Visit link:
These money and investing tips offer a common sense response to the coronavirus crisis - MarketWatch

Efforts to blunt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic have led to some of the most abrupt negative economic changes in modern history. First-time unemployment claims hit record highs as businesses shuttered or were otherwise restricted to reduce gatherings of people. Oil traded at negative prices as demand dried up and suppliers started running short of places to store the stuff.

Overall, The Wall Street Journal estimates that more than a quarter of the U.S. economy has been taken offline by efforts to fight the spread of that illness. There's reason to believe the economic fallout will get worse the longer restrictions stay in place. With all that going on around us, investing may very well be the last thing on your mind. Indeed, the easy answer to the question of whether you should invest new money during the coronavirus pandemic is a resounding "No!"

Unless....

Image source: Getty Images.

If you have a solid financial foundation in place, now may very well be a great time to invest in companies that look likely to survive this crisis and emerge stronger on the other side of it. You need to have that foundation in place because if you lose your job in the next round of layoffs, you don''t want to rely on selling those stocks to help you cover your immediate costs. Being forced to sell because you need the money is a recipe for losing money in a down market.

A strong financial foundation has the following three key factors:

Image source: Getty Images.

As long as that foundation is in place, you can consider investing new money during the coronavirus pandemic. What you must remember, though, is that you should only invest money in stocks that you don't think you'll need for at least the next five years. You can use that long term focus in two key ways to help you invest smarter.

First, as the past couple of months remind us, the stock market can be incredibly volatile. A long-term focus will help you better stomach that volatility by helping you put distance between what's happening to your investments and what you need to cover your day to day life. It's incredibly hard to stay invested in rough times as it is, but if you're relying on that money to cover your rent, it's downright impossible.

Second, over the long haul, a company's strength and growth prospects matter far more to its stock's success than the market's day-to-day movements. A long term time frame helps you focus on those business fundamentals of the companies you're considering investing in. That can help you both make better buying decisions and see whether price declines during a market panic really represent an opportunity to buy more shares at a bargain price.

Image source: Getty Images.

If you have both a solid financial foundation in place and the long-term focus it takes to invest successfully, you may want to put your money to work in the stock market during thiscoronavirus pandemic. No matter how great the market's bargains may be, however, they'll only do you any good if you're able to hold on to those investments until better days return.

As the old saying goes, fortunes aren't made in bull markets -- that's just where they get revealed. That makes now a great time to get your solid financial foundation in place and develop the long term focus that you need. With those two factors in place, investing now may very well improve your chances of having your own fortune revealed in the next bull market.

Visit link:
Should You Invest New Money During the Coronavirus Pandemic? - The Motley Fool

You have run out of free articles. You can support our newsroom by joining at our lowest rate!

Please call 877-514-6397 to upgrade your subscription.

Keep reading for FREE!

Enjoy more articles by signing up or logging in. No credit card required.

Joe Willauer is the executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp.

On our primary-election ballot is an initiative to support the continuation of a program that has supported many of the businesses and events that many us care for in our community.

The Economic Development Mill is a 1-mill levy to support growth, activity, and development throughout our local economy and has delivered countless dollars of investment and jobs.

The mill was originally established in 1990 with the intent of supporting Economic Development Purposes For A Five Year Period and has been renewed ever since. Originally the fund directly supported organizations like ours, the Butte Local Development Corporation (BLDC), and has since transitioned into a grant fund to provide critical funding for festivals, businesses, job growth, and economic activity within Butte.

Through the utilization of the mill and the investments that have been made, there have been numerous positive ripple effects in many economic sectors including supporting the growth of small businesses, recruitment efforts to bring new businesses to town, support for our beloved festivals as well as the many sporting events that pack the civic center. These funds circulate throughout our community delivering additional impacts in many sectors.

Currently, the program is administered through a competitive grant process that businesses, organizations, and individuals can apply for if they believe that their plan will lead to economic growth and activity.

View post:
Guest view: Invest in Butte by voting "yes on Economic Development Mill continuation - Montana Standard

It's been more than two months since the start of the bear market that ravaged good and bad stocks alike, yet in recent weeks, the bulls have been running again as investors begin to believe that things will eventually return to normal in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Numerous overarching trends that began long before the pandemic have found the spotlight in the face of the stay-at-home orders, giving the industry leaders an edge and even accelerating these already emerging or dominant shifts in technology and consumer behavior. This gives investors an opportunity to tap into these changes and even profit from them.

Assuming you have an emergency fund to fall back on and $3,000 (or less) that you don't need for three to five years, here are three companies riding powerful trends that will help them flourish for years to come.

Use of digital payments is exploding. Image source: PayPal.

Even before the outbreak, PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) was the undisputed leader in digital payments, and as sheltering at home became the new normal, the company has experienced what CEO Dan Schulman called "a tremendous increase in the use of digital payments."

In the past few weeks alone, the number of new customers has exploded, and Schulman said users signing into Venmo or PayPal have jumped dramatically, "in some cases doubling." He cited increases across a wide range of shopping verticals, including groceries, electronics, homewares, and gardening. Schulman also said, "Gaming is exploding."

PayPal was already generating strong growth before the surge. Revenue grew 15% in 2019, while profits increased by 28%. The company added more than 37 million new accounts last year, bringing the total to 305 million, while payment transactions per active account climbed 10%. PayPal also processed more than 12 billion payment transactions worth $712 billion in total payment volume (TPV) in 2019, with more than $100 billion of that attributable to Venmo.

The shift toward digital payments is ongoing and has gotten a sizable boost from consumers on lockdown -- and PayPal stands to benefit the most from the trend.

Video games are seeing a surge during stay-at-home orders. Image source: Getty Images.

The increasing popularity of video games over the past decade is well documented, though, in recent years, investors feared free-to-play and battle-royale games would siphon off revenue from the major players (pun intended).

Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) is one of the leaders in the space and delivered better-than-expected results last year, even in the face of record comps in 2018.

Since the onset of the pandemic, however, video game sales around the world have seen a resurgence. Spending on digital titles climbed 11% year over year, reaching a record $10 billion in March -- the highest monthly total ever, according to Nielsen-owned SuperData. Premium console revenue rocketed even higher, up 64% between February and March, while premium PC revenue jumped 56%.

Activision Blizzard is well-positioned to benefit as consumers sheltering at home seek refuge in their favorite video games, with many of the company's fan-favorite titles represented in the top 10, including World of Warcraft, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and even free-to-play titles like Candy Crush. The company also released Call of Duty: Warzone -- the answer to its free-to-play and battle-royale rivals -- which attracted more than 50 million players within one month after its March 10 launch. This illustrates the wisdom behind the old cliche, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

That's not all. CEO Bobby Kotick said, "Most of our games are seeing record levels of engagement ... [and] a lot of new players are coming for the first time."

Video games were already a popular pastime, and shelter-in-place orders are providing more fuel for the fire.

Videoconferencing has become a remote-work staple. Image source: Zoom Video Communications.

Videoconferencing was already experiencing increasing adoption before the need for remote work changed it from convenience to necessity. No company is better positioned to benefit from this shift than Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM).

The transition to remote meetings was already well underway before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, as evidenced by Zoom's blockbuster results over the past year. Revenue grew 88% in 2019, and the company generated a profit for the first time, which is unusual for a newly minted company; Zoom only went public this time last year.

Customer metrics were even more impressive, as Zoom ended the year with 81,900 customers, up 61% year over year, while those spending more than $100,000 over the trailing-12-month period grew 86%. Once onboard, customers tend to spend more, as illustrated by the company's net dollar expansion rate, which topped 130% for the seventh consecutive quarter.

Schools and businesses around the world were forced to implement remote gatherings, resulting in a growth surge from 10 million to more than 200 million users in less than three months.

That's not to say there haven't been challenges as the number of users ballooned. Hackers gained unauthorized access to meetings -- a practice that's been labeled "Zoombombing" -- disrupting the proceedings with obscenities, racism, and pornography. Zoom responded by redirecting all its research and development efforts, placing a temporary moratorium on new features, and focusing on increased platform security. The company has since rolled out significant upgrades to address the platform's shortcomings.

Even in the face of these challenges, Zoom's astronomical growth has continued, with users soaring from 200 million in March to 300 million in April.

As a result of the pandemic, video meetings have likely become the rule rather than the exception, which bodes well for the future of Zoom.

Data by YCharts.

The megatrends identified in this missive -- digital payments, video games, and videoconferencing -- predated the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and each has gotten a boost from the stay-at-home orders that have blanketed much of the world.

As a result of their industry-leading positions, each of these companies has fared better than the overall market since the decline that kicked off in mid-February, as illustrated by the stock price chart shown above.

The underlying shifts that powered these market-beating results for PayPal, Activision Blizzard, and Zoom will only continue, making these stocks buys right now.

See the rest here:
If You've Got $3,000 to Invest, Buy These 3 Top Stocks Right Now - Motley Fool

Within 36 months there will no longer be a discernable distinction between sustainable and traditional investing, predicts Mark Tulay

This article is Free, but to access more of our content, you can sign up for a no strings attached 28-day free trialhere.

In John Lennons last album in 1980 he released the song Beautiful Boy, which showcased his deep love for his son Sean. The songs lyrics included the prophetic quote Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. As we struggle to bring into focus the long-term impacts of a post-COVID-19 world, Lennons quote is a poignant reminder of the uncertainties that lie ahead for sustainable and responsible investors.

We are now approaching an inflection point in the crisis, where savvy investors are fundamentally reassessing economic, environmental, social and governance factors to adjust to the new normal. Here, I share my perspective on how astute investors can equip themselves for a volatile future by determining whether the companies they hold are future-fit.

Current State of Play

According to Morningstars Jon Hale, funds that integrate environmental, social and/or governance factors registered record growth in Q1 2020, eclipsing the previous record in Q4 2019. Sustainable funds in the US set a record for flows in the first quarter, wrote Hale. ETFs, passive funds and iShares dominate as US ESG funds gather $10.5bn in the first quarter.

Whats more, evidence suggests that ESG-attuned funds were sticky and held their value relative to their benchmarks. This early signal bodes well for sustainable investors and could serve as a proof point for how investors can trust ESG funds in turbulent markets.

Many investors are now reimagining the future state of investing in the aftermath of the pandemic. Important considerations come into play in preparing for the future, such as: What does the US governments current response to the crisis portend for the economy over the next three years? How do we know if a company is resilient and positioned for growth over the long term? And, do we have the information we need now to evaluate companies long-term performance outlook?

Predictions for the future: Six emerging mega-trends in the US

Over the next 12 to 36 months, the following six mega-trends promise to reshape the business practices and investing:

1. Record deficits squeeze companies that rely on government funding

In 2021, political and financial market pressure for deficit reduction will mount as markets adjust to the economic realities resulting from the record stimulus. This will adversely impact companies that rely on government funding as budgets are slashed in an effort to stabilise the economy.

2. Inflation roars as a result of unprecedented global stimulus and quantitative easing

As of April 2020, the first wave of COVID-19 stimulus and quantitative easing surpassed $2trn, three times the amount of the 2008 financial crisis bailout and more than five times the amount of President Obamas 2009 stimulus. The likely result of the most extensive bailout in US history is that inflation rates will soar, perhaps eclipsing 10%, similar to what the US experienced in the early 1970s.

3. Commercial real estate bubble emerges as a result of record levels of small businesses closures

As of today, over 50% of all stores in the US are closed. Government support will help, but will not be enough or come fast enough to prevent a commercial real estate bubble in the US. Whats more, the growth of online shopping will continue to accelerate, exacerbating pressure on brick and mortar commerce.

4. Unemployment hovers around ten percent for a sustained period

In mid-April, unemployment claims in the US jumped to 26 million, which is more than the total number of jobs created over the last ten years. This translates into an unemployment rate of approximately 16%. The unemployment rate should level off at around 10% within twelve months, but we are in for a period of sustained high unemployment rates for the foreseeable future in the US.

5. Multiple capitals thinking begins to transform investment decision making

The recent $2trn stimulus includes a $500bn bailout for companies that were hardest hit by the pandemic. Many progressive thought leaders, such as American Prospects David Dayen, objected to the bailout on the grounds that these corporations wouldnt need it if they hadnt squandered their record-high profits on payouts to CEOs and shareholders. As a result, a new way of thinking is emerging that is transforming the way we value a companys relationship with nature, people, society and shareholders. This Capitals Thinking approach is being championed by the Capitals Coalition and aims to reshape how investors engage on corporate governance and value the relationship between commerce, people and nature.

6. Sustainable (ESG) investing becomes the new normal in the US

Within 36 months there will no longer be a discernable distinction between sustainable and traditional investing. As sustainable investing continues to scale and become infused in Main street and Wall Street, high-quality investment managers will utilise multiple capitals thinking and integrate financially material ESG considerations in engagement strategies and investment decision making. This will be the silver lining of the crisis.

Call to Action

Collectively, these mega-trends - each with a distinct but linked role in the emerging investment landscape - will:

Transform the way corporate sustainability information is utilised by developing new disclosure expectations for material sustainability information and value generating strategies based on existing standards;

Reposition corporate reporting to tell a more complete story of how an organisations strategy, governance, performance and products lead to the creation of value over the short, medium and long term, through a multiple capitals prism;

Improve the precision, materiality and disclosure of sector-based sustainability and ESG KPIs and accounting metrics;

Accelerate the integration of ESG factors into investment and credit rating decision making.

The time has passed for small commitments, hyperbole and delays in embracing sustainable investing. Now is the time for leadership, investment and action. Companies and investment managers that remain on the sidelines will sacrifice their opportunity to shape their own, and the planets, future.

Mark Tulay is Founder and CEO of Sustainability Risk Advisors

Link:
The New Normal in Sustainable Investing in the aftermath of COVID-19 - Responsible-Investor.com

Canadian defined benefit pension plans saw their sharpest quarterly decline since 2008 due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both the RBC Investor & Treasury Services All Plan Universe and the Northern Trust Canada Universe posted losses of 7.1% during the first quarter of the year.

Despite the steep drop, it was a modest decline in light of the unprecedented conditions, Katie Pries, CEO of Northern Trust Canada, said in a statement. In a volatile market riddled with fear, uncertainty, and unpredictability, Canadian pension plan sponsors navigated through uncharted territory, seeking a path to safety.

The MSCI World Index tumbled 13.3% during the quarter, with growth stocks considerably outperforming value stocks. All economic sectors saw negative returns, with the energy sector faring the worst, while information technology (IT) performed the best. Because the Canadian dollar weakened against the US dollar during the quarter, plans with unhedged exposure to non-Canadian equities were somewhat sheltered from local currency losses, according to RBC.

Canadian equities as represented by the S&P/TSX Composite Index plummeted 20.9% during the quarter, erasing the annual gains from all of last year and significantly underperforming the global market. While the effects of the pandemic were primarily to blame for this, the dispute over the natural gas pipeline and the Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war were also contributing factors.

US equities fell 11.7% in Canadian dollars, as international developed markets as tracked by the MSCI EAFE Index ended the quarter down 15.2%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets index, which was hurt by both the pandemic and a strong US dollar, lost 16.1% during the quarter.

The FTSE Canada Universe Bond Index returned 1.6% during the first quarter, which provided the plans some safety from losses in the equity markets. After the Bank of Canada cut interest rates, the yield curve steepened, and short-term bonds outperformed long-term bonds. Federal bonds outperformed provincial and corporate bonds, and mid-term bonds outpaced both short- and long-term bonds.

In search of a safe haven from the falling markets, investors sold off riskier investments and turned toward government bonds as the FTSE Canada High Yield Index lost 9.0%, and the FTSE Canada Federal Bond index returned 5.1% during the quarter.

It has been an exceptionally difficult period for Canadian pension plans to navigate, as the markets have been experiencing an unprecedented amount of volatility across asset classes, David Linds, RBCs head of Canadian Asset Servicing, said in a statement.

However, the substantial monetary and fiscal policy response from governments across the globe gives us room for optimism. While its difficult to speculate on what may happen over the short term, we hope these measures will lead to some reawakening of our economic growth in the near future.

Related Stories:

Canadian DB Plans Rebound in 2019, Return 14%

For Strength in Unification, Canadian Leader Calls for Regional Pensions to Pool Investments

Canadian Pooled Funds Return 15.8% in 2019

Tags: Canada, Canadian, David Linds, Defined Benefit, Katie Pries, Northern Trust, pension, RBC Investor & Treasury Services

Original post:
Canadian Defined Benefit Plans Have Worst Quarter in 12 Years - Chief Investment Officer

Mahant Ramdas of Muktidham Ashram in Haryanas Mewat was attacked where a mob misbehaved, beat him up and also threatened to kill him. Mewat in Haryana is a hotbed of organised crime, cattle smuggling, illegal Rohingyas and mob violence. Speaking to OpIndia the Hindu organisations which have come out in support of the Mahant said that on April 29, 2020, the culprits made derogatory remarks on religious lines against Mahant Ramdas Maharaj and then threatened to drive away the Sadhus in the area by force.

When Mahant Ramdas went to the police to file an FIR, the police refused. When OpIndia reached out to the police, Punhana Thana SHO directed us to talk to the headquarters regarding the case. He also claimed that no such incident has taken place. The Hindu organisations are saying that the police are trying to avoid filing an FIR and getting Mahant Ramdas and the accused to talk over it and sort it out.

There is anger amongst people regarding the incident in Punhana as well as neighbouring areas like Pinganwa, Nagina, Firozepur Zirka, Nuh, Faridabad, Palval and Hodal. A complaint has been given to the local city police chowki. Religious and social organisations condemned the incident and demanded a fair probe by the police.

- article continues after ad - - article resumes -

Speaking to OpIndia, Mahant Ramdas said that on 28th April, 2020, he was returning home from a nearby medical store. Some men sitting there passed derogatory comments on the religion. The men said these babas and sadhu-sant have spoilt the environment here. We should drive them away from Punhana. If they dont get out, then set them on fire and kill them. They are such troublemakers, Mahant Ramdas explained how the events transpired. He said that when he objected to such comments, the culprits picked up sticks and tried to attack them. Somehow he managed to save himself and get away even as they threatened to kill him.

Mahant Ramdas Maharaj has demanded a fair probe and inquiry in the above incident. When religious and social organisations heard of the incident they gathered at the police station. DSP Ashok Kumar, SHO Ajayveer Bhadana and well as chowki in-charge Jagdish Chand have assured proper investigation into the matter. However, the Hindu organisations say that they too are trying to resolve the matter through talks and not filing an FIR.

According to the Hindu organisations, no police action was taken till 8:30 PM last night. Speaking to OpIndia, the Hindu organisation said that if the police does not take any action by 30th April, they will hold demonstration outside police station.

Speaking to OpIndia, the local people there said that this is a Muslim dominated area and this was third attack on the Hindus in past one week. Police has also not taken any action against the culprits. Few days back, a mob of 200-300 people gathered and misbehaved with a Hindu resident over his social media post, they said.

- article continues after ad - - article resumes -

Earlier this month, a mob lynched two Sadhus in Maharashtras Palghar even as two policemen stood there as mute spectators. Earlier this week, two Sadhus were found murdered in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr. The accused was found roaming half-naked in an intoxicated condition with a sword in his hand.

Excerpt from:

How troublesome are these Sadhus, just burn and kill them: Mob in Haryanas Mewat attacks Mahant Ramdas of Muktidham Ashram - OpIndia

The director behind Assassins Creed Valhalla has touched base on how the the game is balanced in comparison to the notorious bloat of its predecessor, and the good news is it sounds like players wont be burdened by excessive grinding.

Speaking with Press Start, Ashram Ismail, who also worked on the critically acclaimed Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, revealed that players wont be restricted whether they wish to follow the main narrative or venture off and build their settlement or explore.

Related Content Assassins Creed Valhalla Screenshots

With Valhalla, with the balancing of the game, our goal is to just let players play the content they want. Again we built a really intriguing world that takes place in Dark Ages England and Norway. By the way, when you leave Norway to England, you can always go back to Norway, so we built these really beautiful breathtaking living worlds, and we want players to play the content as they wish to play it. Thats the way the game is being balanced.

So, people want to focus on narrative, theres no issue there, people want to focus on their settlement, again, no issue there.

Its really up to players to decide how they want to consume the content. Thats always been our angle and again, this, were showcasing Eivos personal journey, were really focused on that. So again, if people want to focus on that

Assassins Creed Valhalla is scheduled for release on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One in holiday 2020.

The rest is here:

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Is Balanced To Allow You To 'Play The Content You Want' - PlayStation Universe

By: Express News Service | Rajkot | Published: April 30, 2020 7:03:54 pm Kundanika kapadia is best known for her novel Saat Pagla Aakashma.

Noted Gujarati author Kundanika Kapadia died at her residence in Nandigram ashram in Vankal village of Valsad district on Thursday. She was 93.

She is best known for her novel Saat Pagla Aakashma.

Those associated with Nandigram Ashram said that Kapadia had received treatment for intestine cancer in 2018 and was leading a normal life thereafter.

But the disease recurred with metastasis and that is the cause of death. After the disease recurred, she refused to take rigorous treatment for the second time. Being an extraordinary soul, she was highly determined and knew her time was up. Her health had worsened over the last three-four days, Amiben Parikh, one the trustees of the ashram, told The Indian Express.

Kapadia and Makrand Dave, the Gujarati poet who was her life partner, had co-founded the Nandigram ashram in 1985 to serve the downtrodden. They had no children. Dave had died in 2005.

Kapadia was born in Limdi town in Surendranagar district in 1927. Her father was a homeopathy practitioner while her mother was a homemaker. Kapadia had graduated in History and Political Science.

She used to live in Mumbai before shifting to Nandigram. Her first collection of short stories, titled Premna Anshu was published in 1954. Later on she authored four other collections of short storiesVadhu ne Vadhu Sundar (1968), Kagalni Hodi (1978), Java Daishu Tamne (1983) and Manushya Thavu (1990). She also wrote three novels, Parodh Thata Pahela (1968) , Aganpipasa (1972) and Saat Pagla Aakashma (1984).

Saat Pagla Aakashma won her Gujarati Sahitya Academy award in 1985.

Her works explored philosophy, music and natural world. Premna Anshu and Kagalni Hodi are collections of good short stories. But her creative personality came into its own in her novels. Parodh Thata Pahela, which deals with pain and suffering of human life and how to find happiness by transcending them, is deeply philosophical. She broke new grounds by introducing in Gujarati literature self-assertion of women as subject matter through her novel Saat Pagla Aakashma (literally meaning seven steps in the sky). The subject of the novel was new to Gujarati literature as it talked of women as an independent entity, Prof Jignesh Upadhyay, Associate Professor of Gujarati literature at Dharmendrasinhji Arts College in Rajkot said.

Prof Upadhyay said that Kapadias work was influenced by Gujarati author Dhumketu, Ravindranath Tagore, Sharadchandra Chattopadhyay and William Shakespeare.

She had also published two collections of essays. Besides editing literary magazines Yatrik and Navneet she also edited Gulal and Gujar, a collection of poems written by Dave.

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Ahmedabad News, download Indian Express App.

The Indian Express (P) Ltd

Read more from the original source:

Noted author Kundanika Kapadia dies at 93 - The Indian Express

New Delhi: Indian cinema's gem of an actor Irrfan Khan has bid this material world a goodbye too soon! His untimely demise has sent shockwaves across the nation. The 53-year-old Irrfan breathed his last on Wednesday morning, April 29, 2020. He was rushed to Kokilaben hospital due to colon infection a day before.

The actor par excellence battled a rare form of cancer - Neuroendocrine Tumour for two long years and had shared the news of his illness first on social media. As soon as the unfortunate news of his demise broke online, celebs, fans and well-wishers thronged social media to offer their condolences.

Reacting to Irrfan Khan's death, Prasanna Heggodu, a playwright-social activist and latter's friend shared some of his pictures on Twitter. Irrfan and wife Sutapa visited Badanwal Gandhi Ashram, stayed there and these pictures bring forth the 'real' and humble side of their personalities, despite being renowned.

PM Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and other political leaders including entertainment industry people have mourned his death and offered condolences to family and friends in this hour of grief.

Irrfan's last rites were performed today at the Versova Kabrastan in Andheri, Mumbai. His relatives and close ones paid their last respects.

"The legendary actor was buried at the Versova Kabrastan at 3 pm this afternoon soon after the news of his passing away was announced. In presence were his family, close relatives and friends. Everyone paid their final respects and mourned the loss of his passing away. We pray for his peace and we hope hes in a better place today. He was strong in his fight, and we all have to be strong too in this loss", read the official statement.

Throughout his illustrious showbiz career, the master craftsman was applauded for several of his notable works and praised for many.

Read the original:

These rare pics of Irrfan Khan with wife Sutapa at Badanwal Gandhi Ashram bring forth his humble and unseen... - Zee News