Apple removes Fortnite developer Epic Games from App Store

TB Team
-
0
Apple removes Fortnite developer Epic Games from App Store

Apple has removed the account of Epic Games from its App Store amid the legal battle with the Fortnite game developer.

The Fortnite game was removed from the App Store on August 13 for adding an in-app payment system in violation of the App Store rules.

“We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the App Store,” Apple said in a statement on Friday.

“We have worked with the team at Epic Games for many years on their launches and releases. The court recommended that Epic complies with the App Store guidelines while their case moves forward, guidelines they’ve followed for the past decade until they created this situation. Epic has refused,” the company added.

Apple has threatened to terminate Epic Games’ account by August 28 which would cut the company off from iOS and macOS development tools.

The suspension means Epic can no longer make apps for the iPhone or iPad, reports the BBC.

Epic was yet to comment on Apple’s decision as a US judge ruled this week that Apple cannot delete the developer account of Epic Games that support open and real-time 3D creation platform Unreal Engine but can keep the Fortnite game away from App Store for violating its policies.

Epic Games has confirmed that the upcoming season of Fortnite will not be available to players on iPhones, iPads, or Mac.

“Apple is blocking Fortnite updates and new installs on the App Store and has said they will terminate our ability to develop Fortnite for Apple devices,” Epic Games said in a blog post this week.

“As a result, Fortnite’s newly released Chapter 2 – Season 4 update (v14.00), will not release on iOS and macOS”.

Launched in 2017, Fortnite features a battle royale format where 100 players compete to survive as the last player standing on a remote island.

The popular game has amassed a huge following of over 350 million players and is available on multiple platforms.

England’s Ollie Pope out for four months with dislocated shoulder

TB Team
-
0
England’s Ollie Pope out for four months with dislocated shoulder

England batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out for up to four months after dislocating his left shoulder during the recently concluded three-match Test series against Pakistan which the hosts won 1-0.

The injury occurred on the fourth day of the third drawn Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton with Pope sliding to save a boundary off the second ball of Stuart Broad’s first over of the day and left the pitch immediately, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) informed on Friday.

Pope underwent an MRI scan in London on Wednesday and was reviewed by a consultant on Thursday. The Surrey player will have surgery on the injured shoulder in the next couple of weeks and will commence a rehabilitation program with the Surrey and England medical team, the ECB added.

It is expected that Pope will return in time for England’s winter tours of Sri Lanka and India starting in the early part of 2021.

Eng vs Pak: Banton fires before rain forces no result in 1st T20I

TB Team
-
0
Eng vs Pak: Banton fires before rain forces no result in 1st T20I

Tom Banton hit a brilliant half-century before rain caused the first T20I between England and Pakistan to be abandoned even before the completion of the first innings at the Old Trafford.

Opening the batting in the absence of Jason Roy — who has been ruled out of the series with a side strain — Banton on Friday evening smashed five sixes during his 42-ball 71-run knock which put England in a strong position despite a slow start.

Put into bat, England did not have a great start as they lost the opener, Jonny Bairstow, in the very first over. Dawid Malan, who came in next, did try to steady the ship with Banton and slowly and cautiously took forward the England innings. After seven overs, England had just 40 runs on the board, but Banton switched gears following the introduction of Shadab Khan. Banton and Malan took the team’s total to 71 before the latter was run out after a mix-up in the 10th over.

Skipper Eoin Morgan, who came to bat at number 4, scored some boundaries as he joined Banton in accelerating the innings. During the course of the partnership, the 21-year-old opener moved to his maiden T20I fifty and the hosts looked all set for a big total.

However, they lost wickets in a flurry and were 131/6 in 16.1 overs when the rain came in. The weather didn’t relent for long enough at any stage for the players to return to the field, leaving the match to finish without any result.

The two teams will now lock horns in the second T20I to be played at the same venue on Sunday.

Brief scores: England 131/6 in 16.1 overs (Tom Banton 72, Dawid Malan 23; Imad Wasim 2/31)

Elon Musk showcases ‘Fitbit’ like device in a pig’s brain

TB Team
-
0
Elon Musk showcases ‘Fitbit’ like device in a pig’s brain

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has revealed his human brain-machine interface in greater detail, this time in pigs who had prototypes of chips surgically implanted in their heads and their brain activity was tracked in real time during the demonstration.

Referring to devices by his mysterious company Neuralink as a ‘Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires’ several times during the presentation on Friday, Musk said he expects people with the ‘Link’ chip in their heads to be able to “save and replay memories”.

Musk also announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded Neuralink a “breakthrough device authorization” which can help expedite research on a medical device.

The first clinical trial will focus on individuals with paraplegia or tetraplegia, resulting from cervical spinal cord injury.

The company plans to enroll a “small number” of these individuals in order to test the efficacy and safety of the Neuralink technology, reports TechCrunch.

Founded in 2016, Neuralink is developing high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and machines.

While the touted benefits of the company’s brain-machine interface range from providing anxiety relief to helping paralyzed people control devices, the more immediate goal of the company appears to be allowing people to control their phones and computers with chips that can be implanted on the brain.

Musk emphasized that a wide variety of spinal and neurological conditions can be treated with Neuralink technology.

“These can all be solved with an implantable neural link. The neurons are like wiring, and you kind of need an electronic thing to solve an electronic problem,” he said.

The ultimate goal for Neuralink is a “full brain-machine interface” that will achieve a “symbiosis with artificial intelligence.”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has also claimed that a new Neuralink chip will allow users to hear sounds that previously were impossible to human ears.

“We’re not trying to raise money or do anything else, but the main purpose is to convince great people to come work at Neuralink and help us bring the product to fruition, make it affordable and reliable,” Musk said at the event.

Lyon kick off Ligue 1 campaign with 4-1 win over Dijon

TB Team
-
0
Lyon kick off Ligue 1 campaign with 4-1 win over Dijon

Memphis Depay scored a hat-trick as Lyon registered a 4-1 win over Dijon at home in their opening game of the 2020-2021 French Ligue 1 season.

The Dutch striker on Friday leveled the score from a penalty in the 39th minute after Aurelien Scheidler set up an early lead for the visitors just 14 minutes into the game. Dijon’s central defender Wesley Lautoa scored an own goal in the 45th minute, after which Depay was on target again to help Rudi Garcia’s side overturn the game at 3-1 before the break, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 26-year-old has been linked with Spanish giants Barcelona after his compatriot Ronald Koeman was appointed as the head coach at the Camp Nou earlier this month. The former Dutch boss is reportedly keen on bringing his countryman to the Catalan team.

Depay didn’t rule out the possibility of a departure but insisted that his focus now was on Lyon.

“I can dream of big clubs but I’m looking to do my best here,” Depay said after the match.

The Dutchman completed the hat-trick in the 66th minute through a second penalty of the game, adding his tally in the French club to 57 goals in 139 appearances since arriving in 2017 from Manchester United.

Lyon’s French playmaker Houssem Aouar was absent from the match after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of the clash.

Garcia’s side reached the last four of the European Champions League last week in Lisbon where they lost to eventual winner Bayern Munich 3-0 in the semifinals.

But the former Ligue 1 champions finished a poor seventh place in the curtailed 2019-2020 season, which forced them to start the new campaign without continental competitions for the first time since 1996-97.

Second Chinese Diamond League meeting postponed until 2021

TB Team
-
0
Second Chinese Diamond League meeting postponed until 2021

The Diamond League has announced further changes to its 2020 calendar, with the postponement of the second meeting in China until 2021.

Originally scheduled for October 17, the meeting would have joined Shanghai to become one of two Chinese meetings on the Diamond League circuit.

“The new meeting has now been postponed and is to be launched in 2021 when the Wanda Diamond League hopes to return to a full calendar of 15 meetings. The new host city, as well as further details about the meeting, will be revealed in due course,” the sports governing body said on its website on Friday.

The Diamond League meeting in Shanghai will not take place this year either as local organizers had earlier announced the cancellation of the event (scheduled for September 19), following the decision by China’s General Administration of Sport not to host any international sporting events for the remainder of the year, apart from test events for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The 2020 Diamond League season will now culminate in Doha on September 25.

Shabana Azmi: Why is masculinity about flexing muscles and not tenderness?

TB Team
-
0
Shabana Azmi: Why is masculinity about flexing muscles and not tenderness?

Actress Shabana Azmi feels if we want to establish gender equality, then along with empowering women, men need to change the definition of masculinity.

Shabana recently presented the film “Mee Raqsam”, directed by her brother Baba Azmi. The film is about a Muslim father who goes out of his way to help his young daughter achieve her dream of becoming a Bharatnatyam dancer.

“A very special element of the father Salim’s character in the film was that he was both a father and a mother to the 15-year-old girl, ever since his wife died. It is certainly not easy for a father to nurture a teenage girl like a mother. I think women are better equipped to be both father and mother to their children. When it comes to men, perhaps they are not. That is why the character of Salim was so special, it was like redefining masculinity,” Shabana told IANS.

She elaborated: “At present, there is toxicity around the whole idea of masculinity. Masculinity means flexing muscles, wielding power over the powerless. That is a toxic thing. It is true that we want women to change, and become independent. But to establish gender equality we also need men to change. Why is masculinity not about tenderness, empathy, and being supportive? All the qualities we look for in the new progressive man, we get to see in the character of Salim in ‘Mee Raqsam’.”

The film featuring Danish Husain and Aditi Subedi is streaming on Zee5.

Our failure to remove militia page operational mistake: Facebook CEO

TB Team
-
0
Our failure to remove militia page operational mistake: Facebook CEO

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has blamed an operational mistake by the third-party contractors and reviewers who failed to remove the Kenosha Guard militia Page and Event prior to the shooting in Wisconsin in the US that left two dead.

In a video message, Zuckerberg said on Saturday that the ‘Kenosha’ Page and Event violated Facebook policies and there have been a bunch of media reports asking why this Page was not removed sooner.

“It was largely an operational mistake. We have a team specialized team that enforces the policy against such dangerous organizations. The contractors, the reviewers who the initial complaints were funneled to basically didn’t pick this up,” he said.

In the second review, the Facebook team took the ‘Kenosha’ militia page down as part of the new policy addressing groups linked to violence such as militias.

A 17-year-old teenager has been arrested on murder charges after two people were killed amid violent protests against the police shooting of an African-American man in the state earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and was arrested in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, about 30 minutes away from Kenosha.

Police officers identified the victims as a 26-year-old and a 36-year-old who died, and another 26-year-old who was injured in the shooting.

The Kenosha Guard militia established a Facebook Page in June this year.

They used another Facebook Event page to invite “any patriots willing to take up arms and defend out City tonight from the evil thugs”, referencing those protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

The shootings took place during the third night of unrest in Kenosha against the shooting of 29-year-old Blake by the police.

“We designated the shooting as mass murder and removed the shooter’s page. His accounts from Facebook, Instagram were deleted,” Zuckerberg said.

“We have our teams proactively looking for content and removing content that praises the shooting or the shooter. We’ve been generally applying a warning screen to disturbing imagery as we would normally do,” he said.

The Facebook CEO said the company is going to continue to enforce its policies and continue evolving them to be able to identify more potential dangerous organizations.

Rival social video app Triller makes $20bn bid for TikTok: Report

TB Team
-
0
Rival social video app Triller makes $20bn bid for TikTok: Report

Joining the race to buy TikTok, rival social video platform Triller has approached its China-based owner ByteDance directly with a $20 billion bid via London-based global investment firm Centricus, the media reported on Saturday.

In a statement to The Verge, Thriller claimed it made the bid directly to TikTok owner ByteDance and not to TikTok itself.

“We submitted an offer directly to the chairman of ByteDance through Centricus and have confirmation it was received. We didn’t make an offer to TikTok, they aren’t involved in this at all,” Triller executive chairman Bobby Sarnevesht said.

“We made an offer to Bytedance and are dealing directly with the chairman only. Either people multiple layers down aren’t aware of what is happening on the highest level or they may have their own agendas and aren’t happy about our offer coming in,” he added.

TikTok, however, denied receiving any such offer in media reports.

As TikTok acquisition turns messy, retail giant Walmart has already confirmed that it is teaming up with Microsoft in a bid for a China-based short-video making platform that has 700 million users globally and 100 million in the US.

According to the reports, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is inching closer towards a pact amid the 90-day deadline set by the US President Donald Trump to sell its US, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand operations in a deal that is likely to be in the “$20 billion to $30 billion range”.

ByteDance is negotiating with three companies, including Microsoft and Oracle, and a deal announcing the sale of its US operations is expected in the coming days.

The developments came as TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer announced his resignation this week amid the political turmoil and sales talk.

TikTok came under pressure to sell its US operations after Trump threatened to ban the short-video-sharing platform over national security concerns.

Trump issued an executive order on August 6, prohibiting ByteDance from conducting any transaction in the US within 45 days.

The US President issued another executive order on August 14, giving ByteDance an option to divest its TikTok business in the US within 90 days.

TikTok has filed a lawsuit against the first executive order.

Jio Point Stores launch Consumer Electronics in Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Bullet
-
0
Jio Point Stores launch Consumer Electronics in Andhra Pradesh

Jio Point concept stores have introduced a range of consumer electronics and small home appliances across the network in 38 cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh.

“Through these newly equipped Jio Point Stores company will undertake assisted sales of all electronic white goods such as Mobiles, Refrigerators, Washing Machines, Televisions, and other small home appliances” Jio Andhra Pradesh CEO Shri Mandapalli Mahesh Kumar said.

Jio Point Stores launch Consumer Electronics in Andhra Pradesh

As an inaugural offer best price deals are being presented to the customers. An assured gift worth of Rs. 1100 and gift vouchers worth Rs. 300 are being offered.

Jio Point stores in various cities and towns across India are the last mile connection points for Reliance to reach consumers without internet access and assisted online shopping. These stores are designated to serve clusters of the population as a single touchpoint for the company’s various consumer offerings.

The Jio Point stores in neighborhood locations across cities, small towns, and rural India also operate as customer sales and service touchpoints for Jio and create a distribution networks in the catchment area.

Covid-19: Bengaluru’s Basilica goes virtual for Novena fest

TB Team
-
0
Covid-19: Bengaluru’s Basilica goes virtual for Novena fest

City-based St. Mary’s Basilica is going the virtual way to celebrate 2020’s nine-day Novena festival amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which attracts thousands of people in normal times, a cleric said on Friday.

“This year, all the grandeur and fervor of this festival has been snatched away by the cruel intervention of dreaded coronavirus. We have made alternative arrangements to celebrate this festival spiritually and meaningfully through digital and other social media networks,” said Peter Machado, Catholic Archbishop of Bengaluru.

Centrally located in Shivajinagar, the basilica will telecast daily spiritual programs all through the nine days in multiple languages such as English, Kannada, Konkani, and Malayalam.

Archdiocese of Bangalore app, YouTube channel, website, and also the church’s website will be the virtual links for the devout to stay connected with the Novena festival.

“We have decided to live stream all the spiritual programs through various digital platforms on all nine days of the Novena, from August 29 and on feast day September 8,” said Machado.

The archbishop appealed to the devotees to confine themselves to their homes as one family to spend time in prayer and recitation of the holy rosary.

Considering the pandemic, the police and the state government have also advised a low key celebration, without crowds of devotees at the shrine and its vicinity.

Novena feast day on September 8 is known for the sea of humanity which descends on the church premises.

On August 29, the church starts its celebrations with a flag hoisting ceremony.

“People from all faiths joyfully and wholeheartedly participate with utmost devotion and piety in these religious services,” observed Machado.

He said prayers will be held for all devotees and the people in Bengaluru and Karnataka on the Novena days and the feast day as well.

Rhea Chakraborty captured snapping at paparazzi

TB Team
-
0
Rhea Chakraborty captured snapping at paparazzi

A video showing actress Rhea Chakraborty snapping at mediapersons who hound her car and try to click her photos has gone viral.

In the video, an angry Rhea bangs on the car’s window pane with her elbow. She makes the gesture at the window, even as a media person tries capturing her in a frame.

The incident happened on Friday as she was on her way for CBI questioning in connection with the death of her boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput. This is for the first time that Rhea was being questioned by the federal agency, after it took over the case on August 6.

Besides Rhea, her brother Showik, Sushant’s flatmate Siddharth Pithani, house manager Samuel Miranda, personal staff Neeraj Singh have also been questioned.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are also probing the various angles into the case, along with the CBI.

Hemant Soren writes to Centre to postpone JEE, NEET exams

TB Team
-
0
Hemant Soren writes to Centre to postpone JEE, NEET exams

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has written to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to postpone the IIT-JEE and NEET examinations.

“Both these competitive examinations are extremely critical in the career of a student as the success or otherwise in these examinations would decide the course of their future life. Every examinee would thus try to put his best foot forward and, therefore, it is extremely essential to ensure that they take these examinations in an environment of health safety and mental peace,” said the letter.

The letter said, “The people of the country are engaged in combating once in a century disaster of Covid-19, which has affected millions and left thousands dead. This pandemic has an additional negative consequence of widespread economic disruption. Due to the health scare as well as the economic disruption, there is a widespread prevalence of psychological stress among the people.

“Moreover, the conduct of examination of this scale would require public transport and hospitality units, including hotels, lodges, and restaurants to function smoothly and optimally because of the movement of large numbers of examinees and their guardians.

“As part of its strategy to combat Covid-19, the Government of Jharkhand has not yet commenced public bus transport nor it has allowed the opening of restaurants. It is noteworthy that these restrictions have been imposed to check the spread of coronavirus. Thus the examinees and their guardians will have to face serious logistics issues.”

The Chief Minister wrote, “There will be also some examinees whose residence would be located in the containment zone. As a result of which it would be difficult for them to move out of the area. There may be a case in which the examinee or his family member is infected with coronavirus and in all these cases it would be difficult for the examinee to appear for the examination”.

While concluding the letter, the Chief Minister said, “Since there is no way to detect and prevent an infected person from appearing in the examination, it would, therefore, put the rest of the examinees and invigilators in a particular examination hall at the risk of being infected as well. Since comorbidity amongst the examinees cannot be ruled out, acquiring infection by morbid examinees may be life-threatening. I would earnestly request you kindly consider postponing both examinations in the public interest”.

Yogi’s ODOP scheme to be adopted across India

TB Team
-
0
Yogi’s ODOP scheme to be adopted across India

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s flagship scheme ‘One District-One Product’ (ODOP) will now be adopted across the country.

The ODOP project recognizes specialty products and handicraft of various districts and implements a programme of training, at the skilling and marketing level to uplift the art and provide them with a market, at both national and international levels.

According to official sources, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, will soon hold a video conference with industries ministers of all states to chalk out a plan for the pan-India implementation of the ODOP scheme. Goyal, in a letter to all industries ministers, has acknowledged the potential of the program to uplift rural India.

“To recognize the potential of rural India and align it with the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, the ministry of commerce and industry is in the process of putting in place an institutional mechanism to propagate ODOP as a movement across the country, with the help of all state governments and union territories,” he said in his letter.

He said the ministry intends to drive this project on a mission mode with specific targets to be achieved by 2022. It will be crucial to uplift the rural economy, he said.

States and Union Territories (UT) will be required to identify and map district-wise unique products, identify inputs on branding, logistics, packaging, and branding to standardize the product, provide training and skilling and establish market linkages.

Meanwhile, to promote ‘one district one product’ (ODOP) scheme on an international platform and give them a wider appeal, the UP MSME department will soon be signing MoUs with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Indian Institute of Packaging and SIDBI.

These pacts will help to make their design and packaging more attractive and to address the issue of working capital for artisans and industrialists. MSME minister Sidharth Nath Singh said that as per directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it has been decided to help manufacturers of ODOP products widen their market.

He said that the MoUs would not just remove difficulties of working capital being faced by MSMEs in the current Covid-19 slowdown but also make ODOP products more attractive at a global level. “NIFT would provide design facility to textile, leather, and carpet industries. It will also hold training workshops for them. NIFT will be developing a design bank for ODOP products in which manufacturers will be helped with material, fabrics, colour, and quality in accordance with the demands of US, European, and other international markets which will give them the facility of brand identity and branding,” Singh said.

He added that the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) will develop a new design for packing for ODOP products. The ODOP programme is also being looked at as a vehicle for generating employment for the migrant workers who returned to UP during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Additional chief secretary, MSME, Navneet Sehgal said, “We are providing training under a particular trade. For instance, if someone wants to come to Bhadohi, the center of carpet manufacturing in UP, we can train them in the skill of carpet-making. If they want to set up their own unit, we will help them get funding in the form of loans and then, if some of them want to come together, we can even help set up a common facility center.”

Estrogen may reduce Covid-19 severity in women: Study

TB Team
-
0
Estrogen may reduce Covid-19 severity in women: Study

Researchers have revealed that estrogen may lessen the severity of Covid-19 symptoms in women, adding that this may be the reason why men are at a greater risk than women for more severe outcomes from this virus.

Estrogens are hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development, mainly in women. They are also referred to as female sex hormones.

For the study, published in the journal Current Hypertension Reports, the research team conducted a review of published preclinical data on sex-specific hormone activity, especially estrogen.

“We know that coronavirus affects the heart and we know that estrogen is protective against cardiovascular disease in women, so the most likely explanation seemed to be hormonal differences between the sexes,” said lead author Leanne Groban from the Wake Forest Baptist Health Centre in the US.

The researchers said the published literature indicated that the angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2), which is attached to cell membranes in the heart, arteries, kidneys, and intestines, is the cellular receptor of the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19 infections.

It helps bring the virus into the cells of those organ systems.

According to the research team, the review also pointed to estrogen’s lowering the level of ACE2 in the heart, which may modulate the severity of Covid-19 in women.

Conversely, higher levels of ACE2 in tissues could account for why the symptoms are worse in men than women, the study said.

The reasons for the higher male sex-specific COVID-19-related mortality are likely to be multi-fold, including differences in lifestyle (e.g., higher rates of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption) and innate immunity.

“We hope that our review regarding the role of estrogenic hormones in ACE2 expression and regulation may explain the gender differences in Covid-19 infection and outcomes, and serve as a guide for current treatment and the development of new therapies,” Groban said.

“In summary, the accumulating evidence of a somewhat lower rate of Covid-19 disease severity in women needs to be further investigated,” the study authors noted.

Earlier, several studies revealed that men are more vulnerable to Covid-19 infection.

Recently, a study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that men have higher concentrations of ACE2 in their blood than women, a molecule that enables the novel coronavirus to infect healthy cells in men.

Adobe partners with Nasscom to build experience design skills

TB Team
-
0
Adobe partners with Nasscom to build experience design skills

Software major Adobe and IT industry body Nasscom on Friday launched a programme aimed at skilling and reskilling students and professionals in India in user experience design by 2021.

The UX foundation programme is available on Nasscom’s FutureSkills platform at no cost to all its 300,000 subscribers, Adobe said, adding that Cognizant is the industry partner in this initiative to mandate skilling of the new and existing workforce.

“We envision to make India a global hub for digital talent and our partnership with Adobe is a significant step in that direction,” Amit Aggarwal, CEO IT-ITES Sector Skill Council Nasscom, said in a statement.

“User experience designers are among the most in-demand job roles today.”

The expanding digital landscape, especially in today’s environment calls for a compelling need for products and services fuelling the demand for skilled UX designers for the future of jobs.

Adobe XD is embedded into the curriculum and this learner journey on UX will serve as a critical resource to help close the skill gap for one of the fastest-growing creative disciplines — UX design, the company said.

The content has been designed by Adobe to enable students to develop skills and for the industry workforce to upskill and re-skill the increasing the talent pool in India.

“Given India’s significant skills potential — and especially in digital skills, I am excited for today’s launch of UX curriculum on the Nasscom Future Skills platform as a great example of our commitment to helping India leverage this opportunity,” said Mala Sharma, VP and GM, Creative Cloud Product Marketing and Community and Digital Media Education at Adobe.

My spirit & ambition are as high as ever: Ronaldo

TB Team
-
0
My spirit & ambition are as high as ever: Ronaldo

Portugal and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is committed to the Italian giants and his aspirations are as high as ever.

“As I’m getting ready for my third season as a bianconero, my spirit and ambition are as high as ever,” Ronaldo wrote in an Instagram post.

“Goals. Victories. Commitment. Dedication. Professionalism. With all my (strength) and with the precious help from my teammates and all of the Juventus staff, we work once again to conquer Italy, Europe and the World!”

The 35-year-old forward has helped Juventus win Serie A in each of his two seasons in Turin.

However, in the Champions League this time, Juventus were eliminated by Lyon in the round of 16 after losing to Ajax in the quarterfinals during Ronaldo’s first season in Turin.

His comments come at a time when his long-time rival Lionel Messi is reported to leave FC Barcelona.

Messi reportedly asked Barca on Tuesday to let him leave the club he has been with for 20 seasons since he was 13 years old.

FC Barcelona’s first team technical secretary Ramon Planes has said they are working internally to convince Messi to stay with the club.

“We only have enormous respect for Leo Messi. Barca and Leo are like a marriage, where both have given so much to each other, and have brought so much joy to the fans. I think the future is positive. I am an optimist. We need experienced players, like Leo Messi, as well as players for the team’s future. We are putting every effort into ensuring that the relationship between Barca and Messi will continue. We are working internally to convince Leo,” he was quoted as saying by Barcelona’s official website.

Asked about the return to training, Planes added that “Messi has not told us that he does not want to report for duty. But any communication that might occur between the two parties is an internal affair. We shall not be making any statement on the situation out of the respect that both Messi and the club deserve”.

Telangana’s Covid tally mounts to 1,17,415; death toll at 799

TB Team
-
0
Telangana’s Covid tally mounts to 1,17,415; death toll at 799

Telangana has reported 2,932 fresh Covid-19 cases, pushing the tally to 1,17,415, health officials said on Friday.

The death toll in the state has mounted to 799 with 11 more fatalities.

During the last 24 hours, 61,863 tests were conducted. The total number of tests conducted so far has gone up to 12,04,343, officials added.

Facing flak for its poor testing rate, the Telangana government has ramped up the number of tests. During the last six days, over 3.10 lakh tests were conducted.

According to the health department, a total of 16 government and 31 private laboratories are conducting RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TRUENAT types of tests while there are 1,076 rapid antigen test centers. However, unlike the neighboring Andhra Pradesh, the authorities in Telangana have not been providing the breakup of the type of tests conducted.

The officials claimed that with 32,439 samples tested per million population, the state is conducting a higher number of tests against a daily testing target of 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day. The results of 771 samples were awaited.

Health officials said the case fatality rate in the state is also low at 0.68 percent against the national average of 1.84 percent. Out of the total fatalities, 53.87 percent had comorbidities.

The number of cases in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) rose again to 520 against 449 the previous day. Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts abutting GHMC reported 218 cases each. Sangareddy, another district bordering the state capital, saw 49 new cases.

Outside GHMC and surrounding districts, Karimnagar was the worst affected district with 168 new cases followed by Nalgonda with 159, Khammam with 141 cases, Nizamabad 129 and Jagtiyal 113. Mancherial reported 110 cases, Suryapet 102, Siddipet 100, Bhadradri Kothagudem 89, and Warangal Urban 80.

The total number of recoveries in the state stands at 87,675. The state’s recovery rate stands at 74.6 percent against the national average of 76.33 percent. The number of active cases in the state stands at 28,941 including 22,097 in-home/institutional isolation.

Age-wise COVID positive details show that 65.3 percent of those tested positive were in the age group of 21-50 years. Terming this as a susceptible age group, authorities have urged them not to go out unless absolutely necessary. They were advised to strictly exercise precautions like wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Among COVID positive cases, 24.71 per cent are above 51 years of age. About 10 percent were aged below 20 years. Officials said 64.41 percent of those tested positive were male while the remaining 35.59 percent were female. According to the media bulletin, out of 20,396 beds in government-run hospitals, 17,817 beds are vacant including 1,590 ICU beds and 4,756 oxygen beds.

A total of 171 hospitals treating COVID patients in the state have 9,160 beds, out of which 4,895 are vacant.

78% parents ready to skip a year of schooling: Survey

TB Team
-
0
78% parents ready to skip a year of schooling: Survey

COVID-19 continues to upend schooling around the globe, with millions of parents and children resorting to online education. According to a new survey, 78 percent of parents are not willing to send their children to school till the pandemic is over, and it is safe for them to step out, even if their children have to miss a year of school for their safety.

According to “Kids Under COVID”, a research study and survey by online edutainment company SP Robotic Works, parents in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and mini-metros are even more concerned as between 82-86 percent are unwilling to take any risk with the children. Chennai and Kolkata are the only exceptions among the major cities where the ratio of parents that are willing to take chances with sending their children to school is higher than the national average.

The study, conducted over the months of July and August, surveyed 3,600 parents and an equal number of children in the age group of 7-17 years.

The new survey reveals that parents’ profession plays a significant role in their response. Salaried parents are the most protective, with only 17 percent willing to send their children to school as soon as the schools reopen. In contrast, 30 percent of self-employed and 56 percent of freelance workers are likely to send their children to school immediately after they open.

64 percent of parents and children have no appreciation for online schooling

With a sudden transition to online learning and prolonged screen time with no outdoor play and limited social interaction, the long term impact on children’s mental and physical health remains dubious.

While most schools have successfully transitioned to online, the model is found to be less effective with over two-third of children preferring to learn in the classroom. Interestingly, children, as well as the parents in smaller cities and non-metros, seem to prefer online learning compared to those in metros, except Bengaluru.

Coding over toys

The study found that at least 29 percent of the kids are learning coding/robotics on online platforms. Though the majority of children are missing outdoor activities, new interests and hobbies have taken over. The online school takes up a good part of the day.

Loss in concentration and disturbed sleeping

Children are also the recipients of stricter rules of isolation as education can wait. They are feeling the frustration of being confined to the four walls. Nearly 50 percent are experiencing disturbed sleeping patterns. Amongst the 40 percent who are scared of the situation, 61 percent have experienced a drop in concentration levels. A deep dive into the sleep routines, screen time, physical activity, concentration, food habits, and more, say findings.

Girls dream entrepreneurship

Amongst some other interesting insights, the survey brings to light a never-before-seen affinity towards entrepreneurship among girls. Amongst the choices for dream jobs, 15 percent of girls aspire to become entrepreneurs when they grow up, a higher percentage than boys. Entrepreneurship is second only to the fancy of becoming a doctor.

6 ministers of non-BJP ruled states move SC seeking review of its NEET-JEE order

TB Team
-
0
6 ministers of non-BJP ruled states move SC seeking review of its NEET-JEE order

Six ministers of opposition ruled states — West Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand — have jointly filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its August 17 order declining to entertain pleas seeking postponement of NEET-JEE exams slated in September in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic.

The petition has been filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes and it contends the top court’s order to “secure the safety, security, and right to life of the students — candidates appearing for the NEET/JEE exams.”

The petition argues that the top court has ignored the teething logistical difficulties in conducting the examinations at the proposed dates.

“Failed to balance the competing but equally important aspects of conducting the examination and securing the safety of the student. Fails to ensure that mandatory safeguards are put in place during the conducting of the examinations,” said the petition challenging the August 17 order.

“The advice of ‘Life Must Go On’ may have sounded very philosophical underpinnings but cannot be a substitute for valid legal reasoning and logical analysis of the various aspects involved in the conduct of the NEET (UG) and JEE exams,” argued the petitioners.

The petitioners said the apex court failed to appreciate that the Centre had adequate time to establish at least one center for every district for NEET (UG) and JEE (Mains) rather than having several centers in one district.

“Having at least one center per district would have minimized the inter-district long travel of the students and thereby reduced the chances of Covid-19 spread,” argued the petitioners.

The petitioners contended that if the August 17 order is not reviewed then grave and irreparable harm and injury would befall on the student community of the country and it will impact the health, welfare, and safety of the students/candidates appearing for the NEET/JEE examinations.

“With regards to the second reason of losing a year, it is most respectfully submitted that this would be tantamount to putting the cart before the horse, as the submissions hereinabove have revealed.

“The Review Petitioners too do not desire for the students to lose an academic year, but wish to balance their health, safety and security and that of their family with not losing the current academic year,” said the petition.

The Petitioner number one is Moloy Ghatak — Minister-in-Charge, Department of Labour & E.S.I. (MB) Scheme and Departments of Law & Judicial, Government of West Bengal.

Petitioner number two is Dr. Rameshwar Oraon — Cabinet Minister of Finance, Government of Jharkhand.

Petitioner number three is Dr. Raghu Sharma — Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Rajasthan.

Petitioner number four is Amarjeet Bhagat — Minister of Food, Civil supplies, Culture, Planning, Economics & Statistics, Government of Chhattisgarh.

Petitioner number five is Balbir Singh Sidhu — Cabinet Minister Health and Family Welfare & Labour, Government of Punjab.

Petitioner number six is Uday Ravindra Samant — Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra.

1...1,5111,5121,513...2,190Page 1,512 of 2,190