Apple ‘deserves scrutiny’ over App Store rules: Facebook CEO

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Apple ‘deserves scrutiny’ over App Store rules: Facebook CEO

In a sign of growing uneasiness with Apple’s rules related to the App Store, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the iPhone maker needs to be scrutinised.

In an interview with Axios on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said that people should be looking into the “unilateral control” that Apple has over “what gets on phones, in terms of apps.”

He, however, fell short of saying that it is a government agency that should investigate Apple in relation to its App Store rules.

Facebook recently acknowledged that Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 may lead to over 50 per cent decline in its Audience Network advertising business.

Following this, Apple last week said it will postpone the full enforcement of privacy practices in iOS 14 software release.

The feature would require app developers to request users’ permission to track them across apps for advertising purposes.

“We are committed to ensuring users can choose whether or not they allow an app to track them,” Apple said in a statement on its developer website.

“To give developers time to make necessary changes, apps will be required to obtain permission to track users starting early next year,” it added.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple in July appeared before a US Congress panel that looked into these companies’ market domination online.

IPL: Present RCB side looks most balanced since 2016: Captain Kohli

Telugu Bullet
-
0
IPL: Present RCB side looks most balanced since 2016: Captain Kohli

Skipper Virat Kohli feels the current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team is the ‘most balanced’ since IPL 2016 when they reached the final, only to lose to SunRisers Hyderabad.

“We’ve got a great balance of experience, the skill required for T20 cricket and the youngsters in the team who are eager to take up the responsibility and look forward to opportunities that we’re going to provide them. It’s an exciting time,” Kohli told RCB TV.

“As I said, that 2016 season which we’ve all loved to be a part of…it was such a memorable season. Since then, to be honest, this is the most balanced I’ve felt about the squad, as a system where we’re heading. It’s been very well taken care of now; it’s up to us to execute those things on the field.”

RCB are yet to win an IPL trophy. They reached the finals thrice, but ended up on the losing side on all occasions.

Kohli said that the set-up would “disconnect with things that happened in the past” and look to move forward.

“It’s about disconnecting with things that have happened in the past and not taking that baggage. We’ve done that way too many times. Just because we have a bunch of players who are so skilled and people like seeing them play, that’s why people have had expectations. We’re not going to think of ‘what ifs’; we know what we can do. We’re very keen and hungry to do it.”

Kohli also spoke on South African batting star AB de Villiers, saying he has looked calmer than ever. “We’ve never felt so calm going into a season before. He (de Villiers) is coming from a very different space, he’s been enjoying his life, is relaxed. He came out to play and is looking like playing in 2011 still – he’s as fit as ever.”

Uganda to resume international flights from Oct 1

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Uganda to resume international flights from Oct 1

Uganda will resume international flights from October 1, about six months after the government closed airports in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, an aviation spokesperson said here on Wednesday.

Vianney Luggya, the communications officer of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, told Xinhua that the authority has released the tentative schedule for the resumption of international passenger flights to Entebbe International airport, about 40 km south of the capital, Kampala.

Ayub Sooma, the aviation authority’s director for airports and aviation security, on Tuesday sent the schedule for phase one of passenger flights to Entebbe International airport to various international airlines.

The schedule is effective October 1 and will be in operation for the next three months.

“This is a tentative schedule for planning purposes. It is part of an ongoing internal discussion between the airport authority and air operators,” said Luggya.

President Yoweri Museveni last week instructed the national taskforce team on Covid-19 to review the possibility of a phased reopening of the country’s international airport, schools and places of worship as the country eases lockdown restrictions.

Secondhand smoke sends more kids to the hospital: Study

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Secondhand smoke sends more kids to the hospital: Study

Children who are exposed to tobacco have higher rates of hospital admissions after visiting emergency departments or urgent care facilities, warn researchers.

The study, published in the journal Pediatric Research, found that tobacco smoke exposure also increased the risk of pediatric patients having respiratory-related procedures performed while in the emergency department, as well as medications prescribed.

“We know that exposure to secondhand smoke is related to substantial morbidity in children,” said study author Ashley Merianos from the University of Cincinnati in the US.

“Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to have more infectious diagnostic, lab and radiologic tests during their emergency visit than children who are unexposed,” she explained.

The study compared 380 children exposed to tobacco smoke with 1,140 children not exposed, matching the children in regards to age, sex, race and ethnicity.

Kids exposed to tobacco smoke were 24 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than unexposed children, which Merianos says emphasizes that possible tobacco smoke exposure may contribute to related illness severity.

According to the researchers, children in the exposed group were also nearly eight times more likely to have suctioning performed with a BBG nasal aspirator and over seven times more likely to receive steroids during their visit.

Of children in both groups with asthma, kids exposed to tobacco smoke were 27 times more likely to receive steroids during their emergency department visit and over 15 times more likely to receive albuterol, a bronchodilator used to treat asthma attacks.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke were also at increased odds of having laboratory tests (5.72 times ordered), and radiologic tests (4.73 times), as well as various infectious diagnostic tests (2.68 times).

The findings showed that children who were ages one or younger had the highest levels of exposure to tobacco smoke, likely due to their inability to leave environments in which tobacco is being smoked, explained Merianos.

“Standardized tobacco control initiatives may help overburdened health care facilities by decreasing resource utilization attributed to tobacco smoke exposure,” the study authors wrote.

“Targeting children with potential tobacco smoke exposure-related chief complaints (e.g., cough) and illnesses (e.g., asthma) may also help to reduce related morbidity and potentially preventable future health care visits,” the team noted.

India On Track partners with Portuguese FC GD Estoril Praia

Telugu Bullet
-
0
India On Track partners with Portuguese FC GD Estoril Praia

India On Track, in association with Portuguese football club GD Estoril Praia, has established International Football Development (IFD) program, a training module to provide opportunities for participation and individual development in Europe to young aspiring footballers in India.

The high-end academy based in Lisbon offers a coaching curriculum focusing on all round technical, tactical and physical aspects of a player’s development.

IOT strives to enroll highly motivated male and female footballers who share a common goal – to obtain a premier education and elite football training through a robust and competitive program.

The IFD program achieves success through an intense training and competition schedule. Its superb sport performance facility guarantees student-athletes have the opportunity to develop throughout the entire calendar year.

“As a sports management company, it has been our endeavour to orchestrate the best global strategic partnerships in sports that not only benefits individuals, but also the sporting ecosystem in India. Through the current program, we are planning to build a development model that integrates a strong football curriculum at one of the best youth football clubs in Europe, including state-of-the-art training ground, equipment, well maintained facilities under the guidance of Pro UEFA qualified coaches to develop the highest potential in every player “said Vivek Sethia, CEO India On Track.

The program is headed by Hugo Leal, a reputed Portuguese international player who also spearheads the youth development program at Estoril. A former international player, Hugo has played for clubs such as Porto, PSG and Benfica apart from his home club Estoril.

“I am privileged to be spearheading this amazing program which focusses at providing a very robust training curriculum to young football aspirants from India,” said Leal.

“The program has been running very successfully so far and we have kids from USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Asia including India. We have had one Indian player, Jay gupta who has now graduated to the Estoril B team,” he added.

Rehearsal held for Monsoon Session in Rajya Sabha

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Rehearsal held for Monsoon Session in Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and his staff on Wednesday held a rehearsal ahead of the Monsoon Session with many first-time measures amid restrictions in place to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The session begins from September 14 and ends on October 1.

Naidu held the rehearsal in the Rajya Sabha chamber for the two hundred and fifty second Monsoon Session of the House and also administered the oath to the YSR Congress party leader Parimal Nathwani.

Nathwani was re-elected for a third-term as a member of the Rajya Sabha after he secured victory in the biennial election from Andhra Pradesh. Nathwani was elected to the Rajya Sabha in May 2008 for his first term and in April 2014 for his second term.

Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Desh Deepak Verma and other senior officers of the Upper House Secretariat were also present during the occasion.

With the Monsoon session of Parliament set to be convened from Monday on a fully physical model, the Rajya Sabha will have additional installations such as large display screens, audio consoles in the galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables connecting the two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signal inside the chamber and in the galleries.

The Rajya Sabha will be convening along with the Lok Sabha for Monsoon Session from September 14.

While the Lok Sabha will sit from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., except on day one from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Rajya Sabha will hold its session at a different time.

The two Houses will have staggered sitting because of Covid-19 safety guidelines. Both the Houses of the Parliament will have 18 consecutive sittings each with no weekend break or holiday in the middle. Both the Houses will convene every day for four hours each.

Anurag Kashyap on why he did not work with ‘problematic’ SSR

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Anurag Kashyap on why he did not work with ‘problematic’ SSR

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has confessed about not wanting to work with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, saying he had his own reasons.

Anurag shared WhatsApp chats with Sushant’s manager on Twitter to explain why he didn’t want to work with the late actor. The chat he had with the late actor’s manager is dated May 22 and June 14.

“I am sorry that I am doing this but this chat is from three weeks before he passed away. Chat with his manager on 22 May.. havent don’t it so far but feel the need now.. yes I didn’t want to work with him for my own reasons (sic),” he wrote while sharing a screenshot.

The chat has Sushant’s manager requesting him to cast the actor in his next project.

“I know u don’t like people pitching actors… I feel I can take that chance with u.. please keep sushant singh Rajput in mind if u feel he fits in anywhere with u. As an audience ok i’d love to see you two create something great,” the message from the manager read.

To this, Anurag replied: “He is too problematic man. I have known him from before he started out and got him his film Kai Po Che.”

Anurag then went on to share the conversation he had with Sushant’s manager on June 14, when the actor died.

“Also My conversation with his manager on June 14th. It will show you things if you want to see. It feels horrible to do this but can’t keep it back.. and for those as well who think we didn’t care for the family. As honest as I can be.. judge me all you want,” the filmmaker tweeted.

In the screenshot, the manager’s message, in reference to the problem between the filmmaker and the actor, reads: “I never shared ur feedback and he never asked me what happened..”

Anurag’s response read: “Yeah I walked away from (Ranveer Singh) because Mukesh told me Sushant wanted to do my film.. Then Sushant ghosted me� And I shelved the film.”

To this, the manager replies that Sushant had “tremendous respect” for him and “Gattu”, referring to director Abhishek Kapoor.

“We were always honest. That’s why I was upset. And I know (Mukesh) had something to do with it. So l just stayed away from the two. I just feel maybe I should have talked to him once instead of holding on to that grudge. Just feel so sh*t,” Anurag replied.

Following which the manager said: “This lockdown and helplessness to start working again did make matters worse I also think. Don’t be hard on yourself… I swear he held you right up there for your honestly (sic) and ur own term of leading ur own life. Maybe he rest in peace.”

Anurag also asked about the actor’s family, and on being informed that he has sisters, he asked whether they are younger or older and married.

“It must be so hard on them,” he wrote.

Anurag goes on to explain Bollywood’s support for Rhea Chakraborty following her arrest.

“Everybody baying for Rhea’s blood, asking questions like how did you know she didn’t do this or that to him? How do you what was he going through? Are forgetting that the whole industry has actually known and seen and interacted with SSR over last 9-10 years. Yes we know better,” he wrote.

“And that is also the reason the whole industry has been quiet so far out of respect for him. And now it is that very knowledge of SSR that has again brought everyone out here together to stand in solidarity for Rhea because it’s gone too far,” he added.

Bihar’s people won’t opt for lantern, it’s LED now: Minister

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Bihar’s people won’t opt for lantern, it’s LED now: Minister

Taking a dig at the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bihar’s Labour Resource Development Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said on Wednesday that the people of Bihar won’t return to the lantern (RJD poll symbol) period as LED bulbs were in use now.

On Wednesday, RJD leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav announced support to self-help groups and unemployed persons who had called for lighting of lamps, candles, and lanterns for nine minutes at 9 p.m. on Wednesday to register their protest against privatisation and “acute joblessness” in Bihar. “Our party supports this campaign. Today, the biggest issue in the country is unemployment,” Tejashwi said.

The Minister retorted: “In the last 15 years under the National Democratic Alliance government, the people of Bihar have covered a long distance on the developmental path. It is not a lantern period any more. Now, electricity has reached every house in urban and rural areas of Bihar. It is now the phase of LED. No one wants to return to that phase.”

“LED is offering long guarantee of 2 to 5 years and the chance of fused bulb is minimum, while the lantern can go off anytime. It has no guarantee,” said Sinha, a senior BJP leader.

As for migration of youths outside the state, Sinha pointed out that anyone getting a better job opportunity and money would definitely go to other places and no one could stop him or her.

“Many workers migrated from Bihar long ago. They now own houses in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. They came back to Bihar in coronavirus pandemic and will return to their places of stay in the unlock period. How can the Bihar government stop such people and ask they to stay back?” Sinha asked.

“Bihar is offering one crore jobs while only 24 lakh natives returned to Bihar during the lockdown. If we provide one crore jobs, resettling another 24 lakh persons is not a big deal. It is a propaganda created by the opposition to create chaos in Bihar. The ground reality is different from the claim made by RJD leaders,” Sinha said.

How cryptocurrencies are making it more secure to play online casino in India than ever before

Telugu Bullet
-
0
How cryptocurrencies are making it more secure to play online casino in India than ever before

The online casino games industry has gained immense popularity in India the recent decade. However, Indian players are finding it difficult to use online casinos at will, due to difficulties when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals. 

In the past, e-wallets and bank transfers have been used as a medium of transaction in the online casino industry, but now there are other, better and more anonymous ways to deposit money to an online casino in India.

One of the most popular up-and-coming gambling payment methods in India is cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency is an intangible digital currency stored in an online wallet or a hardware wallet and is coded and protected by a series of algorithms. It uses cryptography making it impossible to tamper with.

Advantages of using Cryptocurrency in Online Casinos:

Anonymity

There are a lot of people who are not comfortable giving out personal details such as bank account details to online casinos. This is totally understandable. Fortunately, cryptocurrency provides a solution to this issue.

Using cryptocurrencies gives you complete anonymity. Furthermore, your bank and the government won’t know where your money is going. So if you are someone who values personal privacy, then depositing with cryptocurrency is definitely a good path for you.

Security

Cryptocurrencies are protected by high-level mathematical coding and security thereby making it almost impossible to hack or tamper with.

This is particularly amazing for online casino players as they are sure to receive their profits with equal opportunities and also do good to casinos as the casinos are protected from players’ fraud! 

Accepted Worldwide

When you’re using cryptocurrencies to play casino online there is absolutely no involvement of any single bank or government agency which makes it a universal payment system.

So basically, the country you reside in will no more make a difference in the accessibility and functionality of an online casino.

Decentralization

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and others are decentralized which means that they have no connections with banks or the government.

Using cryptocurrencies, your account can neither be blocked nor frozen at any point. All your funds come and go through a crypto wallet and the best part is that nobody is even watching!

Transaction fees

When you use conventional modes of payment while playing online casino games, there is a good amount of fees that are taken by the carrier of the payment.

When you use cryptocurrencies, the transaction fees are very low and you get to keep more of the money that wins when compared to a conventional mode of transaction.

Accessibility

You may believe that using cryptocurrency is complicated or expensive for regular people – but that could not be further from the truth. In fact, cryptocurrencies are available to anyone.

There are 2 popular methods you can use to purchase cryptocurrency and start making secure and anonymous deposits to your favorite online casino:

The first is to buy it online from a crypto exchange. You can purchase by either making a bank transfer to the crypto exchange or use a debit or credit card. You can find both international as well as Indian crypto exchanges.

Alternatively, you can buy cryptocurrency from an individual: you can meet the person at a convenient location and exchange cash rupees for cryptocurrency. The seller will usually bring along a laptop in order to perform the transaction securely in front of your eyes.

Conclusion

So as you can see, getting started using cryptocurrency and using it to deposit at an online casino is easy and possible for anyone!

Parimal Nathwani takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP for third term

TB Team
-
0
Parimal Nathwani takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP for third term

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday administers the oath to Parimal Nathwani who was re-elected for a third term as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Nathwani of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party was re-elected as a member of Rajya Sabha in the biennial election from Andhra Pradesh.

Nathwani was elected to Rajya Sabha in May 2008 for his first term and in April 2014 for his second term.

Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Desh Deepak Verma and other senior officers of the Upper House Secretariat were also present on the occasion.

IPL 2020: BCCI appoint VPS Healthcare as medical partner

TB Team
-
0
IPL 2020: BCCI appoint VPS Healthcare as medical partner

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed UAE-based VPS Healthcare as the medical partner for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) slated to begin from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates.

The healthcare group — headed by Shamsheer Vayalil, son in law of Lulu Supermarket founder M.A. Yusuf Ali — will be responsible for ensuring end-to-end medical solutions for the tournament.

As per the agreement, VPS Healthcare will be supporting IPL by providing emergency medical support, musculoskeletal imaging services, sports medicine services, medical admissions and treatment, and ambulance support, including air ambulance services.

VPS Healthcare is also the official testing partner of the cash-rich T20 league and had begun testing since the arrival of the teams in the UAE. The group is also facilitating the operation and management of the exclusive Covid-19 isolation centers for IPL in coordination with the health regulatory authorities.

With this, the UAE-based healthcare group will be covering the medical side of the tournament as a whole.

Shajir Gaffar, CEO of VPS Healthcare (Dubai & Northern Emirates) said they are ready and well-poised to serve the IPL.

“We realize the gravitas of the responsibility on us and the challenge of defending a raging virus. But we are fully equipped, and the team is confident and committed to delivering our services efficiently and seamlessly.”

Since its inception in 2007, VPS Healthcare has grown to become one of the largest healthcare groups owning and managing 23 hospitals, 125 medical centers, and retail pharmacy networks.

Ayodhya airport to be named after Lord Ram

TB Team
-
0
Ayodhya airport to be named after Lord Ram

The airport in Ayodhya will be named after Lord Ram and will now have an international status.

According to official sources, the Yogi Adityanath government has set the December 2021 deadline for completion of the airport.

“The government believes that there will be huge tourist traffic — both domestic and international — in Ayodhya when the construction of grand Ram temple is completed. The airport will further facilitate this,” said an official spokesman.

The spokesman said that a proposal for granting international status to the airport will soon be prepared and forwarded to the concerned authorities.

Sources said that a survey for the landing of larger aircraft has already been done in May.

“The Yogi government has approved a sum of Rs 525 crore for the airport construction and a sum of Rs 300 crore has already been spent. The process of acquiring more land for the project is underway,” said Uttar Pradesh minister for Civil Aviation Nand Gopal Nandi.

Rijiju urges WADA chief to expedite process to lift suspension of NDTL’s accreditation

TB Team
-
0
Rijiju urges WADA chief to expedite process to lift suspension of NDTL’s accreditation

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has reiterated India’s commitment towards promoting clean sport during his recent online meeting with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka.

“For years I have worked towards promoting clean sport and now as sports minister of India, that commitment has only grown stronger. I am happy to inform you that clean sport is a focus area for my ministry and we are committed to cooperating with WADA to ensure clean sport is achieved globally,” said Rijiju on Tuesday.

While discussing a plethora of issues, the Sports Minister also spoke on the readiness of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) to conduct tests as per WADA guidelines.

“I have been informed that NDTL has submitted all the 47 corrective action reports to WADA as per timelines defined by WADA and also sent a compliance report on the 13 decision points conveyed by the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee.”

“With this, NDTL now stands fully compliant with all requirements of WADA and the international standard of laboratories. I would request you to expedite the process and organize to lift the suspension of NDTL’s WADA accreditation.” WADA accreditation of NDTL has been under suspension since August 20 last year.

The Sports Minister also invited the WADA team for an on-site visit of NDTL. “Once international travel is allowed, I would request a WADA team to visit NDTL and check if all upgradations are as per the satisfaction of WADA. If anything else needs amendments, we will do so,” he said.

Inviting the WADA President for an India visit, Rijiju also offered to extend support to WADA in terms of greater financial contribution as well as manpower resources.

“We are good at scientific research and I feel that the presence of Indian representatives in your various committees will be beneficial. On behalf of my government I would like to assure you that as a member nation, India is willing to extend all support.”

Modi’s massive pro-poor push amid 3 cautions for Covid-19

TB Team
-
0
Modi’s massive pro-poor push amid 3 cautions for Covid-19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned Madhya Pradesh street vendors, who are starting afresh battling the pandemic induced crisis to follow three mantras – wearing masks, cleanliness, and social distancing.

“Now when you are starting your business afresh, you have to take some precautions. Until the corona vaccine arrives, you have to take full care of yourself and your customers’ safety. Masks, cleanliness, do gaaj ki doori – all these have to be adopted,” cautioned the Prime Minister today as he virtually addressed scores of Street vendors of Madhya Pradesh who availed the centre’s PM-SVA Nidhi scheme.

Prime Minister spoke to three select beneficiaries through video conferencing. While speaking to one vegetable seller, he asked whether they are organic and if they are, whether his buyers are aware of it. He also spoke to a tikki seller who runs a stall by the name of ‘Sharma Tikki seller’.

Taking a subtle dig at his predecessors, Modi claimed that there has been a lot of talk of the poor in our country, but the work done for the poor in the last six years has never been done before.

“Every area, every sector where the poor-victims-exploited-deprived, were in need, the government’s plans came as its backing,” remarked the Prime Minister.

Making a strong push for the centre’s pro-poor agenda, Prime Minister said that street vendors now have Ujjwala for gas connection, an electricity connection, connected with Ayushman Bharat scheme and are getting the benefit of the insurance scheme. He also said that now they have a roof of their own.

He was speaking beneficiaries of the Centre’s SVANidhi yojana in MP, which the PM said, has benefited over 1 lakh street vendors in 2 months.

“Our poor friends and street vendors heavily felt the crisis. Therefore, since the first day of the Corona crisis, it has been the endeavour of the government to overcome the crisis of the poor,” PM Modi said.

The Centre had launched PM SVANidhi scheme on 1st June, 2020 to help poor street vendors, impacted by Covid-19, resume livelihood activities.

73% Indian SMBs confident of bouncing back post Covid: Report

TB Team
-
0
73% Indian SMBs confident of bouncing back post Covid: Report

Over 73 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India are confident that they will survive and bounce back post-COVID-19, said a new report on Wednesday.

The “HP Asia SMB Report 2020” showed that Indian SMBs are more confident than their Asian peers in bouncing back after the pandemic as the regional average stood at 60 percent.

This confidence is reflected in the fact that almost two-thirds of respondents from India believe that this period presents a good opportunity to reformulate the business strategy.

Half of the respondents believe that the pandemic will ultimately bring opportunity but in the longer term.

More importantly, SMBs in India recognize the importance of going digital to revive their businesses.

Three-quarters of the surveyed businesses believe that digital adoption is essential or very important to their success, said the report.

“SMBs are critical to our economy as they contribute nearly a third of our GDP and generate employment for millions. The ongoing pandemic has impacted SMBs as much as any other segment,” Ketan Patel, Managing Director, HP India Market, said in a statement.

“But the agility and flexibility in their operations, coupled with the adaptability to changing business environments and customer needs means they can bounce back far more quickly.”

Indian SMBs have also recognized four key aspects that will help them best to bounce back – using online tools, flexible work options, advice on strategy, and innovation at work.

The research showed that growth correlates with how a company values digital adoption for its success.

Of SMBs that reported good business growth in the past year, 56 percent see digital as a lever for success, with only 14 percent considering it of low importance.

“A key finding from the research is that the more a company values digital transformation, the more positive they are about future growth, and nowhere in Asia is this reflected as strongly as in India,” Patel said.

The survey also touched upon key challenges that Indian SMBs have identified as roadblocks on the road to recovery.

While global instability tops the list of concerns, it is less pronounced in India than the rest of the Asian countries surveyed.

Other challenges include adequate cash flow, accessing finance, and leveraging digital tools.

For the study, 1,600 SMBs completed the survey between May 26 and June 7, which comprised 200 interviews in each of the markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

2017 WC revolutionised women’s cricket in India, says Jhulan

TB Team
-
0
2017 WC revolutionised women’s cricket in India, says Jhulan

Veteran Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami believes a full-fledged women’s Indian Premier League will be a big achievement for the country as young players would be able to share the dressing room with top-notch Indian and international talent.

In a recent conversation with SportsTiger’s show ‘Off-the-Field’, Jhulan said: “As far as IPL is concerned, we do wish for the full-fledged tournament should start and we are all waiting for that. Women’s IPL will be a big achievement for the country and for young cricketers as they are going to share the dressing room with top-notch Indian and international talent.”

The Indian fast bowling legend, now aged 37, has 225 ODI wickets to her name. She believes that age is just a number and what matters the most is the passion for the sport.

“As a professional athlete, you never think about age. You just go on with your passion, hard work and love for the game. You just want to be on the ground as much as possible and that is the most satisfying factor for any athlete. And I am just enjoying myself.”

India reached the Women’s World Cup final in 2017 and Goswami was a key member of the team but it was a case of ‘so near yet so far’ for the Women in Blue as they fell short by nine runs in the summit clash against England at the iconic Lord’s.

Reminiscing her memories from the journey in the tournament, she said, “It was a huge achievement to play in front of a full house at Lords in the final. We started the world cup on a high note.

“It was an absolute team effort from the very beginning. Whether you speak about Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Ekta Bisht, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey or Rajeshwari Gayakwad, everyone had contributed. As a team, we believed and performed.”

“We reached the finals and it was the only last 10 overs where we lost the match. For the 90 overs we had dominated the match and it was only the last 10 overs of England’s bowling where we couldn’t handle the pressure. It is a pain but we have to move on.

“But the 2017 World Cup, irrespective of everything, was the year of revolution for women’s cricket in our country. I think momentum which was required for women’s cricket was set up by us. If you look at our team’s performance in the last three years, we have been very consistent and only lost in the final whether it is ODI or T20I,” she added.

I want to be world’s strongest man now, says powerlifter Gaurav

TB Team
-
0
I want to be world’s strongest man now, says powerlifter Gaurav

Veteran powerlifter Gaurav Sharma on Wednesday said that he is gearing up for the world’s strongest man competition, starting from November 11 in Florida.

The event, which was originally scheduled to take place May 20 to 24, was postponed due to the coronavirus scare. The qualifying rounds will now take place from November 11 to 12 while the finals will be held on November 14 to 15.

Speaking to IANS, former World champion Gaurav said that he is leaving no stone unturned to make India proud in Florida.

“I am rigorously following my training under my coach Bhupinder Dhawan sir. I was supposed to go in May but after the event got postponed, I got more time to work on my strength.”

“During the time of lockdown, I used to pick up the motorcycle, push heavy cars in parking. I have worked very hard for this competition,” said the 6.3ft giant, weighing 163kg.

Gaurav, who is also a ‘mahant’ (priest) in a temple in Chandni Chowk, was last year conferred with the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award in London.

The powerlifter further said he wants to promote the sport in India. “I want to increase the popularity of powerlifting in India. Our country has a lot of potential in this sport and we have a host of Indian powerlifters who has won accolades at the international level,” he added.

“Apart from training I also guide youngsters at my gym. I still want to compete for a few more years. But after I retire, I will devote myself to coaching to further popularise this sport all over India.”

Gaurav, who took up powerlifting at the age of 17, is a giant of the sport. He had won two gold medals at the European Championships last year. He had also set a new world record with a lift of 242 kilograms.

“For any athlete it is an honor to represent India and when the tricolor goes high, you can’t express that feeling,” Gaurav said.

The Delhi athlete also clinched two gold medals at the 2016 World Powerlifting Championships in England. In 2007, he won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Championships in New Zealand.

Initially starting out as a weightlifter, Gaurav later switched to powerlifting under the guidance of Dronacharya awardee coach Dhawan. He is now also learning shooting as well under coach Falaq Sher Alam. Last year, he participated in the Delhi State Shooting championship (10m pistol event) and won a bronze medal.

“Shooting is something that helps me keep calm. I will try to participate in more shooting competitions after the World’s strongest event,” he concluded.

Volkswagen CEO drives Tesla Model Y, calls it a ‘reference’ car

TB Team
-
0
Volkswagen CEO drives Tesla Model Y, calls it a ‘reference’ car

Soon after Tesla CEO Elon Musk paid a friendly visit to Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess to get a special look at VW’s new upcoming electric cars, Diess drove Tesla Model Y, saying it was a “reference” car for the German automaker.

The carmaker confirmed that there’s no deal in the making between the two automakers and it was basically just Diess checking out Musk’s latest electric car, reports Electrek.

“Of course, I also tested a Tesla Model Y — with my colleague Frank Welsch. This car is for us in many aspects (not in all!) a reference: user experience, driving features, the performance of the top of the range models, charging network, range,” the report quoted Diess as saying.

Diess has often praised Tesla and Musk’s approach to electric vehicles and recently predicted that Tesla could become the most valuable company in the world.

“Elon Musk delivers results that many did not think possible. They show: you can be profitable with electric cars. As one of few car manufacturers (Porsche AG also, for example), Tesla will drive through the corona crisis without a quarter of losses,” Diess wrote on LinkedIn in July this year.

Before returning to the US after a three-day visit to Germany last week, Musk also visited CureVac to assess the company’s progress in its partnership with Tesla. The project’s goal is to manufacture RNA printers intended to distribute the company’s upcoming Covid-19 vaccine.

In addition, Musk met with German officials related to support for Gigafactory Berlin.

Rhea Chakraborty’s 2019 tweet on narcotic trafficking goes viral

TB Team
-
0
Rhea Chakraborty’s 2019 tweet on narcotic trafficking goes viral

A one-year-old tweet by actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been arrested by the Narcotics Central Bureau (NCB) in a drug case, as part of the probe into the death of her late boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has gone viral on social media.

Rhea’s posted the tweet, about an Indian girl jailed for narcotics trafficking, in November 2019.

“Just stepped out of a weird scary engrossing story of an Indian girl…. who served 4 n a half year jail sentence for narcotics trafficking,” Rhea had written.

Social media users were quick to find a link between the old tweet and Rhea’s current reality.

A user wrote in the comment section: “What a prophecy. Rhea is India’s answer to @JofraArcher.

A second person said: “Nostradamus, predicted her own future.”

“Who knew Rhea was talking about herself”, said another.

One user tagged her as a “time traveler” and said: “Maybe she’s a time traveler who visits her own story to warn herself, but she isn’t too smart to get the clues.”

Rhea was arrested on Tuesday by the NCB. She has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act for her alleged role in the drugs angle that has emerged during an investigation into the June 14 death of Sushant.

Surekha Sikri stable but under observation

TB Team
-
0
Surekha Sikri stable but under observation

Veteran actress Surekha Sikri, who was hospitalized after suffering a brain stroke on Tuesday, is stable but under the observation of doctors.

Sharing details, the actress’ agent Vivek Sidhwani told IANS: “Surekha Ji is doing fine but she continues to be monitor closely and the next few days are crucial. That is what the doctors said. This is the second time she suffered a brain stroke after 2018 when she had it for the first time. So we will be asking all her well-wishers to pray for her speedy recovery.”

While initial reports said the actress has been going through a financial crisis and that has affected her health treatment, Sidhwani clarified: “I saw that report came out yesterday and that is absolutely incorrect. Yesterday we were so occupied with the hospital, doctor, and everything that we could not even clear that it is wrong information. Surekha Jim’s immediate family is taking care of all her finance and she also has her own finances. There is no financial assistance that we are taking from anywhere else.”

However, according to the spokesperson, a few industry colleagues have come forward with financial help.

“Few film directors and actors and well-wishers have reached out to us, offering financial assistance after reading the report. I want to say that we are financially doing fine. Surekha Ji’s health is under observation, but please pray for her good health. That is all we need right now,” he added.

Sikri was last seen in Zoya Akhtar’s segment of the OTT anthology film “Ghost Stories” that released earlier this year. The actress won National Awards for her roles in the films “Tamas”, “Mammo” and “Badhaai Ho”.

1...1,4901,4911,492...2,189Page 1,491 of 2,189