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India Nature Watch - Having a big meal! Two-striped jumping spider (Telamonia) with blue bottlefly kill




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India Nature Watch - Stink bug nymph

My 200 th post in this section.




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US job losses reach Great Depression levels; unemployment rate soars to 14.7%

The Labor Department said Friday that 20.5 million jobs vanished in April in the worst monthly loss on record, triggered by coast-to-coast shutdowns of factories, stores, offices and other businesses




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EXCLUSIVE: “Neither of us was at fault,” says Subhash Ghai revealing the reason behind the incomplete film with Amitabh Bachchan

Subhash Ghai is one of the celebrated filmmakers of Bollywood. He has films like Taal, Karz, Ram Lakhan and Khalnayak to his credit and has worked with several A-list actors. However, the director has never worked with Amitabh Bachchan. The two had started working on a project but it was called off in its early stage. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Subhash Ghai revealed why they never completed the film.

Talking about why the film was stalled, Subhash Ghai said, “Both of us tried to make the film, but the situation was such that the film could not be made. Neither of us was at fault. Sometimes situations are such that you feel that films cannot be made and we stop in between. There were several factors. Even I was at fault as I was impatient back then. He is one of the finest actors of India and it is my bad luck that I could not work with him. He does the bad scenes also so well that it puts the writer to shame. I did not write as well as Amitabh Bachchan performed it. I am a great admirer of Amitabh Bachchan and we are family friends. It was not in our fate to work with each other.”


However, Subhash Ghai seems hopeful of working with the veteran actor in the future when the time is right and they get the right script. The incomplete film of Subhash Ghai and Amitabh Bachchan was titled Devaa. In 2013 there were reports of Subhash Ghai collaborating with Bachchan for the biopic of Sarabjit which was ultimately essayed by Randeep Hooda and directed by Omung Kumar.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Subhash Ghai reveals the plot of Khalnayak 2 with Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, and Jackie Shroff




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Obama lashes out at Trump, calls his response to coronavirus an 'absolute chaotic disaster'

More than 78,400 people with COVID-19 have died in the United States and more than 1.3 million people have tested positive, according to the latest estimates from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University




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JNU announces academic calendar; allows students to return to campus by June-end

The deadline for research scholars to submit their theses/dissertations has been extended to December 31




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Date was just a joke! Robbie Farah's failed attempt to woo Eugenie Bouchard

Former Australian National Rugby League (NRL) star Robbie Farah has revealed how a failed effort to clinch a date with Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard, fondly called Genie, was only a joke between drunk friends. In a recent interview to Fox League Live, Robbie, 36, said of the February incident: "I was in Miami and I was pi***d. I was with a bunch of mates and we thought it'd be funny if I sent her a message.

"The next day it blew up in the media. I had all these people having a go at me, some people thought it was rude or whatever. I was like it's a joke. If you can't take a joke, seriously…what world do we live in?"

Robbie had tagged Eugenie in two tweets, asking her for a date. His first tweet read: "@geniebouchard, surely you're having a drink with me in Miami!" Within a few minutes, he wrote: "@geniebouchard if I rub you do I get three wishes?" Genie did not reply to his tweets, but that didn't stop the media from reporting his verbal attempts. The tweets are since deleted.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news




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Shilpa Shetty: Mom is an 'incredible example of strength, dignity, ethics and love'

May 10 is Mother's Day and like many other Bollywood celebrities, Shilpa Shetty took out time to talk about what an "incredible example of strength, dignity, ethics and love" her mother has been for her as well as her sister Shamita. "I am so grateful to God for blessing me with 'this' mother in this life, who has loved and supported me unconditionally and selflessly. She has been an incredible example of strength, dignity, ethics and love to both Shamita and me and moulded us into the individuals we are today. The moral and spiritual values that she gave us throughout our formative years make for such a beautiful gift - one that can never be repaid," said Shilpa.

Shilpa used TikTok's in-app campaign #ThanksMaa to thank her mother. She created a video using TikTok's photo template to express love for her mom on this special occasion. It features beautiful photographs of the actress along with her mother.

She also thanked her mother-in-law, "who encourages me with pride in all my endeavours", adding: "None of this would have ever been possible without your love and blessings". Meanwhile, to make the day even more memorable, cricketers David Warner, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan and actress Hansika Motwani will be going live on TikTok at 11 am on May 10.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

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See photos: Arjun Rampal gives mother, partner adorable Mother's Day shout-out

Not just for his mother, Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal on Saturday has penned an adorable Mother's Day special post for his partner, too. The 47-year-old actor, in an Instagram post, shared his thoughts for his mother and his lady love -- Gabriella Demetriades.

"She is a new Mom and a very fine one too. Happy first Mother's Day, mamma, love you," wrote 'Om Shanti Om' actor as he shared a dashing picture of themselves.

Meanwhile, taking to another post, the 'Roy' actor shared a throwback picture with his mom and wrote: "She is the most beautiful soul. She is my Mom." He wrapped up the post by extending his Mother's Day wishes to "all the mothers out there". "Thank you for just being you. #happymothersday," he concluded.

The actor is currently staying at home observing the lockdown guidelines, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Earlier he along with his family have extended a helping hand in providing PPE kits to the hospitals, doctors, and nurses to help them in the fight against coronavirus. He also urged people to donate 1 uniform for these corona warriors to keep them safe and healthy.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

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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




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US unemployment rate reaches Great Depression-era level

US employers have cut a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April amid the COVID-19 pandemic, erasing a decade of job gains since the global financial crisis and pushing the unemployment rate to a record 14.7 per cent, which is the highest level since the Great Depression.

In April, the unemployment rate surged by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 per cent, the largest over-the-month increase in the history of the series dating back to January 1948, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said in a report.

Since mid-March, numerous US states have rolled out "stay-at-home" policies and shut down non-essential businesses in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, leading companies to cut millions of jobs in weeks.

Employment in leisure and hospitality plummeted by 7.7 million, or 47 per cent, the report showed. The manufacturing sector shed 1.3 million workers, and employment in retail trade was down 2.1 million jobs.

The education and health sector lost 2.5 million jobs. Government employment also dropped by 9,80,000 in April, according to the bureau. Hispanics and African-Americans have been hit the hardest in the job crisis, said the BLS report. President Donald Trump said that with the reopening of the economy, lost jobs will come back.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

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




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Colombian ad company creates bed-cum-coffin

A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel if morbid solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them.

ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies. Company manager Rodolfo Gómez said he was inspired to find a way to help after watching events unfold recently in nearby Ecuador.

Families in the coastal city of Guayaquil waited with dead loved ones in their homes for days last month as COVID-19 cases surged. Many could not find or were unable to afford a wood coffin, using donated cardboard ones instead. Gómez said he plans to donate 10 of his new beds to Colombia's Amazonas department, where resources are in short supply. So far there is no indication whether the beds will be put to use and no orders have been placed.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

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




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Even the Coronavirus can't stop rampant Pangolin poaching

It seems that there is rampant poaching of pangolins taking place during the lockdown in the Konkan belt, and their scales are being illegally sold in the local black market. During the raids, the forest department recovered two kilograms of pangolin scales and six nails. The pangolin is one of the most trafficked wild animals across the world as there is a huge international demand for its scales.

Range Forest Officer (RFO), Vaibhav Borate, said, "Based on the tip-off received from our sources, our forest department team raided the house of Kalpesh Tukaram Balgude at Karanjali [Balgudewadi] village near Dapoli. During the search operation of the house, our team recovered one tortoise shell, one jungle hare, and 22 kg of pangolin scales and nails. We have taken the accused into custody and investigation is on."

As evidence related to wildlife trade have been found from the house of the accused, the forest department is exploring the possibility of him doing this regularly. The forest department team has registered an offence under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

According to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) website, "Major threats to pangolins in India are hunting and poaching for local consumptive use and international trade. Another reason for hunting pangolin is its meat. There is now greater evidence of its inclusion in illicit international trade, in particular its scales, from India through Myanmar to China and South-East Asian countries as the most likely, final destinations. Inadequate information on population and distribution further accentuates the threats arising from hunting and poaching."

The Indian Pangolin is found sporadically throughout the plains and lower slopes of hills from south of the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, except the north-eastern region. The Chinese Pangolin is found in India in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and the northern part of West Bengal.

Why Pangolins?

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, for their scales [made of keratin], which are boiled off their bodies for use in traditional medicine. Their meat is a delicacy in Vietnam and China; and their blood, which is considered to be a healing tonic.

Pangolin could help find cure for COVID-19?

Soon after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, there were many media reports that claimed that the endangered pangolin was linked to the initial outbreak of the disease in China. However, this hasn't been proven yet. Now, a research conducted by the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, has revealed that certain genes sense when a virus enters the body, and trigger an immune response in most mammals. They found that pangolins, which have been called the 'missing link' between bats and humans, lack two of those virus-sensing genes. This means that not only are the endangered animals carriers, but they also seem to be immune to it, via an unknown mechanism. This evolutionary advantage and its understanding may give way to possible treatment options for COVID-19.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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Temperature, Latitude Not Linked to COVID-19 Spread

Hotter and humid weather may not stop COVID-19 disease, said experts. "Our study provides important new evidence, using global data from the COVID-19




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Childhood Vaccinations-Why Are They So Important?

In a developing country like India, where majority of the population resides in the rural areas, it is essential that h




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Now Computers can Read Emotions Through Lip - Reading!

Malaysian researchers have developed a computer that has the ability to decode human emotions by studying lip pattern.




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Family Dinners Improve Mental Health and Well Being of Adolescents

Regular family dinners contribute positively to emotional well being, pro-social behavior and life satisfaction in ad




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Why You Need a Rival - The Basics of a Healthy Competition

It's a competitive world out there, where everyone, right from school going kids to top business tycoons are strugglin




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Temperature, Latitude Not Linked to COVID-19 Spread

Researchers have found a weak link between humidity and reduced COVID-19 transmission. Hotter weather had no effect on the COVID-19 pandemic's progression.




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Composition Of 9 Common Vegetables

Composition (per 100 gm) Of 9 Common Vegetables.

Understanding food and...




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Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited- Result Declared for Fourth Quarter

Audited result for Non-Cumulative




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Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited- Result Declared for Annual

Audited result for Cumulative




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FO:Security in ban period for F&O segment




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Bangalore based HiFives leverages Cloud Technology to help global corporations transform their emplo

HiFives, a leading provider of cloud based employee rewards management and recognition platform, today announced a collaborative cloud based service model that is helping global corporations transform their employee rewards programs,...




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Most important thing in weight loss-losing waist

Factors affecting one’s increasing waist circumstances mainly include heredity, dietary habits, physical activity,sedentary lifestyles and so on. Among these factors, genetic background relatively attracts...




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Dental implant can affect the way a person smile

There are ways available in replacing a missing tooth and one way to do that is by putting on a dental artificial teeth that will make the person feel that there is a permanent tooth in replacement of the missing tooth. The two front...




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Employees First, Customers Second

One small idea can ignite a revolution just as a single matchstick can start a fire. One such idea - putting employees first and customers second -...




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Business Innovation Policies: Selected Country Comparisons

This study examines trends in and key features of policies and programmes used by governments to support innovation in the business sector.




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Innovation: Economic crisis and weak outlook hit R&D, says OECD

Business spending on research and development has been hit hard by the economic crisis, with nearly all OECD countries seeing a fall in investment which could impact innovation and long-term growth, according to a new OECD report.




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OECD and National Human Rights Institutions join forces to promote respect of human rights by multinational companies

07/11/12 - the OECD and the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions concluded a Memorandum of Understanding to promote respect by multinational enterprises of the new human rights chapter of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights upon which the OECD Guidelines are based.




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Conference: Innovation in skills development for SMEs competitiveness (Ankara, Turkey)

The conference discussed the results of the project as well as policy recommendations on training and skills development for the creation of an innovative and competitive SME sector in OECD countries.




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Growth, Innovation And Competitiveness: Maximising The Benefits Of Knowledge-Based Capital

Growth, Innovation And Competitiveness: Maximising The Benefits Of Knowledge-Based Capital




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Forum on implementing due diligence in the 3Ts and Gold supply chains

Participants in this multi-stakeholder meeting launched the Gold Implementation programme and advanced implementation of due diligence in the 3Ts supply chain to ensure that companies avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices.




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New analysis highlights importance of services to global trade

New trade data measured in value-added terms shows that services – such as logistics, design, and transportation - are far more important to global commerce than they appear in traditional calculations of exports and imports.




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Reform R&D tax systems to boost innovation and help young firms, says OECD

Most OECD governments use tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest in research and development (R&D) to boost innovation and drive economic growth. Others, like China, India and South Africa, are doing the same. But reforming these incentives would give countries a better return on their investment and support young innovative firms that play a crucial role in job creation, according to a new OECD report.




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Insights Blog: In search of elusive growth - Making the most of R&D tax incentives

Finding new sources of growth right now is tough. And in a time of rising inequality, to do so equitably and fairly is even tougher. Innovation can help, but with budgets stretched to the limit how can governments boost innovation in their economies?




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Forum on implementing due diligence for responsible mineral supply chains

Participants in this multi-stakeholder meeting reviewed and discussed the implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and in the 3Ts supply chain to ensure that companies avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices.




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OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2013

The productivity compendium provides data and methodological notes and describes the measurement challenges and the data choices that were made, as well as the remaining measurement problems.




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Líneas directrices de la OCDE para empresas multinacionales - La importancia de una conducta responsable por parte de las empresas

Este folleto contiene información esencial sobre las Líneas Directrices de la OCDE para empresas multinacionales, que en la actualidad constituyen las recomendaciones más exhaustivas aprobadas por los gobiernos sobre la conducta responsable de las empresas.




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OECD-AfDB seminar on addressing policy impediments to private investment in African infrastructure

This seminar investigated how changes made in key policy areas at national, regional and international levels can help generate more and better private investment in Africa’s infrastructure.




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Korea: Promote inclusive growth through greater employer involvement in the employment and skills system, says OECD

Korea has made significant progress towards decentralising the management of employment and training programmes, but can still do more to create stronger links with employers at the local level, according to a new OECD report.




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Renewable Energy Policies and Cross-border Investment: Evidence from Mergers & Acquisitions in Solar and Wind Energy

The study assesses the role of feed-in tariffs (FITs) and renewable energy certificates (RECs) in creating incentives for cross-border investments and for investments in particular technological portfolios via M&A. The analysis explores the dataset on M&As in alternative energy sources worldwide over 2005-2011.




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China headed to overtake EU, US in science & technology spending, OECD says

Squeezed R&D budgets in the EU, Japan and US are reducing the weight of advanced economies in science and technology research, patent applications and scientific publications and leaving China on track to be the world’s top R&D spender by around 2019, according to a new OECD report.




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OECD maps location of skilled U.S. workers and the employers who seek them

U.S. employers are demanding skilled workforces, but are not always able to find a local supply, says a new OECD study looking at Job Creation and Local Economic Development.




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Social Impact Investment

New approaches are needed for addressing social and economic challenges, including new models of public and private partnership which can fund, deliver and scale innovative solutions from the ground up.




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Excess Capacity in the Global Steel Industry and the Implications of New Investment Projects

This paper examines the extent, reasons and impacts of excess capacity in the global steel industry, as well as the implications of new investment projects that continue to take place at a rapid pace in many parts of the world. By focusing on new investment projects, this study intends to help governments and industry better understand the extent to which global steelmaking excess capacity may evolve in the future.




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Social Impact Bonds: Promises and Pitfalls - Expert Seminar

This expert seminar aims to get a better understanding of the features, limitations and preliminary findings from the use of SIBs, and to a lesser extent, of DIBs in developing countries from a multidimensional and multi-stakeholder perspective.




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OECD Ministers reinforce importance of investment for strong, green and inclusive growth

The OECD’s Annual Meeting at Ministerial Level reinforced member governments’ support across a broad range of key OECD work.




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The Use of Patent Statistics for International Comparisons and Analysis of Narrow Technological Fields

Patent data provide an increasingly used means to analyse innovation performance worldwide including in countries with incomplete data coverage, such as some developing countries. This paper discusses the specific issues associated with using patent data for measuring and analysing innovation in narrow technological fields, such as many environment-related technologies.




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Implementing new international standards for compiling FDI statistics

In 2014, many countries implemented the latest international guidelines for compiling FDI statistics. The new standards have resulted in significant changes in FDI statistics, including new measures of FDI at the global level.




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Expanding business start-up support for disadvantaged groups can tackle unemployment and social exclusion

Encouraging entrepreneurship among disadvantaged groups can help boost jobs and tackle social exclusion, according to a new joint report by the OECD and European Commission.