Rushdie claims new record for book signings
India-born author Salman Rushdie claims to have set a new record by signing 1,000 books in 57 minutes during a recent promotion tour, setting off a spat with the writer whom he surpassed.
By HT Correspondent | PTI, London
UPDATED ON JUL 18, 2008 04:35 PM IST
Controversial India-born author Salman Rushdie claims to have set a new record by signing 1,000 books in 57 minutes during a recent promotion tour, setting off a spat with the writer whom he surpassed.
In a letter to The Guardian, Rushdie, who last week won the 'Best of Bookers' award, said that he had broken wine writer Malcolm Gluck's record for book signings.
Gluck's claimed his record is 1,001 copies in 59 minutes, set at a wine warehouse in London in 1998.
"His record is toast," Rushdie crowed, in a letter to the newspaper.
Rushdie was on a tour in the US to promote his latest book The Enchantress of Florence.
The Guardian said that it was Gluck who started the controversy, questioning whether Rushdie could possibly have signed as many books as he had claimed, or whether he had just scribbled his initials.
Rushdie said he had signed 1,000 copies, on his recent in a books warehouse in Nashville, US, in 57 minutes.
Rushdie insisted: "Let me be clear: I did not initial the books, but signed my full name.
"I did have the support of experienced staff at Ingrams book distributors in Nashville, (and at many other US bookstores), who will confirm that among the fastest present-day signers of books are President Jimmy Carter, the novelist Amy Tan, and myself," he said.
Gluck responded: "Well, if that's true, I'm humbled. I'm delighted to learn of Salman's achievement.
"I think it's very funny actually.... I doubt there will be any women going for this record, this is just such a male thing."
Over 3,000 personnel get Covid vaccine
By Rahul Singh, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 03:20 AM IST
All earmarked military hospitals have been supplied with the first consignment of doses and the vaccination drive will gather momentum in the coming days, said a second official. Sepoy Sunil Das from the Army Medical Corps was the first one to receive the shot in Leh.
‘Not the time to lower your guard’
By Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 03:08 AM IST
“It is a good beginning. But it is not the time to lower our guard,” Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram said. The government has warned recipients of the vaccine to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread before the second dose of the vaccine is given.
Vaccine drive held smoothly, no serious side effects: Govt
By Rhythma Kaul, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 02:59 AM IST
As opposed to the target of vaccinating about 300,000 people on the first day, according to the health ministry’s data, 191,181 health care workers were vaccinated at 3,351 centres. There were 16,755 personnel involved in the vaccination programme.
Experts warn against partial immunity, mutation risks
By Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 02:47 AM IST
The two experts also said that it is important to ensure that immunisation programmes avoid controversy that could fuel vaccine scepticism. For instance, the approval to a vaccine without efficacy data “was not a good idea”, according to John P Moore.
PM Modi unveils ₹1k-cr fund for startups
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 02:29 AM IST
“This fund will help in the launch of new start-ups and their growth,” the PM said at Prarambh, the startup India international summit jointly organised by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and the industry.
Process goes manual at several locations
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 17, 2021 02:39 AM IST
Due to difficulties in uploading data on the app, which has been developed by the central government to monitor and track the inoculation process, health care workers in some districts had to put up information about the vaccine recipients on the digital platform manually.
Manish Kumar first to take shot in Delhi
By shiv sunny, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 01:20 AM IST
Manish Kumar on Saturday emerged as the face of a months-long global effort against time to develop an inoculation against the infection that has killed over two million people. He said he always believed in the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.
Concerns over Covaxin as some cite ‘lack of data’
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 01:14 AM IST
The controversy escalated during the day as reports said those receiving Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin were asked to sign consent forms before being inoculated because the jab had been allowed by the government in “clinical trial mode”.
Shielded and vaccinated: India begins mammoth immunisation drive
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 01:04 AM IST
According to data compiled from states by HT, 200,297 people were vaccinated. The number was shy of the 300,000 that was being estimated but still far higher than what was recorded by any country on its first day.
Nation receives a shot in the arm
By HT Correspondent, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Kolkata, Jaipur, New Delhi, Raipur
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 12:31 AM IST
Union Health ministry figures showed that roughly 191,181 people received doses at 3,351 sites. This was short of the 300,000-plus target but still well above numbers recorded by any other country on the first day of inoculation
Razdan furnishes details of hiring fraud
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 12:22 AM IST
Nidhi Razdan said she was invited in 2019 to speak at an event by the Harvard Kennedy School, and one of the alleged organisers told her of a teaching vacancy. “A few weeks later I was ‘interviewed’ online for 90 minutes. It all seemed legitimate, the questions were thorough and professional,”.
BMC begins mass inoculation as healthcare workers queue up for first vaccine jab
By Rupsa Chakraborty
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 12:13 AM IST
- All ten vaccination centres across the city sported colourful curtains and were decorated with flowers. Some centres at BYL Nair hospital and Covid-19 jumbo centre at Bandra Kurla Complex also placed selfie spots with ‘I got my Covid-19 vaccine’ message in the backdrop.
Farmer union seeks removal of 3 committee members alleging bias, appeals to SC
By Abraham Thomas
PUBLISHED ON JAN 17, 2021 12:00 AM IST
- In its response, BKU-Lokshakti through its advocate AP Singh told the Court that the Delhi Police application was unnecessary as Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code is already in place in central Delhi which restricts gathering of five or more persons.
Rahul, Jaishankar spar at panel meet
By HT Correspondent, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 11:58 PM IST
As the minister concluded an hour-long presentation, the Congress leader said it appeared to be a “laundry list” rather than a concerted strategy to deal with the Chinese threat. S Jaishankar responded by saying a simplistic approach could not be adopted in a multipolar world.
Over 3,000 personnel get Covid vaccine
By Rahul Singh
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 11:50 PM IST
New Delhi
The armed forces on Saturday kicked off the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccine drive at multiple locations across the country including Ladakh, Delhi, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, where thousands of “Covid warriors”, including military doctors, nurses and paramedics were vaccinated against the coronavirus on a day India rolled out the biggest vaccination campaign in the world, officials familiar with the development said