Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Friday:

Morgan Stanley said it sees a "balanced" risk/reward.

"We see increasing downside risks to CAT's Construction and Energy & Transportation segments. Resources segment and share repurchases continue to support EPS, but are unable to fully offset these headwinds. We now see negative EPS growth in FY20, 10% upside to our PT, and a balanced risk reward."

Read more about this call here.

KeyBanc said it is looking for "greater" visibility on the next catalyst to "drive" outperformance of the stock.

"WM has outperformed the group YTD in part due to the pending ADSW acquisition. We view management's bull-case 7-9% EBITDA/FCF growth outlook for 2019-2021 as comfortably achievable with the addition of ADSW, which presents an attractive relative valuation on combined company estimates. That said, we are moving to SW on WM as we look for greater visibility on the next catalyst that will drive relative outperformance at current levels."

Mizuho initiated the managed health care group and said it had a "positive" view of the industry.

"We are initiating coverage of the diversified managed care group including UNH (Buy, Price Target $270), HUM (Buy, Price Target $316), CI (Buy, Price Target $180) and ANTM (Neutral, Price Target $262). Although political rhetoric will likely create increased volatility in the group leading up to the 2020 Presidential election, our ratings are based on the fundamental outlook for the industry, which we view as positive."

Telsey said it sees strength in the online personal styling service as both an apparel retailer and a technology company.

"Our investment thesis in Stitch Fix rests on what we see as two characteristics that support its valuation: 1) it is an apparel retailer that has shown considerable topline growth potential; and, 2) it is a technology company that has consistently generated positive free cash flow. Therefore, we see the potential for a business that can self-fund growth in a category that remains open to disruption."

Citi upgraded Altria and said it thinks cigarette volumes will "improve."

"We have been negative as we thought the rate of cigarette declines cast doubt on the long-term outlook. However, we now expect less bad volumes next year as we think (1) e-vapor usage will fall due to the negative publicity around vaping and the imminent flavor ban, and (2) this will help cigarettes. The stock is below our target and we think it no longer looks expensive relative to overseas peers. Unfortunately we expect the short-term newsflow (on FDA regulation and earnings) to be difficult."

Guggenheim said it sees "upside" to 2020 consensus.

"In our view, DPZ's outlook has been meaningfully de-risked after last week's updated 2- to 3-year guidance, which included lowering the domestic SSS range by 100bps as well as announcing F3Q19's 2.4% domestic SSS, its lowest in 7 years. We see several drivers of upside to consensus's 2020 estimates and are raising our price target to $310, up from$280 prior, as we anticipate investor sentiment to improve into 2020."

Credit Suisse said it sees a "tougher" road ahead for the softlines space.

"The US Softlines Retailer group (incl M/JWN/KSS/JCP/GPS/LB among others) is now trading at a -3% discount to its 5-yr avg EV/EBITDA (vs. a +3% premium to the 5-yr avg one year ago today)adding some margin of safety for Softlines stocks. That said, the negative NT industry data points are adding up. As we look across our coverage, we see the most risk of negative revisions to 2020 Street ests for Macy's, GPS and LBand we think low valuation alone won't be sufficient to protect further stock downside."

Bank of America upgraded the social media company and said it had higher conviction it would continue to expand its average revenue per user.

"Based on: 1) Stock has sold off recently despite solid industry ad spend checks, 2) Ongoing Discover content rollout (8 new shows this fall) gives us higher conviction on realizing potential Snap ARPU expansion, 3) the secular tailwind from OTT traction taking linear TV time, benefitting Online video ad spend, 4) 4Q expected to be Snap's first positive EBITDA quarter, changing the narrative, and 5) recent public CEO comments suggest better appreciation of need for stock performance."

Bank of America upgraded the stock on "stronger" comp and margin outlook.

"We are moving to Neutral on Chipotle and raise FY19 adj. EPS to $13.70 (from $12.70) and FY20 to $17.15 (from $15.50) on a stronger comp and margin outlook. While we still struggle with the valuation upside, our expectations that CMG will deliver near-term EPS upside to consensus makes a correction in the multiple unlikely, driving our decision to move to Neutral."

Read more about this call here.

Macquarie said it views the cruise company as "best in class."

"Since transferring coverage, we've viewed RCL as best in class, further solidified by the positive momentum in Asia something that has eluded peers. Results could be messy, but Dorian is a one-time, and adv. booking sentiment remains strong aside from Dorian, and at a current near-trough PE multiple, we see substantially more upside than downside, even if leverage is higher than peers'."

Bernstein said it expected to see "upside" from management's sales guidance when Beyond Meat reports earnings on October 28th.

"We continue to expect significant growth in the plant-based meat category and expect there to be upside to management's FY19 sales guidance. Specifically, management expected sales to exceed $240m in FY19, which could be conservative as it does not include the incremental revenue from potential new foodservice and retail partnerships, like Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and HelloFresh."

Continued here:
Here are the biggest analyst calls of the day: Macy's, Chipotle, Beyond Meat, Caterpillar & more - CNBC

Head Coach Zac Taylor

Frustrating loss. Our guys gave us a chance in the second-half defense. They scored on the first three drives of the game, and we thought it was going to be tough. I dont care what the stats say; they buckled down, and they gave up two field goals in the remainder of the game. Thats what we needed from them. Thats the response we needed. Thats not the response from a team thats 0-5 at the time and giving up as many rushing yards that were given up. The response was to buckle down and step up and make some plays, and they did that. Brandon Wilsons kickoff return for touchdown was the spark that we needed. Then, on offense, we continued to search for that identity. It didnt really feel like we had any drives in the second half. I think we had two an 11-play drive and then a four-play drive, and then, all of a sudden, two-minute drill. So, it was a strange game in that respect. But, again, we had guys trying to get us back in it. There was no quit. Its frustrating, trust me. You can throw out every stat that you want. Were not scoring points. Were not scoring touchdowns. Our red zone efficiency is terrible. But, the bottom line is, were 0-6, and our team has more fight than anybody Ive been around. I just told them when we do find that win, its going to be the most rewarding win youve had in your entire life. Because the guys are still fighting. The leadership is starting to step up. We have a group. Its tough, and this one hurt probably the most it feels like. But we gave ourselves the chance at the end when it looked really bleak. Weve fought back now two weeks in a row. Again, we dont put ourselves in the position in the first half to win the game, and thats disappointing, but its going to come. And its going to be very rewarding when it does. And this is a group that Im very proud of.

On why the team is having so much trouble against the run?

Theres a lot of things that are tough right now, and well have to watch and figure out what that reason was. This was a unique offense we faced. They present a lot of challenges. Again, its a silly thing to say. After the first three drives, they gave up some plays, but, again, they buckled down and kept the points off the board, and thats what we needed from them. We lost at one point three starters in the secondary. We had three D-linemen inactive, and weve got a bunch of guys out there fighting like crazy against an offense thats really well put together and, at the end of the day, they gave us a chance to win.

On rotating a lot of guys

Thats everything. Lets find the most energy we can find. Lets find the healthiest guys we can find, and lets just find a way to get a stop. In the end there, they found some ways to make stops and give us a chance.

On their third-straight game without an offensive touchdown

I can point to everything. Our rushing efficiency has not been very good. Were still trying to find our identity there. That part has been frustrating. Our red zone efficiency we get a turnover there in the first half. We started to have momentum at the end of the second quarter. I think that was the fourth possession we had in the game. We felt like we were moving the ball, and the field position was starting to turn in our favor. We get some momentum there, and the ball gets tipped and intercepted. Then again, we get down there at the four. Tough call, and we throw the ball to [Alex] Erickson on the sideline. That looked like a tough one. I thought we should have had the ball on the one, and we didnt. So, we kicked the field goal. The second drive, the defense gets the stop. And, again, the offense [has an] 11-play drive no points. Its killing us. You get these drives that start to flip the field, but we need the points that come with that. Again, just a very frustrating loss.

On what the Ravens did to take away the Bengals ground game

They were just being physical up front. Thats what it was. I wouldnt say they were doing anything schematically.

On the challenge of facing Lamar Jackson

Very challenging. Thats the most frustrating thing for a defense. You have a play covered, and hes an elite athlete. Weve played a couple of good athletes. Hes one of the rarest Ive seen in person. Just one little crease, and hes got 30 yards on you.

On the three players hurt in the secondary

Will Jackson was out for a little bit. I couldnt tell, to be honest with you. I saw him coming off. I wasnt sure if it was injury-related or fatigue.

On relinquishing play-calling duties

I have not. We still feel like we have a good plan going into every game. We havent scored enough points. We feel like every game were going to score plenty of points and give ourselves a chance to win. We just havent gotten it done.

On how he evaluates himself as a play caller

Weve won zero games and have not scored enough points. And that 100 percent falls on me. But I do like the communication we have as a staff. The play calls come out of my mouth. We have great chemistry as a staff. We put a good plan together, and we are all on the same page when the calls come out regardless of whose call it.

On WR Tyler Boyd being taken out of the game

They usually do that with Marlon Humphrey. He usually covers who they think is going to be the best receiver. Hes certainly been our leading receiver these last couple of games. So, thats what they like to do. They put Marlon Humphrey on him and theyve still got eyes on him from everyone because hes a dangerous guy.

On not playing WR A.J. Green

Theres no reason for that.

On the mood in their locker room being 0-6

I told these guys, For an 0-6 team, you wouldnt know it. No one has quit. Theres not one person in this locker room who has quit on us. The mood is still pissed off that we havent found a way to get the win, but everyone still believes. I meant it when I told them, This is two weeks in a row now where most teams that havent won a game would shut it down and go ahead and take the 25-point loss and move on. Woe is me and point fingers. I havent seen it. I havent seen it from one guy. Theyve all responded the way you want them to. Its going to be very rewarding when this thing clicks. It just hasnt done it yet, but when it does, its going to be very rewarding for you guys in this locker room.

On the excitement with the game plan

The whole plan we get excited about. We go into the game thinking, Alright, this is the plan thats going to give us the chance to win. Again, when we get to 10-plus-play drives, we have to score points. We cant just get down to the 40 and have to punt it. Thats really what has killed us; the turnover. You can say the guy made a great play from the back side and tipped the ball. Thats a tough one to stomach. They made a play, and we didnt. Those are just the times when you get down there. And weve had this conversation all year. Its the red zone efficiency thats killed us.

On the Bengals running game

"Were trying every combination we can possibly imagine to try and get this run game off the ground. It is frustrating.

On doing some different things with RB [Giovani] Bernard

Were working on it. Its hard when you are running for a yard or two per carry. And you do want to stick with it because you have to. But, at the same time, we found some great matchups in the passing game that we liked, and it was giving us 10-yard chunks. So, that was the direction we were heading in the second half. I dont know what the final rush total was. Its not good, probably not a lot of carries. But we found out if we want to give ourselves a chance to win, it needed to be covering some ground through the air.

On, as a play caller, how tough it is falling behind

Its not necessarily the defense. Were not scoring on offense. If we could have matched them score for score and been in it, and be able to call our stuff. Ive said it many times standing at this podium, Weve got to be better in the first half. We have to put points on the board and take the pressure off the defense.

QB Andy Dalton

On if the Ravens defense took WR Tyler Boyd away in the first half

Yeah, they did. They had a plan for him. He got a bunch of double teams in this game. Thats how they were playing him.

On whats keeping the offense from getting off to a good start

We obviously got the return for a touchdown, and then we went three-and-out. We had a chance, but the ball got tipped at the line of scrimmage it was one of those things where we had a good play That stuff happens, unfortunately. Thats why we ended up going three-and-out on the first drive.

On why he spiked the ball after he scored the rushing touchdown

I scored a touchdown. Its not my first time spiking it when I scored a rushing touchdown.

On if teams are playing them differently without WR A.J. Green

Absolutely. [Because] hes not on the field.

On what they need to do to get off to a faster start on offense

Thats what were trying to figure out. For us, weve got to take a hard look at everything that were doing. Weve got to make plays. Weve got to have the right plan going in not saying that we dont - thats not what Im saying at all. We have to look and see where were struggling, what can we do better? Everybodys got to do that. It starts with me, and it starts with the execution.

On what the Ravens did to stop the rushing attack

They had all their guys in the box. They made it hard for us to run.

On if hes surprised with how the team is taking being 0-6

Im not surprised at all. Weve got great guys here, weve got guys that are sticking together. For us to get things turned around, it has to be that way. I think the culture that [Bengals head coach] Zac [Taylor] has set here everybody is buying into it and has bought into it. So thats why guys are sticking together.

On if hes talked to the coaching staff about picking up the tempo of the offense

Obviously, weve done some good things, and weve been able to pick up the pace Obviously when you get to the end of these games, weve been able to move the ball pretty well, so well take a look at it and see if we feel like thats an area we need to go, then well definitely do it. I like it. Whatever is going to put points on the board.

On his rapport with WR Auden Tate

He played really well. Audens a guy thats so big, youve just got to give him opportunities to make plays. You can see with a lot of the catches that he had, using his size and with the ability to track the ball, he was able to make the play.

S Shawn Williams

We are getting better. We came out at times, and at first, it was a little shaky. We had to figure out what they were doing, but when we did, we did a pretty good job of adjusting. One thing I feel like we could have focused on more was keeping Lamar [Jackson] in the pocket. He is a good athlete, a good quarterback. He makes that team run. In the second half, when we made our adjustment, we really played well. We held them to three [points]. They are in the NFL too, so they are going to get their yards, but at the end of the day, we did get stops on third down, and we held them to three when they did get in the scoring zone.

He is a really great athlete. He is special. He can hit the edge and run like no quarterback I have ever played, at least that I can remember at this moment. We just have to go back to the gameplan for when we face him again. We kind of know the recipe. We have to stop them on first and second down, get them in third down, third down and long, keep [Lamar Jackson] in the pocket and make him throw to beat us. When he steps outside the pocket, he is as good as anyone. And today, he also made throws outside the pocket. So, they kind of won that today.

On defending the entire run game, not just Lamar Jackson

We cannot just tee off and rush. You have to be disciplined in your rush lanes. [Lamar Jackson] does a good job of extending plays on third down and getting them the extra first down that they need.

S Brandon Wilson

On his kickoff return for touchdown

I had some great blocks. I read my keys and just went for the score. There were some good blocks up front. Clayton [Fejedelem] and the guys up front did a great job opening it up for me.

On if he thought his touchdown would provide a spark

It would provide a spark because it was the first play of the game.

On whether he anticipated a short kick for the opening kick

Yes, kind of close to the goal line, somewhere around that range. I really only had to make one cut because they blocked it up so well. I do not know if I was touched or not.

On defending the Ravens offense

We just wanted to keep him [Lamar Jackson] in the pocket. That is what we really had to do. You just have to keep your eyes on your keys and do your job. Yeah, do your job.

DE Carl Lawson

We have got a lot of things we need to fix. There are things we have to correct. At the end of the day, the only thing we can do is go back to the drawing board and keep fighting and do not quit.

On whether the defense played better as the game went on

We definitely did. We settled down and did what we were supposed to do and play how we needed to. We had to play a great player [Jackson] and we have got another chance to play him again. When that opportunity comes, we need to do better.

On the Ravens running game

Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram II; that combination is dangerous when you have a running quarterback and a Pro Bowl running back. We have to keep [Jackson] in the pocket. We would rather him throw than run because he is so dangerous running. We just have to keep working.

TE Tyler Eifert

We fought hard. We had a couple short drives and three-and-outs. We just didnt get many opportunities in the second half. We had one long drive that we didnt get points on and they had a couple long drives, so we just got to keep battling. I feel like at times, we look pretty dang good, and then others, not so much. So, we just need to find some consistency.

On what they can take away from this game moving forward

Not very much. We just need to make the corrections. Were professionals, well come back to work on Monday, and well have a good week of practice and get ready to play another game next Sunday.

WR Auden Tate

On his personal performance

I think I played fairly well. When my number was called, I just tried to make a play. I did that on some occasions. Andy [Dalton] just trusted me, so I appreciated that. I wish we would have just came out with the win.

On if the Ravens focus on WR Tyler Boyd opened the offense up more for him

Yeah. that was a big thing we talked about all week. We knew they would be keying in on TB [Tyler Boyd], so it would be on me and 'AE [Alex Erickson] to kind of step up.

If a couple plays turned, we could easily be 3-3 or 4-2. Its not like we just get blasted. We know we can do it. Were all grown men. Theres not any point in giving up, so you do your job.

LB Nick Vigil

We gave up a lot of rushing yards. We let No. 8 [Lamar Jackson] get loose a couple times, but I think we did pretty good in the red zone. We held them to six points in the second half and it gave ourselves a chance.

Hes a good player. Hes tough to contain. We didnt do a good enough job setting edges and that was a lot of their run game him getting outside.

Weve got to win a game. Thats the thing, weve got to put it all together, especially stopping the run. On defense, if we dont stop the run, we dont stand a chance.

LB Preston Brown

On QB Lamar Jacksons play

Its tough, they did a lot of empty stuff, so he [Lamar Jackson] got easy reads and if they werent there, he was going to take off. He does a good job of making people miss. He's one of the most elusive, best players. They did a good job utilizing him and having him with a lead blocker. He was cutting it back, throwing outside and running around. He was just having fun on us, and thats what you never want to have done.

On the teams rush defense

Its tough. You think you have stuff idled up, guys are going another way and sometimes you just miss tackles. Weve got to go to the drawing board and see how exactly people keep getting these runs. Every week you look up and theres a lot of rushing yards. Thats something you never want to see. I dont think its a scheme thing, coaches do a great job every week of preparing us. Weve just got to make plays. So, weve just got to find ways to beat our blocks, to beat our man and tackle the man with the ball.

On being from Cincinnati and playing for the Bengals

I grew up seeing 2-14 teams and its something I never wanted to be a part of. Now, I'm trying each and every week to get that first win. We know what the whole city wants, and weve got to get this win.

CB William Jackson III

We want to win. That's what we care about the most. The guys that are out there are the guys that want to win. We just go out there. We never quit. We believe were going to win. The whole time, it could be 40-0, and we still believe we could win the game. I just love playing with guys like that, play through injuries. It's always frustrating, were competitive and we always want to win. We're here to do a job, but well keep moving forward and get that first win.

Thats devastating. Hes one of the leaders in the locker room. He's a good guy. It's football, its what we signed up for. I'll be glad when we get him back.

Link:
Taylor: "Our Team Has More Fight Than Anybody Around" - Bengals.com

LONDON Call it an act of homage, authorial daring or simply a playwright having a bit of fun, but Laura Wades The Watsons is one of this years smartest plays so far, and also among the sweetest. Picking up where Jane Austen left her unfinished novel of the same name, Ms. Wade brings these Regency-era characters to the stage accompanied by her modern-day self.

The giddy result was first seen last year at the Chichester Festival Theater, in southeast England, and has since transferred to the Menier Chocolate Factory through Nov. 16. I wouldnt be at all surprised if this play, like Ms. Wades previous works Posh and the Olivier Award-winning Home, Im Darling, finds a longer life still, not least among playgoers who like a bit of spice in their period pieces.

Ms. Wades conceit, clever without ever turning arch, allows her an onstage surrogate in the form of the bristling, quick-witted Laura (a terrific Louise Ford). Entering the action in contemporary street clothes that stand out from the bonnets and breeches around her, Laura reflects upon the act of writing while attempting to finish what Austen started early in the 19th century. (To this day, scholars are unsure why this particular Austen narrative never made it to the final sentence; the book was first published posthumously in 1871.)

Laura, of course, is a playwright, not a novelist, an important distinction that she addresses head-on: I like it when they clap, she says of the appeal of live performance. At the same time, existing in the here and now gives Laura access to a discourse about writing that would have been alien to Austen and the gentry she brought to the page. We hear about characters emerging from the unconscious, a psychological term Mrs. Bennet wouldnt have known to employ, and theres a Brexit-era quip about having to respect the result that surely would have received blank stares from Austen and her contemporaries.

One obvious forerunner of Ms. Wades frolics here is Luigi Pirandellos genre-bending Six Characters in Search of an Author, the 1921 classic in which a dramatist and his characters come to an uneasy face-off. The Watsons builds upon the themes of its iconic predecessor in offering an assemblage of Austen characters the young Emma Watson (a piquant Grace Molony) chief among them who clamor for something to do and, in at least one instance, resist being fictionalized at all. The onstage Laura admits to being in conversation with Pirandello, but the primary connection made by The Watsons is to its audience, who at a recent matinee seemed to be all smiles as events went their merrily unexpected way.

The production is robustly directed by Samuel West, who also happens to be Ms. Wades partner and the father of their two daughters (who are referred to in passing). Almost as remarkable as the sustained sleight-of-hand of the writing is the fact that the play boasts a cast of 18, the sort of scale youd usually expect from a musical. Might a song-and-dance extravaganza be yet another method of bringing closure to Austens novel? Were Ms. Wade moved in that direction, very little would appear to be off limits. You have to feel pulled toward your desk, were told of the primal need to write, as expressed by a writer for whom anything increasingly seems possible.

The Watsons is one of a clutch of London plays this season that either engage with dramatic shape-shifting or put unpredictable women center stage. Less accomplished, though on paper no less intriguing, is Two Ladies, at the Bridge Theater through Oct. 26. Across 100 minutes without an intermission, the Irish playwright Nancy Harris imagines a meeting between the wives of two world leaders who are brought together to commiserate, and more, while their (unseen) husbands talk realpolitik in a room not far away as revolution stirs in the streets outside.

The obvious prototypes for Helen (a peppery Zo Wanamaker) and Sophia (Zrinka Cvitesic) are Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Melania Trump, the first lady of the United States. At the same time, enough is different about Ms. Harriss characters to individuate them from their inspirations: Helen is English, not French, and was once a journalist (although she is much older than her husband, as is the case with the Macrons); the excellent Ms. Cvitesic, an Olivier Award winner for the musical Once, plays an aggrieved spouse who is from her native Croatia, not Slovenia, and who speaks in the play of the child she never had; the Trumps, of course, have a young son.

As it happens, Two Ladies needs as many real-life parallels as it can muster once the plot has derailed into absurdity and melodrama. Its easy to see the appeal of this material to Ms. Harris as an exercise in female empowerment and agency Sophia, in particular, becomes emboldened as the play progresses but theres no escaping the sense that Nicholas Hytners production is working with an attenuated script that feels a draft or two away from its full potential. Two Ladies feels like a pitch for a play, not the finished product.

Thats not the case across town at the Royal Court, the capitals leading address for new writing, which in recent weeks has passed a provocative baton between two generations of female writers. A History of Water in the Middle East, at the Courts intimate Theater Upstairs through Nov. 16, goes one better than The Watsons in placing its British-Egyptian writer, Sabrina Mahfouz, among its cast of four in what turns out to be less a play than an illustrated lecture with music, played live by the composer, Kareem Samara.

Ms. Mahfouz traverses locations, as well as epochs past and future, to chronicle the saga of Britains engagement in the Middle East alongside the authors personal account of her flirtation with a career as a spy. If the hourlong evening feels a tad slight, Stef ODriscolls production exists cleverly perched between a lecture and a concert, which in turn flavors the instruction with a hipster vibe.

And theres no one more momentous, albeit unaffectedly so, in her playwriting finesse than Caryl Churchill, age 81, whose quartet of new plays finished an acclaimed, too-brief run on the Court main stage on Oct. 12. Fusing a deep sense of foreboding alongside an abiding playfulness, the various one-acts Imp, especially confirmed a masterful ability to experiment with both subject matter and form that remains without peer. Ms. Churchills 1982 play, Top Girls, was revived at the National Theater this year, and in her ninth decade, shes still at the top.

The Watsons. Directed by Samuel West. Menier Chocolate Factory, through Nov. 16.

Two Ladies. Directed by Nicholas Hytner. Bridge Theater, through Oct. 26.

A History of Water in the Middle East. Directed by Stef ODriscoll. Royal Court Theater Upstairs, through Nov. 16.

Read this article:
Female Playwrights Are on Form (for the Most Part) - The New York Times

Teams from the Income Tax Department launched surprise raids on the Ekam campus, also known as Kalki Ashram and Oneness University, along the Chittoor-Tamil Nadu border, on Wednesday morning.

All three gates of the sprawling campus were shut, with entry and exit being restricted by the Tamil Nadu Police.

Eight teams of I-T officials along with policemen arrived at the ashram to conduct simultaneous searches at posh structures on the 500-acre campus. Reports said that similar raids had commenced on the establishments of Ekam elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

At the time of the raids, the Amma Bhagwan couple and their son Krishnaji were in Tamil Nadu. The I-T officials are said to be questioning a man named Lokesh Dasaji, said to be a close confidante of the Amma Bhagwan couple and the prime administrator of the campus.

The raids are attributed to the alleged irregularities in the management of funds of the Kalki Trust, coupled with allegations that Krishnaji, the couples son, was into real estate business with huge investments.

The raids were still on at the time of filing this report on Wednesday. Heavily guarded by police at the entrances, nobody was allowed to enter or exit the campus. Communication was also cut off as the I-T officials had confiscated the mobile phones of all the employees on the campus. No I-T official was available for comment.

Sri Bhagavan (born Vijay Kumar Naidu) established an ashram at the Chittoor-TN border where thousands of devotees began arriving from across the country. Spiritual sessions are conducted by the administrators of the ashram trust, mostly for affluent individuals and notable personalities from the film industry.

Some of the prominent political figures who have visited the campus include former TDP Ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and P. Narayana. The trust has launched several charity programmes in the industrial belt.

For over a decade, Sri Bhagavan, a self-styled godman, faced serious allegations of land-grabbing in the industrial belt of Varadaiahpalem and B.N. Kandriga mandals. When the ashram was established a couple of decades ago, an acre of land was worth a few lakhs, which has now soared to crores.

Sources said that during 2010-14, the ashram authorities were served notices pertaining to huge discrepancies between the ashrams assets and its annual income tax returns.

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Original post:

I-T Dept. searches Kalki Ashram near Chittoor - The Hindu

Even as Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has directed the authorities not to disturb the New Type Model (NTM) Government Kannada Higher Primary School on N.S. Road following the proposed construction of a Swami Vivekananda Memorial (Viveka Smaraka) at the site, Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Mysuru has felt that the opposition to the project was unjustifiable since it was not merely a memorial but a centre for the empowerment of youth, imparting them value education as envisioned by the spiritual leader.

Some Kannada activists had taken exception to the apparent closure of the Kannada school for facilitating the construction and also argued that the school itself was part of Mysurus heritage since it was more than 100 years old. Some of the activists met the Chief Minister and sought his intervention for saving the school. The Chief Ministers directive is to construct the memorial on the remaining area of the site where the school is located.

The project was proposed at the site since Swami Vivekananda stayed there during his visit to Mysuru in the 1880s.

In a statement issued here following reports in the press over the issue, the ashram said many government schools had been shut down in Mysuru in the recent years. They include the government school at Lakshmipuram where writer R.K. Narayan studied, which was closed five to six years ago, besides the schools near the old bus-stand here and the one at Ittigegud near the Mysuru zoo for lack of students.

When no opposition was expressed to the closure of these schools during that time, why is there opposition to the merger of NTM School with another school and the ashrams plans for the construction of the memorial at the site? the statement asked.

We are just implementing the directive issued by the Centre, said the statement issued by the ashram president Swami Muktidanandaji.

The ashram said the NTM School is not being shut down but will be merged with the Devaraja Government Primary School which is nearby and maintained that merger will not affect the children or the parents arguing that it will be give good learning environment for the children.

The statement said the memorial will function as a service centre (Seva Kendra) and cultural centre too. It has been proposed to introduce courses for the personality development of youths besides organising discourses daily for inspiring and guiding the youth and spreading moral education.

Arguing that it had been engaged in pro-Kannada activities, the ashram said many stalwarts of Kannada literature who had associated with the ashram and its activities had unequivocally appreciated its services and contribution to Kannada language. In the last 60 years, the ashrams publishing division published about 400 Kannada books and selling them at a nominal rate with the idea of reaching out the knowledge to the people, the statement added.

It was wrong to spread misinformation among the people on the ashrams visions and plans. The memorial will not only benefit the local people but also the people from surrounding places as it will function as the centre for the youth, spreading moral, spiritual and religious education. It will emerge as a major tourist destination too. The ashram therefore seeks support and cooperation for making it happen, according to the release.

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Opposition to memorial uncalled for, says ashram - The Hindu

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: Superstar Rajinikanth visited Swamy Dayanand's ashram in Rishikesh on Mondayand is expected to go to Kedarnath too.

The actor regularly retreats to the Himalayas to meditate.

Sumit Adlakha, a resident of Dehradun and a family friend of the superstar family said, "Rajini Sir is on a devotional visit to Uttarakhand with his daughter Aishwarya Dhanush. He will visitingKedarnath temple tomorrow and Badarinath shrine a day later."

The celebrity father-daughter duo will leave for Ranikhet then, where Rajinikanth will have a meditation session.

Rajinikanth had landed at Dehradun airport on Sunday and left for Rishikesh after meeting Adlakha at his house.

The superstar is said to be a devotee of Maha Avtar Baba, and will spend some time in his cave too.

It is believed that Babaji lived in a cave, which is almost an hour away from Dunagiri in Kumaons Almora district. Rajinikanth has been going to the cave for over a decade.

The saint finds mention in Yogananda Parmahansa's 'The Autobiography of a Yogi'.

The Tamil superstar last visited Ranikhet in2018.

(With inputs from online desk)

See more here:

Superstar Rajinikanth in Uttarakhand on spiritual tour with daughter Aishwarya Dhanush - The New Indian Express

234pp, Rs 499; Simon & Schuster

Somewhere in the mid-1990s, boys of an elite boarding school on the outskirts of Calcutta are watching a curly-haired 16-year-old Indian cricketer play the Pakistanis in Peshawar. In the common room of Bliss Hall, the tension of an impending loss is fanned further by the sound of firecrackers going off in Mosulgaon, a nearby Muslim settlement that is cheering for Pakistan. Anirvan, a class 7 student, cannot take his eyes off the curly-haired Sachin Tendulkar on TV or his mind off Kajol, the boy next to him. He takes Kajols palm in his, caresses his fingers -- the anxiety of the moment was a disease and one had to share it till the TV is abruptly turned off.

The all-boys boarding is run by a Hindu monastic order and a lot transpires under the eagle eyes of the monks as the middle-school boys shuffle between Bliss and Conscience halls of the ashram spread over many acres of grabbed land 80 villages, it is rumoured.

The Scent of God is Anirvan or Yogis story (Kajol calls him Yogi). Anirvan loves the scents and sounds of the ashram and dreams of becoming a monk as his grandmother had hoped he would one day thereby enabling seven generations of the family before and after her to attain salvation. He lacks the genius to crack IIT or become a football player, even though the monks egg the boys on with, Youll be a lot closer to god if you played football than if you read the Gita.

It is his love for words that makes him a star at school. His English teacher Sushant Kane or SrK (short for Senior Kane) recognises his talent in debating, while the dreaded warden of Bliss Hall, Kamal Swami, who disciplines boys with his eyes, recognises his ability to meditate and tune out like a real yogi. A future monk?

Anirvan is in awe of the thirty-something Kamal Swami. He secretly admires the silent monk, The Lord Lotus, his glowing skin, his scent, the whiff of cardamom, and his flowing saffron robe. A prayer hall that walked, he thinks. The swami, too, goes easy on Anirvan, gently teaching him how to blow the conch before prayer.

The boys are subjected to ruthless discipline. They have to sweat it out on the cricket field and football ground, excel in mathematics and science, prepare to crack top exams without as much as a fan in their hostel rooms, and at the end of the day, bathe in the aroma of incense and flowers in the prayer hall. Minor slips are greeted with beatings. Those who excel in exams and are also fair-complexioned and good-looking are given special attention -- premium rooms right next to the monks.

Anirvan is drawn into the world of monks, the world of saffron. He sees beauty and power in saffron that no colour in this world could match, even as he is curious about the world outside the ashram. The rather reluctant ashram resident Sushant Kanes anecdotes about this other world and its fantastical life intrigues him: The monks say the world is MayaIts not the world; they have Maya here. The incense and the flowers and the music.

SrK offers Anirvan more food for thought. Why were juicy chicken drumsticks served to a student after a brutal beating by a monk? Did the monks beat up the boys because they couldnt really do what they wanted to? Or did they?

Anirvan decides to visit the world outside the ashram with SrK -- the world of prostitutes, bootleggers and wily politicians and stand up for those who need him.

In the ashram, Kajol stays real. When he fails to persuade Anirvan to return to school and worry about exams, he disconnects himself and focusses on what he does best -- prepare to crack the IIT exam.

Saikat Majumdars writing is powerful. It reveals and conceals at the same time. Every word is carefully crafted and the subtle carelessness in every sentence opens an ocean of interpretations. The poetry-prose captures the tension of the two entangled world orders, spiritual and material, where desires range from same-sex love relationships to flourishing post-IIT careers. The Anirvans and Kajols of the ashram are not allowed to nibble the goodies of both these worlds, they are ordained to let go of one.

Saikat Majumdar(Courtesy the publisher )

The beautiful feel of silk and saffron evaporates as soon as the book is put away. The reader looks for answers, aches to see beyond the sensory and the illusory world of the monks, itches to fill in the blanks on what transpires when the boys shuttle between Bliss and Conscience Halls. You want to know if it is old-fashioned to be conscientious in churches, madrasas and ashrams.

Read more:Book Review: A Patchwork Family by Mukta Sathe

The sense that does prevail is of the blurring fine line between the pure and the profane, love and lust, and how deeply flawed our education system is; a system that can frown upon imparting sex education but can trick and trap innocent boys into doing the unimaginable.

First Published:Oct 11, 2019 19:25 IST

See the article here:

Review: The Scent of God by Saikat Majumdar - Hindustan Times

Directed by: Rajesh DeshpandeCast: Sharad Ponkshe, Shruja Prabhudesai, Jayant Ghate, Krushna Rajshekhar, Vighnesh Joshi, Pankaj Khamkar, Omkar Karve, Makarand Navghare, Prakash Sable, Rutuja Chipade and Kapil RedekarDuration: 3 hoursLanguage: MarathiRating: 3.5/ 5

The name of the play Himalayachi Savali, originally written by Vasant Kanetkar in 1972 and revived by director Rajesh Deshpande, translates to the Shadow of Himalayas. The story revolves around Nanasaheb a professor deeply committed to his ashram that works towards the upliftment of young widows. It describes what it feels like to live in the shadow of a great man. Furthermore, it delves into the complex dynamics of a family one where all the members want the best for each other, but differ greatly in perspectives. Nanasaheb is so deeply involved in his charity, that he often ends up neglecting his home and his family in the bargain. This often leads to tension and resentment among his daughter, sons and wife.

See the rest here:

Theatre Review: Himalaychi Savali - Times of India

It is reported that Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth jetted off to the Himalayas for a spiritual vacation recently. Usually, he heads to the place every time he wraps up a film, and before commencing his next movie. He was accompanied by his elder daughter Aishwarya Dhanush. On his spiritual trip, Rajinikanth reached Haridwar and visited Swami Dayanand Saraswati Ashram in Rishikesh on Sunday. He has been visiting the ashram for several years and enjoying the simplicity of life there. He paid a visit at the samadhi of his spiritual guru Swami Dayanand Saraswati who breathed his last at his Rishikesh ashram in 2015 and then visited his room where he meditated for about 10 minutes. He sought blessings from Swami Shuddhanand Maharaj, who is the Spiritual head of Shri Dayanand Ashram Ganga Dhareshwar Trust. In the evening, he attended Ganga aarti at the Triveni Ganga ghat. He also visited Swargarashram area in Pauri Garhwal and Ramjhula-Muni-Ki-Reti in Tehri Garhwal. Rajinikanth then headed to Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines on Monday and reports say that he stayed at Rudraprayag the whole night. As per the locales, he then left for Garhwal Himalayas to introspect and find peace.

Excerpt from:

Rajinikanth meditates in Rishikesh on his way to Garhwal Himalayas - Times of India

Israel has won a total of nine Olympic medals since its debut in 1952 as a country officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in the Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki. Israels first medal came in 1992 when Yael Arad nabbed silver in judo. The countrys first and only gold medal for Israel went to Gal Fridman in mens windsurfing at the Olympics in Athens in 2004.

At the last summer Olympics in Rio in 2016, Israeli judokas Yarden Gerbi and Or Sasson claimed bronze medals in the womens 63kg and mens +100kg events, respectively. That year, Israel was proud to have sent its largest delegation to the sporting event with 47 athletes competing in 17 sports. It broke Israels previous record of 43 athletes sent to Beijing in 2008.

SEE ALSO: Israels Olympic Committee Partners With Technion For Joint Sports Research Center

And now, Israel is going even bigger with plans to send an estimated 85 athletes to compete in 18 sports in the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in July 2020. This is according to Vered Buskila, a three-time Olympic sailor who is now vice president of the Olympic Committee of Israel. In a sit-down interview with NoCamels not far from the Olympic Committees headquarters in Tel Aviv, Buskila says more athletes have yet to qualify including Israeli hopefuls for sports like track & field and swimming.

In Tokyo next summer, Israel will be sending its biggest delegation ever, Buskila tells NoCamels, This is a crazy number by Israeli standards. Thats something that we never thought could happen in the near future, she says.

Buskila says what makes the large 2020 delegation even more unprecedented is that the countrys national Olympic Committee changed some of the qualification rules after the 2016 games and made it even more difficult for Israeli athletes to qualify for the Olympics.

We got a lot of criticism about that, she adds.

David Wiseman, a native Australian who runs the English-language Follow Team Israel Facebook page with Canadian-Israeli Shari Wright Pilo since the London Olympics in 2012, is impressed with the number of athletes who will be representing Israel next summer.

Baseball alone is sending 24, he tells NoCamels, referring to the first Israeli team to qualify for the games, This is also the first time sports such as surfing and equestrian are being represented by Israeli athletes.

(Buskila says the baseball aspect is a huge, amazing surprise.)

Wiseman and Pilo created the Follow Team Israel page as a bridge between fans and athletes, he explains. The pair wanted to build awareness of Jewish and Israeli competitors and their incredible achievements and sacrifices.

Buskila, who began sailing at the age of eight as an extracurricular activity in her hometown of Bat Yam and won her first world championships at age 15 in the Womens 420 yachting event, says she understands what the athletes are going through, as she experienced it firsthand as a competitive sailor.

Now that I look back I understand that my talent was determination and persistence, she explains, When I won the world championships, it was decided. Thats what Im going to do for the rest of my life.

After competing for the third time in London 2012, Buskila announced her retirement and went on to earn a law degree and becoming a notable figure in the Olympic Committee of Israel. Her job entails speaking to people around the world on Israels progress in sports.

Buskila explains that Israel expects to have 10 athletes advancing to the finals in Tokyo. In Rio, we had five. We want to double it. We aim to win two medals, she says, We never had more than two medals at the same Olympic Games so maybe this will be our year.

Three would be amazing, she adds, after a pause.

If we can have the best army in the world and the best high-tech in the world, why cant we have the best athletes? she says.

Israeli teams and individual athletes have already qualified for sports like baseball, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, equestrian show jumping, cycling, sailing, and surfing.

More are (likely) on their way. Lets not count out current judo world champion Sagi Muki, windsurfing world champion silver medalist Katy Spychakov and top Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter. Also, Israeli swimmers, both mixed team and individuals, are looking very good this year, Buskila says.

In the meantime, get to know some of the Israeli athletes and the sports they will be competing in next summer.

Israels baseball team made history last month by defeating South Africa 11-1 during a six-team Europe/Africa Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy, securing a spot in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer.

Its the first time a baseball team for Israel has qualified for the Olympic Games and the first time an Israeli sports team has qualified since the national soccer team in 1976.

Israel will be competing against five other teams in Tokyo. Japan is the only other nation that has qualified so far. Two teams will qualify through the 2019 WBSC Premier12 tournament in November 2019, another through the Americas Qualifying Event in March 2020, and the last qualifier will be the winner of the final qualifying tournament early next year.

See you in Tokyo, Israel Baseball!

Israels first place finish in the Europe/Africa qualifying tournament secures their spot for #Tokyo2020.@ILBaseball @wbsc @baseball @Tokyo2020

(: Israel Baseball) pic.twitter.com/xZ8l6FyzkH

If soccer just edges out basketball as the most popular sport in the country, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, how did baseball, a sport with a much smaller local following, become the first sport whose athletes qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games?

Prior to the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Israels national baseball team was ranked 41st in the world (and 16th in Europe.) Things began to change in 2017 when Israels team came in 6th at the WBC and ranked 19th in the world. It was around this time that Eric Holtz, a US-born baseball coach who had played for the Israel Baseball League in 2007 and lived in Israel for 10 weeks, was asked to head coach the Israel Senior National Team.

While the national team didnt move ahead in 2017, it turned things around in 2019, effectively winning the 2019 European Baseball Championship B-Pool (the second tier of European Baseball mens competition) in early July 2019.

The team is a mix of local talent and Jewish Americans, who became Israeli citizens as a requirement for the Olympics.

Israels baseball team is made up of 24 Israelis,' Holtz tells NoCamels. Everyone is a passport holder or citizen of Israel. Fourteen or 15 of the guys have made aliyah over the past 18 months. Most of the players are from the minor leagues, but a few have played in the major leagues and a few are native Israelis, including the pitcher Shlomo Lipetz, who was born in Tel Aviv.

This is the ultimate dream come true, said Peter Kurz, Israel Association of Baseball president and general manager of Team Israel in a statement on the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) website. It was almost too impossible to imagine but with the astounding performances of a dedicated team that always believed in itself.

Rhythmic gymnastics has an avid following in Israel. Thats because Linoy Ashram, an Israeli individual rhythmic gymnast, is considered the countrys best shot at a medal next summer.

The 20-year-old gymnast from Rishon Lezion, has dominated the sport since her first international competition at 12 years old.

She has made a significant mark on the sport for Israel, becoming the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to win an individual all-around medal at the 2017 World Championships where she snapped up a bronze medal behind Russian twins Dina and Arina Averina. She is also the first Israeli gymnast to win gold in the all-around competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series, nabbing first place at the 2018 Guadalajara World Cup. She is the first Israeli to win gold in a World Cup series apparatus final and the first Israeli gymnast to win gold at the Grand Prix Final.

Since 2017, Ashram has won a total of six silver and five bronze medals in World Championship events.

Also making a name for herself in rhythmic gymnastics is Nicol Zelikman, an individual rhythmic gymnast who scored a bronze for the hoop apparatus at the 2019 European Championships and helped Israel nab a silver medal in the team all-around competition at the 2019 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. She also qualified for the Tokyo games by placing 11th in the all-around competition. (The top 16 earn a spot to compete in the Olympics.)

This is the first time Israel will have two representatives at the Olympics in rhythmic gymnastics since 2008.

Israeli equestrian show jumpers qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in July, making it the first time that Israel has earned a spot in the games in this sport.

Four Israeli riders Daniel Bluman, Ashlee Bond, Elad Yaniv, and Danielle Goldstein Waldman edged ahead of Poland at the Olympic qualifier for Group C (Central and Eastern Europe) in Moscow to secure a place in the Tokyo Olympics next year.

Bluman is a returning member to the summer games. He is a native of Colombia and rode for Colombia in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

Goldstein Waldman is a native of New York.

Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat, 22, recently celebrated a victory, snagging a silver medal in the mens floor exercise at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, German, and earning a spot to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

This is the gymnasts second silver medal at the World Championships. He won a silver medal in the same event in 2017.

Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov, who has already represented Israel at the last three summer Olympic Games, also qualified for Tokyo 2020 during the World Championships by placing seventh out of the twelve gymnasts eligible for qualification.

Israeli sailors Gil Cohen and Noa Lasry secured a quota for the Israeli delegation by finishing 11th in the womens 470 event at the 2018 Sailing World Championships in Denmark. Mia Morris finished in 12th place in the womens RS:X event and Ofek Elimelech finished in 14th place in the mens RS:X competition, securing two more quotas.

SEE ALSO: Ready For Rio: Israeli Technology To Take Center Stage At Olympic Games

Israeli road racing cyclists secured Israel a place at the Tokyo Olympics by finishing in the top 10 at the 2019 world championships in England.

Israeli shooter Sergy Rikhter secured quotas for Israel in the mens 10-meter air rifle shooting event by winning the gold medal at the 2019 European Games.

Anat Lelior secured qualification for Israel as the highest-ranked surfer from Europe and one of the top 30 surfers in the overall open division at the 2019 World Surfing Games.

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Israel Is Sending Its Biggest Delegation Yet To The 2020 Summer Olympics In Tokyo | Social Awareness - NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News