Google asks FDA to clear Fitbit for passive heart rhythm monitoring

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Google asks FDA to clear Fitbit for passive heart rhythm monitoring

Tech giant Google has submitted data for a new Fitbit feature that would passively monitor users’ heart rhythms to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to The Verge, Fitbit currently can only check for irregular heart rhythm periodically; users have to actively decide to take a reading.

The new feature would run in the background and alert people if they’re showing signs of a condition called atrial fibrillation. It would bring Fitbit’s EKG feature closer to the one on the Apple Watch, which checks the wearer’s heart rhythms on occasion and alerts them if it catches any irregularities.

Fitbit launched a study in 2020 to test its passive heart rhythm technology. Nearly half a million Fitbit users participated in the study, and it flagged around 1 percent of participants (just under 5,000 people) as having an irregular heart rhythm, according to data presented at the 2021 American Heart Association meeting.

Those people were asked to set up a telehealth consultation so they could get an EKG patch, and around 1,000 did so. Of that group, a third had the diagnosis confirmed — giving the tech a positive predictive value for atrial fibrillation of 98 percent. (For comparison, the Apple Watch atrial fibrillation alert had a positive predictive value of 84 percent on a similar-sized study.)

“These results are extremely promising and we think will have a real impact on early detection and treatment of this important condition,” Tony Faranesh, a research scientist at Fitbit, said in a press briefing.

Atrial fibrillation is associated with a higher risk of stroke, and the hope is that this type of early detection will help prevent stroke. But it is still unclear if monitoring for atrial fibrillation via smartwatch will actually keep strokes from happening — most research focuses on whether devices are accurate, not whether using them keeps people healthier in the long run.

Union, state govts to revamp medical education, says K’taka Health Minister

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Union, state govts to revamp medical education, says K’taka Health Minister

Both the Union and state governments are focusing on revamping medical education both qualitatively and quantitatively, said Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K on Friday.

Speaking at Physiocon 2022 in Mangaluru, an international conference for physiotherapy, Sudhakar said that there are seven physiotherapists for a population of 10,000 in America. However, in India, there is a ratio of just 0.59 physiotherapists for a population of 10,000.

To eradicate this shortage of doctors and other specialists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been focusing on revamping medical education in the country establishing many more new medical colleges. With the increased number of colleges, there will be a higher output of doctors which will help ease this shortage.

Medicines cure diseases. But physiotherapy gives a new lease on life. Physiotherapy provides solutions to many problems including disability, nerve-related issues, etc, he said.

In today’s age, knowledge is the most important power. In physiotherapy, skill is just as essential as knowledge and physiotherapists must develop their skills. Technology and research will play a key role here. Physiotherapy is a very old body of knowledge and in our Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda has several aspects of physiotherapy, he said.

Those who perform Yoga and Pranayama every day will gain the power to recover quickly even if they fall sick. It is important to note how essential physical activity is to stay healthy, he explained.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Health Department in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), began to provide psychological counseling to Covid-19 patients and their families, he said.

In the initial days, there were instances where people suffered panic attacks after they tested positive for Covid-19. Because of this, to provide mental strength and emotional support to them, counseling sessions were conducted. Under this program, around 25 lakh people were provided with psychological counseling, he added.

“We should provide mental health services along with physical health services to people. For this, the Union Finance Minister, under this budget, has announced the Tele Mental Health program. This will be done in collaboration with NIMHANS and it is a proud thing that the Karnataka government’s initiative will now be emulated across the country,” he said.

Addressing the media after the event, Sudhakar reiterated that students who returned from war-torn Ukraine will be allowed to continue their learning in over 60 medical colleges in the state.

“There shouldn’t be any hindrance to their learning. So our government is providing them with an opportunity to continue learning. A committee has been formed to look into this. This will not be an additional financial burden to the students. We don’t know what will happen in the future, whether the students would be willing to go back to Ukraine after a ceasefire or not,” he said.

“So this is a temporary measure to allow them to continue their learning. This arrangement will be made in government, private, and deemed colleges,” he said.

NTR thanks fans and audience for their unwavering love

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NTR thanks fans and audience for their unwavering love

Jr. NTR, who essays the role of Akhtar alias Bheem in SS Rajamouli’s latest sensational movie ‘RRR’, has thanked his fans for their unwavering love all through.

As the fictional drama ‘RRR’ hit the screens on Friday, the ‘Aadhi’ actor, who took to his social media website, expressed his gratefulness.

Being on the receiving end of unprecedented fandom, NTR seems to be overwhelmed. He tweeted, “Thank You, each and everyone, for your unwavering love. Your love, admiration, and support are what keep me going…Enjoy the visual spectacle that is #RRRMovie.”

‘RRR’ is touted to be NTR Jr’s first pan-India movie, which is now being called a historic blockbuster. His fans, who had to wait for more than 3 years to watch him on the screen, were seen raining white streamers at NTR Jr’s first appearance in the film.

NTR’s introduction scene that shows him locking horns with a tiger inspired an uproarious hysteria among fans.

‘RRR’ is the master storyteller’s masterpiece’, says Chiranjeevi

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‘RRR’ is the master storyteller’s masterpiece’, says Chiranjeevi

Megastar Chiranjeevi, who is impressed with ‘RRR’, on Friday called it Rajamouli’s masterpiece.

Chiranjeevi, who seems to have watched the movie ‘RRR’, showered praises on the team.

The ‘Acharya’ actor, who took to his social media handles on Friday, praised SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan, NTR, and others for delivering a mind-blowing movie like ‘RRR’.

Chiranjeevi’s tweet reads, “RRR is the Master Storyteller’s Master Piece !! A Glowing & Mind-blowing testimony to @ssrajamouli ‘s Unparalleled Cinematic vision! Hats off to the Entire Team!! @RRRmovie”, as he tags Ram Charan, NTR, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Olivia Morris, and others.

The movie stars Ram Charan and Jr. NTR as Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem respectively. Alia Bhatt has played an important role, while Olivia Morris appears in an equally important female lead role.

Directed by Rajamouli, ‘RRR’ is a fictional fragmentation of two unsung heroes from Indian history.

Border disengagement happening at slower pace: Jaishankar tells Wang

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Border disengagement happening at slower pace: Jaishankar tells Wang

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday that during his meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he told the latter that the disengagement of troops at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh is a “work in progress”, but is happening at a “slower pace” than desired.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Jaishankar said: “My talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi have just concluded. We met for about three hours and addressed a broad and substantive agenda in an open and candid manner. We discussed our bilateral relations that have been disturbed as a result of Chinese actions in April 2020.

“So long as there are very large deployments, the border situation is not normal. We still have ongoing friction areas and have made progress in resolving some friction areas, including Pangong Tso. Our discussion today was how to take this forward. There have been 15 rounds of talks.

“If you ask me if our relationship today is normal, then my answer is no, it is not normal. Our effort today is to sort out the issue in its entirety.”

China’s People’s Liberation Army made an aggressive move at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh in April 2020 leading to the border dispute between India and China.

The dispute is yet to be resolved even after over two years.

Jaishankar further said that he told Wang the current situation is a “work in progress, obviously, at a slower pace than desirable”.

“This needs to be taken forward since completion of the disengagement at LAC is necessary.”

Jaishankar also said that he raised the issue of Indian students studying in China who have not been allowed to return and resume their education due to Covid-19 restrictions

“I also took up strongly the predicament of Indian students studying in China who haven’t been allowed to return citing Covid restrictions. We hope China will take a non-discriminatory approach since it involves the future of many young people.”

Before his talks with Jaishankar, Wang met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in his office in South Block and extended an invitation to visit China.

Replying to the invitation, Doval said he could visit after the immediate issues were resolved successfully, according to sources.

Doval also discussed the need to take forward early and complete disengagement in the remaining areas and remove impediments to allow the bilateral relationship to take its natural course.

He also conveyed to Wang that restoration of peace and tranquility will help build mutual trust and create enabling environment for progress in relations

Wang’s visit marks the first trip by a high-level Chinese official since the border dispute erupted.

National Cross Country Championships: Parasappa Hajilol and Sonika face stiff challenge in title defence

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National Cross Country Championships: Parasappa Hajilol and Sonika face stiff challenge in title defence

Parappa Mahadevappa Hajilol and Sonika will face having stiff challenges when they step up to defend their men’s and women’s crowns respectively in the 56th National Cross Country Championships in Kohima on Saturday.

Both emerged from the ranks of the unknown to post victories in Panchkula. Parappa Mahadevappa Hajilol can expect the 2020 champion Abhishek Pal and Adesh Yadav, bronze medalist last year, as well as a host of others to try and wear him down. Sonika will face the additional responsibility to help Railways wrest the women’s team title from Haryana.

Hosted by the Nagaland Athletics Association, the eight-event card across age groups is being run concurrently with the South Asian Cross Country Championships with 42 overseas competitors, including 21 women, from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in the field. It is the first international sports competition hosted in Nagaland.

Besides the usual contest for the top honours between teams from Services, led by Darshan Singh and Hari Singh, and Railways in the men’s section, the battle for individual title could be pepped up by the presence of Haryana’s Prince Nagar the Men’s U20 Championship in Panchkula.

In the women’s section, the fight for the team title would be among defending champion Haryana, fielding a new-look squad, powerhouse Railways, and Maharashtra. Sonika, who has moved from Haryana to Railways, will face Komal Chandrakant Jagdale and Nikita Vijay Raut, her own team-mate Varsha Devi, runner-up at Warangal in 2020, and Rebi Pal.

To start and finish in the Indira Gandhi Stadium, the races will offer the field the challenge of some undulating terrain and different surfaces. The depth in the entry list gives rise to the expectation that the quality of competition could be high, especially in the men’s and women’s 10km races.

Women’s World Cup: It was a positive performance from Mooney and Sutherland, says Lanning

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Women’s World Cup: It was a positive performance from Mooney and Sutherland, says Lanning

Australia skipper Meg Lanning was in full praise of the ‘positive performances’ shown by Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland in helping the six-time champions win their final league match in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup against Bangladesh.

Chasing 136, Australia was in trouble at 70/5. But Mooney made a fighting 66 not out and shared a stand of 65 with Sutherland (26 not out) to take their team over the line. “Certainly the conditions were the hardest I have played in. It was freezing cold. Today was about finding a way through it and winning,” said Lanning after the match.

“Bangladesh played really well and put us under pressure. It was a positive performance from Mooney and Sutherland to take us over the line at the end. It was about how dark it was, if Darcie Brown was bowling at that time, it would’ve been hard to see.”

Lanning had some words of appreciation for Sutherland, the young pace all-rounder. “To be able to find a way with the bat, Annabel Sutherland a young player to come in and play under pressure to get us home was really important. To be able to work our way through that was pretty impressive and we will take that win.”

Meg, who turned 30 on Friday, believes Australia will rest for some days before preparing for the semi-finals. “I’m not sure, it is a bit cold and windy, not sure if anyone wants to come to the birthday party. I might be pretty quiet but it’s nice to get to the end of the group stage playing good cricket, we will rest for a couple of days and then look forward to the semis.”

Mooney, who was named ‘Player of the Match’ for forging another rescue act for Australia, felt adapting to the situation was the key for her. “Adapting to the situation in front of me, Rachael and I talk about it all the time, real challenge batting at 4 and 5 whereas opening you know what you will get. It is difficult at times, but thankfully I’m playing in this Australian team which is pretty elite – I don’t have to do a whole lot at the end.”

Mooney was also delighted with how Sutherland performed with bat and ball against Bangladesh. “She is an intelligent cricketer in her own right. She read the game and played accordingly. She has got the skill set to play in this Australian team for a long time. Honestly, she could play as a batter or a bowler here. She is progressing nicely.”

Mooney signed off by saying that Bangladesh played well despite meeting them for the first time in ODIs. “It was really tough, we were discussing it out there, certainly we wouldn’t have bowled Darcie if we were out there. They bowled extremely well and put us under the pump.”

“Learning on the job in this case, we have played them in the T20 World Cup in 2020, we had a little bit of intel. They are quite versatile as well; their leggies bowl a bit of offie as well which is difficult for a left-hander. A little bit of analysis on their bowlers helped.”

Pak National Assembly session adjourned till March 28

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Pak National Assembly session adjourned till March 28

The much-anticipated session of the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) to deliberate on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan filed by the joint opposition, has been adjourned till March 28, The News reported.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session till March 28 citing parliamentary traditions.

“Prior to this, NA sessions have been adjourned 24 times due to the demise of fellow parliamentarians,” Qaiser said before announcing the adjournment of Friday’s session.

Amid claims of the joint opposition to have obtained the support of required numbers for the success of the no-confidence motion against Khan, a 15-point agenda was issued by the NA Secretariat for the 41st session on Thursday night, with the no-trust motion on the ‘Orders of the Day.

The opposition had submitted a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister on March 8 and the 14-day constitutional deadline as per Article 54(3) to convene the NA session had expired on March 21.

“This House is of the view that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly of Pakistan; therefore he should cease to hold office,” said the text of the resolution.

Nepal PM Deuba to visit India in April

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Nepal PM Deuba to visit India in April

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is set to embark on a three-day official visit to India starting from April 1.

According to local media reports, Deuba’s trip comes on the heels of an invitation by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, which the Nepali leader has accepted.

The visit will take place shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concludes his three-day Nepal visit on March 27.

As per the existing plan, Deuba will travel to Delhi on April 1, hold talks with Modi and other Indian politicians the next day and return home on April 3, the local media reports said.

This will be Deuba’s first official trip since his appointment as Prime Minister in July last year.

Earlier in January, Deuba was scheduled to travel to India to participate in a business summit in Gujarat. But the trip was cancelled after the summit was postponed in the wake of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deuba and Modi, however, met in Glasgow in November last year on the sidelines of the UN climate conference.

Officials said some agreements between Nepal and India, including on cross-border railway, which has been on the table for a while, are likely.

The Kurtha-Jayanagar railway is on a dry run since the second week of February for the lack of a law to guide the operations. The government, however, on Tuesday reissued the railway ordinance for the operation of the cross-border shuttle.

Officials who are preparing the agenda for Deuba’s visit said the two Prime Ministers are likely to inaugurate the Kurtha-Jayanagar railway which was reconstructed with Indian assistance.

A Memorandum of Understanding on rebuilding around 137 health posts with Indian financial assistance that New Delhi had announced in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake is also likely, they added.

Nepal-India relations had hit a new low during Oli’s tenure after some of his statements.

Rapprochement efforts were made starting with Indian foreign intelligence chief Samant Goel’s visit to Kathmandu, which was followed by the visit of Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali to Delhi.

External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar also visited Kathmandu in August 2019 to take part in the fifth Nepal-India Joint Commission meeting.

In November 2020, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also arrived in Kathmandu as an introductory visit.

But a political crisis was triggered by an infighting in the then ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Oli, who unsuccessfully dissolved Parliament twice and was ultimately ousted from the government in July 2021.

Deuba returned to power with the backing of all anti-Oli forces.

As far as Nepal-India ties are concerned, some irritants continue to remain which Deuba and Modi are likely to discuss during their one-on-one meeting, the officials said.

The former Oli government’s decision to issue a new map of Nepal depicting Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within the Nepali territory has not gone down well with New Delhi.

India has also built a road via Lipulekh to Mansorvar in Tibet, to which Nepal has taken exception as it is a tri-junction between the three countries.

Nepal has sent a slew of diplomatic notes to India in order to resolve the boundary row but no progress has been made.

All outstanding issues between Nepal and India will be discussed during Deuba’s visit, said Nepali officials.

Scientists find microplastics in human blood for first time

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Scientists find microplastics in human blood for first time

A team of scientists has for the first time demonstrated that plastic particles from our day-to-day lives such as water bottles, grocery bags, toys, and disposable cutlery, among others, can end up in our bloodstream at detectable levels.

The research, published in the scientific journal Environment International, shows that minuscule pieces of plastic from our living environment are absorbed into the human bloodstream.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and polymers of styrene were the most common types of plastic found in the blood samples, followed by poly(methyl methacrylate). Polypropylene was also analyzed but the concentrations were too low for an accurate measurement.

PET is commonly found in soda and water bottles; containers; polyethylene in bottles for milk and household cleaners; blow-extruded grocery bags, caps, and toys; while polymers of styrene are found in disposable cutlery, plastic models, CDs, and DVD cases.

“We have now proven that our bloodstream, our river of life as it were, has plastic in it,” said ecotoxicologist Heather Leslie from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

The team developed an analytic method for establishing the trace level of micro and nano plastic particles in human blood. The study included 22 participants, whose blood was examined for the presence of five different polymers, the building blocks of plastic.

Three-quarters of the test subjects appeared to have plastics in their blood, the team said.

While earlier indicators for this came from laboratory experiments, the new research shows that people absorb microplastics from their environment in their everyday lives and that the amounts are measurable in their blood.

The overall concentration of plastic particles in the blood of the 22 donors amounted to an average of 1.6 microgram/milliliter (ug/ml), which is comparable to a teaspoon of plastic in 1,000 lots of water (10 large bathtubs).

A quarter of the tested donors had no detectable quantities of plastic particles of any type in their blood.

“This dataset is the first of its kind and must be expanded to gain insight into how widespread plastic pollution is in the bodies of humans, and how harmful that may be. With this insight we can determine whether exposure to plastic particles pose threat to public health,” said analytical chemist Marja Lamoree from the varsity.

The team now wants to address how easy it is for these particles to move from the bloodstream into tissues such as organs like the brain.

Priyanka Chopra, Kaitlyn Dever, Chloe Fineman sizzle at Oscars bash

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Priyanka Chopra, Kaitlyn Dever, Chloe Fineman sizzle at Oscars bash

With the Oscars week underway, the celebrations for the prestigious awards ceremony are in full swing with Oscar parties raising the excitement further. Recently, stars from Hollywood and international cinema attended several events and the pictures, accessed by ‘Variety’, are stunning, to say the least.

Reinaldo Marcus Green, Jamie Dornan, and Donall O Healai were all suited up for the Oscar Wilde Awards at The Ebell of Los Angeles.

Another set of pictures, accessed by ‘Variety’, show Saniyya Sidney and Aunjanue Ellis put their best fashion foot forward at the Essence 15th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Storm Reid was also seen sporting a light yellow colored gown for the same with British actor Damson Idris donning a cloud grey colored suit for the said event.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Aziz Ansari were seen sharing a laugh at the Celebrate South Asian Excellence event at UTA where Kal Penn and Joseph Patel too registered their presence.

Justice Smith, Nat Wolff, Chloe Fineman, Tinx, Olly Sholotanat, Kaitlyn Dever, Joey King, Chase Stokes, and Kathryn Newton graced the Vanity Fair and BACARDÍ Rum Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood at Musso & Frank Grill.

Yvette Nicole Brown and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan were seen acing their fashion game at Emily’s List Oscars Week Discussion at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills along with Chiney Ogwumike, Amber Tamblyn, and Gloria Calderon Kellett.

Pawan Kalyan tears up as Padmaja Reddy’s speech begins

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Pawan Kalyan tears up as Padmaja Reddy’s speech begins

Actor-turned-politician Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan had participated in Netaji’s book review written by MVR Shastry at Shilpa Kala Vedika, Hyderabad. One of the guests at the event, Padmaja Reddy’s speech made Pawan Kalyan quite emotional.

Padmaja Reddy, a Kuchipudi dancer, had attended the book review event, in which she was one of the guests alongside Pawan Kalyan.

Addressing the gathering, Padmaja said a few words about Pawan Kalyan and his brother Chiranjeevi, which made the ‘Bheemla Nayak’ actor emotional.

“Chiranjeevi’s wife Surekha is my best friend. I have heard about Pawan Kalyan from the couple, and they are always so fond of him. Pawan is like a baby to Chiru Garu and Surekha”, Padmaja said.

“Surekha always pampers Pawan like her eldest son. They identify him as the most precious person. So, as the years pass by, I have developed that motherly attitude towards Pawan. For me also, he is like a baby,” she said.

This speech seems to have touched Pawan Kalyan so much that he almost had tears in his eyes. This particular video of Pawan tearing up, while Padmaja is speaking about his brother and sister-in-law, has now become viral.

On the work front, Pawan will be seen in ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ next.

IPL 2022: It’s a wise decision, MS Dhoni will have time to groom Jadeja, says S Badrinath on CSK captaincy change

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IPL 2022: It’s a wise decision, MS Dhoni will have time to groom Jadeja, says S Badrinath on CSK captaincy change

Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath feels MS Dhoni has taken a wise decision to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings to Ravindra Jadeja as the charismatic skipper will still be playing and will have time to groom the all-rounder for the captaincy role and help him in taking on-field decisions.

Ahead of the start of the IPL 2022, the 40-year-old Dhoni on Thursday decided to hand over the captaincy of CSK to Jadeja. The star all-rounder, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead the Chennai-based franchise after Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

Dhoni, under whom the CSK has registered a record 121 wins in 204 matches in the IPL, will continue to represent the franchise this season and beyond.

The 41-year old Badrinath, who played under the captaincy of Dhoni at CSK, feels that the captaincy progression is a logical decision considering Mahi is no longer at the peak of his career.

“There is definitely some planning in what MS Dhoni does and he would’ve certainly thought about it for the last year or so. The announcement has come now but it probably was in the pipeline. Jadeja is a senior player now and playing in all three formats for India. I am sure he will do well and Dhoni is also there on the field so that will be a great backbone for Jaddu,” Badrinath told in an interview at the sidelines of the National Poker Series.

The cricketer-turned commentator is spending some quality time while playing poker in Goa before he joins the host broadcaster for IPL 2022.

The stylish batter also spoke about the natural progression of cricketers and how Dhoni can groom Jadeja in the upcoming IPL season and help him in taking decisions.

“It’s a natural progression, every cricketer has to go through this and we all know MS Dhoni is not at the peak of his career. So it was going to happen at some point or another. Perhaps, it’s his last season.. we don’t know so we have to look for a captain,” he said.

“It’s better when MS is there and he can groom a captain rather than when he is not there and Jadeja is left on the field all alone. It’s a wise decision when MS is already on the field and he can help Jadeja,” he added.

Dhoni, who was the most expensive buy at the inaugural IPL auction held in February 2008, has been the skipper of CSK right through all the IPL seasons the franchise has participated. Under his leadership, CSK won the IPL trophy on four occasions – 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. Moreover, CSK also ended up as the runners-up on five occasions – 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019.

And for Badrinath, Dhoni as a skipper CSK has left a big legacy and he believes that the legendary cricketer will continue to serve the four-time champions and have a big influence either as a player or the mentor.

“Dhoni’s legacy is definitely big for CSK. He has led them to four titles, been also one of the big influences for the franchise and it will continue. I am sure he will be involved with the CSK, maybe as a player, maybe as a mentor for many more years,” the former CSK cricketer said.

The Tamil Nadu cricketer is also highly impressed with Jadeja’s progress as a batter, adding that the all-rounder will now become a 4D cricketer.

”Jadeja has always been a good bowler and batter but his batting in the last two years has improved tremendously. His impactful batting makes him a proper three-dimensional player. Now, there will be a fourth dimension as well as captaincy is also there,” he said.

“The only thing is he has never led any team even at first-class cricket. So, that is the only thing.. that needs to be looked at but as far as his value to the team is concerned we all know how good he is. However, he already has the workload and it will increase now as he has to field in the hotspot, he has to bat and bowl and there is captaincy also. So, we will have to wait and watch how he does it,” he added.

Badrinath also believes that Jadeja’s finishing ability will be crucial for CSK’s success in IPL 2022.

“He plays the role of a finisher at No 6. So, perhaps, he is more wanting as a batter and I don’t think he is going to bowl four overs in every match but his finishing ability will be crucial for the team,” he said.

The 15th season of IPL will start on March 26 at the Wankhede stadium with a clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders.

Women’s World Cup: Australia maintain unbeaten streak with five-wicket win over Bangladesh

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Women’s World Cup: Australia maintain unbeaten streak with five-wicket win over Bangladesh

Six-time champions Australia maintained their unbeaten streak in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup with a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in a rain-affected 43-over affair at the Basin Reserve.

The win was achieved mainly on the back of Beth Mooney making a fighting, unbeaten 66, and sharing an unbroken stand of 65 with Annabel Sutherland (26 not out) to chase down 136 in 32.1 overs.

The efforts of Mooney and Sutherland came after spinner Salma Khatun, with her three for 23, gave a huge scare to Australia by taking out Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, and captain Meg Lanning in quick succession.

Things went worse when Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner fell too. But it wasn’t enough as Mooney fought through wind, freezing cold, and Bangladesh, with some support from Sutherland, to help Australia maintain their clean slate in the league stage of the mega event.

Earlier, after a delayed start due to rain, Lata Mondal top-scored for Bangladesh with an excellent 33 as Gardner and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen took four wickets between themselves to restrict them to 135/6.

Murshida Khatun (12) and Sharmin Akhter (24) were able to safely negotiate an Australia seam attack missing star all-rounder Ellyse Perry because of injury. The pair took the score along to 33 without too much trouble. But the introduction of Gardner (2/23) changed things for Australia as Khatun fell.

Fargana Hoque (8) was dismissed by Annabel Sutherland (1/22), before Akhter and skipper Nigar Sultana (7) fell to Jess Jonassen (2/13) in quick succession to leave Bangladesh in tatters at 62/4. Rumana Ahmed (15) combined with Mondal for a 33-run stand.
But their total was never going to be enough as Mooney scripted yet another rescue act to ensure Australia entered the knockout stages of the tournament with seven wins in as many matches.

Brief Scores:

Australia 136/5 in 32.1 overs (Beth Mooney 66 not out, Annabel Sutherland 26 not out; Salma Khatun 3/23, Nahida Akter 1/33) beat Bangladesh 135/6 in 43 overs (Lata Mondal 33, Sharmin Akhter 24; Jess Jonassen 2/13, Ashleigh Gardner 2/20) by five wickets

Apple working on hardware subscription service for iPhones, iPads

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Apple working on hardware subscription service for iPhones, iPads

Apple is reportedly working on a hardware subscription service that lets you buy not just iPhones but iPads too in monthly payments.

It would be different than the iPhone Upgrade programme that lets you pay for the iPhone in 24 monthly installments.

Under that program, the device is yours once you have paid for it in full, reports PhoneArena.

The new hardware subscription service is expected to launch by the end of 2022 or in 2023. The program would differ from a normal mobile phone plan in that it would not be the price of the hardware split across 12, 24, or 36 months.

Instead, it would be a monthly fee based on the hardware that the Apple user chooses.

Apple dominated the list of top 10 best-selling smartphones in 2021 globally, as seven out of 10 smartphones in the list were iPhones.

According to market research firm Counterpoint, the top 10 best-selling smartphone models contributed 19 per cent to the total global smartphone unit sales in 2021, compared to 16 per cent in 2020.

Apple secured seven spots in the list, its highest ever, while Xiaomi captured two spots and Samsung one. There were more than 4,200 active smartphone models in the global market in 2021.

The top five models in 2021 were from Apple. The iPhone 12 was the best-selling model, followed by iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 11.

The top three models contributed 41 per cent to Apple’s total sales.

With 1,685 new Covid cases, India sees a marginal decline

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With 1,685 new Covid cases, India sees a marginal decline

India reported 1,685 fresh Covid cases in a span of 24 hours, a marginal decline against the previous day’s count of 1,938.

In the same period, 83 deaths were recorded taking the total to 5,16,755, said the Union Health Ministry on Friday morning.

Following a continuous downward trend, India’s active caseload has further declined to 21,530, constituting 0.05 percent of the country’s total positive cases.

A total of 2,499 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients since the beginning of the pandemic is now at 4,24,78,087. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.75 percent.

Also in the same period, a total of 6,91,425 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 78.56 crore cumulative tests.

There has been a sustained fall in the weekly and daily positivity rates too. The weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.33 percent and the daily positivity rate is reported to be 0.24 percent.

On the vaccination front, India’s Covid vaccination coverage has exceeded 182.55 crores as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. Friday morning. This has been achieved through 2,16,22,613 sessions.

Over 90 lakh adolescents have been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine since the beginning of the drive for the 12 to 14 age group, said the ministry.

More than 16.45 crore balance and unutilized Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of Friday morning.

Data centres in India faced 51 mn cyber attacks in 9 months

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Data centres in India faced 51 mn cyber attacks in 9 months

The data centers in India captured more than 51 million cyber attacks over their networks from over 40,000 unique IP addresses from April-December 2021, a new report showed on Friday.

The report also found a total number of 26,166 usernames that were used to log into the networks by attackers while a total number of 80282 passwords were found that were used to log into the networks by attackers.

As per the research done by The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) and CyberPeace Foundation (CPF) along with Autobot Infosec, attackers tried to run multiple terminal commands and also tried to download malicious payloads on the system.

Researchers found a total number of 1,31,388 unique terminal commands were run in the system while a total number of 1,262 unique payloads have been identified that were injected into the environment.

The payloads include malicious files like a botnet, trojan, etc.

“By deploying the simulated network we can collect data on patterns of attack, the different types of attack vector for the different protocols, and the recent trends of malicious activity,” said a CyberPeace Foundation spokesperson.

The objective was to examine the different types of signatures that can be used as exhibitors of compromise on the simulated Data center network by collecting information that can mitigate future attacks on real networks.

Petrol, diesel prices raised again

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Petrol, diesel prices raised again

State-owned oil marketing companies (OMC) on Friday raised petrol and diesel prices for the third time this week.

These prices were revised for the very first time on Tuesday after a gap of more than four months.

Accordingly, the increase in the selling price, which includes state levies, central excise, and cess amongst others, came days after crude oil rates saw an astronomical rise due to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

In New Delhi, the price of petrol and diesel was increased again by 80 paise per liter.

As per pump prices, petrol now costs Rs 97.01 per liter and diesel Rs 88.27 per liter in the national capital.

On Wednesday, petrol prices were increased to Rs 97.81 per liter and diesel Rs 89.07 per litre in Delhi.

In the financial capital Mumbai, prices were hiked to Rs 112.51 per litre for petrol and diesel to Rs 96.70 per litre.

Besides, the prices of both the transport fuels were raised in Kolkata. The petrol prices rose to Rs 107.18 and diesel to Rs 92.22 per liter.

In Chennai too, they were increased. Petrol there now costs Rs 103.67, while diesel is Rs 93.71 per litre.

Till Tuesday, fuel prices were steady since early November when the Centre reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per liter, respectively.

The OMCs revise the transportation fuel cost based on various factors such as rupee to the US dollar exchange rate, cost of crude oil, and demand of fuel amongst others.

Resultantly, the final price includes excise duty, value added tax, and dealer’s commission.

It was widely expected that the OMCs will revise the current prices due to high crude oil costs.

Lately, crude oil prices have been volatile surging by nearly 35-40 percent on fear of tight supplies.

Furthermore, it is feared that current sanctions against Russia will curtail more global supplies and stifle growth.

The crude oil price range is a cause of concern for India as it may ultimately add Rs 15-Rs 25 in petrol and diesel selling prices.

At present, India imports nearly 85 percent of its crude oil requirements.

SRK-Deepika set to wrap up ‘Pathaan’ Spain schedule on March 27

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SRK-Deepika set to wrap up ‘Pathaan’ Spain schedule on March 27

Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone have been shooting for a grandiose song of ‘Pathan’ in Mallorca, a Balearic Island of Spain, for the past few days. The two are now set to head to Cadiz and Jerez in Spain where they will wrap up the schedule on March 27.

A trade source reveals, “‘Pathaan’ is the first film to be shot in Mallorca, Spain. Its expensive, exquisite, and luxurious setting makes it one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and Siddharth Anand and YRF definitely wanted to film ‘Pathaan’ over here to achieve a level of scale that has not been seen before in Hindi cinema.”

Talking about the next leg of shooting in the Spain schedule, the source further says that the final part of the schedule will involve physically demanding action sequences.

He says, “After Mallorca, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will head to Cadiz and Jerez for an activity schedule that is simply unreal. They will be pushing their bodies to the hilt and filming some death-defying stunts!”

The source goes on to mention that the production is looking to wrap up the schedule by March 27, ‘Pathaan’ team is aiming to wrap the Spain schedule on March 27. Sid Anand wanted a big international schedule to wow audiences and he has managed to somehow achieve his vision with YRF. SRK and Deepika are looking absolutely drool-worthy and looks like Sid wants them to scorch the big screen.”

“SRK and DP’s pairing has delivered historic blockbusters and there is a definite intent by the makers to make ‘Pathaan’ their biggest film to date”, the source concludes.

‘Pathan’, which marks SRK’s comeback to movies after almost four years, will see him essaying the role of a spy. The film, directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Yash Raj Films, also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. Earlier, the film’s teaser gave an insight into its premise and the titular character with SRK appearing in a silhouette, generating massive hype.

Vinicius on target as Brazil rout Chile

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Vinicius on target as Brazil rout Chile

Vinicius Junior scored his first international goal as Brazil cruised to a 4-0 win over Chile in their FIFA World Cup qualifier here on Thursday.

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar put the hosts ahead at the Maracana stadium with a penalty after being tripped by Mauricio Isla in the 43rd minute. Vinicius doubled the lead two minutes later by combining with Antony and sliding a low shot past Claudio Bravo.

Brazil continued to attack with flair after the interval and was unlucky not to extend their lead when goal-bound Lucas Paqueta was dispossessed by a perfectly timed Claudio Baeza tackle, reports Xinhua

But the third goal came shortly afterward when Philippe Coutinho converted from the spot after Bravo clattered into Antony.

Second-half substitute Richarlison completed the rout with a cool finish in stoppage time following slick build-up play from Bruno Guimaraes.

The result leaves Brazil unbeaten at the top of the 10-team South American group with 42 points from 16 matches. Chile is seventh with 19 points from 17 games and needs to win their final qualifier against Uruguay in Santiago on Tuesday to have any chance of securing a playoff spot.

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