Month: January 2024

Apple tops India smartphone market in revenue share in 2023; Samsung in volumes: Counterpoint

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

iPhone maker Apple led India market with highest revenue in 2023 for the first time while Samsung topped the chart in terms of sales volume, market research firm Counterpoint Research said on Wednesday.

While India’s smartphone shipments remained flat in 2023 at 152 million units, Samsung and Chinese mobile phone makers Vivo and Oppo were able to grow their shares, according to Counterpoint’s Monthly India Smartphone Tracker report.

“Apple’s focus on India is also aiding the trend, with the brand surpassing the 10-million-unit mark in shipments and capturing the top position in revenue in a calendar year for the first time, propelled by robust demand for both its latest and older iPhones.

“The opening of own retail stores and increasing focus on large-format retail through regular promotions contributed to increased offline shipments,” Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research Shubham Singh said.

Vivo followed Samsung with 17 per cent market share in terms of volume.

“The first half of the year was challenging due to ongoing macroeconomic turbulence leading to low demand and an inventory build-up. The market started recovering in the second half of the year supported by 5G upgrades and better-than-expected festive sales,” the report said.

Market share of Chinese smartphone players Xioami slipped to third spot from top position in volume market share. The company’s market share fell to 16.5 per cent in 2023 from 20.3 per cent a year ago.

The Indian smartphone market in the December 2023 quarter, however, grew by 25 per cent on a year-on-year basis on account growth in the premium segment and 5G upgrades.

“India’s smartphone market grew in Q4 2023 after declining for a year. The elongated festive season further aided this growth, as the availability of steep discounts, easy financing schemes and lucrative promotions boosted demand,” Counterpoint Research Senior Research Analyst Shilpi Jain said.

She said 5G smartphone shipment share crossed 52 per cent in 2023 with 66 per cent growth on a YoY basis.

“The last quarter (October-December) exited the market with healthy inventory levels compared to last year, setting the right tone for growth for next year. We believe the market will grow by 5 per cent YoY next year driven by premiumization, diffusion of 5G in lower price bands and better macroeconomic conditions,” Jain said.

In the December 2023 quarter, Xiaomi held top position with 18.3 per cent share while Vivo is estimated to be in second spot with 17.3 per cent share, followed by Samsung with 16.8 per cent share, Realme 11.5 per cent and Oppo 9.5 per cent share.

Smartphone makers have increased focus on premium devices, which has been driving growth in their business.

The premium segment, devices priced above Rs 30,000, witnessed a 64 per cent YoY growth in 2023 driven by easy financing schemes, which resulted in consumers jumping price bands to purchase higher-priced smartphones.
“One out of every three smartphones was purchased through financing in 2023,” the report said.

Counterpoint expects foldable smartphones will also become more popular in the premium segment as more companies come up with foldable devices.

“We believe that foldable shipments will cross the 1-million milestone in 2024,” the report said.

Counterpoint expects a growing trend of audio-video enhancements in smartphones, powered by features like dolby atmos, dolby vision and dolby vision recording in 2024.

OnePlus grew by 33 per cent YoY in 2023 driven by offline expansion and better product portfolio in the affordable premium segment which comprises devices in the price range of Rs 30,000-45,000.

Transsion brands grew by 31 per cent YoY mainly driven by a hybrid channel strategy, focus on bringing premium features to the affordable segment and strong presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

The only home-grown smartphone brand Lava grew by 36 per cent. Google and Motorola grew by 111 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

Technology

Travelling to Middle East? Check out these lesser known Middle Eastern marvels | Travel

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

The Middle East, known for its diverse culture, rich history and modern marvels, extends far beyond the glitz of Dubai. While the city shines brightly on the travel map, several other destinations in the region now offer distinctive experiences waiting to be discovered and cherished.

Travelling to Middle East? Check out these lesser known Middle Eastern marvels on your next trip (Photo by SALEH on Unsplash)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Lubaina Sheraazi, CEO and Co-Founder of BRANDit, recommended checking out these Middle Eastern destinations beyond Dubai, that offer an array of different experiences from adventure to cultural immersion, varied gastronomy and more –

Catch the complete coverage of Budget 2024 only on HT. Explore now!

Doha, Qatar: The Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

Doha, the ever-evolving gem of Qatar, skillfully weaves tradition and modernity into its captivating fabric. The city renowned for its architectural marvels offers an array of experiences that fuse warm Arabic hospitality with contemporary luxury. The cultural tapestry unfolds at Katara Cultural Village, nestled between the expansive beachfront and the twin Katara Hills, where art, culture, and culinary wonders converge at the heart of Doha. Doha’s emergence as an art district further elevates its appeal, captivating enthusiasts with its energetic artistic scene. Visit the iconic National Museum of Qatar, envisioned by the pioneering architect Jean Nouvel, stands as a representation of Qatar’s heritage, depicted through its awe-inspiring design which is reminiscent of a desert rose. Or discover Richard Serra’s magnificent East-West/West-East installation made of colossal steel plates is a monumental testament nestled amidst the limestone formations just beyond Zekreet.

Qatar offers a gastronomic journey like no other, that starts with traditional Qatari flavours and culminates in a selection of dishes from the global cuisine in settings ranging from street food trucks to fine dining restaurants. Thrill seekers can prepare for an adrenaline rush with exciting activities in the mesmerising Khor Al Adaid such as sandboarding, camel rides, and thrilling quad bike and ATV excursions. The thrill extends to various water adventures like sailing, water-skiing, canoeing, kitesurfing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, diving and more thanks to the 560 km of coastline with crystal clear waters and vibrant marine life.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Gateway to the Red Sea

Jeddah, the gateway to the Red Sea, beckons adventurers with its aquatic wonders. Offering thrilling experiences like snorkelling and scuba diving, this city is more than a marine paradise—it’s a cultural gem. The historic district of Al-Balad showcases ancient architecture and lively souks, introducing visitors to Hijazi cuisine and enriching shopping tours around its landmarks.

Muscat, Oman: Experience the Omani Opulence

Muscat, the Omani capital, mesmerises with its luxury and cultural heritage. Discover the allure of the renowned Amouage Perfumery, marvel at architectural wonders like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Mutrah Souq. Witness dolphins in their natural habitat and explore Oman’s rich history at various museums like the Bait Al Zubair Museum which brings the rich cultural heritage right before you. As the oldest independent state in the Arab World, the country has embraced the tenets of modernisation while preserving its quintessential cultural tapestry. Nestled within a dual resort complex is Shangri-La Muscat seamlessly integrating cultural, artistic, culinary and architectural heritage. Its location along the Gulf of Oman pays homage to its rich maritime history even as the architecture is designed to resemble forts, villages, towns, and markets. An in-house Frankincense Sommelier is appointed to give insight into Omani cultural nuances and traditional welcome rituals too.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Where History Meets Modern Entertainment

Riyadh, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, balances historical treasures with a bustling, modern cityscape. Uncover the city’s historical legacy within old palaces and contrast it with the vivid entertainment scenes in places like Riyadh Boulevard. From luxury shopping destinations to thrilling activities like hiking the Edge of the World, Riyadh blends business, entertainment, and cultural richness seamlessly. Held between October to March, Riyadh Season transforms the city into the biggest winter entertainment event in the Middle East with huge concerts, food trucks, cafes and shopping experiences from around the globe. The festivities embody the essence of Saudi Arabia, showcasing its rich Najdi heritage and vibrant present-day dynamism.

AlUla, Saudi Arabia: Unveiling Hidden Historical Marvels

AlUla, a treasure trove, entices travellers with its deep historical significance. Home to Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this land reveals ancient civilizations and stories etched within its rocks and inscriptions. Delight your taste buds with innovative Najdi cuisine against breathtaking views, and embrace exceptional experiences like rock climbing, hiking, and camping under the starry desert sky.

These Middle Eastern destinations offer an array of experiences, blending history, culture and modern allure with the generosity of Arab culture, inviting travellers to explore and appreciate the diverse tapestry woven into the fabric of the region.

Tours Travel

Argylle review – The worst movie in ages cruelly deceives Henry Cavill fans | Films | Entertainment

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Matthew Vaughn has made some fantastic action blockbusters over the years, from Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class to the Kingsman movies.

So when the director announced another spy caper starring Henry Cavill – bagging the A-lister before the James Bond producers, as he put it – we were initially very excited.

An all-star cast was announced for Argylle including Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, John Cena, Samuel L Jackson, Ariana DeBose and more.

It soon became apparent that the film was to be based on debut novelist Elly Conway’s spy thriller of the same name, promising a globetrotting adventure involving a “luxury train speeding towards Moscow” and “a Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland”.

But then came the first trailer for the movie adaptation and suddenly our anticipation was somewhat squashed.

It turned out the blockbuster was taking a meta spin, with the movie actually following fictional Argylle novel author Conway (Howard), who discovered that her books reflect the real-life world of espionage.

It’s not long before Rockwell’s actual spook Aidan drags the writer and her cat (owned by Vaughn’s wife Claudia Schiffer) on an adventure to discover the truth; one in which we were still hoping would have big roles for the other major stars. Tragically this was not the case at all.

Argylle’s trailer and poster turned out to be pure clickbait. Cavill and Dua Lipa are front and centre of the latter and alongside John Cena and Ariana DeBose are only in the movie for a couple of scenes. This is mostly in the film’s opening and was akin to the cameos at the start of Austin Powers’ Goldmember.

Instead what we get is a sub-par, should-have-been-straight-to-streaming-at-best disappointment. Howard and Rockwell’s characters amble off on an incredibly boring quest that made the audience member next to me literally decide to take a nap rather than engage with the utter garbage in front of our eyes.

Of course, there’s plenty of over-the-top action, which is one of Vaughn’s signatures, but it’s tonally completely off given the real-world setting. Lowlights include the silly CGI cat scratching a villain’s face, Conway ice skating on spilt oil as she takes out baddies and the two leads dancing to “our song” – which tastelessly ended up being the just okay AI-aided John Lennon Beatles track Now and Then, released only a few months ago.

The only redeeming feature of being robbed of almost two and half hours of our lives we’ll never get back was the promise at the end of what audiences had been excited about in the first place.

That’s right, after Cavill fans were cruelly tricked into watching this nonsense, there’s a promise that an actual adaptation of the Argylle novel (which is out now) is in the works. And to be honest, after what we’ve just witnessed we’re not even sure if we want it anymore.

The most painful thing about this rubbish is that Vaughn is usually brilliant at making tongue-in-cheek action-packed spy movies.

But having chosen this narrative route (with all its overdone twists and turns inspired by other well-established spook stories) has meant a colossal waste of his and the A-list cast’s talent. An abysmal disappointment.

Argylle hits UK cinemas on February 2 and will stream on Apple TV+ at a later date.

Arts Entertainments

2024 Mazda 3 G20 Evolve review

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

It’s still a common sight on Australian roads, but the Mazda 3 isn’t the sales favourite it once was.

The Japanese small car was Australia’s top-selling nameplate once upon a time, and remained a segment leader even once the SUV craze took hold. In 2024 however, it doesn’t even make the Top 20 list.

But that’s not to say it’s because the Mazda 3 is falling behind the pack. If anything it’s still one of the best small cars you can buy, especially as numerous rival brands withdraw their small passenger car nameplates in Australia.

This fourth-generation Mazda 3 first launched in 2019, and has received numerous running changes since but no major facelift or redesign. In my eyes, it’s still one of the best-looking small cars on sale.

Here on test we have the 2024 Mazda 3 G20 Evolve Hatch, the one-up from base hatchback model that can be parked in your driveway for a little over $36,000.

WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2020 Mazda 3 G25 Astina

Mazda rolled out some running changes last year as part of an MY24 update, including a larger infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the discontinuation of manual and mild-hybrid variants, while the ‘G20’ 2.0-litre petrol engine received a fuel-saving cylinder deactivation function.

How does it fare in today’s super competitive market? Read on to find out.

How does the Mazda 3 fare vs its competitors?

View a detailed breakdown of the Mazda 3 against similarly sized vehicles.

Mazda

Mazda 3

How much does the Mazda 3 cost?

Prices rose for last year’s update by up to $2310, but have remained the same since.

It’s worth noting the Mazda 3 is available as both a hatchback and a sedan, with no price discrepancy between body styles.

Prior to this update, the six-speed automatic commanded a $1000 premium over the now discontinued six-speed manual transmission.

2024 Mazda 3 pricing:

Mazda 3 G20 Pure: $30,320
Mazda 3 G20 Evolve: $31,870
Mazda 3 G20 Touring: $34,520
Mazda 3 G25 Evolve SP: $34,520
Mazda 3 G25 GT: $38,420
Mazda 3 G25 Astina: $42,320

Prices exclude on-road costs

See how the Mazda 3 shapes up against its rivals using our comparison tool.

What is the Mazda 3 like on the inside?

Pretty much the same as it has been since this generation launched, but there’s a larger screen now.

Even as newer rivals have arrived, the now mature-aged Mazda 3 continues to be a benchmark for compact interiors.

From the high ratio of soft-touch materials, stitched leatherette accents, and overall clean design, the Mazda’s cockpit could be mistaken for a premium-branded model if you covered up the badge on the steering wheel.

It’s a very minimalist cabin, with a lot of clean lines and a pared back approach to physical switchgear – though there are still actual knobs and buttons for the climate control, volume and the like.

The steering wheel is another tactile highlight. The classic rounded design with a thin centre hub and clicky buttons looks and feels lovely in the hand, while the grooves and cutouts for your hand feel well thought out.

Comfort up front is likewise very good, with supportive seats that, while manually adjustable, have angle adjustment for the thigh cushion. It’s pretty easy to find the perfect driving position.

Mazda hasn’t rolled out its new digital instrument cluster beyond the Large Architecture range (CX-60, CX-90), though the 3’s 8.0-inch part-digital cluster is a nice balance of new-school meets old-school.

Both the instrument binnacle and Mazda Connect infotainment display offer a minimalist design with beautifully clean fonts, which make for a very classic look. It’s all very easy to read and navigate, too.

You can toggle a couple of different views on the driver’s display too, including a conventional virtual dial with needle, a minimalist driver assistance display, a speedometer with central trip computer. I like the classic one, personally.

Our test car’s optional Vision Technology Pack not only brings more assistance and safety systems, but also a larger 10.25-inch infotainment display – up from 8.8-inch.

While the larger display makes everything a little bigger and clearer, there’s little other differentiation from the smaller Mazda Connect system. You also don’t get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in this spec, which is frustrating given the same unit in the Touring and above do (plus a wireless phone charger).

The Mazda Connect interface comes with embedded satellite navigation, DAB radio, and wired smartphone mirroring. It all works as you’d expect.

An increasing amount of rivals are adding connected services to their infotainment systems, which the Mazda currently lacks. Given the Japanese brand is rolling out telematics and connected services this year starting with the MX-5 sports car, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the next model-year change for the 3.

Things are perhaps a little less rosy in the rear, especially in the Mazda 3 hatch. The fastback-style roofline and pinched glasshouse mean it’s quite a dark place to sit, and if you’re taller that sloping roofline eats into headroom.

At 6’1 I can squeeze in behind my own driving position with limited knee room and legroom. My VW Golf is far better equipped for people carrying, for example, let alone newer rivals in the segment like the Kia Cerato and Skoda Scala.

Stepping up to the Evolve over the Pure gets you rear air vents and a fold-down centre armrest, which makes the second row a lot more liveable should you need to carry people in the second row.

Other amenities include a map pocket behind the front passenger’s seat (not the driver), bottle holders in the doors, and the requisite child seat anchor points (i.e. ISOFIX and top-tethers).

Arguably the 3 Hatch’s biggest weak spot is the boot, which is among the smallest in class. It offers just 295 litres of capacity with the second row upright – Mazda doesn’t quote a two-seat figure, either.

There’s a steel temporary space saver spare wheel under the boot floor of every Mazda 3.

What’s under the bonnet?

Model	Mazda 3 Skyactiv-G 2.0
Engine	2.0L 4cyl petrol
Power	114kW (6000rpm)
Torque	200Nm (4000rpm)
Transmission	6-speed auto
Driven wheels	Front-wheel drive
Weight	1414kg
Fuel economy (claim)	5.9L/100km
Fuel economy (observed)	7.7L/100km
Fuel tank size	51 litres
Fuel requirement	91 RON

See how the Mazda 3 shapes up against its rivals using our comparison tool.

How does the Mazda 3 drive?

The Mazda 3 really embodies the brand’s zoom zoom driving philosophy.

Even with the base 2.0-litre petrol engine, the Mazda 3 offers willing performance and engaging dynamics that make even the daily grind a fun time behind the wheel.

There’s a really nice directness and responsiveness to all of the driver controls, though it’s not so connected or unassisted that everyday driving scenarios a chore. If anything, it’s quite the opposite.

I love the buttery fluid steering, and the wonderfully balanced ride that allows for playful and natural body roll in corners to tie in with the keen front end, while also doing a good job at ironing out the lumps and bumps of city driving.

There was a bit of hullabaloo about the 3’s switch from a multilink rear suspension to a torsion beam setup for this generation, and while the hatch in particular can be a little stiff at the rear over harsher imperfections it’s far from uncomfortable and is sort of in keeping with the 3 Hatch’s more athletic and fun focus.

Some may pan the Skyactiv-G 2.0’s meek on-paper outputs as being ‘underdone’, and while its straight-line pace won’t knock your socks off, the revvy petrol engine and six-speed auto make for decent progress.

In normal driving it’s more than adequate, with great naturally aspirated response and snappy shifts, though if you need to gun it you’ll feel it run out of puff at the top end. For most people though, it’s perfectly fine.

There’s a more powerful and more expensive 2.5-litre engine available higher in the range, nearly $3000 dearer in its cheapest form. Said G25 Evolve SP adds a bit more kit too, including keyless entry, a powered driver’s seat and wireless smartphone mirroring, amongst other items – it could well be the sweet spot in the range.

If you like a bit more grunt under your right foot, it could be something to consider.

But should you spend most of your time commuting around the city and the suburbs, you probably won’t need more than what the 2.0-litre offers. Plus, you’re likely to spend less on fuel if you go for the smaller engine.

We saw an indicated return of 7.7 litres per 100km in mixed conditions favouring high-traffic peak-hour commuting, which while up on Mazda’s combined claim 5.9L/100km isn’t a world away from the urban claim of 7.3L/100km.

That said, something like a Volkswagen Golf 110TSI will use a litre or two less, and that gap widens further if you’re looking at something like a Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

Something tells me that if Mazda kept the 24V mild-hybrid system and added cylinder deactivation for the standard engine, we’d see better all-round economy given I’ve observed a circa 1.0L/100km improvement with urban-heavy driving in the past when comparing the outgoing G20 and G20e.

As for driver assistance features in the real world, the Vision Technology-equipped Mazda 3 is decked to the nines with features – I’d strongly recommend the $2000 option pack.

The 360-degree parking camera is a huge help given the coupe-like glasshouse, aided by front parking sensors for that long bonnet. Mazda’s semi-autonomous Cruising & Traffic Assist function also is a pretty intuitive companion on traffic-ridden freeways.

Standard LED headlights with auto on/off and auto high-beam are also sweet, but Mazda why do you persist with the crappy halogen daytime running lights on anything but the flagship grade? At this stage, just make the adaptive LED headlights standard or part of the Vision Technology Pack – I reckon there would be good take up.

What do you get?

Mazda 3 Pure highlights:

16-inch silver alloy wheels
Auto LED headlights
Auto high-beam
Rain-sensing window wipers
Auto-folding side mirrors
Rear spoiler (Hatch)
7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system
DAB+ digital radio
Satellite navigation
Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
8-speaker sound system
Push-button start
Electric park brake
Leather-wrapped gear shifter
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Black cloth upholstery

Mazda 3 Evolve adds:

18-inch grey alloy wheels (Hatch)
18-inch silver alloy wheels (Sedan)
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Dual-zone climate control
Paddle shifters
Rear air vents
Rear centre armrest

Options

Vision Technology Package:

360-degree view monitor
10.25-inch Mazda Connect display
Cruising & Traffic Support
- Active lane centring
- Traffic jam assist
Driver monitoring
Front cross-traffic alert
Front parking sensors

Is the Mazda 3 safe?

The Mazda 3 has a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2019 Euro NCAP testing.

It scored 98 per cent in adult occupant protection, 89 per cent in child occupant protection, 81 per cent in vulnerable road user protection, and 76 per cent in safety assist.

Standard safety features include:

7 airbags incl. driver’s knee
Autonomous emergency braking (forward, reverse)
Lane departure warning
Lane keep assist
Blind-spot monitoring
Rear cross-traffic alert
Traffic sign recognition
Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
Reversing camera
Rear parking sensors
Tyre pressure monitoring

Vision Technology Package* adds:

Cruising & Traffic Support
Driver monitoring
Front cross-traffic alert
Front parking sensors
Surround-view cameras

*$2000 on G20 Pure, G20 Evolve, G20 Touring, and G25 Evolve SP; $1500 on G25 GT

The Vision Technology Package is standard on the flagship G25 Astina.

How much does the Mazda 3 cost to run?

The 2024 Mazda 3 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

This update has seen the Mazda 3 move to longer 12 months or 15,000km service intervals (up from 10,000km), which is now in line with the industry average.

While not the priciest brand to maintain your car with, Mazda’s scheduled servicing averages out at $400 a year which is a bit more than Toyota and Honda are charging these days.

2024 Mazda 3 service pricing:

Service Interval	G20	G25
1yr or 15,000km	$334	$341
2yr or 30,000km	$530	$536
3yr or 45,000km	$414	$414
4yr or 60,000km	$530	$536
5yr or 75,000km	$334	$341
Total	$2142	$2168

CarExpert’s Take on the Mazda 3

There’s still plenty to love about the Mazda 3.

Nearly five years on from launch it’s still a good thing, and arguably a better buy than its increasingly popular CX-30 crossover sibling which now outsells it by some margin.

It’s attractive, fun to drive and has one of the plushest compact car cabins on the market. In Pure and Evolve spec with the Vision Technology Pack, it’s also something of a bargain given the level of high-end features on hand.

Time has started to test the 3, however. Its naturally aspirated engines, while revvy and fun, are losing out to newer and electrified competitors on real-world efficiency. Turbocharged rivals also offer better low-down punch, while competitors with more gears are less stressed on the highway.

You also can’t avoid the inherent packaging drawbacks that come with the rakish looks. The Mazda 3 hatch has one of the smallest boots in class, and a tight rear seat that isn’t a patch on the segment’s best. But if you’re single or a young couple, you shouldn’t really have any issues.

If you want more luxury kit, the 3 has one of the most comprehensive line-ups out there. If you prefer a lifted ride, the CX-30 is effectively the same car – you can’t knock Mazda for not giving you enough choice.

Despite it all, the Mazda 3 remains a solid option that’s easily recommendable. It’s still one of my personal top picks of the class, and the sheer amount of trim options available means you should be able to find one that caters to you and your budget.

Click the images for the full gallery

BUY: Mazda 3
MORE: Everything Mazda 3

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Here’s Why Prices of Ethereum and Polygon Could Surge, Outperforming Top Cryptos in 2024

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

The crypto markets have witnessed the emergence of a wide variety of altcoins, which have established a strong presence in the space. In recent times, we have witnessed the AI space gaining more attention. Hence, it is believed that some sectors of the crypto space, including AI, RWA, DeFi, etc could thrive and dominate the markets in the coming days.

Alongside, the Ethereum & Polygon networks are growing stronger regardless of the price actions of their respective native tokens, ETH & MATIC. Interestingly, these networks could become a major base for RWA projects, which are considered the future of the crypto space. As per reports, Ethereum and Polygon host nearly 50% of all the RWA or real-world asset projects, across all blockchains.

Source: X

Ethereum has been the home for smart contracts, decentralised finance, NFT, etc., and numerous projects have been growing over the network. Meanwhile, Polygon’s large user base, relevance, and popularity have also helped the network gain immense adoption, which has led to RWA adoption. However, the other networks are also trying hard to gain some dominance, while Ethereum & Polygon have set up a strong base.

How will this impact the ETH & MATIC prices?

The growth of the value of the native tokens usually depends on the strength and activity of the chain. The growing interactions over the network make the traders optimistic about the future of the token. This could, in turn, increase the buying pressure, which may positively impact the value in the future. With the resurgence of the AI & RWA projects, the ETH & MATIC prices are believed to thrive in the latter half of 2024.

Cryptocurrency

6 Easy Things You Can Do To Improve the Content Experience

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

What if you created content so great your audience doesn’t even realize it’s an experience?

That scenario can happen when you opt for one or more of these ideas to take your content goals beyond simple consumption and clunky experiences.

1. Write with an inclusive heart

Someone who constantly talks about themselves irritates the listener. Review your content to see how often the words I, me, we, and us are used. Now, count how often the word “you” appears. If the first-person uses outweigh the second-person frequency, edit to delete many of the first-person references and add more second-person references to the text.

Let your audience know they are included in the conversation. I like this tip shared in Take Binary Bias Out of Your Content Conversations by Content Marketing World speaker Ruth Carter: Go through your text and replace exclusionary terms such as he/him and she/her with they/them pronouns.

2. Make your content shine brighter with an AI assist

Content published online should look different than the research papers and essays you wrote in school. While you should adhere to grammar rules and follow a style guide, you also should prioritize readability. That requires scannable and easily digestible text — headings, bulleted text, short sentences, brief paragraphs, etc.

Use a text-polishing aid such as Hemingway Editor (free and paid versions) to cut the dead weight from your writing. Its color-coded review system identifies categorical problems and common fixes for them:

Yellow — lengthy, complex sentences, and common errors
- Fix: Shorten or split sentences.
Red — dense and complicated text
- Fix: Remove hurdles and keep your readers on a simpler path.
Pink — lengthy words that could be shortened
- Fix: Scroll the mouse over the problematic word to identify potential substitutes.
Blue — adverbs and weakening phrases
- Fix: Delete them or find a better way to convey the thought.
Green — passive voice
- Fix: Rewrite for active voice.

Grammarly’s paid version works well, too. It includes an AI-powered writing assistant, readability reports, a plagiarism checker, citation suggestions, and more than 400 additional grammar checks.

In the image below, Grammarly suggests rephrasing this sentence, “It is not good enough any longer to simply produce content ‘like a media company would.’” In its place should be this version, “It is no longer good enough to produce content ‘as a media company would.’”

Much cleaner, right?

3. Ask questions

See what I did with the intro (and here)? I posed questions to engage you. When someone asks something — even in writing — the listener or reader likely pauses for a split second to consider their answer. They change from a passive participant to an active one.

This technique can also encourage readers to interact with the author by answering the questions in the comments section or by emailing.

4. Provide more formats

Adding audio makes your site more accessible to a broader audience, allowing readers to consume your content on the go. This layer of the content experience is fairly easy to do once you find your tool. We use Everlit (free for content creators), but other tools are available, such as:

Play.ht (limited free and paid versions)
BeyondWords (free and paid versions)
Speechify (free with limited TTS features and paid versions)

If you’re pressed for time, simply add and keep updated a reliable audio plugin that requires minimal quality control, advises Michelle Saunders, director of content at Convince & Convert.

Don’t make audio auto-play the default. “It not only takes control away from users, but it also takes up unnecessary bandwidth, slows speed, and negatively impacts SEO,” she says.

However, if you can dedicate a person to quality control, a platform that allows customization of the audio experience is your best option. The image below shows a customized audio player with a thumbnail of the cover image and title of the article.

Want to learn more? I’ve written an article on several ways to elevate the text-to-audio experience for your content. Give it a read (or listen).

CMI also offers video and text versions of its weekly What’s New? feature. Robert Rose records the video and then shares a transcript that is modified to an article by the CMI team for the blog.

5. Include links

Content marketers include internal and external links in their text for their SEO value. But you also should add links to help your readers. Links can help a reader who wants to learn more about the topic. You can do this in a couple of ways:

Link the descriptive text in the article to content relevant to those words (as I did in this bullet point.)
List the headlines of related articles as a standalone feature (see the labeled Handpicked Related Content at the end of this article.)

You also can include on-page links or bookmarks at the beginning of long-form content — a table of contents, of sorts — to help the reader more quickly access the content they seek. This technique can keep visitors on your website longer because they find the information they want more quickly.

We included a linked table of contents in CMI’s annual B2B research report, listing 13 topics readers could click and go directly to.

6. Don’t forget the ‘invisible’ text

Alt text is often an afterthought if it’s considered at all. Yet, alt text for visuals is essential to a great content experience for people using text-to-speech readers. Though it doesn’t take too much time, I find that customizing the image description content instead of relying on the default text created by the tech tool works better for audience understanding.

To create the alt text, first, ask what a listener would miss if they couldn’t see the image. If they wouldn’t miss any context, the image is decorative and probably doesn’t need alt text. It might be used for aesthetic reasons to break up a text-heavy page or repeat information already in the text (as I did in the Hemingway and Grammarly examples above). You also wouldn’t need alt text if you:

If a listener misses context by not seeing the visuals, the image is informative and requires alt text. General alt-text guidelines recommend up to 125 characters (including spaces) work best. That adds up to a short sentence or two to convey the image’s message. Don’t forget to include punctuation.

For both decorative and informative images, include the photo credits, permissions, and copyright information in the caption section.

For example, if I were writing an article about Halloween costumes for cats, I would include an image of my cat Milo in a costume.

If I relied on the AI tool or wrote non-descriptive alt text, it might say: “An image showing a cat.”

Brown tiger cat with white paws, mouth, and nose in a light blue, red, and white shark costume lying on a multi-colored rug.

A more valuable version of alt text — that doesn’t waste any valuable characters with “an image showing” would be: “Brown tiger cat with white paws, mouth, and nose in a light blue, red, and white shark costume lying on a multi-colored rug.”

The more descriptive text used only 124 characters, including spaces.

Improve your content and better the experience

Do any of these suggestions feel too hard to execute? I hope not. They don’t need a bigger budget to execute. They don’t need a lengthy approval process to implement. And they don’t demand much more time in production.

They just need you to remember to execute them the next time you create (and the time after that, and the time after that, and the … well, you get the idea.)

If you have an easy-to-implement tip to improve the content experience, please send me an email or connect with me on LinkedIn. I may include it in a future update.

All tools mentioned in this article were suggested by the author. If you’d like to suggest a tool, share the article on social media with a comment.

Register to attend Content Marketing World in San Diego. Use the code BLOG100 to save $100. Can’t attend in person this year? Check out the Digital Pass for access to on-demand session recordings from the live event through the end of the year.

Updated from a January 2023 article.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

Digital Marketing

Byju’s investors express concern over founder’s involvement in business

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Troubled edtech major Byju’s investors have expressed reservations over the company’s founder Byju Raveendran’s involvement in the day-to-day running of the company, according to sources.

This comes at a time when Byju’s kicked off a $200-million fundraise via rights issue on January 29. The valuation is between $230 million and $250million, significantly lower than the company’s last funding round at $22-billion valuation.

The company has not responded to a detailed questionnaire sent by businessline.

The rights issue comes at time when the company is cash strapped and is in need of capital for daily operations.

Also read: Byju’s launches rights issue to raise $200 million from existing investors at $230-$250 mn valuation

A rights issue, by design, is a participatory pro-rata means of raising capital, wherein existing shareholders participate and maintain shareholding without the need to ascribe valuations. Staff stock options or ESOPs will be protected as per the terms and the company can issue more options to employees to recoup the loss in value.

Raveendran has to arrange at least $40-42 million for his pro-rata investment in the company, sources added.

“A rights issue allows existing shareholders to maintain their proportional ownership in the company by purchasing additional shares at a predetermined price. It provides an opportunity for companies to raise capital without significantly diluting the ownership stakes of existing shareholders, as they have the first right to subscribe to new share.” said Maulin Salvi, Leader- Startup and Corporate Governance Practice, Nishith Desai Associates.

Also read: Byju’s overseas lenders file insolvency proceedings in India

The plan

As per the current plans, Byju’s will only tap external investors if the rights issue is not fully subscribed. However, the current investors are in talks with its internal investment committee for the rights issue.

“Most investors have mid-to-high single-digit stakes in the company. If any investor wants to invest higher than pro-rata, then the fund/individual will stand to gain more stake at a cheap price,” sources added.

In a note to the investors, CEO Byju Raveendran said the company has not ‘shied away from taking several tough decisions’ amid its current challenges. He also revealed that the founders have infused over $1.1 billion of their personal funds into the company over the past 18 months.

FY22 financials

Byju’s posted its FY22 financials reporting a consolidated revenue jump of 118 per cent from ₹2,428 crore in FY21 to ₹5,298 crore in FY22. Its losses also ballooned from ₹4,564 crore in FY21 to ₹8,245 crore in FY22.

Byju’s filed its FY22 financials with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), almost 22 months after the reporting period ended. Meanwhile, the audit of its FY23 financials is yet to be completed even as FY24 is ending.

Education

Florida doctor reveals his own cancer journey to help others handle the emotions a diagnosis brings

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

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With more than two million new cases of cancer expected in 2024, a Florida physician who survived the disease wants to help others navigate the terrain of a life-changing diagnosis.

Dr. Chris Scuderi, who practices at Millennium Physician Group in Jacksonville, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Nov. 2020 — at the end of a challenging year amid the COVID pandemic.

“My diagnosis came as a great surprise because I was in my mid-40s, had no family history, worked out almost every day and overall ate a very healthy diet,” Scuderi told Fox News Digital in an interview.

OHIO NURSE AND MOM BEATS CERVICAL CANCER AS EXPERT SHARES WARNING SIGNS YOU SHOULD NEVER IGNORE

Scuderi had none of the risk factors or typical symptoms normally associated with bladder cancer.

“I thought I had food poisoning,” he said.

A cancer diagnosis can come with a wide range of overwhelming emotions, survivors shared with Fox News Digital. (iStock)

He underwent surgery a week after the diagnosis and then completed a year’s worth of chemotherapy specifically targeted for bladder cancer.

Today, Scuderi is healthy and cancer-free. He’s made some lifestyle changes, including putting a greater emphasis on eating more plant-based foods and getting regular exercise.

OVARIAN CANCER TREATMENT ON FAST TRACK FOR FDA APPROVAL AS CHEMO ALTERNATIVES EMERGE: ‘WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS’

“Stress, overwork and irregular sleep were areas of my life I had to address as a physician, husband and father,” he said.

“Over the past two years, I have been using a fitness tracker to closely monitor my sleep, stress levels and recovery each day, and use this objective data to prioritize my rest.”

Emotional roller-coaster

Each patient’s emotional reaction will be different, Scuderi noted.

“The first few weeks can bring up a lot of emotions, and the unknown is extremely scary,” he said.

“You don’t know what treatment options you will have or how this will affect your life or your family members’ lives. You don’t know how this will affect your work or future plans.”

Dr. Chris Scuderi (left), who practices at Millennium Physician Group in Jacksonville, Florida, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Nov. 2020. “Stress, overwork and irregular sleep were areas of my life I had to address as a physician, husband and father,” he said. (Dr. Chris Scuderi)

“There’s a lot to process, and it feels like your life is stopping while the rest of the world is moving forward.”

Some patients may feel grief over the loss of their health, and the abandonment of plans that must be put on hold, the doctor noted. This can also cause feelings of anger.

Denial is also a common response, as many patients resist the reality of their lives changing.

“The first few weeks can bring up a lot of emotions, and the unknown is extremely scary.”

Anxiety and fear are also typical emotions, Scuderi said, as any cancer diagnosis sparks feelings of uncertainty and unease.

“Talking with your health care team about the diagnosis, including how you feel about it and the plan for treatment and any next steps, is helpful in relieving some of that anxiety,” he said.

“It’s also common to wonder, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ or ‘Did I do something to cause this?’” the doctor added.

DOCTORS TOLD WOMAN SHE WAS TOO YOUNG FOR A COLONOSCOPY. THEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 3 COLON CANCER

“Patients may have conflicting emotions — like shock, sadness, peace, hope and fear — all at the same time. Knowing you have people on your side and a plan in place makes all the difference.”

Erin Gratsch, an Ohio mother and fitness instructor who received two breast cancer diagnoses — first in 2016, then again in 2022 — also experienced a wide range of emotions, she told Fox News Digital.

The first was shock. “How did this happen to me?”

Two-time cancer survivor Erin Gratsch, shown here, has completed nine Boston Marathons. (Erin Gratsch)

Next was guilt. “What did I do? Could I have done something to cause or prevent this?”

Anger was another prevalent emotion, especially when Gratsch’s second diagnosis arrived.

“I remember throwing my end table across the family room and it broke into pieces,” she said.

CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE, REPORT SAYS: ‘OF GREAT CONCERN’

Gratsch also experienced worry and depression, thinking things like, “Will I die? I don’t want to go through radiation or chemo. How will I pay my bills and work? I don’t want to be a burden to my family. I want to live to become a grandparent.”

Then came survival mode and hope — when Gratsch shifted her outlook to, “OK, what do I have to do to beat this?”

A big shift in perspective

Gratitude plays a big role in Scuderi’s daily routine, he said.

“Before I fall asleep, I identify three things I am grateful for specifically from that day, as I have realized now more than ever that each day is a gift,” he said.

“Many studies show how powerful gratitude is for our health, and it is easy at our current pace to miss many of the great moments and connections we had during our day if we don’t take time to reflect on them.”

It’s important to have a support team who can help you along the path from diagnosis to treatment and recovery, a doctor said. (iStock)

Scuderi has spent more time with his family and friends since his diagnosis, prioritizing travel and experiences.

To celebrate the end of his cancer treatments, he hiked the last 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago with a group of good friends.

“I identify three things I am grateful for specifically from that day.”

“Cancer changes your perspective,” he said. “Getting through a diagnosis and treatment really helps you see what is truly important. It also helped to renew the power of choice in my life.”

Scuderi’s triumph over cancer has also strengthened his belief in the importance of encouragement.

COLORECTAL CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH CANCER: NEW REPORT

“There were many people who kept me up during my diagnosis, surgery and treatments,” he told Fox News Digital. “It has since become a mission of mine to encourage others.”

He also emphasized that growth even post-cancer is not linear. “It is sometimes two steps forward and one step back.”

Tips for dealing with post-diagnosis emotions

For those who have just received a diagnosis, Scuderi and Gratsch offer tips for navigating those first days and weeks.

Communicate with your care team

“Talking with your family physician, oncologist and other members of your treatment team will be helpful in managing any anxiety and uncertainty around the diagnosis and fear of what’s next,” said Scuderi.

“Many patients notice their stress lessens when they know what they need to do, and how to take back control of their health.”

“Cancer takes a lot from you — but running and exercising was one thing I could do to feel good about myself,” said Gratsch. (Denise F Photography/Denise Haney)

In Scuderi’s case, the urologist who led his care has been “a huge part” of this journey.

“It is important to have a team that you can communicate well with and trust,” he added.

Getting a professional second opinion can also help patients feel they’re making the most informed decisions in their care, Gratsch said.

CANCER CAUSES: THESE 10 HIDDEN CARCINOGENS CAN RAISE THE RISK, ACCORDING TO AN ONCOLOGY EXPERT

“This gives the patient confidence that they are making the right decisions knowing both doctors are recommending the same plan,” she said. “Also, you may get additional advice or information from the second doctor that you didn’t get from the first.”

Build a non-medical support team

In addition to talking with your treatment team, Scuderi said it’s essential to have a support team of loved ones who can help you along the path from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.

“Don’t be afraid to lean on them when you need extra support,” he said. “It’s OK to be honest — a cancer diagnosis is overwhelming no matter what, and sharing your fears with others can lighten the mental toll so you can put all your energy toward your recovery.”

Getting a professional second opinion can also help patients feel they’re making the most informed decisions in their care, a survivor shared with Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Gratsch echoed the advice to allow others to take care of you.

“Take advantage of local resources,” she said. “Social workers, hospitals and oncology offices can refer patients for help with financial support, emotional support groups, rides to treatment and meals.”

Keep up with physical exercise as much as possible

“You may not be able to exercise as intensely as you did previously, but a 20- to 30-minute walk is a great way to relieve stress and feel better,” Scuderi said.

“Being outside when possible may also have benefits to improve our immune systems. Talk with your team about which exercises are best for you.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Over the course of her cancer journey — through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation — Gratsch, an avid runner, maintained about five marathons per year.

“Cancer takes a lot from you — but running and exercising was one thing I could do to feel good about myself,” she said.

Continue doing things you enjoy

Pursuing enjoyable hobbies and activities will help to maintain a sense of routine and keep your spirits up, Scuderi said.

To maintain a sense of routine and keep your spirits up, pursuing enjoyable hobbies and activities will help, a doctor said. (iStock)

“Sometimes patients with serious illnesses can become depressed due to the emotional toll of cancer, chemotherapy and being in hospital settings, so staying close to your hobbies and loved ones will help reduce these feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” he said.

Focus on the present day

“It’s so important to stay in each day and not get caught up in worrying too much about tomorrow or living in the regret of yesterday,” Scuderi said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Cancer recovery takes a lot of energy — and my patients who do their best to be present in each day seem to do better.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Health Fitness

Experience The Cosy Charm Of Cafe Grumpee: A Hidden Gem In Vasant Vihar

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Picture this: You and your partner are struggling to find an affordable food hub in Vasant Vihar and fortunately bumped into one. If you are looking for a cosy local dive to enjoy a relaxing and satisfying meal in this chilly season, then Cafe Grumpee could be your next go-to spot. Based in the posh locality of Vasant Vihar, this quaint little cafe has a warm ambience, friendly staff, and a mouth-watering menu that caters to different tastes and preferences. As you walk towards the entrance of the cafe, the facade might not be captivating; however, once you step foot inside, you will feel the warmth and the Christmasy atmosphere surrounding you.

Photo Credit: Nikita Nikhil

Cafe Grumpee is an L-shaped food hub, which is small but surprisingly spacious at the same time (good organizational skills!). It has comfortable seating and charming decor with loads of books. The walls are decorated with quirky paintings and dim lights. The best part about the seating area is that it’s not too cluttered with tables, which gives ample walking space and privacy to the customers. When I visited the cafe, the staff played some amazing cover songs of popular English and American hits. However, unlike other restaurants, the music was pleasant, not too loud, creating a nice atmosphere for conversation. So, you can hang out at Cafe Grumpee with your friends or even your partner.

As for food, the menu boasts several options, even healthy ones to choose from. Whether you are in the mood for a hearty breakfast, a light (but super tasty) salad, cheesy pasta, or a delectable dessert, you will find something to choose from their lengthy menu. The service is fast, portions generous, and prices are reasonable, which makes it great value for money.

Photo Credit: Nikita Nikhil

The first thing that I tried at Cafe Grumpee was The Hulk, which is smashed avocado with feta cheese chunks placed on sourdough. I was amazed at how flavorful the combination was. The creaminess of the avocado perfectly complemented the crunchiness of the bread. Moreover, it comes with a side of mixed-leaf house salad. It was personally recommended to me by Cafe Grumpee’s manager, and I felt it was a perfect way to begin my gastronomic adventure.

Next, I tried the cafe’s bestseller, Chicken and Avocado salad. This refreshing salad came with grilled chicken chunks, loads of greens (yes, it’s super healthy), roasted peanuts, and a delicious honey peanut vinaigrette dressing. It was so light and at the same time, filling, that it instantly made me fall in love with it. In terms of shakes, what caught my attention was the Monkey Madness shake, which had hints of bananas and other fruits. It paired perfectly with my chicken and avocado salad.

From taste to presentation to aroma, all the items on Cafe Grumpee’s menu are worthy of attention. For example, I tried Burrata salad, which is a classic combination of flavours and textures. The quantity is sufficient for two people to have ample of it. I also spotted a Black Olive Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade and Red & Black Superfood Salad on the menu.

Photo Credit: Nikita Nikhil

For the main course, I tried Vegetable Lasagna, which was not great but not too bad. In terms of non-veg, I went ahead and ordered Barbequed Jumbo Prawns, which were heavenly. They came topped with delicious BBQ sauce and garnished with sesame seeds and cherry tomatoes. On the dessert menu, I could see a wide range of sweets like Warm Almond cake, Apple Pear Berry Cobbler, Espresso Rum Dark chocolate, and Warm Lemon Tea Cake. I ended my meal with a delicious Strawberry cheesecake, which was topped with chunks of this sweet fruit. This dessert melted in my mouth and honestly left me asking for more.

Overall, my experience at Cafe Grumpee was amazing. The staff was extremely helpful, cooperative, and knowledgeable, so you can ask for their recommendations if unsure what to order. Cafe Grumpee is a must-visit for anyone who loves good food and cosy vibes!

Home Kitchen

Xi Jinping receives credentials of new ambassadors to China

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-30/Xi-Jinping-receives-credentials-of-new-ambassadors-to-China-1qN1ToMsAcE/img/d4779623ccf24fd481ba4631d50bbb0d/d4779623ccf24fd481ba4631d50bbb0d.png' alt='Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech after receiving the credentials of 42 ambassadors to China in Beijing, China, January 30, 2024. /Xinhua'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon received the credentials of 42 ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

After the ceremony, Xi delivered a speech to the ambassadors.

Xi told the ambassadors that China values its friendship with peoples of their countries, and is willing to expand mutual beneficial cooperation with them to promote the development of bilateral ties.

Xi expressed hope that the ambassadors will have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China and act as a bridge between China and their countries.

He pledged to provide convenience and support for the ambassadors to perform their duties.

Noting that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xi said China is advancing the cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, offering a broader market and unprecedented development opportunities for the world.

China will, as always, contribute Chinese wisdom and proposals for the cause of peace and development, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, as well as the building of a global community of shared future, he added.

Legal Law

Reconsidering the Galliano (Ahem, Margiela) Show

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

There is a certain irony to the fact that of all the shows that took place during couture last week, the one designed to be the most off-line — the one conceived as an in-person experience rather than as a simple catwalk — is the one that ended up going the most viral.

The one that no one seems to be able to stop talking about — not the fashion world, nor its millions of followers.

I am speaking of the Maison Margiela Artisanal show by John Galliano. It has sent the watching hordes into ecstasies of praise and adoration, and inspired talk of “history” and “genius” and “the sublime.”

The show, held under the Pont Alexandre III bridge in a jury-rigged nightclub straight from Paris’s romantic old underbelly as a cold wind blew in off the Seine and waiters offered hot toddies and candied violets, was everything the fashion world once seemed to promise. It was sumptuous, excessive, rife with roiling emotion communicated in cloth, with models vamping, skittering and otherwise willing to sacrifice themselves on the pyre of unfettered imagination. It was the sort of immersive show that hasn’t been seen in more than a decade. Maybe two.

Exactly that sort of show. Which is why, almost a week later, I feel a lingering sense of déjà vu. And why, scrolling through the continuing paeans in the digisphere, I can’t help but wonder if the outsize reaction has less to do with Mr. Galliano and more with our own fears about the contemporary creative condition.

Fears that, as Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino told me in Paris, “the money has won,” no matter what the form of artistic expression. “Producers are stronger than musicians,” he said. “Galleries are stronger than painters. And big groups are stronger than designers.” Fears that along the way to super-brands, billions and globalization, we lost something essential and we don’t know how to get it back.

The Margiela show, with its distortions and theater, its lack of obvious commercial intent, represented a riposte to all that (even if a big group — Only the Brave, the conglomerate run by Renzo Rosso that owns Margiela and employs Mr. Galliano — actually paid for it). And if it could be greeted with such an ecstatic embrace … well, perhaps redemption was possible. Not just for Mr. Galliano, with all his talent and his transgressions, but for anyone complicit in the corporatization of inspiration.

Yet it seems to me that viewing this particular show as a solution rather than a symptom may be more wishful thinking than reality.

Still, you can understand it. No designer has been as symbolic of fashion’s modern arc than Mr. Galliano, the lonely kid born in Gibraltar and raised in South London who found himself in the fantasies of fashion at Central Saint Martins and ultimately got the keys to the luxury kingdom as creative director of Dior before collapsing under the pressure of the globalizing industry that demanded more and more collections.

When I first started going to shows, back in the early part of the millennium, the Galliano shows, both his signature label and Dior, were the hottest tickets in Paris. People would trek to abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of the city for Galliano and wait outside in the cold for an hour to be let in and transported to whatever realm the designer had dreamed up. (The neighborhoods were so sketchy that the Saks team once had its car broken into.)

Then, over the seasons, he went from being the darling of the fashion scene to its pampered dauphin, increasingly isolated in a gilded cage, taking his Dior bows with hair dyed to match the collections and in evermore elaborate costumes — now Napoleon, now an astronaut — that seemed evermore ridiculous. Ultimately he descended into drug and alcohol addiction and lost it all after an antisemitic rant in a Paris bar.

He was fired from Dior, lost his namesake label (which was owned by LVMH), convicted of a hate crime (albeit with a reduced fine) in a Paris court and spent a few years in the wilderness. He went to rehab, offered reparations, studied with a rabbi and gradually began his return. In 2014, Mr. Rosso named him creative director of Maison Margiela, and he humbly took the job, continuing the founder Martin Margiela’s practice of never taking a bow at the end of a show.

In any case, it turned out Mr. Galliano had something new and relevant to say: exploring ways of cutting old garments and upcycling that brought the house’s explorations of used materials to an exquisite new level. Now, almost a decade later, he has fully made it his own, bringing the story full circle, writing his own happy ending.

How did he know it was time? Perhaps he sensed there was a Galliano revival brewing. Vintage dresses by the designer keep popping up on the red carpet. Jennifer Aniston wore a white bias-cut Galliano for Dior from 1999 to the 2020 SAG awards; Amal Clooney wore a mint-green beaded Galliano slip dress from 2009 to the London premiere of “Ticket to Paradise” in 2022; and Laverne Cox wore a periwinkle blue and silver draped Galliano gown to the Golden Globes in 2023. When I saw Mr. Galliano in Paris before the show, he was marveling at the prices his old work fetched in the auction market.

This March a documentary on his life, “High & Low: John Galliano,” by the director Kevin Macdonald, will open in theaters. (Full disclosure: I am a talking head in the film.) Mr. Galliano sees himself, he said during our couture preview, as one of fashion’s earliest victims of cancel culture, even though there is a significant difference between being convicted in an actual court and being convicted in the court of public opinion.

Also, the period of Mr. Galliano’s greatest triumphs is having a nostalgic moment among millennials and Gen Z-ers, who view the age before smartphones as a halcyon time, before factionalism became an epidemic and everyone was isolated in the echo chamber of their own toxic beliefs.

As Tara Gonzalez wrote in Harper’s Bazaar after the Margiela show: “I grew up watching Galliano’s wildly theatrical shows years after the fact on YouTube, always with a tinge of bitterness. They made me feel like I’d been born into the wrong generation — what I wouldn’t have given to have been there, witnessing those scenes in real time, nothing but a notebook on my lap.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Mark Guiducci of Vogue, who wrote on Instagram: “The John Galliano show that my generation has been waiting for. The fashion fantasy that ’90s kids were promised.”

While I can understand the desire for something you think you missed, I wonder if, in celebrating Mr. Galliano’s “return to his roots,” we haven’t somehow missed the point. That era was also full of abuses (as the #MeToo movement uncovered) and self-destructive behavior.

The truly mind-blowing aspect of Mr. Galliano’s gift is his singular ability to invent new ways to shape material and through that, the body and sense of self. That goes far beyond the obvious use of extreme corsetry out of which the flesh spills, in all its meaty glory.

When I saw him at the preview, he was chortling over the silver swallows on a black chiffon dress, which he had finally figured out how to bead on the bias to remain square rather than twisting with the cut. Seams disappeared into embroideries as if they didn’t exist. Those models — or “muses,” as he calls them — in his show weren’t hunched over with their arms protecting their guts because they were acting. The wool coats were cut to create that effect, to give the gift of gesture without effort.

And the coats weren’t wool anyway. They were layers of organza and tulle crushed together, printed to resemble men’s wear fabric, and shrouded in a veil of chiffon like a shadow.

It’s easy to miss amid all the illusory drama, but it’s also a reminder: We’ve moved beyond the idea of suffering for fashion — and that’s a good thing. The dream of fashion ought to move forward, too.

Lifestyle Fashion

Study Suggests That Alzheimer’s Disease is Transmissible in Rare Circumstances

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Researchers noted the onset of symptoms in patients who were treated with contaminated HGH therapy.

Medicine

Prestige Group completes ₹1,000-cr residential project in Hyderabad

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Prestige Group has announced that it handed over the ₹1,000-crore high-rise luxury residential project–The Prestige Tranquil—in Hyderabad. The 7.85-acre project at Kokapet comprises of four towers with 859 units.

“The price of the units ranges from ₹1.80 crore to ₹2.30 crore. We could complete the project six months well before the scheduled deadline,” a Prestige Group executive said in a statement on Wednesday.

The group, which has operations in 12 cities, completed 281 projects with an aggregate developed area of 16.60 million square feet. “We are currently executing 57 ongoing projects with a projected developed area of 7.7 crore sq ft in different parts of the country. We are planning to start 44 new projects spanning 9.7 crore sq ft of developed space,” Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director of Prestige Group, said in the statement.

Real Estate

Sadrže li Stanley čaše olovo? Korisnici su zabrinuti, evo odgovora tvrtke

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Pri kreiranju rubrike Index Shopping nastojimo izdvajati odlične proizvode koji se i nama sviđaju te odlične akcije i popuste. Ne objavljujemo proizvode koje i sami ne bismo kupili ili smatramo da njihova promocija nije u skladu s profesionalnim standardima. Neki proizvodi u rubrici Index Shopping mogu biti sponzorirani.

POMPA koja okružuje Stanley Cups potencijalno se bliži kraju. Naime, mnogi kupci popularnih čaša zabrinuti su jer su na svojim čašama pronašli olovo. Zabrinuti su zbog toga što ove čaše potencijalno rade njihovom zdravlju, a zbog raširenosti žalbi, oglasili su se i iz same tvrtke.

Sadrže male količine olova

“Ključna značajka naših proizvoda je naša tehnologija vakuumskog izoliranja, koja potrošačima pruža čaše koje održavaju pića na idealnoj temperaturi”, naveli su na svojoj web-stranici. “Jednom zatvoreno, to područje je prekriveno izdržljivim slojem nehrđajućeg čelika, čineći ga nedostupnim korisnicima. Olovo nije prisutno na površini nijednog Stanley proizvoda koji dolazi u kontakt s potrošačem.”

Prema njima, iako se olovo koristi prilikom proizvodnje čaša, ono se koristi u malim količinama i na siguran način te ne bi smjelo imati negativne posljedice na zdravlje korisnika.

“Kad bi barem pojasnili na što misle kad pričaju o šteti. Moja čaša ima ogrebotine na dnu”, “Imam tri čaše i ne bojim se”, “Sve čelične čaše imaju toksične metale, budite oprezni”, “To je tako kod svih metalnih čaša”, “Smeće od proizvoda”, “Samo nemojte lizati lem”, “Duplići sigurno nemaju”, “Ako se otrujem olovom, barem sam dobro hidrirana”, neki su od komentara na TikToku.

Nisu svi korisnici uvjereni da su njihove čaše doista sigurne za korištenje. Jedna je osoba u komentaru napomenula: “U uputama za čišćenje stoji da se u njih ne stavljaju gazirana pića jer mogu oštetiti čelik.”

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Trebaju li ljudi biti zabrinuti?

Izloženost olovu ima dobro dokumentirane posljedice po zdravlje, naročito za djecu. Prema Svjetskoj zdravstvenoj organizaciji, nije utvrđena sigurna koncentracija olova u krvi, no zna se da čak i minimalne količine mogu biti povezane sa smanjenom inteligencijom kod djece, poteškoćama u ponašanju i u učenju. Može dovesti do problema u rastu, sluhu i govoru.

Kod odraslih osoba izloženost olovu može dovesti do visokog krvnog tlaka i drugih kardiovaskularnih problema. Posebno je to opasno kod trudnica koje olovo mogu prenijeti na fetus, zbog čega raste rizik od spontanog pobačaja. Konačno, trovanje olovom može biti smrtonosno.

Što se tiče Stanley čaša, stručnjaci nisu osobito zabrinuti. Dr. Jack Caravanos, specijalist za javno zdravlje sa Sveučilišta u New Yorku, testirao je tri Stanley čaše i nije pronašao olovo. Pokušao je otvoriti čašu kako bi testirao unutrašnjost, no nije uspio.

“Izvještaj pokazuje da postoji olovo”, izjavio je za BBC. “Ali imao sam problema s otkrivanjem olova i nisam ga mogao otkriti uz pomoć najsuvremenije opreme.”

Vjeruje kako je to zato što je olovo toliko duboko u čaši da je do njega izuzetno teško doći. Dodao je i da nije zabrinut oko korištenja vlastite Stanley čaše, ali da ga ipak zabrinjava što tvrtke i dalje koriste olovo u proizvodnji. Napomenuo je kako u Kaliforniji na svim proizvodima mora biti naznačeno ako sadrže makar i tragove olova, što na Stanley čašama ne piše.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

Shopping Product Reviews

Mater Dei wins Trinity League showdown against St. John Bosco

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

With its three-point shooters on target and its big men protecting the rim, Mater Dei had lots going for it in a Trinity League showdown against St. John Bosco on Tuesday night in Santa Ana.

The Monarchs led by as many as 18 in the first half, making eight threes. Some thought the Braves would offer a better showing after being routed by 21 by Mater Dei at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 6. A change in venue did nothing to change things — until the second half.

Elzie Harrington and Brandon McCoy combined to score all but six of St. John Bosco’s points in the final 16 minutes. St. John Bosco closed to 62-60 with 2:01 left on a Harrington three. But the Braves never had an answer for Mater Dei sophomore guard Luke Barnett.

Barnett made consecutive threes to end the comeback. He finished making six threes and scoring 21 points to help Mater Dei defeat St. John Bosco 72-66. Mater Dei (25-2, 8-1 league) still needs to defeat Santa Margarita on Thursday to win an outright league title. St. John Bosco dropped to 22-5 and 7-2.

With one of St. John Bosco’s best players, Kade Bonam, still out because of a shoulder injury, the Braves were pretty much a two-man team. McCoy and Harrington scored 50 of the Braves’ 66 points. McCoy had 26 points and Harrington 24. Helping Barnett were Owen Verna and Blake Davidson with 13 points apiece for the Monarchs.

The Monarchs lost sophomore forward Brannon Martinsen to an ankle injury in the second quarter. He limped off the court and didn’t return.

Barnett continues to be an invaluable sixth man. His three last weekend at the Nike Extravaganza in the final seconds knocked off Los Alamitos. He’s instant points off the bench and if left open in three-point range, he’s close to automatic. There’s no hesitation when he releases his shot and he exudes confidence.

Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight was animated with the officials in the fourth quarter. At one point he was on the floor, causing St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn to join him, not wanting any advantage given.

Both schools should be in the Open Division playoffs when seedings are announced Sunday. And another Trinity League team, JSerra, could join them.

JSerra 49, Santa Margarita 42: The Lions (23-4, 6-3) kept their Open Division playoff hopes alive. Aidan Fowler led a balanced attack with 12 points.

Damien 62, Rancho Cucamonga 38: Xavier Clinton made five threes and finished with 21 points and Nate Garcia added 20 points to help Damien advance to the Baseline League championship game Thursday against Etiwanda.

Harvard-Westlake 70, Bishop Alemany 33: Robert Hinton scored 14 points for Harvard-Westlake, which will play at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Wednesday night in a Mission League tournament semifinal.

Crespi 68, St. Francis 54: Joe Sterling scored 19 points and Peyton White 15 for the Celts, who will play at Sierra Canyon on Wednesday in the Mission League tournament semifinals.

Dominguez 50, Downey 46: Harper Mills had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Dominguez.

Redondo Union 89, Peninsula 30: SJ Madison scored 16 points for Redondo Union.

Santa Monica 50, Mira Costa 45: Luke Hecht and Jayden Xu each scored 18 points for Santa Monica.

Foothill 46, El Dorado 41: Isaiah Bernard and Rocco Gaffoglio each had 13 points for Foothill.

Westlake 79, Newbury Park 36: Austin Maziasz had 29 points for the Warriors (22-5, 8-1).

Crescenta Valley 62, Glendale 48: Vaughn Zargarian had 23 points for the Falcons (21-6, 11-2).

Pasadena 67, Arcadia 58: The Bulldogs took over sole possession of first place in the Pacific League on a night Michael Cooper had his jersey retired.

Valencia 80, Golden Valley 69: Bryce Bedgood led four players in double figures with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Grant 69, Verdugo Hills 59: In the completion of a game halted by a power failure, the Lancers improved to 20-6. Will Overton scored 18 points.

Girls’ basketball

Louisville 79, Notre Dame Academy 24: Andrea Hurtado scored 29 points and Taylor Westbrook added 20 points to help Louisville win the Angelus League title.

Orangewood Academy 61, Brentwood 56: Coach Leslie Aragon picked up the 500th win in her career as her team took a big step toward securing an Open Division playoff berth.

Sierra Canyon 93, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 38: Jerzy Robinson finished with 40 points and 18 rebounds for Sierra Canyon.

Etiwanda 82, Los Osos 48: The Eagles clinched another Baseline League championship and continued on a collision course with Sierra Canyon to meet in the Open Division playoffs. Freshman Aliyah Phillips scored 26 points.

Sports

Samsung sees tech devices demand recovering in 2024 after record chip loss

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Samsung Electronics opens new tab flagged a continued recovery in memory chips and tech demand in 2024, after reporting a 34 per cent on-year drop in fourth-quarter profit despite a memory price rebound, as consumer demand remained weak in many businesses. The world’s biggest maker of memory chips said it expected mobile and PC makers to place more and better chips in devices as use of artificial intelligence expands, while the need to replace older servers would also aid a gradual recovery in demand.

“In 2024, the memory business expects the market to continue to recover despite various potential obstacles, including interest rate policies and geopolitical issues,” Samsung said in a statement.
Samsung said operating profit fell to 2.8 trillion won ($2.11 billion) in October-December, versus 4.3 trillion won a year earlier, and in line with the company’s own estimate of 2.8 trillion won flagged earlier this month.

For the full year, its chip business swung to a record loss of 14.9 trillion won in 2023 from a 23.8 trillion won profit a year earlier, hit by an unprecedented downturn caused by weak demand for gadgets that use chips. However, fourth-quarter losses were less than every other quarterly loss in 2023 in the business that has historically been Samsung’s cash cow. Losses in the chip business shrank to 2.18 trillion won in the fourth quarter, versus a 3.75 trillion won loss in the third quarter, as memory chip prices rebounded.

Chinese PC and mobile makers began to restock memory chips during the quarter, after using up their own stocks for so long. Cross-town rival SK Hynix also said last week chip prices would improve this year as clients would need to restock and manufacturers would continue to cut legacy chip production. Samsung said its memory business would focus on cutting-edge chips and improve profitability by actively addressing demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) and server products related to generative AI this year.

MOBILE REBOUND

The mobile devices business booked a 2.73 trillion won operating profit in the fourth quarter, up from 1.7 trillion won a year earlier on stronger demand for pricier smartphones, more tablet shipments with new product releases and demand for wearable devices during the peak holiday season. In 2023, Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab ended Samsung’ 12-year run as the world’s top seller of smartphones, snaring a 20 per cent market share as demand for premium phones outpaced those of more affordable models, according to a report from International Data Corp. However, Samsung plans to grow annual flagship smartphone shipments at a double-digit rate this year and solidify its lead in foldable phones, as competitors like Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google, Motorola and China’s Honor and Oppo increase their foldable offerings.

Among the businesses that remained vulnerable to weak consumer demand were Samsung’s chip contract manufacturing, TV and home appliance units. Samsung’s share price fell 0.7 per cent in morning trade versus a flat benchmark index (.KS11), opens new tab. Its shares rose 42 per cent in 2023 on expectations of improved memory chip demand but have fallen about 5 per cent year-to-date on profit-taking by local institutional investors, analysts said.
Fourth-quarter revenue fell 4 per cent to 67.8 trillion won.

Technology

Tunisia’s thriving medical tourism industry draws millions of foreigners | Travel

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

At a fertility clinic in Tunis, Bintou Yunoussa hopes doctors can finally help her conceive — one of more than two million foreigners who travel to Tunisia annually for medical procedures. While Tunisians face economic hardships and their government is mired in debt, medical tourism has thrived and authorities are looking to expand the profitable sector even further. Yunoussa, from Niger, said a relative had recommended the private clinic in the Tunisian capital after three years of unsuccessful treatments.

Tunisian doctor and professor of gynecology Fethi Zhiwa specializing in infertility, examines Bintou Yunoussa, 25, at a clinic in Tunis. While Tunisians face economic hardships and their government is mired in debt, medical tourism has thrived, seeing more than two million foreigners travel to Tunisia annually for medical procedures, a profitable sector the authorities are looking to expand even further. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)

“My sister-in-law had twins after an insemination carried out in Tunisia,” the 25-year-old told AFP. “That’s why I chose to come here.” She was accompanied by her sister Khadija, 32, who had her eggs frozen five months ago in the same clinic, which specialises in medically assisted reproduction. Nadia Fenina, a health ministry official, said Tunisia’s highly specialised private clinics and skilled staff make it a leading medical tourism destination.

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“Tunisia is number one in Africa in terms of healthcare demand and supply,” Fenina told AFP. Medical tourism has bounced back from a coronavirus-era halt, and the sector generates around 3.5 billion dinars ($1.1 billion) in annual revenues — about half of Tunisia’s overall tourism income last year. “Medical tourism is linked to the general tourism sector, because a foreign patient is also a tourist who generally does not come alone,” said Fenina.

“The promotion of medical tourism depends on the development of the tourism sector” as a whole, she added. Accounting for nine percent of Tunisia’s gross domestic product, tourism is crucial for the debt-stricken country where the economy has slowed down, with a World Bank estimate putting growth for 2023 at a modest 1.2 percent. Last year, the small Mediterranean country of 12 million people drew nearly nine million tourists, according to official figures.

They included more than 500,000 foreign patients hospitalised in Tunisia and about two million others who had received same-day care, officials say.

Chance to relax

The Tunis clinic where Yunoussa was treated received 450 patients for in vitro fertilisation last year, many of whom from sub-Saharan African countries where some treatments may be unavailable or hard to access, said Dr Fethi Zhiwa. Others came from elsewhere in North Africa as well as Western countries like Britain, Switzerland and Canada, said the doctor, citing affordable rates and Tunisia’s “world-renowned fertility specialists” as the main drawing points.

Many European medical tourists come for cosmetic surgery, representing 15 percent of all treatments for foreigners in Tunisia, Fenina said. Mohamed, a 59-year-old Libyan who gave his first name only, visits Tunisia twice a year to see his cardiologist for regular check-ups following an operation. “This doctor saved my life, I will never change him,” he said.

Travelling with his wife, the couple planned to use the latest trip to also “spend a few days relaxing in Tabarka”, a town on Tunisia’s northwestern coast, Mohamed said. Tourism has “strong potential” in Tunisia and can grow “if we overcome some obstacles and limitations”, said Fenina. Direct flights to more African destinations and simpler visa procedures could help, she said, “which is why we are working to implement a medical visa”.

The health ministry is also working on better coordination between medical tourism agencies, healthcare providers and other stakeholders, and collaborating with the private sector to set up facilities geared towards an elderly European clientele. While the country has seen an alarming rise in anti-migrant sentiment, marked by violence and fiery remarks last year by the president painting “hordes” of Africans as a threat, Yunoussa said she felt welcome in Tunisia. “I feel at home here,” she said.

Tours Travel

PS Plus February 2024 FREE PS4 and PS5 games reveal date, leaks, predictions and Foamstars | Gaming | Entertainment

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

In a break from tradition, Sony has already unveiled one of the games coming to PlayStation Plus in February.

Inspired by Nintendo multiplayer shooter Splatoon, Foamstars will join the PS Plus line-up on February 6.

Foamstars is a colourful 4-vs-4 party game with three multiplayer modes at launch, as well as solo missions and lots of customisation.

Multiplayer modes include Smash The Star, Happy Bath Survival and Rubber Duck Party, the latter of which tasks players with taking control of a giant duck and moving it towards the goal.

Foamstars will be joined by two additional PS4 and PS5 games, which will be unveiled on January 31.

Of course, there’s a good chance the remaining games will leak ahead of schedule, so keep checking back for the latest updates and information.

In the meantime, fans have been predicting the other games coming to PS Plus next month.

In a thread over on Reddit, some people believe Death Stranding could join PS Plus in February.

With Death Stranding 2 tipped to make an appearance during the State of Play event, it would make sense to add the original game to PS Plus.

Martial arts action game Sifu has received multiple votes, alongside roguelike adventure game Hades, and strategy game Marvel Midnight Suns.

Other games tipped to make an appearance include Sonic Colours, Forspoken, Wild Hearts, Hitman 3 and Little Nightmares 2.

Arts Entertainments

Victoria’s mobile speed camera operators walk off the job

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Government-contracted mobile speed camera operators employed by Serco will strike today for 24 hours in pursuit of better pay and safer working conditions.

The Community and Public Sector Union is assisting Serco employees in their fight for an increase in their $26 per hour wage, as well as for increased safety in light of recent attacks targeting mobile speed camera vehicles.

“Over two hundred (200) camera sessions were dropped over the long weekend as a result of Serco’s incompetent attempt to diffuse our signage and administrative bans by docking the operator’s full pay for a session, so operators just stayed away,” said a spokesperson from the Community and Public Sector Union.

“Operators earn barely more than the legal minimum wage at $26 per hour and being attacked while sitting in their vehicles doing their job, having oncoming cars and trucks cross carriageways to swerve at their stationary vehicle, projectiles launched at them as well as constant verbal abuse and social media harassment, to be met with silence from the contractor Serco, who don’t seem to care about anything but shifting their profits off shore, is the last straw.

“It’s well past time for the State Government to review Serco’s performance and consider alternatives for the delivery of this important road safety service and protect these government contracted workers.”

The Victorian Government fined Serco for missing its December KPIs and failing to have mobile speed cameras in operation on the recent Australia Day weekend.

According to the Community and Public Sector Union, between not having cameras operating over the long weekend and today’s 24-hour strike, it “should” guarantee Serco fails to meet KPIs for a second month in a row.

Victorian Police also recently undermined the state’s camera program, with officers observed warning motorists of the cameras.

Officers have been fighting for better pay from the Victorian Government, with the Fair Work Commission in December 2023 approving 19 industrial actions.

Auto

Altcoin’s Gearing Up: Here’s What Next for Polkadot (DOT), Uniswap (UNI) & Polygon (MATIC) Price

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

The post Altcoin’s Gearing Up: Here’s What Next for Polkadot (DOT), Uniswap (UNI) & Polygon (MATIC) Price appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Polkadot (DOT) Price Analysis

Polkadot price has been trading along the ascending trend line, which has been acting as strong support in the last few weeks

Despite a significant growth in the buying pressure, the bulls failed to lift the price above the levels, suggesting the presence of decent bearish activity

While the RSI is flat, the MACD is displaying the possibility of a bearish crossover. This could either compel the price to trade sideways for some more time or else push the price within the ascending triangle and remain stuck to the support

The immediate resistance is at $7.57 and achieving these levels may push the price towards the apex, which may further initiate a fresh bullish breakout towards a 2-digit figure.

Uniswap (UNI) Price Analysis

Regardless of the short-term bounces, the UNI price continues to trade under extreme bearish influence in the long term

Much like Chainlink, the UNI price has also been consolidating within a narrow range for over 20 months

The RSI is displaying huge variations, but less impact over the price is seen as the bears restrict the rally below $7.5

Without much change in the trading plan, the consolidation may continue until market sentiments flip completely in favour of the bulls

Polygon (MATIC) Price Analysis

The MATIC price has displayed acute strength in the past few days, as it has gained over 10% to 12% to reach levels above $0.8

The token is facing bearish pressure but the bulls are trying hard to sustain a healthy upswing by attracting liquidity

However, the RSI continues to fly, which suggests the price will maintain an ascending trade for a long time and reach $0.9

Sustaining above these levels and clearing $0.95 may pave way for the Polygon price to reclaim the levels above $1

Cryptocurrency

NEET postgraduate exam fees reduced by ₹750, effective from January 1

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has reduced NEET postgraduate examination fees by ₹750. The new fees come into effect from January 1.

The new fees will now be ₹3,500 for general and OBC students, while for SC, ST and PWD categories, the fees will be ₹2,500.

Any candidate submitting the application form for the forthcoming examination after January 1, 2024, will have to pay the reduced fee, the official said.

Previous fees, which were in effect since 2021, were ₹4,250 and ₹3,250, respectively.

The effective fee reduction is 18 per cent and 23 per cent over 2021 levels.

In fact, the NEET postgraduate examination fees are lower than in 2013 now. In 2013, fees stood at ₹3,750 for general and OBC candidates and ₹2,750 for SC, ST and PWD candidates.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya had been a key mover in lowering exam fees.

In a letter addressed to the Union Minister, Abhijat Sheth, President, NBEMS, said: “In order to provide benefit to lakhs of candidates appearing ni NBEMS examinations, NBEMS has decided to reduce the examination fee by Rs. 750/- for each candidate.”

The letter further added: “This fee reduction would not have been possible without inputs from you (Mandaviya’s intervention)….. assure you that NBEMS will continue to work towards providing more specialist

manpower, conducting quality examinations, providing training opportunities, etc. under your guidance”.

Education

The US hasn’t seen syphilis numbers this high since 1950, officials say

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

The U.S. syphilis epidemic persists, with a concerning 9% rise in infectious cases in 2022, marking the highest count since 1950.
Officials are alarmed by the expansion of syphilis increasingly in women and newborns.
Despite being less common, syphilis is considered more dangerous due to its potential to lead to severe health complications, including paralysis.

The U.S. syphilis epidemic isn’t abating, with the rate of infectious cases rising 9% in 2022, according to a new federal government report on sexually transmitted diseases in adults.

But there’s some unexpected good news: The rate of new gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in a decade.

It’s not clear why syphilis rose 9% while gonorrhea dropped 9%, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, adding that it’s too soon to know whether a new downward trend is emerging for the latter.

HEALTH OFFICIALS CLAIM STD CASES HAVE BEEN ACCELERATING, DOCTORS HOPE OLD DRUG CAN SLOW RISING RATES

They are most focused on syphilis, which is less common than gonorrhea or chlamydia but considered more dangerous. Total cases surpassed 207,000 in 2022, the highest count in the United States since 1950, according to data released Tuesday.

A tissue sample with the presence of numerous, corkscrew-shaped, darkly-stained, Treponema pallidum spirochetes, the bacterium responsible for causing syphilis, is seen. The U.S. syphilis epidemic continues to worsen, according to a new government report released on Jan. 30, 2024. (Skip Van Orden/CDC via AP, File)

And while it continues to have a disproportionate impact on gay and bisexual men, it is expanding in heterosexual men and women, and increasingly affecting newborns, too, CDC officials said.

Syphilis is a bacterial disease that can surface as painless genital sores but can ultimately lead to paralysis, hearing loss, dementia and even death if left untreated.

New syphilis infections plummeted in the U.S. starting in the 1940s when antibiotics became widely available and fell to their lowest by 1998.

About 59,000 of the 2022 cases involved the most infectious forms of syphilis. Of those, about a quarter were women and nearly a quarter were heterosexual men.

“I think its unknowingly being spread in the cisgender heterosexual population because we really aren’t testing for it. We really aren’t looking for it” in that population, said Dr. Philip Chan, who teaches at Brown University and is chief medical officer of Open Door Health, a health center for gay, lesbian and transgender patients in Providence, Rhode Island.

The report also shows rates of the most infectious types of syphilis rose not just across the country but also across different racial and ethnic groups, with American Indian and Alaska Native people having the highest rate. South Dakota outpaced any other state for the highest rate of infectious syphilis at 84 cases per 100,000 people — more than twice as high as the state with the second-highest rate, New Mexico.

South Dakota’s increase was driven by an outbreak in the Native American community, said Dr. Meghan O’Connell, chief public health officer at the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Nearly all of the cases were in heterosexual people, and O’Connell said that STD testing and treatment was already limited in isolated tribal communities and only got worse during the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year convened a syphilis task force focused on stopping the spread of the STD, with an emphasis on places with the highest syphilis rates — South Dakota, 12 other states and the District of Columbia.

The report also looked at the more common STDs of chlamydia and gonorrhea.

‘OUT OF CONTROL’ STD SITUATION PROMPTS CALL FOR CHANGES

Chlamydia cases were relatively flat from 2021 to 2022, staying at a rate of about 495 per 100,000, though there were declines noted in men and especially women in their early 20s. For gonorrhea, the most pronounced decline was seen in women in their early 20s as well.

Experts say they’re not sure why gonorrhea rates declined. It happened in about 40 states, so whatever explains the decrease appears to have occurred across most of the country. STD testing was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials believe that’s the reason the chlamydia rate fell in 2020.

It’s possible that testing and diagnoses were still shaking out in 2022, said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

“We are encouraged by the magnitude of the decline,” Mermin said, though the gonorrhea rate is still higher now than it was pre-pandemic. “We need to examine what happened, and whether it’s going to continue to happen.”

Health Fitness

ICYMI: Top 10 Food News Stories That Took The Internet By Storm in January 2024

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

We are only one month into 2024, and it seems that a lot has already happened. In the world of food and culinary trends, this month has been full of strange developments and intriguing incidents. As usual, bizarre food videos and creative recipes have caught our interest. But beyond these, several other large-scale trends and global stories have given us food for thought. As January 2024 comes to an end, we have rounded up some of the top food-related stories that made headlines around the globe and in the country this month.

January 2024 Recap: 10 Food-Related News Stories That Got The Internet Talking

Mona Lisa Was The Target Of A ‘Soup Attack’

_{Photo Credit: AFP}

Two activists belonging to the environmental group, “Riposte Alimentaire” hurled soup at Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous masterpiece at the Louvre museum in Paris. The incident took place on the morning of January 28. Before the room was evacuated, the protesters spoke to stunned onlookers and shared their message about the need for “healthy and sustainable food”. Read the complete story here.

Bars In Dubai Are Using Ancient Glacier Ice For Drinks

Greenland-based Arctic Ice specialises in harvesting broken away from the glaciers and shipping them to the United Arab Emirates. This “pure” chilly ingredient is now available in exclusive establishments and bars. The company’s website states, “Arctic Ice is sourced directly from the natural glaciers in the Arctic, which have been in a frozen state for more than 100,000 years. These parts of the ice sheets have not been in contact with any soils or contaminated by pollutants produced by human activities.” The company has received a lot of criticism regarding the environmental consequences of its operations. Read more here.

US And UK Officials Reacted To The Idea Of Adding Salt To Tea

Michelle Francl, a professor at a US college, recently suggested that a perfect cup of tea requires a pinch of salt. Her suggestion quickly gained traction online, prompting responses from officials from the US and UK. The US Embassy in London stated, “Tea is the elixir of camaraderie, a sacred bond that unites our nations. We cannot stand idly by as such an outrageous proposal that threatens the very foundation of our special relationship”. Clarifying that the professor’s method is “not official United States Policy and never will be,” they added that they “will continue to make the tea proper way – by microwaving it”. The Cabinet Office of the UK government responded, “We appreciate our Special Relationship, however, we must disagree wholeheartedly… Tea can only be made using a kettle.” Check out the X post here.

Reese Witherspoon Shocked The Internet By Having Snow

Famous Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon shared a video showing how to make a “snow salt chococinno”. In the clip, we see fresh snow being collected from outside her house to make the cold treat. The snow is topped with salted caramel syrup, chocolate syrup and cold brew. Reese herself is observed tasting the chilled creation. The video sparked a heated online debate about the relative safety of consuming snow in this way. Reese later shared a series of videos in which she defended her decision. To know more, click here.

Indians Jumped On The Bandwagon Of The ‘Orange Peel Theory’

Towards the end of 2023, the orange peel theory had taken parts of the internet by storm. In January 2024, we saw that Indians started taking a special interest in this viral trend. The idea of this theory is to determine your partner’s ‘true’ feelings for you by testing their willingness to peel an orange for you. This small act of service is supposed to be a sign of their genuine affection. Desis have shared several hilarious memes and posts in connection with the orange peel theory. Check out some of them here.

Stanley Cup Craze Reached New Heights

For several weeks now, the USA has been gripped by a Stanley Cup frenzy. The overwhelming demand for certain limited edition products of the Stanley brand has led to tussles between customers, serpentine queues outside shops and even theft. Videos and memes on the subject have gone viral on different social media platforms. A woman in California was also arrested after stealing Stanley merchandise worth around 2 lakh rupees. Read more here.

South Koreans Eat Toothpicks, But Health Concerns Were Raised

We often hear of bizarre food trends taking over foreign countries. In South Korea, a viral trend of eating fried toothpicks made headlines this month. The picks are made from starch and are biodegradable. However, they could contain unsafe additives or be contaminated in other ways. Videos of people relishing this delicacy in different ways went viral. It prompted the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to raise awareness that their safety as a food item has not been tested.

Price Of Louis Vuitton Sandwich Bag Left Internet In Disbelief

Luxury brand Louis Vuitton unveiled a leather bag inspired by the conventional brown paper bag used to carry items like sandwiches. The coveted accessory comes with “a zipped pocket and a double flat pocket to keep things organized,” as per the official site. But its eye-watering price was the main point of concern online. Those wanting to own this luxury sandwich bag need to be ready to shell out Rs 2,80,000. Yes, you read that right. Learn more about it here.

Masala Chai Was Named The Second Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage In The World

India’s beloved drink, masala chai, received global recognition when it was featured among the best non-alcoholic beverages in the world. The accolade was announced as part of the Taste Atlas Awards for 2023-24. Several other Indian dishes, ingredients and restaurants were also recognised by the popular food guide. Find out more here.

A Person Ordered More Than 100 Roomali Rotis On New Year’s Eve

As we rang in 2024, various stories about New Year’s Eve celebrations came to our attention. Some of them only came to light a few days after the fact. But one of the incidents that immediately fascinated Indians was that someone in Kolkata ordered 125 roomali rotis from Zomato on New Year’s Eve. The company’s CEO, Deepinder Goyal, shared an X post regarding the same. Read the complete article here.

Home Kitchen

Wang Yi: China ready to accelerate global development process

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-01-30/Wang-Yi-China-ready-to-accelerate-global-development-process-1qNejY1d9gk/img/a19bfeb9e83449bca8ad4a557fa7c9c7/a19bfeb9e83449bca8ad4a557fa7c9c7.jpeg' alt='Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in Beijing, China, January 30, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry'

China will work with other countries to reactivate and accelerate the global development process, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday during a meeting with Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China supports more representation and voice of developing countries.

China will continue to make efforts to safeguard the legitimate rights of developing countries, he said.

He reiterated that China supports the centrality of the UN in global governance system, as well as a more active and important role of the UNGA in accordance with the UN Charter.

China hopes the UN Summit of the Future will provide practical solutions for the pressing global issues, he said.

Wang said China appreciates that the UN and its specialized agencies have abided by the one-China principle since the passing of the UN Resolution 2758.

China opposes any act or statement that does not comply with the Resolution 2758, he warned.

Francis said the one-China principle is the cornerstone of the UN system, pledging that the UN will not deviate from the one-China principle in any form.

The UN is willing to deepen cooperation with China, jointly address the global challenges and promote the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda, he said.

Legal Law

Emily Mariko’s $120 Tote Bag Draws Criticism

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Amber Fehrenbacher, a marketing director who lives in Columbia, Mo., also posted a video criticizing Ms. Mariko’s bag. “In this economy?!?, she needs to read the room,” wrote one commenter on Ms. Fehrenbacher’s video. Several others suggested buying similarly sized totes from Ikea for a fraction of the price. “I’m just so confused, what’s so special,” another wrote.

“People are becoming, you know, just very fatigued by influencers, for sure, especially as they’re struggling to buy the groceries to put in said tote bag,” Ms. Fehrenbacher, 37, said. While she hadn’t been considering purchasing the tote herself, she thought there were lessons to be learned from Ms. Mariko’s new business venture for other creators.

Laura Rubin, a copywriter and business owner from Doylestown, Pa., wasn’t surprised by the bag’s price. She felt it was aligned with the brand Ms. Mariko has long established for herself.

“If you look at her content from day to day, the items that she’s interacting with, for the most part, are expensive,” Ms. Rubin, 38, said. “They’re out of cost for most people, even when she’s going grocery shopping, she’s going at grocery shops that are, usually, more expensive for day to day items. When she’s going on trips, they’re more luxurious trips.” Ms. Rubin also described Ms. Mariko’s 2023 wedding, which was heavily documented online.

“I think it would have been off brand for her to create something that was less than $100,” she added.

The tote bag is currently sold out.

Lifestyle Fashion

Bristol Myers Squibb's Breyanzi Granted FDA Priority Review for R/R Follicular Lymphoma, Mantle Cell Lymphoma

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

CAR T-cell therapy Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) to be evaluated in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma following treatment with a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Medicine

Homes sales and launches up, despite price rise, interest rate hike: FinMin report

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Post the pandemic, housing prices in India are witnessing a recovery and there has been a 4.3 per cent rise in real estate prices for H1FY24 (April–September). An uptrend has also been noticed in housing sales and launches, price rise notwithstanding.

According to The Indian Economy: A Review carried out by Economic Affairs department, the average annual growth in real-estate prices has gone up from 2.3 per cent in FY22 to 3.8 per cent in FY23; and up to 4.3 per cent in H1 of FY24. “That there has been an uptrend in housing sales and launches despite an appreciation in real-estate prices and higher interest rates, attests to the strength of the recovery of incomes and optimism about the future,” the FinMin report mentions.

Bank credit for housing has also moved up to be 8.7 per cent of the GDP (annual estimate) for the first half of FY24. This is a substantial improvement over the 7.3 per cent of FY23. In the pre-Covid years, between FY12 and FY20, the bank credit as a percentage of GDP increased from 4.5 to 6.8.

In FY21, the Covid year, when interest rates were low, the bank credit to GDP ratio shot-up to 7.5 per cent and then in the following two fiscal moderation to 7.3 per cent and 7.4 per cent, as interest rates began moving up. Unsold inventory levels or inventory overhang is at 34 months in Q1FY24, the review mentions, as against 45–48 months for Q1FY22 and Q1FY23 periods.

Also read: Demand for luxury homes surges in Mumbai’s Pali Hill

Home Sales Up

As per consultancy firm Knight Frank, there was 3,30,000 home units sold across eight cities in calendar year 2023, indicating a 5 per cent y-o-y rise.

ANAROCK pegged home sales numbers at 4,76,530 units in the top 7 cities, up 31 per cent y-o-y (3,64,870 units). The available inventory, ANAROCK said, decreased by 5 per cent in 2023, over 2022, while residential prices collectively rose 15 per cent annually across these cities with Hyderabad witnessing the highest increase of 24 per cent annually.

PropEquity said, housing absorption in CY23 increased by 15-16 per cent to 5,10,000 units. “Despite price increases, the affordability ratio witnessed a marginal 100-200 basis point improvement in top 8 cities as income growth surpassed pricing growth and mortgage rates remained flat,” Motilal Oswal said in a report

Also read: Housing sales rise 36% YoY in Q3 of 2023

Rising Household Investments

The Department of Economic Affairs Review of the Indian Economy said, rising household investment has also contributed to the recent strengthening of the investment rate in the real estate. A slight moderation in prices and wealth effec tfrom the accumulated financial assets of the households has imparted buoyancy to the real estate market, the report mentioned.

The household sector investment, which constitutes the largest share in the total Gross Fixed Capital Formation, was on a rising trajectory just before the pandemic. This was driven by a gradual decline in growth in real-estate prices and a continued increase in bank credit for housing. “After the pandemic, housing prices began to recover,” it said adding, “Multiple proxy indicators and industry reports point towards the emergence of green shoots of a private capex upcycle in the post-pandemic years.”

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data shows that the capital goods index and infrastructure and construction goods index saw a 12.9 per cent and 8.4 per cent, respectively, in FY23. The indices have carried forward their momentum thus far into FY24 and have grown by 7.5 per cent and 11.1 per cent, respectively, on a cumulative basis till November 2023. The recent results of listed and unlisted corporates also indicate expanding private investment in the first half of FY24.

As per Axis Bank Research, capital expenditure by Private Non-Financial Companies has grown by 28 per cent in FY22 (to ₹4.8 lakh cr), 23 per cent in FY23 (₹5.9 lakh cr) and 10 per cent in H1 of FY24 (₹3.4 lakh crore vs ₹3.1 lakh crore), the report adds.

Real Estate

Našli smo jaja i maslac po nerealno niskim cijenama, isplati se napraviti zalihe

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

PREGLEDALI smo kataloge poznatih maloprodajnih trgovina u Hrvatskoj i izdvojili najbolje popuste i proizvode po dobrim cijenama.

Shopping Product Reviews

U.S. figure skaters get justice, ‘a victory for clean sport’

admin January 31, 2024 No Comments

Their golden moment is gone, never to be enjoyed as it should have been, on the ice where nine American figure skaters were robbed of a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics team competition because of the doping-fueled performance of Russian teenager Kamila Valieva.

But after nearly two years of plodding investigations and more than a few anxious moments, justice for the U.S. skaters, though delayed, has not been denied. A decision rendered Monday by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sports confirmed Valieva had committed an anti-doping violation and as a result erased her results at the Olympics and other events from Dec. 25, 2021 onward, suspending her for four years from that date. Based on that ruling, the International Skating Union said Tuesday the U.S. team would be elevated from silver medalists to gold.

No matter where or when their medal ceremony takes place, it won’t have the same immediacy for the Americans as if they had climbed to the top step of the medal stand in Beijing in view of a global audience of millions and were able to proudly wear their medals around the athletes’ village. But it will prove a point beyond affirming the skill of their skating.

It will, ice dancer Evan Bates believes, celebrate a larger principle: that efforts to punish doping are essential to the integrity of sports, no matter the patience, persistence, and vigilance that fight requires.

“Through this entire saga, I think focusing on the positivity that this has been a victory for clean sport, albeit it was a difficult and arduous wait, I think we feel very grateful that this case has had due process and has reached this conclusion here. Maybe not a conclusion, but this finding,” Bates said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters.

“And I think there are so many clean athletes who historically have not had their moment, have not had the recognition they deserved, whether that’s because those doping didn’t get caught or the case didn’t come to trial. Or what have you. There are countless athletes in history, through the decades, that have not had the moment that we have just now had. So we’re extremely happy. We’re extremely pleased. And we’re just really focusing on that and celebrating achievement.”

The decision by CAS can be appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal on procedural grounds. Japan was elevated from third to silver-medal status, but there’s still questions about whether the Russian team, ranked third after the disqualification of Valieva’s scores, will get a bronze medal over fourth-place Canada. The medals were withheld in Beijing, not awarded because of investigations triggered by the disclosure of Valieva’s positive doping test at the Russian championships.

Valieva, then 15, was almost certainly manipulated by the adults around her into taking the prohibited substance trimetazidine, which is used to treat heart conditions and helps the efficiency of blood flow. They wanted the reflected glory of her success but instead turned her into a cautionary tale. Her coaches and federation jeopardized her health and her career. She’s a tragic figure in many ways.

What’s certain after all of this is that the nine Americans will be golden. The team was composed of singles skaters Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, and Karen Chen; pairs skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, and the ice dance duos of Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue and Madison Chock and Bates. Of that group, only Chock and Bates are still actively competing, having won their fifth U.S. title last weekend.

“There is no scenario at this point in which Team USA is not the gold-medal winners,” said Sarah Hirshland, chief executive and president of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

“We have a high degree of confidence and I have been given very clear direction that we should proceed in awarding gold medals to the United States team, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Hirshland said the new top three teams could be united in one place to be awarded their medals, but she’s not bound by that and is focusing on properly honoring the American skaters. Holding a three-team ceremony would be awkward and unnecessarily bring back memories of Valieva’s joy-sapping cheating.

Chock, who’s from Redondo Beach, acknowledged she had “a small, underlying feeling of maybe a little bit of sadness and disappointment that we didn’t get that Olympic moment,” a weight that vanished when the ruling was announced. Over the last two years, she and her teammates often envisioned their version of the long-delayed ceremony.

“When all of this initially happened, the first thing that came to everyone’s mind was we would love to have a true Olympic medal ceremony, and so for us, that would be a medal ceremony at the Paris Games this summer,” she said. “That would be the dream ceremony. To be able to stand atop a podium at an Olympic event and be there with our families and just to celebrate and be surrounded by the Olympic spirit and the Olympic movement would be our dream scenario.”

Hirshland said she’s “putting champagne on ice” for that occasion in Paris. Bates doesn’t need champagne to celebrate. “I just want to be standing there with all nine of us on the top spot on the podium with the hand over the heart, singing the national anthem,” he said, “and I just can’t wait for that moment to arrive.”

Delayed, but not denied, and that’s what matters.

Sports

OnePlus expands mainline network in India, to operate with 50K retailer stores in 2024

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

India continues to be an important market for global technology brand OnePlus and the company aims to operate with approximately 50,000 mainline retailer stores in the country in 2024, a top company executive said on Wednesday.

OnePlus, which has just launched its flagship 12 series which offers a significant advancement from its predecessor across performance, display innovation, charging capabilities, camera technology, and design aesthetics, will certainly look forward to bringing more positive investments this year, to further benefit its India community, Ranjeet Singh, Director of Sales, OnePlus India, told IANS.

“This year, we are excited to bring in renewed focus towards our retail strategy. OnePlus is looking to increase investments across mainline channel by two folds in 2024. And we look forward to expanding our mainline presence by opening 200+ new OnePlus Experience stores across India in 2024,” Singh informed.

The OnePlus 12 will arrive in two colour variants — Flowy Emerald and Silky Black. The 12GB+256GB option is priced at Rs 64,999 and the 16GB+512GB option is priced at Rs 69,999 and will be available for purchase starting January 30.

Moreover, the company launched the OnePlus 12R in two colours — Cool Blue or Iron Gray. The 8GB+128 GB option is priced at Rs 39,999 and the 16GB+256 GB option is priced at Rs 45,999. The OnePlus 12R will be available for purchase starting February 6.

At the core of OnePlus 12 5G is the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, supported by the proprietary Trinity Engine, and up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM with 512GB UFS 4.0 ROM.

“The design, inspired by luxurious timepieces and the beauty of nature that surrounds us, reflects a harmonious blend of technology and aesthetic appeal. The 4th Gen Hasselblad camera system has something for just about everyone; we’ve also enhanced our Pro Mode to create Master Mode for the experimental or for professionals,” Singh told IANS.

The company ventured into the foldable segment last year and introduced the OnePlus Open.

“We went on to witness an incredible response from our India community. And the OnePlus Open device emerged as the highest selling foldable smartphone device on the first day of sale at Reliance Digital,” according to Singh.

Similarly, it also emerged as the highest sold foldable smartphone on Amazon.in on its open sale day in Rs 1 lakh price segment (January 2023-October 27 2023).

“We also ventured into a brand-new segment of tablets with our OnePlus Pad and Pad Go, both of which also saw remarkable response from our consumers across India,” Singh told IANS.

OnePlus emerged as the top brand in India within the price segment of $400-$600 (mid to high end range), according to the IDC.

Additionally, OnePlus 11/11R led the mid to high end price segment ($400-$600) in January-November 2023 period in terms of shipments.

“We also emerged as the fastest growing brand among top 10 smartphone brands in Jan-Nov 2023 with YoY growth of over 50 per cent (as per IDC),” Singh noted.

“And we are confident that our community is going to love what’s in store for them,” Singh added.

In line with its earlier commitment, OnePlus continues to increase market penetration with expansion into tier 2 and 3 markets in 2024.

“With our retail expansion, we want to give our wider community base in India a chance to gain first-hand premium experience of our products as well as the OnePlus connected ecosystem,” Singh told IANS.

“2024 will be no different, as we will continue to keep our community’s interest at the heart of our efforts. We will continue to deliver on our promise to provide high-quality products with superior performance and burdenless technology,” he mentioned.

As a user-centric brand, “we will continue to invest in bringing in top-notch, meaningful technology to our consumers in India. And we will continue diversifying our product portfolio to meet the diverse needs of our growing user base,” Singh further said.

Technology

Flight operations restart at Pithoragarh, linking sacred lands in Uttarakhand | Travel

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Flight operations from Pithoragarh’s Naini-Saini airport began on Tuesday after a gap of more than three years.

Flight operations restart from Naini-Saini airport at Pithoragarh, linking sacred lands in Uttarakhand (Photo by Twitter/RaghavanO7)

Following the resumption of flight operations, which was suspended in early 2020, aviation firm Flybig will operate a 19-seater aircraft between Dehradun and Pithoragargh thrice a week on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

Addressing the inaugural function virtually, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said after the resumption of flight operations from the airport, the distance between Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand will become closer.

Resumption of services from the airport, which will soon be extended to Pantnagar and then to Hindon airport in Ghaziabad, will be crucial for the strategically important border district, he added.

The duration of the journey between Pithoragarh and Dehradun will be reduced from 11 hours by road to 1 hour by air, he said.

The Union minister said the state government and the Centre were making all efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help Uttarakhand realise its full potential in terms of development and divinity.

Speaking of his personal connection with Uttarakhand, Scindia said he had studied in the state for five years and will remain indebted to it till his last breath.

Addressing the function in Pithoragarh, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said air connectivity between Dehradun and Pithoragarh will give further boost to religious tourism in the Manaskhand region.

He said the Prime Minister’s visit to Jolingkong for a darshan of the Adi Kailash peak and Jageshwar Dham had awakened the interest of tourists who have begun to visit the relatively lesser-known religious destinations in large numbers.

Dhami said air connectivity between Dehradun and Pithoragarh will give further stimulus to the growing tourist interest in these places.

The chief minister said he would request the company to increase the frequency of air services between the two towns from three to five days in a week.

Night landing facilities at the airport will also be created, he said.

Tours Travel

iDKHOW confirms UK show dates on EU tour: Here’s how to get access to presale | Music | Entertainment

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

I Dont Know How But They Found Me – otherwise known as iDKHOW – is gearing up to hit the road over summer on a massive headline tour.

The American indie pop solo project will be embarking on a month-long tour in June 2024, beginning in the Czech Republic, before heading into the rest of Europe.

But, along the way, iDKHOW will also be hitting some of the UK’s biggest and best venues, including Manchester’s O2 Ritz, Glasgow’s SWG3 and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

The star will be on the road to celebrate the release of his second album, Gloom Division, which is due to hit store shelves and streaming services on February 23, 2024 (via Concord Records).

Commenting on finally making his way across the pond, iDKHOW said: “It’s been far too long since I’ve had the pleasure of performing in the UK and the rest of Europe. The fans there are incredible, and I can’t wait to see them all again. It’s going to be wonderful!”

Tickets for iDKHOW’s tour and shows will be released at the end of the week – but savvy fans will have access to the presale.

The early bird tickets will be released a little early, but only to select listeners.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to get involved:

iDKHOW is holding two presale events this week.

The first comes directly from O2 Priority and begins tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 10am.

These tickets can be purchased directly from Ticketmaster below:

.

These tickets will only be available to subscribers of the O2 mobile phone network, who can get access to O2 Priority.

The second presale event is being hosted by Live Nation, and kicks off Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 10am.

These tickets will exclusively be available from My Live Nation below:

LIVE NATION – Buy iDKHOW presale tickets from Live Nation here.

This set of presale tickets is exclusively available to subscribers of the My Live Nation newsletter. You can sign up for that right here.

After these presale events have come to an end, the general onsale will begin.

Here’s what you need:

iDKHOW tickets will be released on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 10am.

These tickets will be available at a number of online retailers. Here’s the breakdown:

LIVE NATION – Buy iDKHOW tickets here.

.

This ticket drop will be fans’ final chance to buy tickets to the star’s UK shows before they sell out.

These links above will take you to the general gig page, but if you’d rather go directly to your selected show, the list below is full of links.

Arts Entertainments

2025 Mazda CX-70 revealed as yet another six-cylinder SUV for Australia

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Mazda is taking aim at the Volkswagen Touareg with a new SUV.

The Mazda CX-70 has been revealed as the third member of the brand’s Large Product Group family, serving as a two-row companion to the flagship CX-90.

It’s coming to Australia, but Mazda hasn’t specified when. The Japanese brand has now confirmed all four Large Product Group SUVs for our market: the CX-60 and CX-90 are already on sale, while the as-yet unrevealed CX-80 is arriving at an unspecified time.

Like the CX-90, the CX-70 will be offered in Australia with a choice of 3.3-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, both featuring 48V mild-hybrid technology and mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-biased all-wheel drive.

While Mazda hasn’t specified outputs for the CX-70, the CX-90’s petrol engine pumps out 254kW of power and 500Nm in Australia, while the diesel produces 187kW and 550Nm.

Mazda also hasn’t specified dimensions for the CX-70, but it appears almost identical to the CX-90 inside and out.

2025 Mazda CX-70 revealed as yet another six-cylinder SUV for Australia

It’s distinguished via unique black exterior accents, while inside there’s a new burgundy interior colourway.

Also unique to the CX-70 is a new power-folding function for the second row, allowing you to use buttons in the cargo bay to drop the rear seats.

Mazda promises a completely flat load bay, even with the second row dropped, while under the boot floor there are three storage spaces.

Another new feature debuting in the CX-70 is an emergency assist function for the Cruising and Traffic Support feature. The system will monitor whether the driver closes their eyes or looks away from the road and alerts them to pay attention.

If the driver doesn’t respond to prompts, the system will slow the vehicle down or bring it to a complete stop to avoid an accident.

Mazda is also touting a trailer hitch guide that can assist the driver in connecting to a trailer, and has highlighted the 2500kg towing capacity of the CX-70.

In the CX-90, towing capacity is 2000kg with the diesel engine and 2500kg with the petrol. Mazda hasn’t explicitly stated whether all CX-70s will have the same figure.

The company hasn’t confirmed any other features for the CX-70, though given the close resemblance to the CX-90 inside we’d expect it to offer a choice of 7.0-inch or 12.3-inch instrument cluster screens and 10.25-inch or 12.3-inch infotainment screens.

Expect the same raft of safety equipment, too, which includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and junction assist, as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The CX-70 will almost certainly undercut the CX-90 on price, but it’s unclear by how much. The flagship Mazda SUV is currently priced from $74,550 to $101,130 before on-road costs.

Mazda’s Large Product Group range consists of two vehicles aimed at markets like Europe and Japan – the two-row CX-60 and three-row CX-80 – and the CX-70 and CX-90 aimed at markets like North America.

Given Mazda’s outsized popularity in Australia, we often given get a mix of vehicles aimed at different markets. For example, we received the Japan-focused CX-8 and US-focused CX-9 three-row crossovers.

Auto

Don’t Hide — Mine Your Brand’s Flaws for Storytelling Gold

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Your brand is flawed.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your company does. The character of your brand is flawed. Brands behave badly in major and minor ways. Even the most well-intentioned brand efforts go awry.

Elon Musk has arguably purposely acted out to devalue X’s brand value. Bud Light had a bad brand year in 2023 with a flawed marketing campaign. Even innovative startup OpenAI unintentionally created a brand issue after firing and re-hiring its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman.

Of course, brand character mistakes also happen in smaller and much less catastrophic ways. At least one email probably sits in your inbox from a company addressed to <NAME> or that tries to sell you something you already purchased from the brand.

As marketers, you hope to avoid these situations. But here’s the thing: Companies, organizations, and brands are made up of people. People make mistakes, and people do bad things. Every one of your brands will falter at some point.

However, in all these situations lies a lesson for your role as a brand storyteller.

Understanding your brand’s flaws

Stephen R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, once wrote, “We judge ourselves by our motives and others by their behavior.” As humans, you continue making this fundamental attribution error when perceiving your actions vs. others’ actions.

You usually know the clear intentions behind your own actions, but guilt can make you double down when someone calls out your response. You know it was an accident when you cut off that car. But when that driver roars along beside your vehicle, flips the bird, and screams from inside their car, you double down and flip them the bird, shouting, “Oh shut up. I didn’t do it on purpose!”

You know you worked hard on that email campaign for customer enablement. But when it goes out prematurely with a mistake and you cynically get called out on social media, you react poorly, further inflaming the mistake.

Bud Light’s campaign featuring Dylan Mulvaney is a perfect example. As I’ve written, the beer brand’s biggest mistake was not the campaign but its response to the backlash and, more importantly, its lack of preparation for the backlash.

Identifying flaws’ potential in your brand stories

When things go wrong, you most likely blame the situation and remind yourself of your intentions. But your perception of other people’s — and other brands’ — behavior is different. You don’t know their intentions. Even if they express them, you may ignore them. You most likely interpret their behavior as a flaw in their character.

As marketers, recognizing this tendency to judgmental responses provides an important lesson. It makes a strong case for a more expansive approach to brand storytelling than just talking about your products or services.

Historically, brand messaging architectures must be idealized, perfect, and unassailable — a passionate voice striking an ideal chord in an imperfect world. Your brand is the solution to all that ails. You develop reasons for that belief, a focus, and a value.

You pay little or no attention to exposing weaknesses and flaws.

But you should. Every great hero has flaws. It’s what makes their strengths and story so relatable. Luke Skywalker has a dark side. Barbie initially lacks self-awareness. Even George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life — the perfect father, brother, and friend — has self-worth issues.

In storytelling, the hero’s flaw lays the foundation of the story’s conflict and compels audiences to engage. Then, isn’t it ironic that you, as marketers, want your brand story to be so uneventful and free of conflict when you know that could never be?

Embracing imperfection

As 2024 unfolds, businesses must lean hard into their human-centered brand story. The disruption of generative AI and noise in the marketplace should compel you to create more human content that differentiates through brand storytelling.

Leaning into brand content inherently implies you must get outside the comfort of “safe” brand messaging and take bigger leaps into thought leadership, engaging stories, and purpose-driven content. You must take a greater chance of misinterpretation, mistakes, or plain ol’ riskier content.

Last year, I shared point-of-view message architecture. In the intervening months, I’ve worked with more clients to help them think through how much and where they align, not only on the brand messaging elements but all the things the brand believes.

A core element of that architecture requires recognition that each point of view includes “resistances.” These are not just the negative or opposition of the benefits or values. These resistances acknowledge the flaws in this point of view.

We helped a global consulting firm develop a point-of-view architecture around the future of cloud computing as tech infrastructure. The point of view and brand story were consistent across their business units. One resistance materialized because they struggled to live up to that idealized infrastructure. But once acknowledged, we could address it.

We didn’t highlight this flaw in the messaging. Just because the brand was flawed in living the ideal didn’t mean they couldn’t believe and promote it. However, recognizing the flaw did lead the firm to prepare a consistent, cohesive, and aligned response should they ever get called out on the flaw.

As a marketer, you are the perfect candidate to hold your brand’s flawed character. You must have the strength, courage, and developed muscle to communicate your intentions to live up to your brand’s ideals. And you must also accept that you never fully will.

It’s your story. Tell it well.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

Digital Marketing

Tamil Nadu tops in enrollment ratio for higher education among States

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Among India’s large states, Tamil Nadu consistently maintains the highest Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education (colleges and universities) for five academic years between 2017-18 and 2021-22. According to the recently released All India Survey on Higher Education by the Ministry of Education, Tamil Nadu’s GER (the number of students enrolled in higher education as a percentage of the eligible population aged 18 to 23 years) was 47 per cent. The all-India average GER was 28.4 per cent in the 2021-22 period.

This is 0.1 per cent more than Tamil Nadu’s GER in 2020-21, during the pandemic. However, it is yet to reach the pre-pandemic high of 49 per cent. The GER among women was 47.3 per cent, while it was 46.8 per cent among men. Among the larger states, Tamil Nadu also has the highest GER among SC and ST students – 39.4 and 43.9 per cent respectively.

Also read: Veranda Learning Solutions forges alliance with BVM Global Schools

“GER is a key indicator of the level of participation in higher education within a given population. Higher GER values indicate greater enrolment in higher education among the specified age group,” reads the report. However, the data may not be quite accurate, since the population for the 18-23 age group is calculated based on the 2011 census. “Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at all India levels has increased over the years. GER has increased to 28.4 per cent in 2021-22 from 27.3 per cent in 2020-21 and 24.6 per cent in 2017-18. In 2014-15, the GER was 23.7,” reads the report.

The others who did well

Among all the states and Union Territories, Chandigarh has the highest GER of 64.8 per cent. It is followed by Puducherry with 61.5 per cent and Delhi with 49 per cent. The other states that did well are Himachal Pradesh (43.1 per cent), Uttarakhand (41.8 per cent), Kerala (41.3 per cent) and Telangana (40 per cent).

Also read: Quality of STEM education must be stepped up

On the other side of the spectrum are states like Assam and Bihar, which have the lowest proportion of young people pursuing higher education. The GER is 16.9 per cent in Assam and 17.1 per cent in Bihar. In Jharkhand, it is 18.6 per cent. In Lakshadweep, it is as low as 1.1 per cent. This is because Lakshadweep does not have any higher education institutions. “However three PG/Off-shore campuses of University of Calicut, Malappuram are functioning from Lakshadweep,” noted the report.

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Published on January 30, 2024

Education

Plastic surgery deaths have spiked among US patients who traveled to Dominican Republic: CDC report

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

For a growing number of people, “medical tourism” can be dangerous — even fatal.

Twenty-nine U.S. citizens have died after they had cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2018, according to a Jan. 25 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More alarming is that the deaths have spiked in recent years. Between 2009 and 2018, there were an average of 4.1 deaths per year. Between 2019 and 2022, that average rose to 13 per year — peaking at 17 deaths in 2020.

ASK A DOC: ‘WHAT SHOULD I DO, OR NOT DO, PRIOR TO SURGERY?’

The deaths were linked to “fat or venous thromboembolism,” which is when a blood clot forms in a vein, the CDC reported.

Most of the patients had risk factors for the condition, such as obesity, diabetes, tobacco use and multiple surgical procedures being performed at once.

To ensure a safe procedure, the surgeon — as well as the entire surgical team, including the anesthesiologists, nurses and surgical techs — should be adequately trained in the specific procedures, a doctor noted. (iStock)

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic has recorded cosmetic surgery-associated deaths among U.S. citizens since 2009.

The embassy contacted the CDC upon noticing the uptick in deaths — which sparked an investigation.

All but one of the deaths involved women, the report stated. The average age of the patients at the time of death was 40.

TOP PLASTIC SURGERIES: THESE WERE THE MOST IN-DEMAND PROCEDURES IN 2022

For the 24 deaths that occurred between 2019 and 2020, liposuction was performed on all of the patients, usually along with other procedures, including gluteal fat transfer, abdominoplasty and breast augmentation.

Fat embolism was the cause of death in 55% of the cases and pulmonary venous thromboembolism was the determining cause in 35% of the cases, the report said.

Plastic surgeons’ reactions

Josef Hadeed, M.D., chair of the Patient Safety Committee for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), who was not involved in the CDC investigation, noted that the CDC’s report highlights the dangers associated with destination procedures.

For the 24 deaths that occurred between 2019 and 2020, liposuction was performed in all of the patients, usually along with other procedures. (Fox News Digital)

“Too often, patients will travel to other countries as the procedures are cheaper there,” Hadeed, who is also a plastic surgeon with practices in Beverly Hills, California, and Miami, Florida, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“However, there are a lot of risks associated with traveling to other countries for cosmetic procedures.”

He added, “All surgery carries risk, but there are excessive deaths outlined in the report, most of which were presumably avoidable.”

“Just because something is cheaper doesn’t mean it is better for you.”

When it comes to the price of surgery, Hadeed advised patients that “you get what you pay for. Just because something is cheaper doesn’t mean it is better for you.”

He also said, “The most important issue in plastic surgery is patient safety.”

It is critical to find a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, experts agreed. (iStock)

Jonathan Kaplan, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon who practices at Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery in San Francisco, who was also not involved in the report, said the CDC’s latest findings are “sad but true.”

“There are risks with any surgery, but in the U.S., you have a better sense of whether doctors are board-certified in the specialty they’re practicing in,” he told Fox News Digital in an email.

“There is also the added risk of going to a facility in a foreign country that has no quality assurance or safety protocols as required by law in the U.S.,” Kaplan added.

Heightened risks

International travel automatically puts patients at a higher risk for thromboembolic events, where they can develop potentially fatal blood clots, Hadeed said.

Another consideration is that those having surgery outside the U.S. won’t be able to get any assistance from the doctor if any complications arise, Kaplan warned.

BBL NOT ALWAYS A-OK: WHY THE BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST PLASTIC SURGERIES EVER

“Then you’ll have to find a doctor locally who will charge you an exorbitant amount to fix the problem and you’ll end up spending more than what you saved initially,” he said.

While all surgeries carry some element of risk, the “Brazilian Butt Lift” (BBL) has been associated with the highest risk of death in plastic surgery, which is corroborated by the report, noted Hadeed.

Twenty-nine U.S. citizens have died after having cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2018, according to a Jan. 25 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo)

“While I cannot specifically comment on what led to the deaths in the Dominican Republic, I can say that using an ultrasound is essential while performing a Brazilian Butt Lift,” he told Fox News Digital.

When the fat is injected into one of the blood vessels within the gluteal muscle, it can enter the bloodstream and make its way to the blood vessels of the lungs, blocking off circulation and leading to immediate death — which constitutes a fat embolism, the doctor said.

ASK A DOC: ‘WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE GETTING A BREAST LIFT?’

This can be prevented by using an ultrasound, he noted, which allows the plastic surgeon to visualize the gluteal muscle and ensure that the fat is placed above, and not within, the muscle.

“This has already become state law in Florida as of 2023,” said Hadeed.

Safety tips

While Hadeed said it’s “better” to look for plastic surgeons within the U.S., if patients do decide to travel outside the country, they should carefully research a provider.

It is critical to find a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Hadeed emphasized.

The surgeon — as well as the entire surgical team, including the anesthesiologists, nurses and surgical techs — should be adequately trained in the specific procedures, the doctor added.

The “Brazilian Butt Lift” (BBL) has been associated with the highest risk of death in plastic surgery, the report stated. (iStock)

“It is equally important to ensure that the facility in which the procedure is being performed is fully accredited to the same standards that are found in the United States and has the proper safety measures in place,” said Hadeed.

“The money you save is not worth it if you have a complication, which is a very real possibility.”

“Also remember that longer flights increase the risk of venous thromboembolism, and it is advised to wait several days after travel before undergoing a surgical procedure, which can add to the cost of the travel when you factor in additional days of staying in a hotel,” he pointed out.

When asked for his advice on international surgery, Kaplan said simply, “Don’t do it.”

Those having surgery outside the U.S. won’t be able to get any assistance from the doctor if any complications arise, an expert warned. (iStock)

“The money you save is not worth it if you have a complication, which is a very real possibility,” he said.

“And remember, complications don’t have to be major — they can be minor, but still a nuisance if you don’t have a doctor locally to take care of it,” he went on. “And even the smallest complication will be much more expensive to take care of in the U.S. if your original surgery was outside the country.”

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For those who are considering having an elective surgical procedure outside the U.S., the CDC recommends discussing the risks with a doctor here first.

The agency also emphasized the importance of surgeons conducting proper preoperative exams and only performing one procedure for each operation.

Potential limitations

The study did have some limitations, the CDC acknowledged.

All but one of the deaths involved women, the report stated. The average age of the patients at the time of death was 40. (iStock)

“No reliable statistics on the number of U.S. citizens who receive cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic each year are available, precluding calculation of the risk for perioperative death,” the report stated.

Also, the data only included deaths that were reported to the U.S. Embassy — which means the actual number could be higher.

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The mortality count also does not include deaths resulting from post-surgical infections, the CDC noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC requesting comment on the report.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Melissa Rudy is the health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected]

Health Fitness

Move Over Regular Chawal, Try This Sindhi Bhuga Chawal For Dinner Today

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

We all look forward to dinner time with the utmost enthusiasm. After a tiring day at work, all we want is good food to indulge in. While there are many options that you can choose from, there are some staples that are always on the menu. One such example is that of rice (chawal). It pairs with almost every curry and sabzi and is also quite comforting. Instead of making plain rice this time, how about experimenting a little? Introducing you to a unique version of rice that’ll take you by surprise with its incredible taste: Sindhi bhuga chawal. This rice recipe is quite flavourful and aromatic, and will make for a great addition to your dinner table.
Also Read: Gur Ke Chawal – The Winter Favourite Dessert That Nobody Can Resist

What Makes Sindhi Bhuga Chawal So Unique?

Sindhi bhuga chawal gives an interesting twist to regular chawal. You must’ve tried spiced versions, such as the ones made with jeera or coriander. But this one brings a slightly sweet element to the rice. And no, it’s not sugar that makes it sweet, but instead onions! The onions are sauteed in ghee and some spices until they become caramelised. They are then cooked along with the rice to make this stellar dish.

What To Serve With Sindhi Bhuga Chawal?

Sindhi bhuga chawal tastes best when paired with sai bhaji or Sindhi dal. It makes for quite a comforting combination and is a staple in Sindhi households. Apart from this, you can pair this chawal with any other dal or sabzi of your choice. Do not forget to have some achaar and salad along with it.

How To Make Sindhi Bhuga Chawal | Sindhi Bhuga Chawal Recipe

To make Sindhi bhuga chawal, you just need a few basic ingredients and 30 minutes of time. The recipe for this unique chawal was shared on the Instagram page @globalvegproject. Start by heating ghee in a kadhai set on a low-medium flame. To this, add laung (cloves), elaichi (cardamom), peppercorns, bay leaf, and a cinnamon stick. Next, add the sliced onions and cook until they caramelise. Once done, add the red chilli powder along with garam masala and salt. Mix well and add four cups of water. Stir again to bring out all the colour from the onions. Finally, add the soaked rice, cover the kadhai with a lid, and cook until your rice is done. Your Sindhi bhuga chawal is ready to be savoured.
Also Read: 5 Genius Hacks To Fix Your Runny Gravy And Save Dinner

Watch the complete recipe video here:

This Sindhi bhuga chawal will make for a pleasant change from your regular chawal. Prepare it for your next lunch or dinner meal and savour its delicious taste.

About Vaishali KapilaVaishali finds comfort in eating parathas and rajma chawal but is equally enthusiastic about exploring different cuisines. When she’s not eating or baking, you can often find her curled up on the couch watching her favourite TV show – FRIENDS.

Home Kitchen

Chinese Embassy cautions students after 'interrogating, harassing' treatment at Washington airport

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

China has lodged solemn representations over to the United States for allegedly blocking Chinese students at the border, and issued a caution over travelling through Dulles International Airport, which is near the U.S. capital, the Chinese Embassy in the United States said in a statement on Monday.

The embassy accused U.S. authorities of “unwarrantedly” interrogating, harassing, cancelling the visas of and even deporting several students from China with valid travel permits upon their arrival at the airport.

Legal Law

Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj: Who’s Mad at Whom?

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

The two rappers ratcheted up hostilities with a pair of blustery, acid-dipped singles, each aiming to hit the other where it hurts.

Lifestyle Fashion

Delivering Medical Affairs Value Through Omnichannel Orchestration

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Learnings from a roundtable discussion with Medical Affairs leadership from 11 pharma companies

Medicine

How to Cat Proof a Toilet Paper Holder: Explanation & Tips

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Cats are notorious for unraveling and shredding toilet paper, driving many a cat parent to despair. If your cat is wreaking havoc in the bathroom, it’s time to start looking into how you can cat-proof your toilet paper holders and redirect your kitty’s impulses onto something more appropriate.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through your options and share some tips on understanding and preventing this behavior.

Methods for Cat-Proofing a Toilet Paper Holder

If it’s simply not possible to keep your cat out of the bathroom, you can either DIY your own toilet paper holder protector or buy one. Let’s take a closer look at both of these methods.

1. DIY Toilet Paper Holder

Image Credit: hillspet.com

You can easily fashion a toilet paper holder protector out of a few bits and bobs you have around your home. Here’s an example of how to make a basic one, but feel free to get creative—there’s more than one way to do it.

What you’ll need:

A plastic, tube-shaped container (like a big soda bottle or wipe container)

Scissors/box cutter

Ruler

Decorative items (optional)

Steps

Clean the plastic container and take off any labels.

Cut off the bottom and top halves of the container to get a tube around 4 inches wide (the width of a toilet paper roll).

Cut a line through the plastic tube so that it opens up, which will allow you to curl it around the toilet roll later.

Trim one end of the plastic tube to make sure it’s smooth.

Bend the trimmed end backward by half an inch or so to create the part where the toilet roll slides out when you pull.

Curl up the tube with the bent end on the outside and hold it for a few moments to tighten it up. This allows it to fit more snugly over the toilet roll.

Pop some stickers or other decorations on to brighten it up, if you like.

Place your DIY protector over the toilet paper. Don’t worry if it slides a bit—it shouldn’t be so tight that you can’t pull the toilet paper out.

2. Commercial Toilet Roll Covers

Image Credit: Sorapop Udomsri, Shutterstock

If you’re not a fan of DIY at all, you can always buy a toilet roll protector. While researching, we even came across some that were designed specifically with cat-proofing in mind, and these types are often completely covered but with a flap at the front or bottom.

These may help prevent the cat from getting at the toilet paper from most angles, but they’re not always catproof. Cats are smart, and many will quickly learn how to lift the flap or attack the bottom where the toilet roll is hanging out.

As an alternative, you could look for a toilet roll holder box that allows you to pull the paper out from a hole in the top and simply cover this hole with something when not in use, or store your toilet roll in a covered container, only taking it out when necessary.

Why Do Cats Attack Toilet Roll?

The answer to this is very simple: It’s fun. Cats love playing with toilet paper rolls because of the movement when they unravel and how easy they are to shred, and this is all very tantalizing for an animal with hunting instincts. If your cat frequently engages in this behavior, they could be in need of more mental stimulation in the form of play sessions with you and interactive cat toys.

Try getting a selection of new toys like balls, chaser wands, catnip toys, puzzles, and treat-dispensing toys to redirect your cat’s energy onto. Don’t forget to play with your cat a few times a day, too, and give them enough attention so they don’t feel ignored.

Cats should also always have access to a scratching post, as scratching is an important behavior for them. You can even try placing one in your bathroom or outside the bathroom door if this is where your cat gets into the most mischief.

Image Credit: VallarieE, Getty Images

Final Thoughts

Toilet paper is often among the first victims of a mischievous kitty, but with a few simple changes like those described in this guide, you can keep it safe from harm!

On a final note, bear in mind that while scratching at and unraveling toilet paper is typically just a form of play, chewing toilet paper may indicate that a cat is feeling unwell in some cases. Keep an eye out for signs of illness and contact your vet if you suspect something is amiss.

Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock

Pets

Chennai residential market is likely to reach pre-Covid sales level in 2024

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

The Chennai residential market has seen a growth of 5 per cent in home sales at 14,920 units in 2023. However, the market has yet to surpass its pre-Covid volumes.

2023 saw a good recovery in home sales and with the continued momentum, sales are expected to be back at their pre-Covid levels in the coming few quarters. During H2 2023, sales increased by 6 per cent to 7,770 units, according to a report by Knight Frank India and CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India), Tamil Nadu.

During the last calendar year, realty players launched 16,272 units, a 6 per cent increase over 2022 numbers. Most of the launches were concentrated in the southern and western micro-markets representing 61 per cent and 28 per cent of the total launches respectively. In terms of ticket size, launches in the affordable and mid categories increased by 22 per cent and 10 per cent y-o-y respectively, while there was a 17 per cent decline in launches in the luxury segment.

Surge in demand

Chennai’s booming manufacturing, hospitality and logistics sectors are attracting a large workforce, leading to an increased demand for affordable housing, said the report.

In 2023, the mid-segment properties, priced between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore remained predominant, accounting for 40 per cent of sales. With a 28 per cent increase over 2022 volumes, the affordable or less than ₹50 lakh segment accounted for 37 per cent of sales.

“There was strong traction among first-time buyers and budget-conscious individuals in Chennai,” it said.

Sales in the Chennai residential market were predominantly concentrated in the south and west micro-markets. Notably, locations along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) and Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road in the south micro-market and areas such as Porur, Valasaravakkam and Poonamalle in the west, accounted for the second highest share of homebuyers’ interests.

Houses prices above ₹1 crore in the luxury segment constituted 23 per cent of the total sales during 2023 and witnessed a 2 per cent y-o-y reduction during the year. It is gathered that a niche group of buyers in Chennai are seeking larger spaces and enhanced amenities.

Prominent central locations in Chennai, including Anna Nagar, T Nagar and Adyar, remain premium real estate areas. Since the pandemic, the market has been in recovery mode, with the South and West Zones experiencing price appreciation. In 2023, there has been a steady 4 per cent y-o-y increase in property prices in Chennai.

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Published on January 29, 2024

Real Estate

H&M zatvara 28 trgovina u Španjolskoj

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Pri kreiranju rubrike Index Shopping nastojimo izdvajati odlične proizvode koji se i nama sviđaju te odlične akcije i popuste. Ne objavljujemo proizvode koje i sami ne bismo kupili ili smatramo da njihova promocija nije u skladu s profesionalnim standardima. Neki proizvodi u rubrici Index Shopping mogu biti sponzorirani.

GRUPA H&M najavljuje zatvaranje 28 trgovina i otpuštanje gotovo 590 radnika u Španjolskoj, što je potvrdila u petak. Vijest su prvi otkrili sindikati Comisiones Obreras i Unión General de Trabajadores za Reuters, ističući da se ova odluka donosi zbog neodređenih organizacijskih, produktivnih i ekonomskih razloga.

Zatvaranje trgovina usmjereno je na više od jedne petine od ukupno 133 H&M-ove trgovine u Španjolskoj, gdje je tvrtka imala gotovo 4000 zaposlenih prema posljednjem godišnjem izvješću iz 2022. godine.

Glasnogovornik H&M-a je izjavio da je prioritet tvrtke imati trgovine na ispravnim lokacijama i ostati konkurentan te da tvrtka dosljedno procjenjuje svoj portfelj trgovina. To uključuje “unaprjeđenje iskustva kupovine u postojećim trgovinama, aktivno traženje novih prilika i donošenje informiranih odluka o zatvaranju trgovina kada je to potrebno”.

Ovaj korak slijedi tek godinu dana nakon što je tvrtka najavila smanjenje ukupnog broja zaposlenih za otprilike 1500 radnih mjesta u naporu da kontrolira administrativne i režijske troškove.

Kako prenosi Footwear News, izvršna direktorica Helena Helmersson tada je izjavila: “Program troškova i povećanja učinkovitosti koji smo pokrenuli uključuje reviziju strukture naše organizacije, a mi smo duboko svjesni činjenice da će to imati utjecaja na naše kolege. Pružit ćemo podršku našim kolegama kako bi pronašli najbolje moguće rješenje za sljedeći korak.”

Sve više modnih trgovaca diljem svijeta zatvara manje prodajne lokacije

Ova odluka pridružuje se trendu među vodećim modnim trgovcima diljem svijeta koji su zatvarali manje prodajne lokacije posljednjih godina, dok su istovremeno proširivali glavne poslovnice koje privlače veći promet i mogu služiti i kao logistički centri za e-trgovinu.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

U prosincu je H&M opisao neto prodaju u četvrtom tromjesečju (rujan-studeni) kao “stabilnu” u usporedbi s prethodnom godinom, što iznosi 62.6 milijuna švedskih kruna, odnosno gotovo 6 milijuna dolara. Ukupna neto prodaja tvrtke pala je za 4 posto u lokalnim valutama u usporedbi s istim kvartalom prethodne godine, piše Footwear News.

U razdoblju financijske godine od 1. prosinca 2022. do 30. studenog 2023. zabilježen je rast neto prodaje od 6 posto, dosegnuvši 236 milijardi švedskih kruna, odnosno 22.6 milijardi dolara. Potpuno izvješće za cijelu godinu bit će objavljeno krajem ovog mjeseca.

“Mjera je preagresivna”

Sindikati su istaknuli da se H&M u Španjolskoj suočava s problemima vezanim uz izostanke s posla i žalbama radnika na preopterećenost. Ipak, napomenuli su da su otpuštanja “preagresivna” te da je moguće tražiti rješenja koja ne uključuju gubitak radnih mjesta.

Sindikati tvrde da H&M “nikada nije odstupio od dogovorene povišice”. Tu se referiraju na sporazum tvrtke da će dodatno isplatiti prodavačima u španjolskim trgovinama 1000 eura tijekom 14 mjeseci, uz dodatne mjesečne bonuse povezane s prodajnim rezultatima u naredne dvije godine. Ova odluka je donesena kao odgovor na nezadovoljstvo izraženo među zaposlenicima tijekom prošlog lipnja.

Radnici su tvrdili da H&M plaća manje od svojih glavnih konkurenata, uključujući Zaru u vlasništvu Inditexa, čije je sjedište u Španjolskoj.

Španjolska čini 3.7 posto H&M-ove globalne radne snage, prema izvješću za 2022.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

Shopping Product Reviews

High school basketball: Westchester, Grant clinch league titles

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Westchester clinched the Western League boys’ basketball championship after a 67-57 win over Venice on Monday.

The Comets are 19-6 overall and 10-1 league and hold a two-game lead after Palisades was upset by LACES 70-52.

David Conerly scored 18 points for Westchester.

LACES 70, Palisades 52: Yasmin Sharif scored 14 points, Ian Hunter 13 and Donovan Cornelius 12 for LACES, which ended Palisades’ six-game winning streak. Ryan Conner had 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

Granada Hills 60, Cleveland 59: The Highlanders dropped Cleveland from a first-place tie in the West Valley League. Dylan Vo scored 22 points.

Birmingham 83, Taft 33: The Patriots moved back into first place in the West Valley League. Alex Dupre and Daniel Howard each scored 17 points for Birmingham.

Chatsworth 74, El Camino Real 62: The Chancellors improved to 6-2 in the West Valley League, tied for second place with Cleveland.

Grant 83, North Hollywood 48: The Lancers (19-6, 10-0) clinched the East Valley League title. Will Overton scored 21 points.

King/Drew 63, Maranatha 57: Donald Thompson finished with 22 points for King/Drew, the likely No. 1 seed for City Section Open Division playoffs.

Sun Valley Poly 62, Chavez 23: Jac Libunao scored 15 points and JD Wyatt had 14 for the Parrots.

Bernstein 97, Belmont 35: Tory Agtang led Bernstein with 22 points. Bernstein is 22-5 and 12-0 in league.

Bishop Alemany 57, Loyola 45: The Warriors won their opening game of the Mission League tournament and will travel to Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday.

St. Francis 72, Chaminade 52: Ben O’Connor led St. Francis with 18 points. The Golden Knights play at Crespi on Tuesday.

Rancho Verde 77, Rancho Christian 62: Rancho Verde pulled into a first-place tie in the Ivy League.

St. Bonaventure 84, Cate 57: Dylan Benner had 19 points for St. Bonaventure, the Tri-Valley League champions.

Hueneme 64, Malibu 42: Dylan Goosen had 32 points for Malibu.

Girls’ basketball

Birmingham 63, Taft 21: The West Valley League champions rolled to their eighth consecutive league win. Zoee Mitchell had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Sports

Vivo Ignite 2023: 19,000 entries, 4,000 projects received – Check finale date, prize money and other details

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Vivo Ignite 2023: The first prize winner will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 7 lakhs, with 4 runners-up sharing cash prizes worth Rs 14 lakhs.

The award season commenced on November 25, 2023, and it will culminate on February 10, 2024 with a grand finale.

Technology

The Taste With Vir: 48 hours in Paris; a trip filled with challenges and delight

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

I am going to Paris for just one (important) meeting. I debate spending only 24 hours there and then, considering that Delhi airport is often fogged out and that flight schedules are frequently disrupted, I decide that 48 hours in Paris may be safer.

Venturing into Paris for just 48 hours unveils a tapestry of experiences, from navigating travel hurdles to savouring culinary delights.(Pixabay)

Then begin all the problems that foreign travel always involves these days. Paris hotels are ridiculously expensive. My trip coincides with Paris Couture Week so the rates are even more ridiculous than usual. But there are advantages to being a regular guest. The Westin Paris, a lovely old hotel with a great location (next to Le Meurice) offers me what is — by Paris standards — a great deal. Naturally, I grab it.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

Then, the Air India flight that I normally take has now ceased to be a daily service so there is no departure on the day I am leaving. I would rather slash my wrists than fly Air France so I consider changing planes in Dubai when I realise that there is now a Vistara option. Naturally I take it and the flight is fine: Not sure about the Singapore Airlines style ‘cosy’ seating in business class but most people seem to like it. (Also read: The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Who should we credit for the invented dishes? )

The older I get, the less patience I have with airports which are usually (especially in the West) so sloppily run that even if you have had a good flight, the arrival experience makes you wish you had never come.

Some airlines (Air India, for instance) are sensitive to this problem and try to make the arrival experience more bearable for frequent fliers, regulars, Maharaja Club members etc. Vistara, on the other hand, has the worst ground handling worldwide of any major Indian airline. (The airline’s tagline should be. “Vistara: Great in the air! Crap on the ground!)

Expecting nothing from Vistara (a prediction borne out by subsequent experience), I try and find out which agency Air India uses at Paris Airport. It turns out to be something called France Meltin Airport and Transportation. For a 100 euro per head (if you are a couple), they will get someone to receive you and escort you through the airport.

So, for about ₹9,000 per head you are saved all the aggravation of Charles De Gaulle airport. (Anyone can book this service. You can mail them at [email protected] ) It is, I later discover, what all smart travellers do. And I can see why. It is money well spent. It takes minutes to get through immigration and customs.

A Michelin Day

I am in Paris to meet Elisabeth Boucher and Gwendal Poullennec of the Michelin Guide. I have done a whole piece on Michelin in Brunch (and in the main Hindustan Times) which will appear on Saturday so I won’t write very much here except to say that I was startled by their dynamism and wisdom.

Gwendal joined Michelin after he finished business school and though he has no background in hospitality, he has taken the venerable old restaurant guide and transformed it. Michelin is now in 45 countries, awards Green stars for sustainability and is about to launch a rating system for hotels.

It has always been the only guide I respect even though for years I complained about the Guide’s assessments of non-European cuisines. Under Gwendal that has changed. He made his reputation by opening up Japan and then Hong Kong for Michelin and the Guide is now taken extremely seriously in East and South East Asia where its opinions are valued and respected.

In recent years it has finally begun to give Indian food the respect it deserves. Gaggan Anand got two stars, the highest in Bangkok which made the world sit up and take note. Gaggan was ineligible this time because his restaurant was not open for the whole year but there are now three two-star restaurants worldwide run by chefs of Indian origin. Gaa by Garima Arora in Bangkok, Thevar by Mano Thevar in Singapore and most famously, of course, Tresind Studio by Himanshu Saini in Dubai. And there are many more with single stars.

It’s Time for Lunch

We end up going for lunch to Granite, a one Michelin star restaurant that I had not heard of. It is run by a young chef Tom Meyer and though the atmosphere is relaxed and casual, the food is complex and delicious.

They know Elisabeth and Gwendal of course but service is friendly rather than deferential. Gwendal is the public face of the Michelin Guide in France because he is the man who hands out the stars on stage. (Elisabeth does the same thing in many other countries: She handled the announcement in Spain recently and I first met her when she announced the Dubai stars last year). But as Gwendal always points out, he is not the man who decides on the star ratings.

The stars are given by a team of inspectors (all well-trained, full-time employees of Michelin across the world) who remain determinedly anonymous. Gwendal says that while he is often recognised, nobody knows what the inspectors look like. Often, he has been at a restaurant and noticed an inspector eating a quiet meal at a nearby table. While the chef and the serving staff greet Gwendal warmly, they have no idea that the men who will actually rate the restaurant are sitting only a few tables away.

The Michelin Guide is now a big international operation because of its many global outposts. (There are offices in 15 countries.) But it follows a strict Church and State policy, Gwendal and Elisabeth do not rate restaurants. They will never interfere in the work of the inspectors who can do their jobs unconcerned by commercial considerations and unburdened of the need to make the Guide pay for itself.

Gwendal takes those burdens on his shoulders and though the Guide shares a warm relationship with its tire company parent, it is independent and self-sufficient.

The Ducasse Experience

I have time for just one dinner in Paris and wonder how to make it memorable. In the end, I don’t have to try too hard. The brilliant and elegant Emmanuelle Perrier, the backbone of the Ducasse empire, is kind enough to invite me to dinner. Alain Ducasse has many restaurants in Paris but Emmanuelle chooses one that is nearly as sparkling and glamorous as herself. We go to the flagship Ducasse restaurant at the Le Meurice which is great for me because it is across the road from my hotel.

Chefs with more than one grand restaurant have different attitudes to the menus. The great Swedish Chef Bjorn Frantzen who has three stars for his restaurants in Singapore and Stockholm once told me that he conceives of every recipe for each dish at every one of his gastronomic restaurants down to the last detail including even the brand of each product to be used. (It can’t be any old vinegar; it has to be the one Bjorn used while creating the dish). So, guests get the Frantzen experience even if they eat in Singapore while Bjorn is in Stockholm.

Ducasse has a completely different attitude. He selects the chefs, not the dishes. Once he is convinced that the chef is supremely gifted and understands the group’s philosophy, he encourages him to put his own personality on the menu. (This is why so many great chefs have emerged from Ducasse’s kitchens: Massimo Bottura, Mauro Colagreco, Clare Smyth etc)

Sometimes chefs will include some of Ducasse’s signature dishes (say, the Rum Baba) but each menu will be different because each chef is different. Often chefs will turn to Ducasse for guidance and he will always give it.

Emmanuelle took me to the Le Meurice kitchen before we ate so that I could meet the chef. The first surprise was the youthfulness of the kitchen team. Chef Amaury Bouhours is only 35 or so and the rest of the team is not much older. This is a next generation Ducasse kitchen with chefs who share their mentor’s view that French cuisine has the ability to adapt and learn from cuisines from all over the world. Amaury serves amuse-bouches to go with the champagne we drink in the kitchen and the influences are apparent: Japanese, Chinese and Korean. He, himself, is a great traveller. He once flew to Delhi with his wife, hired a car and then drove around Rajasthan for a month, eating at little restaurants everywhere they went.

The meal is spectacular; everything you would expect of a great restaurant. But it is also light and fresh. The room is filled with overdressed beautiful people, some of whom are probably quite famous (the Couture Week crowd) but the service is the same for every table. There is no VIP culture here

My Pretty Woman Moment

Two things to do before I leave for the airport the next day. I have a coffee with Titika Rapanaki-Bigot whose name is forever associated with Westin Paris from even before it became the Westin. She has been here since it was the Paris Intercontinental. All good hotels have one senior employee who becomes the public face of the property and the person regular guests turn to. At the Westin, Titika is that person: All regulars feel we are her guests. And it completely personalises the hotel experience.

And a final lunch at Benoit, a century-old bistro that serves traditional dishes (I had the snails and the cassoulet) with a dash of excellence: Ducasse brought the restaurant in 2005 and it now has a Michelin star. The food is wonderful but I have my own Pretty Woman moment, when, as I am extracting a snail from its shell, the shell escapes from my grasp and flies across the room.

It is a Michelin starred restaurant so they pretend not to have noticed. They pick the shell up discreetly and act like nothing has happened.

Ah Paris! Lovely, charming and discreet!

Tours Travel

Liam Gallagher and John Squire announce UK tour with album preorders open now | Music | Entertainment

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Oasis star Liam Gallagher hasn’t been on tour for quite some time, but he’s just confirmed a comeback – not how you might think, however.

He has just joined forces with Stone Roses guitarist John Squire for their first-ever album collaboration.

The record (self titled, Liam Gallagher John Squire) will be released on March 1, 2024, and will include a collection of songs written and performed by the two Britpop powerhouses.

As if that wasn’t enough, the duo have also confirmed a massive UK tour, where they’ll be playing some huge shows, including two nights in Manchester, and two in London.

John himself said: “It was really inspiring to have those Knebworth gigs fresh in my mind as I started writing. Then it was a case of trying to steer it away from all being too rocky, and trying to mix up the sentiments as well.

“I like the way that in some parts, it’s quite melancholic and it can make you well up, but there are other parts that are kind of irreverent, rude or crude. There’s a little bit of everything in there, I think it’s a really good mix. I had a hunch that we’d sound good together, but I wasn’t prepared for it to be such a good fit.”

Liam added: “I can’t wait for people to hear the album. I think the people that are into the Stone Roses and Oasis and that kinda thing, I think they’ll f*****g love it. It’s spiritual, it’s crucial. LG x”

Tickets for the string of gigs will be released at the end of the week – but some presale tickets are going on sale before then.

However, you’ll have to do something first if you want to gain access.

Luckily, we have all the information you need to get yours.

Here’s the details:

Liam Gallagher and John Squire UK tour presale tickets will be released on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 9:30am.

However, to gain access to the presale, fans will have to preorder the pair’s upcoming album, Liam Gallagher John Squire, from their official store by 3pm on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. You can preorder the album by using this link.

After that, you can buy tickets to the tour at any of the following website:

SEE TICKETS – Buy Liam Gallagher & John Squire tour presale tickets.

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After that, any remaining tickets for Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s tour will go on general onsale.

Here’s the details:

Liam Gallagher and John Squire will be supported on their tour by youthful indie-pop sensation Jake Bugg.

He’ll be arriving at all of their shows as a special guest, except for the performance in Brooklyn, USA.

Liam and John’s band will be comprised of Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie, Paul Weller) on bass and Joey Waronker on drums

Arts Entertainments

Reborn Mitsubishi Pajero to be Outlander-based plug-in hybrid SUV

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

The Mitsubishi Pajero is coming back, according to a report out of Japan, but it’ll be quite a different beast than before.

Best Car Web reports the fifth-generation Pajero is set for a debut in 2027, and will use the same platform as the next-generation plug-in hybrid Outlander.

Instead of being just another mass-market mid-sized SUV, however, the Japanese outlet reports the reborn Pajero will be a “Japanese-made Range Rover”.

It’ll reportedly measure 4900mm long, 1900mm wide and 1850mm tall. That’s almost identical to the fourth-generation model, which exited production in 2021 and was the same length but 25mm narrower and 50mm taller.

Mitsubishi reportedly ruled out using the Triton ute’s body-on-frame platform in favour of underpinnings that could furnish a more comfortable ride.

That means the new SUV will feature unibody construction, as the last two generations of Pajero did.

Updated CMF-C/D underpinnings will reportedly take learnings from the CMF-EV electric vehicle architecture, while the new Pajero may be powered by an improved version of the current Outlander’s 2.4-litre plug-in hybrid four-cylinder powertrain.

Mitsubishi announced in July 2020 it would axe the Pajero after 2021. The vehicle had already been discontinued in Japan in 2019.

It also sold off the Pajero Manufacturing plant in Sakahogi, Gifu Prefecture in Japan, which had produced every generation of Pajero since the first series was launched in 1982. This was sold to a toilet paper manufacturer.

The Pajero’s last redesign was in 2006, though this was still a heavy update of the previous series launched in 1999.

Mitsubishi and Alliance partner Nissan have been sharing platforms, but there’s reportedly no work being done on a new Pajero based on the Nissan Patrol’s body-on-frame underpinnings.

The company has previously said the Pajero is “the heart of our brand” and doesn’t want to rely too heavily on its Alliance partners for a new generation.

“If we do that, of course we want to control everything. We might utilise some of the Alliance systems and components, but we would like to produce our vehicle,” Koichi Namiki, executive officer responsible for product at Mitsubishi Motors, told Australian media in 2023.

While the Pajero is dead, at least for now, Mitsubishi still sells a Pajero-badged off-roader in the Pajero Sport.

This is a different vehicle altogether, being body-on-frame and based on the outgoing Triton ute.

MORE: Everything Mitsubishi Pajero

Auto

Jürgen Klopp and the importance of energy

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Jürgen Klopp is a football manager. That means there is a limit to how much he can teach corporate bosses about how to do their jobs. Managers in firms tend not to be parent substitutes to their charges, envelop people in bear hugs after a successful meeting or use the gegenpressing technique against rivals. But Mr Klopp has drawn back the veil on a crucial ingredient of success in almost every walk of life: energy.

To general surprise Mr Klopp announced on January 26th that he would be leaving his job as manager of Liverpool Football Club later this year. His team is leading the English Premier League, the most-watched competition in the world’s most popular sport. His job is secure—his contract does not run out until 2026—and he claims still to love it. But after eight years in the role, and more in management, he is running out of energy. His resources are finite, he said. “I can’t do it on three wheels, I don’t want to be a passenger.”

Mr Klopp is not the first high-profile person to make this kind of decision. Jacinda Ardern resigned as prime minister of New Zealand in January 2023, saying that she no longer had enough in the tank to do the job. Jeff Kindler cited the extreme demands of his role when he stopped being the boss of Pfizer, a drugmaker, in 2010, saying he was looking forward to recharging his batteries. But admissions like this are nonetheless rare from someone leading an organisation.

For energy is one of those factors that reliably differentiates bosses from those below them. Ability, ambition and luck all play a big part in climbing the greasy pole. But energy plays an outsize role. High-achievers have done their email and a full workout before the sun rises. They don’t cancel breakfasts because they are feeling a bit tired; they certainly don’t admit to doing so. They are less likely to nod off in the middle of the afternoon. They get off the red-eye and work a normal day.

And that is just on the way up. Talk to people who have made the leap into CEO roles and they will frequently comment on how intense the job is, how tough it is to switch off. Most organisations are pyramids. As decisions get tougher and more important, they land on an ever smaller number of individuals. And as these figures become more senior, the number of people who want to see them goes up.

The boss has to show their face to employees regularly, and it cannot be the face of someone who looks like they haven’t slept for two weeks. They have to glad-hand the board, meet investors, attend endless networking events and make time for actual work. It is exhausting to contemplate, let alone do.

The sheer physical demands of big jobs mean that certain types of people have an advantage over others. Not having too many other calls on your time helps, which tends to be bad news for women, who shoulder more chores and caregiving duties at home than men.

Extroversion offers an edge in terms of oomph. A survey of CEO time use from 2017, conducted by Oriana Bandiera of the London School of Economics and her co-authors, found that bosses spend 70% of their time interacting with colleagues, clients and the like. If you are the kind of person who derives energy from spending time with other people, this is like being a phone on charge all the time. If you are introverted and find other people draining, your battery will be close to 1% and it is only a matter of time before you shut down completely.

Some lucky people naturally have more zip. These are the mitochondrial CEOs who can get by on three hours’ sleep and do not know what it is like to grope for the snooze button. But if you haven’t won the biological lottery, you can still work out what reinvigorates and what enervates. That might mean exercise at dawn, power naps in the afternoon or just protecting your calendar; when he was running Amazon, Jeff Bezos would aim for eight hours’ shuteye a night and try not to schedule meetings before 10am. It means prioritising rest rather than getting by on less of it. In their book “The Mind of a Leader”, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter found that senior executives were likely to sleep more than non-executives.

In admitting that his energy stores are now becoming depleted, Mr Klopp has offered an unusual reminder of how punishing leadership roles can be. His decision to hang up his Liverpool tracksuit brings to mind the aphorism of another great football manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Hard work is a talent, Sir Alex liked to say. But it is also just hard.

Business

Bitcoin Price Prediction Post Halving-Anthony Scaramucci Predicts BTC Price Target In Next 18 Months

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

As Bitcoin gears up for its 2024 halving, Skybridge Capital’s Anthony Scaramucci predicts a surge to at least $170,000 post-halving, citing historical patterns.

Halving Dynamics

Skybridge Capital’s Anthony Scaramucci predicts Bitcoin to hit $170,000 after the April halving, citing historical trends on the Scott Melker podcast. The founder highlights the cyclical nature of Bitcoin’s price movements post-halving, projecting a potential surge to at least $170,000 within 18 months.

Scaramucci also drew attention to the conservative estimate, suggesting that if Bitcoin starts at $50,000 in April, it could reach a $200,000 handle.

The long-term outlook is even more optimistic, with Scaramucci envisioning Bitcoin reaching half the market cap of gold, equating to approximately $400,000 per coin.

Contrary Views By BitQuant and Bloomberg

Meanwhile, BitQuant foresees a catalyst for new highs, with a price target of $250,000. Bloomberg Intelligence and Matrixport suggest an 81% increase, anticipating Bitcoin to surpass $50,000 in 2024.

Contrasting Scaramucci’s optimism, BitQuant predicts potential pullbacks, but estimates Bitcoin to hit $250,000 before halving, suggesting that the halving might act as a catalyst. This forecast could impact crypto-related ETFs like SATO and BLKC, benefiting from a surging Bitcoin.

Bloomberg analysts foresee Bitcoin’s recent rebound as the start of a potential rally, projecting Bitcoin to climb beyond $50,000 by 2024. The expected increase is attributed to the upcoming halving in April 2024, triggering an 81% surge in Bitcoin’s value.

Despite positive projections, challenges such as regulatory scrutiny and economic uncertainties linger. Bitcoin, at the time of writing, trading at $43,419.30, faces hurdles to reach previous all-time highs.

Bitcoin’s trajectory, fueled by the oncoming 2024 halving, sparks anticipation among experts. As Scaramucci and BitQuant offer contrasting yet optimistic views, Bloomberg’s forecast reminds investors to tread cautiously.

Cryptocurrency

Byju’s lenders appoint Kroll to safeguard Great Learning’s assets

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Byju’s lenders have appointed risk advisory firm Kroll to safeguard the charged assets of Great Learning Education Pte. Ltd. and Byju’s Pte. Ltd.

The risk and financial advisory solutions provider Kroll has appointed Cosimo Borrelli, global co-head of restructuring, and Jason Kardachi, Singapore and Southeast Asia lead, to safeguard the charged assets of Great Learning Education Pte. Ltd. and Byju’s Pte. Ltd.

Also read: Byju’s puts Epic, Great Learning on block for $750-$800 m

The appointment was made on behalf of the secured creditors of Byju’s Alpha, as part of the lenders’ exercise of their security rights following defaults by the company, said Kroll in its statement.

“A primary focus of the appointment is to protect and preserve the assets and businesses owned by Great Learning (including its subsidiary, Northwest Education Pte. Ltd.) and Byju’s Pte. Ltd. The operations of Great Learning and Northwest Education are not impacted by the appointment and all courses and programs offered by these businesses continue as usual,” it added.

Also read: Top-level exits at Byju’s continues

This comes at a time when Byju’s is looking to raise about $800 million by selling Great Learning and book reading platform Epic to repay the Term Loan B. Byju’s had sent a proposal to the lenders in September to repay the entire loan within six months, with an upfront payment of $300 million by December.

Byju’s took a $1.2 billion Term Loan B for a tenure of five years with a yield to maturity (YTM) of 6.78 per cent in November 2021. It had skipped its $40 million loan repayment on June 5 and later sued its lenders, alleging predatory tactics.

A Delaware court in the US denied a request by Term Loan B lenders to investigate the matter of a $500 million transfer from its US-based subsidiary, Byju’s Alpha, to other entities.

In May, Byju’s signed a definitive agreement with Davidson Kempner to raise $250 million in structured instruments, linked with the future cash flows of Aakash Educational Services. However, less than half of the fund was released as some loan agreement covenants were not met.

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Published on October 11, 2023

Education

FDA approves first at-home sterile insemination kit to help with infertility: ‘Gives me goosebumps’

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

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It’s now possible for women to get pregnant via insemination in the comfort of their own homes.

The FDA recently approved the first-ever, at-home sterile insemination kit.

PherDal Fertility Science received clearance last month after various tests did not raise “any new questions on the safety or effectiveness” of the product, as stated in the FDA’s approval letter.

STUDY SUGGESTS MEDITERRANEAN DIET COULD BOOST MALE FERTILITY

PherDal’s creator and CEO, Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche of Dixon, Illinois, confirmed to Fox News Digital that there have been 34 babies born from the first 200 proof-of-concept kits that were released.

“Even saying that still gives me goosebumps,” Hintzsche said in an interview.

Dr. Jennifer Hintszche is pictured with her husband, Ryan Westphal, and their two children, Lois and Zackary, in a 2019 portrait. (Brittany Moore )

The at-home kit is intended for users who are struggling to conceive or have chosen not to conceive naturally.

The kit includes three sterile, circular cups and three syringes, all packaged separately, for an independent-use option.

SOURCE OF SEVERE MORNING SICKNESS FOUND IN NEW STUDY, COULD ENABLE RELIEF DURING PREGNANCY

While other brands offer at-home insemination kits, PherDal is the only multi-patented, sterile, FDA-cleared at-home insemination device on the market, according to the company.

“Sterility matters because studies show that disruptions (dysbiosis) in the reproductive microbiome are linked directly to infertility,” said Hintzsche.

The Hintszches are pictured with their daughter, Lois, on the left. Right, the PherDal syringe and circular sterile cup enable full access to samples. “If you’re paying $3,000 for a few milliliters of a sample, every drop counts,” Hintzsche said. (Don Umland Photography/PherDal)

PherDal’s first batch of kits sold out in just 90 days, which is when Hintszche realized she might be “on to something.”

“It really is a simple device, but there’s so much science behind its effectiveness,” she said.

Driven by desire for family

Hintzsche said she assumed that after she married her husband in Oct. 2016, she would get pregnant, have multiple babies and live happily ever after “behind a white picket fence.”

But after 14 months of unsuccessful conception efforts, she sought out a fertility specialist who ran some tests.

That’s when Hintzsche discovered that she had “unexplained infertility,” as the doctor said that “everything looks normal” and “we don’t know what’s wrong.”

SPORTSCASTER ERIN ANDREWS TALKS MOTHERHOOD, FERTILITY CHALLENGES AND HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS

The doctor then handed Hintzsche an application for a $10,000 loan to begin IVF treatment.

As a biologist with a PhD, Hintzsche started digging into infertility research in search of an alternative to “invasive” treatments.

After marrying her husband in Oct. 2016, Hintzsche tried unsuccessfully for 14 months to get pregnant before seeking out a fertility specialist. (PherDal)

“Instead of going into the uterus, if you put [sperm] right at the opening of the cervix, and it was done [in a] sterile [manner] in the clinic, it had the same live birth rate [as IVF],” she said. “And I was like, ‘Why has no one ever offered me this?’”

The scientist ordered lab supplies and gave her prototype a try.

EGG-FREEZING IS ‘EXPLODING’ AMONG SOME AGE GROUPS — HERE’S WHAT WOMEN MUST KNOW

Hintzsche got pregnant in Dec. 2017, after only two attempts with the kit.

Her daughter, Lois, was born on Sept. 11, 2018.

Motivated by that success, Hintzsche launched a new career with the goal of helping other people who were facing the same struggles.

Dr. Jennifer Hintszche of Illinois and her family are pictured cheering on the Chicago Bears in 2023. (Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche)

“I think everyone deserves something they can try first, and it shouldn’t take $10,000 just to [have the chance] to become a mother.”

Through feedback from PherDal customers, Hintzsche has fine-tuned her product to accommodate a variety of scenarios.

IS IT EVER OK TO TOUCH A PREGNANT WOMAN’S BELLY? EXPERTS AND MOMS WEIGH IN

Many women report feeling “shame” when they face infertility, Hintzsche said — which is something PherDal aims to eliminate.

From other PherDal moms, Hintzsche has also heard that at-home insemination “takes the pressure off” couples who have gone to great lengths to conceive without success.

Many PherDal dads have reported that they’d rather not return to a clinic to provide a sample, since “that’s not the way they envisioned growing a family,” Hintszche said.

Another family, shown here, used PherDal to conceive their child. (Camber Lynn Ostwinkle, Wink Photographs)

“It gives people this private, safe option that doesn’t [involve] any drugs,” Hintzsche said. “It’s not going to work for everyone … but for a lot of people, maybe the sperm just needs a little boost.”

It’s important for people to confirm with their doctor that it is healthy for them to become pregnant before attempting a method like PherDal, she added.

Infertility specialist sees promise, warns of potential pitfalls

Dr. Remm Sabouni, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Aspire Houston Fertility Institute, shared with Fox News Digital her appreciation for reproductive products that allow “more choice while maintaining safety.” (She was not involved in PherDal’s development.)

The expert noted that PherDal is potentially useful for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who would like to try at-home insemination.

‘MIRACLE TWINS’ ARE BORN TO ALABAMA WOMAN WITH DOUBLE UTERUS: ‘TRUE MEDICAL SURPRISE’

It is also useful for patients who have undergone infertility evaluation and are seeking more natural options, she said, or for male partners who have erectile issues or who want to avoid intercourse as a means of producing sperm.

Sabouni did point out one “major caveat” of a product like PherDal, which is the challenge of understanding who qualifies as a good candidate for its use.

Dr. Hintzsche, pictured with her husband, named the product PherDal because she used her PhD to “prove” she was fertile, she said. (Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche)

The fertility expert cautioned about “some pitfalls,” including lack of fertility assessment and limited efficacy for certain medical conditions such as male factor infertility, tubal blockages or ovulatory disorders in women.

Sabouni also mentioned a lack of randomized controlled trials “demonstrating the viability of this treatment” — as well as the lack of medical supervision and the risk of misuse.

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“While I recognize the potential benefits of such devices for at-home use, particularly for individuals and couples trying to conceive, I would strongly caution that they not be seen as a replacement for consulting with a fertility specialist,” she said.

“If conception is not achieved after using these methods for a recommended period (typically a year for those under 35, and six months for women over 35 or with irregular periods), it is advisable to seek professional medical advice,” the doctor added.

“I think everyone deserves something they can try first, and it shouldn’t take $10,000 just to [have the chance] to become a mother,” said the company’s founder (not pictured). (iStock)

Customers do not need a prescription to purchase.

FDA clearance advises that consumers should only purchase the product for up to six months before seeking other options.

“It really is just an affordable and accessible way that people can try if they’re struggling,” Hintzsche said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA requesting comment.

The company said that pre-orders for PherDal kits, which are 100% made in the USA, are currently available at pherdal.com for $199.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Health Fitness

Author Krish Ashok Explains “Indian Food Terms” In An Oh-So-Relatable Manner

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

It would not be incorrect to say that we Indians have a diverse and unique food culture. While a significant part of the world is divided between vegetarian and non-vegetarian preferences, our country exhibits a variety of eating habits. Some individuals refrain from consuming onion and garlic, while others may avoid non-vegetarian food but include eggs in their diet. Additionally, some only consume non-vegetarian dishes on specific days. India has a distinctive food culture that comes with some unique food-related terms. Author Krish Ashok recently shared an Instagram video, highlighting various food-related terms commonly used in India.
Also Read: Food Vocabulary 101: 7 Culinary Terms Every Foodie Should Know
In the caption, Krish Ashok said, “India has one of the most astonishing diversity of cuisines in the world, and because of our colonial history, we have also made the English language our own. The terms we use for food can often be confusing to foreign visitors. This is a light-hearted attempt at explaining some of the more unique food-related terms from this part of the world.”
“Also – the tongue-in-cheek references to our “pure veg” culture are not meant to be taken seriously, but who am I kidding please have fun in the comments while I mute the app and enjoy Hyderabad for the next 24 hours,” Krish Ashok added.
Take a look at the video below:

Disclaimer: NDTV does not vouch for the claims in the post by the Instagram user.
What are your views on these terms? Let us know in the comment section below.

Home Kitchen

U.S. Secretary of State meets Qatari PM in Washington, D.C.

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

Legal Law

NYC Queer Club Throws ‘Saltburn’ Party: Best Outfits

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

On Friday night at 3 Dollar Bill, a queer club in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, partygoers danced and sang along to early 2000s hits by Fergie, Justin Timberlake and, of course, Sophie Ellis-Bextor whose “Murder on the Dancefloor” is currently having a renaissance.

The theme of the night was the movie “Saltburn,” which, based on the number of attendees who arrived dressed in costume, is quickly garnering cult status. The crowd cheered as the D.J. played “Untouched” by the Veronicas. It was like hopping in a time machine to 2007. (Well, a 2007 in which everyone owns an iPhone and has a working knowledge of the words “novel coronavirus.”)

The film, a psychological thriller set in the early aughts, is as freaky as it is aesthetically rich. Come for the sex and the murders and the mind games, stay for the long, gorgeous shots of the debauched lives of the British upper class on summer holiday.

The same tone set the mood for the evening’s festivities. There were “bathwater” cocktails — made with pineapple juice, rum and coconut milk for extra, soapy froth — for sale at the bar. (The drink tasted fine, even if its inspiration, a scene in the film where Barry Keoghan laps up Jacob Elordi’s leftover bathwater, is perhaps less than appetizing.)

Chloe Philips, one of the party’s hosts known online as Chlomosexual, roamed the scene in a plaid miniskirt and a chain mail headpiece. Several other guests also took their cues from suits of armor while getting dressed. Plenty of pairs of antlers and wings were on full display as attendees queued outside the club waiting to let loose their early-2000s alter egos. Many of the guests were in their early 20s and ready to experience that particular moment in cultural history for the very first time.

Amid the merriment, partygoers discussed their outfit inspirations, Y2K nostalgia and, of course, that much-publicized bathtub scene.

Jo Widney

Creative director

Lives in: Crown Heights

Tell me about your outfit. I’m the bathtub. I made these little handles that spin and a little faucet in the front. I was so worried there were going to be other bathtubs, but I haven’t seen any yet.

What did you think about that bathtub scene? Well … there’s a reason why I’m the bathtub.

Drew Carter

Buyer

Lives in: Ocean Hill

Where did you get your outfit? It was all thrifted, except for the shoes. I’ve got a hole in my Converse.

Who are you trying to emulate tonight? The only brown person in the main cast.

Farley? That is his name. I loved the movie, but I don’t know anyone’s name.

Gale Lawton

Client adviser at Tiffany & Company

Lives in: Hell’s Kitchen

How did you decide what to wear tonight? My friend — it’s his birthday — lent me his bathtub. But otherwise, I just picked a cute outfit. The top is from the Mugler H&M collaboration. I slept overnight to be the first group in the store.

I obviously have to ask you about that bathtub scene. I sat there with my partner and I was like, “Is this arousing or disturbing?” It’s a little bit of both.

Lives in: Bushwick

Tell me about your shirt. I wanted to emulate Farley. I had to copy him.

This shirt has an important cultural history that predates “Saltburn.” Are you familiar with it? Of course!

Melvin Findley

Flight attendant

Lives in: Bushwick

What brought you out tonight? It’s my birthday and I’ve watched “Saltburn” probably seven times now.

What about it makes you keep coming back? The cinematography is really gorgeous.

Nora Stock

Filmmaker

Lives in: Bushwick

Where did you find this gown? I went to Beacon’s Closet about three hours ago and found this wedding dress. I was like, “I am Elspeth.”

Who do you think got married in this? I don’t know, I think it’s a young bride. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s, like, this 21-year-old girl who took her mom’s wedding dress and got married and then obviously got divorced, like, last year.

Lives in: Upper East Side

Where did you get this suit? I texted my mother and was like “I need this outfit ASAP. Please make it and overnight it for me.” And she said, “OK, yeah, I love my gay son.”

Where did she overnight it from? New Jersey.

Zach DePaolo

Theater director and barista

Lives in: Bedford-Stuyvesant

I love your horns. I am trying to be a slay version of the Minotaur statue from the movie.

Are you a Shakespeare fan? Absolutely.

What’s the most overrated Shakespeare? “Romeo and Juliet.” It’s good but everyone does it and it’s kind of boring.

Hugo Rojas

Visual merchandiser for Moschino

Lives in: Queens

Where did you get your wings? The wings I ordered from Bihbi, the same company that made Felix’s wings for the movie.

What about the rest of your outfit? All new. The jeans are probably, like, six hours old. They are from American Eagle. It kind of fits into the early-2000s aesthetic.

And how old were you during that era? Six or 7.

Hannah Pinson and Pilar Violet

Works for a textile designer; and photographer, hairstylist and stripper

Live in: East Williamsburg and Bedford-Stuyvesant

What was your hair inspiration tonight?

PILAR VIOLET: I was making the wings from that one Galliano show with Kate Moss, but I was doing it all very last minute so I just decided to go with the feathers on top of the hair.

What about this is “Saltburn” to you?

VIOLET: I love Barry Keoghan because he’s a sexy little freak. Jacob Elordi is hot, but I love a weird little freak.

How about your outfit?

HANNAH PINSON: I was inspired by Venetia in the film. She has so much money but she does not know how to do her makeup or how to do her hair. Half of my makeup today was just wiping off black eyeliner.

Lifestyle Fashion

EMA Grants Bersiporocin Orphan Drug Designation

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

The agency recognized the medication as a significant advancement for the treatment of IPF.

Medicine

Feline Intelligence: How Smart Is Olga?

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

Cats are incredibly intelligent, and although they’re more difficult to train than dogs, their long-term memory and problem-solving skills are impressive. Their ability to sense your emotions and avoid situations that previously caused them harm or stress is also commendable, but sometimes, I’d prefer a dim cat to a smart one. I’ve read research articles on canine and feline intelligence, but this article will focus on my observations of Olga and how her intelligence amazes and annoys me.

Problem-Solving

Olga is a fast learner. It didn’t take her long to learn how to catch a paper ball with both paws and open a door from the inside. I have latches on the doors instead of knobs, but I think she would eventually determine how to open them, also. It’s easier for her to open a closed door from the outside since she can grab the latch and push forward, but holding it and pulling backward took her longer to learn.

When Olga feels neglected, she runs into a bedroom or bathroom, squeezes herself behind the door, gets on her hind legs, and pushes forward. If she’s riled up, she uses more force and slams the door. I’m used to hearing her slam the doors, and since I think it’s funny, I’ve never discouraged her from doing it. However, it can be irritating when she does it repeatedly.

I’m trapped in the bathroom, but I don’t feel like opening the door again…

Learning From Her Mistakes

When Olga was younger, she often jumped on the headboard of my bed and walked back and forth on the narrow wooden beam. One morning, she wasn’t as graceful on her balance beam, and her back leg slipped. I was half asleep below her, and I yelled when one of her back claws slashed my lip. The scream scared her, and she ran off and hid.

I’m not suggesting that yelling at your cat will help them learn or prevent them from injuring your face, but in my situation, it prevented her from jumping on my headboard again. She has learned other valuable lessons from getting hurt or stuck.

She doesn’t try to retrieve paper balls from underneath the refrigerator anymore after her claw got snagged and she couldn’t get it out. I helped her remove her paw, and another time, when I heard her screaming, I ran to find her dangling from one claw on the top of the blinds. After I helped her down, she stopped leaping from the chair to the blinds. She still charges the blinds occasionally and grabs onto them, but she’s more careful.

What’s that doing here?

Admirable and Annoying

Olga can sense when I’m preparing for a trip, even if she doesn’t see the suitcases, and if I don’t feed her in the morning, she hides under the bed when I’m in the shower because she knows she’s heading to the vet’s office. I have to be stealthy when I grab her ear drops since she knows where I keep them and recognizes the bottle. Life would be much easier if I had an ignorant feline, but I’m glad that even though she’s a pain sometimes, she never ceases to amuse me.

Pets

Mindspace REIT’s Q3 net operating income up 10.4% YoY

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Mindspace Business Parks REIT reported a 10.4 per cent rise in its net operating income for the December quarter at ₹473 crore, while revenue rose 13.5 per cent to ₹596 crore, backed by gross leasing of 4.5 lakh square feet and contracted rent escalations.

During the quarter, the company achieved a re-leasing spread of 17.1 per cent on 4 lakh square feet area let out, and had a committed occupancy of 86.1 per cent.

“Vacancies are bottoming out and physical attendances are increasing,” said Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Nair. Physical attendance for the REIT portfolio was at around 65 per cent now, he said.

Also read: ICICI Securities leases 1.9 lakh square feet space for ₹92.2 lakh/month

He said that occupancies would improve during the course of the year.

Following the amendment in the SEZ norms allowing floor wise denotification, Nair said that they are in the process of demarcating and converting the various SEZ units to non processing areas and this space would get leased over the next 12-24 months. Around 83 per cent of the total vacant space is SEZ.

The REIT’s in-place monthly rents increased 5.4 per cent on year to ₹68 per square feet.

Of the three MSF of expiries this year, two MSF came up in the first nine months of the fiscal year and of this 1.2 MSF has already been leased back. Another one MSF of area is coming up for expiry in the current quarter and Nair said that active discussions are underway for leasing it. There is a 13 per cent potential spread on the balance of the lease, he added.

Also read: Uptick in office occupancy, rent to come with a lag despite SEZ denotification

The REIT obtained approval to divest stake in a vacant asset in Hyderabad, a 26-acre land parcel. A consultant will be appointed as part of the sale process.

The company also approved distributing ₹4.80 per unit to its unitholders for a total amount of ₹284.6 crore.

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Published on January 29, 2024

Real Estate

TikTok je opsjednut s ovim bluzama iz H&M-a

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Pri kreiranju rubrike Index Shopping nastojimo izdvajati odlične proizvode koji se i nama sviđaju te odlične akcije i popuste. Ne objavljujemo proizvode koje i sami ne bismo kupili ili smatramo da njihova promocija nije u skladu s profesionalnim standardima. Neki proizvodi u rubrici Index Shopping mogu biti sponzorirani.

AKO ste redovito na TikToku, vjerojatno ste primijetili da gotovo svaka djevojka prolazi kroz svoju fazu Ganni stila. Bilo da nosi trendi top s puf rukavima u leopard uzorku, oblači se u njihove prepoznatljive napuhane kapute ili dodaje dozu stila s njihovim torbama i gumicama za kosu.

Svaki komad skandinavskog brenda Ganni izgleda fantastično, ipak moramo priznati da njihovi komadi nisu baš pristupačni, s bluzama koje kreću od 158 eura. Srećom, za one koji žele postići sličan izgled s ograničenim budžetom, H&M ima preslatke bluze koje podsjećaju na popularne Gannijeve, ali po pristupačnoj cijeni.

TikTok je opsjednut ovim bluzama iz H&M, koje su gotovo rasprodane. Idealne su za kombiniranje s omiljenim trapericama i tenisicama, stvarajući chic dnevni ili noćni look bez puno truda.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Posebno se ističu bluze s mašnama

Dizajn s puf rukavima daje bluzi izuzetno skup izgled zbog sjajne strukture koju pruža, dok široki donji dio s peplumom pruža laskavu siluetu stežući struk. S obzirom na snažan trend inspiriran baletom, posebno se ističu bluze s mašnama.

TikTokeri također aktivno dijele svoje pristupačne alternative Gannijevim komadima, a mnogi objavljuju svoje elegantne H&M pronalaske. Primjerice, TikTokerica @syd_anastasia_, koja je prikupila preko 106.000 lajkova i 477 komentara na svom videu, ističe da “novi H&M daje Ganni vibru”.

Izdvojili smo nekoliko omiljenih komada koji su još uvijek dostupni za kupovinu.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

Shopping Product Reviews

Jim Harbaugh ‘was a little starstruck’ upon meeting Justin Herbert

admin January 30, 2024 No Comments

Jim Harbaugh won’t be officially introduced as the Chargers head coach until Thursday.

But the lovefest between him and quarterback Justin Herbert has apparently already begun, with the new coach admitting Sunday that he “was a little starstruck” meeting his new QB for the first time.

In an interview on CBS before the AFC championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh mentioned Herbert as one of the reasons he’s leaving Michigan for a second stint as an NFL coach.

“I love Michigan, but I love the NFL, too,” said Harbaugh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. “And there’s no Lombardi in college football. I’ve got so many sands left in the hourglass, and I want to take a crack at that. And there’s nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angeles Chargers — Susie Spanos, Dean Spanos, Ed McGuire, John Spanos and this great quarterback.”

Asked if he had talked to Herbert yet, Harbaugh said he had.

“I was a little starstruck to meet Justin,” the man who just coached Michigan to the NCAA national championship said about a quarterback who has led the Chargers to one postseason appearance and no playoff wins during his four seasons with the team.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert greets players before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 7 at SoFi Stadium.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Was it Herbert’s long, flowing hair that garnered such a reaction from his new coach? Actually, Herbert had a freshly cut (but still well-styled) look at the Chargers’ final game of the season earlier this month, so that couldn’t be it.

Clearly, Harbaugh was referring to Herbert’s undeniable skills and seemingly still untapped potential at the position Harbaugh once played for the Chargers and several other NFL teams. Herbert was named the Associated Press offensive rookie of the year in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl the following season. He was second in the league for yards passing in 2021 and 2022 and has completed 66% of his passes for 17,223 yards with 114 touchdowns and 42 interceptions.

The Chargers posted a clip of Harbaugh’s comment on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday and wrote “we’d be starstruck too.”

As for Herbert, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd said last week he received texts from the quarterback indicating that he was “very excited” about having Harbaugh as his coach.

Sports

Satya Nadella to visit India in Feb, discuss new opportunities with AI

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella will visit India on February 7 and 8 as part of his annual visit to the country and might meet AI startups and discuss new opportunities with AI.

“Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft, will address India’s developer community and technologists on discovering new opportunities with AI,” the company said in a statement.

The president of Microsoft India and South Asia, Puneet Chandok, stated in an internal email a few weeks ago that Nadella’s visit reaffirms Microsoft’s dedication to using technology to increase opportunities in the country.

In June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his US visit — met with notable US and Indian tech executives, including Nadella, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Following that, Nadella’s office issued a statement outlining his meeting with the PM.

“One important topic was the power of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence, to help improve the lives of Indians,” Microsoft’s statement said.

“India is home to one of the most vibrant developer and start-up ecosystems in the world, and Microsoft remains deeply committed to the growth of Indian technology — that will impact both India and markets across the globe,” it added.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has reached the coveted $3 trillion mark and became the second company after Apple to achieve this feat.

Microsoft reached a $3 trillion market cap, for the first time in its 48-year history. The company reached the milestone valuation after its stock climbed 1.5 per cent in trading on Nasdaq.

Apple hit the $3 trillion market cap around two years ago.

Technology

Snowfall rescues tourism in Kashmir, tourists flock to Gulmarg and Sonamarg | Travel

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

Snowfall in Kashmir has brought cheers to the tourism sector, sparking joy among tourists and the local people linked with the tourism industry.

Tourists are seen enjoying snowfall at Gulmarg in Kashmir, India. Snowfall rescues tourism in Kashmir, tourists flock to Gulmarg and Sonamarg (HT Photo by /Hindustan Times)

The industry was feeling battered over the last couple of months in the absence of a good snowfall, with many intending tourists cancelling their bookings and tour operators receiving little to no queries.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

The tourist arrivals to the valley, which usually witnesses a higher footfall, especially at resorts like Gulmarg, fell in the absence of snow – a cause of worry for the tourism stakeholders in the valley.

However, the snowfall at the fag-end of Chilla-i-Kalan — a 40-day harsh winter period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent -– has brought cheers to both the tourists as well as the tourism players.

Hundreds of tourists, including children, have been enjoying the snowfall at Gulmarg and Sonamarg resorts.

“We had booked tickets for January 23, but we postponed our journey after checking the forecast. We arrived on January 25 and were lucky to see the snowfall. We experienced snowfall first in Sonamarg and then in Gulmarg as well. We are so thrilled to be here,” Aninda and Deotima, a tourist couple from Kolkata, said at Gulmarg.

They said Kashmir really looks like a paradise after snowfall.

Mohammad Imran, a tourist from Nagpur in Maharashtra said he returned to the Gulmarg resort again after the snowfall.

“Two days back, there was nothing and the ground looked empty. By the grace of God, now there is snow and we feel great to be here… When we heard there was snowfall in Gulmarg, we came back from Srinagar,” he said.

Aryan, a young tourist from Bangalore who has come to Kashmir with his parents and sister, said it was a great feeling. “It feels so good. It looks like heaven,” he said, enjoying the snowfall.

Ankit Makane, a part of a 15-member tourist group from Mumbai, enjoyed playing in the snow at Sonamarg. “It feels truly and literally like heaven. Kashmir is so beautiful and the people here are really amazing. We enjoyed a lot,” he said.

It is not only the tourists who are cheered up, the snowfall has sparked joy among the local tourism players as well. “We thank God for the snow. We feel very happy because it will not only increase tourism, but it is vital for the sustenance,” Parvaiz Ahmad, a local tourism service provider in Gulmarg, said.

Another stakeholder, Abdul Rashid, said the livelihoods of private service providers were affected due to a prolonged dry spell over the last two months, but the snowfall has come as a blessing.

“For the past two months, there was not much work. With the snowfall, the tourist arrivals have increased and the snow-related activities have started,” Rashid said.

In the absence of snowfall at popular tourist spots like Sonamarg and Gulmarg, the tourists used to make a beeline to places like Sinthan Top connecting Anantnag district with Kishtwar – which remains covered under snow for most of the year.

Meanwhile, authorities have issued advisories to tourists and locals visiting places like Sonamarg and Gulmarg.

They have said only 4X4 vehicles and those with anti-skid chains would be allowed to travel towards Gulmarg and Sonamarg due to slippery conditions in the wake of snowfall.

The Meteorological Department has forecast a possibility of light to moderate rain or snow at many places of the Union Territory with chances of heavy snowfall over a few higher reaches like Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts over the next two days.

Tours Travel

The Kid Laroi confirms UK 2024 tour and tickets are out very soon | Music | Entertainment

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

The Kid Laroi has exploded in popularity over the past few years.

In 2020 his mixtape, F*CK LOVE, shot him into international celebrity status, and his new arrival has confirmed his spot as one of music’s most interesting artists.

He recently released his debut album, The First Time, and to celebrate, he’ll be arriving in the UK and Europe to play some of his biggest shows yet.

Laroi’s 12-date headline tour will include a show at Manchester’s O2 Apollo, as well as London’s Alexandra Palace.

After that, Laroi will be heading to Europe where he’ll hit Germany, Italy and France, as well as some other major territories.

The Australian star – who is just 20-years-old – is already extremely excited about getting his tour started.

Speaking out about the adventure, he said: “I can’t wait to play Europe & the UK in April! I’m so excited to bring the tour to my EU/UK fans. I promise it’ll be worth the wait! I love you all and I’ll see you very soon.”

Tickets for the star’s continent-wide tour will be released at the end of the week, but things are kicking off a little earlier than that.

There are two presale ticket events beginning this week, and we have all the information required to get involved.

Here’s everything you need to know:

There are two presale events for The Kid Laroi’s UK/EU tour.

The first presale tickets for The Kid Laroi come from O2 Priority and will be released Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 10am. Here’s the link:

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These tickets will only be available to fans who are subscribers to the O2 mobile phone network, and therefore have access to the O2 Priority network.

Once they have found their presale code or link, they can buy tickets .

The second presale event comes directly from Live Nation and begins Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 10am. Here’s the link you need:

Buy The Kid Laroi presale tickets from Live Nation here.

To gain access to The Kid Laroi’s Live Nation presale tickets fans will need to have signed up for a My Live Nation account. You can do that by clicking this link.

You should then be given access to the presale events, which you can purchase tickets through here.

After these presale events have come to an end, the general onsale will begin – here’s what you need to know about that:

The Kid Laroi tickets will be released on Friday, February 2, 2024, at 10am.

The star’s UK and European tour tickets will be available at two online retailers, both of which can be seen below:

LIVE NATION – Buy The Kid Laroi tickets here.

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These will be the final tickets sold for The Kid Laroi’s tour, so if you miss out here, you will be out of luck.

If you’d rather jump directly to the tour date you want to attend, scroll down for a full list.

Arts Entertainments

2024 Kia Seltos Sport+ 2.0 FWD review

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

The current-generation Kia Seltos crossover has been on sale locally since 2019 and received a facelift last year.

WATCH: Paul’s video review of the Seltos GT-Line 1.6T AWD

Forming as the high-riding counterpart to the Cerato sedan and hatchback, the Seltos is available in a wealth of variants that start at just under $30,000 before on-roads, and expand to over $45,000 before on-roads.

On test here is the almost top-specification 2024 Kia Seltos Sport+ with the standard 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive.

For the 2024 model year Kia Australia upped the pricing of the entire Seltos range by $280 in terms of list pricing, and $300 for drive-away pricing due to “economic reasons” – though no specification changes were made.

Is the Kia Seltos Sport+ 2.0 FWD the pick of the range? Read along to find out.

How does the Kia Seltos fare vs its competitors?

View a detailed breakdown of the Kia Seltos against similarly sized vehicles.

Kia

Seltos

How much does the Kia Seltos cost?

Kia Seltos pricing:

2024 Kia Seltos S 2.0 FWD: $31,990 (+$300)

2024 Kia Seltos Sport 2.0 FWD: $35,690 (+$300)

2024 Kia Seltos Sport+ 2.0 FWD: $38,790 (+$300)

2024 Kia Seltos Sport+ 1.6T AWD: $42,290 (+$300)

2024 Kia Seltos GT-Line 2.0 FWD: $44,890 (+$300)

2024 Kia Seltos GT-Line 1.6T AWD: $47,990 (+$300)

All prices are drive-away

To see how the Seltos compares to its rivals, line it up with any of its rivals using our comparison tool.

What is the Kia Seltos like on the inside?

The Kia Seltos Sport+ is the most affordable variant in the range to introduce proximity entry and push-button start. It’s also receives remote start functionality which is a handy way to get the car’s heater or air-conditioner working before you hop in.

Walking up and hopping into the Seltos there’s an elevated driver’s seating position which is very sought after in this segment. It also allows for easy ingress and egress as you don’t need to step up or down.

The Seltos Sport+ comes with cloth and artificial leather upholstery as standard with an inoffensive geometric pattern in the middle sections.

The driver’s seat is comfortable enough, with the fabric middle sections allowing for proper ventilation. There’s nothing worse than getting into a car with hot leather seats and no way to cool them down quickly.

Ahead of the driver is a thin steering wheel that’s wrapped in what appears to be faux leather. This steering is called the “Premium Steering Wheel” according to Kia and it’s very soft to the touch.

The buttons and switches on the steering wheel are logically laid out and have a tactile click or flick action which is satisfying whenever you interact with them.

Behind the steering wheel is a proper 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster which looks very high-resolution.

This kind of digital instrument cluster is common among a wide range of Hyundai and Kia vehicles so it feels very familiar and easy to use.

In the middle of the digital instrument cluster there’s a section that can display certain pieces of information like a digital speedometer, fuel economy, trip meter, adaptive cruise control settings, and a compass, among others.

Moving across there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is in the same housing as the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. This is very on trend.

The touchscreen infotainment system, like the digital instrument cluster, offers incredibly high-resolution. It also seemed to have good processing power, which meant it turned on pretty much straight away upon startup and new pages loaded quickly.

Despite this the touchscreen was positioned a fair way from my driving position, which meant I had to stretch or lean forward in order to interact with it. This doesn’t happen very often as a person that’s 182cm tall.

The entire Kia Seltos range only comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is completed fine with me as they’re typically more reliable than wireless forms of both.

With my iPhone 12 Pro Max plugged in with a USB cable I experienced no Apple CarPlay dropouts whatsoever throughout my time with our Seltos Sport+ tester.

There’s no wireless phone charger in the Seltos Sport+ which may be a tad annoying because you’ll have to plug into one of the USB ports. You need to step up to the flagship GT-Line variant in order to receive this feature.

The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system comes standard with satellite navigation which is really intuitive to use. It’s so easy to search up points of interest using the system.

Although the in-built satellite navigation is intuitive, I’d rarely use it as I always plug my phone in to use Google Maps or Waze with smartphone mirroring. I suppose it’s a good backup just in case you’re caught out without your phone.

The Seltos Sport+ also comes with a seven-year complimentary subscription to Kia Connect online services. This includes features such as remote functions, emergency SOS calling, vehicle tracking, connected satellite navigation, and vehicle telematics.

The last interesting feature I’ll mention about the Seltos’ touchscreen infotainment system is its voice memo function. I don’t know how functional this feature is in practice but it’s a great novelty feature that sounds very handy in theory.

Looking around the cabin of the Seltos Sport+ there are a few soft-touch points on high-traffic areas, such as the armrests. It’s worth noting every Seltos variant under the Sport+ has rock-hard plastic door armrests.

There’s also a fair smattering of glossy piano black plastics on the upper speaker grilles and around the gear selector which gets grimy really quickly and can get scratched easily.

Another gripe I have is the centre and door armrests are mounted at different heights. This was extremely jarring at first but I slowly got used to sitting with one elbow higher than the other. I do wish they were level however.

The Seltos Sport+’s six-speaker sound system is completely adequate and not a standout in terms of sound quality, though like other Kia vehicles you need to have the volume cranked in order to actually hear the music.

Moving to the second row in the Kia Seltos there’s no real noticeable quality step down. There are soft-touch door armrests and the seat is still as squishy as the front, though the headrest is a tad harder.

At a leggy 182cm tall, I found there was a fine amount of space behind my driving position in the second row, though I did have to splay my legs on either side of the driver’s seat if I wanted to be more comfortable.

In terms of second-row amenities there are centre console-mounted air vents, USB-C ports, a small storage space, single map pocket on the front passenger seat backrest, as well as a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

Around the back the Seltos Sport+ comes with a manual tailgate that opens easily enough, though closing it takes two pushes. This could be a bit of an issue for people that have their hands full and need to be able to close the tailgate.

If you want a power tailgate you need to step up to the flagship GT-Line variant.

Once the tailgate is open it presents a boot space area with a claimed 433 litres of capacity. This is quite a usable and square space, though there’s no cargo blind which causes some privacy alarm bells to go off in my mind.

There are minimal amenities in the boot with it comprising a cargo hook in the boot and a light. There’s no 12V socket in the boot, nor netted areas.

The Seltos Sport+ comes standard with a full-size spare wheel that’s mounted under the boot floor. This is incredibly handy if you frequently do rural and regional driving away from

What’s under the bonnet?

Model Kia Seltos 2.0 FWD

Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol

Power 110kW

Torque 180Nm

Transmission Continuously variable transmission (CVT)

Driven Wheels Front-wheel drive

Weight 1375kg (tare)

Fuel economy (claimed) 6.9 litres per 100km

Fuel economy (as tested) 7.9 litres per 100km

Fuel tank 50 litres

Minimum fuel requirement 91 RON

To see how the Seltos compares to its rivals, line it against any of its rivals using our comparison tool.

How does the Kia Seltos drive?

Starting up the Kia Seltos Sport+ there’s thankfully a button to press rather than a physical key to turn – you need to step all the way to this almost top-specification variant if you want this privilege.

When the engine initially fires up it can rev a bit harshly. Once the engine has warmed up a bit however, it does quieten down and become a lot more pleasant and refined.

Setting off you quickly realise you won’t really be winning any races from the traffic lights in the Seltos, especially with the regular 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine fitted to this car which only produces an adequate 110kW and 180Nm.

This engine is mated exclusively to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which feels like it sucks a fair bit of life out of the car. It’s a little droney at points but allows you to get from point A to point B without too much stress.

Around town the Seltos cruises around effortlessly and quietly. The revs are kept down low for the most part, though if you punch it the revs will flare to get the car moving along at a brisker pace.

The Seltos has a very comfortable and compliant ride in urban surroundings which is surprising given the 2.0-litre FWD version only has a torsion beam rear suspension setup. The 1.6-litre AWD version receives a more sophisticated rear multi-link suspension setup.

In low-speed scenarios like in a carpark for example, the Seltos’ steering can be a little firm which makes twirling the steering wheel bit of a task at points. Thankfully the entire Seltos range comes standard with front and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera which has adequate resolution.

You’re unable to get a surround-view camera on any Seltos variant currently offered in Australia. You’ll need to opt for the larger Sportage GT-Line which currently starts from $49,720 before on-roads to get this feature.

Building up speed in the Seltos with the 2.0-litre FWD powertrain does take some work. The car also starts to feel like it’s out of puff when you’re doing closer to highway speeds.

Don’t be surprised if you see the revs sometimes flaring up to or beyond 3000rpm in order to maintain highway speeds. This is one of the times where having the CVT feels the most jarring.

You have to really consider and plan out your overtakes in the Seltos 2.0 FWD as if you’re not careful you could be caught out.

Like a number of CVT-equipped vehicles, the Seltos 2.0 FWD can be prone to carrying a bit of speed down hills as it lacks the inherent engine braking a torque converter-equipped car has. This means you’ll be pressing the brakes more often to keep within the speed limit.

Despite these gripes, the Seltos feels really planted out on the road at higher speeds. This complements how well the crossover fares in regard to pimply urban roads and speed bumps.

On the safety front, the current-generation Seltos, like a growing number of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, are coming standard with some incredibly annoying chimes.

One of the most of these chimes is for the Intelligent Speed Limit Assist system which reads speed limit signs and sounds annoyingly loud chimes when you surpass the speed limit for a certain period.

In theory this system should be really helpful to ensure people don’t speed, but at times the car detects an incorrect speed sign and sounds the chime. This is most notable when travelling through school zones when they aren’t active.

The lane-keep assist function works well for the most part, while its Lane Following Assist (lane centring) function can get confused easily. There were multiple points where I was sent in the wrong direction, especially on roads with faded lane markings.

Like a Niro EV I previously drove, the Seltos’ adaptive cruise control system strangely has a lull before taking over the full acceleration of the car. This then in turn makes the car flare it revs to recuperate the lost 1-2km/h.

The last thing I’ll mention in this section is the Seltos Sport+, despite being almost top-specification, still only comes equipped with projector-type halogen headlights. This is wild to me given our tester will well over $35,000.

You need to step up to the flagship Seltos GT-Line to receive LED headlights as standard. Although your eyes do adjust to driving a car with yellower halogen lights on dimly lit roads, LED headlights really do provide considerably more peace of mind when travelling in rural and remote areas.

What do you get?

Kia Seltos S highlights:

16-inch alloy wheels

Spare-saver spare wheel

Automatic halogen headlights

Automatic high-beam

Halogen daytime running lights

Rear fog light

Matte Black grille mesh

Body-coloured door handles

Body-coloured, power-folding side mirrors

Roof rails

Rear spoiler

Shark fin antenna

4.2-inch instrument cluster screen

8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system

Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

6-speaker sound system

12V power outlet in front console

USB-A, USB-C outlets in front console

2 x USB-C outlets behind centre console

Manual air-conditioning

Second-row air vents

Manual handbrake

Folding key

Cloth upholstery

6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat

Seltos Sport adds:

17-inch alloy wheels

Full-size spare wheel

Windscreen and front door Solar Glass

Halogen (projector-style) front fog lights

10.25-inch digital instrument cluster

10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system

DAB+ digital radio

Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

Satellite navigation

Sounds of Nature

Kia Connect (7yr subscription)

Climate control

Driver window one-touch up, down

Premium steering wheel

Premium gear shifter

Seltos Sport+ adds:

Heated side mirrors

Privacy glass

AEB cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist

Adaptive cruise control

Keyless entry and push-button start

Remote start

Electric park brake with auto-hold

Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

LED interior lights

Illuminated vanity mirrors

Front centre console armrest sliding function

Rear centre armrest

Cloth and artificial leather upholstery

Seltos GT-Line adds:

18-inch alloy wheels

LED headlights

LED daytime running lights

LED fog lights

LED positioning lights

LED rear combination tail lights

Premium Gloss Black grille mesh

Satin silver belt line

Tilt and slide sunroof (N/A with two-tone paint)

Power tailgate

Rain-sensing window wipers

Head-up display

Wireless phone charger

8-speaker Bose premium sound system

Heated, flat-bottom steering wheel

Interior ambient lighting

Parcel shelf

Premium artificial leather upholstery

Heated and ventilated front seats

10-way power driver’s seat

2-way power lumbar support

2-position memory

8-way power front passenger seat

Is the Kia Seltos safe?

The Kia Seltos was crash tested by ANCAP in 2019 and it received a five-star safety rating.

It received an adult occupant protection score of 85 per cent, child occupant protection score of 83 per cent, vulnerable road user protection score of 61 per cent, and a safety assist score of 70 per cent.

Standard safety features include:

Front, front-side and curtain airbags

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)

Blind-spot assist

Rear cross-traffic assist

Safe Exit Warning

Intelligent Speed Limit Assist

Lane-keep assist

Lane Following Assist (lane centring)

Driver Attention Alert

Front, rear parking sensors

Rear-view camera

Tyre-pressure monitoring system

Sport+ and GT-Line models receive AEB with cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist, as well as adaptive cruise control and lead-vehicle departure alert.

How much does the Kia Seltos cost to run?

The Kia Seltos is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with seven years of capped price service and up to eight years of roadside assist if you service the car at an authorised Kia dealer.

Logbook servicing for variants with the 2.0-litre engine is required every 12 months or 15,000km, while they’re required every 12 months or 10,000km for variants with the 1.6-litre turbo engine.

The first seven services in the 2.0-litre are capped at $290, $496, $354, $616, $326, $626 and $346. The first seven services in the 1.6-litre are capped at $309, $502, $375, $653, $348, $632 and $673.

CarExpert’s Take on the Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos is a very typical crossover that ticks a large number of boxes for me straight out of the box.

It provides a sought-after high-riding seating position that many crossover buyers are looking for, a modern-looking interior with a flashy curved housing for the digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, as well as an effortless driving experience in and around the city.

However, things do start to come apart somewhat when you take the Seltos out on the open road. This is when the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine starts to run out of puff. The CVT also ruins the ambience with its rev flares in order to maintain speed.

Thankfully you can get the Seltos Sport+ with the more powerful 1.6-litre turbo engine, but this costs an additional $3500 and also adds all-wheel drive.

Another annoying gripe with the Seltos are the obnoxiously loud chimes for the Intelligent Speed Limit Assist. This would go off incorrectly at least once every time I drove the car, especially through school zones.

It’s hard to say the Seltos Sport+ is the sweet spot of the range as it misses out on so much equipment is reserved exclusively for the flagship GT-Line. These features include LED headlights, a power tailgate and rain-sensing window wipers, among others.

What is even more frustrating about this though is you need to spend well over $40,000 for the Seltos GT-Line to get these features, and over $45,000 if you want it with the more powerful 1.6-litre turbo engine.

I will say however, the Seltos Sport+ does come with the full suite of available safety equipment. If you don’t want all the bells and whistles this might be the best variant for you to you look at.

Click the images for the full gallery

BUY: Kia Seltos
MORE: Everything Kia Seltos

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Many family firms lack heirs. Unrelated help is at hand

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

Handing over a family business to the next generation can be a dramatic process. If the company is big and progeny bountiful, the intrigue is followed with zeal by both the financial press and the tabloids. When 29-year-old Frédéric Arnault, the second-youngest of five scions of the LVMH luxury empire, took over its watch unit at the start of the year, speculation swirled about the succession plan being put in place by his billionaire father, Bernard Arnault. Yet many more heads of family firms face the opposite predicament: they have no heir at all.

Legions of entrepreneurs born in rich countries during the two-decade baby boom starting in the 1940s are close to retirement age or past it. Some, like Giorgio Armani, the 89-year-old founder of the Italian fashion house, are childless. Others have offspring who want to chart their own career paths. Dalian Wanda, a sprawling Hong Kong conglomerate, faced a public headache when it turned out that the only son of the founder, Wang Jianlin, would not take over the company.

Most heirless firms are not quite so large or well-known. But they are numerous. Owners aged 65 or over account for 23% of American firms with at least one employee, up from 20% in 2017. The share of German business-owners who are over 60 has climbed to 31%, three times the number two decades ago. Only one in ten is younger than 40. By 2025 almost 2.5m small and medium-sized businesses in Japan will have owners in their 70s or older, reckons the country’s economy ministry. Half of that group have made no plans for a handover.

No owner likes to see a life’s work fall into desuetude. When otherwise successful companies fold without a new owner or are sold off piece by piece by inheritors, they also lose valuable know-how and intangible assets. Collectively, their disappearance into oblivion may be a drag on the broader economy’s productive potential. Fortunately for owners and governments, help is at hand thanks to a fast-growing industry of pseudo-heirs.

The most established group of helpers, called search funds, is an offshoot of America’s private-equity industry. The first such fund was created in 1984 by a professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business (GSB). Many are run by one or two MBAs in their early 30s—GSB graduates were historically particularly common. They raise capital from outside investors, identify one small or medium-sized company, typically worth less than $10m, buy it from their owners and take over as full-time chief executives.

Search funds are now popping up across the Atlantic, where Europe’s ageing economies offer rich pickings. Arturo Alvarez, a Spanish search-fund founder, says he has looked at 3,000 companies in Spain and Portugal over the past two years or so, and has sat down for a conversation with about 400, of which he will pick just one. Jürgen Miller, an investor in search funds from Munich, notes that many of the more than 500,000 small and medium-sized firms in Germany’s formidable Mittelstand with annual sales of between €2m ($2.2m) and €50m are run by old-timers who might prefer to be soaking up the sun on Majorca.

The next target may be Japan. In the past some Japanese founders with no male heir relied on the peculiar practice of adult adoption—a son-in-law or loyal employee can become the legal descendant of a business owner, avoiding gift taxes. Nowadays adopted daughters are acceptable, too. But relentless demographic trends are making such adoption ever harder. Japanese 70-somethings, of whom there are 16.4m, outnumber 20-somethings by four to three.

Strangely, the world’s most demographically challenged big economy has so far not attracted many search funds. Some enterprising types are, however, profiting from its demographic cliff in other ways. M&A Research Institute, created in 2018 and listed in Tokyo in June 2022, is a succession broker. It uses clever machine-learning algorithms to match buyers, mostly private-equity firms or larger Japanese companies, and sellers. Two-thirds of its target businesses are worth less than $3.5m. The firm’s 32-year-old founder, Sagami Shunsaku, says that about four in five of the owners he encounters want to sell because they have no alternative plan for succession. Some are in their 90s.

The pseudo-heir industry is still tiny. Between 1986 and 2021 search funds made deals worth just $2.3bn in total. But they are rising in popularity: a third of that figure was invested in 2020 and 2021 alone, with more almost certainly deployed since.

And they are doing a roaring trade. According to one GSB study, the typical search fund boasts an annual internal rate of return (IRR)—the private-equity industry’s preferred performance measure, which calculates returns on deployed capital but ignores any uninvested money—of 35%. By comparison, conventional private-equity funds generate an IRR of around 15% over the past two decades. Jan Simon of IESE Business School in Spain (and an investor in search funds) says the outsize returns are due to a combination of little competition from bigger private-equity firms, which prefer much larger deals, and plenty of involvement by the young managing partners.

The M&A Research Institute is similarly lucrative. Its operating profit more than doubled in the last financial year, to $32m. Its share price has risen by more than 450% since its listing; earlier this year Mr Sagami’s stake made him Japan’s youngest billionaire. He is already eyeing other rapidly greying places in Asia, such as Singapore. ■

Business

Toluna Review – A Detailed Guide On the Online Survey Website

admin January 29, 2024 No Comments

In case, you are looking for a cool and interesting way to earn a quick buck, Here’s a platform that pays you for filling out simple surveys. Toluna Group lets you take surveys for forming a database for market research.

Toluna is a worldwide survey technology provider and claims to be the “ World’s Largest social voting community” which has more than nine million survey takers.

In this review, you will get a detailed insight into Toluna, Let’s look into this review article now:

Overview

Name Toluna

Owner Frederic-Charles Petit

Founded Year 2000

Headquarters Paris, France

Type Online Surveys

Apps iPhone & Android Devices

Support Email, Phone

Website www.toluna.com

What is Toluna?

Toluna is a community survey platform that offers online surveys in return for rewards. This is a Paris( France) based company, managed by the Toluna Group and a well known market research company preferred by brands around the world. With more than 9 million survey takers, for the people who want to make money by taking surveys, Toluna is a preferred option.

The users that register on Toluna and take up these surveys are known as “Toluna Influencers”. These surveys completed are used by the major brands to help them figure out their business plan. It is one of the world’s most popular survey sites which has a very strong subscriber base and an effective portfolio of clients.

With 16+ offices globally, Toluna team aims to provide better products and quality to the consumers. They do it by surveying for the brands and thus it helps in dealing with customer satisfaction and to improve their business plan.

How to Register on Toluna?

Toluna provides its membership to 49 countries. The number of surveys that are available depends on your location.

Step 1: You can fill up the registration form online and sign up for Toluna.

Step 2: After the Toluna login, you will be asked to verify your account by providing your personal details. Further, you are good to take the online surveys.

Toluna Influencers are paid in the form of points which can be redeemed further in the form of gift cards, vouchers, etc. There are two types of Toluna surveys available listed below:

Profile Surveys: These surveys take a short period of time to complete where you are rewarded with 100 points.

Longer Surveys: These surveys take a longer duration to complete typically about 10 to 30 minutes with much higher rewards

You can update your personal information by logging into your account. Select “Account” in the top right corner and then click the Edit option. You can also view your account activity such as credits purchased, surveys launched, and the current status of your subscription.

In cases where you forget your password, you can do it by Clicking the Sign in button at the top right side. Then click the “forgot your password” option and follow the instructions further which you will be able to retrieve your password.

How to make money in Toluna?

There are 8 ways to earn in Toluna which are as follows:

Toluna Surveys: They are the most effective way of earningToluna points. There are multiple surveys available online to complete at any point of time. Usually the majority of the surveys pay 1000-2000 points which lasts for about 20 minutes. 5500 Toluna points are roughly equivalent to 1 pound.

Completing Profile Surveys: You will find the “Profile Surveys” under the surveys option at the top of the screen. Each profile consists of 14 Surveys each and you will get 100 points for each survey.

Participate in Polls: In this you will usually earn a points reward of 15 points per poll, usually takes seconds to complete

Post in the Toluna community: You can also earn points by posting your content in the Toluna Community. You may win up to 1000 points per post if your post gets qualified.

Participate in the Contest: Toluna offers launch contests to encourage the users to post more in the community. Inreturn they are rewarded with some points and other prizes.

Start your own contest: you will also be rewarded with points and prizes if you start your own contest.

Refer a friend to Toluna: you can share your referral link with your friends and you will get 500 bonus points for each friend upto 10 months

Play Toluna Games:You can also win points by playing games. You can win about 80-1000 points by spinning the wheel.

How to redeem points in Toluna?

There are 3 ways to redeem the points in Toluna which are listed below:

Rewards:It offers a variety of gift cards with an option to cashout by Paypal. The cheapest gift card costs around 30,000 points

Gifties: These are the tickets you can buy to win a range of rewards

Sweepstakes: You can also exchange your points to get a chance to join the monthly sweepstakes where you can buy branded items

You need to reach of minimum of 30,000 points which are listed below:

$10 gift card for Starbucks- 30,000 points

$10 gift card for Cheesecake factory- 30,000 points

$10 gift card for Redbox- 30,000 points

$10 gift card for JiffyLube- 30,000 points

$25 gift card for Restaurants.com-45,000 points

$25 gift card for Walmart- 45,000 points

$25 gift card for Fandango- 45,000 points

Toluna is it Legit or Scam?

As per the Toluna reviews, it has been found that Toluna is a legitimate business. Despite its long wait times, it has a noted record of paying its clients and further issuing them good rewards.

It is a company that offers to pay on each survey you take. It has been very popular and has become one of the people’s number one choices regarding online surveys. They also have a base of around 13 million users and is on a rapid expansion

Toluna also has an A+ rating in the Better Business Bureau(BBB) with only around 31 customer complaints. Further, it has a 3.8 rating on the Trustpilot with more than 2,100 Toluna reviews.

There are a lot more positive reviews compared to the criticism. It has great customer service for which it accounts as one of the legit organizations that pay people in response to the online surveys.

Conclusion

It is to be acknowledged that Toluna is a legitimate business which pays its users based on the surveys they take.It is one of the top rated companies with a trusted community of 1+ million members which make it highly recommended.

It is an honest way to make full time income on the internet by taking surveys. It has no hidden costs and in turn you will learn how to build a flourishing business online in Toluna. It also allows you to choose surveys in categories which you are interested in.

Thus finally it is advisable that Toluna is worth giving a try. You can take it as a fun experience and further you will enjoy it a lot. If you are looking to earn income by taking up online surveys, then Toluna is definitely on the top lists which are trusted.

FAQ

How much does it cost to join Toluna?

No, Signing up for Toluna is completely free. Sign up today and access its features free of cost

Does Toluna pay in cash?

Toluna Influencers are compensated in points, which can be exchanged for a variety of items such as gift cards, competition entries, or plain old cash.

How long do the surveys take to complete?

It is dependent on the targeting and the screening questions. The more of these questions you have, the longer your survey may take to complete.

How do I cash out my Toluna points?

You need to have at least 60000 points.
Go to rewards, convert your points into cash through, 60000points=$20.

Is Toluna Survey Legit?

Toluna is a safe and reliable platform. It is not a scam, and millions of people from all over the world have taken their surveys for over ten years. However, your experience with the site may vary from that of other survey takers.

Toluna Ratings

User Review

2.5 (4 votes)

Pros

It is a very reputed company which is operating.

It is completely free to join and features are free to use

Modern and user-friendly interface

You can earn money by answering the surveys on the go while on the phone

Interesting Surveys

Get a consolation prize even if any disqualified

Cons

The disqualifications can be frustrating

There is a minimum cashout of $30 which is hard to reach

Some of its surveys take time to complete

Some users complain about the long wait times for payments or rewards

Repetitive survey questions

The Phenomenon of Shiba Inu

To understand the magnitude of this prediction, it’s essential to revisit the journey of Shiba Inu. Emerging as a meme coin, SHIB captivated the crypto world with its astronomical gains, largely driven by a passionate community and viral social media presence. Shiba Inu’s rise was emblematic of the power of community-driven projects and the speculative nature of the crypto markets.

Enter Retik Finance: The New Challenger

Retik Finance steps into the arena with a different approach. Unlike SHIB, which primarily thrives on community hype and meme culture, Retik Finance is grounded in substantial utility and a robust ecosystem designed for real-world application. This key distinction is what sets Retik Finance apart and forms the basis of the analyst’s bold prediction.

Why Retik Finance Stands Out

1. Utility-Driven Approach: Retik Finance differentiates itself with a focus on utility. Its ecosystem includes a multi-chain non-custodial wallet, smart crypto payment gateway, AI-powered P2P lending, and advanced DeFi debit cards. This utility-centric model is expected to drive sustainable growth, in contrast to SHIB’s hype-driven spikes.

2. Technological Innovation: Built on a strong technological foundation, Retik Finance offers innovative solutions that address real-world financial challenges. This approach positions it as a more stable and long-term investment compared to typical meme coins.

3. Strategic Market Entry: Priced at $0.09, Retik Finance is entering the market at a point that makes it accessible to a broad investor base. This strategic pricing, coupled with its promising features, sets the stage for substantial growth, especially as the 2024 bull run approaches.

4. Community Engagement and Ecosystem Growth: Retik Finance aims to build a strong community, akin to SHIB, but with a focus on sustainable ecosystem development. This strategy is designed to foster long-term engagement and loyalty, transcending the short-lived hype of typical meme coins.

Analysts’ Viewpoint: A Comparison with Shiba Inu

Analysts see Retik Finance as a token that combines the viral appeal of meme coins like Shiba Inu with the stability and utility of more traditional crypto offerings. This blend, they argue, positions Retik Finance for a more sustained and potentially more explosive growth trajectory during the bull run.

The Implications of the 2024 Bull Run

The next bull run is expected to be driven by tokens that offer more than just speculative value. In this environment, Retik Finance’s utility-based model is likely to be a key factor in its success. The market is increasingly leaning towards projects that provide real-world solutions and long-term value, a trend that plays directly into Retik Finance’s strengths.

Investor Sentiment and Market Dynamics

The growing excitement around Retik Finance reflects a broader shift in investor sentiment. Market participants are increasingly looking for tokens that offer both immediate speculative opportunities and long-term growth potential. Retik Finance, with its compelling use case and strong foundational technology, is well-positioned to capture this interest.

Retik Finance’s Potential to Eclipse Shiba Inu

The core of the analyst’s prediction lies in Retik Finance’s potential to offer more than just a quick speculative gain. Its focus on delivering real utility positions it to not only attract a broad investor base but also to retain and grow this base over time. In the rapidly evolving crypto market, this approach is increasingly being recognized as the key to long-term success.

Conclusion: A New Era in Crypto Investments

As we approach the 2024 bull run, Retik Finance stands out as a token that could redefine the standards of success in the cryptocurrency market. Its combination of meme coin appeal with solid utility and technological innovation sets it apart from the likes of Shiba Inu. While SHIB has had its moment in the sun, Retik Finance is poised to shine even brighter, offering a new template for what a successful crypto token can look like. The prediction of it eclipsing Shiba Inu’s record is not just a testament to its potential but also a sign of the changing tides in the crypto world, where utility is increasingly becoming the benchmark for success.

Click Here To Take Part In Retik Finance Presale

Visit the links below for more information about Retik Finance (RETIK):

Website: https://retik.com

Whitepaper: https://retik.com/retik-whitepaper.pdf

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/retikfinance

Model	Kia Seltos 2.0 FWD
Engine	2.0-litre 4cyl petrol
Power	110kW
Torque	180Nm
Transmission	Continuously variable transmission (CVT)
Driven Wheels	Front-wheel drive
Weight	1375kg (tare)
Fuel economy (claimed)	6.9 litres per 100km
Fuel economy (as tested)	7.9 litres per 100km
Fuel tank	50 litres
Minimum fuel requirement	91 RON

In line with several initiatives taken by the Centre to strengthen the cooperative movement, the National Centre for Cooperative Education (NCCE) has launched a training programme on the “Formation of Cooperative Societies,” aimed at skilling freshers, students, youth, and trainers of cooperatives.

“This programme is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to establish and successfully operate cooperative societies. The initiative will not only contribute to individual growth but also foster a spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship among the youth,” said Sanjay Verma, Director of National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI). NCCE is a division of NCUI.

The one-week course, which is a residential programme, includes the cooperative business model, preparation of Business Model Canvas, cooperatives as social enterprises, campus cooperatives (case studies), successful cooperative business models, and cooperative entrepreneurship. It covers components such as planning, management, leadership, accounting and finance, human resource development, and marketing.

NCUI will bear the cost of travel, boarding, and lodging of the participants, Verma said, adding course material, practical training, and study visits will also be funded by NCUI.

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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) impacts 1.6 million people in the U.S. — and a new artificial intelligence-generated drug could help alleviate symptoms.

Insilico Medicine, an AI-driven biotech company based in Hong Kong and in New York City, recently announced that its new AI-designed IBD drug — ISM5411 — has entered Phase I clinical trials.

This is Insilico’s fifth AI-designed drug to enter the pipeline.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

If approved, it would be the first medication to treat IBD by blocking prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD), a protein that regulates the body’s gut barrier protection genes, according to Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine.

“ISM5411 is a potentially first-in-class candidate for the treatment of IBD – this means that it is designed to treat the disease in an entirely new way,” Zhavoronkov told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, is pictured in the company’s New York lab. (Insilico Medicine)

Why the need for a new drug?

IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, causes debilitating symptoms that include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and rectal bleeding, according to Mayo Clinic.

“This condition is on the rise across the industrialized world, but currently there are no cures and few treatments,” said Zhavoronkov.

NEW AI-GENERATED COVID DRUG ENTERS PHASE I CLINICAL TRIALS: ‘EFFECTIVE AGAINST ALL VARIANTS’

Many current drugs for IBD are anti-inflammatory and rely on immunosuppression to work.

“This carries its own set of risks, as suppressing the immune system can give rise to chronic infection and tumor diseases,” Zhavoronkov said.

Insilico Medicine, an AI-driven biotech company based in Hong Kong and in New York City, recently announced that its new AI-designed IBD drug — ISM5411 — has entered Phase I clinical trials. Fox News Digital spoke with its founder and CEO. (Insilico Medicine)

Other biologic drugs for IBD are administered by IV or self-injection.

“We knew there was a significant need in this space, and we wanted to find a new way to treat IBD that focused on healing and rebuilding the intestinal lining to lead to long-term improvement of the condition rather than just treating the symptoms,” said Zhavoronkov.

Tapping into AI’s power

IBD patients produce significantly more of the PDH protein than those without the condition.

Insilico’s research and development team used Chemistry42, the company’s generative AI chemistry engine, to design a molecule to block the PDH and produce genes that protect the gut barrier.

FIRST AI-GENERATED DRUG ENTERS HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS, TARGETING CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE PATIENTS

“You can think of Chemistry42 as a ChatGPT for new molecules,” said Zhavoronkov.

“But instead of providing text commands and having an AI model generate a new essay or poem based on existing data, our platform draws from biological and chemical data to design an entirely new molecule using our instructions.”

“Our AI platform designed a number of possible molecules to meet our criteria, and ranked them, and our R&D team synthesized and tested a number of these before selecting ISM5411 as the most promising candidate,” said Zhavoronkov.

An oral medication, ISM5411, is described as “intestinal restrictive,” which means it only works on the gut without impacting other parts of the body, he noted.

“You can think of Chemistry42 as a ChatGPT for new molecules.”

“Very importantly, it promotes mucosal repair,” said Zhavoronkov.

“In other words, we designed this drug to help restore the normal functioning of the gut.”

Previous research has shown that mucosal repair is effective in reducing hospitalization and improving long-term prognosis for IBD patients.

Progress toward approval

Insilico’s IBD drug has officially begun trials in 76 healthy volunteers in Australia to evaluate its safety and tolerability in gradually increasing doses, Zhavoronkov said.

After completing the Phase 1a trial, Insilico plans to launch an international multi-center clinical trial in the U.S., China and other locations, with three treatment groups and one placebo group.

Insilico’s IBD drug has officially begun trials in 76 healthy volunteers in Australia to evaluate its safety and tolerability in gradually increasing doses. (Insilico Medicine )

“Our clinical team is working hard to design and execute the clinical trials in order to develop it further so we can begin helping patients in need,” said Zhavoronkov.

“As we continue to advance this drug, we also look forward to connecting with companies with relevant experience and resources who are interested in co-developing this asset with our team.”

STUDENTS USE AI TECHNOLOGY TO FIND NEW BRAIN TUMOR THERAPY TARGETS — WITH A GOAL OF FIGHTING DISEASE FASTER

ISM5411 is one of more than 30 drugs that have been designed by Insilico’s AI platform, including many for cancer — as well as fibrosis, central nervous system diseases and COVID-19.

“As these drugs move from research labs to clinical settings, the public needs to understand the potential and the limitations.”

The company’s lead drug, the first AI-discovered and AI-generated drug to reach Phase II trials with patients, is for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung condition with an extremely poor prognosis.

Potential benefits and risks

Dr. Supriya Rao, a Massachusetts-based gastroenterologist, was not involved in Insilico’s drug development but offered her input on ISM5411.

“I think it’s very promising,” Rao told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, there will be hurdles to jump through, and data is very novel at this stage of development.”

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) impacts 1.6 million people in the U.S., causing symptoms that include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss and rectal bleeding. (iStock)

“Longer-term safety and efficacy would be concerns, but we’ve only just begun to embark on a journey of AI and health care,” she added.

All treatments have their pros and cons, Rao noted, particularly with “very individualized diseases” like IBD.

“Could this speed up the recovery process and offer a more targeted treatment plan with minimal side effects? The possibility is exciting,” she said. “Our goal as health care professionals is always to achieve better patient outcomes.”

BE WELL: IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH WITH 5 TOP TIPS FROM A NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST

AI expert and emergency medicine physician Dr. Harvey Castro from Dallas, Texas, who was also not involved in the development of ISM5411, noted that while promising, these types of AI-generated drugs can carry inherent risks.

“The primary concern is the uncertainty surrounding their long-term effects, as AI-designed drugs are a relatively new medical frontier,” Castro told Fox News Digital.

AI expert and emergency medicine physician Dr. Harvey Castro from Dallas, Texas, weighed in on the potential risks associated with AI-generated drugs. (Dr. Harvey Castro)

“There’s also the challenge of ensuring that the AI algorithms are trained on comprehensive and unbiased data sets, as misinterpretations or gaps in data could lead to ineffective or harmful drugs.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Castro noted that existing regulatory frameworks may not adequately address the nuances of AI-driven drug development.

“Public awareness is key,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“As these drugs move from research labs to clinical settings, the public needs to understand the potential and the limitations,” Castro went on.

“Educating patients and health care providers about how AI-generated drugs are developed and their potential impact on treatment paradigms is vital.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

We all take our desserts very seriously. Be it to uplift the mood or put a sweet end to your meal, or celebrate something special – we all have our favourite desserts to reach out for. And let’s agree, there’s no dearth of options available across the globe. But what reigns supreme is a simple homemade sweet treat. Take custard for instance. You will find different fancy versions of custard available at the bakeries near you, but there’s something about a simple egg custard that makes us fall for it time and again. Here, we will share with you a chef’s special egg custard recipe that can be a hit at your dinner table. This recipe has been shared by Chef Anahita Dhondy on her Instagram handle. Let’s check out.

Also Read: Want To Level Up Your Tea Time? Make These Custard Cream Biscuits

What Is The Difference Between Custard And Egg Custard?

To put it simply, egg custard is a variation of the cream custard. It is rich, creamy, and has a thick consistency, made by mixing eggs, milk or cream, flavours, and sweeteners of your choice. Fret not, the dish doesn’t have an eggy taste or smell. Instead, it is light, and fluffy and includes the aroma of the flavours you add to it.

Classic Egg Custard Recipe | How To Make Egg Custard At Home:

According to Chef Anahita, egg custard is a classic filling used in many dessert recipes. “This rich, creamy custard, while delicious as is, can also be flavored in various ways to create the perfect complement to your cake, pie, or dessert,” she adds.

To make the dish, boil milk with sugar in a saucepan. Next, beat the egg yolk, cornflour, and flour and mix everything well. Now add a little milk to the egg yolk mixture – temper it and then add it to the remaining milk stirring continuously until it thickens, remove it from the stove.

The chef further states that you can also strain the custard over a sieve to avoid lumps. Finally, store it in a jar and enjoy.

Watch the detailed egg custard recipe video here:

Also Read: A Quick Guide To The Difference Between Flan, Panna Cotta, And Creme Brulee

About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.

It’s not every day that Francis Ford Coppola deigns to weigh in on a TikTok trend.

But he made an exception for the so-called mob wife aesthetic — a louche amalgamation of fur coats, leather and leopard prints that are being presented on the platform as a kind of mafiosa cosplay.

In a recent Instagram post, Mr. Coppola, the director of “The Godfather,” compared the style to that of Connie Corleone, a character from the film portrayed by his sister, Talia Shire: “a sultry, delightful Italian princess.”

Hundreds of videos on the app show young women with no apparent marital relationship to organized crime trying on their own approximations of the look, which usually involve heavy jewelry and heavier eyeliner.

TikTok churns out a new reigning “aesthetic” every few months, and they vary widely in their real-world influence on offscreen dress. So what is actually powering this newly popular glamorization of outlaw-adjacent women?

What is the ‘mob wife aesthetic’?

The most basic version involves throwing a fur coat — real or faux — over an all-black outfit. But according to its proponents, the look is nothing without the attitude to go with it. Careful students of the mob wife oeuvre add red nails and lipstick, a high-volume hairdo and sunglasses big enough to function as a kind of windshield.

“It’s expressive, it’s bold, it’s unapologetic,” said Sarah Arcuri, 29, who lives in New Jersey and calls herself the “Mob Wife Aesthetic CEO” on TikTok. She has been dressing that way since high school, she said, inspired by the flashily dressed women in her Italian American family as well as the reality shows “Mob Wives” and “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

Ms. Arcuri has been posting about the mob wife look since 2022, but interest in the trend did not surge until the beginning of this month. Its fans coalesced around a snippet of audio posted by Kayla Trivieri that has since been used as the soundtrack to more than 2,000 other videos.

Uh, give me some examples.

TikTokers are mostly reaching for examples of fictional mob wives (and girlfriends) like Carmela Soprano, Edie Falco’s character on the HBO series “The Sopranos.” Users on the app are lip-syncing to scenes of her arguments with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and circulating images of Ms. Falco with French tips and big hair. Others point to her “Sopranos” co-star Drea de Matteo, playing Adriana La Cerva, and Lorraine Bracco’s character in “Goodfellas,” Karen Hill.

Where is this coming from?

Speaking of “The Sopranos,” plenty of users on the app believe that the trend was planted by HBO to coincide with its extensive promotion efforts for the 25th anniversary of the show’s debut. In a statement, Jason Mulderig, a spokesman for HBO, called the trend “a testament to ‘The Sopranos’ and its enduring impact on culture” — but did not cop to creating it.

Ms. Arcuri and others see TikTok’s preoccupation with mob wives as a reaction to the minimalist perfection sometimes advanced on visual social media platforms. Last year there was a “clean girl aesthetic” (think: beige pullovers, tidy updos) and “stealth wealth,” which prioritized subtle signifiers of wealth.

Sorry, but, is this real?

Typically, TikTok’s “aesthetic” trends go something like this: Identify a long-established style (wealthy older women wearing cardigans, for example) and give it a catchy new label (Coastal Grandmothers!). In this case, there are plenty of people who dress in the style captured by “The Sopranos” 25 years ago — some of whom are speaking up about their look being repackaged into a “trend.” It remains to be seen how many people outside that demographic will start dressing this way because they happened to see it on TikTok.

Is there deeper meaning?

Like the clean girl and stealth wealth aesthetics, the mob wife look focuses on conspicuous signifiers of wealth, but this time it’s of those usually associated with the nouveau riche. And specifically those whose wealth was earned outside the rule of law.

In most popular depictions, from “The Sopranos” to Lil’ Kim, even when she’s powerful herself, the mob wife is an accessory to a more powerful man — her sex appeal, beauty and style reflect his power back to him. What the mob wife knows or doesn’t know about her own situation creates her dramatic appeal: Is she clueless, holding no actual power in the illicit realm of her husband? Or is she savvy, looking away while enjoying his money? Regardless, in exchange for her silence, she gets to go shopping.

“In order to be in that lifestyle, as we’ve seen from movies and shows, you have to have a certain toughness to you,” Ms. Arcuri said. “They can wear what they want and get away with it.”

Someone must be complaining about this.

Ms. Arcuri said she disagreed with critics who say the trend glamorizes an association with organized crime. And for every influencer currently ordering a fur coat, other TikTok users are saying that these trends increasingly feel manufactured and meaningless. “There is a little bit of aesthetic fatigue on social media,” she added. “Every little microtrend is labeled.”

Each of those labels functions as an opportunity for influencers, brands and, yes, media outlets to hop on a trend and direct it to their own ends. Those seeking to get mob wife look may have to pay for it: A box of “mystery” items of secondhand mob wife apparel is already for sale on Poshmark for nearly $200.

Argan oil is often found in cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, and conditioners. It’s also commonly used as a carrier for essential oils. Some evidence suggests that it may benefit humans, including hydrating skin and hair, and even help reduce inflammation.

The oil can be used for cooking and even as a condiment, much like olive oil. Although studies have been carried out regarding the safety and effectiveness of argan oil when used by people, similar evidence is lacking regarding cats. To be safe, it’s probably best not to feed argan oil or use it topically on your cat.

Argan and Essential Oils

Argan oil is often used as a carrier for essential oils. Undiluted essential oils are often applied topically or inhaled in aromatherapy. They’re also regularly added to cleaning products and air fresheners. Essential oils contain distilled aromatic chemicals from plants.

It’s possible to find more than 90 types of essential oil, which have unique uses. Peppermint oil is often used to help digestive health, and tea tree oil is used to combat infections. However, regardless of the various benefits they provide humans, essential oils and argan oil are not safe for cats.

Essential Oils and Cats

Essential oils and cats are an extremely bad combination. Several popular oils are toxic to cats, including tea tree, peppermint, and pine oils. Cats don’t have the proper liver enzymes to break down some of the chemicals in essential oils efficiently. They can become quite ill from ingesting or absorbing the products through the skin.

Cats can consume essential oils after walking through spills and licking their paws clean. Signs of essential oil poisoning include drooling, vomiting, lethargy, and a lack of coordination. If your cat has managed to get essential oil on their fur or skin, use a bit of dishwashing detergent to remove it to limit absorption.

Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your cat has come in contact with any essential oil. Make sure to have the product your cat was exposed to on hand so you can provide accurate information and write down a few key facts your veterinarian is likely to want to know, such as how long ago your cat was exposed and if you’ve seen any signs indicating your buddy may be suffering from toxin ingestion.

orange cat taking CBD oil — Image Credit: Velement, Shutterstock

Where Does Argan Oil Come From?

Argan oil comes from the argan tree, also known as Argania spinosa. The tree can be found in dry areas in parts of southern Morocco between the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. They can grow to heights of up to 25 feet and feature yellow flowers in spring.

Argan oil has a long and storied history in North Africa. The tree has been used for wood and oil since the 11th century or so, and it’s long been incorporated into Moroccan diets and beauty routines. Traditions surrounding the argan tree are on the United Nations’ list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and part of the area where the trees grow natively has been named an International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Frequent Asked Questions

What Are Some Common Skin Feline Skin Conditions?

General hair loss, dermatitis, itchy skin, sores, infections, tumors, and dandruff are just a few common feline skin issues. Because skin conditions share similar signs, it’s important to have dermatological problems evaluated by a veterinarian for accurate diagnosis to ensure proper treatment.

How Are Skin Problems in Cats Diagnosed?

Veterinarians usually rely on a physical examination along with answers to questions such as when the issue first showed up, what kind of food your cat is eating, and if anything has changed at home that may be stressing your pet. Needle aspirates and biopsies are sometimes used to narrow down the causes of potentially concerning growths.

Are There Ways to Help Keep Cats’ Coats and Skin Healthy?

High-quality food is essential for helping cats’ skin stay supple and well-nourished. When cats don’t get all the nutrients they need, their coats become malnourished. Keeping up with flea and tick prevention can also minimize several skin problems. Cats that are stressed sometimes groom themselves too much, but pheromone products can help manage anxiety.

argan oil being poured out — Image Credit: Luisa Puccini, Shutterstock

Conclusion

Many people swear by the health benefits of argan oil, and it’s commonly added to lotions, moisturizers, shampoos, and conditioners. It comes from a tree that grows in southern parts of Morocco, but the oil has become popular worldwide. Unfortunately, little evidence demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of using argan oil on cats. To keep your cat safe and healthy, avoid using argan oil or essential oils around your cat. If your cat has a skin condition or other health issue, your veterinarian can provide an effective treatment.

Featured Image Credit: vovidzha, Shutterstock

Amid the economic crisis in China, an estimated 233 home developers filed for bankruptcy last year, Taiwan News reported quoting the China Real Estate Association.

Also read: Fund inflow in real estate from foreign investors dips 30 pc last yr: Vestian data

According to the report, the highest number of applications were received from the Zhejiang province with 36 cases, accounting for 15.45 per cent of the nation’s total. Hunan and Guangdong provinces were second and third, respectively.

The report stated that the number of bankruptcies for 2023 was the lowest since 2020. As many as 408 home developers filed for bankruptcy in 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, 343 in 2021, and 308 in 2022.

The economic downturn caused home developers in third- and fourth-tier cities to suffer the most. Even so, the overall impact of bankruptcies is expected to be limited, according to the report.

China-based CRIC Securities’ research department indicated that home sales in China continued to dwindle in 2023 and challenges would persist in 2024 despite favorable policies. Low consumer confidence and inventory overhang mean China’s housing market could remain sluggish for a long while.

Earlier last year, a US-based news daily, reported that the construction sites around China appear visibly less busy and construction of apartment towers has faltered because of falling apartment prices.

Also read: Luxury housing boom draws global biggies into India

Quoting data released for prices of new apartments in 70 large and medium-sized cities across China, Goldman Sachs calculated that prices fell in August at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.9 per cent, compared with 2.6 per cent in July.

Moreover, the data shows that new apartments considerably understate the speed and extent of price declines, however, as local governments have put heavy pressure on developers not to cut prices.

Prices of existing homes in 100 cities across China fell an average of 14 per cent by early August from their peak two years earlier, according to the Beike Research Institute, a Tianjin research firm. Rents have fallen five per cent.

Apart from this, China’s banking sector is also struggling with the repayment of debt payments from defaulters as loans that banks have made to property developers have been defaulted.

According to The New York Times, the main barrier behind the immediate repayment of loans from defaulters is the involvement of loans to the local governments and their financial affiliates.

Earlier, the central bank, the People’s Bank of China, announced that it was freeing banks to set aside smaller reserves and start extending more credit. The move was widely seen as intended to accommodate a large batch of bonds that local and provincial governments will issue to pay for their infrastructure projects, reported The New York Times.

DONOSIMO vam detaljan pregled trgovina i šoping-centara koji će biti otvoreni u nedjelju, 28. siječnja. Ukoliko niste stigli obaviti kupovinu do subote, ovo su mjesta gdje možete obaviti nabavku u nedjelju.

Trgovine

Kaufland

Ovu nedjelju 28.1. sve Kaufland trgovine su zatvorene.

Lidl

Ove nedjelje ne rade ni Lidl trgovine.

Konzum

Koja Konzumova trgovina će raditi ovu nedjelju, možete provjeriti ovdje (kliknite na gumb otvoreno ovu nedjelju).

Studenac

Koja će Studenac trgovina raditi ovu nedjelju, možete provjeriti ovdje.

Spar

Ovdje možete vidjeti koje su trgovine Spar i Interspar ovu nedjelju otvorene.

Tommy

Koja će trgovina Tommy raditi ovu nedjelju, možete provjeriti ovdje.

Plodine

Ovdje možete provjeriti radno vrijeme Plodina u ovu nedjelju (kliknite gumb otvoreno ove nedjelje).

KTC

KTC ne radi nedjeljama, blagdanima ni praznicima.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Eurospin

Koja će trgovina Eurospin raditi ovu nedjelju, možete provjeriti ovdje.

Pekarnice

Dubravica

Nedjeljom radi poslovnica na Autobusnom kolodvoru Zagreb od 0 do 24 h i poslovnice u trgovačkim centrima ako oni rade.

Pan-pek

U siječnju će nedjeljom raditi sljedeće Pan-pek poslovnice:

Borongaj, Krešićeva 32, 07-21:00 h
Lanište 24, 07:00-13:00 h
Importanne centar, Paromlinska cesta 2a, 07:00-13:00 h
Frane Petrića 1, 07-21:00 h
Ilica 276, 07:00-13:00 h
Sesvete, Ninska 6, 07:00-13:00 h
Velika Gorica, Trg Kralja Tomislava 39, 07:00-13:00 h
Avenija Dubrava 33, 07:00-13:00 h
Velika Gorica, Trg Stjepana Radića 10, 07:00-13:00 h
Trg Žrtava fašizma 9, 07:00-13:00 h
Selska cesta 90b, 07:00-13:00 h
Glavni željeznički kolodvor, Trg Kralja Tomislava 12, 07-21:00 h
Gajnice 32, 07:00-13:00 h
Dugave, Oktogon, 07:00-13:00 h
Lopatinečka 4, 07:00-13:00 h
Zvonimirova, 07:00-13:00 h
Špansko, Trg 101 brigade HV 5, 07:00-13:00 h
Mamutica, Božidara Magovca, 07:00-13:00 h

Mlinar

Ovdje možete provjeriti radno vrijeme Mlinarovih prodavaonica.

Šoping-centri

Westgate

Ove nedjelje šoping-centar ne radi.

City Center one East Zagreb, West Zagreb i Split

City Center one East i West ove nedjelje ne rade, kao ni City Center one Split.

Avenue Mall

Centar ovu nedjelju ne radi, iduća radna nedjelja je tek 11.2. No tijekom neradnih nedjelja radit će drugi objekti: Lotus bar, 8 Grama, Leggiero bar, KFC, McDonald’s i Cinestar. Njihova radna vremena možete vidjeti ovdje.

Arena Centar

Trgovine Arena Centra u siječnju neće raditi nedjeljom.

Point Shopping Centar

Centar ovu nedjelju radi.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Z Centar

Trgovine u centru ove nedjelje neće raditi. No restorani, kafići, kino, Hall of Game, Z House of Beauty, MiniPolis, automat klub i Adventure Mini golf radit će sve nedjelje u siječnju i veljači prema redovnom radnom vremenu.

Supernova šoping-centri

Ove nedjelje će raditi jedino Supernova Sisak East i Supernova Colosseum.

King Cross

King Cross neće biti otvoren ovu nedjelju.

Designer Outlet Croatia

Designer Outlet Croatia neće biti otvoren ove nedjelje.

Family Mall

Centar ove nedjelje neće raditi.

Park&Shop Sesvete

Park&Shop Sesvete neće raditi ove nedjelje.

Trgovački centar Jug Mall

Centar neće raditi ove nedjelje.

Hey Park Zadar i Vukovar

Neće raditi ove nedjelje.

Trgovački centar Lumini Varaždin

Centar ne radi ove nedjelje.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Portanova Osijek

Ove nedjelje u Portanovi Osijek trgovine ne rade.

Mall Osijek

Centar ove nedjelje ne radi.

Tower Centar Rijeka

Trgovine ove nedjelje u Tower Centru Rijeka neće raditi.

ZTC Rijeka

Centar ne radi ovu nedjelju.

Max City Pula

Centar ne radi ovu nedjelju. “Do kraja godine, nedjeljom će sve trgovine biti otvorene samo tijekom proljeća i ljeta, i to u kontinuitetu od 26. svibnja do 8. rujna 2024.”, stoji na stranici. No pojedini objekti nastavljaju raditi i nedjeljom, a koji točno i njihova radna vremena možete vidjeti ovdje.

Galerija Poreč

Galerija Poreč neće raditi ove nedjelje.

Pula City Mall

Pula City Mall isto neće raditi ove nedjelje.

Mall of Split

Sve nedjelje u siječnju i veljači su neradne.

Joker Split

Centar ovu nedjelju ne radi.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

STOP SHOP Retail Parkovi

Retail parkovi STOP SHOP Čakovec, Daruvar, Đakovo, Gospić, Ludbreg, Pazin, Velika Gorica, Vinkovci, Kaštel Sućurac, Labin, Osijek i Našice neće raditi ove nedjelje.

STOP SHOP Valpovo, kao i do sada, tijekom cijele godine neće raditi nedjeljom.

Drogerije

Bipa

Radno vrijeme Bipinih poslovnica možete provjeriti ovdje.

dm

Ovdje možete provjeriti koje su dm trgovine otvorene u nedjelju.

Müller

Ovdje možete provjeriti koje su Müller trgovine otvorene u nedjelju.

Ostale trgovine

Bauhaus

“Svi Bauhaus prodajni centri nedjeljom su zatvoreni”, stoji na stranici.

Emmezeta

Ove nedjelje otvorena je samo Emmezeta trgovina u Zagrebu na adresi Jankomir – Velimira Škorpika 25. Sve ostale Emmezeta trgovine su zatvorene.

Pevex

Pevexovi prodajni centri neće raditi ove nedjelje.

IKEA

Robna kuća IKEA Zagreb ne radi ove nedjelje. Ove nedjelje ne rade Studio za planiranje Split ni IKEA dostavni centar Split.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

Google has terminated its contract with Australian data company Appen which helped the tech giant in training its large language model (LLM) AI tools used in Bard and Search.

Appen said in an Australian exchange filing that it had no prior knowledge of Google’s decision to terminate the contract.

In FY23, Appen’s revenue from Google was $82.8 million at a gross margin of 26 per cent.

“The news is unexpected and disappointing, particularly considering the progress made against Appen’s transformation and performance in November and December 2023,” the company said in its filing.

A Google spokesperson told The Verge that the decision to end the contract was made as “part of our ongoing effort to evaluate and adjust many of our supplier partnerships across Alphabet to ensure our vendor operations are as efficient as possible”.

At Appen, contractors help rate data quality and answers from AI models.

Appen has also helped train AI models for Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon.

“Appen continues to focus on cost management, business turnaround and delivery of high-quality AI data for its customers,” it said.

The Australian company will immediately adjust its strategic priorities following the notification of the Google contract termination and provide further details in its FY23 full-year results on February 27.

Google is working closely with Appen to make the transition “as smooth as possible.”

It was 39 years ago today when a 25-year-old Michael Jackson was filming a Pepsi advert, as part of what would turn out to be a long-standing partnership with the soda company.

During the shoot, the King of Pop was singing Billie Jean for a live audience when a planned firework display erupted from the back of the stage causing falling embers, which engulfed the star’s head in flames.

The singer’s make-up artist Karen Faye, who ended up working with the music icon for 27 years, testified in a later court case “I never saw anything like that in my life. This was someone I knew and he was on fire. All his hair was gone and there was smoke coming out of his head.”

Despite the horror of what was happening, Jackson continued dancing, later saying that he couldn’t “disappoint the audience” despite being on fire. That was until he was wrestled to the ground and put out.

There were 3000 fans bearing witness to the shocking event, with one fan stating that the singer was: “Wonderful. He reassured people even as he was being taken away on a stretcher.”

In the end, Jackson had to ‘Beat It’ to hospital as the accident turned out to be very nasty indeed; causing him second and third-degree burns. He even visited a plastic surgeon (something the star ended up being no stranger to) to determine whether or not he needed surgery on his head.

At the time, Jackson explained that he had “some major reconstructive surgery on my scalp” after the stage accident. He said: “I became increasingly more dependent on painkillers to get me through the days of my tour.”

Some fans believe the event to be a hoax on account of the singer wanting a hair transplant anyway, pointing out that it was hair “singes” rather than burns. However, the star likely had product in his locks at the time, which caused his hair to be flammable.

Pepsi ended up offering Jackson a whopping $1.5 million in compensation over the event to smooth things over, which the star donated to the Brotman Medical Centre where he was treated.

It was reported the Man in the Mirror singer was earning an apparent £7m for the Pepsi Cola adverts, which he starred in alongside his four famous brothers from the band Jackson Five.

The sponsorship deal remained intact until the singer later revealed he was addicted to drugs and cancelled his Dangerous tour in 1992. This resulted in the termination of his nine-year contract with Pepsi – the largest in history at the time.

Strip away the camouflage, and this is what Kia’s long-awaited dual-cab ute will look like when it launches in 2025.

While previously spied examples of the Kia Tasman have been mules, wearing cobbled-together sheetmetal borrowed from the Mohave SUV, this one spotted by Korean spy video outlet Woopa TV appears to be wearing production sheetmetal.

Additionally, fellow Korean outlet New Autopost has published a set of spy photos.

It’s quite a bluff, boxy body for the brand’s first dual-cab ute, with more upright styling than many rivals, accentuated by the vertically oriented headlights quickly becoming a signature Kia design cue, as well as a tall greenhouse.

The rear bumper features an integrated step, á la the Ford Ranger, to allow easier access to the tub.

While the dashboard is heavily camouflaged, the centre console is largely undisguised.

We can see a rather traditional-looking gear shifter, a start button, as well as a wheel for selecting which two- or four-wheel drive mode to engage. This includes an automatic four-wheel drive mode suitable for on-pavement driving, as seen in rivals like the Mitsubishi Triton.

Referred to internally as the TK, the ute may wear the Tasman nameplate which Kia has trademarked locally.

2025 Kia Tasman ute: Korean HiLux, Ranger rival spied

Kia confirmed last year it was benchmarking the Tasman against the Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, and Toyota HiLux, particularly in terms of payload and towing capacity figures – a 3500kg braked towing capacity figure, therefore, seems likely.

It’ll offer a diesel engine, and we’d wager all models will feature leaf-spring rear suspension.

As to what diesel engine it will offer, that’s unclear. Kia currently offers a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four in its Sorento and Carnival, offering 148kW of power and 440Nm of torque.

Whether the company will target the Ranger and Amarok with an optional six-cylinder powertrain is unclear.

The body-on-frame Mohave SUV comes with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, but it’s getting on in years. Nevertheless, it meets Euro 6 emissions standards, and pumps out 189kW and 560Nm – close to the V6 Ranger and Amarok’s 184kW/600Nm outputs.

The GV80 from fellow Hyundai Motor Group brand Genesis has a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel inline six, but the engine has just been discontinued and no further applications for it have been confirmed.

Kia is targeting 10 per cent of the light commercial vehicle market with the Korean-built ute. That’s just below where the Isuzu D-Max, Australia’s third best-selling ute, sits in terms of market share.

Given Australia’s love of utes – and the relative absence of them in Korea – Kia has been using our market as a testing ground.

Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero said last year “lots of visitors have made the trip” to Australia to experience competitors and local conditions.

A “substantial” amount of work on the ute has been done in Australia, he said, “though a lot of work is ready to go”.

“It’s not different to any other new R&D project, so while it’s evolving, it’s also flexible,” said Kia Australia ride and handling engineer Graeme Gambold.

Kia said last year it isn’t working on an SUV counterpart, which would rival the likes of the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X and replace the ageing Mohave.

The Tasman isn’t the only ute Kia is working on, with an electric ute also in development that’s aimed at markets like the US.

MORE: Kia Tasman ute: Bold sales targets revealed

The crypto markets have evolved in the past few years as the latest tokens are gaining more attention and adoption than the other traditional altcoins. The top 10 cryptos have been growing marginally ever since the markets flipped during the last quarter of 2023. Although market trends rebounded in the first few days of 2023, some of them failed to gain bullish momentum.

In the meantime, some projects received attention after a long time, while others were acquired soon after their launch. Since the beginning of 2024, some of these altcoins have been making huge noise within the crypto space. Therefore, it is now believed that these tokens may have a huge impact on the upcoming bull run. Here are some of the tokens that have ignited a strong upswing and may sustain the trend for a long time in 2924.

Manta Network (MANTA)

Manta Network, the modular ecosystem for Web3, has displayed some spectacular moves in recent times. The price initiated the trading journey with a huge bullish candle, rising from the levels around $0.05 to the high of $3.33. Currently, the price is discovering new highs as the rally is achieving new ATH every new day. The token is maintaining an elevated trend and may continue to do so, but a short-term pullback could be on the horizon as the RSI in the short term has hit the upper resistance.

Sui (SUI)

Sui is a layer-1 blockchain and smart contract platform that also began its trading journey with a massive green candle. The price formed the new ATH at $1.72 on the very first day of its trade, and despite a pullback, the token underwent a parabolic recovery to gain levels close to $1.4. The technicals are in favour of the bulls, and the volume is also underpinning the rising trend. Therefore, the SUI price is believed to maintain a fine upswing and eventually achieve the $2 milestone shortly.

Polygon Ecosystem Token (POL)

The Polygon Ecosystem Token is an upcoming upgrade token for the Polygon ecosystem, and the MATIC token is expected to get upgraded to POL. The POL smart contracts have gone live on the Ethereum mainnet, as MATIC is a layer-2 chain working for Ethereum. With the migration, the MATIC or POL could set up a fresh bullish trend and achieve new highs in the coming days. With this, the POL price may surge beyond $1 initially and later head towards new highs.

Celestia (TIA)

The very first modular blockchain, Celestia, allows users to deploy their blockchain with minimal overhead. The TIA price is trading within an ascending parallel channel, with the price trying hard to bounce off the lower support. The RSI has triggered a bullish divergence, which may induce bullish hopes for the upcoming trend. The price may soon regain $20 and continue to mark new highs every day.

Some of Byju’s biggest investors have constituted a close group to engage with the company, track its progress, and provide suggestions, according to sources. These investors are some of the edtech major’s biggest investors.

The close investor group, formed a few weeks ago, includes investors such Peak XV, Prosus, General Atlantic, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sofina, and Verlinvest.

This move comes nearly three months after some key investors stepped down from the board of Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, which runs Byju’s, due to differences with founder and CEO Byju Raveendran.

In June, Peak XV’s GV Ravi Shankar, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative from Vivian Wu, and Russel Dreisenstock from Prosus resigned abruptly. Around around this time when Byju’s long-standing auditor, Deloitte, who had been with the company since 2015, cited a delay in releasing the financial results for FY22.

Prosus had issued a statement stating that Byju’s executive leadership consistently disregarded Dreisenstock’s advice and recommendations related to strategy, operations, legal affairs, and corporate governance matters.

Cash issues

Byju’s has been struggling with cash flow issues and n negotiating with lenders to repay the $1.2-billion loan amount to lenders within six months. It has put two of its key assets, Great Learning and Epic, for sale, and expects to get about $800 million.

Recently, the lenders appointed risk advisory firm Kroll to safeguard the company’s assets. The move aimed to discover the real price of Great Learning, particularly in the case of a management buyout.

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Respiratory illnesses that include a fever plus a cough or sore throat, causing people to seek medical care in the United States, have remained elevated in the last two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Friday.

“This week, 22 jurisdictions experienced high or very high activity compared to 37 jurisdictions two weeks ago,” the agency said in an update, noting that there had been some decreases.

While COVID-19, RSV and flu positivity rates remained elevated nationally, COVID and RSV rates decreased compared to the previous week, and flu rates stayed about the same.

THE FLU IS SOARING IN 7 US STATES AND RISING IN OTHERS, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY

COVID-19, RSV and flu positivity rates remain “elevated” but have decreased in the last two weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. (Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Also, visits to the emergency room for the flu, COVID and RSV have decreased as the country returns to work after gathering with family and friends for the holidays last month, spreading viruses during the height of the flu season.

Levels of COVID-19 detected in wastewater remained elevated but went down from “very high to high” and were concentrated mostly in the South, the CDC said.

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States with a “very high” level of respiratory illness include New York, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Louisiana.

If your day does not begin until you have the first sip of your coffee, chances are you also own a coffee-making machine at home. A coffee maker is every coffee lover’s best friend. Not only does it provide you with a nice cup of Joe at any hour, but it is also portable and mobile. However, is your coffee tasting a little different nowadays? Then chances are it could be because you have not cleaned it thoroughly in a while. Just like any other kitchen appliance, cleaning your coffee maker is important for its proper functioning. If you have made up your mind to clean it, then we have compiled a list of 5 mistakes that you should avoid while cleaning your coffee maker.

Also Read: 5 Unknown Uses of Coffee Maker

Avoid cleaning your coffee maker with harsh materials.
Photo Credit: iStock

Here Are 5 Mistakes That You Should Avoid While Cleaning Your Coffee Maker

1. Using Harsh Cleaners

Are you using vinegar or abrasive scrubs to clean your coffee maker? If so, you may be damaging the machine’s surface, which might affect the final taste of your coffee. While vinegar is an amazing cleaning agent, harsh cleaners like it can leave unwanted residue behind that may affect your coffee maker’s components, such as rubber seals. Instead of using harsh cleaners, invest in mild, non-abrasive cleaners recommended by the coffee maker’s manufacturer.

2. Just Cleaning The Carafe

If you own a coffee machine at home, you must be aware that all its components are equally important, not just the carafe. Other parts of the coffee maker, like the water reservoir, hot plate, filter basket, steam wands, and drip trays, require regular cleaning to prevent bacterial growth. To keep your coffee maker as good as new, soak every removable part in soapy hot water for 15 minutes. Practising this ensures a hygienic coffee-making environment.

3. Not Descaling

Cleaning your coffee maker is not just about removing unwanted coffee residue. Due to the coffee-making process, there is a lot of product build-up, like limescale, that gets left behind. Limescale, caused by magnesium and calcium in the water, can harm your machine in heated areas. This might rust the inner and outer parts of the coffee maker and cause heating issues. If your product allows it, descaling with a vinegar-water solution can help with deep cleaning.

Running water through your coffee maker will keep it clean and odour-free.
Photo Credit: iStock

4. Not Running Water Through It

Do you run your coffee maker just on water? If not, then this is one practice that you should do regularly. Flushing your coffee maker with water is an effective way to keep it clean efficiently. Running a water cycle can help clear any coffee residue left in the maker while enhancing the taste of your next cup. Regularly running your coffee maker on water maintains good machine hygiene and saves it from any unpleasant smell.

5. Not Drying The Parts After Washing

To clean your machine properly, you need to dismantle every removable part of it. However, what many people forget to do is to wash and DRY the removable parts of the machine. Not drying the parts before assembling can lead to moisture, odours, and bacterial growth in the machine. For metal components, drying would ensure rust does not occur on the machine. Not drying the parts could impact the machine’s functionality.

Also Read: 5 Coffee Makers That Will Help You Make The Perfect Coffee

Do you have any other suggestions to keep in mind while cleaning coffee makers? Let us know in the comments below!

What differentiates limerence from a crush or love is the intensity, an emotional roller coaster that fluctuates from euphoria to despair. Giulia Poerio, a psychologist and mind-wandering researcher at the University of Sussex in England, said, “Any sign of rejection can make somebody hit a low, and any sign of interest can make somebody hit a high.” It’s an endless mind game of, “She loves me, she loves me not.”

Limerents, deeply fearful of rejection, allow their self-esteem to rest in the hands of an LO who may not even know they exist. The LO is most often a friend, colleague, or stranger met in passing. It can also be someone with whom you’ve had a brief romantic encounter that feels unresolved, explains Dr. Poerio, especially if the LO continues to leave breadcrumbs.

Sue Crump, a 67-year-old volunteer at a mental health charity shop in Sheffield, England, said for 18 months, she obsessively watched YouTube videos featuring her LO, a much younger, married singer she’d briefly met a handful of times. “I fantasized about a relationship with him and read things into texts and online messages he sent in reply to my own.” She turned to a limerence support group on Facebook soon after the isolation of the pandemic lockdown made her longing worse. “It made me realize I was not alone, and I was not going mad,” said Ms. Crump.

Limerence is nourished by replaying memories and rehearsing future interactions. “There’s a fair amount of mental time travel,” said Dr. Poerio, who asked survey respondents to write descriptions of these fantasies. “It’s often not romantic or sexual in nature. It is very much about wanting to feel loved and cared for.”

Chris Gregory, 53, a certified yoga instructor in Denver, recalls first experiencing limerence in high school. “I would develop insanely obsessive crushes on women and then not pursue them. Then I would be crushed by them not responding the way the scene had played out in my own head and heart. I felt unworthy,” he said. Gregory continued to experience limerence throughout his adult life, he said, but mistook it for love.

There’s an urban legend that says the majestic Maine Coon came from the cross of a Norwegian cat and a raccoon. This myth is likely due to the fact that the Maine Coon is a huge feline with distinctive markings that are somewhat reminiscent of a raccoon’s stripes. But while it’s true that cats and raccoons can sometimes cross paths, especially in urban and suburban areas, these encounters don’t end in tiny “cat-coon” or “rac-cat” babies. Cats and raccoons cannot mate and reproduce—no matter how adorable such offspring would be!

Let’s take a closer look at why some species can successfully interbreed and why this is not the case with cats and raccoons. There are also great tips on keeping your feline friend safe if they venture outside.

Can Two Different Species Mate?

It’s not that frequent in the wild, but two different but related species can indeed reproduce. This process is called hybridization, and it can happen in both animals and plants. When two different species mate successfully, their offspring is called a hybrid. Most of the time, hybrids are sterile, meaning they can’t have babies (though this isn’t always the case).

That said, scientists don’t all agree on how to define species. The “Biological Species Concept” is typically used to separate different animals and plants into various species. According to this principle, animals that cannot breed together or that can breed but produce sterile offspring are classified as different species.

Some scientists classify species based on notable physical and environmental differences—for example, differences in color, behavior, habitat, or geographic location. Other scientists use genetic differences, which are sections of DNA containing small differences called mutations. Typically, members of different species are unable to reproduce due to these genetic barriers. Indeed, this is the very definition of the term “species,” which comes back to the Biological Species Concept; two animals incapable of reproducing are classified as two different species.

a cat and a raccoon outdoors — Image Credit: Tony Campbell, Shutterstock

Are All Hybrids Sterile?

While it’s true that most hybrids are unable to reproduce, there are instances where hybrids can have babies. This occurs when a hybrid mates with another hybrid or with a member of the same species as one of its parents. For example, when a male lion and a female tiger hybridize, they produce a liger. 90% of male ligers are sterile but most of the female ligers are fertile and can be successfully bred back to a tiger or a lion.

Interestingly, according to the authors of an article published in the journal Frontiers, the existence of fertile hybrids poses a certain scientific challenge, as it contradicts a fundamental principle of the Biological Species Concept, which suggests that two distinct species should not be capable of mating and producing fertile babies. However, this does not imply that the parents of hybrids are not distinct species; rather, it highlights that the concept of ‘biological species’ may not apply to all species.

So, Why Can’t Cats and Raccoons Mate?

You may have heard that cats and raccoons can sometimes mate, but these claims are not supported by any credible evidence. Scientifically, there are no documented cases of successful interspecies breeding between these two animals.

Cats and raccoons belong to distinct families within the order Carnivora. Indeed, cats are part of the Felidae family, while raccoons are classified in the Procyonidae family. If we look at the liger, which has a tiger mother and a lion father, we can see that even though they are different species, they belong to the same genus, Panthera, which explains their interbreeding success. This is not the case for raccoons and cats.

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How to Keep Your Cat Safe Outdoors

bombay cat sitting on grass outdoor — Image Credit: Viktor Sergeevich, Shutterstock

Although cats and raccoons cannot mate, they do often cross paths in the wild, particularly in areas where human development encroaches upon natural habitats. These interactions can lead to a variety of outcomes, some of which can pose risks to your cat. Rabies, for example, is a significant concern, and raccoons are known carriers of this deadly virus. If your cat gets into a fight with a raccoon, there is a chance of disease transmission through bites or scratches.

Considering the potential risks posed by interactions with raccoons and other wildlife, it’s essential to take measures to ensure your cat’s safety when they venture outside.

Here are a few helpful tips:

Monitor their time spent outdoors. If possible, try to supervise your cat’s comings and goings. To keep them truly safe, build a secure outdoor enclosure, commonly called a catio, to provide a safe outdoor space for your cat without exposing them to the dangers of wildlife.

Keep your cat in your house at night. Since raccoons are primarily nocturnal creatures, it is best to keep your cat indoors in the evenings and at night.

Make sure your cat’s vaccinations are up to date. This is especially important for diseases like rabies.

Microchip your cat, and get them a collar with an identification tag. If they get lost or injured, this can increase the chances of their safe return.

Spay or neuter your cat. Besides the various health benefits of these procedures, spaying or neutering your pet will greatly reduce their desire to roam and get into trouble. It will also reduce infections that are sexually transmitted such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (the cat version of HIV).

Bottom Line

Although interspecies breeding is technically possible and can even result in fertile hybrids like ligers, there is no scientific data proving that such a relationship can take place between a raccoon and a cat. That said, the risks linked to random encounters between these two species are very real, such as the transmission of contagious diseases or the risk of injury in the event of a fight.

Therefore, if you let your cat roam freely outside, make sure to monitor their comings and goings as much as possible, and above all, ensure that their vaccinations are up to date. Don’t try to attract raccoons to your home just because they seem adorable and harmless!

Featured Image Credit: Corina Muresan, Shutterstock

The residential real estate sector is set to end the year with record sales of over 7 lakh units in terms of volumes and over ₹7-lakh crore in terms of value, as housing demand remains sustained despite price hikes and elevated mortgage rates.

2023 is expected to end with residential sales of 706,680 units, a rise of 8.7 per cent from 2022, according to data and estimates provided to businessline by data and analytics platform PropEquity.

In value terms, this would be 7.3 lakh crore, a 30.4 per cent increase from last year. “This may turn out to be the peak year for sales,” said PropEquity’s Founder and MD, Samir Jasuja.

In the first nine months of the year, more than 5.3 lakh units have been sold with a total value of ₹5.5 lakh crore, the data showed. PropEquity data covers 44 cities, and over 1.5 lakh projects of more than 52,000 developers.

“We find the residential sector doing exceedingly well, coming out of a long trough and 2022 onward it has been really phenomenal for the sector,” said Jasuja. He said the momentum looked like it would sustain next year as well but declined to give a projection.

After more than a decade, sales are running ahead of launches, sending inventory levels down to near lows of 17 months.

Slew of projects

Developers have lined up a slew of projects for the second half and the year is expected to end with new launches of 5.74 lakh units, but well short of the over 6.1 lakh units launched in 2022, which is the peak year for launches so far, Jasuja said.

According to Jefferies, the top seven listed developers are launching about 17 projects in the current quarter with a total area of 28 million square feet.

The highest number of launches are being seen in Hyderabad, Pune, and Thane, which have consistently seen launches of over 75,000 units each in the recent past. Pune is becoming an attractive alternative to Mumbai, while rapid infrastructure development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and connectivity to Mumbai city have resulted in an explosion of projects in Thane.

Post-pandemic, Hyderabad is experiencing a significant surge in demand, especially for larger units with 3 bedrooms, and developers adapting to the changing preferences. “Hyderabad has been steadily growing, and it has grown to 75,000 units from as low as 20,000 units 6-7 years back,” Jasuja said.

In the National Capital Region, Gurugram has seen close to three times rise in launches over the last 3-4 years, despite the prices that have doubled since the pandemic.

While tier-1 cities have the major share of launches and sales, tier-2 cities are also seeing demand growth. Of the total, tier- 1 cities are expected to see sales of 1.4 lakh units in 2023, a 7.7 per cent rise from last year while in terms of value it is just about ₹1 lakh crore up about a fourth.

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CIF City Section and Southern Section boys’ and girls’ high school basketball scores for Friday:

BOYS

Anaheim Canyon 66, Yorba Linda 63

Animo Robinson 58, Gertz-Ressler 46

Arcadia 75, Muir 55

Arrowhead Christian 65, Western Christian 48

Arroyo 61, Pasadena Marshall 57

Artesia 56, Whitney 36

Aspire Ollin 66, Annenberg 37

Avalon 55, Acaciawood 44

Beacon Hill 53, Nordhoff 50

Beaumont 67, Redlands East Valley 50

Big Bear 72, Academic Excellence 61

Birmingham 64, El Camino Real 61

Bishop Montgomery 58, St. Anthony 54

Bishop Union 51, Mammoth 48

Blair 84, San Marino 81

Bonita 72, Ayala 61

Bravo 69, Franklin 48

Brea Olinda 51, Esperanza 46

Burbank Burroughs 67, Hoover 63

Calabasas 77, Newbury Park 57

Calvary Baptist 80, Norte Vista 72

Camarillo 66, Simi Valley 42

Cantwell Sacred Heart 47, Mary Star of the Sea 44

Carpinteria 69, Malibu 36

Carson 60, Wilmington Banning 50

Cerritos 77, Pioneer 53

Chatsworth 60, Granada Hills 53

Citrus Valley 72, Cajon 71

Cleveland 79, Taft 53

Colony 81, Claremont 63

Contreras 43, Mendez 17

Corona Centennial 94, Riverside King 59

Covina 48, Northview 43

Crean Lutheran 83, Placentia Valencia 54

Crescenta Valley 65, Burbank 54

Crespi 61, Alemany 58

Culver City 72, Peninsula 58

Cypress 66, La Palma Kennedy 44

Damien 61, Los Osos 34

Dana Hills 84, Aliso Niguel 53

Desert Hot Springs 60, Coachella Valley 51

Dunn 71, Santa Clara 40

Dymally 46, Hawkins 39

Eagle Rock 64, LA Marshall 46

Eastside 64, Palmdale 61

Edgewood 52, Bassett 42

El Segundo 55, South 47

Etiwanda 88, Upland 48

Fairfax 73, Venice 70

Flintridge Prep 67, Bernstein 42

Francis Parker 70, JW North 46

Gahr 45, Warren 39

Gardena 59, Narbonne 56

Garden Grove 53, Katella 49

Garden Grove Santiago 72, La Quinta 56

Garey 67, Ganesha 31

Garfield 57, South East 39

Godinez Fundamental 56, Westminster 52

Grant 73, Sun Valley Poly 68

Harvard-Westlake 64, St. Francis 33

Heritage Christian 63, Maranatha 48

Hesperia 85, Apple Valley 52

Indio 77, Banning 54

JSerra 67, Orange Lutheran 58

Keppel 70, Schurr 43

Knight 67, Littlerock 64

La Canada 74, Monrovia 41

LACES 72, LA Hamilton 53

La Habra 63, Sunny Hills 56

Lake Balboa College 65, Discovery 52

La Mirada 73, Dominguez 62

LA Wilson 63, Lincoln 38

Leuzinger 59, Inglewood 51

Loara 52, Garden Grove 44

Lompoc Cabrillo 60, Paso Robles 48

Long Beach Cabrillo 68, Long Beach Millikan 51

Long Beach Poly 84, Long Beach Jordan 57

Los Amigos 52, Loara 44

Los Alamitos 77, Newport Harbor 64

Los Angeles 48, Angelou 31

Loyola 68, Chaminade 46

Lynwood 91, Downey 84

Manual Arts 94, West Adams 34

Marquez 106, Maywood 34

Marina 57, Laguna Beach 55

Mater Dei 82, Servite 45

Math & Science College 79, Animo South LA 13

Mira Costa 57, Palos Verdes 35

Modoc 53, Trinity 42

Moorpark 72, Royal 61

Mountain View 57, El Monte 44

Nipomo 58, Coastal Christian 46

North Hollywood 62, Monroe 30

Northridge Academy 57, VAAS 54

Oaks Christian 67, Agoura 52

OC Pacifica Christian 47, Capistrano Valley Christian 43

Orthopaedic 65, Central City Value 41

Oxford Academy 68, Glenn 32

Oxnard 66, Rio Mesa 63

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 64, Lancaster Baptist 35

Paraclete 56, Salesian 40

Pasadena 79, Glendale 54

Rancho Alamitos 61, Bolsa Grande 46

Rancho Christian 59, Riverside Poly 50

Rancho Cucamonga 84, Chino Hills 69

Rancho Verde 72, Elsinore 66

Redlands Adventist 56, Milo Adventist 354

Redondo Union 68, Santa Monica 45

Rolling Hills Prep 52, Bosco Tech 46

Roybal 59, Belmont 52

San Clemente 47, Tesoro 44

San Dimas 78, West Covina 54

San Gabriel 69, Bell Gardens 51

San Marcos 58, Buena 41

San Pedro 57, Rancho Dominguez 46

Santa Barbara 69, Ventura 53

Santee 66, Jefferson 31

Saugus 64, Golden Valley 43

Savanna 81, Century 51

Segerstrom 61, Ocean View 52

Serrano 60, Sultana 41

Sierra Canyon 81, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 75

Silver Valley 82, Apple Valley Christian 24

Sotomayor 67, Torres 28

South El Monte 61, Rosemead 49

Southwestern Academy 59, Waverly 21

St. Bonaventure 90, Bishop Diego 43

St. John Bosco 64, Santa Margarita 55

St. Margaret’s 74, Estancia 69

St. Mary’s (AZ) 93, Crean Lutheran 58

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 63, St. Bernard 61

Sun Valley Magnet 45, Alliance Marine-Innovation 32

Sylmar 81, Granada Hills Kennedy 69

Teacher 46, Foothill Tech 43

Temecula Prep 75,. San Jacinto Valley Academy 52

Temecula Valley 75, Murrieta Mesa 57

Temescal Canyon 42, Orange Vista 38

Templeton 74, Compton 54

Triumph Charter 85, Community Charter 42

Tustin 53, Garden Grove Pacifica 36

Valencia 65, Canyon Country Canyon 39

Valley Christian Academy 64, Santa Ynez 61

Vaughn 67, Fulton 0

Washington Prep 59, Crenshaw 37

Weaver 34, Joshua Springs Christian 18

West 66, Torrance 64

Westchester 50, LA University 29

Western 47, Anaheim 35

Westlake 65, Thousand Oaks 60

Wiseburn Da Vinci 82, Lawndale 58

Workman 47, Sierra Vista 42

Yucaipa 58, Redlands 55

GIRLS

Alhambra 49, Montebello 35

Annenberg 50, Aspire Ollin 4

Apple Valley 50, Hesperia 44

Arleta 32, Verdugo Hills 28

Arrowhead Christian 62, Woodcrest Christian 50

Beaumont 64, Redlands East Valley 32

Beckman 65, Laguna Hills 28

Bell Gardens 57, San Gabriel 27

Beverly Hills 51, Morningside 48

Birmingham 61, El Camino Real 30

Buena Park 89, Troy 61

Calabasas 72, Newbury Park 63

Camarillo 81, Simi Valley 48

Canyon Country Canyon 60, Valencia 47

Carson 48, Wilmington Banning 41

Central City Value 27, Orthopaedic 17

Cerritos 48, Pioneer 35

Chadwick 37, Westridge 34

Claremont 63, Colony 32

Cleveland 35, Taft 31

Colton 55, Jurupa Hills 44

Compton Centennial 61, Hawthorne 2

Corona Centennial 71, Riverside King 53

Corona Santiago 88, Norco 26

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Crenshaw 67, Washington Prep 57

Crescenta Valley 71, Burbank 34

Culver City 55, Peninsula 26

Cypress 50, La Palma Kennedy 38

Desert Hot Springs 49, Coachella Valley 35

Dos Pueblos 61, Oxnard Pacifica 15

Duarte 58, Azusa 26

Eagle Rock 73, LA Marshall 45

Eastvale Roosevelt 52, Corona 40

Elsinore 43, Orange Vista 37

Etiwanda 81, Upland 17

Flintridge Sacred Heart 35, Marymount 25

Garden Grove Pacifica 30, Tustin 18

Garey 76, Ganesha 20

Garfield 70, South East 36

Glendora 63, Alta Loma 21

Godinez Fundamental 41, Westminster 28

Granada Hills 62, Chatsworth 47

Granada Hills Kennedy 45, Sylmar 36

Great Oak 53, Chaparral 50

Harbor Teacher 83, Port of LA 13

Hart 72, Castaic 10

Hawthorne Math & Science 25, Vistamar 24

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Hemet 56, Vista del Lago 8

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International School of LA 21, Southwestern Academy 19

Irvine 49, Irvine University 33

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King/Drew 73, Academic Leadership 4

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Webb Schools 48, Newport Christian 18

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Asia Pacific businesses are sprucing up investments in generative AI (GenAI) and projected to nearly triple spends on this technology to $3.4 billion in 2024 across Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, India, and Singapore, according to Infosys Research.

While the spending trails North America, APAC’s adoption, effectiveness, and growth are among the highest globally, it said.

“Companies across Asia-Pacific are quickly ramping up investments in generative AI and entering a higher stage of maturity,” the IT major’s research arm, Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), said in the research.

While APAC companies currently lag behind their North American counterparts in GenAI spending, the research forecasts a bigger increase than in any other region, that is 140 per cent.

“This translates to an estimated $3.4 billion to be invested across Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, India, and Singapore,” it said.

Infosys’ Generative AI Radar APAC report includes insights from interviews with business leaders and AI practitioners and a survey of 1,000 respondents from Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, India, and Singapore.

Enterprises across APAC are investing heavily in GenAI. China leads the region, with investment expected to grow by more than 160 per cent to $2.1 billion, and Australia and New Zealand growth close behind.

“ANZ (Australia and New Zealand) investment is expected to grow by more than 150 per cent, from $60 million to $151 million in 2024,” the research findings showed.

The biggest obstacles to APAC adoption are caution around responsible AI, concerns about the impact on reputation, and employee readiness.

Responsible AI (data privacy, data usability, ethics and bias) is a concern for APAC countries, though ANZ is less concerned about data usability.

“APAC is more cautious about GenAI’s business impact than North America and Europe; almost 10 per cent expect a negative impact on reputation versus less than 5 per cent for North America and Europe, it said.

Bloomberg | | Posted by Zarafshan Shiraz

South Africa is a standout among its global peers offering an unexpected advantage: affordability. That’s according to brokerage RMB Morgan Stanley.

South Africa’s tourist attractions are now even more affordable (Photo by Twitter/LetsTravelEarth)

The rand has weakened about 9% versus the dollar and euro, and some 12% against the British pound, over the last year. The depreciation, along with fairly subdued inflation in South Africa compared with abroad, means that relative prices for local goods and services on sale are cheaper than elsewhere.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

“Consumers can drink nearly three cappuccinos in South Africa for the price of one in the US and could spend four nights in a Cape Town hotel for the price of only one in London,” said Mary Curtis, a strategist at the broker, and Andrea Masia, an economist.

“Looking at the bigger picture, low relative prices of South African goods and services are just another example of value in South Africa assets,” they wrote in a note to clients.

Valuations for both bonds and equities look cheap compared with peers, with elections due later in the year potentially providing a fresh catalyst to unlock some value, they said.

Meanwhile, price disparities support the continued recovery in South Africa’s net tourist receipts, while the weaker currency should result in lower import growth, they said. Both would help offset the slide in export prices and limit the potential deterioration in the current account.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

It’s been seven years since Johnny Depp last starred as Captain Jack Sparrow in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

A sixth film was planned as a farewell to the character, which the Hollywood star was looking forward to.

However, Disney dropped the actor after domestic abuse claims by his ex-wife Amber Heard surfaced in 2018, which he strongly denied.

Now having won a libel case against her in the US, fans have been hopeful that the 60-year-old will make a return in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, which producer Jerry Bruckheimer said is something he’d “love” to happen.

In the meantime, fans have been taking their desire for more Jack Sparrow into their own hands, with one creating a concept trailer for a new Pirates movie called Beyond the Horizon.

The viral YouTube Video by KH Studio features an AI Jenna Ortega as Jack Sparrow’s daughter heading off on adventures with him.

Enthusiastic fans commented: “Impressive. The creator of this concept trailer is definitely very talented.

Another wrote: “This is a great trailer. Jenna being Jack’s daughter is a nice idea. I hope Disney finally smartens up and does whatever it takes to get Depp back to star in Pirates 6 because we really want this.”

One said: “Some of these fan concepts are better than what the studios are putting out there!!” Another commented: “I would be stoked if this was real. Such a great concept. Hurry up and apologise to Depp Disney!! Also agree that Jenna would be great for the role.”

After missing its sales targets in 2023, electric car maker Polestar is swinging the axe to cut costs, and reduce its reliance on its owners, Volvo and Geely.

The Sweden-based automaker confirmed to Reuters and Seeking Alpha that it plans to retrench 450 workers, or about 15 per cent of its workforce. Polestar’s overall headcount is low because it uses an “asset light” approach, with manufacturing done by Volvo and Geely.

A spokesperson for Polestar told the news agency the automaker is “reducing external spend and, regrettably, also our number of employees”.

Polestar 2

The company delivered 54,600 cars in 2023, a small six per cent increase over its 2022 sales, and well below the initial target of 80,000, which was later revised down to 60,000. Polestar blamed a “challenging market” for missing its 2023 targets.

Among the challenges faced by automakers in 2023 were slowing growth for electric vehicles (EVs), and reduced EV subsidies in many jurisdictions. Tesla managed to keep sales growing by slashing prices.

In November 2023, Polestar accepted these changing conditions and outlined a new near-term plan focussing on its profit margins. It also secured an additional US$450 million ($685 million) in loans from Volvo and Geely.

CEO Thomas Ingenlath told the media Polestar will retain its premium positioning and concentrate on profitability, meaning it would not cut prices. At the time Polestar was planning to hit around 155,000 sales per year by 2025, down from an earlier target of 290,000.

Polestar to fire 15 per cent of its workforce — ***Polestar 4***

Starting life in the late 1990s as a racing outfit, the company began tuning Volvo cars in the mid-2000s, and was bought out by Volvo in 2015. Two years later, Volvo and Geely announced Polestar would become a standalone brand focussing on electrified — later fully electric — vehicles.

After merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in June 2022, Polestar has been listed on the tech-focussed Nasdaq stock exchange. Its share price has fallen by around 80 per cent since then.

Although it is now a public company, Volvo and Geely own almost 95 per cent of Polestar’s shares.

Polestar currently has two cars in production, the Volvo XC40-based Polestar 2 high-riding sedan, and the larger Polestar 4 crossover coupe.

The first deliveries of the Volvo EX90-based Polestar 3 are expected to start around the middle of 2024. Both the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 have been confirmed for Australia.

As Bitcoin (BTC) prices show signs of recovery following a recent dip, analysts are divided on whether the leading cryptocurrency has already hit its bottom. Despite Bitcoin’s nearly zero percentage change over the past week, market experts offer contrasting opinions on the future trajectory of its price.

CrediBULL Crypto’s Prediction

Renowned analyst CrediBULL Crypto anticipates a bounce back in Bitcoin’s price, potentially reaching the $40,000 range after its recent dip to $38,000. However, CrediBULL acknowledges the risk of a further drop, cautioning against going below $36,000.

The analyst’s perspective hinges on the recent approval of spot Bitcoin ETF filings by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), introducing a new variable to the market.

CrediBULL Crypto suggests that while selling pressure could persist in the current zone, the potential for lower lows below $40,000 appears limited. If this scenario holds, it could indicate that Bitcoin has already reached its bottom.

Will BTC Touch $49,000?

In contrast, crypto analyst James Van Straten provides a more optimistic outlook, suggesting that Bitcoin could revisit the $49,000 mark for the second time after ETF approval. He attributes this potential bullish rally to stablecoin rotation, highlighting that a slight shift from stablecoins contributed to Bitcoin’s rise to $42,000 on January 26.

Van Straten contends that stablecoin rotation alone could drive BTC prices above $49,000 in the coming days. He also points to Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows, emphasizing their role in the recent rebound.

However, the rise in the Bitcoin Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR) on Friday signals the possibility of a short-term correction due to increased selling pressure.

Bitcoin ETF: Mixed Impact

Experts delve into the impact of Bitcoin ETFs on the market, noting a net positive effect despite outflows from the Grayscale Bitcoin ETF. On January 26, 2024, Grayscale Bitcoin spot ETF (GBTC) experienced a record single-day net outflow of $671 million, contributing to cumulative net outflows reaching $5.46 billion.

Despite these outflows, Bitcoin ETFs as a whole have seen more inflows, reflecting a positive market sentiment

Bitcoin’s Current State

As of Saturday, January 27, Bitcoin briefly touched $42,000 but struggled to maintain this level, resulting in daily gains slipping from over 5% to just above 2%. The current BTC price stands at $41,747.53, reflecting a 2.41% increase.

With a market capitalization of $818.73 billion and a 14.74% rise in the 24-hour trade volume to $23 billion, Bitcoin’s value remains below the day’s high of $42,209.39.

India’s top IT companies — bulk recruiters in engineering colleges — are likely to skip campus placements this year, which is worrying news for Tamil Nadu’s engineering colleges, especially tier-2 and tier-3 categories that send a large number of graduates to the sector. The bulk recruiters are facing a weak demand environment and an excess freshers’ bench.

The State’s 500+ engineering colleges churn out thousands of graduates every year, with a sizeable number going to the IT sector.

Also Read: Placement Puzzle. Do companies need to rethink their campus hiring strategy?

TCS is recalibrating its gross hiring, while Infosys said it may not go to campus this year as it has a large freshers’ strength. Interestingly, HCL Technology said it would continue to recruit freshers this year.

Milind Lakkad, Chief HR Officer, TCS, told analysts that the company has been investing in fresh talent for almost 18 months, and that investment is now paying off. Also, because of lower attrition, the company has recalibrated its gross hiring, and those numbers are less than our attrition.”

Officials at various engineering colleges are worried about the trend of lower hiring by the top IT companies and reluctant to comment.

IT services companies not hiring will impact Tier-2 and Tier-3 colleges largely. But for larger educational institutions, such as Anna University, there may not be much impact. A number of core companies have shown interest in hiring on campus for both IT and non-IT requirements, said Shanmuga Sundaram, Director, Centre for University Industry Collaboration, Anna University.

The placement at the university started in August and will go on until mid-November. Out of 1,500+ eligible students, already 460+ students have been placed in nearly 70 companies, with another 70 companies yet to complete their hiring, he said.

Also Read: IRMA records highest package of ₹26.5 lakh at placements for 42nd Batch

‘Short-term phenomenon’

With continued weakness in discretionary spending, large cost take-out deals coming in with built-in productivity commitments, attrition coming down sharply, employee utilisation going up by 3-5 per cent in about a year, and automation driving higher levels of productivity, net new hiring in the IT sector is bound to be anaemic until there are some green shoots, said Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, Partner, Catalincs and former CMD, Cognizant, India.

“I believe this pullback in campus hiring among large IT companies is only a short-term phenomenon,” he added.

Jayaprakash Gandhi, an education consultant, said the trend is really worrisome. Top colleges, which have huge numbers of computer science and IT-related students, are definitely in challenging positions.

Just coding skills are not enough. Companies expect students to use AI tools to deliver in quicker mode. Many institutions took it easier in the current scenario in the IT field, he said.

MS Prasadh, Workforce Research, Xpheno Private Ltd., a specialist staffing firm, said IT companies have broken the critical talent build process by staying away from campus for literally two cycles. The last time the build process was broken was in the years preceding the pandemic.

IT companies did not go to campus in 2018 and 2019, and the impact was felt in buoyant 2021. With no internal supply of trained talent, lateral buying of talent was forced and done at unimaginably high costs. The long shadow of high-cost hyper-hiring has been lingering around. Breaking the build now, amidst margin pressures, will come back to haunt the sector again during a recovery curve.

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Some aging drivers are signing contracts to help determine when their time behind the wheel should come to an end.

These “advance directives” are to help protect drivers’ safety and facilitate what can often be tough decisions for families.

Lewis Morgenstern, 61, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and emergency medicine at the University of Michigan, plans to sign such an agreement when he turns 65, as reported by KFF Health News.

WHEN SHOULD OLDER DRIVERS HAVE TO STOP DRIVING?

Morgenstern will stop driving whenever his children decide it’s time, according to the directive.

“I recognize that I might not be able to make the best decision about driving at a certain point, and I want to make it clear that I trust my children to take over that responsibility,” Morgenstern told KFF Health News.

Nearly 50 million people 65 years of age and older had driver’s licenses as of 2021, a 38% uptick from 2012, according to the American Automobile Association via KFF Health News. (iStock)

Morgenstern was also the co-author of a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in Nov. 2023. It measured the driving behaviors of 635 individuals with cognitive impairment.

“I recognize that I might not be able to make the best decision about driving at a certain point.”

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that 61% of older adults with cognitive impairment were still operating a vehicle — even though 36% of their caregivers were concerned about their driving ability.

“There is undoubtedly a group of people who are driving and shouldn’t be because they’re a risk to themselves and to others,” Morgenstern said.

Risks associated with senior driving

Data shows that risks are on the rise. As of 2021, nearly 50 million people age 65 and older had driver’s licenses, a 38% uptick from 2012, according to the American Automobile Association.

Almost 19 million of those drivers were 75 or older.

Some aging adults are signing contracts related to when they will give up their car keys, KFF Health News reported. (iStock)

Between 2012 and 2021, motor vehicle deaths involving drivers age 65 and older increased by 34%. The number of seniors injured in vehicle crashes that year exceeded 266,000 in 2021, KFF Health News reported.

Some of the biggest risks exist among older drivers who develop medical conditions that interfere with their driving ability, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma and arthritis.

ONE IN SIX TEENS ADMITS TO DROWSY DRIVING, SURVEY FINDS: IT’S ‘IMPAIRED DRIVING, UNEQUIVOCALLY’

“Among the bigger safety concerns are fender benders that they do not remember,” Tina Paff, president of Bick’s Driving School of Western Hills in Ohio, told Fox News Digital.

“Sure, it could be a mailbox or a pole, but sometimes it is a car or a pedestrian.”

Driving at night can also be dangerous, she noted, as the visual processing speed in older drivers is decreased.

Older adults have a higher risk of injury in the event they’re involved in an accident, according to experts. (iStock)

Getting lost while driving is another common occurrence among senior drivers, said Paff, who heads up the Bick’s Driver Rehabilitation Program. It evaluates older adults’ driving skills to determine whether or not those drivers should “retire” from operating vehicles.

Nigel Tunnacliffe, co-founder and CEO of Coastline Academy, a national driving school headquartered in California, pointed out some of the biggest dangers associated with older drivers.

11 WINTER CAR ESSENTIALS YOU CAN FIND ON AMAZON THAT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE

Those include hearing loss, difficulty taking in their full surroundings, greater risk of injury in the event of an accident, the use of older car models, and a lack of experience behind the wheel, which is often a factor when an older adult loses a spouse and is suddenly the sole driver, he noted.

‘No single, universal age’

There is “no single, universal age” at which people should stop driving, Tunnacliffe told Fox News Digital.

“It’s often not something that we can tell in advance. We cannot say with certainty that, for example, as soon as someone hits the age of 75, they should automatically and voluntarily step away from driving.”

He added, “It’s perfectly plausible — and common — that they will remain competent and effective drivers at that age.”

A driving expert suggests families make driving decisions based on an “actual, objective evaluation” of how an individual is faring behind the wheel. (iStock)

While Tunnacliffe acknowledged that age-related effects like vision loss, hearing loss and decreased mobility can make driving more dangerous, not everyone experiences these limitations at the same age, if at all.

Rather than setting an arbitrary date beforehand, Tunnacliffe recommends that families make the decision based on an “actual, objective evaluation” of how the individual is faring behind the wheel.

“We cannot say with certainty that as soon as someone hits the age of 75, they should automatically and voluntarily step away from driving.”

“For instance, having older adults take refresher courses can not only help make the decision of when to stop driving clearer, but it can also improve their driving skills more generally, and the assessments from those lessons can be shared with family members to help make the end-of-driving decision,” he told Fox News Digital.

Types of driving contracts

There are various types of advance driving directives.

“One asks a person to name a family member or friend who will talk to them about whether it’s safe to continue driving,” noted KFF Health News.

This type is not legally binding.

CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY: EXPERT SHARES DOS AND DON’TS TO PROTECT KIDS FROM ACCIDENT INJURIES

With another type of contract, family members agree to help the person continue driving in a safe way or help the individual find an alternate means of transportation.

The Alzheimer’s Association has published a non-binding directive that encourages people with dementia to designate someone to flag any driving-related concerns as the disease progresses.

Part of the agreement states the following: “I understand that I may forget that I cannot drive anymore and may try to continue driving. If this happens, please know that I support all actions taken, including removing or disabling my car, to help ensure my safety and the safety of others.”

Age-related effects like vision loss, hearing loss and decreased mobility can make driving more dangerous, one expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Paff said she thinks advance directives are “a great idea,” although she has some concerns that people with memory disorders won’t remember signing it.

“It would provide proof, however, for the families dealing with a disgruntled adult driver,” she said.

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These types of contracts could prove helpful if the driver was of sound mind when signing it, said Paff — but warned that in some cases, the memory-impaired parent may think it was “made up” or that “everyone is against me.” These are objections that she commonly hears, she said.

“There is undoubtedly a group of people who are driving and shouldn’t be because they’re a risk to themselves and to others.”

To minimize conflict and uncertainty, Paff recommends getting a formal evaluation from a third-party driver rehabilitation specialist to “take the family out of the mix.”

Tunnacliffe also recommends enrolling senior drivers in annual driving lessons, as well as having open and honest conversations about their cognitive and physical abilities.

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“The contract model does not challenge misleading assumptions and biases against older drivers, and it is important that we adopt a more realistic approach that respects both their safety and their autonomy,” he said.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

French President Emmanuel Macron was on a two-day visit to India to attend the 75th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. Macron arrived in Jaipur on January 25 and after reaching Delhi to attend the Republic Day parade, he stayed at the Grand Presidential Floor at ITC Maurya. As per reports, the French President arrived at the hotel at late night and greeted the hotel staff with his warm smile and friendly demeanour. During his stay at ITC Maurya in New Delhi, the President of France was welcomed with creative chocolate desserts. Take a look:

1. Chocolate Steam Engine

This was an old-fashioned steam engine train with 3 wagons and a railway track — all made out of chocolate. Chocolate slabs with various flavours were also loaded in these tiny wagons. These included:

Lavender, pistachio, white berry chocolate slab
Pecan nut and almond milk chocolate slab
Black currant and sunflower seed ruby chocolate slab
White pearls and freeze-dry berry slab
Hazelnut and pistachio 64% dark chocolate slab
French flag-themed white chocolate slab

There also stood a chocolate bench with a lamp post, along with personalised pictures and photos of historical monuments, symbolising the India-France friendship.

Also Read: 13 Best Chocolate Recipes | Easy Chocolate Recipes

2. Chocolate Stairs With Assorted Chocolate Truffle

This dessert featured an edible spiral staircase, crafted out of chocolate. Each step was filled with tiny chocolate truffles of various flavours like:

Sea salt and caramel milk chocolate truffle
Kerala coconut with black pepper white chocolate truffle
Thyme and raspberry dark chocolate truffle

The colour scheme of the truffles resembled the flag of France. There were also three small jars filled with assorted chocolate-coated nuts, kasuri methi shortbread and gud par.

Also Read: Homemade Chocolate Recipe: 2-Ingredient Condensed Milk Chocolates

3. Chocolate Hanging Clock

The last chocolate masterpiece featured a chocolate hanging clock, raspberry macaroon and fresh berries including raspberry, blackberries, red currant and blueberry. A Ruby chocolate cocoa nibs bar was also placed on a chocolate easel stand.

Apart from these chocolate-and-berry-themed desserts, the President of France also enjoyed tea with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to Jaipur on January 25th.

PM Modi shared a clip of the same on his Instagram handle, adding the caption, “Tea with my friend President @emmanuelmacron.”

Enjoying Kulhad-wali chai at a tea stall, PM Modi explained how the clay cup is the most environmentally friendly and also adds the traditional earthy notes to the tea.

On her press tour for the new adaptation of “Mean Girls,” Reneé Rapp has called out the owner of a bus touring company owner by name, described herself as “ageist” against millennial women, praised Megan Thee Stallion’s butt and used an interview as an opportunity to shoot her shot with Rachel McAdams, the original Regina George, whose shoes Ms. Rapp stepped into for her latest role. She also said that she might not want Ms. McAdams to see the new take on the character and suggested that she was weary of the franchise.

“I’m tired of wearing pink,” Ms. Rapp told an interviewer. “I’ve had it, I’m good on it. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“She’s not staying within the established safe boundaries of what’s the right thing to say, and that’s why her fans are identifying with her and gravitating to her — it’s very refreshing,” said Bill McGowan, founder and chief executive of Clarity Media Group, who conducted the Kardashians’ first media training session. “I mean, think about it — in some ways unhinged has become the new authentic.”

In the world of celebrity today, lawlessness and “unhinged” personalities reign supreme. Ms. Rapp is carving out her stardom in the mold of Julia Fox or even the disgraced politician George Santos, who both appear to be hyper-aware of their own presentation as well as willfully shambolic, treating press appearances as opportunities to go off-script. The more shocking, the better.

It’s a departure from what fans have come to expect from their favorite stars, many of whom have been coached to delicately dodge difficult questions and stick to positive messaging about their films and projects. In a meta move, Ms. Rapp appeared in an “S.N.L.” sketch last week that included a quip about her being sentenced to “40 hours of court-ordered media training.”

But among her supporters, “keep Reneé Rapp away from media training” has become a common refrain. So-called media training was once an industry secret. “23 years ago, we were the ones whispering off in the sides, telling stars what to say,” Mr. McGowan said. Today, however, an increasingly media literate generation may see it as antagonistic to star power, dulling a celebrity’s personality.

Now, stars who appear fundamentally untrained, who disrupt the norms of press appearances, and who leave their interviewer and co-stars shocked, as Ms. Rapp has done, may reap their own kinds of rewards, experts say: internet virality, or an ‘it girl’ moment.

Nya Étienne, 22, a digital strategist and journalist, said that Ms. Rapp’s delivery may appeal in particular to members of Gen Z, who have come to form deeper attachments to celebrities in an increasingly atomized world.

“These are people who spend hours online meticulously studying clips of celebrities, and when they see them acting like ‘real people,’ they feel a little bit less alone,” she said, adding: “These online communities thrive off shared cultural moments and understandings.”

Still, some argue that even this “stars, they’re just like us” relatability can be manufactured, especially through an evolving school of media training.

“Back in the day, it was all about taking three key messages, grinding them into some kind of indistinguishable, bland pulp that nobody could possibly remember,” Mr. McGowan said. He said media training had shifted its focus, preaching memorability over safe messaging. “Media training should be about creating memorable, provocative, interesting things to say and stories to tell,” he said.

Before the practice transformed the industry, stars like Parker Posey and Norm McDonald were early pioneers of a certain unpredictable style of interview, drawing laughter from audiences with their eccentric, out-of-pocket anecdotes and casual disregard for the interview format. In the 2010s, it was a style of media performance that became closely associated with white female millennials like Lena Dunham and Jennifer Lawrence, both of whom earned reputations for being quirky and offbeat (though sometimes it backfired).

“The idea of media training is existentially repulsive to me,” Ms. Dunam said to the singer Lorde in an interview with Dazed in 2015. “I would rather step in my own vomit 800 times and track it all over the world and get in trouble than sit in an office and have someone explain to me how I’m supposed to talk about things.”

Glenn Kinsey, a media trainer with 33 years of experience, said that while he has always encouraged authenticity in his practice, it’s a style of training that has only recently become popular among celebrities.

“Certainly in the past few years, it’s really been blowing up, because my thing is getting them to be themselves and to look like they’ve had no training,” he said. “Ultimately, the more raw, the more real, the more imperfect — in many ways, the better.”

One can only imagine the carnage that will ensue if Ms. Rapp undergoes her 40 hours of court-ordered media training.

One snack hailed as an ideal treat for humans is the Veggie Straw. It is claimed that these crispy snacks are a great way of upping our vegetable and nutritional intake, and who can blame us for wanting to consume healthy veggies in a super tasty way? It makes logical sense, if this is the case, that many pet parents would therefore want to offer these to their cat as a healthy treat also.

If you are a Veggie Straw fan, you may likely find your cat wanting to munch on these chips too, and find yourself wondering if it is safe to share these with your furry friend. With their incredible sense of smell, cats can easily sniff out something tasty they wish to eat, but sadly, and often to their disappointment, Veggie Straws are not a good option to give to your cat.

What Are Veggie Straws?

Veggie Straws are a type of chip and a widely available snack bought in packets from stores. These are marketed and pushed as a healthy snack or treat for humans due to being a fun and tasty way to add healthy vegetables into our diets, and a lower fat content than the average potato chip. When we look at the actual contents of these products, however, we can rightly assume that these claims are a little far-fetched.

Ingredients of “Sea Salt” Veggie Straws

Potato flour

Potato starch

Corn starch

Tomato paste

Spinach powder

Salt

Sugar

Beetroot powder

Turmeric

Sea salt

Oil (canola, sunflower, and/or safflower oil)

The sea salt flavor is the most basic flavor containing the fewest ingredients. Other flavors on offer include Sour Cream and Onion, BBQ, Cheese, Zesty Ranch, Screamin’ Hot and Cinnamon Apple. Many of these other flavors contain onion and garlic powder, both of which are toxic to cats. They also include cheese and milk, which many cats are intolerant to.

As we can see, Veggie Straws are far from packed with nutrition for our cats, and many flavors also contain toxic ingredients, so they should not be treated as a safe snack option for your cat.

If you have fed your cat a Veggie Straw, check the packet carefully to ensure there is no onion or garlic in the ingredients. If either of these ingredients are listed, contact your veterinarian immediately for advice.

Image Credit: Brent Hofacker, Shutterstock

Can My Cat Eat Veggie Straws?

Veggie Straws are created from potatoes and are a form of potato chip. The Sea Salt and the Cinnamon Apple flavors contain no toxic ingredients, but they provide very little nutritional value or benefit either. All of the other flavors on offer do contain toxic ingredients, so regardless of how much your furry friend persists, they must not be offered to your cat. The milk and cheese contained in many of the flavors may cause gastro-intestinal upset as many cats are dairy intolerant.

These products are high in sodium (salt), starches, sugar, and oils. They also tend to be higher in fat and calories than many other feline-safe treats. Importantly, they contain less than 1g of protein per 28g serving, and cats require a protein-rich diet. All in all, the balance of nutrition in Veggie Straws is far from ideal for a cat and can cause problems for your cat’s weight and mobility if fed regularly over a long period of time.

It is perfectly fine and acceptable to want to give your cat a treat. This pleasant act helps to increase the bond between the two of you, so it’s a great thing to do as long as you choose a safe food. However, there are far better, non-toxic and healthier food options to choose from than Veggie Straws, and given the choice of both ready-made feline treats plus the numerous options of safe human food, there is no need to give Veggie Straws to your cat. Choose an alternative instead!

What Treats Can I Feed Instead of Veggie Straws?

There are many store-bought products on the market to give your cat as a treat, as well as plenty of human food that is both safe and healthy. Try a selection from the list below, although not all at once! Avoid any that your cat is allergic or intolerant to. Remember that treats for your cat should only make up around 10% of their daily calorie intake.

Always check with your veterinarian that the food you wish to offer is safe for your cat and their individual health status.

Safe Cat Treats

Treats bought from stores, marketed for cats

Plain grilled or cooked chicken

Plain cooked turkey

Cooked fish, especially salmon or oily fish

Canned tuna in water

Eggs

Bananas

Blueberries

What Is a Healthy Diet for Cats?

Image Credit: TarasBeletskiy, Shutterstock

Cats are known as obligate carnivores. This means they must get their protein from animal meat, rather than plant sources. They have a few extra nutritional requirements when compared to dogs, humans, and other species, which are:

Taurine – A particular type of essential amino acid found only in protein from animal meat.

Arachidonic Acid – An essential fatty acid derived from animal origin.

Arginine – An essential amino acid derived from animal meat.

Vitamins A, D and Niacin – Cats can’t sufficiently synthesize these vitamins so they must get them from animal tissues.

For this reason, cats must eat animal meat and cannot be fed a vegetarian or vegan diet. Nor can these extra necessary nutrients be added as a supplement. Failure to provide your cat with taurine, arginine and arachidonic acid results in serious health issues, potentially leading to their death.

Cats also require a much lower level of carbohydrates than humans and dogs and derive most of their energy from proteins and fats.

Their specific dietary requirements mean cats should be fed high-quality, age appropriate complete cat food to ensure they get all the nutrition they need to live long, healthy lives.

Conclusion

There are plenty of safe foods that cats can eat as an extra snack or treat on top of their daily diet. While the number of snacks offered needs to be limited, many tasty foods can still be enjoyed by your cat while still providing quality, safe and healthy options to them. Veggie Straws are not a safe or nutritious treat choice, so should be avoided.

If you have already been feeding your cat Veggie Straws and are concerned about the effects on their health, then have a chat with your veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist who can best advise on the next steps.

Featured Image Credit: Le Do, Shutterstock

The inflow of funds in Indian real estate from foreign investors fell 30 per cent to $2.73 billion last year, but the influx jumped more than two times from domestic players to $1.51 billion, according to real estate consultant Vestian.

Also read: Luxury housing boom draws global biggies into India

According to Vestian data, the total institutional investments in real estate declined 12 per cent to $4.3 billion in 2023, from $4.9 billion in the previous year.

The consultant highlighted that investments from foreign funds fell 30 per cent annually because of their cautious approach, but rose 120 per cent from domestic investors.

Domestic investors pumped in $1,511 million ($1.5 billion) last year, as against $687 million in the 2022 calendar year.

However, the inflow from foreign funds stood lower at $2,733 million last year, as against $3,926 million in 2022.

Accordingly, the share of domestic investors increased to 35 per cent in 2023 from 14 per cent in 2022.

Shrinivas Rao, CEO of Vestian, said, “Despite uncertainty in demand across the real estate sector, investments remained robust throughout the year. The optimism of domestic investors kept the real estate market buoyant, as they continued to show confidence in India’s growth story.” Although investments reached a five-year low in 2023, Vestian expects a resurgence in 2024 on the back of robust performance of the Indian economy and a healthy pipeline of planned infrastructure developments.

Also read: Zero stamp duty, registration charges for home buyers at Mumbai expo

“Stabilizing world economy, robust economic growth in India, huge domestic consumer base, growing emphasis on work-from-office policies, and favourable government policies such as National Logistics Policy and Make in India initiatives are likely to attract foreign and domestic investors to actively participate in India’s growth story,” it added.

Rao said the Indian real estate sector is rapidly expanding with the emergence of new asset classes and therefore the requirement of funds is also growing.

“This elevated demand for capital may lead to high returns on investments for investors. In anticipation of high returns, investors may infuse capital into the sector,” Rao felt.

In 2019, institutional investments in Indian real estate stood at $6.5 billion. The inflow was $5.9 billion in 2020 and $4.8 billion in 2021.

U H&M Home trenutno možete pronaći posteljine s prugama i kariranim uzorcima u živopisnim nijansama proljeća. Ova kolekcija donosi svježinu i boje sezone, pružajući sofisticiran i šareni dodir vašem spavaćem prostoru.

Proljetna kolekcija posteljine uključuje navlake za poplune s prugama i gingham kariranim uzorcima u mnogim svježim bojama.

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In a celebrity-filled, sold-out Sierra Canyon gymnasium featuring Bronny James, Scottie Pippen and Mookie Betts sitting courtside, fans were treated to one of the great comebacks of the 2023-24 high school basketball season Friday night.

Down 17 points early in the fourth quarter to The Times’ No. 1 team in Southern California, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the Trailblazers unleashed a relentless full-court press to produce a flurry of turnovers, leading to a stunning 81-75 victory. The win makes Sierra Canyon (24-1) the No. 1 seed for next week’s Mission League tournament and propels the Trailblazers into a likely No. 1 ranking in Southern California.

Notre Dame (24-1) opened a 66-49 lead and appeared in complete control. Then the Knights self-destructed in the face of Sierra Canyon’s pressure defense. Noah Williams tied the game 73-73 on two free throws with 1:42 left. Bryce Cofield gave Sierra Canyon the lead for good with a basket with 1:17 left.

Justin Pippen scored 19 points, Isaiah Elohim had 18 points and Cofield finished with 14 points. Mercy Miller scored 28 points for Notre Dame and Lino Mark had 21. Mark was held scoreless in the fourth quarter after propelling Notre Dame into the lead by repeatedly attacking the basket and scoring on drives. But he said he pulled a muscle in the fourth quarter and was wincing in pain. Pippen finally took a charging foul against Mark late in the fourth quarter, which symbolized the comeback using defense. Getting Mark back next week will be important for the Knights.

Notre Dame had beaten Sierra Canyon four consecutive times last season when James was around. His brother, Bryce, made two threes and a basket to help the Trailblazers this time.

Sierra Canyon gets to avoid playing Notre Dame or Harvard-Westlake until the league championship game next Friday if the Trailblazers make it.

Harvard-Westlake 64, St. Francis 33: Nikolas Khamenia led the Wolverines with 12 points.

Crespi 61, Bishop Alemany 58: Joe Sterling finished with 17 points for the Celts.

Apparently all the celebrities aren’t at Sierra Canyon. Magic Johnson, Davie Winfield, Cedric the Entertainer, Robert Horry at Harvard-Westlake. pic.twitter.com/QJI1nqz9Er

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 27, 2024

JSerra 67, Orange Lutheran 58: Aidan Fowler had 21 points and Sebastian Rancik 19 for JSerra.

St. John Bosco 64, Santa Margarita 55: Brandon McCoy had 28 points for the Braves. Dallas Washington scored 20 points for the Eagles.

Damien 61, Los Osos 34: Nate Garcia’s 19 points led Damien, which is tied with Etiwanda for first place in the Baseline League going into a showdown next week.

Rancho Cucamonga 84, Chino Hills 69: Aaron Glass scored 28 points for Rancho Cucamonga.

Westchester 50, University 29: Dillon Chelsey and Kevin Lemle each scored 10 points to keep the Comets in first place in the Western League.

Fairfax 73, Venice 70: Joseph Riggins scored 22 points and Jaden Depina made the winning three-pointer with two seconds left for Fairfax.

LACES 72, Hamilton 53: Ian Hunter scored 24 points and Ryan Conner had 21 points for LACES.

Washington Prep 59, Crenshaw 37: The Generals took over second place in the Coliseum League.

Grant 73, Sun Valley Poly 68: Anthony Minoy had 17 points for Grant in an overtime win. JD Wyatt scored 40 points for Poly.

Legacy 75, Bell 44: Damian Gaona had 32 points and 13 rebounds for Legacy.

San Pedro 57, Rancho Dominguez 46: Chim Emegwa finished with 19 points for San Pedro, which is 6-2 in the Marine League.

Rolling Hills Prep 52, Bosco Tech 46: Mateo Trujillo scored 16 points for Rolling Hills Prep.

Calabasas 75, Newbury Park 57: Tidiane Sy scored 24 points for Calabasas.

Westlake 65, Thousand Oaks 60: Danny Bao scored 20 points for Westlake in a key Marmonte League win.

Lynwood 91, Downey 84: Jason Crowe Jr. scored 42 points for Lynwood.

Los Alamitos 77, Newport Harbor 64: Tyler Lopez led Los Alamitos with 16 points.

St. Pius X-St. Matthias 63, St. Bernard 61: Tyrone Riley finished with 24 points for St. Pius X-St. Matthias, which is unbeaten in the Del Rey League.

Specifications OnePlus 12 OnePlus 12R Dimensions Height: 164.3 mm
Width: 75.8 mm
Thickness: 9.15 mm Height: 163.3mm
Width: 75.3mm
Thickness: 8.8mm Weight 220 g 207g Colors Flowy Emerald
Silky Black Iron Gray
Cool Blue Operating System OxygenOS based on Android 14 OxygenOS based on Android 14 Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform Snapdragon Gen 2 Mobile Platform RAM 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X 8GB/16GB LPDDR5X Storage 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 128GB UFS3.1/256GB UFS 4.0 Battery 5,400 mAh 5,500mAh Charging 80W SUPERVOOC
50W AIRVOOC 100W SUPERVOOC Display Parameters Size: 6.82-inch
Resolution: 3168*1440 (QHD+), 510 ppi
Screen-to-body ratio: 93.5%
Aspect Ratio: 19.8:9
HBM / Peak Brightness: 1600 / 4500 nits
Refresh Rate: 1-120 Hz dynamic
Type: 120Hz ProXDR Display with LTPO
Support 100% Display P3, 10-bit Color Depth
Cover Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Size: 6.78 inches
Resolution: 2780 x 1264 pixels, 450 ppi
Screen-to-body Ratio: 94.2%
Aspect Ratio:19.8:9
Refresh Rate: 1-120 Hz dynamic
Panel Type: AMOLED ProXDR Display with LTPO4.0
Touch Response Rate: Up to 1000 Hz
Pulse-Width Modulation: 2160 Hz
Support sRGB, Display P3, 10-bit Color Depth, HDR10+
Cover Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Main Camera 50MP Sony LYT-808 wide-angle camera, OV64B 3x periscope telephoto camera with 6x in-sensor zoom, 114° field of view in an 48MP resolution. 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor Sony IMX890 50-megapixel main sensor, 112-degree ultrawide camera and a macro camera. 16-megapixel selfie camera. Video 8K video at 24 fps
4K video at 30/60 fps
1080p video at 30/60 fps
720p video at 30/60 fps
Dolby Vision® HDR
Ultra Steady video at 1080p, 60 fps
Pro Mode at 4K, 30 fps
Slo-mo video at 1080p, 240/480 fps; 720p, 240/480 fps
Time-lapse at 4K, 30 fps; 1080p, 30 fps
Digital Zoom: Up to 20X
Dual-view video at 720p, 30 fps
Video Editor 4K video at 60/30 fps
1080p video at 60/30 fps
720p video at 60/30 fps
Super Slow Motion: 1080p video at 120 fps, 720p video at 240 fps
Ultra Steady Mode: 1080p video at 60 fps
Steady Video EIS/OIS support
Time-Lapse: 1080p video at 30 fps
Video zoom: 4K video at 60fps/30fps, 1080P video at 60fps/30fps,
720P video at 60fps/30fps
Video Editor Audio Noise cancellation support
Dolby Atmos support Dual Stereo Speakers
Noise cancellation support
Dolby Atmos Buttons Gestures and on-screen navigation support
Alert Slider
Power button
Volume buttons Gestures and on-screen navigation support
Right: Volume key
Right: Power key
Left: Alert Slider Sensor In-display Fingerprint Sensor
Accelerometer
M-sensor Electronic Compass
Gyroscope
Ambient Light Sensor
Proximity Sensor
Sensor Core
Flick-detect Sensor
13-channel Accu-spectrum Light-color Identifier In-display Fingerprint Sensor
Accelerometer
Electronic compass
Gyroscope
Ambient light sensor
Proximity sensor
Sensor core
Rear color temperature sensor
Infrared blaster Ports USB 3.2, Type-C
Support standard Type-C earphone
Dual nano-SIM slot USB 2.0, Type-C
Support standard Type-C earphone
Dual nano-SIM slot Price Rs 64,999 and Rs 69,999 Rs 39,999 and Rs 45,999

The Smile: Wall Of Eyes.

Like a cheating husband, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are investing more energy on their ‘bit on the side’ than on Radiohead these days.

This is the second album from the Paranoid Android stars, aided and abetted by drummer Tom Skinner and producer Sam Petts-Davies. And they’ve broadened their palette, including touches of psychedelia and a string section – courtesy the London Contemporary Orchestra – as well as modern jazz.

Friend Of A Friend starts as a dreamy ballad but meets strings so psychotic you could imagine the climax accompanying a particularly gruesome slow-motion movie murder scene.

The unsettling Read The Room begins at a leisurely pace over subtle piano before building into krautrock. More worrying for Radiohead fans are the lyrics. Thom sings: ‘And when the end has come, maybe you can’t, maybe you can’t be arsed for half a million…’

So, is The Smile a labour of love for Yorke and Greenwood or an escape hatch?

Only time will tell. They certainly feel freer and less constrained by expectations. Like prog rock of the 70s, this is music that aspires to be taken seriously – it’s a mighty long way from pop.

The eight tracks kick off with the relatively upbeat title track which becomes more disturbing as the synth kicks in. The eight-minute Bending Hectic starts like an ethereal dream but builds into something so cacophonous some listeners might think more kindly of The Birdie Song. Recorded at Abbey Road, this track is longer and more winding than any road the Beatles trod.

The funky Under Our Pillows, powered by Jonny’s guitar riff, is close to jazz fusion, while the closer You Know Me is relatively sweet. The slothful Teleharmonic, as heard on Peaky Blinders, packs in flute and finds Yorke asking “Where are you taking me?”

It’s what all Radiohead fans want to know.

Saxon: Hell, Fire & Damnation.

Barnsley’s “big teasers” are back, taking a joyful ten-track trip to rock’s headbanging past. Their 24^th album sounds utterly reinvigorated with riffs heavier than a lorryload of lead. Guitars rage, Biff Byford’s vocals soar, and historical sagas worthy of Maiden abound. All this and Brian Blessed on the scene-setting opener too.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes: A Dark Rainbow.

The ex-Gallows frontman delivers his most refined album to date. This ranges from eerie but exciting rockers like Honey to the more melodic Man Of The Hour. Varied moods and tempos create space for goth drama, brains, and reflection. Highs include American Spirit’s seductive riff and the almost jaunty Happier Days.

NewDad: MADRA.

From the west coast of Ireland, the critically acclaimed foursome are fronted by Galway girl Julia Dawson who lends graceful vocals to the band’s fuzzy-guitar indie-pop sound.

They’ve been likened to The Pixies but tracks like Angel and In My Head are arguably closer to Dundalk’s shoegaze revivalists Just Mustard.

We’re hearing a lot in the media at the moment about the disdain some people have toward pickup trucks. So, I wanted to get a feel for what life was like in a ‘big’ American pickup truck.

I tracked down one of the biggest ones I could fit at my apartment building car park to see what it’s actually like to live with in and around the suburbs and out in the country.

I ended up in a 2024 Ford F-150 Lariat long wheelbase. It measures in at 6184mm long – it’s almost a metre longer than a Toyota HiLux and around 1.2 metres longer than a Toyota Kluger. Importantly though, it’s conveniently just under two metres in height, meaning it fits into most underground car parks.

To put this category into context, when it came to new car sales last year, over 600,000 of the over 1 million new cars sold were SUVs. The next biggest category of vehicles was pickup trucks, which accounted for around 250,000 sales.

The balance of new car sales were all other vehicle types – such as small vehicles, sedans and anything that wasn’t an SUV or a pickup truck.

Further to those figures, the three best-selling vehicles in the country last year were the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max – all pickup trucks.

If you exclude all the ‘small’ pickup trucks (like the Ranger, HiLux and D-Max) and only focus on the larger ones like the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra, demand for these types of vehicles has exploded over the past five years.

Between 2018 and 2023 sales have increased from under 1000 units per year to over 10,000 units per year – an increase of 1333 per cent. And, that’s with just two brands namely available during that period (Ram’s range of 1500, 2500 and 3500 and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and HD range).

These nameplates have now expanded to include the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, both of which will have sales added to the above tally from 2024 onwards. So it’s fair to say demand and interest in these vehicles has increased (despite how much people want to hate them).

Before I get into my experience with the F-150 Lariat LWB (long wheelbase), why are people buying them? Well, to start with, they’re some of the few vehicles on the market that will tow 4500kg or more with a braked trailer without needing significant hardware changes.

They’re also significantly more spacious inside, come with more powerful engines for easier towing and also have more features in comparison to the ‘smaller’ utes that dominate the sales charts.

So, what’s a vehicle like this like to drive? Being on a longer wheelbase (3994mm) for the LWB version – all your turns need to be wider and you can imagine how much extra care was required for things like u-turns and climbing levels of a narrow apartment building car park.

You also need to account for our undersized parking spaces – the standards call for spaces that are 5.4m in length and 2.4m in width. They’re undersized because of the majority of the top 10 selling cars in Australia in 2023, they measured at or very near 5.4m in length. These standards came about when people were buying much smaller cars

That means pickup trucks are harder to park, harder to move between and harder to open/close doors and trays at the rear of. Thankfully, Standards Australia is in the process of assessing the adjustment of parking bay sizes to 5.6m in length, buying a much needed 200mm in length.

So you can picture how this goes down when you’re trying to park in suburbia. You need to pick the first or last of parking spaces to adequately fit the vehicle (they’re often oversized to fit between driveways) and if you reverse into a park the vehicle will typically stick out of the parking bay.

In terms of the physical art of parking the vehicle, it’s no harder to park than any other vehicle with parking sensors and a 360 degree reverse-view camera. It’s only marginally wider than something like a Toyota Kluger, so outside of its length, it doesn’t take that much more room in an adequately sized parking space.

But – most people that buy these won’t live in the CBD or live in an apartment building (it was fine to drive in and out of the building and park, by the way). They’ll be hitting the road for a long-distance drive or to tow a large trailer.

I did the same thing – I did a couple of longer distance country drives with a load in the tray. I also towed a larger trailer using the larger 70mm tow ball. Both were effortless feats – all of the big American pickup trucks have decent engines that make moving loads like this a piece of cake.

The Ram range uses naturally aspirated V8s in the entry-level 1500 and they progressively step up to big-torque Cummins turbocharged diesels in the 2500 and 3500. Likewise the Silverado range – it goes from petrol V8 in the 1500 to a bigger diesel engine as you move into the heavy duty range.

Driving on the freeway was a piece of cake and supremely comfortable. Despite the somewhat agricultural leaf spring rear suspension setup, it rode incredibly well over potholed terrain and felt as comfortable as any other large SUV chewing up the miles.

Most appealing though was the room inside and the versatility. The second row is incredibly spacious and big enough to easily sit three adults side-by-side, there’s an enormous centre console and storage beneath the second row.

The second row floor is also flat, which means you can load large items sideways through the vehicle without them being tilted into the air.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. What I found most fascinating was how upset some people got at the thought of the vehicle existing and being around them, along with the assumption that the person driving it is driving it because they want to annoy other drivers on the road.

The glares from onlookers were paired with one older Tesla-driving bloke asking “do you really need to be driving that thing? Do you know how much damage that does to the roads?”, as if I needed a signed permission slip from him to pick the car I wanted to drive.

I did want to entertain his comment on the damage to the roads, which I presume he thought came from the vehicle’s mass. And I specifically wanted to compare it to the car he was driving: a Tesla Model Y.

A quick search showed that a mid-spec Tesla Model Y Long Range actually weighs around as much as a mid-spec Toyota HiLux SR5. But, it gets even worse if you step up to a seven-seat electric vehicle like the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV or the new Kia EV9.

The respective top-spec variants tip the scales at an eye watering 2918kg and 2636kg respectively. For the record, the F-150 isn’t a lightweight either, so there was some truth in his comment, as it kicks off from 2451kg kerb weight in base trim and goes all the way up to 2555kg kerb weight in top spec Lariat LWB trim.

With the direction EVs are heading in (with EV SUV sales being the primary driver of the switch to EVs) it’s a fact road designers and road users will need to come to terms with.

Anyway, my overall positive experience was slightly soured by the Tesla driver. But not enough to come away not loving my time in the F-150 (and every other rival American pickup I’ve had the chance to test).

Given so many Australians are buying pickup trucks and there is a clear explosion in demand for the bigger American pickup trucks, we should be embracing them and creating parking spaces and roads that suit the types of vehicles people buy and not succumbing to the vocal woke minority that think everything is about them and are happy to offer an opinion when one isn’t requested.

MORE: Everything Ford F-150
MORE: 2024 Ford F-150 review

The year 2024 has spooked traders to a large extent, as the star crypto displayed both the possibility of a bullish continuation and a bearish reversal within a month. The BTC price is again on an attempt to print a massive bullish candle that was recorded during the first week of the year, suggesting a flip from the bearish trend. With this move, a major indicator has turned positive, which points towards the beginning of a fresh bullish trend shortly.

Regardless of the short-term trend, the long-term price action of Bitcoin continues to be encouraging. A major signal has just flipped to bullish after being bearish for more than 18 months. Therefore, it is believed that the star token has entered the next phase of the bull run, which may amplify the upward price action into ‘x’ times.

The above chart shows that the Chaikin money flow indicator, which measures buying and selling pressure for a given period, has just turned positive. A move into positive territory indicates buying pressure, indicating more accumulation has taken place. Besides, the halving is also a few months away, which may add more fuel to the bullish trajectory.

Previously, whenever the indicator has risen within the positive range ahead of halving, the markets have triggered a fine bull run where the BTC price has marked a new ATH. Therefore, now that the levels have again hit the territory, a new ATH could be just a matter of time.

Avanse Financial Services has signed a syndicated social-linked External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) facility of USD 145 million.

The education-focused non-banking financial company, in a statement, said it will receive the amount in tranches as per the agreed-upon guidelines.

“The funds will be utilised to enable more deserving students to fulfil their academic aspirations…This syndicated social-linked ECB transaction is among the first in the Indian education financing segment,” the company said.

Amit Gainda, Managing Director & CEO, said, “Such category borrowing is a testimony to our philosophy that long-term success cannot depend on our financial performance.

“We have to take a holistic view of how we are positively impacting our social environment, the community we operate in and our stakeholders at large to be truly successful.”

Avanse said Standard Chartered Bank is the social loan coordinator, sole mandated lead arranger and sole book-runner for this transaction. Eleven banks have participated in this syndication., it added.

Even kings have prostate problems.

King Charles III was admitted on Friday to The London Clinic, a private hospital, where he underwent a scheduled procedure due to an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

The treatment was successful and the king is “doing quite well,” a royal source told Fox News Digital.

The palace emphasized that his condition is non-cancerous.

KING CHARLES ‘DOING QUITE WELL’ AFTER SUCCESSFUL PROSTATE TREATMENT

Google searches for “prostate check” surged last week after the palace first disclosed the planned treatment, per multiple reports.

The 75-year-old British monarch hopes to encourage men who are experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention, according to royal experts.

King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic private hospital where he underwent a scheduled procedure due to an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday. (Getty Images)

What is BPH?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a non-cancerous condition that occurs when the prostate becomes enlarged.

“We don’t know what causes some men to have larger prostates than others,” Seth Bechis, M.D., associate professor of urology with the UC San Diego School of Medicine and urologist at UC San Diego Health, told Fox News Digital. (He was not involved in King Charles’ care.)

KING CHARLES III TO UNDERGO ‘CORRECTIVE PROCEDURE’ NEXT WEEK FOR AN ENLARGED PROSTATE

“The prostate is one of the few organs in the human body that continues to grow during adulthood,” he added.

As the prostate grows, the enlarged prostate tissue may compress the urethra, which is the tube that connects to the bladder that helps urine drain from the body.

The British monarch hopes to encourage men who are experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention, according to royal experts. (Getty Images)

BPH decreases the flow of urine through the urethra, making it more difficult to empty the bladder.

This may cause men to strain more when urinating.

Other common symptoms of BPH include urinating frequently, urinating at night, difficulty starting a urine flow, having a weak urine stream that stops and starts, dribbling at the end of urination and difficulty emptying the bladder.

Treatment for the condition

Urologists often use the American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Index to help determine the treatment that is most appropriate, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine’s website.

It is also important for men to take an inventory of the type of fluid they’re consuming.

The most conservative and least invasive approach is to implement simple lifestyle changes.

Some men may not realize the extent of their daily fluid intake, so simply avoiding drinking too much, especially before bed, can help relieve symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.

NEW PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT COULD BE ON THE HORIZON, SAY UK RESEARCHERS: ‘TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING’

It is also important for men to take an inventory of the type of fluid they’re consuming, as drinking lots of caffeine and alcohol can make the condition worse, particularly at night.

If lifestyle modifications do not improve symptoms, the next step is taking medication to help open the passageway through the prostate so it’s easier for urine to drain, Mayo Clinic stated.

There are several procedures to treat an enlarged prostate, each with its own side effects and potential complications. (iStock)

Some medications, known as alpha-blockers, accomplish this by relaxing the muscles in the prostate, while another class, known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, works by shrinking the prostate.

This medical treatment is often not as effective as surgery, however, the expert noted.

PROSTATE CANCER MYTHS AND COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS FROM AN ONCOLOGIST AMID HIGH-PROFILE CASES

There are several procedures to treat an enlarged prostate, each with its own side effects and potential complications.

It’s important to consider whether the procedure requires general anesthesia, if it preserves ejaculatory function and whether it involves a catheter, experts recommend.

Bechis reviewed several of the surgical options for Fox News Digital.

Prostatic urethral lift (UroLift)

The UroLift is performed in the office or operating room without general anesthesia.

“A camera (cystoscope) is inserted into the urethra and advanced to the level of the prostate,” Bechis said.

It’s important to consider whether the procedure requires general anesthesia and whether it involves a catheter, experts recommend. (iStock)

Instead of cutting, heating or removing any tissue, the urologist uses special clips to hold the enlarged part of the prostate out of the way so the urine can drain more easily, according to Yale Medicine.

The procedure preserves ejaculatory function and does not require a catheter; but only a select group of patients are eligible based on prostate size and shape, according to Bechis.

Water vapor thermal therapy (Rezūm)

This procedure is performed in a doctor’s office or operating room. It does not require general anesthesia.

A camera is inserted into the urethra and advanced to the level of the prostate, where steam is injected to destroy obstructing tissue around the urethra, Bechis said.

“We don’t know what causes some men to have larger prostates than others.”

“You will have a catheter in place after the surgery for [two to five] days and will continue an alpha-blocker medication, such as tamsulosin,” he added.

Ejaculatory function is preserved for most patients, but recovery includes a placed catheter for several days and an alpha blocker.

There will be a projected 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2024, and about 35,250 deaths, says the American Cancer Society (ACS). (iStock)

It can take up to three to six months to see maximal improvement in symptoms, according to Bechis.

Although this is a relatively new procedure with good reported outcomes, longer term data is not yet available, the doctor noted.

Photovaporization of the prostate (PVP)

“A cystoscope is inserted into the bladder through the urethra and a special laser is used to vaporize prostate tissue,” Bechis said of this approach.

The procedure does not cut or scrape tissue, according to Mayo Clinic.

Because PVP results in much less bleeding, it’s a good option for those who take anticoagulation medications, Bechis added.

FLORIDA MEDICAL TECH COMPANY LAUNCHES NOVEL AI TEST FOR PROSTATE CANCER THERAPY

Patients will need to have a catheter in place after surgery and will likely stay one night in the hospital.

Possible complications include blood loss as well as infection, bladder injury or urine incontinence.

Waterjet therapy (aquablation)

With this approach, a cystoscope is inserted into the bladder through the urethra.

An ultrasound is then used to direct a focused water jet, which circumferentially destroys prostate tissue, Bechis said.

It’s fast and efficient, but relatively new — “so long-term outcomes are not fully collected yet,” he noted.

“The prostate is one of the few organs in the human body that continues to grow during adulthood.”

Men usually can preserve ejaculatory function after this procedure, but will have a catheter in place after surgery and will usually stay one night in the hospital.

Potential complications include blood loss, infection, bladder injury or incontinence of urine.

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)

With this procedure, a camera is inserted into the bladder through the urethra.

A surgical instrument is then used to create an electric current that “chips away” at the prostate until the urethra is no longer obstructed, Bechis said.

The procedure is performed without any incisions.

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“You will have a catheter in place after surgery and stay one night in the hospital until the bleeding has stopped,” Bechis said.

Possible complications include blood loss, infection, bladder injury or incontinence of urine.

After a robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, patients can expect to recover in the hospital for one to two days, with a catheter placed after surgery for seven to 10 days. (iStock)

As the bladder is “retrained” to void, the leakage of urine gradually decreases.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy

This procedure is often reserved for larger prostates.

“This is a more involved surgery that goes through the abdomen, with risk of complications including need for blood transfusion, injury to bowel or abdominal structures, or bladder leak,” Bechis said.

During this procedure, multiple small incisions are made in the abdomen and small robotic instruments are used to remove the prostate through an incision in the bladder, the doctor said.

Patients can expect to recover in the hospital for one to two days, with a catheter placed after surgery for seven to 10 days, according to Bechis.

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There will be a projected 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2024, and about 35,250 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Stephanie Giang-Paunon of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Protein-rich snacks: In today’s fast world, staying healthy can be tough, especially when looking for quick, good-for-you snacks. It’s easy to go for sugary options, but they often leave us feeling tired. That’s where protein-rich snacks come in-they’re like health superheroes for those of us on the move. These snacks are easy, tasty, and keep us going. In this guide, we’re exploring these snacks to help you make smart choices. We want to make staying healthy simple, even when life gets chaotic. So, let’s dive into the world of snacks that not only taste good but also keep you feeling great in the midst of a busy schedule.

The Power of Protein:

Protein, a fundamental macronutrient composed of amino acids, plays a pivotal role in various bodily functions. From tissue repair to immune support, healthy skin, and more, protein stands as a nutritional powerhouse. Discover the benefits of incorporating protein-rich snacks into your on-the-go routine, providing sustained energy, curbing cravings, and promoting overall well-being.
Also Read: 11 Ways to Get Enough Protein in Your Diet

Here Are 6 Protein-Packed Snacks to Keep You Energised All Day:

1. Greek Yogurt:

A readily available and convenient option, Greek yogurt proves to be a versatile snack loaded with protein, probiotics, and calcium. Opt for plain, unsweetened varieties and elevate the taste with fresh fruits, nuts, or a drizzle of honey. The combination of protein and healthy fats ensures you stay satiated and nourished throughout your bustling day.

2. Nutty Trail Mix:

Also Read: What Is The Right Time To Have Protein? Expert Reveals

Nuts and seeds emerge as excellent portable protein sources. Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds not only pack protein but also offer fibre and essential nutrients. Create a simple trail mix by combining these gems with dried fruits, providing a satisfying and energy-boosting snack. Keep an eye on portion sizes, as the nutritional benefits make them a valuable addition to your on-the-go repertoire.

3. Eggs:

Hard-boiled eggs, a simple and easily accessible protein source, serve as a worthy substitute for less nutritious options. Complete with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, eggs offer a balanced snack. Easily portable, they become an ideal choice to fuel your day. Adjust based on your cholesterol levels by removing the yolk if necessary.

4. Cheese:

Also Read: How Much Protein Is In An Egg White: Unveiling Facts!

Cheeses, both processed and Paneer, stand as an excellent source of protein. Packed with calcium, essential for bones and teeth, and boasting antioxidants for brain health, cheeses make a wholesome in-between meal snack. Mindful about portion sizes, you can enhance the snack by pairing it with a fruit or vegetable.

5. Plant-Based Protein Picks:

For those seeking plant-based options, consider edamame or roasted chickpeas. Edamame, young soybeans, can be seasoned lightly for a satisfying snack, while roasted chickpeas offer a crunchy, flavorful alternative. Both options provide a protein punch along with fibre, making them excellent choices for sustained energy. Traditional Indian snack, Bhuna Chana, adds vital minerals like manganese, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium, contributing to protection against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Achieving health on the move is within reach through mindful selection of protein-packed snacks. From Greek yogurt to nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and plant-based alternatives, the options cater to diverse dietary preferences. By making informed choices and integrating these nutritious snacks into your daily routine, you empower your body with essential nutrients, promoting overall health and well-being, even in the midst of a hectic schedule.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Is anyone still rocked by Balenciaga’s notorious ad campaign from 2022 featuring teddy bears in harnesses? Seemingly not Kim Kardashian, who was “re-evaluating” her relationship with the fashion house in the wake of the scandal those ads caused, only to be named an ambassador for the brand this week.

Nor is Patricia Field. Ms. Field, 82, a merchant, costume designer and lifelong champion of funky alternative style, is a star of Balenciaga’s new “closet” campaign alongside Ms. Kardashian and Nicola Peltz-Beckham.

Looking formidable in a black leather trench and toting an updated version of the label’s Neo Cagole city bag ($3,100), a smiling Ms. Field appears in an ad posing against shelves full of freshly minted versions of the house’s top-selling bags.

“When I was first approached, I thought they wanted my services as a stylist,” she said. “But I was elated to discover they wanted me as a model. My reaction was like, ‘Really? Me?’”

Pat, don’t be shy.

Zac Posen Dresses the “Swans”

Ryan Murphy, a creator of “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” has described the TV show’s highbred protagonists — Babe Paley, Slim Keith, C.Z. Guest and other Park Avenue types whom Mr. Capote called his “swans” — as the original “Real Housewives.” But there was nothing remotely domestic about them, certainly not their garb.

The show, which will have its premiere on FX on Jan. 31, is focused on Mr. Capote’s betrayal of his closest society confidantes. A highlight is an episode based on the writer’s fabled black-and-white ball held in 1966, which features costumes whipped up by Zac Posen.

In creating them, Mr. Posen aimed for verisimilitude. “These women were style icons at the time, so I wanted to honor their looks but with a Ryan Murphy twist,” said Mr. Posen, 43.

“I tried to find the music that was played at the gala and video of the swans in their full looks,” he added. “But we weren’t recreating history. We were reimagining history.”

Did he hit his mark? Judge for yourself when the episode airs on Feb. 7.

One Pricey Spray of Tulle

It’s staggering what some people will pay for a bit of froth. In case you haven’t heard: The tutu Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the opening credits of “Sex and the City” was recently on the block at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif.

It fetched $52,000 — an eye-popping sum considering that the tutu was purchased for $5 by Ms. Field, the show’s costume designer, who said that she found it inside a remnant bin in Manhattan’s garment district.

A Knight at the Brooklyn Museum

“Where do you put the chevalier, before or after the name?” Dianne Brill, the fashion designer known for her coifed bouffant, asked with a perfectly straight face at the French Consulate in New York late this month.

Ms. Brill, a former fixture of the New York club scene, was referring to the French title for knight. The distinction had just been conferred on her friend Matthew Yokobosky, the senior curator of fashion and visual culture at the Brooklyn Museum, during a ceremony at the consulate. Mr. Yokobosky, who was named Knight in the National Order of Merit, is known for putting on extravagant exhibitions that have highlighted the work of French designers including Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler and Pierre Cardin.

He received the honor for his “contributions that helped shape our culture” and for his “forward thinking,” said Damien Laban, the acting consul general of France in New York. Guests watched from gilt chairs as Mr. Laban pinned a gold medal — the ultimate high-end bauble — on the curator’s lapel.

Mr. Yokobosky said his investiture sent him back to his childhood in southwestern Pennsylvania, when his piano teacher rewarded successful lessons with French postcards. The gesture ignited in Mr. Yokobosky an enduring passion for Gallic culture, and especially for French style. “When you’re in Paris you often do feel as if you are in a very chic movie,” he said.

For the record, he and Ms. Brill determined (via a Google search) that you may address him as Chevalier Yokobosky, or, more simply, as monsieur.

Real estate company White Lotus Group has raised an investment of ₹150 crore in a funding round led by the Dubai-based Luxe Port Group of Companies.

The capital raised in this funding round will be used primarily to fuel the organisation’s growth, build a 2.5 million sq ft pipeline of luxury projects, strengthen the brand’s presence in Bengaluru, and expand into similar geographies in Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and other major cities, said the company.

“This funding serves as a catalyst in our journey, empowering us to replicate and scale our success in the bespoke luxury segment. By doing so, we are on the path to creating unparalleled living experiences and fulfilling the discerning desires of our esteemed clientele,” said Pavan Kumar, Founder and CEO, White Lotus Group.

The real estate company plays in the luxury segment and has developed projects in Bengaluru, with unit prices starting at ₹5 crore and above.

According to Padma Kumar, MD and Chairman of Luxe Port Group, they were looking to diversify into other luxury lifestyle segments globally. “White Lotus Group emerged as a natural long-term strategic partner in luxury real estate. We are excited to join hands with the team.”

NATALIE, radnica u jednom butiku, objavila je u videu na TikToku da je nakon mjesec dana rada dobila otkaz jer nije dovoljno komunicirala s kupcima. Video je u par dana dosegao više od 5.5 milijuna pregleda i preko 600 tisuća lajkova. U komentarima se posljedično razvila rasprava o tome trebaju li trgovci komunicirati više s kupcima ili ih pustiti da u miru razgledaju ponudu.

Natalie (@natalieulwelling) je na početku videa rekla da je upravo dobila otkaz na jednom od “najdražih poslova koje je ikad imala” nakon samo mjesec dana rada. Zatim je dodala da razlog zbog kojeg je dobila otkaz nema smisla. Kao što smo već naveli, razlog je što nije komunicirala dovoljno s kupcima.

Šokiralo ju je što je dobila otkaz bez prethodnog upozorenja

Dodala je da ju je to šokiralo. “Mislila sam da će me upozoriti ili tako nešto.” Kaže da nije očekivala da će na licu mjesta dobiti otkaz. U videu je rekla je da je uvijek “otvorena za kritiku i da želi dati sve od sebe”.

Željela je naučiti više o poslu koji je imala i rekla je da ga je obožavala. Također je dodala da je rekla svojim menadžerima da bi joj bilo draže da su joj ranije rekli da postoji problem jer, kako kaže, smatra ga “lako rješivim”.

Natalie je istaknula da se nije htjela svađati, da su menadžeri svoju odluku donijeli, ali da je razočarana situacijom. Posebno ju je frustriralo što ju je kolegica pohvalila, i rekla da joj ide jako dobro. S čime su i njezini voditelji bili upoznati. Najviše joj smeta što joj nisu dali priliku da pokaže da može bolje.

Mnogi su je u komentarima podržali. “Ironično je da su ti dali otkaz zbog toga što nisi komunicirala više s kupcima, a ni oni nisu znali komunicirati s tobom”, “Definitivno su te trebali upozoriti”, “Ovo je ludo. Očito imaju problema unutar svog menadžerskog tima. Nemoj dopustiti da te ovo obeshrabri, to je njihov gubitak.”

U komentarima se razvila rasprava

No u komentarima se razvila i rasprava o tome trebaju li trgovci pustiti kupce da na miru razgledaju ponudu ili trebaju više komunicirati s njima.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

“Bavim se maloprodajom i primjećujem da mnogi kupci preferiraju da se ne angažirate previše osim ako im treba pomoć ili imaju pitanja”, napisala je jedna osoba.

“Kada kupujem, doslovno ne želim da zaposlenici komuniciraju sa mnom”, istaknula je druga.

“Ne mogu podnijeti kad zaposlenici pokušavaju razgovarati sa mnom, molim te, ostavi me na miru”, dodala je treća.

“Smatram da mlađi žele da trgovci komuniciraju s njima, ali se stariji uzrujaju kada ne komuniciraju, to je izgubljena bitka u cijelosti”, osvrnula se četvrta osoba.

“Ozbiljno, ponašaju se kao da me treba držati za ruku, to je tako iritantno”, referirala se peta osoba na neka iskustva s trgovcima koje je imala.

Javili su se i trgovci koji su istaknuli da ne žele gnjaviti kupce previše, ali su pod pritiskom da to rade. “Vjerujte mi da nam to nameću menadžeri i korporacije, većina nas ne želi biti dosadna namjerno”, neki su od takvih komentara.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

St. John Bosco standout Brandon McCoy is among the players to watch in the upcoming years.

(Nick Koza)

Brandon McCoy, 6-4 PG, St. John Bosco: “A very versatile, athletic two-way guard who can score in a variety of ways … very quick on getting to the basket but also a guy who can turn defense into offense as a terrific on-ball defender and getting into passing lanes … great basketball instincts.”

Alijah Arenas, 6-4 CG, Chatsworth: “Tremendous shooting touch and footwork; has just got to get stronger and a little quicker … has natural scoring instincts and knows how to create space to get his shot off … taller than his dad [former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas] at the same stage.”

Tajh Ariza, 6-7 SF, St. Bernard: “Very talented swingman is much further along than his dad [former UCLA and Lakers forward Trevor Ariza] was at the same stage … kind of a big, tall wing who can score off the dribble and has massive upside that is too massive to ignore.”

Lynwood's Jason Crowe is among the rising basketball prospects in Southern California.

Jason Crowe Jr., 6-2 PG, Lynwood: “Shades of [former NBA guard] Brandon Jennings, a lefty guard, kind of a similar build in high school … his strength has not crystallized and that’s where he’s potentially at a disadvantage against bigger, stronger guards, but he’s crafty and just got his 2,000th point in a year and a half of high school.”

Julius Price, 6-3 CG, Santa Maria St. Joseph: “Reminds me of a young [Denver Nuggets guard] Jamal Murray as a lead guard … Swedish import is a smooth combo guard with impressive mid-range game and excellent feel for the game.”

Kaiden Bailey, 6-2 SG, Crean Lutheran: “Pure shooter with NBA three-point range who just hit the 1,000-point mark as a sophomore … the kind of guy who goes to college and becomes a big-time scorer and stays a while putting up big-time numbers.

Mater Dei's Brannon Martinsen defends during a game.

Brannon Martinsen, 6-6 SF, Santa Ana Mater Dei: “His skill set is a cross between Manu Ginobili and Jaime Jaquez Jr. … hard-nosed and versatile, he’s a lefty who can play the two, three or four with great basketball instincts. … a terrific passer, he can also hurt you by shooting the three and scoring inside.”

Zachary White, 6-6 SF, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: “Talented wing forward, he doesn’t get a lot of the acclaim yet because he plays a role behind other players … he’s the son of former Rams running back Russell White.”

Christian Collins, 6-7 SF, St. Bernard: “Long and athletic forward has growing confidence and terrific long-term potential … son of former Inglewood High standout DeAngelo Collins.”

Joe Sterling, 6-2 CG, Crespi: “Sharpshooter has put up big numbers, including a recent 26-point effort against Harvard-Westlake.”

Maximo Adams, 6-6 SF, Gardena Serra: “Younger brother of 2023 Kansas signee Marcus Adams [now at Brigham Young] is a very athletic forward with a high-major skill package of his own.”

iQOO Neo 9 Pro Launch Date in India: iQOO is all set to launch the successor of the iQOO Neo 7 Pro in India – the iQOO Neo 9 Pro. According to the company, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro was the best mid-range smartphone in the category on Amazon.in.

iQOO Neo 9 Pro Launch Date in India confirmed

The smartphone manufacturer has confirmed the launch date for iQOO Neo 9 Pro in India. According to the company, it will be launched on February 22, 2024.

“Blending unmatched performance, vibrant design, and flagship level cameras, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro establishes a new benchmark for smartphones in the segment, iQOO said ahead of the release.

iQOO Neo 9 Pro Confirmed Specs

The iQOO Neo 9 Pro runs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform – one of the most powerful chipsets available in the market right now.

The company said that it will be a performance-oriented smartphone with a staggering AnTuTu benchmark score of over 1.7 million. The device will be available for purchase in two variants 8+256GB and 12+256GB on Amazon.in and iQOO e-store.

“Gaming enthusiasts can enjoy unparalleled gaming experience with iQOO’s own Supercomputing chip Q1, providing 144fps gaming and up to 900 pixel super resolution, ensuring a smooth and immersive gaming session on Neo 9 Pro. Additionally, the support for MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) technology enhances video content across platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video by adding frames for a smoother and more enjoyable viewing experience. The iQOO Neo 9 Pro promises exceptional performance and power-packed capabilities, making it a game-changer in the smartphone market,” the company said.

Not just this, iQOO Neo 9 Pro is confirmed to have a dual-tone and leather design. Additionally, the smartphone is equipped with a 50 MP Sony IMX920 camera.

“The unique squircle camera module adds a distinctive and classy touch to the phone’s aesthetics, setting it apart from the rest,” the company said.

James Bond producer Michael G Wilson has said that EON Productions is looking for an actor in his thirties to play the new 007 after Daniel Craig.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson may continue to be the bookies’ frontrunner with odds of 15-8, but entering the bookies’ race now is Barry Keoghan on 11-1.

The 31-year-old Oscar-nominee stunned in Saltburn and stars in the new Band of Brothers spin-off Masters of the Air, which debuts on Apple TV+ today.

In fact, he already has a 007 franchise connection having been directed by No Time To Die’s Cary Fukunaga in the first few episodes of the WWII drama.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Barry Keoghan is very much all the rage right now, and with 007 chiefs still on the lookout for Daniel Craig’s replacement, punters are now putting two and two together and backing the Saltburn star to get the iconic gig.”

Take it all with a grain of salt, but the bookies added: “The Saltburn star is just 11/1 with the bookies to replace Daniel Craig as 007, putting him firmly among the frontrunners right now.

“Aaron Taylor-Johnson continues to head the betting at 15-8, with Henry Cavill close behind at 7-2, but with Barry Keoghan fast-closing the gap on the long-time favourites, Ladbrokes are anticipating even more of a shake-up at the head of the betting in the coming weeks.”

Other top next Bond odds include James Norton on 4-1, Damson Idris on 9-2, Regé-Jean Page on 6-1, Sope Dirisu on 8-1 and Tom Hardy on 9-1.

Car manufacturing in Australia died several years ago now, when Ford, Holden and Toyota shuttered their local factories.

That’s not to say the automotive industry went with it. There are still, for example, plenty of engineers and designers working for Ford Australia, while the likes of Walkinshaw, Premcar and RMA Automotive are either fettling utes or remanufacturing them in right-hand drive.

The days, however, of Falcons and Commodores rolling down the assembly line are gone.

As CarExpert was founded a few years after local manufacturing ended, you won’t find any new car reviews of Falcons on our pages – though you may find some excellent ones among our owner reviews.

But while we were established after local manufacturing ended, that hasn’t stopped us from looking back occasionally at its rich history. Here are a few articles to read this weekend if you love Australian brands and locally developed or built vehicles.

10 Holdens you may have forgotten about

Our biggest stories about Australian cars

Plenty of car manufacturers built vehicles in Australia, from Ford and Toyota to Leyland, but only one mass-market brand wore a distinctly Australian brand name: Holden.

The General Motors brand manufactured vehicles in Australia from 1948 until 2017, limping on for a few more years as an importer before closing its doors at the conclusion of 2020.

During that 72-year run, it offered popular vehicles like the Kingswood and Commodore, but also its fair share of less commercially successful vehicles.

In this article, we look at 10 Holdens that failed to make an impact in Australia and may have receded from your memory entirely.

MORE: 10 Holdens you may have forgotten about

The car that killed Holden in Australia

Holden had plenty of great cars during its 72-year history as a car manufacturer, but it had its share of duds as well.

Some of them were low-volume imports that made barely a ripple in our market, and were quickly forgotten: the Isuzu-based Piazza, for example.

Some of them, however, were actually quite popular with punters, but soon received a reputation for poor quality and reliability.

In this article, we look at one long-lived imported Holden that sold like hotcakes but did little to help the brand’s reputation.

MORE: The car that killed Holden in Australia

Passports please! Australia’s best (and worst) automotive exports

When Australia built cars, they were exported all over the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

It wasn’t just Holden Commodores with Chevrolet badges that rolled off ships from Australia, either. Companies like Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota also built cars here both for local consumption and global exports. Some of these cars from Japanese brands were even exported back to Japan.

In this article, we look at some of the vehicles proudly built in and exported from Australia.

MORE: Passports please! Australia’s best (and worst) automotive exports

10 Fords you may have forgotten about

Ford might be an American brand originally, but thanks to models like the Falcon, Fairlane, LTD and Territory it was regarded as proudly Australian. Even today, after local manufacturing has ended, it still has an established engineering and design presence Down Under.

Over the years, Ford Australia has rolled out everything from quirky city cars to full-sized pickup trucks.

In this two-part article, we look at obscure Aussie Fords like the luxurious Landau, as well as slow-selling imports like the Laser Lynx.

MORE: 10 Fords you may have forgotten: Part I
MORE: 10 Fords you may have forgotten: Part II

Holden Monaro Convertible: Australia’s Mercedes-Benz SL that almost was

For several decades, HSV took workaday Holdens and worked them over to be more powerful and dynamic. HSV put its name on everything from sedans and utes to wagons, coupes and even a crossover.

One thing it never offered, however, was a convertible. But it wanted to.

HSV worked with a company called Maverick Motors on a convertible conversion of the Holden VN Commodore, which would have dusted off the dormant Monaro nameplate.

Alas, the project ended up being scrapped. The Monaro nameplate returned in 2001, but it graced only a coupe (incidentally, HSV’s version was blandly called the HSV Coupe) despite a convertible prototype being built. No HSV convertible ever reached showrooms.

Paul Maric got a chance to drive the VN-based Monaro Convertible prototype, which HSV held onto until 2012 when it shifted hands.

MORE: Holden Monaro Convertible: Australia’s Mercedes-Benz SL that almost was

10 Chryslers you may have forgotten about

It’s but a distant memory, but Chrysler once manufactured cars in Australia before it closed up shop… only to return again, and leave again.

Chrysler Australia is best remembered for the Valiant, which battled the likes of the Ford Falcon and Holden models like the Kingswood.

The Valiant spawned utes, panel vans, multiple coupes and luxury models. In this article, we look at many of these Valiant models, plus some other Chryslers, both locally built and imported.

MORE: 10 Chryslers you may have forgotten about

Litecoin (LTC) is at a key 600-day support line and Dogecoin (DOGE) is going through ups and downs. Meanwhile, Kelexo (KLXO) is gaining attention for its Web3 platform, changing how borrowing and lending work. Kelexo (KLXO) is fully decentralized and its Stage One presale at $0.022 has attracted more than 2,750 users in just 48 hours. This presents a hopeful chance amid uncertain market conditions. Investors see Kelexo (KLXO) as a standout in the decentralized finance shift, shaping the future of financial transactions.

Litecoin (LTC): Charting 600 Days of Support

Litecoin (LTC) finds itself at a crucial juncture, trading above a long-term support trend line that spans an impressive 600 days. While the weekly technical analysis reveals the resilience of Litecoin’s (LTC) ascending support trend line, recent price actions suggest a potential breakdown. The RSI indicator, currently below 50 and falling, points to a bearish trend.

On the six-hour time frame, Litecoin’s (LTC) price faces resistance from a descending trend line since December 2023. A recent bounce at the $63.50 horizontal support area indicates a minor level of support, but a potential drop to $60.50 looms if the $63.50 level is breached. Notwithstanding this bearish outlook, reclaiming the $68 area could trigger a notable 12% increase to $73.

Dogecoin (DOGE): Navigating Volatility with Projected Optimism

Dogecoin (DOGE) experiences a rollercoaster ride, surging over the weekend only to retrace approximately -6.78% in the past 24 hours. Trading around $0.07798, Dogecoin (DOGE) stabilizes amidst market fluctuations. Analysts project an average rate of $0.0838 for January 2024, with Changelly forecasting a bullish conclusion at $0.085089, marking a 5% surge.

While corrections are anticipated in the volatile market, the overall outlook for Dogecoin (DOGE) in January remains optimistic. Investors closely monitor factors such as market sentiment and social media trends as Dogecoin (DOGE) continues its dynamic journey.

Kelexo (KLXO): Revolutionizing Borrowing and Lending with Web3

In the midst of changes in the market, Kelexo (KLXO) stands out as an innovative Web3 platform that is transforming the way people borrow and lend. Using a completely decentralized approach, Kelexo (KLXO) eliminates the need for extensive identity verification processes, providing users with a quick and efficient lending experience. The platform comes with distinct features like a debit card, profit-sharing for early investors, a swap service, reward programs, and decentralized governance.

Kelexo’s (KLXO) current Stage One presale is attracting attention by offering tokens at $0.022, with a total supply of 440,000,000. More than 2,750 users have participated in the initial 48 hours of the presale. The platform’s dedication to being transparent and secure and offering reduced fees makes it a pioneer in online lending using blockchain technology, challenging traditional banking methods. As Kelexo (KLXO) becomes more popular, it becomes an attractive option for investors interested in joining the decentralized finance movement. This is reshaping how borrowing and lending work, aiming for a financial future that is both more inclusive and efficient.

Find out more about the Kelexo (KLXO) presale by visiting the website here

Google followed through on its resolution to give up cookies.

Well, maybe “give up” is too strong to describe Google’s deprecation of its third-party cookies. It stopped tracking 1% of Chrome browser users to display content based on the attributes discovered in that tracking.

Estimates put global Chrome users at 3.2 billion people, so Google just killed off cookie access to about 32 million —that’s more than the population of Texas.

Are you ready for this Cookiepocalypse? Or in the UK, Biscuitpocalypse?

We’ve asked CMI’s chief strategy advisor, Robert Rose, to crack open this cookie and read the fortune for marketers. Watch or read on:

What is a cookie?

Before jumping into the impact of a cookie-less world, let me give you a quick 101 class on cookies. A cookie is a small file containing data about the user — or, more specifically, the device the person uses to browse the internet. This unique identification can inform other sites about where the user has been, the products they looked for, the searches they’ve conducted, etc.

Some internet users find cookies helpful. They allow them to stay logged into sites without re-entering their username and password, personalize the content, and remember the users’ preferences.

But most don’t realize there’s a difference between first-party and third-party cookies. The website viewed by the user gives them first-party cookies. Third-party cookies allow marketers, for example, to follow users with an ad for the same product a hundred times across different websites.

So, Google’s move really relates to the degradation of the third-party cookie as it relates to advertising. If you feel like you’ve already heard this news, you have. You’ve heard about it for at least a decade.

In 2013, Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox restricted cookies from third-party advertisers. A few years later, Microsoft and other browser providers did the same. But they represent the minority of web users.

Google’s Chrome owns over 60% of the market share. So, its recent steps crumble the cookie world a lot more quickly.

What happens as the cookies crumble?

The world of advertising and marketing is about to change substantially, not just for the big media buys that cross thousands of publishing platforms. B2B will feel the impact, disrupting all the work over the years to match Google search advertising with B2B marketing and social platforms. It affects the optimization of search engine marketing and what individuals see when they visit your sites.

Preliminary data indicates that non-cookied Google Chrome users are monetized about 30% less than those with cookies. It’s just harder to target the buying audience without their cookies.

These early results match my hypothesis that much of the hype about cookies and data targeting was smoke and mirrors. My supposition was influenced by my reaction when I got targeted ads for stuff that I purchased or searched for and decided not to purchase.

However, the data prompts a more important takeaway. Marketers, especially in B2B industries, should see it as a tangible sign to get more active and deliberate about acquiring, using, and measuring first-party data.

See this as an increasingly important opportunity to know more about your customers so you can deliver better content, establish and build deeper relationships, and ultimately serve them more competitively than other platforms competing for their attention.

When I talk to my friends who aren’t in marketing, they have no idea they could opt out of cookies for years. And as Google and others limit the use of cookies, they still won’t care. They’ll just think the web got a little less creepy.

How do marketers dine on data?

Marketers must care about the deprecation of the third-party cookie. If you respond similarly to the industry’s ham-fisted, clumsy handling of customer privacy — posting big ol’ popups in users’ faces and making them click their heels four times to get back to Kansas — guess what? Your customers will blame you for the overbaked cookies.

How you handle the acquisition of customer data and the stewardship of that data is not a legal problem. It is not a technology problem. It won’t be solved by making it harder for your customers to get personal and relevant digital experiences.

The problem requires you to lean into your content strategy. What digital experiences can you build that will motivate audiences to give you their information so you can deliver more value to them over time?

Like what you read here? Get yourself a subscription to daily or weekly updates. It’s free – and you can change your preferences or unsubscribe anytime.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

Lakshmi Narayanan, former CEO and Vice-Chairman of Cognizant, and past Chairman of Nasscom, has been appointed Krea University’s Chancellor with effect from Monday.

Prior to the appointment, Narayanan was already part of the University’s leadership body as a member of the Governing Council.

With over 40 years of experience in technical, managerial, and leadership roles, Narayanan’s leadership experience includes corporate governance, customer relationship management, and organisation strategy, as part of his corporate and academic board positions.

Before joining Krea, Narayanan served governance roles on boards of corporates as well as higher education and research institutions. He has also served as the IT industry nominee on the Board of National Skills Development Corporation for many years and also chaired the IT/ BPM Sector Skill Council funded by the Government of India.

He is currently the Managing Trustee of Chennai Mathematical Institute.

On his appointment as Chancellor, Narayanan said, “Values, knowledge, imagination and a sense of purpose is what Krea strives to create as an asset in every individual who goes through its portals. The University will be known for creating inquisitive and imaginative minds that have made a multi-dimensional impact on society, by fearlessly grabbing every opportunity to excel. Krea will be the pride of place for teachers and researchers who will witness – with joy – the creativity of the talent they have nurtured.”

Krea University located in Sri City, 55 km north of Chennai, was instituted by a team of global academicians, industrialists and intellectuals. It currently houses two schools and provides strategic oversight to three research centres.

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When Brooks Bell was 38, doctors told her she was too young to have colon cancer, dismissing her textbook symptoms as “likely hemorrhoids.”

A few months later, after pushing for tests, the North Carolina-based entrepreneur was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer.

Bell, now 43, is encouraging other younger adults to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health, particularly as colon cancer cases are rising among people under 50.

COLORECTAL CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH CANCER: NEW REPORT

The founder of a digital analytics company, Bell was traveling for a technology conference five years ago when she found blood in her stool.

“I called a doctor from my hotel room and explained what was going on, and she said that blood in the stool is very common,” Bell told Fox News Digital. “She said it was almost definitely a hemorrhoid and that I should just watch it, and that it would likely go away in a couple of days.”

Brooks Bell of North Carolina is pictured after chemotherapy at right. After her treatment and recovery, she was voted onto the Board of Directors of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. (Brooks Bell)

It didn’t go away, and a few weeks later, Bell made an appointment with a different doctor.

“She checked me out and didn’t find a hemorrhoid, but said that was probably still what it was because of my young age,” she said.

CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE, REPORT SAYS: ‘OF GREAT CONCERN’

Bell was hoping the doctor would refer her to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy, but she didn’t.

“At that point, I didn’t really trust where this was going, because it was still bleeding after two months,” she said. “And so I called a gastroenterologist myself.”

Four days later, during the colonoscopy, the doctors found a tumor in Bell’s colon that was causing the bleeding.

“They told me they’d be in touch, but that it was almost certainly cancerous.”

Bell is pictured during a chemotherapy treatment. She received three months of intense chemo following her surgery. (Brooks Bell)

Bell’s cancer was Stage III, which she said was actually good news.

“It was still a small tumor and I had about an 87% chance of survival,” she said.

Bell immediately had surgery to remove 10 inches of her colon. Following that was three months of high-dose chemotherapy that was 50% more intense than most regimens.

CANCER RISK COULD INCREASE WITH CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN FOODS AND DRINKS, STUDY FINDS

After treatment, there was the waiting game to make sure the disease didn’t recur.

“The first year was terrifying — I had lots of nightmares,” Bell shared. “Colon cancer has the highest rate of coming back in the first year, and then it drops off after that.”

Today, five years later, Bell is cancer-free.

Understanding risk factors

Dr. Austin Chiang, gastroenterologist and chief medical officer of Endoscopy at Medtronic, a medical equipment manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of rising colon cancer rates in young people, but he has noticed a few contributing factors.

“Related to diet, there’s been an increase in consumption of red meat and ultra-processed foods,” he told Fox News Digital.

Brooks Bell speaks with guests at the first-ever Colonoscopy Gala at the Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on Feb. 28, 2020. (Eamon Queeney for the Colonoscopy Gala)

“We’ve also seen an association with rising rates of obesity. The trouble is, even if this trend is related to either of those things, what we don’t yet understand is the mechanism behind it.”

To reduce risk, Chiang said his team often recommends limiting the consumption of red meat and alcohol, as well as not smoking, which is known as a big risk factor for cancer.

“Remaining physically active is also a good rule of thumb, but beyond that, there are no other known means to reliably reduce cancer risk,” he added.

TO REDUCE CANCER RISK, SKIP THE ALCOHOL, REPORT SUGGESTS: ‘NO SAFE AMOUNT’

After hearing that exercise reduces the risk of cancer coming back, Bell committed to working out every day.

“I decided I was going to exercise harder than I ever exercised in my life,” she said. “The day I finished my treatment, I was out with my running shoes.”

She even decided to train for a triathlon — finishing the event exactly one year after finishing her cancer treatment.

Brooks Bell is pictured after completing her first triathlon, one year after her final chemotherapy treatment. (Brooks Bell)

Nutrition has also been a bigger focus for Bell since her cancer treatment — particularly since colon cancer is so closely linked to gut health.

“I eat as many vegetables as I can, and I really focus on my fiber intake,” she said. “A plant-based diet helps with your microbiome health, so that’s my main focus.”

In 2024, an estimated 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.

Bell occasionally eats dairy and some lean meats, but avoids red meat.

She also sees a functional doctor — a physician that focuses on identifying and eliminating the issues that cause disease as opposed to treating and reacting to symptoms — who helps ensure that she gets the right amount of supplements and antioxidants.

Colon cancer screening guidelines

Since 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that adults ages 45 to 75 get screened for colorectal cancer.

Prior to 2021, the guidance was to get screened starting at 50.

THESE 8 HEALTH SCREENINGS SHOULD BE ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR 2024, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS

“That change was a huge win,” said Bell. “I think we should be grateful for that — they don’t move guidelines very often. There was overwhelming evidence to get it to 45.”

There are some indications that screening should start at 40, Bell said — “so that would be the next goal.”

Dr. Austin Chiang, gastroenterologist and chief medical officer of Endoscopy at Medtronic, a medical equipment manufacturer in Philadelphia, said it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of rising colon cancer rates in young people. (Dr. Austin Chiang)

“The reason it’s not at 40 is the cost and limited availability of colonoscopies — it would put more strain on the system,” she said.

Beyond the rectal bleeding that Bell experienced, other colon cancer symptoms include changes in bowel habits, abdominal discomfort, weakness or fatigue, a feeling of the bowel not completely emptying, and unexplained weight loss, according to Mayo Clinic.

Barriers to care

One of the main barriers in terms of young people getting early screening and care is lack of awareness of the risk, Bell said.

“It wasn’t that my doctors were bad — it’s just that they didn’t know this was a risk,” she told Fox News Digital. “They just don’t think they’re staring down a cancer diagnosis when someone is so young.”

There is a tendency to associate colorectal cancer with older age.

“For primary care doctors, I think they’re supposed to kind of rule out everything else before sending you in for a big-ticket item like a colonoscopy.”

Chiang agreed that there is a tendency to associate colorectal cancer with older age.

“Because current screening guidelines recommend colonoscopies starting at age 45 for people of average risk, we’re less accustomed to seeing younger patients showing symptoms of colon cancer,” he told Fox News Digital.

Brooks Bell (far right, back) moderates a discussion at the White House as part of its Cancer Moonshot initiative. (Brooks Bell)

“What makes it even more difficult is that patients with early-onset cases often experience different symptoms, so there’s still learning to be done as we become more aware and cognizant of the risk.”

Many people don’t know they need to be screened starting at age 45, Chiang pointed out — “which is why it’s important to have a primary care doctor who can help keep track of that for you.”

There’s also a common misconception that colonoscopies are dangerous or uncomfortable, he added, which may create some fear.

MISSING MAMMOGRAMS: OVER 20% OF WOMEN DON’T FOLLOW BREAST CANCER SCREENING GUIDELINES, STUDY SAYS

“Finally, there are social determinants that create barriers as well, like physical proximity to health care centers or inability to take a day off from work to be screened,” the doctor said.

There’s a common misconception that non-invasive, stool-based tests are equivalent to getting a colonoscopy, Chiang warned, but there are some limitations associated with that method.

“If you have a positive stool test, you aren’t able to locate where that result is coming from, and more importantly, you’re not able to remove it on the spot,” he said. “With a colonoscopy, doctors can do both of those things.”

Other than skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. (iStock)

Colonoscopies also allow doctors to detect lesions early before they turn into cancer — “especially with the help of AI technology, like our GI Genius tool,” Chiang noted.

“Our hope is that tech like this will help to standardize patient care, so that everyone who comes in for a colonoscopy has the best detection rate possible.”

Committed to the cause

After her diagnosis, Bell immersed herself in studying as much as she could about the disease.

“It was alarming to learn how preventable it is, and how underfunded it is, and how it’s rising in young people, and the importance of colonoscopies,” she said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Intent on raising awareness, Bell joined the Board of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit focused on colon cancer prevention.

In 2022, Bell founded the nonprofit Lead From Behind as a subsidiary of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

“The goal was to create a fresh brand focused on staying healthy and positioning colon cancer as the preventable cancer — and to help destigmatize colonoscopies.”

Brooks Bell is pictured after undergoing surgery to remove a section of her colon after her cancer diagnosis. (Brooks Bell)

Lead From Behind has drawn a handful of prominent voices to the cause, including pro football player Dak Prescott and actor Ryan Reynolds.

Bell has also spoken at the White House as part of its Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next five years.

She is also hard at work on a new initiative focused on raising funds for colonoscopies for underinsured individuals.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I want to try to continue to shift our culture to make colonoscopies and colon cancer prevention part of our conversations about wellness — so it’s just something that healthy, smart people do automatically as as they get into their 40s,” she said.

In 2024, an estimated 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Other than skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

You will hear legends about how people waited for days to score a table at the first MTR or Mavalli Tiffin Room in the 1970s and 1980s in Bengaluru. I’ve heard those stories from my grandparents who were from Bengaluru. It was at MTR that I tried a rava idli for the first time. The MTR story began a century ago, in 1924 when three brothers switched base from a sleepy hamlet near Udupi to set up a small eatery in Bengaluru. It was Yagnarayana Maiya or Yagnappa who took the lead among the siblings and set the stage for the MTR brand as we know it today.

Also Read: 5 Healthy And Tasty Sooji Snacks Recipes You’d Love To Make Time And Again

One of the most fascinating stories you will hear around MTR is the origin of the rava idli. It almost began by accident. Yagnappa experimented with rava during the Second World War when rice was in short supply, an innovative new dish born out of necessity. It’s still a favourite at MTR outlets across the city and the one dish I keep going back for.

The rava idli didn’t just become a part of restaurant menus in Bengaluru and Chennai but also became a popular ‘tiffin’ (that endless time between lunch and dinner) snack across South India. There are subtle variations between versions you will see in Bengaluru and Chennai (see both recipes) but the basic ingredients are almost the same – rava (semolina) and curd with a host of spices and ingredients that add to the flavour profile. The colour also tends to vary from one restaurant to the other depending on the quantity of fresh coriander that’s added to the batter.

Rava idli is a popular South Indian food.
Photo Credit: Ashwin Rajagopalan

If you’re looking at trying this dish out in Chennai, we’d suggest the New Woodlands Hotel on RK Salai or Eating Circles in RA Puram which both do scrumptious versions of the rava idli. In most restaurants in Bengaluru like MTR it’s served with a sagu and/or a coconut chutney will a small dollop of ghee added to the idli. You can try making this delicious snack at home. It isn’t just a great snack for tea time (or filter coffee time!) but also works well as a light dinner option:

Recipe: Bangalore-style Rava Idli

Ingredients

1 cup rava
2 cup slightly sour whisked curd
2 tbsp Ghee
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Channa Dal
1 tbsp green chilli, finely chopped
A pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tbsp Eno fruit salt or baking soda
10 whole cashews broken into halves
3 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt: to taste

Method

Temper mustard seeds with ghee in a pad. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the asafoetida, channa dal, and green chillies and saute for a minute.
Now add the cashews and saute till golden brown.
Add the rava and roast on a medium flame for about 2 to 3 minutes till aromatic.
Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Now add half of the curd to the rava and mix well. Let it rest for 15 mins.
After 15 minutes, add the remaining curd, eno/baking soda, coriander and salt. Mix well.
Now the batter becomes airy when you stir.
Grease the idli plate with oil and place cashews in the centre.
Fill 3/4th of each Idli mould with batter.
Steam for 10 minutes in an Idli steamer.
Turn off the heat and let them cook before it cools down and you can remove them from the mould.

Also Read: Tried Coriander Upma? Here’s A Quick Recipe For This Healthy Dish

Recipe – Chennai-style Rava Idli

Ingredients

1 cup rava
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chana dal
A pinch of asafoetida
A sprig of curry leaves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1-inch ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp carrot, grated
1/4 tbsp turmeric
3/4 cup slightly sour curd
2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
Salt: to taste
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp Eno or baking soda
10 whole cashews broken into halves

Method

Roast cashews with ghee till they are golden brown and keep aside.
Add a small quantity of ghee to the same pan and temper the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the asafoetida, channa dal, green chillies, ginger turmeric and saute for a minute.
Add the rava and roast on a medium flame for about two to three minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Now add the curd to the rava and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add some water to adjust the consistency. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Add eno/baking soda, coriander and salt. Mix well.
Now the batter becomes airy when you stir.
Grease the idli plate with oil and place cashews in the centre, arrange some grated carrots.
Fill 3/4th of each Idli mould with batter.
Steam for 10 minutes in an Idli steamer.
Turn off the heat and let them cook before it cools down and you can remove them from the mould.

About Ashwin RajagopalanI am the proverbial slashie – a content architect, writer, speaker and cultural intelligence coach. School lunch boxes are usually the beginning of our culinary discoveries.That curiosity hasn’t waned. It’s only got stronger as I’ve explored culinary cultures, street food and fine dining restaurants across the world. I’ve discovered cultures and destinations through culinary motifs. I am equally passionate about writing on consumer tech and travel.

The night of the wolf moon — the first full moon of the new year — also happened to be the last night of the couture, when John Galliano recreated a decaying Paris nightclub in the vaulted caverns beneath Paris’s Pont Alexandre III bridge across the Seine.

Crepe paper streamers the color of Madeira wine were draped across walls and dangled from the ceiling amid banged-up wooden bistro chairs and scratched-up tables. Then a shirtless chanteur with a Freddie Mercury mustache rose to croon a love song, a grainy black and white film was reflected in the mirrors and the Maison Margiela show began: a fashion fantasy built on extreme corsetry in which bodies became hourglasses; flesh became a fabric unto itself (and no actual fabric was quite as it seemed); and historical allusions ran in and out like time.

At the end, the audience members were so overwrought they didn’t just clap, they stamped their feet hard enough to make the floorboards shake. It has been awhile since anyone had experienced a world-building show quite like it. It looked tortured, in a way that is rarely considered acceptable anymore, and extraordinary at the same time.

Once upon a time such fashion theater was Mr. Galliano’s signature. But between the transformation of houses into global brands and his own drug- and alcohol-fueled antisemitic self-immolation, exile and penitent return at Margiela, it had begun to seem like a thing of the past. A relic of an earlier age of histrionic self-indulgence of which he was the cautionary tale.

Is it time for reconsideration? Vintage Galliano is having a moment — and this was exactly that. Certainly it was a riposte to the whole idea of comfort clothing, stealth wealth and playing it safe; a masterful demonstration of the couturier’s ability to reshape nature in service of a dream and recreate the body modification and control that have become the province of the very rich. (It was striking that Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, multimillionaires and famous physiques both, were in the front row.)

Fashion at this level is its own reality-distortion field. That’s something to which the .00001 Percent can relate. For everyone else, it’s an anthropology lesson.

The Wealthy Condition

Couture, with its celebrities and its entrance-making evening wear, has become such a key element of brand marketing — such an eye-catching content generator — that it’s easy to forget that these clothes don’t just speak to Instagram and TikTok, they also speak to customers, albeit the select few who can afford five- and even six-figure dresses. And for that, the clothes need to have something to say about the wealthy condition. At least something beyond just “look at me.”

Yet that is exactly what seems to be missing in the work of the new crop of couturiers, names such as Gaurav Gupta and Robert Wun. They have the showmanship down pat: Mr. Gupta with his signature cosmic swirls spiraling up to the Milky Way, Mr. Wun with his crystal-rain-drenched film noir vibes. But it’s hard to tell if there’s anything behind the very elaborate curtain.

Indeed Mr. Wun’s decision to splatter a draped white cocktail dress and veil in jeweled blood (or blood-red beading) seemed particularly jarring, even if he was telling a gothic tale, given what else is going on in the world. And the red-skinned alien crawling out of the corseted back of a red ball gown looked — after the bedazzled robot baby at Schiaparelli, not to mention Rick Owens’ human backpack collection of 2015 — unfortunately like a gimmick. And a familiar one.

At least Simone Rocha, dipping into couture for the first time as the guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier, brought her understanding of the power and frustrations of femininity, as well as her subversion of stereotype, to her dialogue with the house, giving the vintage Gaultier-isms gorgeous relevance for the current day.

In her hands the trademark corset lacings were loosened, as if Marie Antoinette had come undone, the bondage straps less B.D.S.M. than bedazzled. Perhaps most striking, however, given the current debate over the female body, was Ms. Rocha’s decision to remake the famous cone bra in the shape of rose thorns. Touch those puppies if you dare.

The Value of the Original

Ms. Rocha has what Mr. Galliano demonstrated: a singular creative voice. If part of the value of couture is uniqueness — the one-off, the made-just-for-you — that’s the crux of the matter.

It’s starting to become apparent at Fendi, where Kim Jones is coming into his own, embracing the elegance of refusal. See, for example, a perfect black column dress; fur that actually wasn’t fur, but rather silk fringe with the swish of mink; and trompe l’oeil silhouettes picked out in silver against a backdrop of jersey, like shadow puppets at a party.

And it’s emerging at Alaïa, where Pieter Mulier finally left behind the dutiful imitations of house style in favor of an original idea: one that spoke to the values of the brand’s founder without simply repeating them.

In his best collection yet, Mr. Mulier worked with one yarn (a special wool) and one shape (the circle), and then spun them into a host of smart ideas starting with blouson skirts and tops made from hundreds of strands that swayed and shimmied with the body, as if a skein had come undone. Wrist pompoms of curly wool decorated skinny knits and trapeze puffer coats. A tour de force of a dress looked like a snap bracelet, but one engineered to encircle the torso, climbing from the waist to the ribs and the breasts with no visible fastenings.

At Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli summed it up with: “The magic is in all the effort you don’t see.” His sumptuous feast of a show simply proved the point. He has the ability to make seemingly simple clothing — an anorak, a blazer, a New Look skirt — seem ineffably luxurious thanks to the saturated combination of the colors, the generosity of the cut.

So he mixed sea foam green with chartreuse and pine, juxtaposed tangerine against silver and petal pink. He tossed a tunic of crushed red roses with its own train over a pair of celadon trousers instead of defaulting to black tie, sliced one wide trouser leg up the front to the thigh (and the other leg up the back) to suggest the swishy attitude of an evening gown without the work.

The result reconciles the seemingly irreconcilable. That’s rich.

Our Final Verdict

We give Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container a rating of 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Quality: 5/5

Variety: 4.5/5

Functionality: 5/5

Value: 4.5/5

Yamazaki Home is a brand that creates home goods and housewares that are inspired by Japanese design. Each Yamazaki Home product is designed with much thought and intentionality, and you’ll find that many of their items are made to be both beautiful and functional. Their clean and minimalist designs also make them fit in seamlessly with many different interior design styles.

One of the challenges of living with cats is designing living spaces with furniture and décor that work seamlessly with each other. Cat furniture can be bulky and stick out from the rest of your furniture and interior decoration. It can also be difficult to find good storage bins that also look nice. Yamazaki Home provides solutions to these interior design dilemmas with its line of pet products. It currently produces pet food bowls and a wide variety of storage containers and canisters.

With how well-known Yamazaki Home’s products are, I was ready to get my own Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container and see if it really lived up to its reputation. I have to admit that I was initially a bit hesitant when I saw how much it was priced. However, I was pleasantly surprised and overall satisfied with it. The Airtight Pet Container had a secure and airtight lid that kept cat food fresh, and it was a beautiful new addition to my home and kitchen décor. So, if you’re looking to improve your home’s interior design, keep reading to see how Yamazaki Home can help tidy up and organize your living spaces.

About Yamazaki Home

Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container - cat sitting behind the product

Yamazaki Home is a Japanese brand, and its headquarters is in Tokyo, Japan. It also has a US branch in Brooklyn, New York. All designs are developed in Japan, but all products ordered within the US are shipped from Indiana or Nevada.

The brand’s philosophy is to take everyday household items and elevate them with innovative and inspiring designs. The brand also focuses on making spaces look tidy, and its products are known for their signature clean, modern, and minimalist style.

Yamazaki Home mainly creates and designs home goods, furniture, and housewares. However, it does have a pet product line that contains many storage products.

Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container Overview

Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container - opened container

Here’s an overview of what you’ll experience when you order a Yamazaki Airtight Pet Food Container.

Pricing

Yamazaki Home makes houseware with simple yet thoughtful designs, and you can always expect them to be made with high-quality materials. So, it’s no surprise that its products tend to be a bit pricier than their generic counterparts. However, Yamazaki Home’s products are known to be durable and long-lasting, and they have timeless designs. This combination ends up making them really good investments.

What To Expect

The best way to purchase a Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container is to order one through the Yamazaki Home website, as the company doesn’t have brick-and-mortar stores. You can find some home goods retailers selling Yamazaki Home products, but they typically sell just one or two collections rather than all the products.

Understandably, this can be challenging, as it’s often preferable to see the product with your own eyes to ensure its appearance and design match your home decor. However, Yamazaki Home has consistently reliable shipping and offers returns, refunds, and exchanges.

Most orders ship within 2 business days. Yamazaki Home has a flat shipping fee of $9 for all orders under $140 and ships within the contiguous US. Orders cannot be shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, or minor US outlying islands. Yamazaki Home also doesn’t ship to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses.

Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container - cat sniffing the container

The Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container doesn’t require any assembly before use. Just make sure to clean it with mild dish detergent and warm water once you’ve unpacked it. Each container also comes with a convenient pet scoop.

You can purchase three different sizes of this container. The carrying capacity for the small size is about 3 pounds of dry cat food. The medium size can hold roughly 8 pounds of dry cat food, and the large size can hold about 15 pounds of dry cat food.

Specs

Dimensions:	11.02” W x 4.8” H x 6.5” L
Materials:	Polypropylene, ABS resin, silicone
Weight:	1.23 pounds
Capacity:	0.8 gallons

In Summary

Pros

Stackable

Lid has a strong seal

Includes a measuring cup

Easy to clean

Cons

Difficult to find in brick-and-mortar stores

Key Features

Quality

The Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container is a beautifully designed container that doesn’t sacrifice functionality. It has a stackable design, and the lid is lined with silicone to create an airtight lock. It keeps dry cat food fresh and also does a great job of preventing food smells from seeping out.

Variety

You get some variety with the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Containers. You can choose either black or white, and the containers come in three different sizes. I’ve found that the small size is perfect for storing cat treats and canned food. The medium and large sizes would be more appropriate for storing dry cat food.

Versatility

The Yamazaki Airtight Pet Containers can be used in a variety of settings. The small size can fit inside your refrigerator and works well as a container for fresh, raw, or wet cat food. The containers also have a clean and sleek design, so you don’t have to stow them away in closed cabinets. They look beautiful sitting on open shelves. They’re also stackable, so your shelves will never look cluttered or messy.

Is Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container a Good Value?

While the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container may be more expensive than other cat food storage containers, you’re guaranteed to purchase a well-made, durable storage container. It’s built to last and has a lid that does a great job of keeping air out. In the long run, the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container outperforms cheaply made cat food containers and can also reduce food waste by keeping cat food fresh for longer.

FAQ

Does Yamazaki Home send replacements for damaged Airtight Pet Containers?

In the rare cases where your product gets damaged during delivery, Yamazaki Home may be able to send replacement parts. You can use the contact form on the website to notify Yamazaki Home of the damaged product and if you’d like to have a replacement part sent to you.

Does Yamazaki Home sell replacement measuring cups?

Yamazaki Home does sell replacement parts for some of its products. However, as of now, it doesn’t sell replacements for the measuring cups included with the Airtight Pet Containers.

What discounts or savings opportunities does Yamazaki Home offer?

Yamazaki Home offers several savings opportunities when you shop through their website. First-time shoppers can receive a 10% discount on their first purchase. Yamazaki Home will also send updates for specific sales that take place throughout the year.

You can also sign up for Yamazaki Home’s Room for Rewards Loyalty Program. Members of this program will receive reward points whenever they purchase an item, and they can redeem these points to make savings on future purchases.

Our Experience With Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container

I live with two cats that can’t be any more different from each other. They eat different types of food, like different kinds of toys, and have polar opposite personalities. While it’s fun living with them, storage usually ends up being a significant issue. My cats don’t really have any shared items, so we can end up accumulating a lot of things quickly.

I was looking forward to trying out the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container because I wanted to organize my cats’ food and toys while making my open shelving units look clean and tidy. When I first received the container, I noticed how sleek and modern its design was. I liked how it wasn’t too tall, and I would be able to stack two on top of each other on my shelves. I also liked how the body of the container was opaque so that it would completely conceal whatever contents were inside. This made my shelves look clean and uncluttered.

My favorite thing about the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container was the lid. Since it was clear, I could see when the cat food was starting to run low and in need of a refill. The silicone lining did an excellent job of locking out air. The cat food didn’t dry out, and I also noticed that it contained the smell of the cat food really well. It didn’t have any smells leaking out of it.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend the Yamazaki Airtight Pet Container for any cat owners who are looking to organize and clean up the appearance of their shelves and storage spaces. One of the key things I appreciated was the performance of the airtight seal and how it kept cat food fresh. It also has a pleasing appearance that makes your storage space look clean and tidy.

So, if you’re looking to freshen and spruce up your home décor and interior design, make sure to check out Yamazaki Home’s pet products. The Airtight Pet Container won’t disappoint!

Pune-based Kolte-Patil Developers ended the first nine months of FY24 with sales of over ₹2,000 crore and is confident of meeting its stated target of ₹2,800 crore for the entire year and growing at 25 per cent in the next two years.

The bulk of the company’s sales have been from Pune so far, but that representation could change with a slew of launches in Mumbai in the next few quarters.

businessline met with Rahul Talele, Group CEO, to discuss the company and the real estate sector.

Excerpts.:

What is the breakup of your sales among the three cities – Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru? Do you expect to meet or exceed your sales target for the year?

In the first nine months, most sales have come from Pune, barring ₹100 crore from Mumbai and some from Bengaluru. Around 95 per cent of sales came from Pune itself. For this year, we have given the target of around ₹2,800 crore, and already we have around ₹2,100 crore. We are confident of meeting this target, and for the next two years, pre-sales growth of around 25 per cent is what we are anticipating for the company.

How are you increasing your presence in Mumbai and Bengaluru?

There are multiple projects that we have closed in Mumbai. In the last financial year, we closed around ₹2,700 crore worth of projects in Mumbai, and they will eventually get launched in the next financial year, there will be the right balance of diversification beyond Pune to around 25 to 30 per cent.

How do you assess the demand in the three cities where you are present?

Well, around 35 to 40 per cent of household earnings are going into paying EMIs, so affordability is very high. If you analyse the three parameters of wage growth, property price growth and interest rate growth you will realise that affordability is very good. Another important factor is the inventory replenishment ratio. In the geographies where we are operating, particularly in Pune, where we have a concentrated and very large portfolio, the inventory replenishment ratio is less than one. This means that whatever inventory is getting sold, less than that is getting added in the city. The inventory hangover has gone down from 25 months a few quarters back to just 6 or 7 months. Considering that accumulated savings are there, a strong desire to purchase property and from established developers – all these things together, we believe there is a strong demand. I can see these numbers after 10-12 years. This cycle is driven by end users, unlike the earlier real estate cycles.

How many projects do you plan to launch in the next quarter?

We plan to launch around ₹7,000 crore worth of projects in the next financial year. A few of the projects will be launched in the first half and the others in the second half. So maybe around ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 crore worth of projects will be launched in the first quarter of the next financial year. One can be the NIBM project (Pune), the second can be the next phase of the Little Earth and Manor and Lakshmi Ratan project at Mumbai and maybe a few projects under Life Republic.

What is your strategy to strengthen your presence in the Mumbai market?

Our Mumbai strategy is a simple business development strategy. We want to acquire project with a topline potential of ₹300 to ₹900 crore and build houses with ticket sizes of around ₹1.5 crore to ₹3.5 crore. From a Mumbai context, these are the mid-income and upper-mid-income segments, and we are comfortably achieving good sales traction with this size and in this price range.. Our projects are mostly concentrated in the western part of the city. We have delivered a couple of projects, and three more are on the verge of delivery. We are also looking at central and Navi Mumbai as well.

U SVIJETU satova prošle se godine posebno istaknula suradnja Swatcha i Omege, odnosno njihove MoonSwatch linije. Prvi MoonSwatch je prvi put ugledao svjetlo dana 26. ožujka 2022. godine i izazvao priličnu pomamu. Naime, ljudi su čekali u redovima ispred Swatch trgovina da kupe – sat. I s ostalim MoonSwatch lansiranjima koja su uslijedila situacija je bila slična.

Naime, većini su primamljivi zbog svoje relativno povoljne cijene, posebno kada se u obzir uzme cijena Omega satova. S obzirom na to nije čudno da se rasprodaju brzinom svjetlosti jednom kada stignu u trgovine. No isto valja imati na umu da do njih nije bilo lako doći jer su se prodavali u točno određenim Swatch trgovinama na točno određene datume.

“Volim Snoopyja”

Sada, u novoj godini čini se da stiže novi MoonSwatch, ali izgleda da će biti na temu Snoopyja. Barem ako je suditi po Instagram profilu Swatcha. Prije dva dana marka je objavila Reel koji prikazuje Snoopyja u svemiru kako zavija na animirani mjesec na vrhu kofera unutar kojeg se nalaze satovi MoonSwatch.

Video je prikupio milijun pregleda i preko 28 tisuća lajkova i mnoštvo komentara. “Kada? Nadam se da stiže globalno”, “Super”, “Ovo bi bio lijep dodatak uz moj srebrni Snoopy Speedmaster”, “Volim Snoopyja”, “Uzmite moj novac”, “Ovo ima potencijal da bude najbolji dosad”, “Ovo je nedostatak poštovanja prema kolekcionarima Omege”, “Jedva čekam”, “Kvragu! Sada ću morati kampirati ispred Swatch trgovine, zar ne?”

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Ranije je marka, isto na Instagramu, prikazala isti taj kofer te se na fotki vidi da jedan sat nedostaje. Što znači, da novi MoonSwatch uskoro stiže. No hoće li biti s temom Snoopyja teško je za reći s obzirom na to da Swatch nije ništa službeno potvrdio.

Možda je Snoopy zavijao samo zato što je 25.1. bio prvi puni mjesec u novoj godini ili možda stiže MoonSnoopy. U svakom slučaju uskoro ćemo saznati.

Ako ste, pak, pokušali nabaviti neki od prijašnjih MoonSwatch satova i niste imali sreće, na stranicama za preprodaju poput StockX-a se mogu naći neka izdanja. Možete ih sve vidjeti ovdje.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

D’Angelo Russell looked at Taurean Prince in the corner by the Lakers’ bench immediately after perfect ball movement got his teammate a wide-open three.

As the ball swished — and Thursday, it swished a lot — Russell stared at Prince and blew him a two-handed kiss. It was his homage to Prince’s signature celebration, the Lakers as in sync as they’ve been in months.

And again, Russell was the hub, celebrating teammates’ buckets — literally skipping into halftime after a Jarred Vanderbilt layup — while joyfully sniping from behind the three-point-line in a 141-132 win over the Chicago Bulls.

“He’s playing at a high level,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Russell. “It’s beautiful to watch the player, that especially represents your team, go on a tear like this. We’ve needed all of it, and he’s in an extremely good rhythm.”

All the kissing, skipping, shooting and scoring from Russell has to make the Lakers look closely at their situation in the final six games before the NBA trade deadline.

Is this the guy they really want to trade?

Russell’s heater, which has run over the past two weeks and continued with 29 points and eight threes Thursday, has shown the Lakers the best version of the player they traded for last season. His catch-and-shoot game has been in rhythm, his knack for finding momentum plays on display and his joy undeniable.

His name has been involved in most trade rumors of substance, the foremost being the Lakers’ pursuit of Dejounte Murray. But with Russell back in the starting lineup next to Austin Reaves, the Lakers have started to play with continuity and comfort for longer, more impactful stretches.

“The good thing Coach Ham did was (say), ‘This is the lineup we’re sticking with and we’re going to go with that,’” LeBron James said. “And the rotations have been good. Our starting lineup has been consistent over the last few games. And we have a lot of playmaking, a lot of shot-making in that first unit. And we’ve got guys that come off the bench that know their roles and come in and play at a high level. “It’s been working so far.”

The team has had 27 or more assists in nine straight games (they had 35 Thursday), as they’ve looked much smoother on that side of the floor.

“We’re just playing the right way, you know? Just playing the right way,” James said. “Guys are feeling comfortable, feeling very comfortable out there. We’ve got guys that can make shots, we’ve got guys that can make plays.”

But like it’s been all year, nothing is simple.

The good vibes the Lakers created in the first 36 minutes almost disappeared in the final 12, turnovers and fouls taking them out of rhythm and putting the Bulls back into the game.

Luckily for the Lakers, there’s no such thing as a fifth quarter, their lead (once 24 points) combined with clutch buckets from Anthony Davis and James enough to keep them ahead.

James finished with 25 points after returning from a one-game absence, Davis added 22 and Reaves scored 20. Vanderbilt had 17 off the bench, the Lakers scoring their season high.

The win capped a friendly stretch in the schedule where the Lakers played 11 of 12 games at Crypto.com Arena and only left the state once (to play in Utah). Things will get rough again, with the Lakers starting their annual Grammys trip Saturday at Golden State with stops in Houston, Atlanta, Boston, New York and Charlotte before they’re back home.

The trip also takes them up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, when all decisions will be final.

Before playing the Bulls, Ham said the Lakers would be on the lookout for ways to improve their team. That’s been the standard line since Lakers trade season kicked off in mid-November when Chicago’s Zach LaVine unofficially entered the market after the Bulls’ slow start.

But as they’ve settled in to more level-minded basketball over the past two weeks, the arguments for staying put have been made more convincingly on the floor.

“I have all the faith and confidence in the world, when we’re healthy and we’re playing the right way, we’re competing at a high level defensively, sharing the ball offensively, sky’s the limit,” Ham said before the game.

And for most of Thursday, the Lakers proved him right.

Homegrown electronic manufacturer Cellecor Gadgets Limited is set to unveil its earbuds and smartwatch this Republic Day. Ahead of that, the company has announced Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador of its earbuds and smartwatch category.

The company is already providing a range of products, including mobile feature phones, smartwatches, TWS earbuds, neckbands, and LED TVs.

Cellecor’s Smartwatch Collection

Cellecor, in a statement, said that its smartwatches are packed with features seamlessly integrated into daily routines.

“This Republic Day, immerse yourself in the seamless fusion of technology and entertainment, with Cellecor and Tamannaah Bhatia leading the charge in innovation. The company eagerly anticipates a triumphant collaboration, marking a significant milestone in the realm of cutting-edge electronics. Don’t miss out – it’s a journey into the future you won’t want to skip!” the company said.

The company recently shared its plan to enter into the premium segment. According to the company, its new premium brand will have a full range of innovative and technologically advanced products to cater for the growing demand of diverse needs of consumers. The company said that it will launch these products next year.

Meanwhile, the company said that its board of directors has approved raising of Rs 10.20 crore by issuing 1020 secured, unrated, unlisted, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs).

Storm Jocelyn that battered the UK on Tuesday and overnight is sweeping east, disrupting travel and energy infrastructure across northwest Europe.

A man walks past a public information sign on the beach ahead of the arrival of Storm Jocelyn, in Brighton, Britain. Storm Jocelyn batters the UK, disrupts travel and energy infrastructure across northwest Europe (Photo by REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Germany’s national weather service DWD said coastal areas may see hurricane-like gusts, while amber and yellow wind warnings remained in place for most of the UK for Wednesday. Alerts are also in place for Netherlands, France and Belgium.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

On the continent, Germany’s Wilhelmshaven liquefied natural terminal said it had stopped sending fuel to the grid for a few hours on Wednesday due to the bad weather. LNG terminals in the UK have also seen delays in vessels offloading.

The UK remained among the hardest hit from the latest round of Atlantic storms, with severe disruptions to power supplies and infrastructure lasting for several days. While Jocelyn won’t reach the strength of Storm Isha that battered the nation earlier this week, train services across England and Scotland still faced suspensions and cancellations.

German wind power output is forecast to hit a record high later Wednesday, with production from thousands of turbines set to peak at 54,460 megawatts at 3 p.m., according to a Bloomberg model.

The current record of 53,022 megawatts was reached just before Christmas. Actual output was at 49,861 megawatts as of 8 a.m. in Berlin, according to EEX data on Bloomberg.

After freezing temperatures last week, the Atlantic storms have ushered in a period of much warmer weather across the region. London will reach 12.5C on Wednesday, with Paris climbing to 14C, according to Maxar Technologies Inc.

Average temperature departures are forecast to range from 4C to 9C above normal across continental Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, the forecaster said.

So many operas end in the tragic death of a soprano, but the conclusion of Puccini’s La Bohème never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

This is already the fifth revival of Richard Jones’ 2017 production of this opera and Keri-Lynn Wilson’s superbly sensitive conducting of the Covent Garden Orchestra brilliantly brings out the power of Puccini’s music.

The plot is simple: boy meets sick girl, they fall in love, girl dies, but the strong emotions of the story are brought out very effectively with the reckless joy of the first half giving way to despair as hopelessness sets in.

Rodolfo (Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu) is a poet, sharing an attic with his artistic friends Marcello (Mikhail Timoshenko), Colline (Alexander Köpeczi) and Schaunard (Hansung Yoo). The last three head off to Cafe Momus, leaving Rodolfo to finish some work quickly when Mimi (Ruzan Mantashyan) knocks at the door asking for a light for her candle which has blown out in the wind.

They quickly fall in love, and the rest of the first half is pure joy, enhanced by the outrageous behaviour of Marcello’s girlfriend Musetta (Lauren Fagan). Covent Garden audiences last saw Fagan as Gretel in the Christmas production Hansel and Gretel, but Musetta’s knickers-removing antics at the Cafe Momus are gloriously accomplished and strikingly more adult.

The pace of the opera is greatly helped by Stewart Laing’s set design which allow a remarkably fast switch from the artists’ attack to a Parisian Boulevard and then to the interior of Cafe Momus. The speed at which everything rolls into place gets rid of the need for an interval between the first and second acts which enables the momentum of the show to continue uninterrupted.

All of the leading parts are well sung, with Ruzan Mantashyan (Mimi) and Lauren Fagan particularly excellent. However, the voices of the four artist room-mates were sometimes too individual to go well together. Saimir Pirgu in particular had an impressively strong voice, but his almost unrelenting high volume was often inappropriate. By contrast, Ruzan Mantashyan’s final scene was a beautiful example of how to sing softly but with enough power to fill the huge Opera House.

RATING: 4 stars

La Bohème at the Royal Opera House, London, until 16 February. For further information: roh.org.uk or 020 7304 4000.

The facelifted 2024 Porsche 911 is edging closer to its official unveiling, with the ‘992.2’ generation sports car spied undergoing winter testing in Europe.

Porsche’s current ‘992.1’ 911 debuted in 2019, with higher-performance variants having been progressively rolled out over the past five years.

Now, the facelifted ‘992.2’ is expected to be revealed in 2024.

Compared to the Porsche 911 currently on sale, the 992.2 version appears to adopt a new front bumper which incorporates more cooling fins, directing air towards its radiators and brake ducts.

2024 Porsche 911: Updated sports car spied as launch nears

From the cold weather spy photos it seems the five-point headlights – with one central beam surrounded by four smaller lights – will remain, though likely with minor tweaks to differentiate the generations.

At the rear, the 911’s exhaust outlets are now more inboard – sitting underneath the number plate rather than surrounding it, as seen on the Carrera grades – with a new diffuser to match also included.

Additional changes include slimmer LED tail lights and a different array of fins on the engine cover.

Previous reports from Europe have claimed the Porsche 911 992.2 update will see all variants gain a fully digital instrument display – rather than the 992.1 which has two screens on either side of an analog tachometer.

It is also not yet known whether all 992.2 variants will be turbocharged, or if the flagship GT3 and GT3 RS will retain their 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engines, amid tightening emissions regulations globally.

The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS – which are likely to debut two to three years after the first 992.2 examples – will also be required to be fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology in order to be sold in Australia.

From March 2025, all new cars sold in Australian showrooms must have AEB – following on from regulations which came into effect from March 2023, requiring all newly introduced models to have the safety technology.

MORE: Everything Porsche 911
MORE: Porsche 911 hybrid will have up to 600kW of power
MORE: How to run in a new car, specifically a Porsche 911 GT3 RS

In the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrencies, a new player is emerging, and it’s promising early investors a golden opportunity. NewGold tokens, created on the Binance Smart Chain Network (Bep20), are set to revolutionize the market with good return on investment. You can buy 1 NewGold today at the presale for $18. The price at launch on the Pancakeswap exchange will be $28 and at the Centralise exchange could hit $1000 USD. Getting 1000% ROI is possible.

NewGold tokens are gearing up to become one of the most expensive cryptocurrencies globally, such that 1 NewGold coin price is starting at $28 at Pancakeswap exchange soon. It is projected to hit $1,000,000 USD within the next 3 years. NewGold Team have the roadmap and strategy to achieve that.

Reaching the goal of $1,000,000 USD is achievable. This is why they created only 10,000 tokens as the total coin supply. NewGold will never be minted again. The 10,000 NewG will remain the only number of tokens in existence. This will eventually make the limited coins to become scarce, valuable and expensive. While 99% of all cryptocurrency founders created their coins or tokens in millions, billions and trillions, the NewGold team created few. This is what makes NewGold different from all other Cryptocurrencies. Gold and Diamonds are expensive because they scarce, limited in supply and have high demand. The NewGold team are using the strategy of rarity to make the coin to become scarce and valuable.

The value will continue to increase and reach the projected $1,000,000 USD because 49% of the tokens are already locked at Dex for 4 years, this will further build scarcity and value into the very fabric of NewGold. This strategy will reduce dumping drastically. The NewGold Team will encourage staking.

Coupled with an aggressive marketing approach and a projection of 1,000,000 users by 2024 and 25,000,000 users within the next 3 years, the projection to get the price of NewGold token to reach $1,000,000 USD could be achieved. The large demand over limited 51% (5,100 NewG) in circulation will cause the price to rise and shock the world.

The total coin market capitalisation that is needed to reach this target of $1,000,000 USD as the price of 1 NewGold is achievable. The marketing team of NewGold will be working hard with other professionals to get top investors to invest funds into the system so as to reach the target. Top global investors will add quantum liquidity upto $10,000,000 USD in the near future and this target will be achieved.

The presale is from 25th to 29th January 2025 and the launch at Pancakeswap decentralise exchange is on 30th January 2024. Launch at the centralised exchange shall take place by early February 2024. And it will be listed at Coin market cap in the same month. All is set!

This is its utility: NewGold was created to act as a digital payment gateway in our upcoming video social media app. Users of our social media app from 120 countries will use the token. This will make both the app and token project to be durable for decades.

Today, 1 Bitcoin is over $40,000 USD. If you missed out on the early days of Bitcoin when it was sold for $1 USD, this token presents a second chance at early investment success. With a vision to become the most expensive cryptocurrency globally, the tokens aim to be a lasting asset. Endure you have at least 1 NewGold token today. This is the best time to buy at the cheapest price.

WEBSITE: https://NewGold.App

TELEGRAM: https://t.me/NewGoldCoin

PRESALE LINK TO BUY: https://dx.app/dxsaleview?saleID=768&chain=BNB

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation is partnering with start-ups for various initiatives in emerging technologies. The key aspects of this collaboration include industry-oriented skilling in niche technologies by start-ups and project execution in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science.

Highlighting the importance of this initiative, V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Start-ups must become leading employers and look at IIT Madras for their talent requirements. Start-ups in the skilling sector should intervene early with students and impart cognitive ability, foundational maths and science skills for their success in higher education.”

Section 8 company

Pravartak Technologies is a Section 8 company housing the Technology Innovation Hub on sensors, networking, actuators and control systems. It is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under its National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems and hosted by IIT Madras, says a release.

MJ Shankar Raman, CEO, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, said, one of the partners, Neekan Consulting, is a Technology, Process and Marketing consulting company enabling SMBs and start-ups in all industry domains. They work with with Pravartak on product and program management apart from skilling freshers and make them job ready. Similarly, SkillAngels (based out of IIT-M research park) uses gamification, animation and adaptive learning strategies for cognitive assessments and upskilling.

The important outcomes expected from this collaboration include newer ways of understanding cutting-edge technologies through content and platforms belonging to start-ups and developing point solutions for nice problem areas in AI, ML and data science, the release said.

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For those with severe depression, relief could soon be just an MRI away.

In a major clinical trial, researchers from the University of Nottingham in the U.K. applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the brains of 255 patients with treatment-resistant depression over a total of 20 sessions.

The patients reported “substantial improvements” in their symptoms and quality of life for at least six months after the procedure, according to a press release from the university.

MENTAL HEALTH MAY BE WORSE IN TEENS FROM LARGE FAMILIES, STUDY SUGGESTS: ‘FEWER RESOURCES’

More than two-thirds of participants responded to the treatment, with a third showing 50% improvement in symptoms.

For one-fifth of the patients, their depression did not return.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham applied transcranial magnetic stimulation to the brains of 255 patients with treatment-resistant depression over a total of 20 sessions. (iStock)

“Given that these patients are people who have not responded to two previous treatment attempts and have been ill for an average of seven years, to get such a significant response rate and a fifth who have a sustained response is really encouraging,” lead researcher Richard Morriss, professor of psychiatry at the University of Nottingham, told Fox News Digital, said in the release.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on Jan. 16.

JEWISH STUDENTS STRUGGLING WITH ANTISEMITISM AT COLLEGE NOW HAVE USE OF WALK-IN MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC

“Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a well-established treatment for depression that is available in many but not all centers, unlike antidepressants, ECT and psychological treatments, which are available anywhere,” Morriss told Fox News Digital.

Previously, TMS has been delivered in a less effective and precise way, Morriss said, and the results didn’t last as long.

The patients reported “substantial improvements” in their symptoms and quality of life for at least six months after the procedure, said researchers. (iStock)

“The importance of this research is that for the first time, in a large enough randomized controlled trial, the benefits on depression lasted six months or more,” he said.

“Not only that, but on average, one in two people [who received] the TMS had a substantial benefit in depression lasting at least six months — enough to improve their anxiety and make them think clearly, function better and have a better quality of life.”

“The benefits to people who have suffered for years are quite remarkable.”

The researchers used an MRI scan to personalize the site of the magnetic stimulation for each patient, Morriss noted.

“We used a neuronavigation system, or tracking system, to ensure that the same site was hit for all 20 TMS sessions, [even] if the person sat in a slightly different position or moved slightly,” he said.

Ninety-two percent of the study participants completed the full treatment, said Morriss, with only “minor side effects” that lasted less than a day.

In 2023, 29% of Americans reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, while 17.8% said they currently suffer from it. (iStock)

“People went to the hospital and could resume their usual activities, and they could drive there and back for this treatment,” he said.

Although the MRI-guided treatment costs about 25% more than the traditional TMS treatments, Morriss said the benefits last longer — “so maybe the person only needs one or at the most two courses of treatment per year.”

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY RATES HIGHER AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS THAN THEIR PEERS, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

The study did have some limitations, Morriss acknowledged.

The researchers were not able to include a placebo group, as it was deemed “ethically and clinically unacceptable” to give a placebo treatment for as long as six months to such a seriously ill group of people, he said.

Although the MRI-guided treatment costs about 25% more than the traditional TMS treatments, the benefits last longer, researchers said. (iStock)

“So we do not know for sure how much of the TMS effect is real and how much is due to other factors,” he noted. “It seems likely that a high proportion of the effect is due to TMS.”

Not every center offering TMS can access MRI technology, Morriss said, but many sites across the U.S. and Canada do have the equipment.

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“The additional cost and lack of availability of MRI or the expertise to use it is something that doctors and insurers will need to consider,” he added.

Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, was not involved in the Nottingham study but reviewed the findings.

“There is no doubt that magnetic brain stimulation can be an effective treatment for depression, and this study, using targeted magnetic pulses, further reinforces the efficacy of this treatment,” a psychologist said. (iStock)

A similar type of focused magnetic therapy was developed at Stanford, which found similar strong positive outcomes, Dimitriu said.

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“Notably, these therapies can be expensive and somewhat time-consuming — however, the benefits to people who have suffered for years are quite remarkable,” he said.

For anyone dealing with a treatment-resistant psychiatric condition, Dimitriu emphasized the importance of correcting and optimizing sleep before gauging the effectiveness of any treatment.

In 2023, 29% of Americans reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, while 17.8% said they currently suffer from it.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Birthdays are incomplete without cake and the company of loved ones. Agreed? Well, we do too. But a customer of a food delivery app had a birthday request which went viral. The customer was celebrating their birthday and none of the family members called to wish the person. So they decided to find comfort in food. The customer placed an order from a food delivery app. What was on the menu? Three vegan chik’n nuggets, one white pie and two Pepsi. Wondering what is so special about this order? Well, it was the special instruction attached to it that grabbed attention. The customer added a special instruction note along with the white pie order. In it, the customer revealed that they were sad as none of their family members had wished them on the big day. As part of a special request to uplift their mood, the customer requested the restaurant to add extra black olives to the white pie. Now, while specifying the quantity of the “extra” olives, the customer instructed the chef to add as many black olives as the chef could, without getting fired.

Also Read: “I Thought It Was Slime”: Viral Blue Pizza Dough Leaves The Internet Amused

The instructions read, “It’s my birthday and not even my family called me. I am sad and I really like black olives. Please put on as many black olives as you can. I want you to put so many black olives that you start to question mine and your own sanity. As much as you can include without being fired. Thank you.” Laughing already? Wait till you see the picture of the white pie. The incident came to light after an Instagram page shared a screenshot of the bill. The second slide featured a picture of a pie that looked more like a pizza with white sauce and innumerable black olives. The text attached to the post read, “‘I’m sad and I really like olives.’ This customer had a special request for their vegan pizza, and the restaurant really delivered! Do you love olives on your pizza?”

Several users expressed their views in the comments section. A comment read, “I want his address to call him on his birthday and send him cans of olives.”

A user wrote, “This black olive pizza is gonna make me cry.”

“Can you really call this a pizza though..so sad,” commented another.

What do you like to do on your birthday?

Also Read: This Viral Milk Chocolate Toast Is One For The Recipe Books

Back when Nikki Haley, the last woman standing in the race for the Republican nomination, began dating her now-husband, she took a look at him and asked him what his name was.

Puzzled, he told her it was Bill, which she already knew.

“You just don’t look like a Bill. What’s your whole name?” she replied, to which he answered, “William Michael.”

“From that point on, I started calling him Michael, and all my friends did the same,” she wrote in her 2012 memoir, “Can’t Is Not an Option.”

“Before we knew it, he was universally known as Michael,” she continued. “Everyone who knew him before I did knows him as Bill, and everyone who met him after I did knows him as Michael. He looks like a Michael.”

Mr. Haley even went by that name in a South Carolina newspaper’s bridal registry announcement in 1996 ahead of the couple’s wedding. He still continues to go by Michael.

That got me thinking: What happens when you can’t see yourself dating someone with a particular name? Or if you simply don’t like your partner’s name? If Mr. Right said his name was Chad, would that be a deal-breaker? If the woman of your dreams had the same name as your mother, would you stop the pursuit or call her by another one?

The idea of “looking” more like one name than another could stem from specific memories and characteristics that people have associated with certain names: Meet enough Bills, and you’re bound to form ideas of what a Bill looks like. A strong reaction to a person’s name — and certainly one visceral enough to want to call a partner by a different name — usually comes from somewhere, said Carol Bruess, a professor emeritus at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a relationship social scientist.

“When a name evokes an emotional reaction, it’s usually because of a past or current relationship with someone who had that or a similar name,” she added.

According to Dr. Bruess, when we have had a traumatic or negative relationship with someone, those negative associations can be easily transferred to anyone with the same name.

“If you begin dating someone with the same name as your emotionally abusive uncle, it might take time to reorient your emotional connection to the name,” she said. “Like any symbol, we can recreate and reassign the meaning.”

One Reddit user even sought the help of strangers to learn to love his girlfriend’s name, Zelda. Her parents were apparently “huge literary geeks,” and her mother had an interest in the life of Zelda Fitzgerald.

“I love her. I just can’t get over her name,” he wrote in a post. “I call her pet names and weird nicknames all the time, because I just feel so weird calling her Zelda. It reminds me of Legend of Zelda, and I don’t like the games, and my first thought is always ‘who names their kid after a video game?’”

Another user admitted not only to disliking her partner’s name, Bradley, but confessed that she instead calls him babe “90 percent of the time.”

Opting to be known by a middle name isn’t exactly uncharted territory for Ms. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina. Although her given name is Nimarata, she goes by Nikki, which she has said is on her birth certificate. (Former President Donald J. Trump has made an issue of Ms. Haley’s name on the campaign, repeatedly flubbing her given name as a racist dog whistle.)

It’s normal for couples and families to refer to one another by nicknames or totally different names as a way to show affection, to reflect a close bond, or to pay homage to an elder or ancestor.

In Ms. Haley’s case, she changed her husband’s name as she was still getting to know him and — at least in her recounting — did not seem to ask for his permission.

Names are at the center of people’s identity, according to the linguist Laurel Sutton, the president of the American Name Society. People change their names for a number of reasons, including a gender transition, a hard-to-spell name or a simple distaste for the one they were given. But usually, it’s their choice.

“To tell someone to change their name because of your personal preferences, that’s a big ask,” she said.

Send your thoughts, stories and tips to [email protected].

Nothing ushers in the spooky season more than black cat decorations. But let’s face it, decorations are expensive. Why not save some bucks and DIY your Halloween decorations this year? That way, you can have a fully decked-out Halloween home without breaking your budget.

The 11 DIY Cat Halloween Decorations

1. Cheap and Easy Glass Bottle Black Cat Decoration

DIY Halloween Black Cat Decoration — Image Credit: ginatepper.com

Materials:	Empty glass bottles, 3.8” smooth Styrofoam ball, stiff black felt, thin white craft foam, green and blue glitter craft foam, wood skewer, black acrylic paint, black spray paint, permanent black marker, hot glue, free cat pattern provided
Tools:	Hot glue gun, paintbrush or sponge, scissors
Difficulty Level:	Easy

If you enjoy a bottle of beer or wine, this project is for you. No need to throw away those empty wine and beer bottles anymore. Now, you can turn them into adorable cat Halloween decorations. This project is super simple, only requiring a few cheap crafts and tools you may already have on hand.

2. DIY Black Cat Wood Cutout

DIY HALLOWEEN BLACK CAT WOOD CUTOUT — Image Credit: Jen Woodhouse

Materials:	(1) 2’ x 4’ MDF or plywood (any thickness), black acrylic paint
Tools:	Quilting ruler or yardstick, pencil, jigsaw, sander, paintbrush
Difficulty Level:	Moderate

Don’t be intimidated by this project if you’ve never worked with wood. The project is easier than it seems and results in a department store-quality decor piece. If you don’t have a jigsaw, you’ll have to spend a little money on this project, but they come in handy for future DIY crafts.

3. Wickedly Fun Toilet Paper Roll Cat Decor

DIY Wickedly Fun Halloween Cat Decorations — Image Credit: apieceofrainbow.com

Materials:	Toilet paper rolls, tissue box, glue
Tools:	Scissors
Difficulty Level:	Easy

Don’t throw away your toilet paper rolls! Save them for DIY projects. These fun Halloween cats can sit on any bookshelf or serve as a fun centerpiece. And the best part? They barely require any supplies.

4. DIY Halloween Cat House

Materials:	3mm wire, blue tape, 36” balloon, newspaper and paper bags, wood glue, total boat resin, orange and black spray paint, orange dye, ⅜” sisal rope, hot glue, hot water
Tools:	Wire cutters, pliers, snips, hot glue gun, scissors, sharpie
Difficulty Level:	Difficult

Looking for a challenge? This DIY project fits the bill. You can kill two birds with one stone by creating a scary Halloween piece that doubles as a cat bed.

5. Wooden Halloween Black Cats

DIY Black Cat Halloween Decorations — Image Credit: thriftynorthwestmom.com

Materials:	2 x 4 board, black paint, googly eyes, hot glue, raffia
Tools:	Hot glue gun
Difficulty Level:	Easy

These black wooden cats are more cute than scary, but they’re very simple to make and can be done in under 30 minutes. You don’t even need any tools except a hot glue gun.

6. Halloween Cat Pail

DIY Vintage Halloween Cat Pail — Image Credit: Halloween Head

Materials:	Matte black spray paint, matte acrylic paint
Tools:	Paintbrush
Difficulty Level:	Easy

This simple DIY project is nothing short of scary. With just a paintbrush, some paint, and a simple Halloween pail, trick or treating is about to be serious business.

7. Retro Wooden Cat Decoration

DIY Halloween Cat Decoration — Image Credit: Saws on Skates

Materials:	Wood (see plan), 1-½” wooden toy wheels, wood glue, #8 1-¼” wood screws, craft paint, white chalk paint, charcoal chalk paint, manilla folder (optional), spray adhesive (optional)
Tools:	Paintbrush, tape measure, drill, miter saw, scroll saw, scissors
Difficulty Level:	Moderate

The hardest part of this project isn’t the cutting—it’s the sanding. Still, it’s fairly simple and gives you a cute, homemade Halloween decoration to keep for yourself or to hand out as a gift.

8. Ombre Cats Halloween Decor

DIY Halloween Decor - Ombre Cats — Image Credit: craftcreatecook.com

Materials:	5.5” x 12” pallet board, (3) wood cat cutouts, black acrylic paint, white acrylic paint, hot glue
Tools:	Paintbrush, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level:	Easy

If you’d rather glue stuff together and be done, this project is for you. All you need is some wood, cute cat cutouts, and paint. You’ll have a new Halloween decoration in no time!

9. Easy DIY Black Cat Paper Luminarie

DIY BLACK CAT PAPER HALLOWEEN LUMINARIES — Image Credit: madewithhappy.com

Materials:	Black cardstock paper or construction paper, colorful tissue paper
Tools:	Pencil, scissors, ruler, glue, LED lights
Difficulty Level:	Easy

Add a creepy glow to your Halloween night with this DIY project. Who knew you could create such a scary essence with cardstock and tissue paper?

10. Black Cat Halloween Wreath

DIY DOLLAR STORE BLACK CAT HALLOWEEN WREATH — Image Credit: madincrafts.com

Materials:	Wire wreath, purple deco mesh, black cat shapes, black craft paint, dragonfly glaze, adhesive gems, rhinestones, hot glue
Tools:	Paintbrush, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level:	Easy

This project is for those who can’t get enough wreaths. Decorate your front door or walkway with this adorable cat Halloween wreath. Glue it all together then hang it up for all to see. It’s really that easy!

11. Black Cat Halloween Centerpiece

Materials:	Tinsel-decorated cat decor, #6 black yarn, witch hat pick, white craft paint, purple glitter, black ribbon, purple bows, (1) wooden round, (1) bag crafters Spanish moss; small decorative bats, spiders, and pumpkins; additional crafts of your choice
Tools:	Paintbrush or sponge, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level:	Easy

This project will take some pulling apart and putting it back together, but that’s what makes it so fun. With the power of hot glue, you can turn an okay-looking Halloween decoration into something one of a kind.

Conclusion

What makes DIY projects so fun? You can turn something into whatever you want and save a few bucks while you’re doing it. Give your wallet a rest this Halloween season and try some fun cat Halloween DIY projects.

Related Reads:

Featured Image Credit: Maya Kruchankova, Shutterstock

Affordable housing finance company SMFG Grihashakti has secured Rs 300 crore funding from National Housing Bank (NHB).

This is the company’s maiden long-term loan from NHB and opens up an additional avenue for long-term, low-cost funding, it said, adding that the money will help it expand its financing solutions to the under-served population, SMFG Grihashakti Chief Executive Deepak Patkar, said.

As of December 2023, it had Assets Under Management (AUM) of Rs 8,028 crore, which grew 37 per cent year-on-year.

SMFG Grihashakti provides home loans, loans for home improvement, home construction and extension, loan against property, and for purchasing commercial property, apart from project construction financing.

KAO i druge marke, i Nike je pripremio posebnu kolekciju povodom nadolazećeg Valentinova. Komadi poput tenisica, trenirki, majica i hudica mogu se naći u bojama kao što su ružičasta i crvena ili s motivima koji nagovještavaju Dan zaljubljenih. Kod Nikea, kao i kod adidasa, fokusirali smo se na tenisice.

Pregledali smo sva izdanja koja su stigla ili tek trebaju stići i izdvojili svoje favorite. Evo u kojim tenisicama bismo se rado prošetali ovog Valentinova, a vi nam niže recite koje su vaš favorit.

Air Jordan 1 Low SE, Dune Red

Kultna silueta dolazi u bojama idealnim za Valentinovo – crvenoj i bijeloj. Ove tenisice izrađene su od kože i tekstila na gornjem dijelu, a imaju i Nike Air udobnost u potplatu. Idu uz gotovo sve kombinacije, a već su dostupne za kupnju.

Air Jordan 1 Low SE, Pink Blast

I Nikeova ženska kolekcija dobila je dozu ljubavi povodom Valentinova, odnosno dozu upečatljivih kombinacija boja, baš poput ovog Air Jordan modela. Radi se o istom modelu koji smo gore izdvojili, samo ovaj dolazi u kombinaciji crvene i ružičaste.

Uparivanje presvlaka od pune zrnate kože sa satenskom podlogom daje ovim tenisicama posebno gladak izgled i dojam. I one su već dostupne za kupnju na pojedinim Nikeovim stranicama, ali još nisu došle u Hrvatsku. No stigle su na StockX i druge online trgovine.

Nike Air Force 1 ’07

Ove je tenisice Nike najavio još krajem prošle godine, a sada su nedavno i stigle i, po nama, idealno su valentinovsko izdanje koje se može kombinirati s raznim kombinacijama, a i nositi mimo Dana zaljubljenih. Kao, doduše, i sve druge tenisice na ovom popisu.

Klasična silueta iz 80-ih ovim izdanjem dobiva osvježenje, koje je, prema Nikeu, nadahnuto spajanjem digitalnog i stvarnog svijeta. Dodaci u stilu nakita i holografski naglasci daju poseban završni dodir.

Nike Air Force 1 Low Valentine’s Day Glitter Swoosh

Ove je tenisice Nike isto predstavio koncem prošle godine za nadolazeće Valentinovo. Popularna silueta dolazi u šarmantnoj kombinaciji boja, a tu je razigrani dodatak Swoosha, koji je ispunjen svjetlucavim gliterom.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Nadalje, tenisice imaju privjeske nanizane na vezicama. Cvjetne oznake ukrašavaju uloške i jezičke za dodatan dašak romantike. Ovo izdanje se tek treba pojaviti u prodaji, i to u veljači.

Nike Cortez SE

Još jedne tenisice koje tek trebaju stići na Nikeovu stranicu, ali su se već pojavile kod preprodavača poput StockX-a su valentinovsko izdanje Nike Cortez. Popularna Nikeova silueta u ovom izdanju dolazi s dozom razigranosti. Gornji dio od kože prepoznatljive je bijele boje, a tu su crveni Swooshevi od antilopa i umetci na peti.

No najslađi detalji su svakako grafika trešnje u obliku dva srca na jeziku i ulošcima te ružičasto srce s Nike logotipom na vezicama.

Nike Dunk Low Valentine’s Day

Ovo posebno izdanje Nike Dunk Low tenisica povodom Valentinova predstavlja divnu kombinaciju boja i tekstura, savršeno utjelovljujući duh Dana zaljubljenih. Tenisice imaju gornji dio od kože u nježnim nijansama. Svjetloružičasta na podlozi dodaje mekani, romantični štih, dok crvena na Swooshu i umetku pete daje oštar kontrast.

Tenisice su ranije ovog mjeseca lansirane u Kini, a prema pisanju stranih medija, očekuje se globalno lansiranje u veljači.

Nike Air Force 1, Layers of Love

Šećer na kraju, Nike Layers of Love izdanje Air Force 1 tenisice su tek u dolasku, a svjetlost dana, ili polica, trebale bi ugledati 13. veljače. No već su se pojavile na stranicama za preprodaju poput StockXa.

Nike dosad nije službeno potvrdio ime ovog para, ali je objeručke prihvaćeno u zajednici ljubitelja tenisica. Dolaze u bogatoj kombinaciji crvenih nijansi – Burgundy Crush/Gym Red/Team Red, dok je potplat crne boje. Gornji dio izrađen je od meke antilop kože.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

Angel City will open its third NWSL season on March 16, playing host to the league’s newest club, Bay FC, at BMO Stadium.

With the addition of Bay FC and the return of a team in Utah, NWSL will play with a record 14 clubs this season. With teams playing each other twice, home and away, the regular season will be 26 games long and run through Nov. 3. The postseason tournament will also be larger than ever with the league’s top eight teams advancing.

Angel City will play its first road game of 2024 on March 22, traveling to Florida to face the Orlando Pride. In-state rival San Diego will visit BMO Stadium on May 23; the return leg will be played Aug. 24, both teams’ first game back following a seven-week summer break for the Paris Olympics.

This season will be the first of the league’s four-year, $240-million broadcast deal with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports. That deal will kick off opening day with Kansas City playing Portland in a game to be nationally televised on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

Samsung has partnered with Blinkit, a quick-commerce platform, to deliver Galaxy S24 Series smartphones to customers in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai in less than 10 minutes.

Galaxy S24 Series: Exclusive Offer

Customers purchasing the Galaxy S24 series through Blinkit can enjoy an exclusive instant cashback of Rs 5,000 when using HDFC Bank credit cards.

Galaxy S24 Series: Pre-Bookings

According to Samsung, the collaboration with Blinkit aims to meet the overwhelming demand for the Galaxy S24 series in India. The pre-bookings have set records, with over 250,000 customers in India reserving their Galaxy S24 smartphones in just three days since January 18, the company claims.

Galaxy S24 Series: Features

The ‘Made in India’ Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 smartphones come equipped with advanced features such as Live Translate, Interpreter, Chat Assist, Note Assist, and Transcript Assist. The Samsung Keyboard’s built-in AI can translate messages in real-time across 13 languages, including Hindi.

The Galaxy S24 introduces a unique ‘Circle to Search’ feature, allowing users to circle, highlight, scribble, or tap on the screen to receive high-quality search results. Generative AI-powered overviews provide contextual information from across the web for certain searches.

Galaxy S24 Series: ProVisual Engine and Camera

The Galaxy S24 series offers the ProVisual Engine, a suite of AI-powered tools enhancing image capturing capabilities. The Quad Tele System on the Galaxy S24 Ultra features a new 5x optical zoom lens, providing optical-quality performance at zoom levels from 2x to 10x.

Apart from this, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series also offers seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.

All-inclusive vacations can conjure images of food under heat lamps, too many poolside piña coladas, and being trapped on resort grounds. But sun-soaked packages are not the only type of all-inclusives.

Top tips for booking the perfect all-inclusive vacation(Pixabay)

Sure, sprawling mega-resorts exist — and their numbers are growing. All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy has spent the last couple of years building a portfolio of nearly three dozen all-inclusive hotels worldwide, mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean. One of the most highly anticipated is the Marriott Cancun, reopening in early 2024 to include some of the typical all-inclusive amenities: a sprawling property of 450 rooms, a lazy river, waterslides and more.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Ram Mandir! Click here

But guests looking for a more localized and unique experience can still find that type of vacation — with the price of food and activities included.

CONSIDER A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ALL-INCLUSIVE IN 2024

Some all-inclusives are entirely antithetical to stereotypical resort experiences. Wellness and activity take precedence over all-you-can-eat meals. They aren’t necessarily in sunny locales. Guest counts are limited, with just a handful of beds.

Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Clark, Colorado, is among the properties that check all those boxes. At the all-inclusive dude ranch, summer outdoor activities include fly fishing and paddle boarding. Winter options include snowshoeing, ice fishing, skiing and sleigh rides. There are only 12 cabins and three lodge rooms.

Many all-inclusives in this genre, such as the Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge, may hardly be considered relaxing at all. With 16 cabins located just under 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle, vacationers are encouraged to partake in activities like riding fat tire bikes over the ice. If the ice has already melted, you can sea kayak instead. With no electricity at night and no in-cabin showers (they’re only in the main complex), it’s not glamorous. But it’s still expensive.

BEWARE THE PRICE TAG

The cheapest Arctic Watch offering costs $17,500 Canadian (about $13,000) for nine nights, amounting to about $1,400 per night. At Vista Verde Guest Ranch, three-night stays start at $2,695 during the off-season or about $900 per night (though per-night costs decrease the longer you stay).

But not every all-inclusive worth visiting is for travelers with big budgets. At Minnesota’s family-oriented Fair Hills Resort, cabins are modest and the food resembles what you ate at summer camp. Meals and activities — such as golf lessons, pickleball, and s’mores — are included in most packages. Rates can run just over $200 per adult, per night, and $121 per kid, per night, depending on your stay length.

HOW TO BOOK A BETTER ALL-INCLUSIVE

According to a survey published in April 2022 that was commissioned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which has a robust portfolio of all-inclusives, 77% of travelers believe that an all-inclusive vacation is the least stressful way to travel.

If you’re considering an all-inclusive for your next vacation, here are some tips to consider:

— Think boutique, not blockbuster: Skipping the sprawling resorts in favor of intimate properties can bring more personalized service. It might also better connect you with the destination and its people rather than the hundreds of other vacationers.

— Consider more than just beach locales: Whether it’s the Arctic tundra, a Minnesota summer camp or Colorado dude ranch, some of the most authentic experiences occur at all-inclusives that are far from the beach.

“We are stewards of the western ranch lifestyle, and we enjoy bringing folks into our world,” says Ben Martin, general manager of Colorado’s Vista Verde Guest Ranch.

You might even consider a trip that doesn’t stay in one place. Companies like SpiceRoads Cycling and Backroads offer all-inclusive, multiday cycling tours where you get a guide and bike support on top of meals and nightly lodging.

— Prioritize points: If you do opt for an all-inclusive stay at one of the major hotel chains, take advantage of the opportunity to book properties on points, which can often be earned through credit card spending.

— Embrace shoulder season: Shoulder season, which is the time between tourist season and the off-season, can provide a healthy mix of lower rates and fewer crowds, yet decreased risk of bad weather or businesses that have closed for the off-season.

— Understand what’s truly included: You might never touch your wallet at some all-inclusives. Others charge for add-ons such as snorkel gear oralcohol. A few even tack on resort fees.

WHY ALL INCLUSIVES MAKE SENSE FOR TRAVELERS

Vista Verde’s Martin says his all-inclusive model avoids making vacationers feel nickel and dimed throughout the stay. “If a guest is frequently reaching for their wallet, they are constantly being reminded that their stay is transactional,” he says. “It changes the dynamic of our relationship with them.” And if you can score a deal — such as a stay booked on points or during shoulder season — an all-inclusive can leave a far bigger mark in your memory than your bank account.

Knuckle Puck fans, your time has finally come.

The iconic Chicago-based band have – at last – announced a comeback to the UK to play some (sure to be) incredible shows.

These newly announced gigs are in support of their brand new album, Losing What We Love, which hit streaming services and store shelves back in October 2023.

Frontman Joe Taylor recently told us all about the album, while speaking about growing up and maturing as a musician.

These new shows will have Taylor, Nick Casasanto, Kevin Maida, John Siorek and Ryan Rumchaks hitting some prestigious venues across the country, including Leeds’ Project House, Glasgow’s Classic Grand and Manchester’s Rebellion.

They’ll top it off by playing the absolutely monolithic Alexandra Palace in London, where Knuckle Puck will be supporting Neck Deep.

Tickets will be released at the end of the week, and we have all the details you need.

Here’s the information:

Knuckle Puck tickets will be released tomorrow, Friday, January 26, 2024, at 10am.

These tickets will be available at See Tickets, where most of the shows’ tickets are available right now. Here’s the link:

SEE TICKETS – Buy Knuckle Puck tickets here.

However, there are also some event tickets purchasable from and , which you can secure here.

This will be fans’ one and only chance to get tickets to Knuckle Puck’s shows, so if you’re interested, make sure you lock yourself in as soon as possible.

If you’d rather look through the shows in full, here’s the info you need:

Sales of hybrid vehicles have been booming Australia over the last few years and Hyundai is the latest company to ramp up its local offerings.

Hyundai Australia product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers told CarExpert that for some models there’s “huge potential just because of the competitors out there and how much hybrid they’re selling”.

“We can clearly see there’s an appetite for hybrid,” said Mr Rodgers.

“Kona Hybrid hasn’t been on the market for long but the sales rates for that … have been beyond our expectations.

Kona Hybrid

“So our customers, they know we’re about electrification. I think hybrid makes a lot of sense to just a general Australian customer right now.

“More and more you’ll see more hybridisation I’m sure as we move towards full electrification as well in a lot of these portfolios.”

Hyundai introduced its first hybrid locally with the now-defunct Ioniq in 2018. This entire model line, which also included plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric powertrains, was axed in 2022.

That same year Hyundai Australia introduced the Santa Fe Hybrid. It’s currently available in two different trim levels with both powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid powertrain that’s shared with the related Kia Sorento.

The next-generation Santa Fe, due this year, will launch with a hybrid powertrain.

Hyundai hybrid sales set to take off in Australia — ***Santa Fe Hybrid***

As Mr Rodgers noted, the new-generation Kona also now offers a hybrid powertrain. It’s available in four different trim levels, including two sporty-looking N Line versions.

Looking to the future, Hyundai Australia has already confirmed hybrid versions of the i30 Sedan and Tucson are set to belatedly arrive locally this year. These will go head-to-head with the Toyota Corolla and RAV4, respectively.

As recently reported, a total of 98,439 new hybrid cars were sold in Australia last year, which is an increase of 20.3 per cent compared to 2022.

Toyota continued to dominate the hybrid vehicle sales charts, led by its ever-popular RAV4, Corolla and Camry.

Hyundai sold a total 1353 examples of the Santa Fe Hybrid last year, making it the 16th top-selling hybrid car in Australia. It accounted for 22.4 per cent of total Santa Fe sales in 2023.

The company still managed to sell 682 examples of the Kona Hybrid last year despite its launch taking place late in the year.

MORE: VFACTS 2023: The best-selling hybrids and plug-in hybrids in Australia

Henry Fernandez was once a counter-revolutionary. The man who over three decades has built MSCI, a provider of stockmarket indices, into a standard bearer of financial globalisation, started his career as a Nicaraguan diplomat in the government of Anastasio Somoza, a right-wing dictator. While some of his friends flocked to the left-wing Sandinistas ahead of the revolution that toppled Somoza in 1979, he took a look at socialism in eastern Europe and decided it was doomed to fail. Instead, he embraced free-market capitalism and moved to Wall Street.

There he encountered a different revolutionary movement that he has championed ever since: the forward march of capital markets. Starting in the Reagan era, he has played a role in several of the upheavals that have swept the world of finance, from securitisation in the 1980s and the growth of emerging-market investing in the 1990s, to the rise of index tracking and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this century. He retains an idealistic streak. While many former advocates of environmental, social and governance investing have shied away from the climate-related fad of the past half-decade, he remains a true ESG believer.

He is now betting that MSCI’s indices can penetrate the opaque world of private finance—the $12trn-plus of assets held in private equity, credit, venture capital, real estate and infrastructure. These are some of the hottest segments of the capital markets. But they are restricted to institutions and well-heeled investors. In these secretive markets asset managers are loth to encourage more transparency and liquidity lest their fees suffer as a result. Yet technology may be moving in Mr Fernandez’s favour.

MSCI, which was spun off by Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, in 2007 and has a market capitalisation of $45bn, has two main lines of business. The first is benchmarking. It has more than 280,000 equity indices around the world that tell investors what is going on in the public markets, and provide a measuring stick against which to judge fund managers’ performance. If a fund puts all its money into small-cap Japanese stocks, for instance, and MSCI’s medium- and large-cap Japanese equity indices do better, it underperforms. Almost $15trn of assets are benchmarked in such a way globally.

The second line of business is enabling investment managers to sell low-cost portfolios, such as ETFs, based on its indices. Almost $1.5trn of ETF assets are linked to MSCI’s indices, a nearly five-fold increase in a decade. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is the biggest client. Its boss, Larry Fink, and Mr Fernandez have been kindred spirits for decades.

MSCI’s first foray into the private realm is via benchmark indices. Since 2021 it has spent almost $2bn buying two data-gathering firms that create indices for private assets, from real estate and infrastructure to private debt. As Mr Fernandez explains, such indices enable a property investor to decide the relative merits of putting money into, for example, offices (which crashed during the pandemic) versus data centres (which soared). Gathering such information is tricky because many of the transactions are not publicly disclosed. MSCI creates indices by sourcing data from investors in private funds, who in turn receive records of those funds’ quarterly performance, including valuations of the underlying assets, from the asset managers. Its most recent acquisition, for instance, gives it data from about 13,000 private funds, representing $15trn in cumulative investments.

Could these benchmarks eventually form the basis for indices used by ETFs to bring private markets to the masses? It seems hard to imagine. Private assets do not trade with anything like the frequency of listed assets. They also lack the liquidity necessary for passive funds whose investors may want to redeem their money at short notice.

And yet Mr Fernandez believes that some parts of this opaque hinterland, such as private loans, are more liquid than others. “My bet is that over time there will be the development of a secondary market for private credit,” he says. To explain why, he goes back to his days as a young trader at Morgan Stanley during the “Liar’s Poker” era of the 1980s. The market for mortgage loans was fledgling and illiquid until the thrifts that made home loans came under pressure to sell them. Wall Street firms like Salomon Brothers and First Boston (where Mr Fink headed the mortgage desk) scooped them up, turned them into mortgage-backed securities and sold them to investors, creating a highly liquid secondary market. Similarly, banks that underwrite loans today face regulatory pressure to limit the size of their balance-sheets, so they sell some of the loans to firms with private-credit arms, such as Apollo and Blackstone. Mr Fernandez thinks that, as with the mortgage market, this trade could lead to a secondary market that would, eventually, have enough liquidity for index funds.

A big breakthrough will require advances in technology. For that, Mr Fernandez has his eye on his veteran comrade-in-arms, Mr Fink. This month BlackRock launched its first bitcoin ETF, and Mr Fink, who seldom keeps his cards close to his chest, hinted that this may be the start of a prolonged foray into the cryptoverse that could eventually encompass private assets. “If we could ETF a bitcoin, imagine what we could do with all financial instruments,” he told Bloomberg TV. “Everything is going to be ETFed.”

ETFs or WTF?

Mr Fernandez notes that Mr Fink has become an advocate of “tokenisation”—the idea that financial assets and their owners can be registered on a blockchain-like ledger, which could make it easier to trade property and other private assets. It is an idea in its infancy. Some people think it is barmy. The MSCI boss confesses that for the time being he himself does not fully understand it. But in contrast to the Sandinistas, who have betrayed everything they once fought for, his revolutionary zeal remains as strong as ever. ■

Read more from Schumpeter, our columnist on global business:
Why BlackRock is betting billions on infrastructure (Jan 18th)
AI can transform education for the better (Jan 11th)
Meet the shrewdest operators in today’s oil markets (Jan 3rd)

Also: If you want to write directly to Schumpeter, email him at [email protected]. And here is an explanation of how the Schumpeter column got its name.

Seven years ago, Hackensack Meridian Health operated on content autopilot.

It’s a story familiar to many marketers.

Some with the brand published a print magazine. Others sent newsletters with syndicated content that used medical sources unaffiliated with the largest health system in New Jersey. They had different names and aesthetics. No brand voice existed.

And they wanted to develop an online content hub — that’s what I was charged with when I started in this role in 2018.

Since then, Hackensack Meridian Health has united its content into the HealthU brand, which includes a digital content hub, a quarterly print magazine and newsletter, social media, and a podcast introduced a few years ago. The program won Best Content Marketing Program in Health Care in the 2023 Content Marketing Awards.

Recently, I shared the behind-the-scenes story in the CMI webinar Grow Up! How to Increase Your Content Maturity Level and Prove ROI (registration required). Michelle Jackson, vice president of content strategy at GLC, our agency partner, joined me.

Here’s a look at the factors that helped the content team establish the voice and content strategy for Hackensack Meridian Health.

4 elements of a successful content marketing program

In transforming Hackensack Meridian Health from a content creation program to fully realized strategic content marketing, we incorporated four critical elements:

These elements enabled us to go from order takers (i.e., put this in the newsletter) to strategic operators who ensure the published content connects strongly to the brand’s marketing priorities, helping get people to our facilities.

Plan content first, then choose channel and format

Our content strategy involves a content-first, channel-second approach. We stopped doing magazine planning, blog planning, etc. We now do content planning.

Here’s how it works. The content team:

Identifies a search trend, such as interest in marathons.
Plans the content — in this case, a piece on tips for marathon beginners.
Identifies the appropriate channels.
Interviews a subject matter expert (a doctor in our system).
Crafts an article for the content hub and produces a podcast episode from that information.
Repurposes the content into other assets (i.e., a graphic for social media).

Sometimes, we think a topic would work well just for social media or only on the content hub. Frequently, we use the audience’s response to the digital content as a thermometer for the print magazine.

Let’s say an article about how much weight someone needs to lose for weight loss surgery receives a significant response online. We’ll plug it into the print magazine and include a QR code for a weight-loss health risk assessment that returns the reader to our digital content.

But HealthU content goes beyond those channels. Other marketing teams in the organization can use it in their campaigns, whether a sponsored content opportunity in a local digital publication or an airplane-pulled banner with a CTA for HealthU sun safety tips over a crowded beach in New Jersey (yes, that happened.)

Work across teams for content strategy success

Listening and collaboration are the essential ingredients for the content program’s success.

With 36,000 employees across 18 hospitals and 500 patient care locations, you can expect a lot of competing priorities. The content team supports the entire organization in Hackensack Meridian Health’s network office.

We meet regularly with marketers who support individual sites and service lines. We meet with them monthly to discuss their primary, secondary, and tertiary priorities for the next three months. They don’t come with content requests; they come with strategic priorities, and we determine how to help them support those goals.

Every two weeks, we also meet to look more closely at the expected and necessary activities in the coming weeks. Are new doctors onboarding? Do new programs need a volume boost? Will new tech be launched that we could support?

At those meetings, we really listen to understand what they’re saying. Then, we take that information, research the related ideas, and develop appropriate angles and distribution channels to support those priorities.

For example, sleep medicine is a priority for our pediatrics service line. Armed with that knowledge, we researched trending topics around sleep to understand what people wanted to know. We wanted the content to answer their questions, not just talk about what we think is important. There was a high search volume surrounding the use of sleep gummies to promote better sleep in kids, so that’s the topic we tackled.

Offer a pitch form

But content ideas aren’t limited to those meetings. We created a pitch form for marketing communications team members. They share the details of their idea, the sources, and even media consent forms and photos, if available.

Every pitch is reviewed. If we don’t plan to pursue an idea, an auto-generated email goes out, which includes a note about why the topic was declined. For example, a pitch to promote a highly technical component of clinical research was submitted. We replied by noting, “The topic doesn’t fit in HealthU’s consumer-friendly content strategy, but here are some other communications channels within the department that might help you reach your goals.”

The pitch forms also help the content team identify recurring themes — internal topical trends — that can inform future content planning. (To understand external trends, we use tools such as Google Trends and Answer The Public, which now incorporates data from Bing and YouTube search engines in addition to Google.)

To manage all this content, requests, and production, we’ve moved from massive spreadsheets to Airtable. It’s been a game-changer for us, letting us track all the ideas and content in a single database and automating steps, such as the individual responses to pitches. The digital dashboard is also accessible to all marketing communications team members so they can advise their stakeholders on content status at any time.

Show the impact

The fourth element of our successful content marketing program revolves around results. After all, driving people to use Hackensack Meridian Health services and visit doctors in our network is the ultimate purpose.

In planning the content, we also plan to measure its success. All the results are compiled in a single, templated report. Department leaders receive that report monthly. (We report to the C-suite quarterly.)

To assess the impact of the content, we secured our own call center number. Every CTA includes the same phone number. That line receives about 3,000 calls every year.

In the magazine, we publish branded shortened URLs and QR codes. We also did a reader survey and found one-third took action in response to HealthU content — scheduling an appointment, using a service, registering for a class, subscribing to the newsletter, etc.

The metrics also inform changes to the content strategy. Over a year ago, the digital metrics indicated our long-form patient stories and team member spotlights didn’t perform as strongly as other educational content. We deprioritized patient stories and gave higher priority and visibility to educational pieces around trending topics and human interest stories promoting our doctors.

After those content changes, calls increased by 97%, referrals to doctors jumped 169%, and service referrals grew by 61%.

Growing beyond a tactical approach

Seven years after the tactical evolution, we still publish a magazine and a newsletter. But now, they are integrated components of the HealthU strategy, projecting the same voice and mission as the digital content hub, podcast, and other Hackensack Meridian Health content.

We are a small team that also oversees social media and web content — five full-time employees at Hackensack Meridian Health and GLC as our agency partner. But by collaborating with the other marketing communications teams and truly listening to — and addressing — their priorities, HealthU delivers big results for the brand.

Please note: All tools mentioned in this article were suggested by the author. If you’d like to suggest a tool, share the article on social media with a comment.

Want more content marketing tips, insights, and examples? Subscribe to workday or weekly emails from CMI.

MORE EXAMPLES FROM 2023 CONTENT MARKETING AWARD FINALISTS

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia’s ShowReel (Tiptop-ShowReel Private Limited) has collaborated with Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) to introduce an inquiry-based learning app to inspire the future generation of entrepreneurs.

Also read: Happiest Minds to pump investments for new GenAI business unit

The Jamia-ShowReel app will offer a unique approach to inquiry-based learning that is aimed at igniting new and critical ways of thinking, helping students innovate on a global scale, the company said. Further, it aims to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to design innovative courses and create short-form videos to offer a transformative learning experience.

“By leveling the playing field and granting equal education opportunities, we are focused on embracing the transformative power of AI to change the way young minds think, making them adaptable to the continuously evolving world of technology,” said Sabeer Bhatia, Co-Founder, ShowReel. “Jamia Millia Islamia has always been at the forefront of transformative education, and we are happy to be associated with one of India’s top universities to launch this revolutionary platform,” he added.

Also read: NoBroker introduces conversational intelligence tool for businesses

The objective of the new app is to help students apply their knowledge by creating a dynamic environment for open-ended exploration, experimentation, and discovery. Moreover, it offers features such as six credits for completing a course using an app, the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate students’ verbal responses, and more.

Additionally, the app will have 14 modules on various tenets of entrepreneurship, through which students will get an opportunity to express themselves and describe complex concepts in their own unique ways.

The partnership also marks JMI’s first collaboration with a non-educational entity. Prof. Najma Akhtar (Padma Shri), Vice Chancellor, JMI, spoke about the partnership and said, “Sabeer Bhatia has led India’s tech revolution, and we are proud to partner with ShowReel and work with him to create a revolution in the education industry. The aim is not just to impart information but to unlock creativity, communication skills, and real-world application in students.”

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The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the organization’s May deadline for getting a global pandemic treaty agreed to prepare for “Disease X” is in jeopardy and any notion that the accord would cede national sovereignty is the result of “fake news, lies, and conspiracy theories.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus complained that “several outstanding issues” still needed to be resolved by governments and that time was “very short” to find consensus. World leaders and officials had previously committed to a May deadline but Tedros, who goes by his first name, said he fears that the cutoff date is at risk of not being met.

“I must say that I’m concerned that member states may not make that commitment,” Tedros said in front of the WHO’s executive board in Geneva on Monday.

“A failure to deliver the pandemic agreement and the IHR (International Health Regulations) amendments will be a missed opportunity for which future generations may not forgive us,” Tedros said.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus wants a pandemic treaty agreed to prepare for Disease x. (Lian Yi/Xinhua via Getty Images)

WHO DIRECTOR CALLS FOR WORLD PANDEMIC TREATY TO PREPARE FOR DISEASE X

The IHR is a legally binding agreement that requires countries – including the U.S. – to conduct surveillance for potential international health threats of all kinds and report those to the WHO in a timely manner.

Tedros told the World Economic Forum last week that COVID-19 was the first Disease X and called on nations to sign up to the treaty so that there can be a collective response should another pandemic strike.

Disease X is a hypothetical “placeholder” virus that has not yet been formed, but scientists say it could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19. It was added to the WHO’s short list of pathogens for research in 2017 that could cause a “serious international epidemic,” according to a 2022 WHO press release.

“Over the past two years, the intergovernmental negotiating body and the working group on amendments to the IHR, have been moving toward a common goal: to build a healthier, safer, and more equitable world,” Tedros said.

“This is our chance – maybe our only chance – to get this done, because we have the momentum.”

Tedros did not mention Disease X by name in the speech, but warned of “emerging threats” and said a treaty was urgently needed to strengthen “pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.”

An illustrative image of a person holding a medical syringe and a COVID-19 vaccine vial in front of the World Health Organization logo displayed on a screen. Tedros argued that by putting the agreement in place, nations would have timely access to critical response products, such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

MORE THAN HALF OF WHO’S TRANS HEALTH COMMITTEE HAVE NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND, ARE LGBTQ ACTIVISTS: REPORT

Tedros argued that by putting the agreement in place, nations would have timely access to critical response products, such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

“This is the only way we can make the world safer for our children, and our children’s children – through working together,” Tedros said. “It is difficult to overstate the importance and urgency of this work.”

Critics, including Advancing American Freedom (AAF), argue that the legally binding treaty would cede sovereignty to a global organization and that it amounts to a power grab. The AAF is a non-profit advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.

“The [WHO] proposal to consolidate power and erode the United States of America of its sovereignty through the WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty is untenable and raises serious and significant questions regarding America’s independence of action and ability to respond to global pandemics,” a letter published by the AAF on Tuesday reads.

Furthermore, the AAF points out that the treaty — ostensibly intended to save lives through international prioritization of the best medical practices — emphasizes race and “equity” before almost every other value in its “general principles and approaches.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence stands on debate stage

Former US Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom (AAF) non-profit argues that the legally binding treaty would cede sovereignty to a global organization. (Robyn Beck)

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“It presents ‘equity’ as its third general principle, ahead of responsibility, transparency, accountability, and science and evidence – principles that are magnitudes more important than ‘equity’ during a global pandemic,” the letter reads.

Tedros, in his Monday speech, dismissed suggestions the pact would result in countries losing sovereignty.

“There are those who claim that the pandemic agreement and IHR will cede sovereignty to WHO and give the WHO Secretariat the power to impose lockdowns or vaccine mandates on countries. You know this is fake news, lies, and conspiracy theories,” Tedros said.

“These claims are completely false. You know that the agreement will give WHO no such powers, because you are writing it.”

Guru Randhawa’s love for food is no secret, thanks to his social media posts that keep fans updated about all his gastronomical adventures. His latest Instagram entry hints that he was craving some Chinese food recently. However, instead of ordering, the Punjabi singer decided to prank two different Chinese restaurants. Guru Randhawa dropped a video that captures his prank in all its glory. The video begins with Guru holding two phones close to each other. Soon we realize that the singer dialed two different restaurants and put the call on speaker at the same time. The clip opens with a text that reads, “When you call two Chinese restaurants at the same time.” While one call was picked up by a woman, there was a man on the other end. After receiving the call, as the woman says, “Hello,” the man responds, “Yeah, how can I help you?” FYI: Both were waiting to take the order. But Guru was busy trying to control his laughter.

Also Read: Guru Randhawa Eats Desi-Style Sitting On ‘Manji’

Just to confirm that she heard right, the woman repeats herself, but only gets the same answer, “Yeah, how may I help you,” back. To make herself clear, she says, “This is a Chinese restaurant,” but the man on the other end thinks that she is questioning him and again repeats, “Yeah, how can I help you yeah?” Listening to this conversation, even the man recording Guru’s video couldn’t hold back and started laughing. Meanwhile, on call, the confused woman says, “What?” Thinking that the man on the other end is unable to listen to him, the man screams, “Yeah.” Then the woman decides to come straight to the point and asks, “What’s your order?” But the confused man again repeats himself, “How can I help you? This is the Chinese restaurant, how can I help you?” The annoyed woman, wondering if the man is trying to pull a prank on her, straight away questions him, “You want to order or not?” The man says, “What do you mean? This is a Chinese restaurant. I didn’t call you. You called me.” The woman clarifies, “No, I haven’t called you.” This is when Guru Randhawa couldn’t control himself and cut the calls to burst into laughter.

Also Read: “Matthi And Chai” – Guru Randhawa’s Desi Snack Session At A Dhaba

Sharing the clip, Guru Randhawa wrote, “This is so amazing, enjoy.” Oh, yes Guru Randhawa we enjoyed it thoroughly. Check out the complete video here:

Needless to say, the comments section was flooded with innumerable laughing emoticons. Many users also channelled their inner wit in the comments section. A comment read, “Best solution… jab Chinese samajh mein nahi aati ho…,” and ended with laughing emoticons.

A user commented, “OMG this is lol.”

Another wrote, “Very funny,” and added a handful of laughing emoticons.

So far the clip has been viewed more than a million times and fans are loving Guru’s prankster avatar.

As Taylor Swift’s N.F.L. adventure began in earnest at a Kansas City Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 24, the reaction of the Fox broadcast crew — and much of the N.F.L. world in general — was summed up by Erin Andrews, a veteran sideline reporter.

“We all need to calm down,” Ms. Andrews said, shortly after Travis Kelce scored a second-half touchdown.

Ms. Andrews was making a nod to one of Ms. Swift’s songs, but she was also acknowledging how star-struck she and her colleagues were to have the world’s biggest pop star at Arrowhead Stadium to see her new love interest, Mr. Kelce, play for the Chiefs. Greg Olsen, the lead analyst on the broadcast, went as far as bragging that Ms. Swift had once liked one of his tweets.

While Ms. Swift’s presence dramatically expanded the audience for Chiefs games — Nielsen Media Research estimated an additional two million women watched Kansas City’s game on Oct. 1 — some backlash was inevitable. Ms. Swift joked about “pissing off a few dads, Brads and Chads” in her Time Person of the Year profile, but she had run out of one-liners (and facial expressions) by the time the comedian Jo Koy, in a disastrous hosting gig at the Golden Globes, said: “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the N.F.L.? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”

Mr. Koy soon went on a media tour defending the joke as a criticism of the broadcasts, not Ms. Swift. But the reality was that the sequence at the awards ceremony took 16 seconds to play out, which was more time than CBS had dedicated to showing Ms. Swift at either of the last two Chiefs games she’d attended leading up to that night.

And that dissonance between how many times Ms. Swift is shown versus how many times people seem to think she was shown, has continued despite the reality that she is typically on screen for less than 25 seconds over the course of broadcasts that run longer than three hours, and her name is rarely mentioned.

Rob Hyland, the coordinating producer for NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts, has run the coverage for two games Ms. Swift attended — the Jets-Chiefs game on Oct. 1 and the Packers-Chiefs game on Dec. 3 — and said his team prepares heavily for how they cover her, but that everything falls away if the game gets interesting.

“It is always a balance with what’s happening on the field and how you can enhance what’s happening on the field,” said Mr. Hyland, who challenged any dissatisfied viewers to name any aspect of the games they missed as a result of the cutaways. “It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, let’s, let’s show her this many times.’ It was, ‘Hey, when appropriate, let’s remind the audience that she’s there.’”

Mr. Hyland’s crew spent the lead-up to the Jets game — which was only a week into Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce’s public relationship — frantically trying to find out if Ms. Swift would attend, going as far as having a spotter plane searching the area for police escorts. But a close game led to most of their preparation being tossed aside in favor of game action (and at least six cutaways to Aaron Rodgers, the Jets’ injured quarterback, sitting in his own suite).

Two months later, NBC showed her only once during the broadcast of the Packers game, largely because the novelty of the relationship had begun to wear off.

A close look at the games that have aired since Christmas reveals familiar patterns of coverage that have Ms. Swift’s fans hoping to see her more while some vocal N.F.L. fans remain overwhelmed.

Jan. 21 — Chiefs vs. Bills

Times shown: 5 | Total duration: 24 seconds
Travis’s day: 5 catches, 75 yards, 2 touchdowns
Time devoted to a shirtless Jason Kelce: 21 seconds
Score: Chiefs 27, Bills 24

After an early catch by Mr. Kelce, Ms. Swift was shown sitting in her luxury suite, and Tony Romo, the color commentator, said, “There’s an interested fan right there.” The broadcast went back to her suite after both of Mr. Kelce’s touchdown catches to see her celebrations. On the second one, Mr. Romo pointed out that Jason Kelce was sitting behind Ms. Swift, drinking a beer with no shirt on. “There’s your brother-in-law right behind you,” he said, incorrectly characterizing her relationship with Travis Kelce, just as he had during Kansas City’s game on Christmas.

Jan. 13 — Chiefs vs. Dolphins

Times shown: 5 | Total duration: 1 minute 16 seconds
Travis’s day: 7 catches, 71 yards
Score: Chiefs 26, Dolphins 7

Ms. Swift’s jacket — a custom creation by Kristin Juszczyk — quickly became the talk of social media. As for the game, which was shown exclusively on the Peacock streaming service, the mentions of Ms. Swift were few and far between, other than an extended stretch in which the game’s commentators, Mike Tirico and Jason Garrett, discussed their proximity to her.

“So I’m not exactly sure where in the stadium Taylor Swift sits, right?” Mr. Tirico said, as the cameras showed her suite and began to pull back. “We’re just sitting here watching the game. The last quarter-and-a-half, there have been people up here, and I’m like, ‘Man, they must love Jason Garrett.’ Everybody’s pointing their camera up to our booth to take a picture of Jason. And then about 10 minutes ago I was like, ‘Hey dummy, they’re taking a picture of Taylor.’”

As the camera showed a wide shot of the booth, which was just above Ms. Swift’s suite, Mr. Garrett said, “And the worst part is, I’ve been waving the whole time.”

Dec. 31 — Chiefs vs. Bengals

Times shown: 3 | Total duration: 12 seconds
Travis’s day: 3 catches, 16 yards
Score: Chiefs 25, Bengals 17

This was a quiet day for Mr. Kelce, which led to very little mention of Ms. Swift. After a crucial defensive play by one of Mr. Kelce’s teammates late in the game, the CBS cameras showed Ms. Swift celebrating in her suite, and Mr. Romo said, “You see all the fans — and your favorite fan — all excited out here.”

Dec. 25 — Chiefs vs. Raiders

Times shown: 3 | Total duration: 14 seconds
Travis’s day: 5 catches, 44 yards
Score: Raiders 20, Chiefs 14

Ms. Swift and her entire family spent Christmas with the Chiefs, and her brother, Austin, dressed as Santa Claus. But after CBS opened its broadcast with a shot of Ms. Swift in her suite, she largely disappeared, probably because Mr. Kelce played relatively poorly in a frustrating loss. The third and final time the cameras showed Ms. Swift was after a catch by Mr. Kelce in the second quarter, prompting Mr. Romo to say: “And his wife loves it — I mean girlfriend.”

In general, you should add about 2–3 inches of litter in your litter box. Of course, the exact amount will depend on the size of your litter box. You want to provide enough depth for your cat to dig and cover their waste. You may need to add non-clumping litter slightly deeper—around 3–4 inches.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Keep reading to find out when you may need to add more or less litter.

How Much Litter to Put in a Litter Box

You should maintain an adequate depth in your cat’s litter box. Typically, this means keeping the litter amount within 2–3 inches. However, some cats may prefer more or less. You may need to adjust the amount you add based on your cat’s needs.

Adding more litter does not reduce how often you need to clean your box. It will just lead to cat litter getting kicked out of the box. You’ll still need to scoop the litter daily to keep the box clean. As you scoop, add more litter to keep the necessary amount.

Ensure that the litter is properly distributed along the bottom of the box. The depth should be consistent, and your cat may mess with this consistency as they use the box. You may need to correct it as necessary.

Different types of cat litter have different densities and absorbency. We recommend reading the instructions on the package to figure out exactly how much litter you may need of that particular kind. When the package contradicts the 2–3 inches rule, follow the package instructions. You can always adjust later if it seems too much or too little.

woman cleaning her pet cat's litter box — Image Credit: sandyman, Shutterstock

Can You Put Too Much Litter in a Litter Box?

You can put too much litter in a litter box. Your cat won’t want to use a litter box that has too much litter in it, and they may show you by not using the litter box at all. Furthermore, even if your cat does use the box, they may kick a bunch of litter out of the box.

Having too much litter on the floor can also confuse your cat, as they may think that the floor is the litter box. Keep this in mind when determining how much litter to add to your box.

Adding too much litter can also make it harder to remove the soiled parts promptly. You may be unable to remove all of the soiled litter, forcing you to change the whole litter box and waste the excess. If you’re using clumping litter, too much litter can lead to a limit in the litter’s clumping ability.

How to Tell If You’re Using Too Much Litter?

You want the box filled with just enough litter. Figuring this out can be a challenge, though. In some cases, it can be easy to go overboard.

Luckily, there are several ways you can tell if you’re using too much litter in your litter box.

Here are some things to watch out for:

Your cat slips. If your feline is sliding around inside the litterbox, there is a very good chance that you’re using too much cat litter. The litter may be shifting too much as your cat walks, making it hard for them to keep their balance. This is especially problematic for older cats or those with physical challenges. These cats may actually need less litter than typically recommended.

You add litter all the time. If you despise the chore of cleaning the litter box, you may add litter slowly to avoid cleaning it. However, this can only make it harder to use, especially if you’re using clay litter. The clay litter can form hard, heavy clumps if used in excess.

Your cat doesn’t go all the way in. If there is too much litter, your cat may avoid going all the way in due to the slipping issue. They may try to use the litter box with only their front half inside. This kind of behavior can also occur if your litter box is too small. You’ll probably need to do a bit of trial and error to figure out the underlying problem.

Litter ends up everywhere. If there is too much litter inside the litter box, it will spill easier. Therefore, if you notice a lot of cat litter all over your floor, it may be that you’re using too much cat litter in your box.

If you notice any of these signs, you may want to reduce the amount of cat litter you use.

Should You Measure When Adding Cat Litter?

You don’t have to add exactly 2 inches—your cat isn’t that picky. However, if you’ve never used a particular litter box, you may want to measure it the first time to get an idea of how much litter 2 inches is.

Of course, if it makes it easier for you, you can absolutely measure it every time. You can also measure 2 inches and make a small mark on the inside of the litterbox to use after that.

Image Credit: Zoran Photographer, Shutterstock

How Often Should You Scoop a Litter Box for One Cat?

Preferably, you should scoop out the litter box once a day, even if you only have one cat. A cleaner litter box prevents poor bathroom habits, which can make your job quite a bit easier. Furthermore, a dirty litter box can carry plenty of germs, making your cat or even you sick. Keep this in mind when you’re determining your scooping schedule.

If you have more than one cat, you may need to increase how often you scoop the litter box. However, the minimum is still once a day.

On top of scooping, don’t forget that you need to clean the litter box regularly and well. All the litter needs to be removed every other week or so, and you may want to consider scrubbing the actual box, too. The plastic itself can hold onto odors, so it’s important to use a disposable litter box or clean your litter box well.

Conclusion

For the vast majority of situations, you’ll need to add 2–3 inches of cat litter to your litter box. For most cats and boxes, this is the perfect amount of litter. However, there may be times when you need to increase or decrease the amount of litter that you use. Older cats may need less litter, for instance.

Feel free to adjust the amount of cat litter you add to figure out exactly how much your feline needs.

Featured Image Credit: Mila Naumova, Shutteestock

India is expected to witness a 30-35 million square feet (msf) expansion in mall space over the next 3–4 years, constituting a third of the existing stock, as per Crisil Ratings.

This growth is fuelled by a robust rebound in retail sales during the last fiscal. The anticipation is that the ongoing retail recovery will persist, supported by widespread consumption across regions and sectors, strengthening demand resilience, says the report.

Mall owners are projected to achieve revenue of about 125 per cent of the pre-pandemic level in the current fiscal.

“Malls are expected to attract investments of more than ₹20,000 crore over the next 3–4 years,” says Anand Kulkarni, Director, Crisil Ratings.

The resumption of work on new supply, which was stalled during the pandemic, and robust retail sales at malls are the reasons for the sizeable supply addition, says Kulkarni.

The upcoming substantial supply possesses two key features. Initially, it exhibits geographical diversity, with tier-2 cities accounting for 25 per cent of the forthcoming mall space. This highlights a growing trend of consumption beyond traditional metros and tier-1 cities, contributing positively to the risk profiles of mall owners.

Secondly, robust investor interest is expected to support the expansion, with Crisil Ratings projecting that 15-20 per cent of investments in new supply will come from entities like private equity, global pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds.

Nevertheless, it’s essential to monitor the potential effects of rising interest rates and inflationary pressures on discretionary spending, as these factors could influence the performance of malls in the future, according to the report.

NA današnji dan prije 40 godina prvi Appleov Macintosh krenuo je u prodaju, samo dva dana nakon što je predstavljen svijetu tijekom reklamne stanke u trećoj četvrtini Super Bowla. No legendarna reklama zamalo nije bila emitirana jer je Upravni odbor Applea bio protiv toga od samog početka.

22. siječnja 1984. Apple je odmah postao poznato ime kada je emitirao popularnu reklamu, piše 9to5Mac. Režirao ju je Sir Ridley Scott, a kreirala Appleova bivša reklamna agencija Chiat/Day. Reklama od 60 sekundi inspirirana je romanom Georgea Orwella 1984., koji je predviđao distopijsku budućnost, kontroliranu od televizijskih figura nalik Big Brotheru.

Oglas počinje odjekujućim zvukovima alarma i marširanjem desetaka ćelavih muškaraca odjevenih u sivu odjeću koji hodaju prema velikom ekranu u industrijskoj hali. Lice čovjeka koje zlokobnim glasom govori na velikom ekranu polako se otkriva dok ljudi koji marširaju sjedaju ispred njega.

U međuvremenu, ženu u sportskoj odjeći i bijeloj majici bez rukava s crtežom Macintosha jure četiri policajca. Držeći golemi malj, ona trči prema muškarcima fiksiranima na govor Big Brothera. U trenutku kada zlokobni glas izgovara riječi: “Mi ćemo pobijediti”, žena gađa maljem ekran. Uništenje Big Brothera oslobađa umove muškaraca.

S preostalih 8 sekundi u 60-sekundnom oglasu, narator završava spominjanjem Macintosha popraćenog pomičnim crnim tekstom koji glasi: “Apple Computer će 24. siječnja predstaviti Macintosh. I vidjet ćete zašto 1984. neće biti kao 1984.” Zaslon tada postaje crn i pojavljuje se dugin Apple logo.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

No ova reklama zamalo nije ugledala svjetlo dana

Steve Jobs je bio od prve oduševljen reklamom, kao i Steve Wozniak. No Upravni odbor Applea nije dijelio to ushićenje. Nakon što ju je prvi put vidio, član uprave Mike Markkula navodno je predložio pronalazak nove marketinške agencije i otpuštanje Chiata/Daya. Prema tadašnjem CEO-u Applea Johnu Sculleyju, i drugi članovi odbora imali su slično mišljenje.

Nakon toga odbor je zatražio od agencije da proda zakupljeno vrijeme za oglase za vrijeme Super Bowla, no agencija ih nije poslušala. Naime, imali su zakupljena dva termina za reklame – duži od 60 sekundi i kraći od 30 sekundi. Ovaj potonji, kraći su prodali, a za drugi su iz agencije rekli da je prekasno da ga prodaju.

Kada je Jobs rekao Wozniaku da postoji problem s reklamom, on je odmah ponudio da plati 400.000 dolara iz svog džepa – polovicu onoga što bi bila cijena emitiranja reklame, rekavši: “Pa, ja ću platiti pola ako hoćeš.” Ovo se pokazalo nepotrebnim.

Izvršni tim konačno je odlučio pokrenuti 100-dnevno oglašavanje Macintosha. Budući da su već platili za produkciju 1984. i zapeli s vremenom emitiranja, reklama za vrijeme Super Bowla krenula je kako bi započela kampanju.

Znate li nešto više o temi ili želite prijaviti grešku u tekstu?

JJ Peterka had two goals and an assist, Alex Tuch scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to beat the Kings 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Jack Quinn had a goal and two assists and Dylan Cozens had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who trailed 3-1 midway through the first period. Devon Levi stopped 37 shots.

It was Buffalo’s first win in 14 games this season when trailing by at least two goals after the first period.

The Kings’ Anze Kopitar had a goal and reached the 40-point mark for the 18th straight season. The Kings captain was honored before the game for becoming the franchise leader in games played and assists as well as reaching 400 career goals this season.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist while Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored for the Kings. Cam Talbot had 33 saves.

Tuch gave the Sabres their first lead of the game at 5:49 of the third with a snap shot from the edge of the right faceoff circle for his 13th of the season. Cozens put it out of reach at 8:54 with his ninth on a wrist shot.

Kopitar registered his 15th goal and 40th point of season at 2:55 of the first period, when he tipped in Kempe’s shot on a rush to the net. Kopitar is the 25th skater in NHL history to record 18 or more 40-point seasons. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who also have done it 18 times, are the only other active skaters on the list.

Peterka evened it at 5:01 when he put in a rebound of Cozens’ shot after Talbot made a pad save.

Kempe gave the Kings a 2-1 lead 23 seconds later on a snap shot from the left faceoff circle, his 16th of the season, and Dubois made it a two-goal advantage at 9:44 on a wrist shot from just outside of the slot while on the power play.

Peterka got the first multigoal game of his career when he scored on a breakaway 8:22 into the second for his 16th. Quinn evened it at 10:30 when he went top shelf from the slot and beat Talbot on his blocker side for his fifth.

Up next

The Kings begin a three-game trip at Colorado on Friday.

Japanese brand Akai India has launched its new 4K QLED Google TV variants in India. The 4K QLED Google TV series are available in 109cm (43), 127cm (50), 140cm (55) and 165cm (65) sizes. The 4K QLED series will be available at a starting price of Rs 24,999 at Reliance Digital.

Akai 4K QLED Google TV Features:

• 4K Resolution: Immerse yourself in breathtaking detail and clarity with the Akai QLED TV’s 4K resolution. Witness every scene come to life with vibrant colours and sharp imagery.

• Quantum Dot: Experience a wider colour spectrum and enhanced brightness with the innovative Quantum Dot technology. Enjoy vivid and true to life colours that make every frame a masterpiece.

• HDR HLG: Elevate your viewing experience with HDR HLG, ensuring dynamic contrast and an extended range of brightness. From the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, every detail is accentuated.

• Bezel-less Slim Design, Big Impact: The Akai QLED TV boasts a slim, sleek and elegant design that not only enhances your living space but also complements the cutting-edge technology within. It’s a perfect fusion of aesthetics and performance.

• Dolby Vision and Atmos: Immerse yourself in a cinematic visual and audio experience with Dolby Vision and Atmos support. The Akai QLED TV delivers rich, immersive experience that enhances the overall viewing pleasure.

• Google TV capabilities: Stay connected with a range of google features. From streaming your favourite content to seamlessly connecting with other google devices, the Akai QLED TV brings convenience to the forefront.

• Metal Cabinet: Metal cabinet enhances the durability, contributing to the TV’s longevity and overall performance.

• 10,000+ apps: You can explore a galaxy of apps, games, and content right from the comfort of your couch with Akai QLED TV.

• Voice Command: With voice commands, you can control your TV with just a few words through your Remote, effortlessly switching between channels and adjusting settings.

National Tourism Day 2024: Every year, National Tourism Day is observed to honour India’s scenic landscapes and to increase public understanding of the value of tourism to the country’s economy. India is a popular travel destination that draws tourists from all over the world. Therefore, India places a great deal of weight on tourism from a cultural and economic standpoint. India offers a wide range of travel experiences, such as ecotourism, cruises, business, sports, rural, educational, and medical travel. India’s diversity makes it a popular travel destination. The day also serves to honour the contributions made by a multitude of people who work in the travel and tourism sector. From history to significance, here’s everything you need to know about this day. (Also read: Kerala: 4 tourism hotspots to host adventure sporting events in 2024 )

National Tourism Day is celebrated every year on January 25 to recognize India’s natural beauty.(Unsplash)

National Tourism Day 2024: Date and history

National Tourism Day is celebrated every year on January 25. This year it is falling on Thursday. The Indian government is reported to have first celebrated National Tourism Day in 1948. Its aims were to promote popular tourist destinations across the country and to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage. In India, government plans to promote and grow tourism are formulated by the Ministry of Tourism. It also works with state, federal and private sector organisations.

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National Tourism Day 2024 theme

Each year, National Tourism Day highlights a specific theme to raise awareness about various aspects of tourism. In 2024, the designated theme is ‘Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories,’ promoting responsible and mindful travel. Contrastingly, the focus in 2023 was on ‘Tourism and Green Investments,’ emphasizing the intersection between tourism and environmentally conscious financial initiatives.

Significance of National Tourism Day

The significance of National Tourism Day lies in its ability to raise awareness of the role that tourism plays in promoting economic growth and job creation, both nationally and globally. The day also seeks to increase public understanding of the economic, social and cultural impact of tourism on a country’s economy. This day also highlights the importance of sustainable tourism practices that benefit local communities. Numerous programmes, seminars, workshops and tourism-related promotions are planned for the day to showcase the distinctive experiences and attractions that the country’s diverse regions have to offer.

Pokémon Trading Card Game fans… this next expansion is going to be a big one.

Earlier this month, the Pokémon Company International announced the next addition to the Pokémon TCG will be Scarlet & Violet – Temporal Forces.

This new set of cards will include a number of spectacular cards – including one particularly special entry below.

We can exclusively show off the art and attacks of the Walking Wake EX card, including its Azure Seas ability.

The pseudo-legendary Pokémon, which you can see in full below, has a staggering 220 HP, is a water type and has the Ancient attribute.

Fans will know Walking Wake was first introduced in the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet video games; a distant resident of the legendary dog Suicune.

The Walking Wake trading card has one powerful attack when the active player has three energies attached to it.

Catharsis Roar does a base level of 120 damage instantly – but there’s more.

The vicious hit doubles its damage if Walking Wake is affected by a Special Condition – bumping up the damage to a staggering 240.

Porsche is just hours away from revealing its first-ever electric Macan, but photos of the SUV have leaked online.

Posted to Instagram by Wilco Blok, the pair of images reveal an evolutionary design language for the new-generation SUV, which sits on an entirely new platform called the Premium Platform Electric.

The new Macan, depicted in a distinctive shade of purple, appears larger than the outgoing model and is recognisable as an EV through the lack of a conventional grille or exhaust outlets.

Up front there’s new split-level lighting, while down back, the tailgate is more steeply raked than that of the current car and features what appears to be a badge that reads “Macan4”.

As has become typical of modern Porsches, there’s a slim full-width lighting assembly at the back.

Sketches of the upcoming electric SUV were released a few days ago in the lead-up to its launch.

In an interview with Porsche’s media site, Michael Mauer, the company’s head of design, revealed the new Macan will have a “minimalist mode” for the instrumentation display, which will only show elements which are “crucial for driving”.

We presume this will be something similar to the Night Mode offered in the first-generation Saab 9-5, which blacked out everything except the current speed and emergency warnings, but updated to include modern conveniences, such as navigation instructions.

Under the skin, the Macan is the first production car to be based on the Platform Premium Electric (PPE) jointly developed with Audi. PPE will also serve as the basis for the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron crossover, and A6 e-tron sedan and wagon.

Here's the 2024 Porsche Macan EV before you're supposed to see it

In an earlier series of teasers, Porsche confirmed the Macan will be available with a rear-biased dual-motor electric powertrain with the latest generation of “permanently excited PSM motors”. In the most powerful variant, total system output will be exceed 450kW/1000Nm.

Although a range estimate has yet to be revealed, the Macan EV will be available with a 95kWh (net) lithium-ion battery pack, an 800V electrical architecture, and will support DC fast charging up to 270kW and AC charging speeds up to 11kW.

Thanks to an active aerodynamics system that includes active cooling flaps on the front air intakes, variable elements on the underbody, and an extending rear spoiler, the Macan EV will have a coefficient of drag as low as 0.25.

Although some markets will continue to sell the first-generation Macan, launched way back in 2013, alongside the new electric-only second-generation model, Australia will retire the original version around the time the new crossover becomes available.

MORE: Everything Porsche Macan

In the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies, where finding the next big hit is akin to striking digital gold, Pandoshi emerges as a standout contender. Priced attractively under $0.1, Pandoshi is not just another addition to the crypto-verse; it’s a promising project with a potential growth trajectory reminiscent of Solana’s remarkable ascent.

With its innovative Layer-2 network based on the Proof of Stake protocol, a suite of user-centric features like decentralized exchanges, the non-custodial Pandoshi Wallet, and immersive Metaverse experiences, Pandoshi is more than a token – it’s a comprehensive ecosystem. This article delves into why Pandoshi, with its current presale success and strategic roadmap, is poised to become a top cryptocurrency choice for investors seeking Solana-like growth in the near future.

Pandoshi (PAMBO)

Pandoshi is at the forefront of revolutionizing decentralized solutions with its comprehensive ecosystem. It utilizes a Layer-2 network based on the Proof of Stake protocol, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional Proof of Work method.

The platform features a decentralized exchange that streamlines crypto trading by eliminating the need for intermediaries. Its non-custodial wallet, the Pandoshi Wallet, grants users full control over their assets. Additionally, Pandoshi’s Metaverse component provides captivating and interactive experiences.

Educational platforms are also a part of Pandoshi’s offerings, aimed at enhancing blockchain understanding, alongside crypto-compatible prepaid cards that facilitate global transactions. Significantly, Pandoshi ensures financial privacy across its services, operating without mandatory identity verification, embodying the true spirit of blockchain’s decentralization.

A major achievement for Pandoshi is the launch of its wallet’s beta version on the Google Play Store. This development, coinciding with its presale phase, marks a significant step in supporting EVM-compatible chains, with plans to add support for non-EVM chains. An iOS version of the wallet is also being developed to extend its reach.

This release has significantly boosted investor confidence in Pandoshi’s dedication to the DeFi sector. It aligns with the project’s commitment to open-source development and community-led governance, drawing in investors who value privacy and decentralization. The wallet’s introduction has sparked increased interest in the presale, with many investors eagerly participating.

PAMBO Tokenomics

The PAMBO Token, the heart of the Pandoshi ecosystem, was initially launched on the Ethereum blockchain. In just a few weeks, Pandoshi raised over $2 million during its presale, demonstrating PAMBO’s strong market potential.

Following the presale, PAMBO is set to list on DEX Uniswap, with future plans for listings on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, potentially driving up its price.

PAMBO employs a deflationary buy-and-burn strategy, enhancing its scarcity and value. Considering its solid presale performance and unique features, Pandoshi is positioned for substantial growth. Analysts predict that PAMBO’s current value of $0.008 could reach up to $0.20 by 2024, offering an impressive potential return for early investors.

For those seeking a promising crypto investment with features that rival leading names like Solana, Pandoshi stands out as a strong contender. Its ambitious vision and proven progress suggest that PAMBO could soon join the ranks of major cryptocurrencies, offering significant rewards for today’s investors.

Click Here To Buy PAMBO Tokens

Visit the links below for more information about Pandoshi (PAMBO):

Name	Toluna
Owner	Frederic-Charles Petit
Founded Year	2000
Headquarters	Paris, France
Type	Online Surveys
Apps	iPhone & Android Devices
Support	Email, Phone
Website	www.toluna.com