Twitter purges 7,000 accounts linked to pro-Trump group QAnon

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Twitter on Tuesday said it is removing more than 7,000 accounts associated with the far-right conspiracy theory group QAnon, citing concerns about offline harm.

QAnon emerged in the US President Donald Trump era and its supporters believe that Trump is waging a hidden battle against a secretive elite known as the “Deep State”.

Twitter said the enforcement will go into effect this week and will affect 150,000 accounts in total for breaking the policies around offline harm.

“We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm. In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called ‘QAnon’ activity across the service,” Twitter Support tweeted.

The company said it will permanently suspend accounts tweeting about these topics that “we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension”.

Twitter will no longer serve content and accounts associated with QAnon in trends and recommendations or highlight their activity in search and conversations and block associated URLs.

“These actions will be rolled out comprehensively this week. We will continue to review this activity across our service and update our rules and enforcement approach again if necessary,” said Twitter.

QAnon is known for its connection to Pizzagate, a baseless conspiracy that accused former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of running a sex trafficking ring out of a Washington DC pizza place.

“The conspiracy inspired an armed believer to show up to the pizza shop, where he fired a rifle inside the restaurant, though no one was injured,” reports TechCrunch.

Netflix testing ‘Mobile+’ low cost subscription plan in India

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Leading content streaming service Netflix is testing a new Mobile+ plan in India that will offer subscribers an option to stream HD content for Rs 349 per month.

New Mobile+ plan would allow subscribers to stream on only one device which can either be a phone, tablet or computer and it is actually cheaper than the basic Netflix plan priced at Rs 499 per month, reports Android Pure.

“We launched the new Mobile Plan in India to make it easier for anyone with a smartphone to enjoy Netflix. We want to see if members like the added choice this offer bring. We’ll only roll it out long-term if they do,” the report quoted the company’s spokesperson as saying.

The plan is only being trialed with select users currently and based on the adoption rate Netflix will decide whether the plan can be added to the roster permanently.

Netflix launched its first mobile-only plan in India earlier this year for Rs 199 to access its content through mobile devices at a lower resolution.

Netflix has two more subscription plans for Indian users. The standard plan is priced at Rs 649 per month, and it comes with HD streaming and support for two devices and the expensive Rs 799 premium plan that lets users watch 4K, HDR content, and supports UHD streaming.

Last week, Netflix reported 22.49 million paid memberships in the Asia Pacific region with 2.66 million net additions in the last quarter.

England’s Matt Parkinson ruled out of Ireland ODIs

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England leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland with a sprained ankle.

“Get well soon Parky. An ankle injury has ruled Matt Parkinson out of the Royal London Series with Ireland,” England Cricket confirmed in a tweet.

The 23-year-old suffered the injury during fielding practice on Monday, according to a BBC Sport report.

However, but it remains to be seen if England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will name a replacement for Parkinson, considering the players are already in a bio-secure bubble at the moment.

Parkinson made his ODI debut earlier this year against South Africa, finishing wicketless in his two appearances. He has also played T20Is for England, picking five wickets in the two outings against New Zealand in November 2019.

Meanwhile, England has named all-rounder Moeen Ali as vice-captain for the Ireland series. Ali will act as skipper Eoin Morgan’s deputy in the absence of Jos Buttler, who is part of the Test set-up and would be gearing up for the three-match series against Pakistan starting August 5.

England and Ireland are scheduled to play three ODIs with all the matches to be hosted at Ageas Bowl in Southampton on July 30, August 1, and August 4 respectively.

US smartphone sales down 25% in Q2, iPhone SE a bright spot

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The smartphone sales in the US fell 25 percent in the second quarter as retails stores remained closed owing to the Covid-19 lockdown, affecting all brands although the newly-launched iPhone SE was the bright spot.

Apple was down -23 percent, LG -35 percent and Samsung sales were down -10 percent, according to Counterpoint Research’s preliminary “US Smartphone Channel Share Tracker”.

“April was the weakest month for smartphone sell-through as about 80 percent of smartphone sales channels were closed; sell-through volume was down over 50 percent. Smartphone sales for May through the end of June grew week-over-week,” said North America Research Director Jeff Fieldhack.

“June sales were stronger than June 2019 sales, which shows the US smartphone market is resilient”.

Due to lockdowns, the share of online sales grew to 31 percent from 14 percent last year.

Because of a strong online presence, Samsung and Apple volumes fared better than the overall market aided by a higher percentage of online sales.

Apple volumes grew through the quarter and were especially helped by iPhone SE volumes.

“Since the iPhone SE launched, carrier stores and national retail have been re-opening. Some channels saw large promos to draw shoppers back to stores,” said Fieldhack.

iPhone SE buyers are more pragmatic about price, less concerned with 5G, and the smaller display is not considered a hindrance.

Over 30 percent of iPhone SE buyers came from using an iPhone 6S or older handset. Over 26 percent of iPhone SE users moved over from an Android device, which is higher than normal Android to iOS switching.

The timing of the Samsung Galaxy S20 family launch, however, was unfortunate.

“Just as channels filled with devices, the majority of stores closed. This led to an estimated 38 percent fewer Galaxy S20 series activations than last year’s S10 series during the opening four months,” informed Senior Analyst Hanish Bhatia.

“Many potential Galaxy S20 purchases will simply be pushed into Q3, but some will be lost,” he added.

Markets open in red

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The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) on Wednesday opened on a negative note during the morning session of the trade and turned positive.

The Sensex of the BSE opened at 38,178.07 points and touch a high of 38,199.27 and a low of 37,182.83 after closing on Tuesday at 37,930.3.

The Sensex is trading at 37,880.97 down by 49.36 points or 0.13 percent.

On the other hand, the broader 50-scrip Nifty at National Stock Exchange (NSE) opened at 11,231.20 after closing at 11,162.25. It is trading at 11,134.70 in the morning.

Global COVID-19 cases top 14.8mn: Johns Hopkins

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The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has increased to over 14.8 million, while the deaths have topped to more than 615,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Wednesday morning, the total number of cases stood at 14,898,145, while the fatalities rose to 615,462, 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 3,899,072 and 141,992, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Brazil came in second place with 2,159,654 infections and 81,487 deaths.

In terms of cases, India ranks third (1,155,354), and is followed by Russia (782,040), South Africa (381,798), Peru (362,087), Mexico (356,255), Chile (334,683), the UK (297,389), Iran (278,827), Spain (266,194), Pakistan (266,096), Saudi Arabia (255,825), Italy (244,752), Turkey (221,500), France (214,607), Bangladesh (210,510), Colombia (204,005), Germany (203,717), Argentina (136,118), Canada (113,473) and Qatar (107,430), the CSSE figures showed.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (45,507), Mexico (40,400), Italy (35,073), France (30,168), Spain (28,424), India (28,084), Iran (14,634), Peru (13,579) and Russia (12,561).

Ahead of WBBL 6, Meg Lanning returns to Melbourne Stars

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Australia captain Meg Lanning will return to the Melbourne Stars after signing with the club on a three-year deal ahead of the 2020 edition of the Women’s Big Bash League.

Lanning was the Stars’ inaugural women’s captain, playing 27 matches for the Stars across the first two editions of the WBBL, scoring 1,062 runs at an average above 50. She was the tournament’s leading run-scorer in both seasons, before departing to join the Perth Scorchers. The 28-year-old joined the Scorchers on a three-year deal ahead of WBBL 3, however was unable to take the field in her first season due to a shoulder injury that saw her miss the entire campaign.

Lanning cited the opportunity to play alongside a young exciting group factored heavily in her decision to re-join the Stars.

“I’d like to thank everyone in Perth for their support during my time there but it’s great to be back in Melbourne for the WBBL,” Lanning was quoted as saying in a statement.

“I’m proud to have been part of the first couple of years at the Melbourne Stars and I’m looking forward to getting back involved with the club. We’ve got an exciting group and I can’t wait to start working with those players and the coaching staff as well.”

Lanning returns to the Stars under newly appointed WBBL head coach Trent Woodhill who is also the list manager for both men’s and women’s squads.

“Having Meg back at the Stars is huge, it’s almost like starting again. It’s the chance for the Stars to reset. We won’t be putting too much pressure on Meg to be the star of the show, but we know Meg is a star of world cricket,” said Woodhill.

“We want to be able to provide her with the environment where she can thrive, and bring out the best in her by having as much fun as possible through success and establishing a winning culture.”

The Stars will open their WBBL 6 campaign in Perth on the weekend of October 17-18 with matches against the Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers.

The sixth season of WBBL is scheduled with more matches than ever before televised live across Australia by the Seven Network and Foxtel, with seven of the Stars’ fourteen home and away games to be broadcast.

Twitter carousel back in Google Search after removal over hack

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Google has restored the Twitter carousel in its Search results after it was removed owing to the massive cryptocurrency hack the micro-blogging platform experienced last week.

The Twitter scam that affected at least 130 prominent users led to the complete removal of the Twitter carousel of tweets from the Google search result pages.

Twitter later said they were embarrassed, disappointed, and, more than anything, sorry for what happened with some of its high-profile users as attackers successfully manipulated its employees and used their credentials to access internal systems, including getting through the two-factor protections.

A Google spokesperson Search Engine Land: “We can confirm we have temporarily removed the Twitter carousel from Search following Twitter’s security issues. Before restoring the feature we will carry out a careful review”.

The Twitter search carousel box went off for all accounts.

However, the removal did not result in Twitter losing any traffic from Google.

Google first added tweets to its search results about five years ago.

The SEOs and marketers used these Twitter carousels as a method to dominate the search results.

Last week, Twitter accounts of major public figures including US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Apple, and Uber were simultaneously hacked by attackers to spread a cryptocurrency scam.

Facebook starts labelling Trump, Biden posts on voting

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Facebook has started labeling controversial posts from US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden about voting as election inches closer.

The social network flagged a Trump post that claimed current rules on postal votes could lead to a “corrupt” election, reports the BBC,

The social network has also labeled several posts from Biden on voting.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last month said that they will start labeling some of the content they leave up because it is deemed newsworthy in the US election year.

“We’ll add a prompt to tell people that the content they’re sharing may violate our policies. Similarly, there are no exceptions for politicians,” he said.

“Even if a politician or government official says it, if we determine that content may lead to violence or deprive people of their right to vote, we will take that content down”.

Twitter began labeling some of Trump’s tweets in May.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has stressed there is �no deal of any kind’ with Trump.

He told Axios: “I’ve heard this speculation, too, so let me be clear: There’s no deal of any kind. Actually, the whole idea of a deal is pretty ridiculous”.

Ibrahimovic’s brace helps AC Milan beat Sassuolo in Serie A

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AC Milan continued their unbeaten run in Serie A as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s double helped them edge past Sassuolo 2-1 away from home.

The Rossoneri entered Tuesday’s game on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run but were dealt a blow just 11 minutes into the game when Andrea Conti limped off, making way for Davide Calabria, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, Milan broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Ibrahimovic sent his diving header into the net from Hakan Calhanoglu’s floated pass.

The away side was forced to make another change when captain Alessio Romagnoli was injured and replaced by starlet Matteo Gabia.

The home side got back on level terms in the 41st minute when Calhanoglu’s arm blocked a free kick in the box, with Francesco Caputo stepping up to convert the resultant penalty.

The Rossoneri restored their lead in first-half stoppage time as Calhanoglu atoned for his error by laying on another smart pass for Ibrahimovic to complete his brace.

Sassuolo went down to 10 men shortly afterward as Mehdi Bourabia was sent off for his second bookable offense.

The victory temporarily lifts Milan up to a fifth-place with 59 points.

In Tuesday’s other Serie A match, Atalanta beat Bologna 1-0 with Luis Muriel coming off the bench to score the winner.

How Rasika Dugal would react on getting a bag full of money

Imagine getting a bag full of Rs 2,000 currency notes. Sounds exciting for sure, but actress Rasika Dugal says if such a thing ever happened then her first reaction would be of suspicion. The joy would come later.

The idea is in sync with what happens in Rasika’s upcoming film “Lootcase”. The recently-released trailer of the film shows actor Kunal Kemmu as a middle-class man who goes haywire when he finds an unclaimed suitcase filled with Rs 2000 currency notes. Rasika plays Lata, a middle-class homemaker.

She reveals what would happen if such a suitcase came her way in real life. “Funnily enough, it would pretty much be similar to what Lata’s reaction in the film is because she’s extremely morally upright and god-fearing. So, people like that would almost become suspicious of the situation,” Rasika told IANS, adding that apart from reacting in the same way, she is not much like her character in the film.

“So, my reaction — even though I am not as morally upright and god-fearing as Lata is — would be to wonder what trouble this is going to get me into. I think the joy of it would only come later, if at all. But my first reaction would be of suspicion,” she said.

The comedy-thriller also features Kunal Kemmu, Gajraj Rao, Ranvir Shorey, and Vijay Raaz. “Lootcase” is directed by Rajesh Krishnan, and written by Rajesh Krishnan and Kapil Sawant, and will release on July 31 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Coronavirus vaccine update: Countries ahead that are closest in finding a treatment

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Worldwide efforts are on to treat Coronavirus and the treatment for Coronavirus does involve the search for viable vaccines. The Coronavirus incubation period is still on.

Coronavirus cases across the world are rising in numbers despite stringent lockdown and containment measures. The United States has been the worst affected nation, followed by the UK, Italy, and Spain. The spread of Coronavirus does not show signs of slowing down. Efforts are on across the world by researchers and several governments to develop a vaccine.

World leaders as well as organizations, except the United States, have already pledged $8 billion to research, manufacture as well as distribute a vaccine along with required and treatments for COVID-19. At the same time, individual efforts are on by several countries and their respective pharmaceutical firms to develop a vaccine.

Much effort is towards treatment for Coronavirus.

How the world is affected by Coronovairus?

The United States is leading as far as cases are concerned and is trying to develop a vaccine. Pharma giant Pfizer has in fact already injected the first experimental vaccine on patients in the US. Gilead has ramped-up activities to make virus treatment drug Remdesivir, which has been showing ‘very promising’ results. It is also hoped that ‘anti-body’ treatment drug may be made available by this fall. Several top pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and other biopharmaceutical companies are trying to develop the COVID-19 vaccine.

Italian scientists claim they have developed it. Coronavirus cure update highlights these efforts and it is worth knowing more about the issue.

The UK scientists also claim to have made a potential vaccine for Coronavirus. Also, UK biotech company Synairgen’s drug referred to as Interferon Beta has been injected in patients as part of initial trials, which is hoped to show results soon. It is normally used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The UK has in fact set aside 388 million euro to fund vaccine research, tests, and treatments. About 31 active case studies for vaccine development are in fact going on in the UK as of now.

The coronavirus incubation period is on no doubt.

Israel claims that the Israel government’s Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) has rather developed an antibody to the novel Coronavirus and is going to patent and mass-produce the potential treatment.

China according to WHO data claims four vaccines under human trials. Except for the DNA-based vaccine tried out US-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals, all the other vaccines are now in the process of undergoing Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials together for fast development process in treating the virus.

Chinese vaccines that are under development emanate from CanSino Biological Inc-Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Wuhan Institute of Biological Product-Sinopharm, Beijing Institute of Biological Products with Sinopharm, as well as an independent SARS platform-based inactivated vaccine from Sinovac.

Italy is involved in about 59 active case studies. A team of Italian scientists does indeed claim to have discovered the world’s first vaccine that can neutralize the deadly virus. Italian scientists at Rome’s Spallanzani Hospital have rather claimed that they are the first to neutralize the virus via a vaccine. The results are supposed to be promising.

India s also actively involved in developing a vaccine and in fact, more than 30 vaccines are in various stages of development in India. In fact the University of Oxford’s vaccine is also being developed with multiple partners that include India’s Serum Institute of India. The WHO admits that out of the 100 projects under pre-clinical stages, Indian companies such as Zydus Cadila, Codagenix-Serum Institute of India, Indian Immunologicals with Griffith University, Bharat Biotech with the Thomas Jefferson University, Biological E Ltd, and the UW Madison-FluGen-Bharat Biotech are all making attempts to come with a viable vaccine for Coronavirus.

5 little-known facts about the KGF star Yash

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Yash KGF wife Radhika pandit has performed well together in several films. Yash’s performance in KGF chapter 2 was remarkable and got him much fame.

Cine-stars are popular figures and draw much attention from the public.

Kannada star Yash is also a popular name in Indian cinema, and this more so on account of his Hindi version of KGF: Chapter 1 and its box-office success. The actor was no doubt much appreciated for his role and received positive comments from the critics as well as audiences.

Yash at 33, is not celebrating his birthday due to the demise of a veteran actor of Kannada cinema Ambareesh in November last year.

1. Yash happens to be one of the most influential actors in the Kannada cinema. He has gained much fame and has proved his merit on the screen with his fabulous acting skills. He has indeed carved a niche for himself. His real name is Naveen Kumar Gowda. Yash actor height is remarkable.

2. He has been and continues to be active in politics and has campaigned for BJP and JD(S) candidates in Mysuru and Mandya districts in the Karnataka state assembly elections in 2018. Naturally, it is interesting to note that a cine star similar to many others has forayed into politics.

3. His big-screen debut happened with a small role in Jambhada Hudugi that got released in 2007. This paved his way into several other ventures which made his famous and popular with the fans. He is referred to as ‘Rocking star’ among his massive fan-base in Karnataka.

4. Yash and Radhika first met on the sets of television serial Nandagokul and dated for six years before getting married in 2016. They made their film debut together with the 2008 movie Moggina Manasu and have successfully worked together in four films. Yash’s wife has both acted together in several movies. Radhika Pandit has proved herself well on the screen.

5. GF star Yash is known for his hot, handsome, and enviable looks. His image as Rocky Bhai in the huge Kannada film KGF led to his grand popularity as a talented actor. His styles and fashions are watched by one and all and also emulated. In fact, the jackets that Yash used in KGF for his character became very popular with the audience for its unique styling. And in real life too, Yash has an uncanny passion for jackets and has indeed a wardrobe full of them. His stunning looks in jackets are something that makes his female fans simply go gaga over him! KGF Chapter 2 proved well.

Conclusion

Yash, whose film ‘KGF: being a super hit, drew much applause from the audience and also on the social media where he also urged the viewers to adhere to the curfew. He indeed motivates the viewers to stay safe and stick to the ‘wife-friendly rules’.

The actor’s next release ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ is set to be released this year. However, on account of lockdown and the ongoing crisis, there has been no official announcement from the makers of the movie whether they would go ahead with an OTT release or not.

He is known for his roles in the movies Rajadhani, Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari and Kirataka. The KGF happens to be his and best film of all time Yash made his feature film debut with Jambada Hudugi and then Moggina Manasu. He played the male lead opposite then future wife Radhika. The film was a success and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in several commercially successful films that include Modalasala, Rajadhani Kirataka, Drama, Googly, Raja Huli, Gajakesari, Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari, Masterpiece and K.G.F: Chapter 1. His fame has been well documented by the media, and he has been acknowledged as a popular actor in South India.

10 Environmental Benefits of Planting a Tree

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Trees are worth planting as the social benefits of planting trees are manifold. The importance of planting trees cannot be negated as there are several benefits of planting plants.

Many people like to build gardens by planting trees. They either do it as a hobby or to make their home surroundings beautiful. Also, trees turn out to be extra shade in the summer months. The social benefits of planting trees are manifold.

No doubt, there are several other benefits of planting trees. However, there are more benefits from trees than one might think. One can relax under a tree and its calming effect improves overall well-being. It helps to live in a conducive environment. It is better not to overlook the importance of planting trees.

1. Reduces Climate Change

Trees breathe out oxygen in the morning hours and therefore it is good to take morning walks. People usually are good at building up excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Harmful CO2 does contribute to climate change, which happens to be the biggest current problem the world has to deal with. Trees do help fight it. They absorb CO2 thus removing it from the air and storing it while at the same time releasing oxygen.

2. Purifying Air

A person wants clean air in the woods or by the seaside. Trees purify the air. Beaches have palm trees and are full of fresh air. Trees absorb pollutant gases such as nitrogen oxides, ozone, ammonia, sulfur dioxide. Trees also in fact absorb odors and act as a filter as little particulates do get trapped in leaves. The benefits of planting plants are worth taking note of.

3. Cooling Down the Streets

Global warming is not new to people. Removing trees and replacing them with heat-absorbing asphalt roads and buildings increases the temperature. Trees are cool cities by up to 10 F by providing shade as well as releasing water.

4. Natural Air Conditioning

The coolness of trees is a good substitute for air conditioning needs. Carbon dioxide and emissions from power plants are reduced. Architects and environmentalists do come out with green roofs. Green roofs are an amazing way to incorporate vegetation to one’s home and provide environmental benefits for one’s community while saving money on cooling bills.

5. Saving Water

Trees do help save water. As they provide shade, water will evaporates slowly from low vegetation. Trees do require about 15 water gallons a week to survive, and they do release about 200-450 gallons of water per day.

6. Preventing Water Pollution

Stormwater is known to be full of phosphorus pollutants and nitrogen. Without trees, stormwater tends to flow into oceans and waters without being filtered. Trees break the rainfall and thus allows water to enter the earth and seep into the soil. Therefore, they do prevent stormwater from polluting oceans. Except for trees, green infrastructure such as green roofs can help soothe the effects of stormwater.

7. Providing Shelters for Wildlife

Trees also do contribute to boosting biodiversity as they do become a food source and natural habitat for wildlife. An apple tree can nourish several birds, insects, and wildlife. Trees that are usually planted as homes for birds, squirrels, and bees are oak as well as sycamore.

8. Renewable Energy Source

Nowadays a major problem is fossil fuels. They do consist of toxic properties. Several companies do focus on renewable sources of energy. If harvested and treated sustainably, trees can indeed become a great renewable source of energy. They are simple to make use of and with the aid of forest management they can indeed become an excellent eco-friendly fuel.

9. Reinforcing Soil

Trees are one of the best partners when it does come to agriculture. They do act positively in several ways: they do reduce soil erosion, increase fertility, and also help soil obtain moisture. Fallen tree leaves lower reduces soil temperature and prevents soil from losing too much moisture. Decaying leaves that fall onto the ground do turn into nutrients for tree growth and promote microorganism development.

10. Erosion Control

Rain and wind are two indeed primary erosion forces that do damage the bare soil. As they fall from heights, drops of rain tend to gain power and momentum, and thus being strong can penetrate the soil once they hit the ground. On the other hand, in case the land is dried out, then the wind can do significant damage. Trees do break droplets of rain and also weaken their strength while roots hold the soil together and protect it from the effects of wind.

Conclusion

There are several environmental benefits of planting a tree. Strategically planting trees around the home can have tremendous benefits on the environment. Not only does it help restore life quality within the community, contribute to the environment, and also help fight climate change. It is worth planning a tree! The social benefits of planting trees are much to be concerned about.

Big B opens up on ‘silence’, ‘uncertainty’ from Covid ward

Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan, who is hospitalized with the novel coronavirus, has shared about life in general from his COVID ward.

Big B took to his blog and wrote: “It is the silence and the uncertainty of the next … it is a wonder of the nature of life .. of all that it brings to us each moment, each living breathing day… In the activity driven past days of normalcy, never was there inclination to assess or sit back and think of what thoughts invade us now.”

“But they do now with a regularity that fills those idle hours, sitting, thinking, looking out into nowhere.

“.. in these conditions thoughts race at greater speed and in a vividity that had eluded us before .. they were always there, but just the presence of them remained silenced by the mind in its other business of existence ..the business is dormant now.

The thespian added that “the mind is freer”.

“It reflects greatly more than ever .. and I wonder if this is correct, admissible pertinent or not.”

He wrote that a wandering mind often leads to “destinations that, because of their complex vagaries, bring on that which at times be not what you may want to hear or see .. but you do .. the eventuality of all that surrounds us blows heavily about us.”

“Ignorance of it would not be a considered act .. so you succumb to it .. bear it .. live it .. caress it at times .. play with it at others.. wish it away, hold on to it, embrace it and accept .. but never be able to desist its presence ..”

He says the time “today gives liberty to stretch the gravitas of the cerebrum.”

“We may never get the opportunity to be involved in this act, but given the circumstance, I would like to believe that each one of us .. each individual has the will and the capacity to be what they may have believed, they would never be.”

Talking about his health, Bachchan wrote: “In the condition of the solace in the room of cure .. the restlessness keeps in the search for a reaction .. for a connect .. for something to respond to .. to do .. to do just more than what the condition dictates ..”

“At times you find it .. at times you stare at barren walls and with empty thoughts .. and you pray that they are filled with the life of existence .. of reaction and company .. All of you push your prayers and concern each hour I know .. and I have only folded hands ..”

2 students who wrote Kerala entrance exam test Covid +ve

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Even as numerous requests were made to postpone the Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) entrance examination which was held on July 16, the state government refused to do so and on Tuesday two students who wrote the exam in the state capital have tested positive for the coronavirus.

A third person, another student’s father also has now turned COVID positive, said health authorities.

According to the authorities, a 19-year-old girl student hailing from the capital city was a secondary contact of a positive patient. She wrote the KEAM exam at an educational institution, here and now instructions have been sent to 20 students who appeared for the exam in the same hall, to go into isolation.

Another 18-year-old boy who wrote the exam in another educational institution here has also tested positive, but since he showed symptoms, he was asked to write the exam in a separate hall.

Likewise, a 47-year-old father of a student, from here has also turned COVID positive and he remained outside the examination hall till the exam got over.

The invigilators and volunteers have also been directed to be in-home quarantine.

Despite, numerous requests from various quarters, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was adamant to hold the KEAM as scheduled and after the examination got over, he had appreciated and congratulated all those who worked to see the exam went off well.

Vidya Balan virtually launches first song of ‘Shakuntala Devi’ with 5000 schoolkids

Actress Vidya Balan has virtually launched the song, Pass Nahi to fail Nahi, from her upcoming film Shakuntala Devi. Around 5,000 students from over 100 cities participated in the virtual event.

In addition to participating in the song launch, the school children also took part in a fun interactive session with Vidya, who is essaying the role of the late math wizard Shakuntala Devi, known as the ‘human computer’ for her incredible ability to solve complex mathematical problems within minutes.

Composed by Sachin-Jigar, the peppy song has been sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. The lyrics of the song have been penned by Vayu.

“I am very excited to launch the first song of ‘Shakuntala Devi’ the movie, with 5000 students of DAV schools and colleges, from over 100 cities! Aptly titled ‘Pass Nahi to fail Nahi’, this song is really close to my heart as it brings out an interesting way to interact with numbers, and tries to drive away math phobia that many experiences in a fun and peppy way,” said Vidya.

“It felt incredible to share the platform with young minds over a fun and exciting virtual session. (It was) A different yet amazing experience as we embrace the new normal. I really hope that the audience will continue to shower love and praise on this song as much as they appreciated the trailer,” she added.

Directed by Anu Menon, “Shakuntala Devi” also stars Sanya Malhotra, Jisshu Sengupta, and Amit Sadh. It is set to stream on July 31 on Amazon Prime Video.

COVID-19 Fight: An initiative to re-skill ex-servicemen

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In an attempt to reskill and resettle Indian defense veterans along with helping in the ongoing nationwide fight against COVID-19, a new initiative aims to connect healthcare institutions with ex-servicemen, to ferry doctors and other healthcare workers to hospitals and back home.

The ‘Sainik for Doctors’, a dedicated service for COVID-19 health workers, was launched at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute last week. Started by shared mobility solutions provider MotherPod Innovations, it offers a safe, secure, and sanitized mobility service to facilitate a peaceful commute for health workers.

“Drawing on their oath of lifelong service to the nation, the Sainiks will ensure that the country’s healthcare workers can go about their daily duties without any fears or concerns for their personal well-being,” MotherPod said.

“In the post-COVID scenario, heightened security measures and standards have become critical for safer commutes — whether you consider healthcare workers, or people traveling for business or leisure. Ex-defense personnel is ideal for this challenge since they are disciplined and trained to follow the highest standards of safety protocols. Over time, MotherPod will expand its community of Sainiks and provide many more veterans a supportive ecosystem to move ahead in their careers,” Capt. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Head of Partnerships, MotherPod, shared.

The organization said it will maintain stringent social distancing and safety protocols. “For instance, the maximum number of passengers per ride is fixed at two. A secure acrylic partition of the highest quality has been installed in every vehicle. In addition, a single-use PPE kit with gloves, a sanitizer, and a mask will be given to every passenger before the ride commences. The interiors are completely sanitized after each journey.”

MotherPod aims at re-skilling, resettlement, and economic inclusion of ex-servicemen, of about 100,000 veterans in the next three years.

2 army soldiers injured in landmine blast in J&K’s Rajouri

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Two army soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in J&K’s Rajouri district on Tuesday.

Police sources said two army soldiers identified as sepoy S.K. Minjur Rehman and sepoy Upadhya Prasad Rajindra sustained blast injuries while on duty in forwarding areas of Kalal in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

“S.K. Minjur Rehman was airlifted to Udhampur base hospital while Upadhya Prasad Rajindra was shifted to an army hospital in Rajouri”, sources said.

Reports said the explosion injuring the two soldiers occurred when a landmine went off in the area the two were patrolling in.

Shruti Haasan opens up on playing older woman in ‘Yaara’

Actress Shruti Haasan says it was fun to prepare for her character in the upcoming film “Yaara”, as she was playing an older woman for the first time.

Shruti said: “(The story is set) In the seventies and then in the nineties, so it was lovely to jump time frames. The portion of the nineties is when we are playing older versions of our characters.”

“This was the first time ever that I would be playing an older woman, so it was fun to prepare myself for that,” The actress added.

The film co-starring Vidyut Jammwal, Amit Sadh, Vijay Varma, Kenny Basumatary and Sanjay Mishra, is slated to open on Friendship Day, July 30 on ZEE5.

The Tigmanshu Dhulia directorial is a Bollywood remake of the French film “Gang Story”. The story of the film is set in North India and is about the rise and fall of a group of four friends operating along the Indo-Nepal border.