I-League Qualifier: Garhwal FC are not underdogs, says Sayak Barai

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I-League Qualifier: Garhwal FC are not underdogs, says Sayak Barai

The 2020-21 footballing season will get underway with the I-League Qualifier 2020 as five teams – ARA FC, Bhawanipore FC, FC Bengaluru United, Garhwal FC and Mohammedan SC – will battle it out for the direct entry in the I-League 2020-21.

Garhwal FC, who hail from the national capital, will begin their campaign against Kolkata giants Mohammedan SC on October 8 at the Kalyani Stadium and a key figure for them will be 23-year-old goalkeeper Sayak Barai, who has stated that his side is “not an underdog” for the tournament and that the team’s unity is a ‘big asset’ for them.

“All five teams want to qualify for the Hero I-League. Many might be considering us to be the underdogs but I don’t think it is correct. I am very confident about our team’s qualification chances as we are a strong unit. Other teams may have star names that draw focus but we are ready to spring a surprise,” he told www.i-league.org.

“All the players in the side support one another. We are one team – unity is important for every team and our team’s unity is one of our biggest assets. We are growing and improving as a team continuously,” he added.

The side from Delhi stood atop Group A in the 2019-20 2nd Division League with 14 points in seven matches, thanks to a brilliant run of form. Barai stated that while the players are still working towards reaching “match-level sharpness”, they are in good shape due to extra efforts being put in by the coaches.

“When we resumed training after lockdown, we were in good shape because of the plans given by the coaches. We assembled for a camp in Delhi and would train daily according to the match times,” he said.

“We are still working towards match-level sharpness but the extra work being put in by the coaches is making it easier for us. We were all very active even in lockdown and the Delhi camp was very intense so as to make us ready for the matches,” he added.

Garhwal FC touched down in the City of Joy on September 25 and are currently in quarantine in the ‘bio-secure bubble’ as they get set to resume training on the field very soon.

“Being in quarantine can be a little frustrating, as an athlete, but of course, the safety of the players is first and foremost. The AIFF has laid down a strict protocol to create a safe environment for us, which is important not only for the team but also for a player’s career,” the Delhi-born goalkeeper quipped.

Eating dairy products may cut bowel cancer risk: Study

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Eating dairy products may cut bowel cancer risk: Study

Eating dairy products may reduce bowel cancer risk, but there’s no evidence that garlic or onions, fish, tea or coffee protect against the disease, say researchers.

For the findings, published in the journal Gut, the research team McGill University in Canada, trawled relevant published systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical trials and observational studies assessing the impact of dietary and medicinal factors on bowel cancer risk.

The medicinal factors included aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as paracetamol and statins.

The dietary factors included: vitamins or supplements (magnesium, calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, B, C, E, D, ß-carotene and coffee, tea, fish and omega 3 fatty acids, dairy products, fibre, fruit and vegetables, meat and alcohol

The results showed that aspirin is likely protective against bowel cancer, lowering the risk by between 14 per cent and 29 per cent at doses as low as 75 mg/day, with a dose-response effect reported up to 325 mg/day.

NSAID use for up to 5 years was associated with a significant (26 per cent to 43 per cent) fall in the incidence of bowel cancer.

Magnesium intake of at least 255 mg/day was associated with a 23 per cent lower risk compared with the lowest intake, and high intake of folic acid was associated with a 12-15 per cent per cent lower risk.

Similarly, eating dairy products was associated with 13 per cent to 19 per cent lower risk of the disease

Fibre intake was associated with a 22 per cent-43 per cent lower risk, while fruit/vegetable intake was associated with up to a 52 per cent lower risk.

“But there was no evidence that vitamins E, C, or multivitamins were protective. Similarly, there was no evidence that ß-carotene or selenium helped stave off the disease,” the study authors wrote.

Similarly, although meta-analyses of observational studies suggest that statins may lower cancer risk, no positive effect was noted in meta-analyses of clinical trial data.

Most of the available meta-analyses of observational studies reported an increased risk of between 12 per cent and 21 per cent for meat, particularly red and processed meat.

Alcohol was associated with a significantly increased risk. The higher the intake, the greater the risk.

The researchers caution that the level of evidence is low or very low in most cases, mainly due to wide differences in study design, endpoints, numbers of participants, etc.

Oracle upgrades Cloud SaaS solutions to empower customers

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Oracle upgrades Cloud SaaS solutions to empower customers

To help customers thrive in the new normal, Cloud major Oracle on Tuesday announced key updates to its Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (EPM).

The latest innovations will help finance teams at organisations of all sizes improve decision-making with real-time insights, simplify business processes, and drive efficiencies needed to pivot organisations towards growth.

“Oracle’s latest innovations in ERP and SCM cloud will help businesses to rapidly adapt to the current economic climate, drive new business models, and improve strategic decision-making, all designed to help them define their future,” said Juergen Lindner, Senior Vice President, Marketing, SaaS.

To help organisations continue to deliver a positive employee experience while meeting the evolving demands of today’s workplace, Oracle also announced major updates to Oracle Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM).

“The new products and features deliver personalised journeys and growth opportunities for employees, while improving data accuracy for HR teams,” the company said in a statement.

Building on its increasing momentum in the customer data platform (CDP) market, Oracle also unveiled new innovations and partner integrations to its enterprise-class CDP.

The latest cloud offerings will enable enterprises and SMBs to take advantage of innovations quickly and easily in artificial intelligence, digital assistants, and natural language processing.

“We are very optimistic about the maturity of the offering with the proven success of the offerings with 7,300 Cloud ERP customers already, and over 5,000 which are already live,” Lindner said.

Amazon launches new fulfilment centre in Tamil Nadu

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Amazon launches new fulfilment centre in Tamil Nadu

Gearing up for the festive season, Amazon India on Tuesday said it has launched a specialised fulfilment centre in Tamil Nadu, along with the expansion of an existing centre.

The expansion will contribute to the economic growth in the state while creating thousands of work opportunities for locals, Amazon India said.

The new centre will offer close to seven lakh cubic feet of storage space, housing lakhs of products in the large appliance and furniture category.

With this infrastructure expansion, Amazon.in will now offer storage capacity of close to three million cubic feet across five fulfilment centres to its more than 43,000 sellers in Tamil Nadu.

“Tamil Nadu is an important market for us and we are delighted to further invest and expand our infrastructure in the state. This expansion will work as an enabler for SMBs in Tamil Nadu helping them with faster delivery of their products to a wider customer base,” Abhinav Singh, Director – Amazon Transportation Services, Amazon India, said in a statement.

The expansion in Tamil Nadu is a part of Amazon India’s recently announced plans to add 10 new fulfilment centres and expand seven existing sites across India.

Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor to shoot in London for ‘Bell Bottom’ after Glasgow

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Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor to shoot in London for ‘Bell Bottom’ after Glasgow

Akshay Kumar and Vaani Kapoor have finished their Glasgow schedule for the upcoming film, Bell Bottom. They are now set to shoot in London.

Akshay posted an Instagram picture featuring his wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav, who are currently with him in the UK, along with the cast and crew of the film.

“So many happy faces in one frame…that’s the result of a good schedule. Goodbye Glasgow, hello London #BellBottom@_vaanikapoor_ @ranjitmtewari @jackkybhagnani @deepshikhadeshmukh @pooja_ent @emmayentertainment @onlyemmay@madhubhojwani @nikkhiladvani@aseemarora,” he wrote in the caption.

“Bell Bottom” is a spy thriller film directed by Ranjit M. Tewari, set in the 1980s. It also stars Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi and is slated for an April 2021 release.

Mehmood’s 88th birth anniversary: Johny Lever pens an emotional note

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Mehmood’s 88th birth anniversary: Johny Lever pens an emotional note

The legendary comedian Mehmood would have been 88 on Tuesday if he was still amongst us. Remembering the comedian par excellence on his birth anniversary, Johny Lever has penned a wish for him.

“Love you Bhaijaan! You will never be forgotten.. Happy Birthday #Mehmood Bhaijaan,” Johny tweeted.

Along with it,he posted a black and white picture of Mehmood bringing Charlie Chaplin alive on the screen, in the 1968 film, “Aulad”.

Fans, too, paid tributes to the iconic funnyman.

“Remembering #Mehmood Sir on his birth anniversary. He was a super talented person of our film Industry,” a user wrote on Twitter.

“Super star of his era. Remembering #Mehmood Sahab on his birth anniversary,” another one tweeted.

Mehmood was hailed as one of the kings of comedy in Bollywood of the fifties, sixties and the seventies. Among his numerous unforgettable performances are “Kunwara Baap”, “Padosan”, “Gumnaam”, “Pyar Kiye Jaa ” and “Bombay To Goa”. He breathed his last on July 23, 2004 in Pennsylvania.

Lack of social bonding triggers anxiety, heart ailments among urban Indians amid Covid: Bharti AXA Study

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Lack of social bonding triggers anxiety, heart ailments among urban Indians amid Covid: Bharti AXA Study

With the lack of social bonding and the lopsided work-life balance accentuating anxiety level among urban Indians in the confinement period and triggering heart disease risks, the number of cardiovascular ailment cases is expected to increase exponentially amid the pandemic.

In fact, the Covid-led restrictions have heightened stress and hypertension among urban people in the absence of social bonding and networking and underscored heart complications in the past few months.

These revelations are found in a study conducted by Bharti AXA General Insurance which attempted to gain a better understanding into the psyche of the urban Indian consumers during the lockdown and its subsequent period.

On the World Heart Day, which aims to create more awareness around this unnoticed phenomenon, the Bharti AXA Health and Wellness Study aims to alert that cardiovascular disease risks are faced with a double-edged threat in the time of Covid-19, when people are more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus and they are not doing enough to seek care for their heart and health.

“We are living in unprecedented times. The need to be conscious and wary of our physical health and well-being has never been more crucial than it is now. Evident through this study, stress can be an invisible but major contributor to heart disorders as it is a leading cause of cardiovascular ailments. At Bharti AXA General, we take pride in going the extra mile to understand the challenges and experiences that people face in terms of their health and financial safety during these anomalous times,” said Sanjeev Srinivasan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti AXA General Insurance.

As per an estimate by the World Health Organisation, with around 1.7 million deaths in 2016 being attributed to this dreaded ailment, heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in India. Lifestyle, diet, lack of sleep, weight, consumption of alcohol and unhealthy habits such as smoking are some of the immediate causes.

Similarly, according to a medical study, the risk of Indians contracting coronary heart disease is around 3 to 4 times higher than that of Americans, 6 times higher than the Chinese and 20 times higher than the Japanese.

The research study, which interacted with over 1,000 consumers aged over 18 years and above across multiple cities, revealed that older respondents seemed far more apprehensive about not being able to socialize. Almost 50 per cent of respondents above the age of 45 experienced anxiety due to not being able to meet friends or family members as compared to only 36 per cent of respondents between the age of 18 and 34.

A major finding with regard to individuals work-life balance, 40 per cent of respondents from Ahmedabad, 50 per cent of respondents from Jaipur and 36 per cent of respondents from Lucknow were keen about adhering to strict deadlines about starting and ending their work days as compared to 33 per cent of respondents from Delhi, 28 per cent of respondents from Bangalore and only 27 per cent of respondents from Mumbai. As many as 58 per cent of respondents from Mumbai and 52 per cent of respondents from Bangalore admitted that their working hours had increased due to no clear boundaries. Interestingly, a recent study noted that screen fatigue is causing strain epidemic among kids and work from home employees.

While comparing the focus on health among men and women, the study showed that 54 per cent of men responded that they have either started or are maintaining an exercise routine as compared to 50 per cent of women who claimed to be doing the same. About 41 per cent of men were focusing on maintaining relationships virtually as compared to 39 per cent of women. Women who were handling both home and office were experiencing higher fatigue (53 per cent) whereas men handling both these activities were claiming that they seem to have extra time for both work and home related chores (56 per cent).

Srinivasan pointed out that “World Heart Day is a reminder for organizations, communities and individuals to converse about increasing risks of heart ailments in the ongoing pandemic and wants us to be prudent in maintaining a healthy lifestyle amid growing challenges. This not only requires one to follow proper diets, get adequate sleep and avoid unhealthy habits but wants us to be cognizant of our mental health and lifestyle.”

Google plays tribute to late Zohra Sehgal

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Google plays tribute to late Zohra Sehgal

On Tuesday, Google dedicated a doodle to late actress Zohra Sehgal.

On September 29, 1946, the Chetan Anand classic “Neecha Nagar” had released at the Cannes Film Festival. Anand’s hardhitting social drama, featuring Sehgal in the cast, went on to become the first Indian film to gain recognition at Cannes, sharing the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (Best Film) award with 10 other films that had been entered at the festival.

Remembering Sehgal, the search engine has displayed a sketch of the actress in a classical dance pose.

Born Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan on April 27, 1912, in Saharanpur in then United Provinces, Sehgal was one of seven children of Mumtazullah Khan and Natiqua Begum. She entertained the audience for almost seven decades on screens big and small, and was also a professional dancer. Her tryst with dance began when she joined Uday Shankar in 1935. She would subsequently also teach dance in Almora, where she met dancer Kameshwar Sehgal and married him.

Popularly known as doyenne of Indian Theatre, Sehgal had worked with actors of almost all generations on stage and in films, including Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Govinda, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor.

Sehgal passed away at the age of 102 on July 10, 2014.

Will fight against farm laws on all fronts: Punjab CM

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Will fight against farm laws on all fronts: Punjab CM

Extending his government’s full support to the agitating farmers in these “dark and difficult times”, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday assured of all possible legal and other steps to fight what he called the “draconian” new farm laws.

Chairing a meeting with representatives of 31 farmers’ unions to elicit their views on the matter, the Chief Minister said he would discuss the issue with legal experts to finalise the government’s next steps, including challenging the farm laws in the Supreme Court.

Besides farmer representatives, AICC General Secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat attended the meeting, along with Cabinet Ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, legislator Rana Gurjit Singh, state Congress President Sunil Jakhar, and Advocate General Atul Nanda.

“We will take all possible steps to counter the Union government’s assault on the state’s federal and constitutional rights, and fight for the interests of the farmers,” Amarinder Singh assured the farmers’ representatives.

If the legal experts advised amendment(s) to the state laws to fight the central laws, a special session of the Vidhan Sabha would be immediately called for the purpose, he said.

The Chief Minister made it clear that his government had no qualms about convening an Assembly session if that was the best course in the circumstances.

However, he trashed SAD President Sukhbir Badal’s demand for a special Vidhan Sabha session as “cheap gimmickry” after their “active” support to the central laws for months.

He demanded to know where were the Akalis in the last session and why Sukhbir did not support other opposition parties at the all-party meeting on the matter.

Amarinder Singh slammed the Akalis for “pawning” farmers’ interests to the large corporates to promote their petty political interests, pointing out that SAD MLAs had chosen to stay away from the Vidhan Sabha session during which the resolution against the farm laws was passed.

It was clear, he said, that the Akalis, led by Sukhbir Badal, had been wholeheartedly supporting the farm ordinances throughout, and only backed out once their position in Punjab became untenable due to widespread angst among the farmers.

The battle would be fought on all fronts, the Chief Minister said, adding that besides the Congress signature campaign announced on Monday by AICC General Secretary Harish Rawat, all panchayats in Punjab would be requested to pass resolutions against the agricultural laws, and the same sent to the Union government.

Earlier, several farmer leaders urged the Chief Minister to challenge the central laws in court, and take whatever other steps were needed to protect the farmers, including blocking construction of the Adani Group’s silos in the state.

HealthifyMe aims to cross $20mn revenue run rate by Jan 2021

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HealthifyMe aims to cross $20mn revenue run rate by Jan 2021

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven health and fitness app HealthifyMe on Tuesday said it crossed $15 million revenue run rate in August and is on track to cross $20 million run rate by January next year, with nearly 20 per cent of its revenues coming from outside India.

The company said it has nearly doubled its active paid subscriber base since April to 1 lakh customers while its downloads have crossed 16 million on back of its AI-powered smart plans.

The Covid times have created tailwinds for the business as customers strive to eat healthier and get fitter to reduce the disease risk.

“We are able to offer world-class fitness and diet solutions to hundreds of thousands of customers globally at an affordable price point rendered by AI. On the consumer side, the demand for our subscriptions has also gone to an all-time high, as more and more people are looking to get fitter and eat right,” said Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder and CEO, HealthifyMe.

Most of HealthifyMe’s growth came from low-cost smart plans as well as its doctor-integrated ‘Coach Plus’ plans.

The company said it has also reduced its burn by half in six months.

Smart plans are diet and workout plans designed by AI assistant Ria and available at a fraction of the price of HealthifyMe’s flagship coach plans.

Smart plans are now contributing to 70 per cent of HealthifyMe’s over 1 lakh paid subscriber base, the company informed.

The company has over 700 employees and has raised $30 million so far from leading investors like Chiratae Ventures, Sistema, Inventus, Blume, Samsung, Atlas and DI.

Tokyo Olympic torch relay to begin from March 25, 2021 in Fukushima

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Tokyo Olympic torch relay to begin from March 25, 2021 in Fukushima

The Tokyo Olympic torch relay will start its journey on March 25, 2021 from the J-Village National Training Centre in Fukushima Prefecture and then traverse all 47 prefectures across Japan over a period of 121 days, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.

Originally scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 this year, the Tokyo Olympics was in March postponed to 2021 due to the outbreak of coronavirus. It is now set to be held from July 23 to August 8 next year.

The torch will reach Tokyo on July 9 in time for the flame to light the cauldron in the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremony of the Games on July 23. In principle, the route and the schedule of the relay will remain as originally planned, the IOC further said.

Those previously confirmed as Olympic torchbearers will be given preference to run in next year’s Relay, the Tokyo 2020 organisers have said. Around 10,000 torchbearers are set to take part in the event.

IOC also said that as 2021 will mark the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay will aim to showcase the recovery of the areas worst affected by the disaster, in line with the relay concept of ‘Hope Lights Our Way’.

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will additionally symbolise the light at the end of the current dark tunnel; a beacon of hope for the world in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games, themselves a symbol of the resilience, unity and solidarity of humankind, it added.

Elon Musk says he won’t get Covid vax when available

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Elon Musk says he won’t get Covid vax when available

Even as the world eagerly waits for a Covid-19 vaccine, tech billionaire Elon Musk has said that he would not take one when it becomes available.

In an interview on the New York Times’ podcast “Sway” published on Monday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO slammed the widespread restrictions imposed across the country to deal with the pandemic.

When podcast host Kara Swisher asked “Will you get a vaccine? What will you do with your own family?” Musk said, “No, I’m not at risk for COVID. Nor are my kids.”

He said that it was a huge mistake to impose sweeping lockdowns.

“I mean this is a hot button issue where rationality takes a back seat. In the grand scheme of things what we have is something with a very low mortality rate and high contagion,” he said.

“Essentially the right thing to do would be to not have done a lockdown for the whole country but to have anyone who is at risk quarantine until the storm passes,” he added.

Talking about the public response to the pandemic, Musk said that his faith in humanity diminished due to the “irrationality of people in general.”

Covid-19 has killed over one million people in the world so far, while the US is the worst hit country where over 200,000 people have died due to the pandemic.

Musk has been critical of harsh restrictions on the movement of people from the very beginning.

He himself has been working as normal. His company SpaceX even achieved a major milestone when it sent NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and back amid the pandemic.

Musk also defended the opening of a Tesla factory in California in defiance of the local lockdown rules.

Sona Mohapatra: The men in film land only stick to milk and biscuits?

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Sona Mohapatra: The men in film land only stick to milk and biscuits?

Singer Sona Mohapatra finds it strange that only actresses are being singled out as alleged drug users in Bollywood, while none of their male counterparts have come under the radar of suspicion.

On Monday, in a verified Facebook post, Sona also spoke about the benefits of CBD oil, of which she learnt during her sister’s cancer treatment last year.

Sona’s post comes at a time when Bollywood’s top actresses Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh are being grilled by the NCB, which is exploring the drugs-related angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Sona expressed that it feels “rather strange” that only a few female stars are under the scanner, as if the male actors “only stick to milk and biscuits”.

Her Facebook post reads: “The TV stories feel like a farce esp CBD oil and ganja and Whatapp chats being talked about with such fervour. I discovered what the former was when my sister went through multiple surgeries for cancer last year. Was told of how magical the healing and pain alleviating this could be for her recovery. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any easily in Mumbai. Cannabis has been the base of all Ayurveda till the British banned it I’ve learnt, thus taking away most of its efficacy. So conservatives & ‘custodians of culture’ should please note this.”

“All this drug discussion would mean something if they pursued the actual hard drug cartels and suppliers also. It is also rather strange that a list of women stars are in the limelight even here. Like the men in film land only stick to milk and biscuits? Having said this I don’t have copious tears flowing for any film star. The thing is, these stars are also paid big bucks by brands as ‘role models’ and so you can’t really have your cake and eat it too?”

“If you want to earn disproportionate amounts of money, you need to be ready to go under the people’s scanner too. Tiger Woods did lose Nike, when it was found that he wasn’t such a paean of family values after all. There are enough & more stars like Di Caprio etc who do not accept endorsements & choose to live life on their own terms. Say no to double standards please? & yes, dear India, actions do have consequences so best if you SAY NO TO DRUGS too.”

Sona on Monday also informed that actress Kangana Ranaut has blocked her on Twitter.

“And when I clicked to check what Adi was talking about cus I don’t really follow her.. discovered this!! Hilarious. Kangana wants to criticise everyone & everything but doesn’t know the world works on reciprocity? Have to know how to take it, if you keep dishing it out. #fairplay,” the singer tweeted from her verified account along with a screenshot which reads @KanganaTeam blocked you.

“Also, Kangana hasn’t ever stood up for anyone but her own self & hasn’t acknowledged anyone who has cheered her in any case. That’s not a change maker or even thought leader of any worth. Yes, she’s been brave to call out some of the industry’s ills. That’s all. Will call her bluff,” she wrote in another tweet.

Sona had recently taken a jibe at Kangana after the latter referred to actress Urmila Matondkar as a “soft porn star” and Sonam Kapoor as a “mafia bimbo”.

“Calling others Gold digger, mafia bimbo, Sasti copy, Soft porn star?!? Playing the messiah of the masses by using a tragic death is the worst act of opportunism. Doesn’t make you the pillar of virtue, justice or the flagbearer of “Hindu Cultural values”. Highlights the worst side,” Sona had tweeted taking a dig at Kangana.

Vijay Deverakonda teams up with Telugu hitmaker Sukumar, promises ‘memorable cinema’

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Vijay Deverakonda teams up with Telugu hitmaker Sukumar, promises ‘memorable cinema’

Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda looks forward to working with filmmaker Sukumar, and promises memorable cinema to the fans.

“Sukumar – Vijay Deverakonda. The actor in me is super excited. The audience in me is celebrating! We guarantee you memorable Cinema.. I can’t wait to be on set with Sukku sirrr,” the actor tweeted the announcement on Monday.

Fans are equally excited about Vijay collaborating with the director, known for films like “Arya”, “Jagadam” and “100% Love”.

“Long way to go Rowdy. Totally excited for ur next blockbuster,” a fan tweeted, referring to the actor as “Rowdy”, as he is fondly known to fans and friends.

Another user wrote: “That’s some combination. Looking forward.”

Vijay Deverakonda will be seen in the film “Fighter” opposite actress Ananya Panday.

Won’t be complacent, will focus on giving our best against SRH: Mishra

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Won’t be complacent, will focus on giving our best against SRH: Mishra

Experienced leg-spinner Amit Mishra believes pressure will be on the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) when they take on Delhi Capitals in their next Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter on Tuesday.

Capitals currently stand at the top of the points table, having won both their games while Hyderabad have lost their first two games and are yet to open their account in the tournament.

“Having lost the first two matches, there is always pressure on the team. However, it is just the start of the tournament so it won’t be that much. But we don’t talk about such things in our dressing room — we focus on ourselves,” Mishra said while speaking to the media at a virtual press conference on Monday.

“We have a good rhythm to our game and are high on confidence. It doesn’t mean we are complacent. We are fully focused on our planning and giving our best tomorrow on the field. Certainly won’t be taking them lightly.”

Amid talks of Kane Williamson returning to the line-up for the opponents on Tuesday, Mishra said his team will be prepared to tackle that challenge as well. “There is always planning involved for the whole team. Like I said, we don’t take anyone lightly — we have our plans in place for bowlers and batsmen — and it will be similar for him (Williamson) as well,” expressed the 37-year-old.

Mishra, who is IPL’s second highest wicket-taker with 157 wickets in 148 matches, made his first appearance of the season last Friday against Chennai Super Kings and produced a wily performance to put his team into a commanding position with economical figures of 0-23 off his four overs.

Tuesday’s match will also be the first time the Shreyas Iyer-led side steps foot onto the Abu Dhabi stadium and Mishra believes they might get a slower wicket as compared to Dubai. “I think the pitch there might support batting. From what we’ve seen, it is a bit slow and that means batsmen get time to play their shots. The batsmen do have a slight advantage so bowlers will need to plan well, and we will certainly do that as well.”

Commenting on head coach Ricky Ponting’s man-management qualities and what has impressed him the most, the spin veteran said, “I think the fact that he’s played so much cricket at the top level means he knows about the mentality of each individual. He knows how to talk to people and what to say at what moment. He ends up boosting the confidence of all the players and is always positive only.”

The leg-spinner was also asked to comment on Iyer’s captaincy, to which he said, “I find him to be a very positive character. The best thing for me is the fact that he gives freedom to his bowlers to choose their fields and set up their plans. He backs you all the time and I’m sure he will keep on growing as a captain.”

Drugs valued at Rs 25 cr seized in Assam, one held

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Drugs valued at Rs 25 cr seized in Assam, one held

A huge quantity of drugs, valued at Rs 25 crore, was seized in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Sunday night and one person arrested, police said on Monday.

Assam’s Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said in a tweet: “The market value of the 5.05 KG of heroin recovered is said to be Rs 25 Crores ! One Ismail Ali, S/o Akabor Ali under Jogighopa PS has been taken into custody. This operation is part of an ongoing drive against drugs declared by DGP Assam on 26 Jun’20.”

In another tweet, the police chief said: “The war on drugs is on and the Assam Police just delivered the biggest blow yet to the drug mafias! The Karbi Anglong police last night (Sunday night) seized a whopping 5 KGs of quality Heroin at Assam-Nagaland border. Kudos to the team!”

Meanwhile, the Assam police on Friday night intercepted a Guwahati-bound truck coming from Manipur at a checkpost on the Dimapur-Manja road and recovered drugs including brown sugar, heroin and Yaba (Methamphetamine) tablets valued at Rs 5 crore from the vehicle in the same Karbi Anglong district and arrested three people.

The drugs, which were in 143 packets, are suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar through Manipur, which shares around 400 km of unfenced border with the neighbouring country.

On Saturday, Assam Rifles had intercepted 670 grams of heroin and 1,24,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs 6.4 crores near Moltuk in Chandel district in southern Manipur.

Smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband is taking place frequently in the northeastern region across the borders specially from Myanmar. Four northeastern states – Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) – share 1,643-km of unfenced border with Myanmar.
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DMK, allies protest against farm laws

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DMK, allies protest against farm laws

Opposition parties led by DMK on Monday held protests in Tamil Nadu against the three agriculture-related laws and urged the central government to scrap the same.

The Bills were passed by Parliament, following which President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on September 24. The central government notified these in the gazette on Sunday.

Leading the protest in Kancheepuram, DMK President MK Stalin said the farm laws were opposed by farmers in states like Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Rajasthan.

The protest was also held to condemn the AIADMK government for supporting the Bills in Parliament and outside, he added.

Leaders of DMK-led allies agitated in other parts of the southern state.

In a separate statement, Stalin condemned the permission given by the central government to hold field trials of genetically modified BT brinjal in eight states, including Tamil Nadu.

Stalin urged the state government to deny permission and also demanded the Union government to cancel it.

The DMK leader also demanded that Tamil Nadu increase the procurement price of paddy to Rs 3,000 per quintal.

Apple to launch iPhone 12 in S Korea earlier than usual

TB Team
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Apple to launch iPhone 12 in S Korea earlier than usual

Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 12 series in South Korea earlier than its usual schedule, sources said on Monday.

According to officials at local telecom operators, they are preparing to sell the iPhone 12 in late October or early November.

Apple has yet to confirm the release date of its latest smartphone. But foreign tech reviewers predicted that the iPhone 12 could be unveiled on October 13 and go on sale on October 23 in select markets.

Usually, Apple has been releasing its new smartphones in South Korea about one month after it launched the first batch of products in select countries, reports Yonhap news agency.

For instance, the iPhone 11 hit local shelves on October 25 last year after the smartphone went on sale in the United States and other countries on Septomber 20.

Industry insiders said Apple is apparently looking to release its first 5G-supporting iPhone family in South Korea early since the country already offers various 5G services.

Apple is expected to release four models of the iPhone 12 — the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Recently, it was revealed that the upcoming iPhone 12 could cost somewhere between $699 to $749 while the iPhone 12 Max could be priced around $799-849. The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to be priced between $1,100 to $1,200.

Heart disease in teenagers linked to diabetes exposure in womb

TB Team
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Heart disease in teenagers linked to diabetes exposure in womb

In a major study, researchers have revealed that heart disease in young adults and teenagers may be related to exposure to diabetes in the womb.

A study of young adults and teenagers in Canada, whose mothers had diabetes during their pregnancies found the offspring had a 50 per cent to 200 per cent higher risk of developing heart disease before age 35 than those who were not exposed in the womb.

“These observations support our hypothesis that cardiovascular disease morbidity in adolescence and early adulthood is related to exposure to maternal diabetes in utero,” said Jonathan McGavock from the University of Manitoba in Canada.

For the study, published in the journal CMAJ, the research team looked at data on more than 290,000 children born to almost 190,000 mothers in Manitoba between 1979 and 2005.

Of the total children, 2.8 per cent were exposed to gestational diabetes and 1.1 per cent to pre-existing type 2 diabetes.

Exposure to both types of diabetes became more common during the study period, a trend seen elsewhere in the world.

The three most frequent diagnoses among offspring exposed to diabetes were high blood pressure (8,713 people), type 2 diabetes (3,568 people) and ischemic heart disease (715).

“We found that children born to mothers with diabetes in pregnancy were 30 per cent-80 per cent more likely to develop a heart condition and 2.0 to 3.4 times more likely to develop a heart disease risk factor than children born to mothers without diabetes in pregnancy,” McGavock said.

Furthermore, heart conditions and risk factors were diagnosed 2 years earlier in the children exposed to diabetes in the womb.

The authors suggest these findings may be useful for preventive health practices.

“Screening children with in utero exposure to diabetes for cardiovascular disease risk factors might help to evaluate the future burden related to cardiovascular disease in the population,” the authors concluded.

Football Delhi to launch virtual skill competition

TB Team
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Football Delhi to launch virtual skill competition

Football Delhi has decided to start a virtual skill competition for various age groups from next month.

In its Executive Committee meeting held on Sunday, Football Delhi also decided to launch e-football competitions for schools, youth and e-football league to further engage with youth and the football community through popular e-football games.

It was also decided to tentatively schedule the start of new season league activities from December 20 depending upon the Covid-19 situation. The executive committee unanimously agreed that it would abide by the government guidelines and SOPs regarding Covid-19 during the organisation of all football activities.

Shaji Prabhakaran, President of Football Delhi, said: “In this pandemic situation, organising virtual skill competition and e-football competitions means we will be able to provide encouraging competitive opportunities in football through virtual platforms to our youth who are missing in pitch actions for more than the last six months.”

“E-football is one of the fastest growing sports globally and we are the first football association in India to integrate e-sports in our system last year. Our e-football competitions will help talented e-football players with further exposure and opportunities to grow in the game.”

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