7 Healthy food tips to follow during the Coronavirus outbreak

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Food tips during the Coronavirus are indeed useful in order to have hearty meals at home during lockdown. Healthy foods for Coronvirus are good to have.

Similar to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic impact on health, food habits have has also got affected. In other words, eating habits have changed. Some people are in fact finding it difficult to manage their daily meals while some fortunate ones have necessary food items stocked up.

As parents happen to be working from home and juggling work with household responsibilities, thinking about ‘today’s menu’ has become common and has added to the problems of a chaotic day.

Food Tips During The Coronavirus :

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has come up with Coronavirus food tips as well as healthy eating habits during the Coronavirus crisis.

1) Eat Green Vegetables:

It is important to ensure that the family gets adequate nutrition during the Cornonavirus pandemic. Make sure the family gets the right amount of nutrition by consuming green leafy vegetables. During the lockdown on account of the Coronavirus crisis, there has been shortage of vegetables at times or selling at a higher price. The number of food options available also get limited. It is better to avoid panic buying perishable items in bulk, as it will lead to food wastage.

2) Snack Right:

Snacks also form an integral part of the diet. It is not simply a question of having breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also what a person has in between meals also matters. It is important to avoid eating junk food as well as processed food for snacks. It is better to have fresh fruits instead. One can prepare a quick veggie sandwich as well in case a person feels hungry. Munching dry fruits can be tasty as well as healthy.

3) Sort Out Basics:

Basics such as rice and dal can be stored for a longer period and they do satiate one’s hunger. It is better to depend upon such basic food items. Healthy food for Coronavirus is the adage to be followed.

4) Restrict Processed Food Intake:

Ready-to-eat products, instant food items, packaged food, etc.are worth considering as viable food options during the this pandemic. Students who live alone and people who are finding it difficult to manage work as well as cooking might indeed depend a lot on processed food. However, make a conscious decision to limit its intake as too much of it can indeed be harmful to the body. It is important to ensure a balanced diet.

5) Avoid Sugary Drinks:

It is necessary to have access throughout the day to the refrigerator and this must not lead to increased consumption of soft drinks. Keep a track of alcohol consumption as well as over indulgence in it is bad for health.

6) Water Is Essential:

Staying hydrated is very essential for the human body irrespective of the current crisis. Keep sipping water all throughout the day. The Coronavirus crisis has occurred during the summer season, thus making it even more important to stay hydrated. In case a person finds it difficult to meet daily quota of drinking water, it is advisable to consider setting an alarm on the phone in order to help prompt to keep sipping water at regular intervals.

7) Special Meals:

On days when a person happens to have a light working day or have a holiday, it is better to opt for cooking special meals. Kids would simply love to have pizza, pasta, or whatever else they so desire to have. In fact, children can help prepare such special meals and it can be a fun family-bonding time. It would be interesting to take time out to select the menu, preparing the meal, and serving it.

Raina one of key performers for India in limited-overs cricket: Ganguly

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BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has paid a rich tribute to Suresh Raina, saying the attacking left-handed batsman has been one of the key performers for India in limited-overs cricket.

Raina on Sunday officially communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India about his decision to retire from international cricket. He represented India in 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is in an international career spanning 13 years.

“Suresh Raina has been one of the key performers in limited-overs cricket for India. Coming lower down the order and playing some of the match-winning knocks requires a lot of skill and talent,” said Ganguly in a BCCI statement.

“He along with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni formed a solid middle order for India in ODIs. I wish him and his family all the very best,” he added.

A member of the victorious World Cup-winning team in 2011, Raina first made his international debut at the age of 18 and also led India in ODIs and T2OIs when he turned 23. He is the youngest to lead an India men’s T20I side and was also a member of the side that played in India’s first-ever T20I. The southpaw is also the first Indian to score a century in the T20 World Cup.

Under his captaincy, India registered a 3-2 series victory in West Indies and a 2-0 win over Bangladesh in ODIs and a 2-0 T20I series win in Zimbabwe.

Arun Singh Dhumal, BCCI Treasurer, said: “I would like to congratulate Suresh Raina on the phenomenal career that he had for Team India. An exceptional fielder and a match-winner, Raina was a treat watch in white-ball cricket. Your energy and skills will be missed. I wish you all the luck in your future endeavors.”

Raina, who scored a century on debut in Tests, is also the first Indian to have hundreds in all three formats of the game and his centuries were scored outside India.

With MS Dhoni, he formed a lethal batting partnership. Often coming together in crunch situations, the two helped India cross the finish line. Together they scored 2421 runs for the fifth wicket, the most by a pair in ODIs for that wicket.

Halep beats Mertens to clinch Prague Open title

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Top seed Simona Halep produced a scintillating performance as she defeated Elise Mertens in straight sets to clinch the Prague Open title.

Halep beat No. 3 seed Mertens 6-2, 7-5 in the summit clash that lasted one hour and 33 minutes on Sunday.

The World No.2 has now collected trophies in both her last tournament before the WTA Tour shutdown, in Dubai in February, and her first tournament since its resumption, extending her winning streak to nine matches and counting.

“It was really tough to get back to official matches after such a long break,” she told the press as per the WTA website after the match. “The emotions after staying in the room for 10 days were not easy – but you know, I have to take the positives also, I was able to win the tournament which means a lot.

“I was a little worried at the beginning but here we felt very safe, and all the restrictions and rules were respected – we can do tournaments like this week, I feel it’s a big chance for us to participate again. It’s very different and a little stressful and we have to adjust ourselves, but the fact that everyone was good these 10 days means that everything was really well done,” added the 28-year-old.

This was Halep’s 21st career WTA trophy – the fifth-highest tally of active players behind only Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, and Petra Kvitova.

Google open sources its language interpretability tool

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Google AI researchers have made the Language Interpretability Tool (LIT) an open source platform for visualizing, understanding and auditing natural language processing (NLP) models for third-party developers.

LIT focuses on AI models and answers deep questions about their behavior like why AI models make certain predictions or can these predictions be attributed to adversarial behaviour, or too undesirable priors in the training set.

LIT calculates and displays metrics for entire data sets to spotlight patterns in model performance.

“In LIT’s metrics table, we can slice a selection by pronoun type and by the true referent,” according to the team behind LIT.

The tool supports natural language processing tasks like classification, language modeling, and structured prediction.

“LIT works with any model that can run from Python, the Google researchers say, including TensorFlow, PyTorch, and remote models on a server,” reports VentureBeat.

Natural language processing is a subfield of linguistics, computer science, information engineering, and Artificial Intelligence concerned with the interactions between computers and human languages, in particular how to program computers to process and analyze large amounts of natural language data.

The Google LIT team said that in the near future, the toolset will gain features like counterfactual generation plug-ins, additional metrics and visualizations for sequence and structured output types, and a greater ability to customize the user interface (UI) for different applications.

Global COVID-19 cases top 21.5mn: Johns Hopkins

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The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 21.5 million, while the deaths were nearing 774,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 21,598,893 and the fatalities rose to 773,934, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of infections and fatalities at 5,403,213 and 170,052, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 3,340,197 infections and 107,852 deaths.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (2,589,682), and is followed by Russia (920,719), South Africa (587,345), Peru (525,803), Mexico (522,162), Colombia (468,332), Chile (385,946), Iran (343,203), Spain (342,813), the UK (320,343), Saudi Arabia (298,542), Argentina (294,569), Pakistan (288,717), Bangladesh (276,549), Italy (253,915), France (252,965), Turkey (249,309), Germany (225,007), Iraq (176,931), Philippines (161,253), Indonesia (139,549), Canada (124,004), Qatar (115,080), Kazakhstan (103,033), Ecuador (101,542) and Bolivia (100,344), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the Mexico (56,757), India (49,980), UK (46,791), Italy (35,396), France (30,410), Spain (28,617), Peru (26,075), Iran (19,639), Russia (15,653), Colombia (15,097), South Africa (11,839) and Chile (10,452).

Syria cancels football friendly with Iran

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Syria has canceled a friendly football match with Iran in preparation for the remaining matches of the World Cup qualification group stage. The Iran football federation had already announced that they will host Syria in Tehran on September 3.

“An apology has been made since we cannot play Iran but we will meet Iraq in a friendly match as planned,” Syrian national football team head coach Nabil Maaloul was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily on Sunday, writes Xinhua news agency.

The Iran national football team is also scheduled to meet Uzbekistan in Tashkent on September 7. According to Iran football federation spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi, the match will be held as planned.

“The Asian qualifying matches of the 2022 World Cup have been postponed but our plans go ahead as scheduled,” Alavi was quoted as saying.

Iran, who sit third in Group C behind Iraq and Bahrain, have four must-win matches ahead in the competition.

O’Sullivan clinches 6th title at Snooker World Championship

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Ronnie O’Sullivan clinched his sixth title at the Snooker World Championship by beating the first-time finalist Kyren Wilson 18-8 at Crucible in Sheffield.

O’Sullivan, 44, reached Sunday’s final for the first time since 2014 after coming from behind to edge three-time world champion Mark Selby 17-16 in the semi-finals, reports Xinhua news agency.

He met almost no challenge from world number eight Wilson, who had ousted defending champion and world number one Judd Trump in the quarterfinals, winning the last eight frames in a row to conclude the final.

“I was happy to get one world title at one stage,” O’Sullivan told the World Snooker Tour website. “Once I got to four I knew I could call myself one of the greats because that’s how many times John Higgins had won it. Anything above that and you are in fantastic company.”

O’Sullivan is only one title away from the record of seven held by Stephen Hendry, but he has already set the new record of 37 ranking titles, one ahead of Hendry.

O’Sullivan defeated China’s top player Ding Junhui 13-10 to book a quarter-final berth before he came from 8-4 down to defeat Mark Williams 13-10.

In the first round, O’Sullivan recorded the fastest win in World Championship history by taking just 108 minutes to sweep Thai player Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-1.

US Covid-19 deaths top 170,000

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US Covid-19 deaths have surpassed the 170,000 marks, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

With the national cases topping 5.4 million, the death toll from the disease in the US rose to 170,019 on Sunday evening, according to the CSSE, Xinhua reported.

The state of New York recorded the most deaths across the country, with 32,840 fatalities, followed by New Jersey with 15,912 deaths. California and Texas both reported more than 10,000 deaths, the tally showed.

States with more than 7,000 fatalities also include Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

The US has registered the highest caseload and deaths of any nation, accounting for more than 20 percent of the global death toll.

US nursing homes have once again seen a spike in new Covid-19 cases due to community spread, a recent report released by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living showed.

Meanwhile, the nationwide number and rate of cases in children have been “steadily increasing” from March to July, said new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Karnataka BJP legislator tests Covid positive

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Karnataka’s BJP legislator Venkatareddy Mudnal has tested positive for coronavirus and has been admitted to a private hospital in the city, a party official said on Sunday.

“Mudnal, 63, gave his swab sample for testing at Yadgir on Saturday. As it turned positive, he came to the city earlier in the day and was admitted in Fortis hospital for treatment though he is asymptomatic,” the party official told IANS.

Mudnal is the MLA from Yadgir.

Mudnal, who participated in the 74th Independence Day celebrations at Yadgir on Saturday, has advised all who came in contact with him to take a COVID test and isolate themselves.

Heis the latest among scores of politicians to have been infected in the state over the last two months.

Janata Dal-Secular legislator Naganagouda Kandkur from the Gurmatkal assembly segment, also in Yadgir district, had tested positive for the virus on August 5 and was admitted in a designated hospital at Yadgir for treatment.

BJP’s legislator Paranna Munavalli from Gangavathi in Koppal district also tested positive on July 19 but recovered from the infection recently.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah also tested positive and were discharged last week after a weeklong treatment at a private hospital in the city.

State Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekar and JD-S MLA G.T. Devegowda are in-home quarantine after testing positive though they are asymptomatic.

Congress MLAs P.T. Paremeshwar Naik of Huvina Hadgali assembly segment in Ballari, Ajay Singh from Jewargi in Kalaburagi, Rajashekar Patil of Humnabad in Bidar and his MLC brother Chandrashekar Patil, BJP’s Bidar Lok Sabha member Bhagawant Khutba and BJP MLA Rajkumar Teklur from Sedam in Kalaburagi were among the politicians who contracted the virus.

7 drinks to cleanse one’s kidneys naturally

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Kidneys need to be kept in good shape for good health. Kidney cleanse juice is good to have. Kidney cleanse home remedy is good. Juices can be had for kidney healthy functioning.

Kidneys are vital organs and are small in size They are important for body functioning in order to maintain good health. Their function is to filter the blood as well as pass out the filtration as urine. Kidney cleanse juice is very healthy.

It is important to have a balanced diet as well as purified drinking water.

Toxins can build up and affect the function of the liver, kidneys, and neighboring organs. They may even also lead to kidney stones and other concerns. One can try out kidney cleanse home remedy.

1. Dandelion Tea

Dandelion is edible and is good for kidneys’ health. Vitamins A, C and D, B-complex, Potassium, Iron, and Zinc are derived from Dandelion tea. It does make human urinate more and also plays a vital role in replacing the lost potassium in the urine.

It plays a vital role in dissolving kidney stones. One must consult a doctor first and then use it for a month. This kidney cleanse juice is very beneficial.

2. Beet Juice

Beet juice is useful as a kidney cleanser. It improves the health of the liver as well. Beet juice does consist of anti-oxidants which do play a vital role in removing the free radicals and thereby increasing urine acidity. It also helps in removing the calcium, thus reducing the tendency for the kidney stones to develop.

3. Ginger Tea

Ginger is a unique spice having plenty of health benefits. By using ginger, free radicals are removed and the inflammation which is associated with the kidney disease is decreased. The process for using ginger consists of various steps. These steps include grating unpeeled and washed ginger into hot water, covering it and then allowing it to step for 5 or more minutes. In order to get a sweetener and enjoy, one needs to add some honey. Using this tea an upset stomach can be soothed. The cholesterol levels may also be lowered, and the infections can easily be fought.

4. Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle is a plant which has been used in traditional herbal medicines for a long time. It has high contents of antioxidants and also help in decreasing inflammation. In several European countries, stinging nettle is made use of widely for the treatment of kidney diseases. As it is diuretic, it does play an important role in flushing bacteria from the urinary tract. In order to help the kidneys flush, with every cup of tea, it is advisable to drink an extra glass of water.

5. Lemon Juice

This helps in flushing fat and also cleansing of the liver. Citrate is present in lemon as well as orange juice. It removes calcium from the kidneys and thus prevents the growth of stones in the kidney. One must drink lemon squeezed in a quart of cold water.

6. Cranberry Juice

Among all the juices, cranberry has a unique is very popular as well as an effective treatment for infections relating to the bladder. Although it is filtered by the kidneys first, cranberry juice does help keep the kidneys healthy. The bacteria that travels from the urinary tract to one’s kidneys leads to kidney infections which can be deadly. Cranberry juice also does play an important role in preventing kidney stones.

7. Turmeric Tea

Turmeric which is useful spice for health. It has anti-inflammatory and stops inflammation associated with chronic kidney diseases. Turmeric also prevents leaky gut which is also associated with the chronic inflammation.

Blood pressure is the major cause of kidney disease and is lowered by turmeric. It also improves the functioning of the liver and also cleanses the kidney.

Conclusion

Smoking and drinking alcohol as well as caffeine are not good for the kidneys. Blood pressure and sugar levels need to be controlled for the proper functioning of the kidneys. One must lower one’s cholesterol and also lose weight by working.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels Fast?

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High cholesterol is a major health risk and it is important to know what reduces cholesterol quickly. One can make use of herbs to lower cholesterol. There are supplements to lower cholesterol.

It is better to try to reduce one’s cholesterol levels for good health by combining lifestyle changes, dietary changes. In case of medical advice, it is possible to take medications as well. There is no immediate solution, but if you have high cholesterol, lowering it is important. High cholesterol can increase the risk of blocked arteries and heart attacks.

The focus has to be on how to reduce cholesterol quickly. It is important to lower cholesterol fast that too before the lipid blood tests.

Fat does raise one’s cholesterol and leads to a heart attack, not lower it. In order to lower cholesterol it is advisable to cut out on saturated fat and eat lots of whole grains, fruits, cereal, vegetable oils, and the leanest cuts of meat possible. Supplements to lower cholesterol are very useful to lower cholesterol.

High cholesterol increases one’s risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Medications can also help improve one’s cholesterol.

Controlling the cholesterol has a lot of valuable uses. For example:

• A person can eat extra fat for a few days, drop the cholesterol, get a blood test, and show it to one’s health/life insurance company so they can adjust the rates down.

• One can wait until the doctor appreciates the lowering of cholesterol.

1. Making Lifestyle Changes Right Away

Start exercising

Exercise does improve the functioning of the body in handling fat and cholesterol. Changes must be done slowly. It is better to consult the doctor prior to starting a new exercise program. Then increase the intensity slowly over a period of time working up to between 30 minutes to an hour per day. Activities to try include:

• Walking

• Jogging

• Swimming

• Biking

• Joining a community sports team, like basketball, volleyball, or tennis

2. Improve one’s health immediately by stopping smoking. Quitting smoking can improve one’s cholesterol levels, decrease the blood pressure, and reduce the risk of developing heart disease, strokes, cancers, and lung disease. Get social support from family, friends, local support groups, online forums, and hotlines.

• Consult the physician.

• Use nicotine replacement therapy

• Go to an addictions counselor. Many even specialize in helping people stop smoking.

• Consider residential treatment

3. Manage one’s weight

Keeping the weight under control will indeed help a person to keep one’s cholesterol down. If a person is too heavy, losing just five percent of one’s weight can reduce the cholesterol. What reduces cholesterol quickly is what matters most.

4. Cut down on alcohol

Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients. This means that drinking too much of it increases the risk of obesity. Herbs to lower cholesterol can help an alcoholic who is suffering from high cholesterol levels.

5. Reduce saturated fats

Saturated fats, which is found in red meat and full-fat dairy products, that raises the total cholesterol. Decreasing one’s consumption of saturated fats can indeed reduce the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad” cholesterol.

It is good to eliminate trans fats that are often made use of in margarines and store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes. Trans fats raise overall cholesterol levels. It is good to eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids do not affect LDL cholesterol, but they do consist of other heart-healthy benefits, that does help reduce blood pressure. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids does include salmon, mackerel, herring, walnuts and flaxseeds. It is better to increase soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can indeed reduce the absorption of cholesterol into one’s bloodstream. Soluble fiber is available in oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. It is good to add whey protein to one’s diet. It is available in dairy product.

7 Health Benefits of Kiwi

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Kiwis are very good for health and kiwi fruit benefits for skin are several as well as kiwi fruit for pregnancy is good. In fact, Kiwi fruit benefits for kidney cannot be negated.

Kiwi is known for its high content of vitamin C and is popular as a health food. It is also rich in other nutrients. These nutrients help lower blood pressure, help maintain bowel health and more. It is full of nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folate and potassium. Kiwis also are a powerful fiber source. Kiwi fruit benefits for weight loss is also part and parcel of the several benefits along with Kiwi fruit benefits for kidney being manifold.

What are the health benefits of kiwi fruit?

Good for Digestion

Kiwis do sufficient fiber, which is good for digestion. The proteolytic enzyme in kiwi known as actinidin can rather help break down protein. This enzyme actinidin can enhance the protein digestion. Kiwi fruit benefits for skin are also manifold and good digestion also keeps one’s skin glowing.

Can Help Treat Asthma

The high content of vitamin C as well as antioxidants that are found in kiwis will benefit people with asthma. The fruit is beneficial for lung function. Kiwi fruit price is also reasonable and can be had as a fresh fruit regularly, including kiwis. This fresh fruit can decrease wheezing in susceptible children.

The antioxidants in Kiwis contain anti asthma effects and can decrease wheezing in susceptible children.

Strengthens Immune System

Kiwis are rich in vitamin C and other nutrients. Vitamin C is essential for boosting one’s immune system in order to prevent disease. Based on a study it has been observed that the kiwis can help immune functioning and also decrease the risk of contracting cold- or flu-like diseases. This is especially beneficial for adults over 65 and young children.

Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamin C that can indeed help boost immune system. It can also reduce the risk of cold as well as flu, both in children and in elderly.

Can Control Blood Pressure

Kiwi fruits helps control blood pressure. According to a research study it has been observed that 3 kiwis a day had better effects on blood pressure than 1 apple a day. It also implies less risk for disorders such as strokes or heart attacks, in the long term.

The bioactive compounds in kiwifruit can help control blood pressure and may decrease the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Decreases Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress will damage one’s DNA. This can cause chronic diseases. Studies do indicate that daily intake of kiwi or kiwi extract does decrease the risk of oxidative stress. The oxidation can damage DNA as well as cause colon cancer. Regular consumption of kiwi may reduce one’s risk of colon cancer.

The antioxidants properties in kiwifruit can reduce the risks of diseases linked to oxidative stress.

Protects Against Vision Loss

Macular degeneration happens to be the leading cause of vision loss, and kiwis can help protect the eyes against it. The zeaxanthin and lutein available in fruits and vegetables can contribute to this effect.

Consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of vision loss.

Reduces the Risk of Blood Clotting

Kiwis may be able to reduce blood clotting. They can also help control blood pressure. Research indicates consuming three kiwis a day does substantially decrease the risk of blood coagulation. They also can decrease blood triglyceride levels.

Some of the other benefits of Kiwis are Kiwi

fruit in pregnancy is very good to have.

Conclusion

It is indeed good to consume Kiwis as they contain several nutrients which keep the body in a healthy shape. They are good for elderly, children and pregnant women as well.

Air India filling GM posts when it is up for sale

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Air India is embroiled in another controversy with the selection process of eight GM (Ops) at a time when it is up for sale.

Sources say that at a time when Air India has initiated pay cuts, citing financial difficulties, the positions for eight General Managers are being filled with empanelment of candidates already done. Sources say that this will add to the costs of the company at a time when it is citing the inability to pay to other employees causing more heartburn.

They add that these positions are being filled at the behest of a top airline official and chances are that these eight people would again be promoted before the divestment of Air India.

Air India is conducting interviews for the positions of GM (Ops) in Wide Body and Narrow Body aircraft.

The candidature of the Additional/Joint/Deputy GMs is being considered provisionally for the post of General Manager (Operations).

The candidates for wide-body include M. Mathur, C. M. Edekar, Pushpinder Singh, Deepak Dutta, G. P. Nambiar, Sachin Ogale, K. Mathur, R. N. Mucadum, M. A. Doctor, Pankaj Agrawal, and Anupam Chatterjee.

The candidates for narrow-body include Sanjay Yadav, Dinesh Kumar, Yogesh Saraogi, Nivedita Bhasin, Sanjay Bhardwaj, S. Velraj, Nishank Roy, Tez Prakash Singh, Mukul Garg, Ishwar Pal, J. Aditya Rao, and Sangita K. Bangar.

These candidates have been asked to appear for an interview on August 19 through video conference. “Before advising the candidates, please ensure that there is nothing adverse against them”, a circular by the Personnel department of Air India said.

Dhoni’s record of winning 3 ICC trophies will stay forever: Gambhir

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Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels MS Dhoni’s record of winning all three ICC trophies as captain will never be matched.

Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday evening, thus bringing an end to the top-flight career of one of India’s greatest limited-overs cricketers and its most successful captain.

The 39-year old is the only captain to win all three ICC trophies – the 50-over World Cup, the T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy – and he also took India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Gambhir spoke about Dhoni’s achievement of lifting all the three ICC trophies, a feat which according to him no other Indian captain would ever achieve.

“One record if you talk about, which is going to stay forever is MS Dhoni’s three ICC trophies,” said Gambhir who shared a memorable 109-run stand with Dhoni during the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka to help the team clinch the title.

“I don’t think so any other captain would ever be able to achieve that. I think, whether it is the T20 World Cup, whether it is ICC Champions Trophy or 2011 World Cup. I think that is something which is going to stay forever, and I can bet, that’s going to stay forever.

“I think 100s will eventually get broken, someone will come and probably score more double 100s than Rohit Sharma, but I don’t think so any Indian captain would be able to achieve three ICC trophies, so MS Dhoni’s going to be there to stay forever,” he added.

Dhoni, who made his ODI debut in 2004, changed the face of Indian cricket with his calm demeanor, sharp understanding of the game, and astute leadership qualities. He turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20Is.

‘Dharma’ ransomware attacking SMBs, average loss is Rs 6.4 lakh

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Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are witnessing an increased ransomware attack globally, including in India, this year, and the ransom demands have reached nearly $8,620 (nearly Rs 6.4 lakh) on average in the pandemic times.

The “Dharma” ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) attacks are troubling small and mid-sized businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and the cybersecurity firm Sophos has witnessed 85 percent of such attacks focusing on exposed access tools like Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

“Dharma is fast-food franchise ransomware: widely and easily available to just about anyone,” said Sean Gallagher, a senior threat researcher at Sophos.

“That’s worrying enough in itself in normal times. But right now, with many businesses adapting to the pandemic and accommodating a need for rapid support for remote workers, and IT staffs stretched thin, the risks from these attacks are magnified,” Gallagher said in a statement.

“Dharma” has been known since 2016, and is one of the most profitable ransomware families around, due to its mass-market, service-based business model.

Various iterations of its source code have been dumped online or offered for sale, so many variants of the code now exist.

Once Dharma customers, known as affiliates, have purchased the tools and compromised their target, they rely almost entirely on a menu-driven “PowerShell” script that installs and launches the components required to spread ransomware across the target’s network.

When the master script is executed, it identifies itself as “Toolbox” and launches the attack with the message, “Have fun, bro!”

Sophos occasionally observed that affiliates are holding back some of the information as leverage to make additional ransom demands.

The key to avoiding such ransomware attacks is to shut down the internet-facing remote desktop protocol (RDP) to deny cybercriminals access to networks.

“If you need access to RDP, put it behind a VPN connection”.

“Check that you have a full inventory of all devices connected to your network and always install the latest security updates, as soon as they are released, on all the devices and servers on your network,” said the researchers.

The need to equip and enable an unexpectedly remote workforce has left small companies with vulnerable infrastructure and devices, and hindered the ability of IT support staff to adequately monitor and manage systems the way they normally would, Sophos observed.

‘Dhoni would have played T20 WC had it happened this year’

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has called time on his international career, would have played the T20 World Cup had it happened in 2020, feels his childhood coach Keshav Banerjee.

Dhoni quit international cricket on Saturday, thus drawing curtains on an illustrious, trophy-laden career.

The decision ended speculation around the international future of the enigmatic 39-year-old, who quit Test cricket in 2014 and had not featured for India since the side’s semi-final exit at the ODI World Cup in July last year.

“Had it (T20 World Cup) happened this year, he would have played. This is what I feel,” Banerjee, who has known Dhoni since his school days, told IANS over the phone from Dhoni’s hometown in Ranchi.

“He would have taken his decision after the World Cup. See it is difficult to read his mind, but if you ask me he would have played,” he said.

The announcement from Dhoni came a day after he joined his Chennai Super Kings teammates in Chennai ahead of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) edition set to be played in the UAE from September 19.

The 2020 T20 World Cup — which was originally slated to be played in October-November this year — had to be postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No one knows his mind. He has always been an introvert. When he was in Ranchi, I did speak to him several times but we never talked cricket. When Mahi is at home, he does not want to talk cricket,” said Banerjee when asked about Dhoni’s decision.

“It is a loss for Indian cricket for the moment. Till the team does not get a reliable wicketkeeper, it will be difficult. These are big shoes to fill,” he opined.

“I have known him for 28 years. I have seen him starting from his school days when he used to keep wickets. This is definitely an emotional day for me. He knows the rigors of international cricket and his decision is always wise. It also has a surprise element, his decision and he is the best judge,” he added.

Banerjee also said now Dhoni can lead CSK in the IPL with a free mind.

“Now he can focus more on IPL and play freely. There was always so much talk about him performing well in the IPL to return to the Indian team.”

Dhoni turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests, and 98 T20Is while affecting a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps.

One of the most admired and respected cricketers, Dhoni is also among the most successful captains in world cricket. It was under his leadership that India lifted the World Cup trophy in 2011 after having led India to triumph in the World T20 in its maiden edition of the tournament held in 2007 in South Africa. With India winning the Champions Trophy in 2013 in England, Dhoni became the first and is still the only captain to date to have won all three ICC Trophies.

While his heroics in the limited-overs formats are well documented, it was also under his leadership that India became the No. 1 Test side in 2009 and the team stayed at the top for over 600 days. He has led India to victory in 21 home Test matches, the most by an Indian captain.

No change in Pranab’s condition, remains on ventilator

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Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s medical condition remains unchanged and his vital parameters are stable, the Army Research and Referral Hospital here said in a statement.

“There is no change in the condition of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. His vital and clinical parameters are stable and he continues to be on ventilator support. The health condition of the former President, who also has multiple old comorbidities, is being closely monitored by a team of specialists,” the statement read.

The former President, 84, underwent life-saving emergency surgery for a brain clot on Monday and his health worsened later.

As per the hospital, the former President, who was found COVID positive too, was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. It was found that he had a large brain clot, for which he underwent the emergency procedure.

On August 10, Mukherjee had tweeted: “On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID-19 today. I request the people, who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self-isolate and get tested for Covid-19.”

PIA resumes Paris flights via makeshift optios

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed its Paris operations under an alternative arrangement, it was reported on Sunday.

On Saturday, a flight carrying 260 passengers left the French capital for Islamabad, a month and a half after the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the national carrier’s authorization to operate in its member states for six months, The Express Tribune reported.

The plane also has 2.5 tonnes of cargo on board.

The Pakistani flag carrier has made alternative arrangements to resume its operations in European countries through special charter flights.

Following the EASA’s move, the UK Civil Aviation Authority also withdrew PIA’s permit to operate from its airports in Birmingham, London, and Manchester.

Later, the US also imposed a ban on flights of the national flag carrier for six months citing dubious licenses.

The national carrier has reached an agreement with a Portuguese airliner to resume UK flights.

The Portuguese airliner will operate an Airbus A330 with a capacity of more than 300 seats for the PIA.

According to Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar, the government is utilizing all technical and diplomatic means to lift the ban and the PIA would restore its normal flight operations in two months.

The European air safety regulator had imposed the ban in the wake of the grounding of 262 Pakistani pilots whose licenses were termed “dubious” by the aviation minister.

The European regulator recently rejected PIA’s appeal and decided to maintain the ban on its flights till December 31

Sarwar said the government would file another appeal against the decision on August 31.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA), the union for PIA’s pilots, had alleged that the announcement of the “dubious” license holders was a planned government move against the pilots to cut their headcount, reports The Express Tribune.

“The malicious efforts of some at the helm of affairs with a mindset to cut the pilots down to size have resulted in PIA being reduced to an airline on paper,” the union said in a statement.

It also rejected the government’s list of pilots with licences deemed dubious and pointed out that it was full of discrepancies, demanding a judicial investigation.

The 262 pilots – 109 commercial and 153 airline transport pilots – were grounded on June 26, pending the conclusion of inquiries against them.

23 arrested in Goa rave party held amid pandemic (Lead)

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Amid a sustained spike in Covid-19 cases, the Crime Branch of the Goa Police on Sunday busted a rave party in the beach village of Vagator in North Goa, arresting 23 persons, including three women foreign nationals, for the possession of drugs.

According to Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Shobhit Saxena, the raid was conducted as part of a police drive to ensure “public health and public safety” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rave party was a ‘by-invite only’ affair and was held at a posh row village complex called ‘Frangipani Villas’ at Vagator beach village.

“Upon thorough search, narcotics drugs including cocaine, MDMA, ecstasy tablets and charas were detected in sizable quantities and worth over Rs nine lakh. Three foreign women were also found in possession of narcotics,” Saxena said.

“FIRs are registered for endangering public safety, violation of lockdown norms, and for possession of narcotics drugs. Further investigation is on,” Saxena also said.

The raid follows days after a warning by Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Meena, who had said that he was aware of rave parties taking place in Goa amid the pandemic and had warned strict action against such events.

Diljit Dosanjh on Sushant: ‘Suicide waali baat digest toh nahi hoti’

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh says he met Sushant Singh Rajput twice in his life and that he cannot digest the idea that the late actor committed suicide.

A user on social media urged Diljit to raise his voice in the Sushant case. He also used hashtags such as #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput and #GlobalPrayer4SSR

Diljit replied to the user: “Bhai Shushant Bhai Ko Mai Do Baar Mila Thaa Life Mai.. Suicide wali Baat Digest Toh Nahi Hoti.. JAANDAAR Banda Thaa Yaar.. Baki I Know Police Apna Kaam Kar Rahi aa .. Humeh Wait karna Chaiye. I Hope Sach Sab Ke Saamney Aeyga (I have met Sushant twice in my life. Cannot digest that he committed suicide. He was a guy full of life. Rest I know, the police are doing their job. We should wait. I hope the truth comes out).”

Diljit had spoken about Sushant on social media earlier, too. In an Instagram post on June 30, he had called the late actor a “jaandaar banda” (a guy full of life).

Back then, Diljit had posted to say that he was not happy with the decision to release Sushant’s last film “Dil Bechara” on the OTT platform.

“Eh Tan Theatre ch v Release Honi Chaidi Aa.. (It should be released in theatres),” Diljit had said.

Sushant was found dead at his residence on June 14. His family lodged an FIR accusing his girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, and her family with abetment to suicide among other charges. They have demanded a CBI investigation into his death.

Marking the two-month death anniversary of Sushant Singh Rajput, his family members, fans and colleagues from the industry observed a prayer meet on Saturday.