New Delhi, April 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) India is learning to go online for paying bills, banking, shopping, work and even praying during the covid lockdown and this will be the new normal, according to Gipsi Research.

"This will continue to be the new normal", the report says on consumer behavior by the insights division of Tonic Worldwide.

There has been a surge in online' searches and interests with 40 per cent increase in WhatsApp Usage, 313 per cent increase in interest for online meetings on Google trends, 4 per cent increase in searches related to online banking and a whopping 73% increase in live aarti searches and increase of 3 per cent in online grocery.

'Covid Fear Factor ' has upped the HQ (Hygiene Quotient) and high personal and public hygiene standard is going to be the new normal, the research found. The Gipsi survey reveals that 90% consumers intend to continue with the new hygiene standards adopted.

The HQ quotient was high online with 5,437 per cent increase in searches related to sanitizers, 3,460 per cent increase in searches related to handwash and increase in 'How to wash hand' searches by 643 per cent.

The research reveals that India is not living in the ' present'! "Nostalgia and dreaming of the better future is how the lockdown is being dealt with", it said.

Nostalgia of old tV Shows is overwhelming with 21 per cent jump in viewership number on TV, 13,323 conversations and content around #OldTVshow, 60 times higher viewership for DD' s 9AM to 9PM between 26 th March e 9 th April. "However this is going to be a temporary sentiment", the research said.

There is a 81 per cent surge in searches and 93,133 conversations around 'Throwback' and 69,086 conversations around 'Motivation '.

"If you are a brand talking to the consumer, concerning present situation, then make sure you are being e useful' or else, better be a part of consumers ehappy memories/nostalgia ' or ehopeful future/motivational", is the takeaway from the research.

The searches for e quit smoking ' have shot up 28.50 per cent within a month. Content around equit smoking' and the hazardous nature of the habit, with respect to Covid-19 is high, however, data suggests that the consumption hasn 't gone down, the research says.

The research says that work from home (WFH) will be the integral part of work culture even after Lockdown. WFH content is the most humorous in the lockdown ' s cluttered panic content.

There was a 115 per cent jump in WFH searches in March, 110,819 conversations around WFH, Interest for WFH memes increased to 27 per cent.

In addition, the research notes a 220 per cent increase in online meeting apps searches during lockdown, 94,454 conversations around online meeting apps, Gipsi panel suggests that 65 per cent of people tried video/online meetings for the first time.

New members are debuting in the kitchen for cooking in every household. "They will continue to take interest in cooking even post lockdown", the research said.

Wardrobes have gone through a deep scrutiny during lockdown. Women are either wearing " night clothes " or Athleisure Lack of comfortable eHome wardrobe '' is a new realization and that is very much on the list of things to buy asap, the research found.

Source: IANS

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Christchurch, April 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption official Steve Richardson recalled the horrific Sri Lanka Easter bombings that rocked the island country on this day last year. On Easter Sunday, nine suicide bombers detonated their respective devices at six locations -- three explosions at packed churches while three blasts at luxury hotels across Colombo.

Richardson, who was present at one of the hotels on the fateful day, reflected on the unfortunate incident that left 250 dead and many more injured. Richardson revealed he was having breakfast when the explosion took place in the basement of the hotel and then chaos followed.

"I got up to get some food and was walking back to the table when there was a massive explosion. It shook the building," Richardson told stuff.co.nz. "The explosion was right below us and I looked out the window and I could see the swimming pool attendant was getting up holding his ears."

"One thing we were concerned about was that the explosion was so big it might bring the building down. You hope the building will stay structurally safe, but my mind went back to 9/11."

Richardson also revealed he spoke with his head office in Dubai, looking for answers as to what was happening and that is when he got to know about multiple terrorist attacks across the country.

"About 10 minutes later I messaged my office in Dubai. They started monitoring the news and quickly told us there were incidents at churches in Colombo," Richardson said.

"I saw on social media there had been an explosion at the Shangri-La Hotel, which is where the England team stay on tours to Sri Lanka. It was obvious it was coordinated terrorist attacks."

Source: IANS

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By Siddhi Jain

New Delhi, April 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) British anthropologist Jane Goodall, 86, who is known for her path-breaking research on chimpanzees in 1960s Tanzania, blames humankind for disrespecting nature, destroying forests and forcing the animal species to live closer together than they normally would, she tells IANSlife.

The noted primatologist, who says she has loved animals since her childhood, shared her views on the COVID-19 pandemic: "The reason for this pandemic is that we've been disrespectful of nature. We've been destroying forests; we've been forcing the animal species to live closer together than they normally would; we've been forcing them to interact with people more than they normally should. "

"If these conditions, and especially the cruelty of the meat markets where wild animals are forced into tiny cages and sold for food or pets, that's happening in many different countries around the world and it's those conditions that have led to viruses jumping from an animal species to a human. There's a lot known about this now, how it happens, and of course, in some cases, it's led to something like COVID-19. SARS is another example of a virus that began in a wet market in China," Goodall said in a telephonic interview to IANSlife, while she is sheltering in England.

How can we tackle this pandemic?
The anthropologist believes, "Well, what's happening is the best way people can-we have social distancing, we have lockdowns, and one thing that's happening is that people are beginning to understand a bit better what the world could be like, because as the industries are closed down, so the air gets cleaner and hopefully, people after this is over, will not want to go back to polluted cities and will force politicians to take actions, to prevent too much emission and to work very hard to put money into developing ever more clean, green energy like solar, which I know India is way ahead of the western world in developing solar power."

The novel Coronavirus pandemic, however, is not the only crisis the world is facing today. As climate change rattles the world, Goodall says we should have been "treating the climate crisis a long time ago just as we are trying to deal with the pandemic today".

Adding, "Now we have this pandemic and governments everywhere or almost everywhere are finally reacting and taking measures and causing shutdowns and making regulations. We should have been doing this for climate change a long time ago, and just as this pandemic was predicted by science, years and years ago, so was the climate crisis predicted years and years ago. So, in both cases, the problem has resulted from politicians paying absolutely no attention. Not only politicians, big corporations too and many individuals just wanting to carry on with life as usual, not seeming to care about future generations," the recipient of 1997 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and 1995 Hubbard Medal told IANSlife.

Notably, Goodall features in a power-packed National Geographic documentary, "Jane Goodall: The Hope", which captures her decades-long legacy and how she sees the power of young people as harbingers of positive change. It will be out on Earth Day, April 22. "..Young people actually are changing the world. They're passionate, they're determined and they really want to see a world that enables future generations of humans to survive, but they also want to protect animals. They want to protect the environment."

"They're beginning to understand that we're part of the natural world. They understand that animals have personalities, minds and emotions, not just chimpanzees, but dogs and cats and cows and birds, many, many birds. Even the octopus and some fish are intelligent. So, that's what I'm hoping, that these young people around the world will save us in time," she signs off.

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)

Source: IANS

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San Francisco, April 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Apple has announced it will soon display coronavirus testing sites directly on its Maps.

Towards this, Apple has launched a portal for hospitals and healthcare providers to register as coronavirus screening locations. The concern team will then review the application and upon approval, the location will appear in Apple Maps.

Apple Maps will be able to show information like the place name, the associated healthcare provider, contact phone number and website, 9To5Mac reported on Sunday.

It will also surface information about the type of testing location (laboratory, hospital, etcetera) and the nature of the site (like drive-through, parking lot, or building).

Apple is also asking applicants to state whether the testing location will require a doctor's referral or a scheduled appointment.

Source: IANS

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San Francisco, March 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Facebook has pledged to invest an additional $100 million to support journalists at a time when ad revenues are declining due to the economic impact of the new coronavirus.

The social networking giant said the investment will include $25 million in emergency grant funding for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, and an extra $75 million in marketing to get money to publishers around the world at a time when their advertising revenue is declining.

"This investment is in addition to the support we've already pledged to the news industry in response to COVID-19: $1 million in grants for local news, $1 million in grants for fact-checking organisations, and a $1-million donation to the International Fact-Checking Network," the company said in a statement on Monday.

The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local journalists are being hit especially hard, even as people turn to them for critical information to keep their friends, families and communities safe.

"Through the COVID-19 Community Network grant program, direct funding is helping journalists cover important stories when we all need them most," said Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships.

"We're building on this work and will direct a portion of these funds to publishers most in need in the hardest hit countries. The first round of these grants went to 50 local newsrooms in the US and Canada," he added.

Facebook said the new commitment builds upon $300 million it has committed already to serving journalists around the world through diverse and inclusive news programmes and partnerships, including Report for America, the Pulitzer Center, the Community News Project and the Facebook Journalism Project's Local News Accelerator training programme.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian Railways is contemplating to convert its coaches and cabins in isolation wards in view of the growing number of COVID-19 patients, sources in the ministry said.

The Railways runs 13,523 trains daily, and has now suspended all passenger services till April 14 in view of the country-wide lockdown.

According to sources, the proposal to offer the empty coaches and cabins to be used as isolation wards was discussed in a meeting of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal with Chairman Railway Board V.K Yadav, General Managers of all zones and Divisional Railway Managers over video conferencing on Wednesday.

The idea was discussed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the cabinet meet on Wednesday nudged all the ministers to think out of the box to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

Yadav said railway coaches and cabins can be converted into makeshift hospital on wheels equipped with consultation rooms, medical store, ICU and pantry.

These coaches can be sent to those parts of the country which has seen rapid rise of the coronavirus cases.

As per the WHO estimates, India has only 0.7 beds per 1,000 people. While it has targeted to increase this to two beds, WHO mandates for at least 3 beds per 1,000 people in the country.

Source: IANS

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London, March 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) In 2050, every second car on the streets could be electric which would reduce global CO2 emissions by up to 1.5 gigatons per year -- equivalent to the total current CO2 emissions of Russia, a new study has predicted.

Under current conditions, driving an electric car is better for the climate than conventional petrol cars in 95 per cent of the world, said researchers.

It is a known fact that electric cars are friendlier to the environment and produce fewer greenhouse gases than petrol vehicles.

"The answer is clear: to reduce carbon emissions, we should choose electric cars and household heat pumps over fossil-fuel alternatives," said study lead author Florian Knobloch from the Radboud University in the Netherlands.

The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, found that average lifetime emissions from electric cars are up to 70 per cent lower than petrol cars in countries like Sweden and France (which get most of their electricity from renewables and nuclear), and around 30 per cent lower in the UK.

In a few years, even inefficient electric cars will be less emission-intensive than most new petrol cars in most countries, as electricity generation is expected to be less carbon-intensive than today.

The research team also looked at electric household heat pumps, and found that these too produce lower emissions than fossil-fuel alternatives in 95 per cent of the world.

Heat pumps could reduce global CO2 emissions in 2050 by up to 0.8 gigatons per year - roughly equal to Germany's current annual emissions, it added.

The study examined the current and future emissions of different types of vehicles and home heating options worldwide. It divided the world into 59 regions to account for differences in power generation and technology.

In 53 of these regions - including all of Europe, the US and China - the findings show electric cars and heat pumps are already less emission-intensive than fossil-fuel alternatives.

These 53 regions represent 95 per cent of global transport and heating demand and, with energy production decarbonising worldwide, Knobloch said the "last few debatable cases will soon disappear".

The researchers carried out a life-cycle assessment in which they not only calculated greenhouse gas emissions generated when using cars and heating systems, but also in the production chain and waste processing.

"Taking into account emissions from manufacturing and ongoing energy use, it's clear that we should encourage the switch to electric cars and household heat pumps without any regrets," Knobloch noted.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) In view of the complete lockdown in the national capital to thwart the COVID-19 spread, Delhi Police cleared the protest site in Shaheen Bagh on Tuesday and detained some protesters.

Deputy Commissioner of Police R. P. Meena said, "Police requested them to vacate the place but they refused. So, police cleared the area and detained a few protesters."

The Delhi Police also said, "All protest sites have been cleared -- Jaffrabad, Jamia and Turkman Gate. Some persons detained in all these places as well."

The agitation at Shaheen Bagh was going on since December 15 after the police action in Jamia Millia where police used force against the anti-CAA protesters in which many students were injured allegedly.

Shaheen Bagh had become a symbol of anti-CAA protest and was replicated in some other parts. However, amid the fear of spread of the COVID-19 spread, protests in other places were called off.

Shaheen Bagh protesters had tweeted on the day of the Janata Curfew after a petrol bomb was hurled at the barricades, "We are committed to cooperating with the law of the land and request all our well wishers and sympathisers to abide by the same. We are all in this together. We will come back stronger. This is not over.

"In spite of all this, and in line with the State directives issued to contain the #COVID 19 threat facing our nation, we bravely continue our protest today with only five women protesters marking their resistance on behalf of all of us at Shaheen Bagh."

Source: IANS

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Beijing, March 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Researchers have revealed rising rates of liver cancer in older adults, especially in men, despite advances aimed at preventing the disease.

Liver cancer caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or buildup of fat in the liver, increased by the greatest magnitude in most regions, said the researchers.

"The findings suggest the lack of attention for older people in current liver cancer prevention efforts and highlight the emerging concern of obesity as a risk factor for liver cancer," said study lead author Xingdong Chen from Fudan University in China.

To obtain trends and estimates of liver cancer by age, sex, region, and cause, the research team examined 1990-2017 data from the Global Burden of Disease Study pertaining to 195 countries and territories.

According to the study, published in the journal 'Cancer' liver cancer cases diagnosed before the age of 30 years globally decreased from 17,381 in 1990 to 14,661 in 2017.

But they increased in people aged 30-59 years and 60 years and older from 216,561 and 241,189 in 1990 to 359,770 and 578,344 in 2017, respectively.

When applying age adjustments, the research team found that the incidences of liver cancer diagnosed before age 30 years and from 30-59 years decreased in both sexes, whereas in older adults, rates increased in males and remained stable in females.

Compared with women, men had a more dramatic increase in liver cancer diagnosed at aged 60 years and older and a milder decrease in cases diagnosed at 30-59 years.

According to the study, decreases seen in younger adults were largely ascribed to hepatitis B vaccinations (since the hepatitis B virus can cause liver cancer) and were consistent in most regions except in developed countries, in which liver cancer rates increased irrespective of sex and age.

Liver cancer caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or buildup of fat in the liver, increased by the greatest magnitude in most regions, the researchers said.

"Liver cancer prevention strategies in both developing and developed countries should be tailored and updated," said Chen.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has sent out an advisory to its members to shut down the operations of their restaurants till March 31, 2020 or till such time when there are no new coronavirus cases reported for a few days.

In a statement, the restaurant body has said that although the decision entails major financial impact, but temporarily shutting down operation would be in the larger interest of its members, their employees and the customers.

"We at NRAI have been closely following what has been happening with the coronavirus outbreak. We find ourselves today in an unprecedented situation where we are compelled to make some difficult decisions which have massive financial implications on our businesses, but we are doing this in the larger benefit for our teams, our guests and our communities," it said.

The industry body which represents over 50 lakh restaurants across the country, further said that as most of the employees in restaurants use public transport to commute they run a "huge" risk of getting infected and further becoming carriers of the deadly virus.

"Hence, in order to avoid any such risk we advise all our members to shut down their operations and help curtail the spread of the deadly virus. We are also trying our best to ensure the well-being of our employees while they remain confined to their homes."

The NRAI statement noted that the food service works on the high proportion of fixed operating costs and the decision to shut down is extremely hard on the businesses.

It further said that it intends to work with all stakeholders in the ecosystem, from landlords to various departments of the government, banks and financial institutions and seek their support in mitigating the losses as far as possible.

As per the association, this is an extraordinary situation its expects support such as converting fixed rentals to variable revenue share, allowing input tax credit on GST, moratorium on loan repayment, waiver of interest, reduction on energy costs, deferred payment of license fee and taxes.

In India, the total number of coronavirus cases has reached 147 with 130 active cases as of Wednesday morning, as per the Union Health Ministry. These include 122 Indians and 25 foreigners.

A total of three deaths has been reported so far in the country, one each in Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, March 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Readying for a long-drawn medical war with coronavirus, the Maharashtra government has decided to take over hundreds of rooms from private hotels and guest houses near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to quarantine incoming passengers.

However, those quarantined in these locations would have to cough out the applicable charges for the comfortable quarantine stay.

"This is for those who would not prefer to remain in home-quarantine," Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi said.

Accordingly, Pardeshi has issued an order through the MCGM and requisitioned 240-odd rooms from private hotels, guest houses, etc.

He has directed the concerned officials to negotiate the rates with the respective hotel managements.

As per the current plans, 20 rooms will be procured from the Miraj (Madison Group), 100 from the ITC Maratha, 70 rooms form the PWD guest house at Andheri and 50 from the Niranta Airport Transit Hotel.

These rooms will be designated as for 'Quarantine', he said.

Others requiring to be isolated will be sent to the Seven Hills Hospital, Andheri east, where 400 beds are kept ready.

Presently, Maharashtra has 39 COVID-19 positive cases, the highest in India.

Besides, around 600 people are in 'home quarantine' in Mumbai, under the watchful eyes of the police and health authorities.

The government in an unprecedented move, has issued orders by which all those in home quarantine will be "stamped" on the back of left-hand palm to identify them if they step out of isolation and attempt to mingle with the general public.

Besides, those who refuse to be quarantined at their homes, will be forcibly shifted to a government facility and isolated there as per the medical requirements.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Total number of novel Coronavirus cases reached 73 on Thursday in India, data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Of these 56 are Indian nationals and 17 are foreigners. The data took into account cases compiled till 11 a.m. on the day.

Delhi has six cases all are Indians, while in Haryana there are 14 confirmed cases and the patients are foreign nationals.

Kerala reported most cases, a total of 17. Out of which three people have recovered earlier.

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reported most number of cases, at least 11 each. In Uttar Pradesh 10 patients are Indians and 1 is a foreigner.

There are four cases in Karnataka, three in Rajasthan of which one patient is Indian National and two are foreigners. At least one confirmed case has been reported from Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Punjab each.

Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir reported one confirmed case while Union Territory of Ladakh confirmed three cases.

The World Health Organisation declared the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 as global pandemic on Wednesday. The death toll of COVID-19 has crossed the 4,000 mark and confirmed cases globally have touched 1 lakh as per the reports.

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Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday set aside traders' body CAIT's plea against the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) approval for Walmart's acquisition of e-commerce major Flipkart.

The appellate tribunal said that the plea by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) lacked merit and the association could not establish its allegations against anti-trust body's approval to the deal.

The two-judge bench also observed that the presence of Walmart is likely to add value to the Indian economy.

The US retail giant Walmart Inc picked up a 77 per cent stake in Flipkart for $16 billion in 2018 and CCI in August 2018 had said that it approved the acquisition.

CAIT had said that a small number of sellers were accounting for substantial sales on Flipkart, and with Walmart coming in, the issue would aggravate as Walmart's goods through preferred sellers would be prioritised and given discounts by Flipkart.

The traders' body has time and again raised its concerns over the alleged bias towards certain preferred sellers along with the issue of deep discounting.

Following its requests, the CCI also ordered an anti-trust probe against e-commerce majors Amazon and Flipkart earlier this year which the Karnataka High Court later stayed.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, March 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) With coronavirus infections spreading to nearly 80 countries severely hurting the travel and tourism sector, global industry body International Air Transport Association (IATS) has estimated the combined revenue loss for airlines in the range of $63-113 billion.

In its latest financial impact of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on airline sector, IATA now sees 2020 global revenue losses for the passenger business of $63 billion considering infection is contained in countries with over 100 cases as of March 2.

This scenario considers markets with more than 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases and experiencing a sharp downturn followed by a V-shaped recovery profile.

In case the virus spreads further covering more markets, the losses could almost double to $113 billion thus further affecting the financial health of airlines worldwide.

The projected loss is on account of passenger traffic and does not include cargo operations.

According to the industry body which represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 per cent of global air traffic, financial markets have reacted strongly to the latest coronavirus related developments.

"Airline share prices have fallen nearly 25 per cent since the outbreak began, some 21 percentage points greater than the decline that occurred at a similar point during the SARS crisis of 2003," IATA said.

The aviation markets that would take major hit include Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

"The turn of events as a result of COVID-19 is almost without precedent. In little over two months, the industry's prospects in much of the world have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. It is unclear how the virus will develop, but whether we see the impact contained to a few markets and a $63 billion revenue loss, or a broader impact leading to a $113 billion loss of revenue, this is a crisis," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

The IATA Chief said that the government would need to provide stimulus measures in terms of lowering the taxes and charges to help the airlines tide over the crisis.

As governments look to stimulus measures, the airline industry will need consideration for relief on taxes, charges and slot allocation. These are extraordinary times," said IATA DG and CEO.

Source: IANS

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New York, Feb 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) A video posted by Michael Bloomberg, the aspirant for the Democratic Party's nomination for President, has left Facebook and Twitter divided on whether it violates their policies.

According to The Verge, former New York Mayor Bloomberg's 2020 presidential campaign posted a video to Twitter that was edited to make it appear as "though there was a long, embarrassing silence from Bloomberg's Democratic opponents after he mentioned that he was the only candidate to have ever started a business".

While Twitter said the video would be labelled as manipulated media under the platform's new deepfakes policy, Facebook said the same video would not violate the platform's deepfakes rules.

Facebook's policy "does not extend to content that is parody or satire, or video that has been edited solely to omit or change the order of words".

Earlier this month, Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube refused to pull down an edited video posted by US President Donald Trump that showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripping up a copy of the former's State of the Union address.

The five-minute video, posted on Trump's social media accounts, shows Pelosi tearing up the speech after Trump honoured several Americans and saluted a Tuskegee airman in the audience.

The fact of the matter is that Pelosi ripped up the speech after Trump concluded his address on an earlier date.

Facebook and Twitter had refused to remove an earlier "deepfake" video of Pelosi that was edited to give the impression she is slurring her words.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) Vodafone Idea scrips on Tuesday plunged over 16 per cent to trade below Rs 3 a stock after India Ratings downgraded its rating on non-convertible debentures of Rs 3,500 crore citing stress on the company's near-term liquidity post the Supreme Court's ruling.

From a 52 week high of Rs 35.30 a stock that Vodafone Idea logged on March 13, 2019, it has now fallen below Rs 3 a share on Tuesday as its survival has come under question after the apex court ruling on February 14 directing the telcos to pay the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) related liabilities to the government next month.

With the government mulling the possibilities of invoking bank guarantees of the telcos to recover the statutory dues, Vodafone Idea chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla on Tuesday met Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash on the AGR payment issue after paying Rs 2,500 crore on Monday.

The company had urged the court that the bank guarantee deposited with the government by Vodafone Idea should also not be encashed. Birla has maintained that without relief on the AGR payout, it may not be possible to continue as a going concern.

The company in a regulatory filing said that "India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), has downgraded its rating on Non-Convertible Debentures of Rs 3,500 crore of erstwhile Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (since merged with the Company)".

Source: IANS

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By Arundhuti Banerjee

Mumbai, Feb 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) Oscar-winning film producer Guneet Monga says that one should understand the process and be well versed with the business if they expect to be close to the final round of the much-celebrated film awards ceremony.

This year, the South Korean film "Parasite" swept the Oscars winning Best Film, Best Director as well as Best International Feature Film among other Oscars, while India's entry "Gully Boy" couldn't even make it to the final list of nominees in the last-mentioned category.

Monga, who earlier won an Oscar in the Best Documentary (Short Subject) for the film "Period. End Of Sentence", told IANS: "I believe 'Parasite' winning the Oscar is the sign of how the world cinema is changing, and becoming diverse by all means. Stories are getting celebrated from all over the world, even from parts of the world that are under-represented. India is lusting after an Oscar, but I think we are missing the practical point. See, lusting after the Oscars won't get you the trophy, getting close to the final could happen by bringing an American distributor for the nominated film on board. Are we doing that? Unless we are aware of how to get there, it will not work. I am not saying it is easy to get an American distributor but I am saying that is the way. It is an American awards show and it requires that representation."

Sharing her own experience, Monga mentioned: "Our film ?? 1/2 Period. End Of Sentence.' was distributed by Netflix. See how 'Parasite' is distributed by Neon (an American distribution company). Humara problem ye hai ke hum asli mudde pe baat hi nahin karte (our problem is we don't address the real issue) and just keep cribbing pver how we are not getting (an Oscar), and how it is a ?? 1/2 dream-desire' to win an Oscar."

Currently, Guneet Monga produced the upcoming anthology "Zindagi Inshort", a series of seven short films start streaming on February 19 on Flipkart mobile app.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

Source: IANS

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According to the Centre for Bio-Medical Research (CBMR), the human brain is more active while reading Urdu than it is while reading Hindi or English.

Brain and behaviour expert at the CBMR, Uttam Kumar who has studied the subject in detail, said that while reading Urdu, both sides of the brain are active.

"In case a person who speaks Urdu gets a paralytic stroke, the speech therapy for such patients is difficult. It is easier to give speech therapy to those who are conversant with Hindi and English rather than those who speak Urdu.

"We are now in the process of developing a new therapy for Urdu speaking patients," he said.

During a recent study 20 people, each speaking in Hindi, English and Urdu, were given scripts to read in any of the three languages for 30 minutes.

While they were reading the scripts, their brains were mapped using functional magnetic resonance imaging and defuse tensor imaging.

It was found that the brains of those reading Urdu were more active than those reading Hindi and English. This has its advantages as well as disadvantages," Dr Uttam Kumar said.

The upper part of the brains of those reading Hindi were active while those reading Urdu used upper as well as lower parts of the brain.

While reading Urdu, the person develops a new ability in directional scanning which also affects his speech skills, he said.

Source: IANS

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Washington, Jan 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ozone-depleting substances caused half of Arctic warming and sea ice loss from 1955 to 2005, causing about a third of all global warming during that period, reveals a significant study.

A scientific paper published in 1985 was the first to report a burgeoning hole in Earth's stratospheric ozone over Antarctica.

The discovery left scientists into a huddle to determine the cause which happened to be ozone-depleting substances - long-lived artificial halogen compounds entirely manmade and popularly used as refrigerants, solvents and propellants.

The new study from researchers at Columbia University and published in the journal Nature Climate Change examined the greenhouse warming effects of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

It found that the ozone-depleting substances acted as a strong supplement to carbon dioxide, the most pervasive greenhouse gas.

"We showed that ODS have affected the Arctic climate in a substantial way," said researcher Michael Previdi from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

The scientists reached their conclusion using two very different climate models that are widely employed by the scientific community, both developed at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research.

The results highlight the importance of the Montreal Protocol, which has been signed by nearly 200 countries.

"Climate mitigation is in action as we speak because these substances are decreasing in the atmosphere, thanks to the Montreal Protocol," said Lorenzo Polvani, lead author of the study.

"In the coming decades, they will contribute less and less to global warming. It's a good-news story".

In the 1980s, a hole in Earth's stratospheric ozone layer, which filters much of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, was discovered over Antarctica. Scientists quickly attributed it to ODS.

The world sprang into action, finalizing a global agreement to phase out ODS.

The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989. Due to the swift international reaction, atmospheric concentrations of most ODS peaked in the late 20th century and have been declining since.

However, for at least 50 years, the climate impacts of ODS were extensive, revealed the new study.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) He came, he saw, but failed to conquer. It appeared as if the homework was not done properly for the world's richest man who visited India after a gap of six years despite "falling in love with India every time he returns here."

He had to face intense political heat in Delhi before Mumbai sea breeze cooled him in the presence of sizzling celebrities.

Here are the key takeaways from his three-day visit that kicked off with paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi and flying a kite.

• Media management: On the final day of his three-day trip to India, Bezos and Amazon held a roundtable with business leaders. An early breakfast with the nation's top editors must have also been part of his otherwise hectic itinerary on the very first day itself. The deliberations over issues that Amazon currently faces in India would have not only helped Bezos understand the ground situation better, but would have also given him some better coverage. An in-depth opinion piece before starting the visit was also an option.

  Lesson: Bring seasoned voices onboard.

• The Washington Post: Bezos did not get time from any top government functionaries and The Washington Post, owned by Bezos, has been blamed for this debacle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a cold shoulder to the world's richest man by not meeting him. There are indications that Washington Post's editorial stance cost him the meetings with Indian government honchos. Do not forget that Amazon's Cloud arm Amazon Web Services (AWS) lost the prestigious $10 billion Pentagon Cloud project to Microsoft because US President Donald Trump calls the publication "Amazon Washington Post" and has repeatedly criticised it for his coverage.

  Lesson: Read between the lines and stay balanced.

• Traders' ire: Traders across the country staged protests as scheduled against Bezos' visit under the aegis of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). Few traders along with the CAIT leadership even reached the venue of an Amazon event called 'Smbhav' for SMBs. According to CAIT, more than five lakh traders were present at the country-wide protests. The big announcements like $1 billion investment in small and medium businesses in India and creating 10 lakh new jobs by 2025 were not enough to address traders' ire. Taking all the stakeholders on the same page is what Amazon must think about in the future.

  Lesson: Listen to all the stakeholders and make Amazon.in 'India ki apni dukaan'.

• Secrecy: Bezos' trip was a hard-kept secret by the company which boomeranged as it left mediapersons guessing and resorting to sources about whom Bezos is going to meet, and places he is likely to visit. Absence of even a basic itinerary gave wings to rumours.

  Lesson: Open up and have fun.

  Remember that Bezos came to India after a good six years and expectations from all the quarters were running way too high.

  Thanks to Bollywood and industry leaders who helped Bezos end the India visit on a rather happy note, saying: "The boundless energy, innovation and grit of the Indian people always inspire me."

Source: IANS

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"The survey provides a panoramic view of what is likely to dominate global events and it is a good opportunity for countries to be mindful of what the citizens are thinking, bang in the beginning of the year, and address their concerns and measure up to their expectations," Amit Adarkar, CEO India and APAC Operations Director, Ipsos, said in a statement.

While 83 per cent of Indians surveyed are bullish about the performance of the global economy in 2020, only half of global citizens echo a similar view.

Interestingly, 82 per cent urban Indians foresee people around the world spending more time online than watching TV, while 78 per cent of global citizens polled hold a similar view.

While 72 per cent of urban Indians say they will be watching more TV from streaming services as opposed to cable/satellite or over the air, half of global citizens (50 per cent) cited a similar preference for this year.

There is overestimation seen for self-driving cars among urban Indians -- 61 per cent urban Indians predict, self-driving cars (autonomous vehicles) will be usual sightings on the streets of their cities (only 36 per cent global citizens foresee this happening).

Almost half of urban Indians (48 per cent) predict the re-election of US President Donald Trump, while 35 per cent of global citizens too feel the same.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) India skipper Virat Kohli is surprised to have won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for 2019 on Wednesday, as for many years he has been under the scanner for all the wrong reasons.

Back in 2008, when the 20-year-old broke into the international circuit, he gave the impression of being an immensely talented but temperamental kid who never shied away from verbal spats and taking on the opposition.

"I'm surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under the scanner for the wrong things," Kohli said in a statement issued by the ICC.

Whenever he used to reach a milestone, it was for sure that fans would see some of the choicest expletives come out of his mouth.

While his predecessors like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman preferred talking with the bat, Kohli never shied away from giving it back to the opposition whenever they crossed the line and would rather come out with more intense reaction, thus provoking the person concerned.

He was even called a "spoilt brat" by Australian cricketers after the culmination of numerous events that unfolded during India's 2014 tour Down Under.

While he was still scoring runs, more often than not, Kohli was involved in controversies and was criticised by many in the cricket fraternity.

Not to forget the famous Sydney Test where after being sledged by the crowd, Kohli was seen flipping the bird to the crowd, something which he later said he regretted doing.

The Delhi boy, who had swept the Player of the Year, Test Player of the Year and ODI Player of the Year for 2018, has won the award for 2019 for his gesture at last year's World Cup, when he egged the crowd on to support Australian batsman Steve Smith rather than boo him soon after his return to international cricket from a one-year suspension for the infamous sandpaper-gate controversy.

Explaining his reasons for backing Smith the way he did, Kohli said: "It is part of camaraderie that sportsmen must have with each other. That moment was purely understanding an individual's situation."

"I don't think a guy who is coming out of a situation like that needs to be taken advantage of. You can sledge, can have banter on the field, you say things to the opposition in wanting to beat them. But booing someone is not in the spirit of any sport, I don't endorse it.

"Also, that should not be a representation of our fans and what we stand as a cricketing nation, a sporting nation. We need to all take responsibility towards that," he added.

It's the same Smith whom, Kohli had accused of cheating in the DRS usage during Australia's tour of India in 2017.

Smith, the then Australia captain, had set off a storm of controversy in the second Test when he looked to his dressing room for help while deciding whether to call for a review into his lbw dismissal in Bengaluru -- describing the moment a "brain fade".

"Intimidate the opposition, definitely try and have an upper hand but in a matter that is not targeting someone emotionally. That is not acceptable at any level and people should be wary of that," Kohli says while urging fans not to be too harsh on players and refrain from making personal comments.

Cut to recent years and one will see that while the aggression and passion for the game remains the same, Kohli has now become much more relaxed and is in a space where he is not only leading the team to new heights but is also setting an example for youngsters.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Jan 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian Army's Fire and Fury Corps has rescued six seriously ill tourists who were stranded during a trek on the Zanskar river in Ladakh after multiple search and rescue columns were launched.

The group of tourists were stranded in bad weather while undertaking the annual 'Chaddar Trek' on the frozen Zanskar river in Ladakh.

Responding swiftly to request received from the Union Territory administration, columns were launched from two directions to reach the tourists who were stuck at Niraq village along the Zanskar River.

Helicopters of the Army Aviation were also pressed into service for the purpose.

Despite the inclement weather and narrow valleys of the Zanskar river, helicopters of the Army Aviation managed to land at a makeshift helipad in Niraq and inducted a column of Army personnel to coordinate the rescue operations.

An Army Medical Officer was also inducted to provide immediate medical aid to the tourists. Medicines, emergency rations and warm clothing was also inducted by the helicopters.

Six seriously ill tourists, who were suffering from effects of frostbite and High Altitude Pulmonary Odema (HAPO) were evacuated by the helicopters to the Army medical facility in Leh.

Chaddar Trek is an annual winter event in Ladakh popular amongst tourists wherein trek is undertaken on the frozen Zanskar River over a period of four to five days, staging halts in between.

Source: IANS

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By Aarti Tikoo Singh

New Delhi/Srinagar, Jan 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) On a day when mercury had dipped to 2 degree Celsius, 17 envoys, dressed in their tweed jackets and cashmere mufflers, took pictures and selfies in the backdrop of Zabarvan hills in the summer capital of the newly formed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The group of envoys representing 17 countries arrived in Srinagar on a two-day trip to Kashmir on Thursday, to get a first-hand experience of the situation since the special status of Jammu and Kashmir state was revoked.

Following the constitutional reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year, the government, placed the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under restrictions and a communication blockade for almost a month.

The government anticipated Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks and street violence in view of the threats issued by separatists and terror groups ahead of the decision.

Markets and educational institutions were shut for a couple of months in the valley after separatists and terror groups gave calls against restoration of normalcy.

However Kashmir since August 5, except for a few civilian killings by terrorists, has been mostly calm and peaceful. Although most communication services have been restored, the mobile Internet still remains suspended.

US Ambassador Kenneth I. Juster, is accompanied by the envoys of Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Guyana, Argentina, Philippines, Norway, Maldives, Fiji, Togo, Bangladesh and Peru on the two-day trip.

Markets, institutions and traffic were running normally on Thursday when the delegation of envoys arrived in Srinagar. Sources said, the common people whom the envoys met told them that though initially there were difficulties but they were relieved that there was no bloodshed and violent protests.

Common people also told the envoys that they were appreciative of the government's handling of the situation since the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A, sources said. The envoys were also asked to put pressure on Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism in Kashmir.

Official sources said, the government decided to organize the trip for the envoys because of several requests received by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Centre approved the request after analyzing the security situation and consulting the state administration.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) A total of 10,349 people involved in the farming sector, including 5,763 farmers or cultivators, committed suicide in 2018, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)'s report on 'Crime in India-2018' reveals.

The annual data was released around three months after the government released the NCRB report on 'Crime in India-2017'.

As per the latest data, of the 10,349 persons, who committed suicide in 2018, 4,586 were agricultural labourers.

The number of suicides in the farming sector in 2018 accounted for 7.7 per cent of the total suicide-victims (1,34,516) in the country, the NCRB data said.

Suicides in the country in 2018 rose to 1,34,516 from 1,29,887 in 2017.

The rate of suicides was up from 9.9 per cent in 2017 to 10.2 per cent in 2018. In 2017, a total of 10,655 farming sector-suicides were reported.

West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Goa, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported zero suicides of farmers or cultivators and agricultural labourers during 2018, said the report.

Source: IANS

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By Archana Sharma

Kota, Jan 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The sorry state of affairs at Kota's JK Lon hospital, where more than 110 children died in over a month, may be due to irregularities but no one cared to look into them.

The tussle between former hospital superintendent H.L. Meena and Head of Department (HOD) paediatrician Amritlal Bairwa, who was removed on Sunday, was known to one and all. Both of them preferred tossing the ball into each other's court which left the infants at the mercy of God in the hospital, said hospital employees.

While Bairwa acted like guest of honour who rarely visited the hospital, Meena never looked into the poor state of affairs of hospital's life saving equipment, they said further.

The critical patients which included new born infants were left to the mercy of medical trainees as seniors maintained a distance from the wards. Even the trainees spent most of their duty time talking on phones. When the parents approached nurses, they were scolded for no reasons and were even asked to check if drip and oxygen is being supplied to kids smoothly.

Padma, one of the mothers of the deceased boy who was just five month old, said, "There were no visiting doctors and no one to listen to my pain when my son was suffering breathing troubles in the emergency ward of the hospital."

"When I called the staff, they scolded me and asked me to check if oxygen was being supplied smoothly," she said, expressing her inability to do the same. "How could I know how to check the smooth supply of oxygen when I am a mother of an ailing son who is unaware of technical things, she said.

Hospital superintendent Suresh Dulara, meanwhile, confirmed that irregularities were reported in the hospital. "Yes, there was lack of coordination between Meena and Bairwa which brought the hospital to the messy condition."

Complaints against Meena were many and therefore he was removed at first go, said another employee of the hospital.

When asked why no one looked into the dysfunctional life saving equipment in hospital despite Rs 6 crore fund lying unused, Dulara said, "I can't go into the past and quote reasons for why these funds were not used."

Will you be able to spend the fund which is being infused by NGOs, MLAs and MPs, he said that the hospital will use these funds for its betterment, however, there are certain government norms which need to be followed. "We are bound by the norms which are too many. These norms need to be simplified," he said further.

More than 110 kids died in Kota's JK hospital in 35 days due to hypothermia, a medical emergency that occurs when the body temperature falls below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). The normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C).

A hospital official said there were many equipment which wanted just a small piece of wire costing around Rs 2 to start functioning, but there was no one to look into the issue as the heads of the concerned department were busy fulfilling their self seeking goals.

The war of commission simply delayed important and urgent tasks while the kids were dying.

None of the companies were assigned the task to fix the equipment which kept lying, unused.

Dulara said he can't say what went wrong earlier, however, he said he has signed comprehensive annual maintenance contract (CAMC) with firms under which the equipment will be fixed in every three months.

I have signed CAMC for warmers, ventilators, nebulisors, and pulometers and other equipment too due to which there should not be any further challenge of technical non-performance of these equipment, he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Nearly 80 per cent of top-notch executives in India believe if they don't aggressively deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) across their organisations, they risk going out of business by 2025, an Accenture study revealed on Monday.

The research found that while 79 per cent of C-level executives in India believe they won't achieve their business strategy without scaling AI, only a few have made the shift from mere experimentation to creating an organization powered by robust AI capabilities.

As a result, this small group of top performers is achieving nearly three times the return from AI investments as their lower-performing counterparts, Accenture said in a statement.

"Those who push through the barriers to embed AI more deeply in their organization, are seeing a return on their AI investment of 70 per cent or more," said Anindya Basu, geographic unit and country senior managing director, Accenture in India.

Indian businesses need to step on the pedal and learn from the leaders.

"They need to make strategic investments to scale AI as that's the only way to realize its true business value," Basu added.

Accenture surveyed 1,500 C-Suite executives from companies with a minimum revenue of $1 billion in 12 countries, including India, across 16 industries.

The findings showed that the secret to success for top performers centres around three key elements: a strong data foundation, multiple dedicated AI teams, and a C-suite-led commitment to strategic, organization-wide AI deployment.

These companies demonstrate their deep commitment by scaling AI at a much higher rate -- conducting nearly twice as many pilots than other companies.

However, this commitment to AI does not necessarily translate to higher spend, with top performers reporting lower investment levels on their AI implementations -- pilots and full-scale deployments -- than lower performers, said the report.

Nearly all global respondents (95 per cent) agree on the importance of data as the foundation to scaling AI, but the top performers are more intentional and focused on ensuring that the right, relevant data assets are in place to underpin their AI efforts.

They are more adept at structuring and managing data, with 61 per cent wielding a large, accurate data set and more than two-thirds (67 per cent) effectively integrating both internal and external data sets.

"While the top leadership team can serve as the champions responsible for scaling AI initiatives, embedding teams with AI across the entire organization is not only a powerful signal about the strategic intent of the effort, but will also enable faster culture and behavioural changes," said Saurabh Kumar Sahu, managing director and lead for Applied Intelligence, Accenture in India.

Instead of relying on a single AI champion, 92 per cent top executives have strategically embedded multi-disciplinary teams throughout their organisations.

"This cross-functional approach also helps ensure diversity of thinking which, in addition to having tangible benefits for considerations like Responsible AI, can also maximize the value an organization sees from their AI deployments," said the report.

Source: IANS

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By Shona Adhikari

New Delhi, Dec 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) I remember my first view of Jaisals Fort - it literally took my breath away. Despite having seen umpteen photos, perched on the top of a hill, the Fort was a vision out of a fairy tale. Year after year, countless tourists from all over the world are totally mesmerized by the Jaisalmer Fort, built of rare golden sandstone. There are few places in India that can rival the medieval charm and magnificence of this 12th century Fort with its intricately carved havelis.

The approach to the Jaisalmer Fort adds to the first glimpse. There is this straight road without any trees and roadside habitation to break the monotony, when suddenly from a distance of around 12 kilometres, the Fort comes into view - perched on a table mountain rising up like a mirage... just like Satyajit Ray's ?? 1/2 Sonar Kella'.

Jaisal, ruler of Lodhruva - that lies 16 kilometres west of Jaisalmer - was conscious that his fortress on the plane was susceptible to invasion and wandered around the neighbourhood to find a securer vantage point. Local legends say that Jaisal came across a Brahmin hermit living next to a spring, that overlooked the triple-peaked hill known as ?? 1/2 Trikuta'. The hermit told Jaisal that many years ago, another hermit had foretold that a town would be built close to the spring and a fort would be built on top of the hill. And so it happened, just as predicted.

The fort is built on a hill that rises to more than a height of 250 ft above the surrounding countryside. It is 1,500 ft long and 750 ft wide and the base of the fort has a 15 ft tall wall forming the fort's outermost ring as well as two more walls for its defence. The fort's upper bastions or towers form a defensive inner-wall perimeter that is about 4.0 km long. The fort now incorporates 99 bastions, of which 92 were probably rebuilt between the period of 1633 and 47. The fort also has four massive fortified entrances leading from the town. One of the gates was once guarded by cannon. Visitors to the fort must pass these four massive gateways situated along the main approach to the citadel.

Within the Fort, there are many beautiful palaces, havelis and temples. These include the Raj Mahal Palace, which was earlier the former residence of the Maharawal of Jaisalmer. There are 7 beautiful Jain temples, all built with yellow sandstone and dating back to 12th - 16th century. Among Hindu temples there is the huge temple built by Askaran Chopra of Merta dedicated to Sambhavanaha. It has more than 600 idols and old scriptures. Other temples include the Ashtapadh built by Chopra Panchaji and the Laxminath temple dedicated to Vishnu and Lakshmi.

However, visitors are most interested in the numerous havelis in the Fort. These are large houses built by wealthy merchants with ornate sandstone carvings. Among the most popular being the ?? 1/2 Patwon ki Haveli'. Many of these dwellings are hundreds of years old and have elaborate carved from in yellow sandstone. Some may have many floors and countless rooms, with beautifully decorated windows, archways, doors and balconies. While most of the havelis are owned and lived in, some of these have been turned into museums. The Vyas haveli which was built in the 15th century is still occupied by the descendants of the original builders. Another example is the Shree Nath Palace which was once inhabited by the prime minister of Jaisalmer. Some of the doors and ceilings of the older buildings are splendid examples of designs of intricate carved wood dating back to hundreds of years.

Also worth noting is the Fort's ingenious drainage system known as the ?? 1/2 Ghut Nali', which allows for the easy drainage of rainwater away from the fort in all four directions. Over the years, haphazard construction activities and building of new roads has greatly reduced its effectiveness.

The Fort was built to withstand the heat and the sand of the Thar desert, the Fort now also has to be able to survive heavy rainfall. Quirks of weather were totally unheard of in Jaisal's time! Conservation of the Fort has been occupying the minds of many and one can see that this year's rain has added to their problems. These are warnings that cannot be ignored. For those who have not visited Jaisalmer a speedy visit is advised.

Beginning from November and right up to the end of March, is the best time to visit Jaisalmer. The Desert Festival is usually held around early February when the whole region comes alive with camels and colourfully clad desert folk. Drives out to the sand dunes offer spectacular sunsets and a chance to see the desert folk in their natural habitat, dancing and singing in the sand.

Source: IANS

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Seoul, Dec 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Brushing teeth frequently is linked with lower risks of atrial fibrillation and heart failure, according to a new study.

Tooth brushing three or more times a day was associated with a 10 per cent lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12 per cent lower risk of heart failure during 10.5-year follow up, the research added.

The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, enrolled 161,286 participants of the Korean National Health Insurance System aged 40 to 79 with no history of atrial fibrillation or heart failure.

"We studied a large group over a long period, which adds strength to our findings," said study author Tae-Jin Song of Ewha Woman's University in South Korea.

Previous research suggests that poor oral hygiene leads to bacteria in the blood, causing inflammation in the body.

Inflammation increases the risks of atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure (the heart's ability to pump blood or relax and fill with blood is impaired).

This study examined the connection between oral hygiene and occurrence of these two conditions.

Participants underwent a routine medical examination between 2003 and 2004. Information was collected on height, weight, laboratory tests, illnesses, lifestyle, oral health, and oral hygiene behaviours.

During a median follow-up of 10.5 years, 4,911 (3.0 per cent) participants developed atrial fibrillation and 7,971 (4.9 per cent) developed heart failure.

The findings were independent of a number of factors including age, sex, socioeconomic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and comorbidities such as hypertension.

According to the researchers, while the study did not investigate mechanisms, one possibility is that frequent tooth brushing reduces bacteria living in the pocket between the teeth and gums, thereby preventing translocation to the bloodstream.

It is certainly too early to recommend toothbrushing for the prevention of atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure, the study said.

"While the role of inflammation in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease is becoming more and more evident, intervention studies are needed to define strategies of public health importance," it added.

Source: IANS

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Los Angeles, Nov 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) At the Tesla Cybertruck unveiling here, Elon Musk asked the companys lead designer, Franz von Holzhausen, to demonstrate the strength of the "Armor Glass" by throwing a solid metal, baseball-sized ball at the window, but surprisingly the glass broke when a steel ball was overarmed into it.

"We threw wrenches, we threw everything, we even literally threw a kitchen sink at the glass, and it didn't break. For a little weird reason it broke now, I don't know why," Musk said on Thursday.

He then joked, "We'll fix it in post."

Interestingly, the video went private on Tesla's YouTube channel about 30 seconds after the live stream was over.

Starting at $39,900, "Cybertruck" is inspired by "Lotus Esprit S1" from the Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me".

The truck will come in three versions with 250 miles, 300 miles and 500 miles of range, respectively.

According to research firm IHS Markit, the Ford F-150 has been the top-selling pickup truck in the US for more than 40 years, followed by GM's Chevrolet Silverado.

Pickup trucks are currently the fastest-growing segment in the US.

At the Los Angeles event at the Tesla Design Centre late Thursday, Musk took a dig at Ford, showing a video of a "tug of war" between F-150 and the Cybertruck.

Source: IANS

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While counterintuitive, engaging in competition with family and friends decreases the odds of long-term use among older adults, perhaps because they feel it's demotivating, according to researchers from Michigan State University.

And wanting to lose weight, become more active and monitor health doesn't seem to influence length of use either. But technological savviness does.

"For older adults, motivation is about partnership and collaboration, such as walking together," said Anastasia Kononova, assistant professor of advertising. "It's about being active together, not competing."

The researchers conducted a survey of adults age 65 and older to explore factors associated with long-term use -- longer than six months -- of wearable activity trackers.

They looked at usage patterns, socioeconomic factors, health status and activity levels.

The study, published in the journal Telemedicine and e-HEALTH, found older adults are likely to use trackers longer if they use a wider variety of functions to track their health and activity levels.

Examples of such functions include tracking calories burned, distance, heart rate, mood, sleep time, steps, etc.

Other factors determining long-term use: being female, being well-educated, wearing every day, exercising regularly and not having chronic health conditions.

"For starters, manufacturers should incorporate activities specific to an older population, such as swimming and gardening, into trackers," Kononova said.

Like younger users, physical appearance of trackers is important, so big and bulky doesn't work.

"Wearable activity trackers have the potential to improve older adults' health, yet many adopters don't use them on a long-term basis," said Lin Li, a doctoral candidate studying health and technology who led the study.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Ayodhya verdict should not be seen as a victory or defeat of anyone and urged all to strengthen the spirit of nationalism.

In a series of tweets, Modi said the decision is notable as it highlights that any dispute can be amicably solved in the spirit of due process of law. He also said the verdict reaffirms the independence, transparency and far-sightedness of the judiciary.

"The Supreme Court has given its verdict on the Ayodhya issue. This verdict shouldn't be seen as a win or loss for anybody. Be it Ram Bhakti or Rahim Bhakti, it is imperative that we strengthen the spirit of Rashtra Bhakti. May peace and harmony prevail," he said.

Modi also said that the decision illustrates that everybody is equal before the law.

"The halls of justice have amicably concluded a matter going on for decades. Every side, every point of view was given adequate time and opportunity to express differing points of view. This verdict will further increase people's faith in judicial processes."

He said the calm and peace maintained by the 130 crore Indians in the run-up to the verdict manifests India's inherent commitment to peaceful coexistence.

"May this very spirit of unity and togetherness power the development trajectory of our nation. May every Indian be empowered."

The Supreme Court on Saturday gave the 2.77 acre disputed land in Ayodhya to the Hindus and asked the government to give alternate land to the Sunni Waqf Board, which was a party to the title suit.

In the unanimous judgement, the five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the Centre to form within three months a trust which will build a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Source: IANS

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Washington, Nov 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan has played an active but negative role in Afghan affairs for decades, and Pakistan's security establishment, fearful of strategic encirclement by India, continues to view the Afghan Taliban as "a relatively friendly and reliably anti-India element in Afghanistan", says a US Congressional report.

Pakistan may view a weak and destabilized Afghanistan as preferable to a strong, unified Afghan state, especially one led by an ethnic Pashtun-dominated government in Kabul, says a report by the independent and bipartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS).

"Pakistan's security services maintain ties to Afghan insurgent groups, most notably the Haqqani Network, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) that has become an official, semi autonomous component of the Taliban.

"Afghan leaders, along with US military commanders, attribute much of the insurgency's power and longevity either directly or indirectly to Pakistani support. President Trump has accused Pakistan of "housing the very terrorists that we are fighting."

It says that "US officials have long identified militant safe havens in Pakistan as a threat to security in Afghanistan, though some Pakistani officials dispute that charge and note the Taliban's increased territorial control within Afghanistan itself," it adds.

It says that India's diplomatic and commercial presence in Afghanistan, and the US' "rhetorical support for ita exacerbates Pakistani fears of encirclement.

Indian interest in Afghanistan stems largely from India's broader regional rivalry with Pakistan, which impedes Indian efforts to establish stronger and more direct commercial and political relations with Central Asia, the report adds.

The report says that President Trump "did encourage India to play a greater role in Afghan economic development", which "along with other Administration messaging, has compounded Pakistani concerns over Indian activity in Afghanistan."

"India has been the largest regional contributor to Afghan reconstruction, but New Delhi has not shown an inclination to pursue a deeper defence relationship with Kabul," it adds.

On the Afghan peace talks, it notes that insurgent and terrorist groups "have demonstrated considerable capabilities in 2019, throwing into sharp relief the daunting security challenges that the Afghan government and its US and international partners face. At the same time, prospects for a negotiated settlement, driven by direct US-Taliban talks, are uncertain in light of the September 2019 cancellation of those negotiations and the Taliban's continued refusal to talk to the Afghan government."

"US policy has sought to force the Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government by compelling the group to conclude that continued military struggle is futile in light of combined US, NATO, and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) capabilities.

"It is still unclear, however, how the Taliban perceives its fortunes; given the group's recent battlefield gains, one observer has said that "the group has little reason to commit to a peace process: it is on a winning streak."

It suggests that the US Congress "may examine how the US can leverage its assets, influence, and experience in Afghanistan, as well as those of Afghanistan's neighbours and international organizations, to encourage more equal, inclusive, and effective governance."

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Oct 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) A massive inflow of foreign funds on the back of positive global cues along with expectations of further economic reforms like reduction in certain taxes and healthy quarterly results lifted the S&P BSE Sensex to touch a new intra-day record high of over 40,300 points on Thursday.

The Sensex touched a record intra-day high of above 40,392 points, surpassing the previous high of 40,312 reached on June 4, 2019.

Late Wednesday night, the US Federal Reserve had reduced interest rates for the third time this year in a move to ensure the US economy weathers a global trade war without slipping into a recession.

This reduction, analysts said aided in the healthy fund inflows into the Indian equity markets. BSE data on Thursday showed that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 1,870.87 crore.

Healthy buying was observed in IT, telecom, realty and healthcare stocks, whereas the scrips of metal and capital goods companies came under heavy selling pressure.

The S&P BSE Sensex closed at 40,129.05 points, up 77.18 points, or by 0.19 per cent, over the previous close of 40,051.87 points.

After opening at 40,211.99 points, the Sensex swayed between an intra-day high of 40,392.22 and a low of 40,054.89.

Similarly, the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange closed at 11,877.45, higher by 33.35 points, or by 0.28 per cent over its previous close.

The broad market indices like the BSE Mid-cap and Small-cap indices gained more, thereby outperforming both the Sensex and Nifty.

"Market is slowly marching towards the all-time high supported by quarter earnings and government measures to attract equity investments," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

"Additionally, strong economic factors like favourable inflation, interest rate and benign oil prices will support the market sentiment in the long term. Strengthening rupee, along with increasing FIIs inflow, is indicating a change in FIIs' negative stance towards emerging markets."

According to Motilal Oswal Financial Services Private Retail Research Head Siddhartha Khemka: "Sensex drifted to 36,000 zones in the mid of September but witnessed good recovery in the last two months led by FIIs flow, positive momentum from US indices, reducing tension over US-China trade war,"

"In October, FIIs have bought nearly $700 million in equities, while so far this year they have purchased $8.87 billion. Moreover, impressive corporate earnings and reports that the government is considering further tax reforms also boosted sentiments. Moreover, turnaround of auto sales volumes in the festival sessions, good monsoon, stable oil price and USD-INR added fuel in the market."

HDFC Securities' Retail Research Head Deepak Jasani said: "Technically, the short term uptrend of the Nifty still remains intact. Further upsides are likely once the immediate resistance of 11,947 is taken out, in which case 11,982 will be the next resistance."

"Crucial supports to watch for resumption of weakness are at 11,785."

Source: IANS

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New Delhi/Mumbai, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Auto sector's diminishing fortunes seem to have somewhat eroded the BJP's electoral prospects in major automobile producing states of Haryana and Maharashtra. India's mini Detroits which were booming till recently have careened out of control.

Evidently, both the states have massive automobile manufacturing belts such as Gurugram-Manesar in Haryana and the 25 km Motown corridor in Talegaon-Chakan in Maharashtra.

These belts house the likes of Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter, VW, Audi, Skoda, M&M, Bajaj Auto, Daimler Benz, and thousands of auto part manufacturers.

Consequently, the slowdown has hit the major industry -- auto manufacturing -- of these states hard and thereby hampered the level of electoral victory that the BJP was expected to achieve.

"The BJP has performed poorly due to the slowdown. People here have faced hardship due to the slowdown and lay-offs. This has impacted BJP's electoral propects to some extent," said Rajesh Shukla, General Secretary of Hero MotoCorp Workers Union.

In Haryana, the BJP failed to cross the halfway mark in the 90-member Assembly. It won 40 seats, but all its state ministers lost, barring only one, including Anil Vij.

The BJP had set a target of winning 75 seats, while in Maharashtra, the party had targeted to win over 200 seats out of 288 seats.

In Maharashtra, the BJP is poised to win 103 seats while its ally Shiv Sena is also set to win on over 57 seats.

Industry insiders and locals said that economies of these areas are predominantly dependent on the income generated via employment and other businesses associated with auto manufacturing.

As such, the slowdown which led to lay-offs and lesser numbers of production days at the factories based in these belts impacted local businesses more than other parts of the country.

At present, the auto industry is facing a severe demand slowdown on account of high GST rates, farm distress, stagnant wages and liquidity constraints.

The sales and production have plunged dramatically, leading to job losses.

In September, all major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) comprising passenger, commercial, two and three-wheeler manufacturers reported massive declines in domestic sales.

As per the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers' sales figures, the overall sectoral offtake in the domestic market plunged 22.41 per cent in September 2019.

In August, the sales data had showed that overall sectoral off-take in the domestic market had plunged 23.55 per cent.

This level of downturn was witnessed only once earlier, in December 2000, when the de-growth was registered at 21.81 per cent. The available data series commences from 1997-98.

Moreover, the industry has estimated that around 15,000 contractual manufacturing jobs have been lost and another million are at risk if the slowdown is not reversed.

Source: IANS

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