Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja

Bollywood's resident fashionista Sonam Kapoor got married to entrepreneur Anand Ahuja in a star-studded ceremony on May 8. The fairytale wedding was filled with glitz, glamour and romance, as one of the hottest couples tied the knot in front family and Bollywood's best.

The theme was "Indian festive shades of white". Celebrity hairstylist Asgar Saboo who is the go-to stylist for Sonam shows you a step-by- step guide on how you can get Kapoor's glamorous hair for you to steal the show!

Step 1
Begin by centre parting your hair, and dividing it into three separate parts. Do this by making two at the front and one, which will be to accommodate the large braid, at the back.

Step 2
Start with the left section of your hair by French braiding it and attaching more from the sides as you go along. Then loosen the braid before you move on to the right side by setting it aside. Repeat on the right.

Step 3
After braiding, tie elastic at the end of your hair to keep it in place. Take the front sections and tie them to the back.

Step 4
Then take the gajra you have chosen for your hair and place a bobby pin at the top. Wrap the gajra in a zigzag manner down the braid and as you come to the very end, secure it with an elastic band. Fancy trying out others? Then check out some of these simple easy-to- do styles to get the ideal locks!

View Photos: Sonam Kapoor-Anand Ahuja's wedding reception: SRK, Salman, Akshay attend the grand bash

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

While many polling stations were bereft of facilities for the physically challenged and senior citizens, the situation was refreshingly different in Palghar district, where arrangements were made to bring in physically challenged voters and drop them back to their homes.

The voters had a car to take them to the polling stations, where they didn't have to wait in queue to cast their votes, and drop them back home once they were done. This process had begun as a part of the run-up to the polls.

Explaining the same, the district's social development officer Vibha Jadhav said, "We had conducted a survey and made a list of physically challenged voters before the election. Now, we have been calling them to know when they would be able to come to the polling stations to vote."

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

The voters had a car to take them to the polling stations, where they didn’t have to wait in queue to cast their votes, and drop them back home once they were done

Virar resident Suresh Pawar, 43, thanked the government for the initiative, "I am visually challenged person, as is my wife. Until last year, we had to take an auto rickshaw to reach the polling booth. But this time, the government has given us relief by arranging vehicles for us.

The polling booths also had representatives stationed to help physically challenged voters. Jidnyasa Polekar, from the National Service Scheme, who was one of the assistants, said, "We kept wheelchairs for physically challenged and senior citizens. We also assisted visually challenged voters to understand the process of voting so that they can cast their ballot sans any hassle."

Bolstering voter turnout

Palghar collector Dr. Prashant Narnaware told mid-day that they had taken a number of initiatives to bolster voters' turnout in the district. "We had carried out campaigns to spread awareness among voters. We reached out to 13 lakh voters during our 25-day campaign titled 'I Shall Vote.' We also involved school students in the initiative by asking them to write letters to their parents, urging them to cast their vote," said Narnavare. On voting day, however, the district was hit with a slight EVM glitch. "There are 2,170 polling booths in Palghar, out of which the EVMs of 50 booths faced glitches. But they were changed within 10 minutes, as all the zonal officials were given additional EVMs to tackle the crisis," said Narnavare.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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With most areas in the city marked as COVID-19 hotspots and no transport available, residents feel that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) circular allowing pre-monsoon repair work and waterproofing in buildings before the onset of monsoon, is nothing but an eyewash. They are of the opinion that if the lockdown continues beyond May 3, it will be practically difficult to complete work before the rains, as no shops selling cement, sand, brick and waterproofing chemicals will be open.

Speaking to mid-day, Somasunderan Nair, director, Intercons Tectonic (Pvt) Ltd, a Vashi-based firm doing engineering and civil construction work, said, "It is just impossible for the labourers to go to different locations with no transportation available. They can't travel between construction sites located in different areas of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai."

Rekhi Sai Daffodils has been undergoing repairs since January

'All going to waste'
"Also, I had stored raw materials (cement and sand) worth a few lakhs of rupees at different buildings undergoing repairs, but all of it got stalled due to the lockdown," added Nair. He further said, "At one of our Kharghar site, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) staff had asked the site supervisor to wind up all repair work, and at that time, a ready-mix cement mortar consignment was being offloaded from a Gujarat registered truck. Since the municipal staff warned of '15,000 fine per staff, the workers had no option but to leave the site. Nearly 700 bags of ready-mix cement mortar were offloaded, but I fear that all of it will go to waste. They have been lying unused for over one month and if the lockdown continues, we might have to dispose of the raw materials."

While the BMC has come out with a circular allowing work to be carried out, the NMMC and PCMC are yet to provide any clarity on such repair works.

Exposed beams of Rekhi Sai Daffodils in Kharghar

A Ghatkopar West resident, whose building is under repairs, said, "We have stored some materials in our building premises and have allowed some workers to stay on the compound. Even the contractor is ready to buy construction materials like bricks, cement etc from the local market, but for that we need to know where such outlets are open."

'Apply for online permissions'
When contacted, a senior official from BMC's Development Plan department said, "We have issued the circular which clearly states the directives. As per the directions of the state government, certain activities are being allowed during lockdown. However, the said guidelines were stayed by the government vide GR dated April 21, 2020 for Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune Metropolitan Region. However, to save some existing structures/buildings and prevent flood like situations during monsoon, certain construction activities within MCGM limits may be allowed in non-containment zones."

Navre Premises Cooperative society in Sion West

When asked that if the entire city is under lockdown, then how will the circular be implemented, the official said, "It is a fact that most of the areas in Mumbai are containment zones and no work will be allowed there. If the situation is under control after May 3, then as and when the lockdown is lifted, work can be started. Meanwhile, the contractors/societies concerned should apply for online permissions."

And if monsoon sets in by then, the official said, "The contractors can cover the open terraces with tarpaulin sheets and permission can be given for repairs post monsoon."

Expert speak
When contacted, senior lawyer, Vinod Sampat, said, "As far as the BMC is concerned, everyone is interested in protecting their own skin. There is no coordination between government departments. A simple solution can be easily worked out by designating one responsible official for the job. He would ensure that the residents' requirements are easily met and the construction materials are made available to those whose buildings are getting repaired. Secondly, there is no accountability among government officials and they are unpredictable. As far as possible, repair work should not be undertaken immediately. A better way would be to put tarpaulin sheets on the buildings and postpone repair work to the post-monsoon time."

He further said, "Moreover, it is very difficult to get skilled labourers now as most of them want to return home. And lastly, if any of the contractors or their workers test positive for COVID-19, the society managing committee members may be held responsible for not taking proper precaution."

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A 29-year-old air hostess identified as Sultana Shaikh hanged herself to death at her residence at Vile Parle. The police discovered her body late Wednesday night after neighbours complained of a foul smell coming from her house.

Shaikh shared a room with two other women, but both her roommates had gone back home because of the lockdown and she was living alone.

"We found a suicide note from the residence which states that nobody is responsible for her death. She also mentioned that she was suffering from depression and frustrated due to several things. We also found a mobile phone at the house and are going through all her chats and emails,” a police officer said.

Another police officer said, "On Wednesday, her neighbours complained about a foul smell coming from Shaikh's residence and that no one was opening the door. So they informed the owner of the flat who called the police. We then broke down the door and found Shaikh's body hanging from the ceiling fan."

Vile Parle cops have handed over Shaikh's body to her mother who stays in Colaba. An accidental death has been registered and further investigation is on.

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Backdoor talks between the BJP and Shiv Sena have eased CM Uddhav Thackeray's entry into the state legislative council as the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday gave a nod to filling the nine vacancies in LC on May 21, six days before Thackeray must become a member of the legislature.

Friday's development came after Thackeray sought help from BJP's top bosses PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari refused to change his position of not nominating the CM despite allegations of conspiracy and politicising the constitutional office in denying Thackeray a nomination for a brief time.

The development also gave out a message, especially to Sena's partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party that the BJP might still have a soft corner for its estranged ally. The other interpretation that came from the Opposition is that the BJP was concerned about facing public wrath if it collapsed the government in the time of grave health crisis.

Sources said that Thackeray called up Modi two days ago following Governor Koshyari's refusal to accept the Cabinet recommendation that the CM should be nominated to the upper house despite reiteration of the demand by the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Sources said that Koshyari wrote to the ECI asking for conducting the polls in a relaxed lockdown. Thackeray also sent his emissaries to Raj Bhavan with a similar demand, albeit a couple of hours after the governor's house had already told the media about the recommendation. Congress and NCP also wrote to the ECI seeking elections.

ECI said in a release that the Maharashtra Chief Secretary has pointed out the various measures taken to control the pandemic and that in the State Government's assessment, elections could be held in a safe environment. It said it had reviewed past precedents in such unforeseen situations wherein the ECI had to hold by-elections to facilitate membership for the two PMs and several CMs.

Guv's nominees never made CM

In December, Koshyari had rejected two similar recommendations saying he would not allow the vacancies to be filled when they would expire within six months.

He cited a reason that the by-elections or mid-term nominations were not recommended when the terms are expected to end very soon. In Thackeray's case, the cabinet's recommendation was challenged on constitutional points in the Bombay High Court and also contested on moral grounds in political circles because the governor's nominees have not been made CMs in the past.

Polling on May 21

The ECI has now scheduled the elections for May 21. The 288 Assembly members (MLAs) would be the electoral college for the elections to the nine vacancies created on April 24.

The MLAs would vote in a secret ballot if polling is required. A notification would be issued on May 4 and nominations would close on May 11. The counting of votes would be done immediately after the polling which is scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm. The entire election process will end by May 26.

However, several politicians from the BJP and MVA said polling would not be required because the parties would reach an agreement to make the contest unopposed. This means there would be nine nominees for nine vacancies of which the BJP could win four and five could go to MVA.

"In normal circumstances, such polls evoke political excitement and also give rise to horse-trading unlike the Rajya Sabha polls (also voted by MLAs) which don't have the possibility of cross-voting. There have been big upsets in the past," said an MVA leader.

'No more speculations'

Sena leader Sanjay Raut thanked the ECI and the Centre. "Today's decision has stopped all speculations and rumours of political instability in the time of crisis. The Union Government and ECI have saved a big state like Maharashtra from an impending political crisis when all are fighting the pandemic," he said.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in the city, on Monday, Mumbai's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood in the poor category as the AQI dropped to 133, as per AQI India. The poor category of air quality in Mumbai is an indicator that such air quality can provide difficulty in breathing.

Air Quality Index (AQI) across different parts of Mumbai

According to AQI India, an AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-200 poor, 201-300 unhealthy, 301-400 severe and 401-500 is marked as hazardous. While Mumbai's overall air quality was poor, several parts of the city including Bandra (31 AQI), Worli (42 AQI), Powai (24 AQI), Kurla (44 AQI) reported good air quality. Sion, on the other hand reported AQI of 1094 which as per the AQI parameter is hazardous.

A snapshot of Air Quality Index (AQI) across different cities in India

In other cities of the country such as Delhi (83 AQI), Ahmedabad (90 AQI), Bengaluru (101 AQI) reported moderate air quality which is acceptable for healty adults but may pose a threat to senstive individuals as per the parameter reading.

Data sourced from aqi.in

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The Shiv Sneh Co-operative Housing Society in Pratiksha Nagar, Sion, has been dealt another blow as the much-needed building repair work has come to a halt twice in past few months. The repairs initially came to a halt last September, when the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC) found itself in trouble. The society had R85 lakh in its Sion branch, which they haven't received yet. In March, when the society once again started the repair work using funds from their other bank account, it had to be stopped due to the lockdown over the COVID-19 spread as Pratiksha Nagar is in the red zone. Now with the work pending, the residents are worried about their fate this monsoon.

Kashinath Rokade, secretary of the society said, "We have been told that pre-monsoon work can be started, but are awaiting for the lockdown to be called off after May 17, and the contractor has assured us he will get the waterproofing done within two to three weeks, with some interior work. The painting of exterior building can be done post monsoon."

The 166 (flat and commercial shop) owners attached to the four wings (A,B,C,D) of the building were all set to abide by the structural consultants audit report and promptly floated bids calling in for tenders, which took almost four to five months of hard work starting February 2019. Finally they zeroed in on the contractor, M/s Viswakarma Civil Constructions, Kalwa, Thane and selected them to carry out repairs, civil work including waterproofing and painting work for a total consideration of approximately R52 lakh, as per their tender, explained society chairman Mahesh Adate.

Rokade showing the state of the repairs in October 2019

Repairs were on
Adate added, "The building was to undergo repairs for the first time since it was handed over to the society by MHADA in 2008 and since then office bearers were collecting repair funds under monthly maintenance of approximately R1,800 from members. A huge corpus of nearly R85 lakh, in the form of Fixed Deposits and other savings, were in the society's name with the PMC, Sion branch."

The society had even issued work order to M/s Viswakarma paying an advance of R5 lakh, as against the contract signed. Since August 15, the scaffoldings were put across the building structures, and work of removing old plaster was in process. As per the contract the entire work was to be completed within four months time period.

Adate added, "Most of the occupants in the building (nearly 80 percent) are working class people which include senior citizens, who have been residing her for over a decade."

According to Adate, MHADA had issued a lottery for this MIG (Middle Income Group) way back in 2005 for a consideration of R10 lakh - R11 lakh including stamp duty and registration, where each flat is around 450 sq feet carpet and commercial outlets allotted admeasuring 150-160 sq feet (Carpet). In 2008, MHADA handed over the building to the society and since then the society has been collecting funds for repairs.

PMC scam shocking
Adate said, "We were taken by surprise, when we learnt about the abrupt directives from RBI putting restrictions on PMC bank. We had to arrange for funds, as the contractor had already sent a letter seeking clearance of additional fund for carrying out the work, and we were left in the lurch."

When asked why the society does not have any other bank account, besides the one with PMC bank and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, the society office bearers said, "We have always been told that under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, housing societies should mandatorily have accounts only with co-operative banks, hence we abided by the rules. Also our society accountant had no problem banking with PMC, everything was going on smoothly, till last week."

When informed that society accounts can be opened in nationalised banks too, they said, "We are ready to open a new account with a nationalised bank, provided PMC transfers all our society funds there."

When asked how they will finish the remaining payment, Adate added, "We will have to start taking contributions from members. Also we have not got any response to the legal notice issued to PMC Bank on behalf of our society. We may contemplate taking the matter to the consumer court against PMC Bank."

He said that nearly 25 societies in Pratiksha Nagar have deposited money with PMC bank and the whole figure may be in crores of rupees.

Expert speak
Senior property lawyer Vinod Sampat said, "The Reserve Bank of India has been forced to take drastic action against PMC bank, this will result in a financial cut to be taken by each of the societies who had deposited their funds. As far as legal action by the affected cooperative society against PMC bank goes, I am afraid that the provisions of the banking regulation act will supersede it and the financial losses, being caused to it (the society)."

"The need of the day is that harsh laws be framed, whereby doing a wrongful act is made as a deterrent to persons who fail to perform their duty with criminal intent. Punishment should be awarded by courts in a short span of time in such financial frauds, so that a strong message is sent out. The law should not remain a paper tiger," he added.

Rs 85 lakh
What the society's account in PMC Bank holds

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Bianca Belair, WWE's NXT superstar, has now made it to the main roster on WWE Raw and is bringing the house down. Bianca Belair has performed for two matches on WWE Raw in the past 2 weeks and seems to be making her way to the top in the women's division. In an interview, she discusses how she was discovered, why she calls herself the 'EST', creating her own ring gear and more.

How did Mark Henry first discover you? And what is the most useful piece of advice he’s given you from your tryout and beyond?
“After my track career I wanted to find something I could still be competitive in, so I was doing Crossfit and I really stood out…all the other girls were just wearing regular shorts and t-shirts and I was coming out in tutu’s and big bows and just really standing out. At a lot of Crossfit competitions I was getting on the mic and, without even knowing it, cutting promos. Mark Henry came across a video of me at a Crossfit event on the internet and he contacted me and asked me if I’d ever thought of being in the WWE… He got me in the door but he made it very clear from the very beginning that “this is all going to be on you”… It gave me a lot of confidence and it really pushed me. Ever since then he has always been someone I can go to for advice”

You famously declared yourself the ‘EST of NXT’, and now the ‘EST of WWE’. Can you explain to people who don’t know, what that means?
“The ‘EST of WWE’ means that I am a hybrid athlete. I’m not just good in one area, I’m not just good at one thing, I’m not just strong, I’m not just someone who can go in there and do flips and be a showcase athlete. I’m someone who can do it all. I’m not just average in different areas, I’m the best in every single area. I’m the strongEST, the fastEST, the quickEST, the roughEST, the greatEST, the smartEST, I’m the bEST. All those end in EST. I just see myself as being the absolute best in every single area that you can think of.”

You’re a Superstar with a host of skills, one of which is making your own gear. Has that always been a passion for you? Which ring gear have you designed that means the most to you, and why?
“I have been pretty creative and pretty hands on my whole life. I get it from my dad who is always doing something, always making something. My mum is the same way. They are super creative and I just grew up in that environment. I used to sew when I was younger, my mum had this little Christmas cookie jar that had everything in it but cookies. At first I started sewing pillow cases together, I didn’t even know what I was doing, but it carried over into High School and I used to sew and make my own outfits… It carried over into WWE because I do everything the best and I do everything myself, it’s a huge part of my character. Probably my favourite gear is my Black History Month gear that I wore at NXT TakeOver: Portland. Black History Month is really important to me because I really feel that Black history is American history is World history, and I’m very passionate about that. So that’s probably my favourite gear that I’ve made and it has the most sentimental value to me.”

Do you see your position as a WWE Superstar carrying a responsibility to set an example for young girls and women around the world?
“The further along I get in my career the more I see that I do have a responsibility and I take that very seriously. Especially with women and young girls we are often taught to shrink ourselves, and that is a big part of my character is to never shrink yourself to soothe anyone’s insecurities, you never dim your light for anyone. You go out there and you shine bright, it’s even in my theme song: “watch me shine now”. It’s something that I really want to stress to young girls, especially within the community that I come from… Go out there and show them who you are and don’t hold back. I hold that responsibility very close to my heart and it’s not just for young girls or for women, it’s for everyone. You have to be your biggest supporter, you have to be your biggest cheerleader.”

What are Bianca Belair’s future WWE ambitions?
“The cliché answer is to be RAW Women’s Champion, or if I’m on SmackDown to be SmackDown Women’s Champion, or to eventually be NXT Women’s Champion. Of course, I want to be the Champion on all three brands at some particular time but, honestly, I just want to go out there and leave an impact no matter where I’m at. I feel like I did that with NXT, I left an impact. When people think back to this era in WWE history I want to be one of the names that pops up as one of the key players regardless of if I’ve won one match or one hundred matches. I want to leave a legacy, I want to leave an impact.”

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Thali Sweet accompanied by kadio bodio

For Bandra resident Sophia Netto, the month of September meant eight days of festivities, courtesy the iconic Bandra Fair that the suburb hosts annually. Held in four lanes that dot Bandra's Mount Mary Basilica neighbourhood, it celebrates the birthday month of Mother Mary. "You could spend an entire day at the fair. There would be pageants like September King and Queen, games and cane product stalls that everyone would throng to, and all-night long jam sessions by Catholic bands at Mount Carmel's September Garden with an entry fee of `1. We would binge on potato chops, candy floss and kadio bodio, a deep-fried sweet stick of refined flour dipped in sugar. Even black chana would be heaped at stalls," recollects 54-year-old Netto, who offers black chana and kadio bodio as complimentary treats at BKC's SodaBottleOpenerWala as part of the outlet's ongoing festival, Bandra Feast, which recreates the fair experience.

East Indian Pork Sorpotel

In collaboration with chef de cuisine Danesh Vakshoor, Netto has created a special menu comprising East Indian and Goan delicacies. The menu features Mutton Potato Chops (Rs 195), where fried-till-golden breadcrumb crusted mashed potato shell is stuffed with minced meat, and Vegetarian or Chicken Lonvas (Rs 295), cooked with the famous East Indian bottle masala and thick coconut milk. It also stars East Indian Pork Sorpotel (Rs 295) and East Indian Vindaloo (Rs 295) where the pork is marinated overnight and slow-cooked. "Most homes in Bandra would be open to guests till midnight, who would arrive from different parts of the city and beyond to seek blessings at the basilica. I remember my mother making kilos of sorpotel and vindaloo. I've used her traditional recipes for the menu," she adds. End the meal with Thali Sweet (Rs 175), a festival speciality made with coconut semolina and eggs.

Sophia Netto

The restaurant has also been dressed up with ribbons and balloons that are a throwback to the helium balloons, which were a common sight at the fair. The line-up also includes a retro jam session with in-house DJ Farhan and saxophonist Amar Sukhi on Thursday night, and breakfast housie on Sunday. The idea, says Netto, is to revive the fair's charm. "Unfortunately, it has now turned into an extension of the Hill Road hawking zone," she rues.

Riteish Deshmukh and Karan Johar have no inhibitions showing off their grey hair. KJo is unable to get his tresses coloured at a salon due to the lockdown. His kids, Roohi and Yash, call him 'buddha'. Deshmukh, too, sported his salt and pepper look on Insta and quipped, "Main celebrity hoon (sic)." Will the B-Town female brigade flaunt their grey locks?

 

 

 

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Ek Joke Saanga Na

A post shared by Riteish Deshmukh (@riteishd) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:36am PDT

On the professional front, Karan Johar will be next seen as a producer in Sooryavanshi and Brahmastra. Speaking of Riteish Deshmukh, the actor was last seen in Baaghi 3, along starring Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor and Ankita Lokhande.

Amidst the global outbreak of the Coronavirus, the entertainment industry has taken a hit. Several movies including the upcoming James Bond movie are being pushed back from their intended release dates and movies like Baaghi 3 saw a huge impact on their box office collections.

All the projects are currently on halt after the outbreak. People are waiting with bated breath for this lockdown to end and get back to business.

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"Her energy is contagious," says Rasika Dugal on being thrilled to tick 'working with Mira Nair' off her bucket list. The actor insists that the filmmaker is a class apart from other directors as she helms the six-part BBC series based on Vikram Seth's novel, A Suitable Boy.

Dugal, who has wrapped up her scenes in the series says, "Despite working for so many years, Mira has the enthusiasm [of a newbie]. She brings unexpected energy to an otherwise dull scene. Reading how the script will unfold on paper, is usually very different from the outcome. When she directs the scene, it's almost magical." She reiterates that Nair pushes boundaries with every actor.

"She has a child-like energy on set. She gives you a freehand [to perform], then designs it accordingly at her end. As an artiste, it is a surreal experience to be directed by Mira as she knows how to get the best out of her actors," says Dugal, who plays the character of Savita Mehra Kapoor.

Mira Nair

Dugal only has one regret. "I don't share much screen time with Tabu," she says, and hopes that the future yields more opportunities.

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In 2016, Bollywood got a stellar performer in the form of Zaira Wasim, thanks to Nitesh Tiwari's Dangal. And with Secret Superstar and The Sky Is Pink, she proved to be a force to reckon with at a tender age. But she quit acting as she felt it was a hindrance to her religion. Despite mixed reactions, she stood by her decision and people respected her for that. However, despite quitting Bollywood, Zaira manages to grab attention through her social media posts.

Recently, she posted a statement on her social media account on how trolls can affect people and traumatise them for the rest of their lives. She also asked people for empathy.  "We remain so unaware of the power of our words, an utter them without giving them an ounce of thought, little it is that we realise that our actions, words and stupid jokes impact people and influence their beliefs about their own esteem and integrity. Imagine somebody out there genuinely believes he's a loser just because of you, because of a joke, a meme, a comment you made just to look cool or funny in-front of your followers, but not everyone's born with a thick skin, not everyone can withstand the harsh criticism," she wrote.

She also reacted to how negative comments, trolls, memes and jokes can severely impact the mental well being and self-esteem of a person.  "Imagine somebody out there genuinely believes he's a loser just because of you, because of a joke, a meme, a comment you made just to look cool or funny in-front of your followers, but not everyone's born with a thick skin, not everyone can withstand the harsh criticism," she said.

The Secret Superstar actress added, "Some are more vulnerable that others and become easily overwhelmed and disappointed in themselves, your words could be a reason for someone's heart to shatter, for someone to cry all night long. It can damage and traumatise someone beyond where language can reach and could scar someone for the rest of their lives. We refuse to even countenance the idea that some just have to struggle much more to reach minimum expectations."

Read her full statement here:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Zaira Wasim (@zairawasim_) onMay 1, 2020 at 4:20pm PDT

Earlier too, the actress had put out a statement and asked us not to praise her since all these appreciations are dangerous for her Iman. 

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Amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood celebrities have taken up the responsibility to appeal to everyone to stay safe, take precautions, stop panicking and refrain from spreading rumours. The quarantine time has also given celebrities a chance to spend maximum time with their families. Some of them are busy pursuing their hobbies. Speaking about Kareena Kapoor Khan, the actress is spending her time with her husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur Ali Khan and keeping us updated about their quarantine life through her Instagram pictures.

Recently, Kareena posted an adorable picture of Saif and Taimur. In the picture, Saif is seen giving Taimur a haircut while the little one sits patiently through it. The actor has donned a white kurta-pyjama with a pair of scissors in his hand. "Haircut anyone?", Kareena captioned the post.

 

 

 

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Haircut anyone? 💁🏻‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ¤­

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onMay 2, 2020 at 4:58am PDT

Earlier, Kareena posted a picture with her family on her Instagram. In the first picture, the husband-wife duo is seen resting next to each other with their eyes closed while the second one features Kareena sitting next to Saif. The actress gave a very witty caption to the picture. Sharing the photos, Kareena wrote, "Fall in love asleep... #Mess (sic)."

 

 

 

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Fall i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ asleep... #Mess 😝

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 24, 2020 at 1:37am PDT

This week has been particularly tough for Kareena and her family after she lost her uncle Rishi Kapoor and her Angrezi Medium co-star Irrfan Khan. Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29 at 11:11 am at the Kokilaben hospital due to complications arising out of Colon infection. And on April 30, we lost Rishi Kapoor. Battling leukaemia for the last two years, he passed away at 8:45 am IST in hospital.

Kareena remembered her uncle by sharing a throwback picture of Rishi with her father Randhir Kapoor.

 

 

 

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The best boys I know... Papa and Chintu uncle ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 30, 2020 at 2:02am PDT

She also shared a throwback picture of herself from the sets of Angrezi Medium. She mourned the loss of her co-star Irrfan and wrote, "It was an absolute honour sir. Rest in peace".

 

 

 

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It was an absolute honour sir 🙏🏻 Rest in peace ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) onApr 29, 2020 at 1:27am PDT

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He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Nitya Mehra and Alankrita Shrivastava as he co-directed the much-loved Amazon Prime series, Made In Heaven, last year. However, before the second season goes on floors, Prashant Nair has made a graceful exit from the picture. The Spain-based filmmaker is instead consumed with bringing a real-life story to the screen.

A still from Made in Heaven 

"I am not part of the second season as I am working on a web series based on the Uphaar Cinema tragedy," says Nair, referring to the 1997 fire at the Delhi theatre that had claimed 59 lives and injured over 100 people. "I am the show-runner, director and creator of the series that is being developed with Endemol Shine India. It's currently in the research phase," he adds.

Prashant Nair

It has been a memorable week for the filmmaker, whose latest offering, Tryst with Destiny, won the Best Screenplay award at the Tribeca Film Festival. "The organisers kept the competition section open virtually so that [the jury] can watch the links. When they announced the win, I was in my pyjamas at 2 am, feeling remarkably unglamorous, reading Danny Boyle's lovely feedback on the movie," he laughs. Though glad that the Viineet Kumar Singh-starrer has received acclaim, Nair feels rather disconnected from the win. "I wanted to experience this moment with my cast and crew. And damn, we didn't even get a selfie with Robert De Niro [who is the co-founder of the festival]!"

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Actress Divyanka Tripathi has turned hairstylist to beat the lockdown blues, and ended up giving hubby, actor Vivek Dahiya, a whole new look. On Wednesday, Vivek took to Instagram and shared a picture in which Divyanka is seen giving him a hair cut and, according to Vivek's caption, something went wrong. He will share the final outcome of his haircut soon.

"Can you trust your wife with a haircut? Apparently, I did and wait to see what happened. Video rolling out soon..! Bolo toh tha kaan sambhal ke kaat na...#StayTuned! LifeUnderQuarantineSeries," Vivek wrote.

 

 

 

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Can you trust your wife with a haircut? Apparently, I did and wait to see what happened. Video rolling out soon..! Bola toh tha kaan sambhal ke kaat na...#StayTuned ! #LifeUnderQuarantineSeries

A post shared by Vivek Dahiya (@vivekdahiya) onApr 15, 2020 at 4:17am PDT

In a recent interview with IANS, vivek expressed his wish to work with Divyanka again.

"I know our fans are waiting for long to see Divyanka and I together on screen.... I also want to work with her again... It''s just that I am waiting for some right project to come our way. If the project is right and script looks interesting, we would definitely give a heads-up," Vivek said.

The couple first met on the sets of "Yeh Hai Mohabbatein" and after several months of dating, the two got married in 2016.

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The well-known Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned in an advisory issued last week.

The well-known #Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) has warned in an advisory issued last week. pic.twitter.com/rPRLkLGvpX

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 16, 2020

In the advisory, issued on April 12, it is mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes". The government said that CERT-In on the same lines had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform".

In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".

Zoom app has apparently become a favourite and famous tool among people during the lockdown and it is being used by schools and many private players. "Most of the settings can be done by logging into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference," the guidelines from MHA mentions.

Officials in the Home Ministry told IANS that the app has some specific weaknesses so it is necessary to avoid its use for official purposes as it can encrypt meeting data.

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A 92-year-old wheelchair-bound woman here tested negative for coronavirus after completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. The nonagenarian had suffered a paralysis attack seven months ago. She, along with her four other family members, tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to Symbiosis Hospital in Lavale in the first week of April.

"A 92-year-old woman who suffered a stroke recently and is paralysed from the left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for COVID-19. Age is a factor but it does not mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die," Dr Vijay Natrajan, CEO of Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre, Pune told ANI.

A 92-year-old woman who suffered stroke recently&is paralysed from left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for #COVID19. Age is a factor but it doesn't mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die:Dr Vijay Natrajan,CEO of SUHRC,Pune #Maharashtra (22.04.2020) pic.twitter.com/vNkr7oDayj

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

According to doctors at the hospital, the recovery of the woman indicates that even senior citizens can recover from the virus.

"She has no symptoms of COVID-19. However, she had suffered a stroke and one side of her body got paralysed. During her stay here, we checked all her health parameters," Natrajan said.

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The national carrier Air India (AI) has asked its pilots and cabin crew details to prepare to resume operations post lockdown, probably by mid-May this year. An internal mail, accessed by ANI, which was sent to the operation staff, seeks crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations. ANI has accessed an internal mail which was sent to operation staff seeking crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations.

"Dear All concerned, There is a probability to commence 25 per cent to 30 per cent operations post-lockdown in mid-May 2020. You are requested to ensure and provide the following: Total No. of Cockpit / Cabin Crew residing outside municipal limits of the bases," the communication read. Further Air India has also asked the Executive Director (ED) to ensure necessary arrangements and curfew passes for the crew. "Ensure crew transport for all crew at all stations (domestic as well as International). The data at bullet 1 may be provided on priority, to enable this office to intimate ED (Security) to arrange for their curfew pass," the AI letter said.

Recently, the Government of India asked Air India to be on standby for evacuating Indians from the Gulf and other parts of the countries. India has suspended air services since March 25 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 till May 3.

Also in a notification on its website, Air India said, "In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting booking on all domestic & International flights for travel till 03rd May 2020."

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Indian Navy joined the entire nation to express gratitude and salute the Corona Warriors on Sunday May 3rd, 2020. Expressing gratitude and appreciation of the entire nation - while representing the Indian Armed Forces - towards the determination and committed efforts of our Corona Warriors - the medical professionals, health workers, policemen, government staff and media, for their relentless efforts against COVID-19 through a number of activities on ground, in air and on water.

On Land

Station Commanders & Senior Naval Officers across the three Commands (Western, Southern and Eastern Naval Commands) and in Andaman and Nicobar Command met the Health Care professionals, policemen, sanitation workers and other frontline Corona Warriors to convey the appreciation on behalf of the Indian Navy and applauded their efforts in successfully treating the COVID 19 patients and also thanked for their relentless efforts.

Human Word Chain: 1500 Indian Navy personnel at INS Hansa, Goa expressed their appreciation by forming a Human Word Chain and thank the Corona Warriors.

Naval Band: Earlier in the day, the SNC band played some famous numbers on a warship berthed opposite the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and near the Vikrant-Venduruthy Bridge, epochal landmarks of Kochi. Naval Bands also performed onboard Ex-Viraat in Mumbai and in Visakhapatnam Harbour.

Air

Kochi: As part of the Thanksgiving gesture, Chetak helicopter of the Navy showered flower petals on the District Hospital in Kochi. Subsequently, 07 aircraft flypast consisting of 02 Dornier aircraft, 01 SeaKing helicopter, 02 Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and 02 Chetak helicopters of Indian Navy was conducted over the city's renowned landmark, Marine Drive which was immediately followed by steampast by 07 Fast Interceptor Crafts of the Navy, in the channel, displaying a banner thanking the Corona Warriors.

Vizag: A Chetak helicopter from INS Dega showered flower petals over Andhra Medical College, Govt Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD) and GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR).

Mumbai: Indian Navy Chetak helicopter carried out flypast with showering of petals over Kasturba Gandhi hospital and Asvini Naval hospital in Mumbai.

Goa: Indian Navy Chetak helicopter carried out flypast with showering of petals over Goa Medical College and E.S.I Hospital (along with ICG Helps).

Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Indian Naval aviation assets carried out fly past along with the Air Force and Coast Guard across various parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

At Sea

Eastern Naval Command. INS Jalashwa and INS Savitri on their Mission Based Deployments saluted the Corona Warriors for their relentless fight against the COVID pandemic while at sea Western Naval Command.

Indian Navy personnel in Arabian Sea onboard Mission Deployed ships expressed their appreciation and thanked the Corona Warriors for their unwavering commitment in the fight against corona.

Indian Navy personnel onboard INS Vikramaditya off Karwar expressed their appreciation by forming a Human Word Chain in thanking the Corona Warriors.

Southern Naval Command. Steampast by 07 Fast Interceptor Crafts of the Navy, in the channel, in Kochi displaying a banner thanking the Corona Warriors.

Illumination of Ships at Anchorage

The day's events culminated with 25 Indian Naval warships across nine port cities including those in Andaman & Nicobar Islands carryied out illumination along with firing of flares and sounding of sirens from 7:30 PM onwards.

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He posed as Superintendent of Police (SP), called up a subordinate police official and asked him to get his mobile phone repaired or face the consequences. But, his bluff was later called and the man landed in lockup. Azamgarh SP Triveni Singh said the 23-year-old youth, Shubham Upadhyay, is the son of a farmer. He was preparing for competitive exams when his phone developed a snag on Saturday.

He tried to reach out to local mechanics, but they were unavailable to fix it due to the lockdown. Upadhyay used a free caller identification app to call up the in-charge of the Kotwali police station, K. K. Gupta, and threatened to shunt him out, if he failed to swiftly get the work done. Gupta grew suspicious and eventually caught the youth.

In his statement to the police, Shubham Upadhyay said, "On Sunday noon, I tried to breach the district borders to reach Lucknow to repair my phone, but since there was heavy police presence and barricading, I returned home. Later, I installed a free caller identification app in my handset and mentioned the name as SP Azamgarh and even uploaded a photo of the cop to appear genuine." He first called SHO, Kotwali to get the phone repaired and was told the handset would be picked up from the SP office in an hour. Then, he called a businessman to bring his SUV and hand over his mobile to the SHO.

But when Upadhyay called the police again to suggest a separate meeting point, he raised suspicion. When the SHO tried to confirm the venue, Upadhyay got hesitant and said he would send a peon. "I suddenly realised something was fishy and rang up the public relation officer of SP Azamgarh, who denied any such order from the SP. When the caller's number was scanned, it displayed the name of SP Azamgarh," said SHO Gupta.

A trap was laid and when the SHO reached the venue, he found one Praveen Shukla sitting in the vehicle. Police got the address of the accused from Shukla and reached Upadhyay's home in Bilariya locality and arrested him.

Upadhyay has been booked under IT Act and for threatening a public servant.

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Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been ranked 17th in the latest world billionaires list by Forbes with a net worth of $44.3 billion – once again leading the tally from India's perspective.

Mukesh Ambani chairs and runs $88 billion (revenue) oil and gas giant Reliance Industries, among India's most valuable companies. Reliance Jio has signed on more than 340 million customers by offering free domestic voice calls, dirt-cheap data services, and virtually free smartphones, said the report.

The next Indian on the 34th annual list -- veteran Mumbai investor Radhakishan Damani who is touted as India's retail king after the March 2017 IPO of his supermarket chain DMart – is at a distant 65th position with a net worth of $16.6 billion.

Damani got into retailing in 2002 with one store in suburban Mumbai and has been unstoppable since. His property portfolio includes the 156-room Radisson Blu Resort in Alibag and a popular beach-front getaway close to Mumbai, according to the report.

At 114th position, HCL Technologies Founder Shiv Nadar is worth $12.4 billion. One of India's leading philanthropists, Nadar has donated $662 million to his Shiv Nadar Foundation.

While Hinduja brothers are at 116th position with $12.2 billion net worth. Srichand and Gopichand live in London and Prakash resides in Monaco while the youngest sibling Ashok oversees their Indian interests from Mumbai. At 138th position, Uday Kotak is worth $10.7 billion. His Kotak Mahindra Bank is now among India's top four banks in the private sector, boosted by its 2014 acquisition of ING Bank's Indian operations.

In January this year, the bank reached an agreement with the Reserve Bank of India over the issue of reducing Kotak's stake in the bank to 26 per cent. Telecom tycoon Sunil Mittal is at 154th position with $9.5 billion net worth. Bharti Airtel today is among India's largest mobile phone operators with more than 418 million customers.

Others in the latest list are Cyrus Poonawalla who is founder of Serum Institute of India (at 161th position with $9.2 billion net worth), Gautam Adani at 162th position with $9.2 billion net worth and steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal with $8.9 billion net worth at 170th spot, among others.

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Two women Sri-Lankan nationals were detained by customs officers at Pune International Airport on March 15, 2019 for allegedly attempting to smuggle gold into the city. According to reports, the detained flyers who had boarded a flight from Singapore to Pune were carrying 24 carats of gold which is estimated to be worth Rs 30.31 lakh in the Indian market.

The customs officials at Pune International Airport intercepted the two women passengers at the departure area on Thursday and confiscated the gold. Duo has been booked under the Customs Act-1962 

Deputy Commissioner of Custom (Pune International Airport) Harshal Mete said, "Two women of Sri-Lankan nationality arrived in the city from Singapore by Jet Airways and walked through the green channel without declaring anything with the customs officials.

The lady passengers were carrying 24-carat gold in the form of chain, bangles and biscuits which is weighted 9.14 grams which are estimated as per Indian currency in tune of Rs 30,31,937. The gold has been seized under the reasonable belief that it was being smuggled into India with an intention and further investigation are in progress."

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Jacqueline Fernandez’s latest cover for a leading magazine was flawless as ever but these inside images tell us, how we must reconnect with nature. What better inspiration than the actress, herself!

In the first one, we see Jacqueline playing a guitar and playing with a little goat. Jacqueline is seen wearing a beautiful dark ocean blue blazer with a bralette and a skirt. The magazine on their social media says, "Amidst news of the lockdown extension, we asked Jacqueline Fernandez to create images that would celebrate just some of the things that are bringing us joy right now—beautiful imagery, nature, and the hope of a better future. The actor is quarantined out on a Panvel farmhouse and is also currently promoting her new Netflix movie Mrs Serial Killer. She styled and did her own hair and makeup for this dreamy digital cover story. Watch this space to see more images created exclusively for Bazaar."

The second one is the one where we're searching for sunnier times. Jacqueline looks stunning in the beige skirt and a white single shouldered top with soft summery glowy dewy makeup. The magazine shares on their social media and says, "Dreaming of sunnier times and the great outdoors with cover star Jacqueline Fernandez".

 

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A post shared by Harper's Bazaar, India (@bazaarindia) on May 4, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

 

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A post shared by Harper's Bazaar, India (@bazaarindia) on May 4, 2020 at 7:08am PDT

 

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A post shared by Harper's Bazaar, India (@bazaarindia) on May 4, 2020 at 8:01am PDT

The last look of Jacqueline with wavy hair and the blazer with sunshine on her hair enhancing the looks. The last one is a perfect picture for how we are all feeling during the quarantine, the magazine writes, "Our April/May 2020 digital issue cover star Jacqueline Fernandez shared a glimpse of what life looks like for her right now in quarantine. The actor is grateful to be quarantined out on a Panvel farmhouse where she is, “reconnecting with nature”. She says she is, "doing everything that I can to help those in need from here and praying for strength and health to each one in this world during these tough times."

It’s amazing to see how we can totally relate to these images and mood as we are feeling it totally. Everyone is searching for hope, sunnier and happier times. Everyone is reconnecting with nature in their own way. Jacqueline is also one of those actress who wins hearts not just on magazine covers but also on-screen each time. Her recently released Mrs. Serial Killer has won hearts and the perfect portrayal of a dark character has just proved her versatility as an actress one more time.

Also Read: VIDEO: Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Iulia Vantur send out bags of ration to the needy

EU-funded researchers have developed innovative genetic reprogramming techniques to replace and repair brain cells, opening up novel therapeutic pathways to combat debilitating disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.

Canadian tennis beauty Eugenie Bouchard shared this picture taken at a beach destination with her 2.1 million Instagram followers and captioned it: "Bored."

Later, she wrote: "If I had known someone was taking a pic I would NOT have done my hair like Thomas Jefferson," to which an online user replied: "@geniebouchard Thomas has cute hair! So what."

 

 

 

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bored

A post shared by Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) onMay 2, 2020 at 1:21pm PDT

Meanwhile, another one asked: "@geniebouchard why? it's perfect. and no way TJ ever looked that good in a bikini."

And the third one said: "@geniebouchard but kinda younger cuter version of Thomas Jefferson."

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"I feel second-borns don't get enough time with their parents, and are always jostling for space, so I had always planned a trip with Sairah," says former VJ and host Mini Mathur, of her show Mini Me, which has her traipsing around six European countries with her seven-year-old daughter. "In everyday life, kids get to know only a routinised version of you. But, when you travel, they see the real you. Now, she sees me as someone who can do anything - I am cool!"

Mathur and her daughter vowed to stay away from a touristy itinerary, and planned on getting the local flavour right - "so we travelled by train, air, cruise, cycle, and stayed everywhere from a vineyard and a luxury hotel to a youth hostel." Here, she recalls four experiences that she recommends every parent should try with their child. "The main thing to note is that one doesn't need to only go to kid-friendly places to have fun. Try new things and put your children in charge." For example, in Athens, Mathur gave her daughter the map and told her to navigate their way through. "We got lost, but then finding our way was also such an adventure. I now don't look at her as a child, but a best friend."

Eat, Eat, Eat
A lot of this trip centered around food. In Dubrovnik, Croatia, Sairah ate mussels for the first time. Initially, she exclaimed, "I don't eat creatures!" She is a very dal-chawal, vanilla ice cream girl, so I wanted her to try everything. In Rome, I told her to taste all flavours, and then if she still liked vanilla, it would not be because she didn't have options. In Venice, we sat at a farmer's market one day and just sampled cheese and meats all day. And in Barcelona, we ate paella!

Cycle through a city
Lucca, in Tuscany, is a walled city, surrounded by double walls on all sides. We got one of those adult-and-child bikes and rode all around the city. I had never got a chance in India to teach her to cycle, and so Lucca became that place. The weather was great and the whole experience was an exhilarating one.

Living on a Vineyard
In Rome, instead of doing the same old things like going to Trevi Fountain, we decided to live on a vineyard in Tarquinia, a tiny old city in Italy. We stayed with a family whose business is to make wines. And then his wife would cook all these different types of pastas for us. Sairah got to taste her first wine as well, as the winemaker said it's a tradition in Italy that the youngest child has to taste the first wine of the harvest. Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Whenever Sairah remembers this, she wouldn't have a memory from a textbook, but will recall this from experience.

Pizza chase in Naples
We made a list of the top pizzerias in Naples (the birthplace of the Pizza Margherita) and went to taste each pizza, all in one day. The places were spread out, so we travelled by train. I discovered that my daughter is a Pizza Margherita connoisseur. At one place, I said that I thought the pizza tastes off, and she said yes, the sauce is undercooked! It was a learning experience.

>> There are direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi to every major city in Europe
>> Mini Me airs on TLC every Friday at 9 pm

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Representational picture

Mangoes can be used for skin and hair in several ways as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of which are good for the skin. Here are some amazing skin and hair benefits of mangoes.

Helps get a glowing skin: Mangoes are loaded with beta-carotene and Vitamin A. For a glowing skin, smear mango pulp on your face and leave it on for 30 minutes. Beta-carotene and Vitamin A present in mango help to revive the dull skin and turn your skin into a radiant one.

Helps fight acne: The beta-carotene in mango helps fight acne. The best time to apply mango pulp is at night. Apply a handful of mango pulp at night and keep it for an hour. Wash your face before going off to sleep. Alternately, boil a raw mango until the water is reduced to half. Use this water as facial astringent for drying up acne naturally. Use the mango astringent regularly on your face to get rid of acne, pimples and scars.

Helps get a fair skin: Beta-carotene in mangoes has a strong anti aging effect. In addition, Vitamin C in mangoes helps rest down collagen. Mangoes are a great way to reduce dark spots, freckles, acne scars and pigmentation. Apply mango pulp during summer to get a clear and fair skin that is free of blemishes, wrinkles, scars and acne.

Acts as a great exfoliating agent: Mango pulp when applied on skin along with glycerine or honey, helps to exfoliate dead skin cells. This, in turn, results in a smooth and glowing skin. Mix one spoon of mango pulp with one spoon of raw milk and two spoons of honey. Rub the paste on your face gently to remove blackheads and whiteheads. You can use mango scrub for removing dead skin cells and bring back the natural glow.

Acts as a natural peel off mask: We are aware of chemical peel off masks available in the market and their benefits on skin. Raw mango pulp is high in AHA (alpha hydroxyl acid) and Vitamin C, both of which are excellent peeling agents. Vitamin A does wonders to your skin and its deficiency can cause dullness, result in open pores as well as lead to eruptions on the arms, elbows and knees.

It is beneficial for hair: The seed of mango (soft part after breaking the outer hard seed) when kept in oil (any) for few days, and then applied, helps you to get rid of grey hair and prevents hair loss. When the same is mixed with fenugreek and yogurt, it serves as an excellent home remedy for dandruff.

Helps to form happy hormone: Mangoes contain a lot of tryptophan, which helps in the formation of the ‘happiness-hormone’ serotonin. A rise in happy hormone automatically cheers you up and brings back the natural glow on your face. Mango is thus called a happy fruit.
With inputs from Dr Apratim Goel, of Cutis Skincare Studio

Also Read: Mumbai Food: 8 Delicious Mango Dishes You Must Try During Summer

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Consuming Mediterranean diet rich in antioxidants could reduce the adverse effects of air pollution on health. A diet which includes antioxidants present in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oils, fish and poultry over red meat and processed foods, can weaken the adverse effects of exposure to high levels of air pollution, says researchers.

The study showed that people who least adhered to these antioxidant-rich foods had 17 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease related deaths for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in long-term average PM2.5 exposure, compared to 5 per cent in those who consumed such diet.

"Given the benefits we found of a diet high in antioxidants, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that particle air pollution caused by fossil fuel combustion adversely affects health by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation," said George Thurston from Department of Environmental Medicine at the New York University.

The study, presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference in San Diego, included data from 548,699 participants for over a period of 17 years. They were linked to estimates of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) based on census tract information.

Deaths from all causes increased by 5 per cent for every 10 parts per billion (ppb) increase in long-term average NO2 exposure in those with least consumption of the diet as compared to 2 per cent among the people with higher consumption.

"However the diet did not appear to protect against the harmful effects of long-term exposure to O3...the ozone effect was not significantly blunted by a Mediterranean diet, so ozone apparently affects cardiac health through a different mechanism", said Thurston.

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Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus crisis, former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday cut his own hair and said he went from 'playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts'.

Tendulkar took to Instagram and shared pictures of him doing his own haircut.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂ï¸Â, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂ï¸Â looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

"From playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik," Tendulkar captioned the post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 in an attempt to contain COVID-19.

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases in India has mounted to 16,116 and 519 deaths have been reported till now.

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While the country is in lockdown due to Coronavirus, at least two Indian cricket legends decided to have some fun of their own.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and current India captain Virat Kohli have had their hair cut. However, while Sachin chopped his own hair, Virat's Bollywood star wife Anushka played hair stylist for him.

Sachin, 46, recently posted a series of pictures of his new hairdo on social media. "From playing square cuts to doing my own haircuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik?," he captioned his post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂️, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂️ looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

Meanwhile, Virat, 31, who got his beard trimmed too, insisted that being well groomed keeps him in the zone. "While we're all indoors, it's extremely important to do stuff that makes you feel good. Staying well groomed is one of the things that keeps me in the zone. So I thought of giving myself this new look. I want all of you to take the #TrimAtHome challenge & post your new look!" Virat posted on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

While we're all indoors, it's extremely important to do stuff that makes you feel good. Staying well groomed is one of the things that keeps me in the zone. So I thought of trimming my beard at home and giving myself this new look. 😊 Now I want all of you to take the #TrimAtHome challenge and post your new look! 😎

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) onApr 18, 2020 at 4:20am PDT

Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are regarded as one of the finest batsmen to ever play for India. Virat Kohli is second behind Sachin Tendulkar with regards to most hundreds scored in ODIs.

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The novel Coronavirus outbreak has created an atmosphere of uncertainty but everybody has been trying to create hope in some way or the other.

This picture is of two fairy penguins standing side by side and comforting each other which watching the Melbourne skyline.

The Twitter user captioned the images, "Couldn't stop thinking about these penguins enjoying the Melbourne skyline together. So I found the original photographer and apparently they're both widowed. I can't handle it."

 

 

 

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Pinguins Part 2. “... Love is the only game in which we win even when we lose” The way that these two lovebirds were caring for one another stood out from the entire colony. While all the other penguins were sleeping or running around, those two seemed to just stand there and enjoy every second they had together, holding each other in their flippers and talking about penguin stuff. Pain has brought them together (see PART 1). I guess sometimes you find love when you least expect it. It’s a privilege to truly love someone, paradisiacal when they love you back. 📸 @tobiasvisuals • (Even though it is very similar to the previous image I thought it’d be a pity to not share it with you guys)

A post shared by Tobias Baumgaertner (@tobiasvisuals) onApr 13, 2020 at 5:01pm PDT

He also explained that the penguins had been standing on the rock for hours. He clicked the pictures about a year ago but shared them once again so that people could enjoy the heartwarming moment during such times.

According to him, it was a volunteer who revealed that the white penguin was an "elderly lady" who lost her partner and the one to the left was a "younger male", who lost its partner too.

"During times like this, the truly lucky ones are those that can be with the person/people they love most. I captured this moment about a year ago. These two fairy penguins poised upon a rock, overlooking the Melbourne skyline and were standing there for hours, flipper in flipper, watching the sparkling lights of the skyline and ocean. A volunteer approached me and told me that the white one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner and so did the younger male to the left. Since then they meet regularly comforting each other and standing together for hours watching the dancing lights of the nearby city. I spent 3 full nights with this penguin colony until I was able to get this picture. Between not being able or allowed to use any lights and the tiny penguins continuously moving, rubbing their flippers on each other's backs and cleaning one another, it was really hard to get a shot but I got lucky during one beautiful moment. I hope you enjoy this moment as much as I did. #lovewillalwayswin." (sic)

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A clip of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressing the nation from his home in Ottawa as a part of a press conference has gone viral. It shows him doing a hair flip after some strands of his mane fell in front of his eyes due to the wind that got netizens swooning over him!

The clip went viral on many social media platforms, but one posted by a Facebook user Jason Hanson is the one that is being shared the most. The user has edited the clip in which Trudeau stands in front of a microphone and added a melodious background tune at the portion where he looks at the camera and flips his hair with the back of his hand in slow motion.

The clip, posted on the social networking app on April 19 garnered more than 5.6 million views and over 135,000 likes. It was shared on Facebook more than 182,000 times. The users commenting on the post lauded the creativity of the user with tons of hilarious reactions.

One user said, "The fact that this isn’t staged and genuinely how he looks fixing his hair in slomo." Another user  called the prime minister "charming." A user said, "Who can criticize this kind of leadership?"

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The Hong Kong airport is using several latest disinfection technologies including a full-body disinfection channel and cleaning robots to reduce the risk of the COVID-19 spread.

The disinfection channel is an enclosed facility similar to a telephone booth in size where users can complete disinfection and sanitizing procedures in 40 seconds, the city's Airport Authority (AA) said in a statement on Sunday.

The interior surface of the facility is equipped with antimicrobial coating which can remotely kill virus and bacteria on human bodies and clothing by using the technologies of photocatalyst and "nano needles" Xinhua news agency quoted the AA as saying, noting that the Hong Kong International Airport is the world's first to use the facility.

Currently, the disinfection channel is used by public health staff who bear quarantine duties at the airport.

Autonomous cleaning robots have also been used to ensure thorough disinfection of public areas and passenger facilities at the airport.

The cylindrical robots, equipped with ultra violet light sterilizer and air sterilizer, operate round-the-clock in public toilets and key operating areas in the terminal building, the AA said.

The robots can move around autonomously and sterilize up to 99.99 per cent of bacteria in its vicinity, including both the air and object surfaces, in just 10 minutes.

Besides, the AA is also conducting a pilot test of applying antimicrobial coating at all passenger facilities, including check-in counters, baggage trolleys and elevator buttons, among others.

After completion of the trial in May, the AA will consider implementing it as a long term disinfection measure. Hong Kong has reported 1,037 coronavirus cases with four deaths.

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British Airways may be forced to cut more than a quarter of its workforce as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on one of Europe's biggest airlines. Parent company IAG (ICAGY) said in a statement cited by CNN on Tuesday that the Airways is notifying labour unions about a restructuring program which will affect most employees and "may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them." IAG, which also includes Spanish airline Iberia, said its first-quarter revenues declined by 13 per cent to EUR4.6 billion (USD 5 billion) as it swung to an operating loss of EUR535 million (USD 579 million).

The airline group warned that losses in the second quarter would be "significantly worse" and that it expects that "the recovery of passenger demand to 2019 levels will take several years." The warning echos a similar decision made by airline group Lufthansa (DLAKY), which owns national carriers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. Announcing earlier this month that it was permanently reducing the size of its fleet and shuttering one of its low-cost carriers, Lufthansa said that worldwide demand for air travel will take years to recover from the coronavirus.

"What we are facing as an airline ... is that there is no 'normal' any longer," British Airways CEO Alex Cruz said in a letter to staff that was released to CNN Business. "Yesterday, British Airways flew just a handful of aircraft out of Heathrow. On a normal day, we would fly more than 300," he added. The news comes as flight bans and nationwide lockdowns are threatening to bankrupt airlines around the world. The "mounting financial crisis" facing carriers could cause revenues to tumble by as much as 55 per cent this year, or some USD 314 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Virgin Australia collapsed into administration last week, while sister airline Virgin Atlantic confirmed on Monday that it was on the hunt for outside investors to keep it alive. Virgin Atlantic, which is controlled by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is also seeking a commercial loan from the British government. Earlier this month, British Airways furloughed 30,000 employees on 80 per cent of their regular monthly pay until the end of May, with the government covering the first PS2,500 (USD 3,100) under its coronavirus job retention program.

But Cruz said the outlook for the aviation sector had worsened in the last few weeks and measures taken to conserve cash were not enough. "There is no government bailout standing by for BA and we cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely," he added. "Any money we borrow now... will not address the longer-term challenges we face," he wrote.

With no certainty on when lockdowns will lift or when countries will reopen their borders, British Airways has to "reshape" itself, Cruz said. "The scale of this challenge requires substantial change so we are in a competitive and resilient position, not just to address the immediate Covid-19 pandemic, but also to withstand any longer term reductions in customer demand, economic shocks or other events that could affect us," he added.

The collapse in air traffic puts about 6.7 million jobs at risk in Europe, according to IATA, which has called for urgent government action to "preserve air services."

In a similar circumstance, Air France-KLM (AFLYY) further announced on Friday that following "several weeks of discussions" with the French government and banks, it had secured EUR7 billion ($7.6 billion) in loans backed by the French state "to help overcome the crisis and prepare for the future."

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The UK Conservative Party has agreed to consider reducing the rate of Air Passenger Duty for airports in Northern Ireland after agreeing a coalition government with the Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party party.

The Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council has released a report calling for the Government to expand its tax treaty network, in particular with countries that have growing aviation industries.

The European Commission has concluded that an exemption for transfer and transit passengers from the Irish air travel tax was in line with EU state aid rules.

German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries has said that Germany's air passenger tax is damaging the country's aviation industry and should be scrapped.

Indonesia is to hike its air departure tax for Soekarno-Hatta Airport, by far the country's busiest, from March 1.

On March 23, 2020, the Turkish Government published a resolution in the official gazette to temporarily reduce the rate of VAT on air passenger transport to one percent.

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the Malaysian Government to reintroduce inheritance tax in the Budget 2018.

A group of 21 Republican members of the US Senate have signed a letter to the Treasury Secretary urging him to amend how capital gains tax liability is calculated.

Dengue, one of the mosquito-causing disease has declined in the number of new cases in the past decade. But the outbreaks have increased now and the spread

Milan's Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into whether Netflix owes tax in Italy, Italian daily Corriere Della Sera reported October 3, 2019.

Airbnb has disclosed that it has been contacted by HM Revenue and Customs regarding the application of tax laws or regulations impacting the company's business, adding that some matters "may result in litigation".

In a study involving rats, a high sugar diet during pregnancy altered levels of sex steroid hormones (e.g. progesterone) and dopamine in their brains,

Children who consume full-fat dairy products do not show an increased risk of obesity or heart disease, according to an Edith Cowan University (ECU) research

An active ingredient found in fruit peels and some herbs can halt and reduce further damage to neurons in multiple sclerosis (MS), reports a new study.

Exposure to environmental pollutants can cause modifications in brain development, which can affect sexual development and fertility for several generations, reveals a new study.