Erica Fernandes is one of the most popular and successful television celebrities we have. She rose to fame and massive success right from her debut in the show, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, and continues ruling the hearts of the viewers with her role and performance in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2. And today she celebrates her birthday and turns a year younger.

Speaking about her plans, she comes with a rather surprising answer. She says, "There are no concrete plans for my birthday this year. So it's just going to be a very simple affair at home with my family. We are going to take the day as it comes, and not really plan anything elaborate. Though to ensure that my day be absolutely relaxed, I am going to be disconnecting myself from social media and the outside world to just be with myself and my family."

Talking about the massive popularity of television celebrities on social media, she says, "I think TV reaches every nook and corner of the country. So, our reach is more. Plus, you have to wait for your favourite Bollywood actor’s movies."

Then comes a very tricky question, to choose between Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi and Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2! This is what she quips, "Everyone is asking me this but there is no comparison. Both are dear to my heart. I feel Prerna has let me explore a little more. The character has more drama and fun." We hope she has a grand birthday celebration next year, though!

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No strings attached, here's the money!
Gigolos, who cater exclusively to women and used to be considered a sort of urban legend, has now become mainstream as more women are willing to pay for sex in no-strings-attached situations.

No cuddling only sex!
Researchers have found that acts of affection like hugs and kisses were more important to men than women.

Men who reported frequent kissing and cuddling were three times as happy, on average, as those who had less snuggling with their wives or girlfriends.

Women, meanwhile, said that such shows of affection had very little impact on their happiness.

But men were more likely to say they were happy with their relationship while women were more likely to report being satisfied with the sex.

Love watching two guys!
It may not at all surprise you to learn that some men watch lesbian porn. However, what may come as a shock is the news that some women are into erotica featuring men having sex with men.

An online porn study, led by an Indian-origin neuroscientist, has unveiled a shocking new vision of human desires that overturn conventional thinking: plenty of straight women are into male-male porn and erotica.

Long kisses
Women tend to use kissing to create a bond with their partners, and to assess them as potential mates. Meanwhile, men use kissing as a means to an end," say relationship experts.

While women usually consider a bad kiss to be a deal-breaker, men reported that they would more than likely still have sex with a woman even if she were a bad kisser.

Psychologists hypothesize that males "perceive a greater wetness or salivary exchange during kissing as an index of the female's sexual arousal/receptivity, similar to the act of sexual intercourse," they said.

Is he hitched? I want him!
A scientific study has found evidence that women like to target men who are already in relationships.

Researchers at an eminent university in the US use the term 'mate poaching' to describe this phenomenon.

During the study, they showed a picture of a moderately attractive man or woman to participants.

Half of the participants were told that the prospective mate was single, while the rest were told that they were not.

Researchers observed that 90 per cent of the women participants were interested in a man when told that he was in a relationship, compared to 59 per cent when told the same man was single.

The results showed that only single women were more interested in pursuing an attached target rather than a single target.

According to some women, they like paying for what they called the "perfect boyfriend experience", because at the end of the night, they pay the guy to go away.

Cheesy chat up lines
The next time you approach a girl, do not hesitate to try out a cheesy chat-up line because girls absolutely love it, for they give a glimpse of a man's sense of humour.

According to a study, six out of 10 ladies are more likely to fall for a man if he breaks the ice with a light-hearted one-liner.

Conducted by a poll website, the survey, which questioned 4,000 adults, revealed that four out of 10 women were still dating or were married to a man who first approached them with a funny quip.

However, not every line can do the trick for you-it was found that there are do's and don'ts in the dating game as well.

Lines such as "Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?", and "Apart from being beautiful, what do you do for a living?" worked "most of the time".

But "Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes" and "Is there a rainbow, because you''re the treasure I''ve been searching for," were likely to end up in red-faced failure for being "too over the top".

A truly clean shaven man
Researchers have found that a majority of women really do prefer a man with a smooth chest. They team from Slovakia, who compared the attractiveness of men before and after shaving their chest, and found only 20 percent of women preferred the more hirsute version. They admitted to being baffled as to why so many women chose the hair free men.

One of the most prominent theories has been that, by choosing a hairless mate, women are actually trying to avoid the lice and other bugs that can live in a furry male.

However, in one of the biggest ever studies into women’s body hair preferences, the team found this so-called “ectoparasite avoidance hypothesis” was not the answer.

The taller the better!
The research team at a prominent American university in Utah opine that women find tall men more attractive. Greater height is also associated with health, social dominance, symmetrical faces and intelligence in men and women.

These correlations have led some scientists to suggest that women prefer tall men because height indicates "good genes" that can be passed on to offspring.

The alternative explanation is that tall males among our ancestors were better able to defend their resources, partners and offspring. If males can hit down harder than they can hit up, a tall male has the advantage in a fight because he can punch down to hit his opponent''s most vulnerable targets.

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London: Most people prefer to have sex with partners of the same age range, and that includes men too, says a study that challenges the common assumption that men - regardless of their age -- remain interested only in young women.

Men become interested in older women as they themselves age, said the study.

The finding, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, suggests that when it comes to sexual partners, the difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, is smaller than earlier believed.

While earlier research had indicated that even older men prefer young women, the new study by Jan Antfolk at Abo Akademi University in Turku, Finland suggests that this is only partly true.

The study was conducted in Finland and included 878 adult men and 1,789 adult women.

"Over the investigated age span, women reported a narrower age range than men and women tended to prefer slightly older men," the study found.

"We also show that men's age range widens as they get older: While they continue to consider sex with young women, men also consider sex with women their own age or older," said the study.

The research concluded that contrary to earlier suggestions, men's sexual activity thus reflects also their own age range, and their potential interest in younger women is not likely converted into sexual activity.

Most sexual activity occurs between partners of approximately the same age, the study said.

Additionally, the research showed that homosexual and bisexual men and women differ very little from their heterosexual counterparts.

The only exception from this is that homosexual men are somewhat more likely than bisexual and heterosexual men to have sex with partners younger than themselves.

The thought of Valentine’s Day gifts make all love birds scratch their heads. Flowers, chocolates, teddies, heart shaped pillows, what exactly to purchase for her. Years have passed and we all are grown up adults, but the idea of Valentine’s Day is still the same. Not to mention here that gifting flowers, teddies, heart shaped cushions and chocolates have become passe. Today’s generation is focused more on gifting branded perfumes, swanky handbags, movie tickets or gift cards from branded stores. If you are a 'tall young handsome' gentleman caught in a Valentine's -Day gift dilemma, then here is a list of some exclusive gifts that you plan buy for your lady love on this Valentine’s Day.

1. Take her for a shopping date: Girls are big time shopaholics and probably there is no day in a year when she will deny to go for shopping. You may hate walking from one end of teh shopping mall to another with her, but Valentine’s Day is a special eve after all.  Enlighten her love for shopping on Valentine’s Day. Gift her a gorgeous dress, a swanky handbag, a fruity scented perfume or a silver jewellery. If your lady love is brand conscious, then gift her a shopping voucher from her favourite brand or store. She would love to shop with that special gift.



2. Gift her a romantic spa session: Gift a romantic spa session: Girls at time are finicky about their crockery and kitchenware. However, Valentine’s Day is all about love so gifts like frying pans and hand blenders can be kept aside for some other occasions. Why not show some care and affection and gift her something romantic that she can least expect? A spa session voucher can do wonder to your gifting idea. Make her feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and pampered at a good spa outlet on this Valentine’s Day. The session can turn more romantic if you also join your lady love. Couple Spa brings lots of spark to a relationship!

3. Make her happy with an opera ticket: To go for an opera show, you do not need to take permission for leaves from their bosses.  So, if you are planning for a short trip to your favourite destination but are tied between office and work, then head for a romantic evening at an opera house. Enjoy the moments of togetherness and make the evening more special. She will surely enjoy watching the show with you



4. Do not give gifts that make her feel uncomfortable: You may be longing to see your beloved in a cocktail dress with a plunging neckline on V-Day. While she may accept the gift, do not expect her to wear it and go out with you on the same day. Unless she is comfortable to dress up for you, do not force her or make her feel awful for not wearing your 'special gift' on this romantic occasion. She might surprise you with the beautiful dress on some other occasions.

5. Bake a cake or her favourite dish: Almost every girl loves chocolates and are foodies by heart. However, instead of buying her chocolates or taking her to a restaurant, make her test your culinary skills. Bake a cake for her or surprise her by preparing her favourite dish. Do not be scared of the taste, because ‘everything is fair in love and war’.

(With inputs from agencies)

What should I wear? Should I apply make-up or stay normal? Should I wear heels or flats? Should I carry a sling bag or a clutch? So many questions like these crop up in a girl's mind when they dress up for their first date. Stop worrying about all these and think the other way round. You guys have spoke earlier, knew each other’s choices and preferences (to some extent, if not completely) and now decided to meet up. So be happy and just go about it.. But wait! There are some things which girls should 'not' always expect on their first date:

1. He will pay the restaurant bill: This might be true, but not always. Do not always expect the guy to pay the bill or even if he wishes to, do take an initiative from your end also. It might look a bit awkward, but try to split the cheque. You may never know, later on if this relation works out, he might make you laugh out loud regarding the incident.

2. He will drop you home: If he comes with his car on your first date, then you can expect. But what if he does not have a car and you know it before hand? You might have to return back home alone then. Be prepared!

3. He will meet over coffee: Is every first date over a coffee table or a cup of Latte? Why can’t it be in a popular Punjabi dhaba over a cup of ginger tea? Dear girls, don’t expect your first date to be in a classy chandelier lit coffee house over a dazzling glass of cold moccachino. At times be prepared to meet him at a dhaba under a moonlit sky too. Outdoor dining does wonders at times!

4. He will click a selfie with you: Come on girls! First date does not mean the final meet before marriage. It is only about getting introduced to each other face to face. Unless and until he is bold enough, he might hesitate to do the act. So you want to take the step? Well, that’s completely your choice and depends on the situation too.

5. He will compliment your gorgeous dress: This might happen over time but not always on the first date. You need to hold on your nerves ladies! Once the date works out, then over time your guy will overload you with compliments. Walk in casually and things might work out.

6. He will talk about your past relationship: Why do you want to spoil the first meet by talking about the bitter past? In case you guys are already aware of each other’s past, then postpone the discussion for future. The first date is all about a romantic evening, a warm welcome, a delectable dinner and a cool conversation ending with a sweet 'bye-bye' note.

7. He will only do the ice-breaking session: Your instinct may be to ask a bunch of questions to get him to open up, but it might feel like a college admission interview. Still, keep the conversations going, don’t worry about silences. You can keep any topic like what’s his favourite music, is he interested in long drives and did he bully friends in college, and such funny stuff.

The day must end on a good note. Do not rush out of the car if he drops you home. Before he starts, ask him if you guys can meet over Karaoke soon. If it's in his mind too, he'll surely lean in! Blush blush! Keep eye contact while talking to the man.

Get your heels on ladies and try to make you first date the most cherished day of your life! Follow the tricks and thank us later.. :)

Iulia Vantur is a Romanian model who has become a popular name in India. She was last seen in the music video ‘Harjai’ with Maniesh Paul. The song was sung by Iulia and Maniesh and composed by Sachin Gupta. Iulia has been spending the lockdown at Salman Khan's Panvel farmhouse along with the superstar and few other friends from the industry. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Iulia spoke about Salman Khan and her marriage plans.

Iulia Vantur is rumoured to be dating Salman Khan and fans have often asked about their marriage. While talking to us on Instagram live, a fan commented that Iulia should get married to Salman Khan. Responding to this, Iulia said, “I think it is more about how people feel about each other. Spending time together is more important than any other stuff. At one point I was asked the same question on and on and on. Even my parents were asking when you are going to get married. So, I asked my mom, 'Do you want me to be happy?' or ‘Do you want me to get married?’ because to get married just like that I can get married to anyone just like that tomorrow. But you want me to be married or be happy. So that was the last time she ever asked me about it. So I think it is more important to be happy with someone and spend quality time with someone and to have a good connection with someone.”

Iulia Vantur has known Salman Khan for quite a few years now. Talking about the kind of person Salman is, Iulia said, “I have never met anyone like him. His personality is so special. I was always wondering why people loved him so much. It's his heart; it's his generosity, his thought of doing good and helping someone and guiding someone. He does this selflessly. He has no interest there. He just wants to help. Just because he is so simple and grounded that is why people are connecting with him. He is a special person for sure.”

When asked if she too loves his personality, she said, “Off course, who doesn’t love those qualities right! I mean, off course, we all love good people. We admire and follow them and try to reach their level.”

Also Read: Radhe – Your Most Wanted Bhai asking for Rs. 250 crores for direct OTT release? Salman Khan’s manager clarifies

With over 12,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the country that resulted in the nationwide lockdown getting extended till May 3, the government had on Wednesday issued a set of fresh guidelines till May 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised speech on Tuesday announced measures that the government would undertake to tackle the pandemic.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry have also earmarked the districts in the country into three categories –red, green and orange zones as per the frequency of the cases reported from the areas. 

#COVID19 containment starts with the identification of hotspots and their categorization into Red, Orange & Green Zones: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/FbWUlfcyCd

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The BMC will also come up with red and orange zones in Mumbai to mark containment zones for stricter implementation of the lockdown. While the plans are still being drafted, areas with a high number of positive cases of COVID-19 will be put in the red zone and will have no external essential service providers. Let's know more about these zones.

Red zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts identified as hotspots are marked as red zones. These districts have reported a large number of Coronavirus cases and need focused attention. As much as  170 districts in the country have been marked as hotspots, which is further divided into two groups: (a) 123 districts where a large number of cases have been reported and  (b) 47 districts where cases were reported in clusters.

According to the Health Ministry, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases reported in the country, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases in a state or districts with doubling rates reported to be less than four days, can be classified as a 'hotspot' or a 'red zone'. The ministry also said that the government will provide door-to-door facilities and undertake containment activities in these districts for the next 14 days. Mumbai,  recording the highest number cases in the country with 3,081, has been declared a hotspot by the government.

Orange Zone

The districts that had reported less number of Coronavirus cases or not seen a surge of positive cases in the area have been marked as 'orange zone'. In these zones, limited services of public transport, farm harvesting activities and functioning of small scale industries manufacturing essential items such as flour, pulses, and edible oils have been permitted. A hotspot district can be declared an orange zone if cases reported in 14 days is less or none.

According to the health ministry, 16 districts in Maharashtra have been declared as an orange zone. The districts are Gondia, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Hingoli, Akola, Beed, Amravati, Jalna, Latur, Osmanabad, Satara, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and  Sindhudurg

Green Zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts that have not reported positive cases of Coronavirus are classified as green zones. In these zones, essential items that generate state revenue would be given an extension. Small scale industries manufacturing essential items will be allowed to function freely, but with strict maintenance of social distancing.

Hotspots have to undertake effective containment activities to flatten the curve and bring the number of Coronavirus cases down in order to qualify as an orange zone and subsequently as a green zone in 24 days.

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It is a known fact that the year 2020 has been terrible so far due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown imposed in countries across the world. With life coming to a standstill and people waiting for things to get better, food delivery application Zomato, being themselves, asked their followers, what if 2020 was a dish.

Zomato’s tweet read, “If 2020 was a dish, what would it be?” To describe how their year has been so far, tweeple posted hilarious reactions. Some described their year with their least favourite dish, while some did so with some of the weird dishes they came across.

If 2020 was a dish, what would it be?

— Zomato (@ZomatoIN) April 24, 2020

The food delivery giant’s tweet that was posted on Friday garnered more than 3,200 likes and was retweeted 144 times. Among the comments received on the posts,  former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah described his year as ‘offal’.

Here are some more responses:

Offal

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 24, 2020

kadhi-chawal

— amrita madhukalya (@visually_kei) April 24, 2020

Corona Burger pic.twitter.com/eXVkUiMYfH

— Dr. Vedika (@vishkanyaaaa) April 24, 2020

Suryavansham wali kheer

— karanbir singh (@karanbirtinna) April 24, 2020

Jala hua tinda

— à¤Â…à¤Â‚à¤Â•ित à¤Âœà¥Âˆन (@indiantweeter) April 24, 2020

How was your year so far?

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Author Nayantara Sahgal on Tuesday said the message from those in power was clear -- either agree with them or suffer the consequences. Sahgal, who was conferred with the first Bhai Vaidya Smruti Gaurav Puraskar here, could not attend the award ceremony in person but a pre-recorded video speech was played at the event. The award was received by noted author Kiran Nagarkar on behalf of Sahgal. "We are living in an India that has no connection with our modern political past.

Secularism is under attack. Equal rights and equal citizenship are in tatters, and Indians have been divided into Hindus and others," Sahgal said in the video clip. "The truth is that this divide is not between Hindus and others. It is between a militant creed called Hindutva and those whom it calls others, and it is a negation of all that Hinduism represents," she added. Sahgal asserted that many Hindus were opposed to this communal ideology and its political agenda of vengeance and violence against fellow Indians whom it termed as outsiders. She said its objective was the setting up of a "Hindu Rashtra" in place of our secular democracy, in which the State would have no role in religion.

"Those whom Hindutva calls others are now classed as outsiders and the Muslims among them are being treated as enemies of the state," Sahgal said. She added that a questioning mind, scientific outlook, rational approach, creative imagination and freedom of expression had no place in today's "backward-looking New India", which was ignoring the fact that the nation was a democracy. "In a democracy, citizens are not arrested and jailed on false charges of sedition and on invented conspiracy theories. Citizens who are guilty of no crime are not publicly tortured and lynched because they are Muslims. Mob attacks on mainly Muslims do not take place. Christian churches do not get vandalised by mobs.

Christianity is now under fire," she claimed. Sahgal added that in a democracy, citizens were not shot dead by gun-toting motorcyclists, as had happened to five eminent rationalists and free thinkers who were killed for rejecting superstition in favour of reason and for their independent views. Above all, she said in a democracy, criminals were arrested and convicted for their crimes. "The reverse is happening here. Criminals roam free, protected and even congratulated by the ruling power," she said in the recorded speech. "The message from those in power is clear. Either agree with us or suffer the consequences. All this is, of course, a direct attack on our Constitution which guarantees life, liberty and equality to all Indians," she stressed.

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Mount Everest. Pic courtesy/YouTube

Trekking is a mix of adventure, delight and self-fulfillment. The high-altitude treks offer a thrill-packed action - an experience that should not be missed at any cost.

The mighty Himalayas are the cure for those bitten by the adventure bug. Whilst it takes a lot of gusto, courage and determination, travelling smart is necessary.

Talking about the essentials of smart packing, Rupali Juneja, a travel expert, said, "If you are planning to explore the fascinating mystery of the snow-capped Himalayan beauty, there are several aspects that should be taken care of before starting the sojourn. Many times people over-pack their bags by stuffing it all. This is done because you never know what you might end up needing on your way. However, this is an absolute NO-NO! You must always pack your backpacks smartly so as to avoid wasting time trying to find things later. This will also ensure that you are carrying less/lightweight while climbing up."

"Take time to understand the terrain you are off to. If you have chosen arid mountains, make sure you carry a good hat or a sun cap and pair of glasses. Good trekking shoes, of course, are essentials as would be a sturdy rucksack. A water bottle, sunscreen, insect repellent, Swiss knife are the other essentials. For higher reaches, thermals, woolen caps and warm socks are a must," said Navneet Mendiratta, a content curator, and travel expert.

1. Prepare a checklist: A checklist always helps to remember and organise the items that one needs to carry. Always opt for travelling light.

2. Arrange them the right way: Arranging all your belongings is a task but if done in a right way, everything becomes easily accessible.

3. Quick snacks: Food will surely keep one energised during the trek.

A good and memorable trekking is always the result of a smart packing. So be a smart trekker and enjoy the thrill of trekking expedition in the Himalayas.

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London: Dog owners, take note! Your pet pooch may not only comprehend the words that you speak, but also how you say them, a new study suggests.

Researchers have found that dogs have the ability to distinguish vocabulary words and the intonation of human speech through brain regions similar to those that humans use.

Representational Picture

Attila Andics from Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary said that vocabulary learning "does not appear to be a uniquely human capacity that follows from the emergence of language, but rather a more ancient function that can be exploited to link arbitrary sound sequences to meanings."

Words are the basic building blocks of human languages, but they are hardly ever found in nonhuman vocal communications.

Intonation is another way that information is conveyed through speech, where, for example, praises tend to be conveyed with higher and more varying pitch. Humans understand speech through both vocabulary and intonation.

Andics and colleagues explored whether dogs also depend on both mechanisms.

Dogs were exposed to recordings of their trainers' voices as the trainers spoke to them using multiple combinations of vocabulary and intonation, in both praising and neutral ways.

For example, trainers spoke praise words with a praising intonation, praise words with a neutral intonation, neutral words with a praising intonation, and neutral words with neutral intonation.

Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyse the dogs' brain activity as the animals listened to each combination.

The results show that, regardless of intonation, dogs process vocabulary, recognising each word as distinct, and further, that they do so in a way similar to humans, using the left hemisphere of the brain.

Also like humans, the researchers found that dogs process intonation separately from vocabulary, in auditory regions in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Lastly, and also like humans, the team found that the dogs relied on both word meaning and intonation when processing the reward value of utterances.

Thus, dogs seem to understand both human words and intonation. The researchers noted that it is possible that selective forces during domestication could have supported the emergence of the brain structure underlying this capability in dogs, but, such rapid evolution of speech-related hemispheric asymmetries is unlikely.

Humans are only unique in their ability to invent words, they said. The research appears in the journal Science.

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Washington D.C.: When eating an apple can save you from a doctor then consuming an egg will significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, including China, mostly due to ischaemic heart disease and stroke (including both haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke).

Unlike ischaemic heart disease, which is the leading cause of premature death in most Western countries, stroke is the most responsible cause in China, followed by heart disease.

Eggs are a prominent source of dietary cholesterol, but they also contain high-quality protein, many vitamins and bioactive components such as phospholipids and carotenoids.

Previous studies looking at associations between eating eggs and impact on health have been inconsistent, and most of them found insignificant associations between egg consumption and coronary heart disease or stroke.

Therefore, a team of researchers from China and the UK led by Professor Liming Li and Dr Canqing Yu from the School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, set out to examine the associations between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, major coronary events, haemorrhagic stroke and ischaemic stroke.

They used data from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, an ongoing prospective study of around half a million (512,891) adults aged 30 to 79 from 10 different geographical areas in China.

The participants were recruited between 2004-2008 and were asked about the frequency of their egg consumption. They were followed up to determine their morbidity and mortality.

For the new study, the researchers focused on 416,213 participants who were free of prior cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes.

From that group at a median follow-up of 8.9 years, a total of 83,977 cases of CVD and 9,985 CVD deaths were documented, as well as 5,103 major coronary events.

At the start of the study period, 13.1 percent of participants reported daily consumption (usual amount 0.76 egg/day) and 9.1 percent reported never or very rare consumption (usual amount 0.29 egg/day) of eggs.

Analysis of the results showed that compared with people not consuming eggs, daily egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of CVD overall.

In particular, daily egg consumers (up to one egg/day) had a 26 percent lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke - the type of stroke with a higher prevalence rate in China than in high-income countries - a 28 percent lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke death and an 18 percent lower risk of CVD death.

In addition, there was a 12 percent reduction in risk of ischaemic heart disease observed for people consuming eggs daily (estimated amount 5.32 eggs/week), when compared with the 'never/rarely' consumption category (2.03 eggs/week).

This was an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, but the authors said their study had a large sample size and took into account established and potential risk factors for CVD.

This study was published in the journal Heart.

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Representational picture 

Did you know losing too much weight too fast can be harmful for your health? Losing weight is not always a euphoria moment, sometimes it can be bad for health. Thus, it is important is to understand the relationship between health and the correct body weight.

The market is flooded with options to lose weight - crash diets, supplements, pills etc. - all promising a rapid weight transformation. But are these quick fixes the right choice?

"Losing weight too fast means putting your health at risk. A slow and steady weight loss plan is always a good idea. This way you can lose the unwanted weight without any side effects. A lot of us get tempted with the lucrative promises of quick weight loss and end up harming our health drastically. This issue needs attention and a lot of emphasis should be put on this problem," said Dr. Pooja Chaudhary, wellness consultant, Healthians.

It is important to understand the concept of rapid weight loss. Losing weight around 0.45 kg-0.9 kg per week is a safe bet. But, losing more than that can be considered as rapid weight loss which can have an impact on the health.

The common ways by which people try to lose weight are:

1. Starvation Diets

2. Consumption of diet pills or supplements

3. Opting for very-low-calorie diets

4. Over-exercising

At the start of exercise plan or diet plan, people witness a sudden weight loss of 2-3 kg. This is actually the water weight. The initial sudden weight loss is normal. But after this initial loss, anything more than 0.45 kg-0.9 kg per week could brew trouble for you in the long run.

Here are various health problems, as suggested by Dr. Angeli Misra (Co- Founder of Lifeline Laboratory), that sudden weight loss can trigger.

Disturbing the Body's Equilibrium: Our bodies can adjust to the minor dietary changes and run smoothly but rapid and drastic changes can wreak havoc. Sudden weight loss causes electrolyte imbalance in the body. A sudden decrease in the food intake (by following crash diets) will lead to an unexpected reduction in the electrolytes level, particularly potassium and magnesium.

Heart Problems: Sudden weight loss can damage the blood vessels which further leads to fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, thus increases the risk of heart failure. Although exercises aid in weight loss, they are really dangerous for heart health.

Gallstones: The quick weight loss can cause the cholesterol in the liver to seep in the bile which can lead to the formation of stones. It is always wiser to lose weight slowly and follow a proper weight loss plan. Completely avoid those crash course diets and severe fasting as the greed of losing weight quickly can seriously affect our health.

Can indicate diseases like diabetes, cancer: If you are losing weight quickly without even trying, it can be an indication of serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, celiac diseases, COPD, etc. Sudden and unexplained weight loss needs immediate and proper attention. It is extremely important to seek medical advice. Therefore, the key to a healthy weight -loss is maintaining a balance and losing weight slowly and steadily!¿ concluded Chaudhary.

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Former Australia batsman and Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning coach, Dav Whatmore is set to become the Baroda Ranji Trophy team's first overseas coach.

Whatmore, 66, who coached Kerala for the last three seasons, will replace Sanath Kumar as head coach of the team. He will also be the Baroda Cricket Association's cricket director for next two seasons.

"We have almost finalised Whatmore and will give him a letter of intent in a couple of days. Chandrakant Pandit and Sulakshan Kulkarni were also in the fray, but Pandit became coach of Madhya Pradesh, so we decided to go with Whatmore," BCA secretary Ajit Lele told mid-day on Monday.

Ajit, the son of former BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele, also revealed that Whatmore will be the most expensive first-class coach in India. "He will become the most expensive coach of a first-class team in our country and also the first foreign coach of a Baroda Ranji Trophy team. He has huge experience of handling national teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh so we gave him priority," Lele remarked.

Whatmore's manager Kaustuv Lahiri, who also manages South Africans Lance Klusener (head coach of Afghanistan) and Russell Domingo (Bangladesh's head coach) confirmed the development. Baroda, who were Ranji Trophy champions in the 2000-01 season, managed to win just two games for 14 points in eight matches last season.

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Former Indian captain and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday recalled the historic Test victory against Australia at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2001.

A user had shared the celebratory moments from the 2001 Test. On that post, Ganguly commented, "What a win." In that Test, India clinched a 171-run win over Australia and became the third team in the history of Test cricket to win a match after being forced to follow-on.

Australia had made 445 in their first innings, courtesy Steve Waugh's brilliant hundred. However, it was Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh who stole the show at Kolkata with his spectacular seven wickets, including the first hat-trick in India's Test history.

In its first innings, India folded for 171 runs and were asked to follow-on by Australia. The Sourav Ganguly-led side played cautiously in the second innings and lost three wickets for 115 runs. India lost Ganguly in the 67th over of the innings, with the side getting reduced to 232/4.

Rahul Dravid joined VVS Laxman in the middle. The next 104 overs were a nightmare for the Aussies as the Indian duo stitched a 376-run stand to revive the innings and helped the team stage a dramatic comeback in the match.

Dravid scored 180 runs, while Laxman slammed 281, his highest score in Test cricket. India gave a target of 384 runs to Australia. However, the Waugh-led side were not able to achieve the target and bowled out for 212, handing India a massive win.

Harbhajan was again the pick of the Indian bowlers as he scalped six wickets. The Eden Gardens Test is best remembered for India's miraculous revival in the second innings and Laxman's knock of 281 runs, which was one of the most marvellous innings played in the modern era. Laxman's stunning innings also halted Australia's record of 16 successive Test wins.

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Former Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is still not over the disappointment of missing Sachin Tendulkar's wicket in the lost 2011 World Cup semifinal against India and is now deriving solace from English umpire Ian Gould's recent assertion that the iconic batsman was indeed out. Tendulkar, who made crucial 85 runs in the semifinal at Mohali, was on 23 when Gould ruled him out LBW off Ajmal. But third umpire Billy Bowden, after a review, overturned the decision.

Gould, who served on the ICC's elite panel of umpires, recently said that he would stands by his decision of giving Tendulkar out. Recalling the incident, Ajmal, now 42, said, "It was straight in front and I was 100 percent sure he was out. Shahid Afridi, Kamran, Wahab and other players asked me was he (Tendulkar) out and I told them he is gone." He said he was heart-broken after the third umpire ruled Tendulkar not out. "I never got a chance to bowl to him in a Test so whenever I played against him in white ball cricket I always wanted to do my best. "More disappointing was that we lost the semifinal and it is obvious that Tendulkar's 85 runs made all the difference," he said on a television channel," he said.

"Even today, the third umpire's decision baffles me. Maybe luck was with him that day and he went on play such a crucial innings for his team," said Ajmal who played 35 Tests between 2009 and 2014, taking 178 wickets. He also took 183 wickets in 113 ODIs and 85 in 64 T20 Internationals. Ajmal said Gould was upset after his decision was overturned by the third umpire. The off-spinner's career, however, came to an unceremonious end after a tour of Bangladesh. His bowling action was reported in 2014 and he could not cope with the subsequent modification and retired in 2017.

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An exchange of texts between the YouTuber and a man whose car he hit has gone viral. YouTuber Casey Neistat had tweeted about leaving a note apologising to a man whose car he accidentally hit with his 17-year-old pick-up truck and what happened next was absolutely heart-warming.

Neistat, who stays in Los Angeles, wrote on Twitter, "I scratched a guys car this morning when parking my truck, total accident, small but noticeable scratch. I left the owner a note on the wiper and he texted me..."

The note Neistat left for the man read, "Hello, I scratched the hood of your car while parking mine. Please call/text so I can pay for the repairs. My sincere apologies for the trouble." The man texted him  on his contact number provided on the note and gave him a surprising reply. He asked Neistat to donate the money he had put aside for the repairs to the local food bank instead.

The reply read, "Hey, Thank you so much for the note. Please don’t worry about the scratch. Any money you have put towards my car feel free to donate to a local venice food bank. Have a great week!"

Neistat then donated 250 USD to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in the name of ‘Mr Scratched Car’. The heart-warming exchange between the YouTuber and the stranger garnered over 243,500 likes and was retweeted more than 20,900 times.

been complaining about LA a lot, lemme share why I love LA. I scratched a guys car this morning when parking my truck, total accident, small but noticeable scratch. I left the owner a note on the wiper and he texted me... pic.twitter.com/0x8HQkjGa2

— Casey Neistat (@Casey) April 20, 2020

The users commenting on the post narrated similar incidents and praised the interaction between them. Some also praised the man’s reply to the Neistat’s note.

10/10 human interaction, love this

— FaZe Banks (@Banks) April 20, 2020

What she didn't know what that I had already caused that damage weeks prior while trying to squeeze into a microscopic Seattle parking space (next to a concrete pillar).

I texted her back, told her that if she caused any damage, I couldn't tell, and not to worry about it. (2/2)

— AlexanderESmith (@AlexEdwardSmith) April 20, 2020

God bless Mr Scratched Car

— Boii🧢 (@MichaelYanchuck) April 20, 2020

donation made in the name of "mr scratched car"

casey you are a legend

— Luke Martin (@VentureCoinist) April 20, 2020

Still truly good people in this world.

— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) April 20, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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Companies' success in the next 18 months won't be determined by their growth or profitability, but merely by their ability to survive and not run out of cash

As the novel coronavirus becomes pandemic, people are focused on stopping the spread of germs through largescale quarantines and everyday best practices like hand washing.

New information on water resources to guide development in Nepal’s Koshi Basin.

Highlights: The Union Budget has been presented in Parliament on Friday 1 st February, 2019 In the health sector,

New study has examined samples from non-virus infected patients to assess which cells of the lungs and bronchi are targets for novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Cancer prevention is believed to be the most important motivating factor for the parents to get their children HPV vaccinated, finds a new study. The

he plunge in hotel occupancy levels due to the coronavirus pandemic has forced the hospitality industry to unveil new cleaning standards and redesign parts of the hotel experience. As travelers venture back to hotels, the changes will be visible as ...

Spotify has found that gamers have been streaming more than usual over the past month.

Goodbye, breakfast buffets and bellhop service. Hello, temperature screening and keyless check-in.While pandemic-era policies are still being developed at hotels around the globe and will no doubt vary widely, it's safe to say that guests will see b...

Now, I took a personal oath NOT to make any prevision on what a post-coronavirus industry could/should/would look like and, if you want to know why I don't crave to play this nonsense fortune-telling game, you can read my motivations here. Still, I ...

WhatsApp will launch video calling service on its app, a move that will help the popular messaging platform compete with the likes of Skype, Apple's FaceTime and the recently launched Google Duo.

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On the heels of Data Privacy Day, Facebook introduced the “Off-Facebook Activity” tool, which shows you all of the businesses and apps that give information about you to Facebook.  This information seems to be collected and shared with Facebook by those 3rd parties whether or not you were using Facebook in any way to log into, visit or use those sites/apps.  They simply have a business relationship of some kind, which results in the collection and sharing of information about you. Kudos to Facebook for providing this information and giving us tools to further manage our privacy.  It's good to know we can now take back some control. Here's how...

Purchasing of a car of a well renowned car manufacturing company incurs a huge amount of investment today. Is your investment lying idle in the garage due to the malfunctioning of one of its important part? Do not waste time,...

Those of you who are craving for a career as business analyst might be aware how daunting the task of selecting right institute is. There is no dearth of training institutes out there each claiming to be the best. With such a large...

Amitabh Bachchan 'Happy Birthday' post giving a bizarre algorithm gets trolled by the fans. Check out here.

What are gilt mutual funds? When should we invest?

Gilt mutual fund schemes invest in short term and long term government securities issued by RBI on behalf of Government of India....

In earlier, borrowing by any person was nearly as a crime. To borrow the money considered being a bad habit, it was socially banned in the Indian social system.  Those days money is...

Bobby Deol's wife Tanya Deol had an infamous catfight with Kareena Kapoor Khan on the sets of Ajnabee. Here's how the events unfolded.

This report draws on the new international OECD Survey of Adult Skills to highlight the challenges faced by the United States. It shows that the United States should take action to improve adult skills, if it wants to avoid falling behind other countries. The report also advances a set of key recommendations to improve basic skills across the board.

Strong competition is an optimizer for our economies. First of all, it is the best catalyst to increase our productivity. This is because a strong competition framework generates the right incentives to attract the most efficient firms into our markets.

Well-functioning judicial systems play a crucial role in determining economic performance – notably by guaranteeing the security of property rights and the enforcement of contracts – but not all countries’ judiciaries operate at the same level of efficiency.

Reforms that boost growth by enhancing economic flexibility often meet strong opposition related to concerns that they may imply adverse consequences for categories of workers. This study investigates how making product or labour market regulation more flexible changes workers’ risks of moving out of employment and jobless people’s chances of becoming employed.

With gender equality increasingly at the top of political and social agendas, Chris Pike of the OECD Competition Division reflects on the potential for introducing greater gender awareness into competition policy.

Strong competition is an optimizer for our economies. First of all, it is the best catalyst to increase our productivity. This is because a strong competition framework generates the right incentives to attract the most efficient firms into our markets.

Since the start of the crisis, a growing number of OECD countries have been reporting declining inward and outward FDI, a phenomenon that could be described as ‘investment de-globalisation’. Governments must take immediate and vigorous action to reverse such trends by removing unnecessary barriers and complexities that hinder investment, said OECD Secretary-General.

“Why do financial institutions and investors see so little risk, while companies investing in the real economy see so much risk?” This is perhaps the most important question facing policy makers today. This paper sets out some of the possible hypotheses for lack of investment in the world economy. It uses data drawn from 10 000 global companies in 75 advanced and emerging countries.

There is no shortage of capital available globally to finance renewable-energy projects. The financial sector encompasses more than €100 trillion of assets. So how is it that investment in renewable energy is not flowing faster? This article by OECD policy analyst Geraldine Ang proposes responses to the trillion-dollar question.

Since the start of the crisis, a growing number of OECD countries have been reporting declining inward and outward FDI, a phenomenon that could be described as ‘investment de-globalisation’. Governments must take immediate and vigorous action to reverse such trends by removing unnecessary barriers and complexities that hinder investment, said OECD Secretary-General.

OECD countries are intensifying their fiscal consolidation efforts, introducing additional measures and extending the time horizon to implement them. Most have announced fiscal consolidation of more than 3% of GDP over the period 2009-15, according to the OECD’s Restoring Public Finances 2012.

“Why do financial institutions and investors see so little risk, while companies investing in the real economy see so much risk?” This is perhaps the most important question facing policy makers today. This paper sets out some of the possible hypotheses for lack of investment in the world economy. It uses data drawn from 10 000 global companies in 75 advanced and emerging countries.

This report develops a framework that classifies investments according to different types of financing instruments and investment funds, and highlights the risk mitigants and transaction enablers that intermediaries can use to mobilise institutionally held capital.

The United States’ Social Security Act of 1935 set up a social insurance programme for American workers, providing them with at least some degree of certainty about income after retirement. But, in today’s environment, to what degree do Americans feel secure about their retirement? This article looks at the results of a new survey on American’s understanding of retirement preparedness and the perceived role of Social Security.