After sharing an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and honouring celebrated pharmacist and researcher Wilbur Scoville, Google on Thursday shared a throwback game from 2017 thereby urging people to play musical games at home amid lockdown.

It’s day 9 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin! 🎚ï¸ÂðŸŽ¶#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/sM4kky8Opq pic.twitter.com/Dct0hGa1ON

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) May 7, 2020

The latest doodle animation is part of Google's series that the giant search engine launched last week urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis. A treat for music and especially hip hop fans, the 2017 game lets users mix music samples from legendary tracks on their interactive turntables.

While sharing the animated doodle with their followers on Twitter, Googel Doodle tweeted, "Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin!"

In order to play the game, one has to mix the beats with the help of the crossfader which can be operated with the help of the mouse. Once clicked on the animation, google plays a short animated film showcasing the history of Hip Hop music featuring the voiceover of Hip Hop icon Fab 5 Freddy.

A screengrab of the Hip Hop musicla game

Google also narrates the story of Jamaican-American DJ Kool Herc, who played an instrumental role in the birth of Hip Hop music. Since the last one week, Google has been sharing throwback pictures including Halloween, Loteria, Scoville and Fischinger among others. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Hip Hop (2017).

While launching the interactive series last week, Google said, "As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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Indian origin actor in Hollywood, actor Kal Penn, says he has a lot in common with the character of Mikku the mongoose, which he has voiced in the animated show Mira, Royal Detective. He also finds Mikku extremely adorable. "I have a lot in common with Mikku. We both love to eat a lot," Kal said

"Mikku is also super inquisitive in his own way so he's very excited to take direction from Mira and learn through her and help her out however he can," he added. Set in the fictional land of Jalpur, "Mira, Royal Detective" follows the life of Mira, a commoner who is appointed to the role of royal detective by the queen.

The series features an all-star cast of prominent South Asian actors including Jameela Jamil, Freida Pinto, Hannah Simone, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aasif Mandvi and Aparna Nancherla amongst others. It also introduced 16-year-old newcomer Leela Ladnier as the voice of Mira. The show airs in India on Disney Channel India.

Earlier in an interview to IANS, talking about the show, Kal said: "When I first heard about the show, read the script, I was selfishly very excited towards it. I would get to do something for kids, because my earlier works (comedy or drama) were not that child friendly. And now, I have nieces and nephews so that was quite exciting to me. Next was obviously the whole South Asian cast and that it takes place in a fictional land of India, that was real fun. Then, I came to know the South Asian American performers as the cast that was a rarity in any kind of art (action or cartoon)."

"So I think it was a perfect combination. My character Mikku is super adorable and he wears these glasses and I was like, it is going to be the most fun and at the same time a meaningful project to be a part of," he added.

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Rapper Pitbull has dropped his latest song, "I believe that we will win". Proceeds from the song will be donated to coronavirus relief efforts across the globe.

He has released the song along with a lyric video showcasing the song's inspiring message, reports etonline.com. "You know what spreads faster than any virus? Fear/And when it comes to fear, you can either forget everything and run, or you can face everything and rise," Pitbull raps in the track.

"Let me tell you what I believe/ I believe we will face everything and rise." Pitbull had asked healthcare workers, parents and more to be a part of his new music video, which is yet to drop, last week.

"We believe that we can overcome. We are calling all students, medical workers, first responders, parents, grandparents, everyone from all over the world to be a part of Pitbull's video anthem. Proceeds will be going to various charities around that world," read a notice asking fans to submit videos of themselves dancing to the song.

Pitbull has been encouraging fans to maintain hope amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Let's show the world, how powerful it is when we come together to fight for one cause - that's called life," he had posted on Instagram on March 28.

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Actor Kristofer Hivju who tested positive for coronavirus in March, revealed on Tuesday that he has now 'fully recovered' and is in 'good health.

Sharing a picture along with his wife on Instagram, the 41-year-old wrote that: "After several weeks in quarantine, and also a couple more indoors after being free of all symptoms, we are finally safe and sound." The star, popularly known for his role of Tormund in 'Game of Thrones', also added that they were ''lucky'' to have only "mild symptoms of COVID-19.'' "We send our love and thoughts to all of the people where the virus has hit much harder, and to everyone who has lost their loved ones due to the Coronavirus," he added.

 

 

 

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Hi! We are fully recovered and in good health after I was infected by the Cororonavirus, and most likely my wife @grymolvaerhivju After several weeks inn quarantine, and also a couple more indoors after beeing free of all symptoms, we are finally safe and sound. We were lucky to only have mild symptoms of the Covid 19. We send our love and thoughts to all of the people where the virus has hit much harder, and to everyone who has lost their loved ones due to the Cornonavirus. Thank you for all of your support, and please remember to stay vigilant and keep your distance, wash your hands, and most of all ; take care of each other in this strange time. Lots of love from us❤ï¸ÂðŸ™ŒðŸ» #takecare @panoramaagency

A post shared by Kristofer Hivju (@khivju) onApr 13, 2020 at 1:26pm PDT

The actor wrapped up the post by thanking everyone for their support and also urged them to "stay vigilant and keep your distance, wash your hands, and most of all; take care of each other in this strange time. Lots of love from us #takecare @panoramaagency" Earlier on March 17, the actor through an Instagram post revealed that he has tested positive for coronavirus and is self -quarantining with his family in Norway.

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With France's ban on events with large gatherings until mid-July, a plan for a virtual version of the Cannes film market, the Marche du Film, might be going ahead in June. The Marche du Film is now setting up a full-on virtual market from June 22-28, confirmed Variety. According to Variety, Jerome Paillard, head of the Marche du Film, is to communicate details about the virtual market on Friday.

However, on April 8, The Cannes film festival director Thierry Fremaux has confirmed that the major event won't take the virtual route if it can't be hosted as a physical event. The film festival also works hand in hand with French distributors and exhibitors who are well represented on the board of the festival. Despite France's three-week lockdown, Fremaux maintains that the festival is carrying on with the selection of films while monitoring the evolution of the pandemic.

The festival recently stated that the key sales agents who represent the majority of titles in the competition have been submitting their films to Cannes' selection committee, and the dates for registration have been extended by a month and a half.

Also, the French culture ministry and the city's mayor are backing the Cannes, and they have announced the launch of a support cell for festivals scheduled for 2020.

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A chance to act with Leo and De Niro

Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are giving fans the chance to appear in their upcoming film, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon. DiCaprio and De Niro are using the upcoming production to raise funds for the All-In Challenge, an online initiative that gives stars from all corners of the entertainment industry a chance to offer donation initiatives to benefit America’s Food Fund, as per reports. They explained that those who make a donation will have a chance to win a walk-on role in the production.

Ellie helps those in lockdown

Singer Ellie Goulding has helped source 400 mobile phones, which will be given to homeless people to help them through the lockdown. The distribution of the phones began on April 15. The phones will go towards people that the organisation, Crisis, supports, as well as those who are staying in hotels across London.

Tom Hardy to read bed-time stories

Tom Hardy will read night-time tales on the long-running series Bedtime Stories. The episodes of the BBC Children’s channel CBeebies will run from April 27 through May 1. The episodes were shot in Hardy’s garden, following social distancing guidelines. He will be joined by his French bulldog named Blue for some of the bedtime stories. The development, the channel alludes, is a step further in providing engaging content relevant to the situation. 

Ben, Matt play poker

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and other stars raised $1.75mn through poker, for an online celebrity poker tournament, All In For America’s Charity. They raised $1.75 million for Feeding America, a non-profit organisation that distributes food to those in need amid  the outbreak, as per reports. Celebrities such as Tom Brady, Adam Sandler and Bryan Cranston bought in for $10,000 each at the food bank fundraiser.

Off screen superhero Krasinski to play one on screen?

Actor John Krasinski, who has been lifting spirits amid the pandemic with his series, Some Good News, has reportedly met with Marvel Studios for an unspecified project. Although details about the project are awaited, it is reported that Marvel has been holding “virtual meetings” with actors, directors and writers lately, and Krasinski was one of them. It also indicated that Krasinski might be in talks for a role in Young Avengers. Another possibility that the site mentioned is a Fantastic Four reboot. Neither Marvel nor Krasinski has confirmed the development.

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The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle made her first TV appearance on Monday since stepping down as a senior member of the British Royal family alongside her husband Prince Harry. According to Us Weekly, Markle's appearance on 'Good Morning America' was pre-recorded. The clip was to promote 'Elephant' the Disneynature documentary the 38-year-old narrated for the Disney+ streaming service.

The 'Suits' actor said in the interview which was recorded in the summer of 2019, "I'm really grateful to have the opportunity of bringing the story of elephants to life."

"I've been very lucky to be able to have hands-on experience with elephants in their natural habitat. When you spend time connecting with them and the other wildlife, you really understand we have a role to play in their preservation and safety," she continued.

"I hope that when people see this film they realise how connected we all are, and if we had more of an awareness about the obstacles we're facing, I think we'd take care of each other, this planet and animals in a very different way," shared the Duchess of Sussex.

The 35-year-old couple Markle and Harry initially moved to Vancouver Island in Canada with their 11-month-old son Archie before relocating to her native Los Angeles.

The couple, back in January, announced they will take 'a step back' as senior members of the royal family and instead work independently, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex said their decision came "after many months of reflection and internal discussions."

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Singer Jessica Simpson was having a relaxing moment when she almost got hit in the face by son's baseball. Jessica is enjoying the quality family time as she quarantines amid the growing coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

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Attempted gettin’ some sun and my son smacked a homerun from the driveway that almost nailed me in the face. Proof is in the splash. Needless to say, I got off the mat 😂

A post shared by Jessica Simpson (@jessicasimpson) onApr 25, 2020 at 3:56pm PDT

But it's not all perfect moments for the Texas native as she isolates with her husband and three kids. She posted a photo of her in a bikini on Instagram as her son Ace hit a baseball that nearly collided with her face, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The 39-year-old is seen basking in the sun while floating on a mat. The baseball splashing next to her head is also visible. She wrote: "Attempted gettin' some sun and my son smacked a homerun from the driveway that almost nailed me in the face. Proof is in the splash. Needless to say, I got off the mat."

Simpson shares son Ace Knute and daughters Maxwell Drew and Birdie Mae with husband Eric Johnson.

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Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52. Sneed's publicist, Bill Carpenter, shared that the singer passed away on Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, reports usatoday.com.

Sneed earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the Youth For Christ's 1999 album, "Higher". The singer traveled throughout the US early in his career to sing the gospel with the Georgia Mass Choir. He arranged music on their albums and appeared with the choir in the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife" starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. He also served as a producer on Youth For Christ's "The Struggle Is Over", which was at No. 1 on Billboard's gospel songs chart in 2006.

As a solo artist, Sneed released seven albums and had several hit songs within the gospel realm including "Work it out" and "My heart says yes". He is also known for the upbeat "Hallelujah".

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As actor Dwayne Johnson or 'The Rock' turned 48 today, his friend and co-actor Ryan Reynolds made sure to wish him. Reynolds took to Twitter and penned down a birthday wish for his 'Red Notice' co-star.

 

 

 

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Today is @therock’s birthday. There’ll be a lot of well wishes for him. He deserves it. This year, we fulfilled a lifelong dream: shooting exactly half a film called RED NOTICE before being promptly shut down. Had we not spent 90 percent of our time laughing, we might have finished it in time. Happy Birthday, Bubba. 📷: @hhgarcia41

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) onMay 2, 2020 at 11:35am PDT

"He may have gone through puberty in the womb, but he was born with a heart of solid gold. One of the best guys on earth," the 43-year-old actor tweeted.

"Happy Birthday to my friend, co-star and ribbon dance professor, @therock," his tweet further read.

Taking a moment out from his birthday, The Rock too made sure he replies to his friend's best wishes and said, "Appreciate you, mi amigo. And all our ribbon dances under the pale moonlight."

The Rock turned 48 today and celebrated the birthday in quarantine at his home with his family.

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Amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, pop star Selena Gomez has set up a small studio at her home, and is working on new music. The singer took to Instagram to share a picture of her home recording studio, reports dailymail.co.uk.

 

 

 

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Makeshift studio so I can work from home 🎧🎼🎤

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:53pm PDT

In the picture, the 27-year-old is seen sitting on the floor next to her furry slippers in front of a studio, with a professional microphone, mic stand, and insulated walls. She is wearing a grey tee with a pair of dark blue pants, she also has a book with a sketch on one side and another book with notes kept in front of her.

"Makeshift studio so I can work from home" she captioned the image. Recently, during a conversation with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Gomez revealed her plan to build a home studio.

"Currently I'm actually building this little studio situation and I'm doing it with the people that have been in my house," she said.

"So I'm creating a little station where I'm going to be able to FaceTime with my engineer and some of my producer friends and we're going to try to make some music, which I'm so excited about," she added.

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Singer Selena Gomez will host and produce a new cooking series for the upcoming streaming platform HBO Max.

"I've always been very vocal about my love of food. I think I've been asked hundreds of times in interviews if I had another career, what would I do and I've answered that it would be fun to be a chef," The Hollywood Reporter quoted Gomez as saying.

"I definitely don't have the formal training though! Like many of us while being home I find myself cooking more and experimenting in the kitchen," the 27-year-old singer added.

The cooking show will be a 10-episode series, with each episode having Gomez joined remotely by a different master chef.

Each installment will also highlight a food-related charity and struggle of learning to cook.

The 'Wolves' singer will also executive produce via her July Moon Productions, along with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman of Industrial Media's The Intellectual Property Corporation.

The upcoming subscription streaming service, HBO Max, from WarnerMedia Entertainment, will debut on May 27 in the US.

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A day after the protest by hearing-and speech-impaired people turned violent in Pune, the government has assured them that their demands would be met. On Monday, thousands of deaf-mute protesters were badly thrashed by the police as they stood outside the social welfare department office in Pune. They wanted 16 demands to be fulfilled by the government.

On Tuesday, Social Justice Minister Dilip Kamble met the protesters and assured help. Social Justice and Special Assistance Minister Rajkumar Badoley, while addressing the Vidhan Sabha, has also assured that their grievances would be heard.

State Level Association for the Deaf (SLAD) president Pradeep More said, "The government has partially agreed to our demands, of which they have given priority to our secondary and higher secondary schooling for deaf children and also to recruit sign language teachers in such schools and colleges."

Minister Kamble said, "We were working on it and have assured them that their issues will be addressed before the session gets over. A meeting will be organised with members of SLAD and other NGOs under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis." The Pune police administration issued a press release on the lathi-charge on Monday saying they "had to take action to maintain law and order".

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An undersecretary in the state government died on Sunday when his motorcycle collided with a tempo in Pune, the police said on Monday. Suhas Ramrao Chavan, 49, was a resident of Tilaknagar in Chembur (West).

The incident took place on the busy Mantarwadi chowk around 7.45 pm on Sunday in the jurisdiction of Hadapsar police station. Suhas's younger brother Ajay and parents live in Bhosale garden, Hadapsar.

Assistant police inspector Kiran Londe of Hadapsar police station, said, "Suhas had come to Pune to meet his parents and brother. He was on his way to meet a friend after meeting his family and was not wearing a helmet. He tried to overtake a tempo and was crushed under a private bus coming from the opposite side."

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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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The monetary reward for the person providing solid leads about the two wanted suspects in Comrade Govind Pansare's murder case has been increased by a whopping Rs 40 lakh by the state home department.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was killed in February 2015, with one team each in every district of Maharashtra probing the case. Police teams on Saturday began pasting posters declaring the hike in reward money at all major public places.

Also Read: Govind Pansare case: Main accused Virendra Tawde gets bail

The initial prize amount declared by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the informant was R5 lakh which was increased to R10 lakh in February 2016 and has now been revised to Rs 50 lakh, according to the SIT's orders dated Saturday.

Comrade Pansare and his wife Uma were returning from their morning walk in Sagar Mahal, Kolhapur, when two bike-borne persons fired five rounds at Pansare on February 16, 2015.

Also Read: Activist Govind Pansare killing: Bombay HC continues stay on trial against 2 accused

Police teams have begun pasting the announcement posters at public places across the state

The communist was airlifted and rushed to Mumbai for treatment where he died four days later, on February 20. While suspects Sameer Gaikwad, Amol Kale and Mumbai-based ENT specialist Dr Virendrasinh Tawade have been arrested by the police, Vinay Baburao Pawar and Sarang Deelip Akolkar alias Kulkarni are absconding.

After the SIT, investigating the Pansare murder case, issued the orders for increasing the informant's prize amount last month, the Maharashtra police prepared posters declaring this in English, Hindi and Marathi. The whereabouts of the informant will be kept secret, the SIT has assured.

A senior officer who is part of the investigating team said, “The reward is Rs 25 lakh each for information about Pawar and Akolkar. We had received some clues in the past too but those did not lead to anything while probe on those lines is still on too.”

Pansare's daughter-in-law Megha, however, wasn't too impressed with the hike in prize money. “It is too late now but there is some hope. The Bombay High Court too was amused and sceptical of a cash prize leading to clues,” she said. “Do you think people will take you to the accused. For all you know, they might be getting paid more to keep quiet,” the court had remarked at the last case hearing.

Wanted in Dabholkar case too

Pawar and Akolkar, who are associated with the Sanatan Sanstha, are also wanted in connection with the murder of rationalist Dr Dabholkar. Akolkar, who hails from Pune, is an electronic engineer and has been on the run since his name cropped up during the Goa blast case being probed by the National Investigation Agency.

The NIA had even secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him in 2012. Pawar, a resident of Miraj in Sangli district of western Maharashtra, was last located in Umbaraj in Karad taluka of Satara district. He has been untraceable ever since.

Also Read: HC: Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare killings are linked

February 16, 2015

Day Pansare was shot dead in Kolhapur

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Shamli (Uttar Pradesh): A 23-year-old married woman was allegedly raped by a ration dealer who promised her free ration as per government orders.

According to reports, the woman had approached the local shopkeeper for her quota of government ration when her savings dried up but he refused to give her ration. The woman's husband is stuck in Punjab, so she went to get free ration from the ration dealer. After waiting for several hours, she was asked to go away.

"On Tuesday evening, the accused, Vinod, came to my house and instead of giving me the ration, he raped me," the woman told the police.

Superintendent of police (SP) of Shamli, Vineet Jaiswal, said, "On the basis of complaint filed by the victim, police have booked Vinod under section 376 of IPC for the rape. He has been arrested and sent to jail."

The victim's landlord, meanwhile, said, "For the last three weeks, we were giving her the food as her husband was away and she had no money left. But, a few days ago, we expressed helplessness due our own condition," the landlord.

The woman's husband, a manual laborer, went to Punjab to collect his wages of the work he did a few months ago but he got stranded there after the announcement of countrywide lockdown.

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Spanish drama Money Heist aka Le Casa De Papel on Netflix has quickly become of the most-watched shows on the streaming giant. From El Profesor to Tokio, fans absolutely love the characters. Bollywood Hungama recently shared the dream cast if Bollywood adapted it as a film.

During a recent interaction with Behindwoods, Money Heist director Alex Rodrigo was asked who would he select from the list of the Indian actors for the Indian version. Alex chose South superstar Thalapathy Vijay for the role of El Profesor whereas he said Shah Rukh Khan would be best suited for Berlin's role. He further said Ajith Kumar could play Bogota, Ranveer Singh as Denver. He wanted Mahesh Babu and Suriya to take on the roles Tamayo and Suarez. Thalapathy Vijay's fans trended 'Money Heist' in India on Thursday night on Twitter.

Created by Álex Pina, Money Heist aka Le Casa De Papel stars Álvaro Morte as The Professor, Itziar Ituño as Raquel, Úrsula Corberó as Tokyo, Miguel Herrán as Rio, Jaime Lorente Lopez as Denver, Alba Flores as Nairobi, Darko Peric as Helsinki, Esther Acebo as Monica, Hovik Keuchkerian, Rodrigo de la Serna, and Pedro Alonso as Berlin.

ALSO READ: From Shah Rukh Khan to Alia Bhatt, here’s the dream cast of Money Heist if remade in Bollywood

Rishi Kapoor passed away after battling leukemia for over two years, while the family is still coping with the loss, Neetu Kapoor has thanked the hospital authorities and Mukesh and Nita Ambani for their consistent support and love. Even though Riddhima couldn’t make it to her father’s funeral, she is currently in Mumbai to stay with her mother and brother in these trying times.

With an overload of throwback pictures and tributes, Rishi Kapoor will surely be missed by everyone in the industry along with his ardent fans. His charm and positive nature is still looked up to with Riddhima and Ranbir providing the much-needed support to Neetu Kapoor. A week after Rishi Kapoor’s demise, Riddhima Kapoor has shared a picture with Ranbir Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor citing that they have got her back.

Take a look at it.

Also Read: Neetu Kapoor thanks Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani for their consistent love and support

The nation is under a lock-down, and like everyone else, Tiger Shroff is also trying to sail through this time by keeping himself occupied at home. But it looks like he simply can't get the Baaghi franchise off his mind.

About two weeks back, Baaghi completed four years, and the actor wrote a brief, emotional note on Instagram, sharing a BTS video with us. Today, he shared with us glimpses of his workshop for the film, in Bangkok where it was shot. The video has Tiger practicing for some intense action sequences and packing powerful kicks. "Workshop, on set rehearsal, and action! Busy streets of bangkok," he wrote. Watch the video below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Workshop, on set rehearsal, and action! Busy streets of bangkok❤️#baaghi1

A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff) on May 6, 2020 at 2:52am PDT

Baaghi 3, the latest edition of the franchise, looked promising and fans were looking forward to all the action and entertainment. It released on 6 th March but only had a brief run at the theatres. Baaghi 3 is now streaming on an OTT platform.

For all of you who do not know, Sara Ali Khan happened to be a great student throughout her school and college days. An alumna of Columbia University, she originally wanted to go to Oxford University to pursue her higher studies, and had a difficult time coping when she did not crack through!

In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, the actor opened up on being disheartened after the university rejected her candidature. She also recalled how she called mother Amrita Singh and nearly threw a fit. "Mom had gone out with Ibrahim, and suddenly she gets a call from me, howling. And when I mean howling, I don't mean crying in a lady-like fashion. I mean screaming, and crying loudly. She was like, 'what happened? what's going on?' I could not stop crying," she said, adding how her mother got really worried and kept asking her what went wrong. After calming herself down and breathing a little, she informed her mom that she was rejected by Oxford University.

For those uninitiated, Sara's grandfather Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was quite a scholar who studied Arabic and French at Oxford's Balliol College. Sara's aunt Soha Ali Khan went to the same college to study modern history.

Love for Oxford certainly runs in the family!

With the ongoing pandemic, our lives have almost come to a stand-still, and the lock-down is taking a toll on the mental health of many of us. At such a time of crisis, one can only try to keep the optimism alive and not let the situation get the best of them. Actor, Ranveer Singh, in a recent Instagram live session, appealed fans to do the same.

“It’s been a very difficult couple of weeks, emotionally difficult. Turbulent times with everything that is going on in the world. To all my friends & fans stay safe, hang in there, stay healthy. Sending you love, positive vibes & good energy. I’m always an optimist, I like to look at the bright side of things. I always like to stay positive in any situation that life throws up. To be honest, this is unprecedented. We all are in this together and I believe that on the other side of this we’ll come out with more compassion,” he said.

”Its been a very difficult couple of weeks, emotionally difficult. Turbulent times with everything that is going on in the world. To all my friends & fans stay safe, hang in there, stay healthy. Sending you love, positive vibes & good energy.” -Ranveer Singh live on insta today pic.twitter.com/qtYCbiUxyU

— RanveerSingh TBT | #83????♥️ (@RanveerSinghtbt) May 8, 2020

Ranveer and wife Deepika Padukone, at home, are keeping themselves occupied with workouts and household chores as they also keep sharing glimpses of their locked-down life. Post lockdown, they both await the release of Kabir Khan's sports drama '83.

The Real Madrid superstar is one of the best players in the world and his talent is clear for all to see. But, these five facts about the Belgian aren’t as well-known.

Hazard was scoring goals before he was even born
Eden Hazard comes from a footballing family, with his younger brothers Thorgan, Kylian and Ethan all playing currently and with his father Thierry and mother Carine both playing football too when they were younger. Carine played in the Belgian women’s first division and stopped when she was three months pregnant with Eden, meaning that he was sort of a part of some of his mother’s final goals before he was born.

Zidane was Hazard's idol as he grew up
Zinedine Zidane is now Hazard’s boss and this must feel surreal every day the Belgian goes to work. As a kid, he grew up admiring Zizou and even possessed a France national team shirt with Zidane’s name and number on the back. Zidane has long been fond of Hazard too, expressing his love of the playmaker’s game long before he was signed by Real Madrid.

Hazard is the youngest Ligue 1 Player of the Year
The Ligue 1 Player of the Year prize is given out at the end of every season to the star of France’s top league and Eden Hazard won this award twice during his time with Lille, claiming it in back-to-back years for his displays in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons. He was just 20 years of age when he won the first one, making him the youngest ever player to claim this award.

Hazard is a New York Knicks fan
As well as his love for football, Hazard is also a big basketball fan. He enjoys the NBA and attends matches in North America when he can. The Belgian even has a team that he supports, having declared himself a New York Knicks fan.

San Diego 1904 FC is partly owned by Hazard
Hazard still has many years of playing at the top level ahead of him, but he has already stepped into the world of football club ownership, doing so with NISA side San Diego 1904 FC. He co-founded it in 2016 along with Demba Ba and other business partners.

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Asia's top football competitions will go ahead this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official told AFP, although games may have to be played behind closed doors. Windsor John, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), said he was confident that the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup would both be completed. Both tournaments, featuring teams from throughout Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, are on hold until at least the end of June after COVID-19 shuttered professional sport worldwide.

"Both will be played this year. We still have time," John told AFP, adding that new dates for the competitions may be known by the end of April. However, John did not rule out matches being played without fans "if that's what the health authorities need". The AFC is determined for both tournaments to go ahead "for sporting reasons and to fulfil commercial obligations", he said. His comments came after the AFC on Tuesday announced the indefinite postponement of all matches scheduled for May and June due to the virus.

The Champions League, the region's premier club competition, and the second-tier AFC Cup were both halted in March as the pandemic's spread forced governments to impose strict travel restrictions. Both tournaments are on an increasingly tight schedule, with the 32-team Champions League needing to complete four rounds of group-stage matches in July before the postponed knock-out phase begins in August.

The group phase of the AFC Cup will also have to be completed in a rush once matches resume. The finals for both tournaments -- which traditionally take a break in July, to avoid the worst of the Asian summer heat -- are scheduled to take place in November. Domestic leagues remain on hold around the world, including in China where the virus first emerged, but where football shows no sign of returning despite optimism the outbreak is under control.

Asia's extended shutdown, announced on Tuesday, also affects the two-legged women's Olympic qualifying play-off between China and South Korea, which had already been moved to June 1 and 9. June qualifiers for the men's 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup had been postponed before the AFC's announcement on Tuesday. Asian football was an early sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, before competitions in Europe -- including Euro 2020 -- and the rest of the world were also affected.

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Football coach Priya PV, who guided Gokulam Kerala FC to the Indian Women's League title, is currently assisting relief operations in the Coronavirus-caused lockdown through a helpline centre which provides medicine and food to the needy. Priya has joined the same helpline centre in Kannur, where India and Jamshedpur FC attacker CK Vineeth has been working. The biggest challenge for them at the centre is to make sure that all requests for medicines are met.

"We have been getting around 150-200 calls every day. Most of these are for medicines. We make sure that whenever we get any requests for medicines, they are duly sent to those in need," said Priya, who had earlier coached India U-19. "No requests for medicines are ever turned down. We try to do the same for grocery and food items as well. But sometimes we have to keep in mind that we have to distribute such items among a lot of people. So we try to divide it for everyone to get some amount," she added. The call centre also attends to requests from students and other professionals from around the area.

Kannur being the headquarters of the helpline centre, Priya and Vineeth also get a number of calls from the nearby districts, where tertiary networks have been set up to help the people. "We are working from the headquarters in Kannur. There are tertiary helpline centres in different districts as well who have their own network of pharmacists, grocers, and delivery executives," said Priya, who won the IWL 2019-20 title as head coach of local club Gokulam Kerala FC.

"My ancestral home is a bit far from the call centre, so I am staying at a place that is close by. Initially, I wanted to go to my ancestral home every weekend, in order to make sure that my parents have all they need during the lockdown," she said.

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Wayne Rooney may be Manchester United and England's record goalscorer but he still believes he should have found the back of the net more often during his career, even though he was not a natural finisher. Rooney, a teenage sensation at Everton, joined United in 2004 and went on to score 253 goals in 559 appearances during a 13-year spell for the Old Trafford club that saw the Red Devils pile up the trophies. Rooney surpassed 1966 World Cup-winner Bobby Charlton as United's all-time leading scorer, just as he did for England with a tally of 53 goals from 120 caps.

Despite those figures Rooney, writing in his Sunday Times column, insisted: "I'm going to be honest -- and this might surprise you -- but I'm not a natural goalscorer." The 34-year-old, now a player-coach at second-tier Derby County, added: "I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy; I never looked at myself that way. "I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and am very proud about that -- yet there have been better No 9s than me. "How did I become a record-breaker if I wasn't a natural scorer? Time," Rooney explained. "I played for United for 13 years, England for 15 years. I had time to break those records -- and looking back I should have scored more."

Rooney backed Harry Kane to break his England record, although he would like the Tottenham Hotspur striker "to stay high as that No 9" after seeing him drop deeper in during the past two seasons. "I don't think it will take long for Harry Kane to claim my England record and it would be a proud moment for me," Rooney said. "I've never been a selfish player and it would be great for England for Harry to get there. Bobby Charlton had to wait 50 years (for Rooney to break his England record) -- I hope it's not so long for me. "The United record might last longer simply because players don't stay at clubs as long as they used to. "Mind you, if (Lionel) Messi or (Cristiano) Ronaldo came to Old Trafford for a swansong they'd probably break it in three or four years."

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The Argentine forward is a true superstar of the game and one of the most famous players on the planet, but here are some things you might not already know about him.

1. He has scored at least seven goals against every other La Liga Santander team
All LaLiga teams naturally fear Messi when he comes up against them, with the No.10 having netted at least seven times against all 19 of the other sides currently in the top division. His favourite victim is Sevilla, against whom he has a whopping 37 goals in 38 appearances. Over his career, he has faced 40 different clubs in the Spanish top flight, with only three yet to concede against him: Cadiz, Murcia and Xerez.

2. He first played with fellow Barcelona captain Gerard Pique in 2000
Messi and his current Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique have spent most of their footballing lives together. They were both in the same team in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, along with Cesc Fàbregas – part of the so-called “generation of ‘87” and conquered almost every challenge in their path. It was clear from that early age that these players would go on to achieve great things and, although Pique spent time at Manchester United and Real Zaragoza before returning to Barcelona, they have both been in the Blaugrana first-team squad together since 2008, playing 471 matches together. Messi has only played more often alongside Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta.

3. He pays tributes to his grandmother after every goal
The sight of Messi pointing towards the sky with both hands after scoring a goal has become an almost weekly occurrence in LaLiga but not many people know its meaning. It is in fact a tribute to Grandmother Celia, who Messi credits with sparking his interest in football and supporting him as he took his first steps in the game. Sadly, she passed away in 1998 and never saw him play at the top level, but his iconic celebration ensures that her spirit lives on.  

4. He could have played for Spain at international level
Messi has represented Argentina throughout his international career, but he could have been wearing the red of Spain had he accepted an offer to join the national team of the country where he has spent his entire professional career. After spending his childhood in Barcelona, he was eligible to play for the 2010 world champions, but Messi says the idea never crossed his mind. The rest, as they say, is history as he has gone on to become Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 70 goals.   

5. His footballing idol was Pablo Aimar
Many up-and-coming players consider Messi as a role model, but it’s easy to forget that he had an idol growing up too, just like any other aspiring footballer. His was fellow Argentina and former Valencia and Real Zaragoza playmaker Pablo Aimar. They faced each other in LaLiga on several occasions, including on one special night in 2004 when Aimar came up to the 17-year-old Messi, an unused sub on the night, after the game to offer him his shirt. He still treasures that jersey to this day. 

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Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho pleaded his innocence while speaking for the first time after spending 32 days in a Paraguayan prison. The former Barcelona forward is currently under house arrest in a hotel in Asuncion after he was arrested along with his cavalry for entering the country with forged documents.

Ronaldinho has insisted he didn't know his documents were illegal and also stated he showed full cooperation with the authorities in the aftermath of the airport fiasco.

"We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal," Ronaldinho told ABC Color. "Since then our intention has been to collaborate with the justice system to clarify the facts.

"From that moment until today, we have explained everything and facilitated everything that has been requested of us.

"It was a tough blow, I never imagined that I would go through such a situation. All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football," he added.

Ronaldinho also revealed what his plans are after he is allowed to go back to his home nation once investigation ends.

"The first thing will be to give a big kiss to my mother, who has lived through this difficult phase since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, at her home."

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Football legend Diego Maradona, the manager of struggling Argentinian club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, has praised the decision to suspend relegation from the country's top division until 2022.

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) confirmed the move on Tuesday as it cancelled the rest of the top flight season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The move spares Gimnasia from an almost certain drop to the second division, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's not the end that we would have wanted, but it's a good decision," the 1986 World Cup winner told Argentinian newspaper Clarin.

"We were convinced that we were going to avoid relegation anyway. But this is reward for a group that has given everything for this club."

Gimnasia needed a strong showing in the Superliga Cup to have any chance or remaining in the top tier under Argentina's complex promotion-relegation system that considers results over a three-year cycle. The Cup competition was aborted last month after just one round.

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Legendary former India footballer Chuni Goswami, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team, died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Former Indian footballer Chuni Goswami passes away due to cardiac arrest in Kolkata, West Bengal.

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

The iconic sportsperson, who also played first-class cricket for Bengal, was 82 and breathed his last at a hospital here. He is survived by his wife Basanti and son Sudipto. "He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in the hospital at around 5pm," a family source told PTI.

BCCI mourns the death of Subimal ‘Chuni’ Goswami, an all-rounder in the truest sense. He captained the Indian national football team & led to them to gold in the 1962 Asian Games. He later played first-class cricket for Bengal & guided them to the final of Ranji Trophy in 1971-72 pic.twitter.com/WgXhpoyLaB

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2020

Goswami was suffering from underlying ailments, including sugar, prostrate and nerve problems. Goswami played 50 matches for India as a footballer from 1956 to 1964. As a cricketer, he represented Bengal in 46 first-class games between 1962 and 1973.

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A little over a month after PK Banerjee's death, Indian football has lost another legend. On Thursday, Chuni Goswami, 82, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team and also played first-class cricket, died here, survived by wife Basanti and son Sudipto.

"He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital at around 5pm," a family source told PTI.

Goswami reportedly had blood sugar, prostrate and nerve-related issues.

Subimal 'Chuni' Goswami was born in the Kishoreganj district of undivided Bengal, now Bangladesh. The star striker figured in 50 international games from 1956 to 1964. He was part of the Indian team for the 1960 Olympics in Rome. His crowning moment came when he led India to an Asian Games gold medal in 1962 in Jakarta, two years before being part of the silver-winning team at the Asia Cup in Israel.

On the cricket turf, he represented Bengal in 46 first-class games between 1962 and 1973. He was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1963 and Padma Shri in 1983. The Indian Postal Department issued a commemorative stamp on his 82nd birthday in January to recognise his contribution to the game in the country.

A section of Mumbai cricket followers will remember Goswami's 96 (13x4) and 84 (10x4) against Ajit Wadekar's team in the 1968-69 Ranji Trophy final at the Brabourne Stadium where Mumbai claimed honours. "Chuni was more than a decent batsman, who had a good defensive approach. He was a fielder whom batsmen had to watch carefully. Being a footballer, he was agile and was exceptional at cover point and extra cover," recalled former Mumbai captain Sudhir Naik. Dilip Doshi, the ex-Test spinner, who played alongside Goswami for Bengal, also recalled those two innings at Brabourne. "Chuni da stood up to the occasion and played two sterling knocks. His will to fight it out was infectious and as a footballer and India's captain as well, we learnt the fitness attitude from him as youngsters. He had a great sense of humour which he timely applied to release tension in the dressing room," remarked Doshi.

Chinu Goswami

Former India captain Gundappa Viswanath, who like Goswami, was employed by the State Bank of India, rued the fact that they did not play together because of his (Viswanath's) international commitments. "Unfortunately, that opportunity never came because it would have been a pleasure to rub shoulders with such a versatile sportsperson, known also for his football talent. I will miss our dinner parties which he always planned as soon as I landed in Kolkata. Another regret is not attending his 80th birthday celebrations as I was ill at that time" Viswanath told mid-day from Bangalore.

Tweet talk

Praful Patel @praful_patel:

Another legendary Indian Footballer and a fine first class cricketer has left us today. Rest in eternal peace Shri. Chuni Goswami. My heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.#ChuniGoswami #RIPLegend #IndianFootball @IndianFootball

President of India (Kovind)@rashtrapatibhvn:

Sad to hear about the passing of Chuni Goswami. In his demise India’s football fans have lost a legend. A versatile sportsman, he was a star in his own right. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers

BCCI @BCCI:

BCCI mourns the death of Subimal ‘Chuni’ Goswami, an all-rounder in the truest sense. He captained the Indian national football team & led to them to gold in the 1962 Asian Games. He later played first-class cricket for Bengal & guided them to the final of Ranji Trophy in 1971-72

Sunil Chhetri @Chetrisunil11:

We’ve lost one of the leading lights of Indian sport today. Not too many can boast of being top-notch in two different sports. You played your part to the fullest, rest well, Chuni sir. Strength to
the family

With inputs from PTI, Clayton Murzello and Debasish Datta

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Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has asked the "Hand of God" to deliver the world from COVID-19 pandemic and allow normal life to resume. The World Cup winner referred to his hand-assisted goal in the 1986 World Cup after Argentine football chiefs voted to end the current season as well as suspend relegation, saving Diego-managed bottom club Gimnasia from the drop.

"Today this happened to us and many people say it is a new Hand of God," said Diego, alluding to his infamous goal against England. "But today I'm asking for that hand to end this pandemic so people can go back to living their lives, healthy and happy." Then-Argentine captain Diego responded to the controversy over his goal at the World Cup in Mexico by saying "it was the Hand of God!"

Argentina went on to beat England 2-1 in the quarter-final. On being thrown a lifeline by the suspension of the season, he told Argentine daily Clarin: "It's not the ending we had wanted, we were convinced we could save ourselves on the pitch."

Argentina has been in lockdown since March 20 against the Coronavirus, which by early Wednesday had infected 4,114 people with 207 deaths.

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Subimal "Chuni" Goswami came for a routine check-up to a city hospital on Thursday morning and by evening he had suffered three cardiac arrests in 14 minutes to breathe his last and end an era, his son said.

"He had breakfast. Then we got him to the hospital. He was brought here for a routine check-up. He had lunch and even took a nap in the afternoon. But around 5 p.m., he suffered three heart attacks in 14 minutes," said a crestfallen Sudipto.

Goswami, who died at the age of 82, is survived by his wife and Sudipto.

Goswami was also battling underlying ailments, including sugar, and prostrate and nerve problems.

Goswami had to be given insulin daily and due to the COVID-19 lockdown, his medical supervisor was not able to attend to him on a regular basis.

"I don't have words at this point, feeling lonely," said Sudipto.

Goswami's biggest achievement was captaining India to the 1962 Asian Games Gold medal when India scripted a historic 2-1 victory against South Korea (Korea Republic) in the final to land India its second gold medal in Asian Games history.

Besides two editions of the Asian Games, Goswami was also part of India's Olympic squad in the Rome Olympics in 1960. He also captained India to the final of the AFC Asian Cup in Tel Aviv in 1964 and was part of India's campaign in the pre-Olympic qualification in 1959 (in Kabul), 1960 (in Kolkata and Jakarta), 1963 (in Colombo as captain), and in 1964 in (Tehran and Calcutta).

Goswami won the Arjuna Award in 1963 and was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 1983.

The versatile sportsman that he was, he also represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and even captained Bengal in 1968-69 season. He also played for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. His first-class career as a cricketer ended after 46 matches and he scored 1,592 runs, including a century.

He also served the Tata Football Academy as its director and was appointed the Sheriff of Kolkata in 2005. In the same year, he was awarded the Mohun Bagan Ratna and was bestowed the Banga Bibhusan in 2013.

The Indian postal department also honoured Goswami with a commemorative stamp on his 82nd birthday earlier this year.

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Italy's 20 Serie A clubs have reiterated their unanimous desire to complete the season as the northern Emilia-Romagna region became the first to open the way to training despite government restrictions. An emergency Lega Serie A assembly via video of the top-flight clubs took place after Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora this week said the chances of restarting were "increasingly narrow". League president Paolo Dal Pino stated after the meeting "his openness to a dialogue with the government from a constructive and collaborative perspective, obtaining on this position the full agreement of all the clubs."

Spadafora has warned that the government will call time on the season which has been suspended since March 9 if the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) fails to convince them on its health and safety protocol. An FIGC meeting slated for May 8 could be decisive. Meanwhile, the Emilia-Romagna region on Friday gave permission for local clubs, including top-flight sides Bologna, Parma, SPAL and Sassuolo, to resume training in sports centres from May 4 if they wished to do so.

Emilia-Romagna regional president Stefano Bonaccini has agreed to allow "professional sportspeople to train individually, in compliance with social distancing rules and without any gatherings in closed-door structures." Southern giants Napoli are also planning to return to training as their safety proposals have received the backing of local authorities.

Friday's league meeting also addressed the issue of TV rights, but no resolutions were adopted concerning broadcasters Sky, DAZN and IMG, with a final payment estimated at 340 million euros ($370 million) for the current season, due to be paid in May. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina has said that calling time would be "the death of Italian football", predicting losses of over 800 million euros in TV rights, sponsors, ticketing and marketing.

If the government did decide to pull the plug on the season it would have the support of a country traumatised by over 28,000 coronavirus deaths. According to a recent survey, two out of three Italians would support a stoppage, in particular in the northern epicentre, stronghold of heavyweights Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan and Atalanta.

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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne believes the Premier League season will be finished despite the coronavirus pandemic "because the financial aspect is far too important". "My feeling is that we may be able to train again within two weeks. The government wants to restart football as soon as possible to give people something. I think this season will be finished," De Bruyne told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

"The financial aspect is far too important in the Premier League. If the season is not finished, it will cause serious problems," he added. Clubs were presented with the league's "Project Restart" plans at a meeting on Friday and were told the remaining 92 matches of the 2019-2020 season must be played at neutral venues. De Bruyne also said he was optimistic about City's participation in next season's Champions League. UEFA has banned the club from European competition for the next two years for "serious breaches" of financial fair-play rules.

"The club told us they're going to appeal and that they're almost certain to get their way. I'm waiting to see what happens, but I trust my club," said De Bruyne. The 28-year-old Belgium international admitted he would be forced to consider his City future if the ban was upheld. "Once we know more, I will make a decision. Two years without playing in Europe would be long but in the case of one year I might see," he said. bnl/jr/mw/nr

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The global lockdown caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't affected Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's workout regime.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Discovering my island with the best company👨‍👦❤ï¸Â #madeiraisland #staysafe

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) onMay 2, 2020 at 3:55am PDT

Before he returns to Italy next week, the Juventus player took partner Georgina Rodriguez and son Cristiano Jr to the scenic mountain top of the Madeira island for a hike on Saturday. He shared this picture of his son and him, with his 216 million Instagram followers and captioned it: "Discovering my island with the best company #madeiraisland #staysafe."

 

 

 

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🍃🌴🌵🌾ðŸ¦ÂŽ Punta de San Lorenzo ⛰🌏❤ @aloyoga #family #love

A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) onMay 2, 2020 at 9:10am PDT

Meanwhile, Georgina posted this family picture (right) of them visiting the Ponta de Soo Lourenco (it means the Point of Saint Lawrence in Portuguese), the eastern point of the island, and wrote: "Punta de San Lorenzo #family #love."

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Hugo Lloris believes that ending the English Premier League season without declaring Liverpool champions would be "cruel", but the Tottenham captain wants the final table decided on the field. The goalkeeper is following the English social isolation rules at home with his family in London, helping his two oldest daughters with their homework while trying to stay fit in case the reason restarts.

"We're in a situation where everyone wants to finish and get the verdict from the pitch," Lloris told French sports daily L'Equipe. "It would be terrible if it all ended like that with nine or 10 games to go in the Premier League." "We're coming into the most exciting, beautiful time of the season. Nobody wants it to end like this." Liverpool lead the table by 25 points. "It would be cruel for Liverpool with the lead they have. They're practically champions. "There would be a taste of the unfinished business." The France captain says that resuming the Premier League without fans will be strange. "It'll be weird wherever it happens. Football is not a closed-door sport," he said.

"Without spectators, it's not the same sport. That's not how I see football. "We're here to bond, to share our emotions. We all want full stadiums, with atmosphere, fans, colour and song." "But you have to take the context into consideration." "Everyone has to find the right compromise between health, which is above all else, and the need to finish this season," he added. The British government still has not given any indication when football will be able to resume.

"We have to be ready. Just in case," said Lloris, who was among the players to return to Tottenham's training centre last week for individual sessions. The World Cup winner contributed the gloves he wore when Tottenham lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool in France for one charity auction. They raised 4,800 euros ($5,250). He also organised a France team auction with Blaise Matuidi, the Juventus midfielder, and Raphael Varane, the Real Madrid defender, and raised more than 300,000 euros for Paris hospitals. "This gesture does not represent much compared to the investment made by caregivers," he said.

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The head of the English Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has raised the possibility of playing shorter matches to lighten the load on players if the season can restart. English clubs remain committed to completing the campaign despite severe concerns over player welfare. Players could be tested up to three times a week and be forced to stay quarantined in hotels away from their families for a number of weeks to help limit the risk of them becoming infected with coronavirus. With 92 matches in the Premier League season still to be played, players could have little preparatory time to work on their fitness in group training before being rushed back into playing twice a week.

FIFA have proposed increasing the number of substitutes allowed per side from three to five to also lessen the risk of fatigue and injuries for players on their return. "Safety has to be paramount," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor told the BBC. "We don't know the future. What we do know is what propositions have been put, what ideas have been put, the possibility of having more substitutes, games possibly not being the full 45 minutes each way.

"There's talks of neutral stadiums. There's been lots of things being put forward. "Try and wait and see what the proposals are, and then have the courtesy to let the managers and coaches and players also assimilate all those and come to a considered view." The Premier League's "Project Restart" has been met with some resistance over plans for all remaining games to take place at up to 10 neutral venues.

The remaining matches would need to be played behind closed doors, but there are fears fans could congregate around stadiums. Some top-flight clubs have argued that under those circumstances there should be no relegation as the sporting integrity of the competition is compromised. However, chairman of the English Football League (EFL) Rick Parry said denying promotion to three Championship clubs would end up in legal battles.

"The lawyers are going to get wealthy if that happens," Parry told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on Tuesday. "There would be a degree of outrage from a number of clubs in our Championship, and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement. "The safe answer is that it would get very messy. Our expectation is there would be three clubs promoted from the Championship."

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Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has said he received death threats following a racism row involving then-Liverpool forward Luis Suarez in 2011. Uruguay striker Suarez was banned for eight matches by the English Football Association after being found guilty of misconduct for insulting comments to Evra, which included a reference to the left-back's skin colour, at Anfield in October that year. Liverpool, however, mounted a prolonged and public defence of Suarez's conduct as the row between the rival clubs escalated.

Evra said one consequence of the backlash included letters threatening the Frenchman and his family. "Manchester United received so many threatening letters about me," Evra told the club's UTD podcast. "People said: 'We're in jail, we're Liverpool fans. When we get out, we're going to kill you and your family'." Evra said the nature of the threats meant he had to be protected by bodyguards.

"For two months, I had security everywhere I went. They were sleeping in front of my house. Everywhere I went, the security followed me. "It was a tough time, but I wasn't scared. My family were scared: my wife and brother, but I wasn't. "I couldn't understand why people hated me so much. They didn't know the truth." Evra, who saw his attempt to shake hands with Suarez before a match the following February rebuffed by the striker, said he had forgiven his old antagonist and even spoke to the now Barcelona star before the 2015 Champions League final when playing for Juventus.

But it was a very different story at the time , which saw Evra forcing himself to control his emotions after reporting the incident to match referee Andre Marriner, who said it would be dealt with after the game and that both players should continue.

"I remember, during that game, I was talking to myself saying: 'If you punch him now, people will see you as the bad one, people will forget about what he said'," recalled Evra. "I was talking to myself: 'Don't do... do it...' I wasn't focused for the game."

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There’s many former LaLiga stars currently using the experience and skills picked during their time in Spanish football in managerial and coaching careers all around the world. The list is almost unrivalled: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Diego Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Rafa Benítez (Dalian Pro), Xavi Hernández (Al Sadd), Míchel (Pumas UNAM), ‘Guti’ (UD Almeria), Raúl González (Real Madrid Castilla), Van Nistelrooy (PSV U19), Unai Emery, Mauricio Pochettino, Quique Sánchez Flores, Laurent Blanc, Ernesto Valverde, Mark van Bommel, Aitor Karanka, Clarence Seedorf… but here are five more with very special stories.

1. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst – FC Barcelona to Feyenoord

All the lessons learned winning two LaLiga titles with FC Barcelona in the early 2000s as an attack-minded left back have definitely proved useful for Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s coaching career. The former Netherlands international became first team coach in summer 2015 at Feyenoord, the Rotterdam club where he started and finished his playing career. His first season brought the KNVB Cup trophy, while the following year he led the club to its first Eredivisie title in 18 years, a historic achievement. Last January he was announced as manager of Chinese club Guangzhou R&F.

2. Jonathan Woodgate - Real Madrid to Middlesbrough

Jonathan Woodgate’s spell at Real Madrid famously did not get off to a great start, with an own goal and red card on his LaLiga debut. However, when fit and available the classy defender made a valuable contribution to Los Blancos 2005/06 campaign, with the team keeping seven clean sheets in his eight other games. The following summer he joined hometown club Middlesbrough, where he also returned after hanging up his boots to begin his coaching career in 2017. Last summer, Woodgate was named first team manager at Boro, and he took December’s Championship Manager of the Month award.

3. Jordi Cruyff - Camp Nou to Ecuador

Son of Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff, Jordi made his LaLiga debut in September 1994 against R. Sporting. The winger or attacking midfielder scored 22 LaLiga goals across spells at FC Barcelona, RC Celta, RCD Espanyol and most successfully D. Alaves, where he helped the Basque club reach the 2001 UEFA Cup final only to lose 5-4 in agonizing fashion to Liverpool. Cruyff also represented Manchester United, Metallurg Donetsk and the Netherlands national team [nine senior caps] during his playing career. He has since worked in Malta, Cyprus, China and Israel, where he oversaw three consecutive league titles as sporting director at Maccabi Tel Aviv. In January 2020 he was appointed Ecuador senior international manager.

4. Diego Forlan - Pichichi to Peñarol
One of the very few players in history to have won LaLiga’s Pichichi top scorer prize with two different clubs, Diego Forlan clinched it at Villarreal CF in 2004/05 and Atletico de Madrid in 2008/09. A strike rate of 128 goals in 240 LaLiga games counts among the very best. A long playing career also brought goals scored in England, Italy, Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong, and appearing at three World Cups and a 2011 Copa America triumph during 112 caps for Uruguay’s senior team. In December 2019, Forlan returned to his former Uruguayan club Peñarol to start his managerial career.

5. Fabio Cannavaro – Santiago Bernabeu to China

2006 was quite a year for Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro, who won the World Cup in Germany, signed for Real Madrid and was then awarded the Ballon D’Or. Cannavaro won two LaLiga titles during his three years in the Spanish capital, where he continued a strong relationship with mentor Fabio Capello. His first managerial job was at Dubai club Al-Ahli, where he won UAE Pro League and UAE League Cup titles. He also won the China League One title with Tianjin Quanjian, guided Guangzhou Evergrande to the Chinese Superleague title last year, and even took charge of the China national team for a time in 2019.

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Former Argentina footballer Martin Cardetti named his pick between Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest footballers ever to grace the game.

Cardetti, manager of Ecuadorian football club Mushuc Runa, said he saw the Brazilian from close quarters during their time together at Paris St. Germain and according to him, Ronaldinho is one-of-a-kind footballer.

"As a coach, for my team I would choose Ronaldinho at his best over Messi," Cardetti told El Crack Deportivo as per Goal.com. "I shared a year with Ronaldinho and he is a different player, he's touched by God.

"He always had fun; with the ball he was always doing things and he practiced a lot so that he could replicate those things in matches.

"You see him in training, in matches and every move he makes is different from everyone. Players like him appear very rarely and they are remembered in football history," he added.

Before Messi started ruling the roost at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was a fan-favourite at Camp Nou. He stayed with the Spanish Giants from 2003 to 2008 and won two LaLiga titles and one Champions League trophy.

As for Messi, he has so far won 10 LaLiga titles, six Copa del Reys and four Champions League titles. Messi is also a six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

On the international stage, Ronaldinho trumps Messi as he is a World Cup winner with Brazil and the Argentine is yet to open his international account. Messi although won the Gold with Argentina at 2008 Olympics.

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<p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The word ‘sperm’ was considered taboo in Hindi movies until 2012. Then came VICKY DONOR - the story of a sperm donor - and it made the term very common and acceptable. Seven years later - after this path-breaking film - yet another Hindi movie takes to tell a genuinely hatke story - GOOD NEWWZ.</span></p> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1056213 size-full" title="Movie Review: Good Newwz" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Good-Newwz-2-6.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Good Newwz" width="720" height="450" /> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ has generated tremendous excitement thanks to its subject mainly, besides its eye catching star cast. The trailers have also done the trick. The question is, does the film deliver in totality?</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The plot line *without* revealing the spoilers... GOOD NEWWZ is the story of a goof-up of epic proportions. Varun Batra [Akshay Kumar] works in an automobile showroom in Mumbai. He is married to Deepti aka Deepu [Kareena Kapoor Khan], a journalist, since seven years. They are keen to start a family, but aren’t able to do so.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">At the insistence of Varun's sister [Anjana Sukhani], both decide to visit a fertility clinic run by a reputed doctor, Dr Joshi [Adil Hussain]. Dr Joshi suggests that they opt for IVF. Varun and Deepu give their go ahead.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Honey Batra [Diljit Dosanjh] and Monika [Kiara Advani], a Chandigarh-based couple, also visit Dr Joshi. Their last names leads to a confusion and subsequently, a big goof-up.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ has an interesting plot, but most importantly, it boasts of a smart and engaging screenplay. The writers juxtapose drama, emotions, romance and humour seamlessly in the narrative, which makes this one an enjoyable ride from commencement to conclusion.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The writers come to the point at the very start of the film, while the goof-up is well integrated in the screenplay. There’s hardly any dull moment, frankly. Sure, the film could’ve done without a song or two, but these are minor glitches in an otherwise watertight script. While the drama keeps you hooked, the dialogue only heighten the impact of several sequences.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Good Newwz | Public Review | Akshay Kumar | Kareena Kapoor Khan | Diljit Dosanjh | Kiara Advani | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/good-newwz-public-review-akshay-kumar-kareena-kapoor-khan-diljit-dosanjh-kiara-advani-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Raj Mehta [GOOD NEWWZ marks his directorial debut] is in total command of the situation. This is a damn difficult subject to handle when you are a first-timer, but he deserves brownie points for doing complete justice to the written material.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The director handles the second hour most admirably. A number of sequences are maturely handled, especially when Kareena and Kiara bond over paani puri or the sequence in the hospital when Akshay breaks down.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">GOOD NEWWZ is embellished with sincere and noteworthy performances. Akshay Kumar is in terrific form. His emotional portions in particular are remarkable. It’s a delight to watch Kareena Kapoor Khan after a hiatus. She’s excellent. Also, she looks stunning. Diljit Dosanjh arrives late in the film, but once he does, he takes the film to another level. He’s top notch. Kiara Advani doesn’t have much to do in the first half, but post interval, she makes sure she scores in several sequences.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">Adil Hussain has his moments. Tisca Chopra is wonderful. Anjana Sukhani and the actor playing her husband are dependable.</span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">The soundtrack is in sync with the film. At least two songs stand out - ‘Sauda Khara Khara' and 'Chandigarh’. The DoP captures the mood as well as the emotions well.</span><span class="x_x_s1"> </span></p> <p class="x_x_p1"><span class="x_x_s1">On the whole, GOOD NEWWZ is a sure-fire hit. Smart writing, fantastic humour and heartfelt emotions are the three pillars of this well-made film. The fourth pillar being the performances of its principal cast. At the boxoffice, 2019 is sure to conclude with a big winner, bringing cheer and joy in this festive season. GOOD NEWWZ will live up to its title and bring good news for its investors.</span></p>

Gold has indeed proven itself as an effective hedge against any downside risk. It has seen a sharp rise in the price rally since the first case of Novel Coronavirus was reported in November 2019.

In the beginning of March, gold prices fell marginally, however it is on the upswing and has retained its level above Rs 40,000 per 10 grams.

Graph: Gold's rising uptrend

Gold started to ascend last year when the US and China trade talks began and escalated in trade war, followed by similar trade wars of the US with other nations.

These events have proved to be favourable for the momentum of the price of Gold. It played its role of a crucial hedge and store of value when other asset classes had witnessed high volatility and posted marginal returns.

Some of the other factors that have supported gold are...

• The outbreak of COVID-19 with no evident containment yet
• Economic uncertainty and fears of a virus-led global recession
• Global GDP growth revised downwards and for across regions
• Easy monetary policy action (of reduction in interest rates and stimulus packages) and an accommodative stance adopted by the central banks across the world to support growth
• A crash in the oil markets due to lack of demand and excess supply with storage problems
• A record-high global debt-to-GDP of nearly US$ 255 trillion (over 322% of global GDP) - 40 percentage points higher than at the onset of 2008 global financial crisis according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), as the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
• The US Presidential elections later this year, in November 2020
• Increased stock market volatility
• The potential risk to the inflation trajectory.

[Read: Coronavirus Has No Antidote. Your Bad Investments Could Have.]

Besides, the lockdown brought upon due to COVID-19 pandemic is going to hurt the economy for a couple of quarters badly which will amplify the credit risk. The economic activity will slow grind to full capacity, prompting furloughs and pay cuts, and job losses across sectors, which will affect the credit line as the number of defaulters will rise because cash strapping will be seen.

Recognising the risk stemming from the bottom hit economy, where the growth projections by the IMF are almost 1.9% due to the CoVID-19, the NPAs of banks and NBFCs are expected to increase.

[Read: How the COVID-19 Extended Lockdown Has Made Investments in 'Banking Funds' Very Risky]

Until the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and economic uncertainty prevails, the spotlight will continue to be on gold owing to the financial uncertainty it brings along. Even the IMF Global Financial Stability report highlights an increase in the level of risk among multiple global metrics and, therefore, the importance of owning gold in one's portfolio.

Hence, in my view, in the current situation consider allocating some portion of your investment portfolio to gold and its equivalents. This year buying gold in a physical form from your preferred jeweller or gold merchant may not be possible amidst the COVID-19 extended lockdown. But you can always consider Gold Exchange Traded Funds, Gold Saving Funds, Sovereign Gold Bonds, and/or Digital Gold, which are smart and unconventional ways of investing in gold.

Recently the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020 as per the calendar specified below:

Each of the tranche is offered for a limited subscription period, having a maturity tenure of 8 years and a lock-in period of 5 years

With an initial investment amount of Rs 20,000, resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions can subscribe to SGBs. The application can be also made by the guardian on behalf of the minor. One can purchase units from the secondary market as well.

The issue price of the SGB will be Rs 50 per gram less than the nominal value when applied online and the payment against the application is made through digital mode.

On maturity, the Gold Bonds shall be redeemed in Indian Rupees and the redemption price shall be based on a simple average of the closing price of gold of 999 purity of previous 3 business days from the date of repayment, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited.

In order to encourage passive but direct gold investment, as an alternative to purchasing physical gold, Modi led Government sanctioned a Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November 2015. Under this scheme, investors have to pay the issue price in cash and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on maturity. The Bond is issued by the Reserve Bank on behalf of Government of India.

With the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, the risks and costs of physical storage are eliminated. Plus, it is free from issues like the costs of making charges and purity, as in the case of gold in jewellery form. But these bonds are held in the books of the RBI, or in demat form to eliminate even the risk of loss of scrip, etc.

Sovereign Gold Bonds will generate market returns linked to the price of gold, so there may be a risk of capital loss if the market price of gold declines. Moreover, these bonds will provide interest income at the rate of 2.50 per cent (fixed rate) per annum on the amount of initial investment to investors and will be redeemable.

The minimum investment allowed is 1 gram, while the maximum buying limit is a subscription of 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), and 20 kg for trusts and similar entities notified by the government from time to time per fiscal year (April - March).

These bonds are sold through offices or branches of Nationalised Banks, Scheduled Private Banks, Scheduled Foreign Banks, designated Post Offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL), and the authorised stock exchanges, either directly or through their agents.

Do note, that the interest on the bonds is taxed as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961. If you hold the SGB till maturity the capital gains tax on redemption of SGB is exempted. But if you sold the bond in the secondary market after three years, long term capital gains (LTCGs) tax is applicable and it will be taxed at 20 per cent with indexation. And if sold before three years, a short-term capital gains (STCGs) tax will be applicable according to the income tax slab.

What should the investors do?

Defeating the Coronavirus and surviving is everyone's core focus and having liquidity, those who have an adequate contingency fund are looking for investments.

Equity and debt markets are yet to see any signs of revival despite the stimulating relief measures provided to uplift the slowing of economy but investing in gold can prove to be worthy for your portfolio.

[Read: What Could Be the Potential Impact of a Lockdown on Your Mutual Fund Portfolio? Know Here...]

Even the bond prices were at all-time lows, which are inversely proportional to gold as well. In my view allocate at least 10-15% of your entire investment portfolio to gold and hold it with a long-term investment horizon.

Remember gold offers an effective hedge during global uncertainty and a shield against inflation. Most importantly in your portfolio, it serves as a diversifier.

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

While sports stars across the globe are trying their hands at doing things they never got to do thanks to the Coronavirus lockdown, Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has revealed he will be taking up a course at the Harvard Business School soon.

In a column for the ATP Tour website, Grigor wrote: "I'm starting a course at Harvard Business School in a few weeks. It's something I've always wanted to do. I loved being in school, but haven't had the chance to experience it to the extent that I would have wanted to. Now I have the time to do something new and different."

Grigor, who is currently in California, USA, during quarantine, added: "I decided to stay on the west coast of the US once it was announced that Indian Wells was cancelled. Tennis players are creatures of habit, so I still make sure to structure my day. Go to bed on time, wake up early, be productive in the morning. I'm a crazy fanatic when it comes to laundry and have been doing that twice a day."

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Canadian tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard, 26, has agreed to go on a date with a random online fan for a charitable cause. The fan will pay her an amount which she will donate to feed hospital staff battling the Coronavirus pandemic.

After Genie put out a message on Twitter that she felt like "quarantine would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend," she received many messages from fans.

So, in an Instagram Live chat with sportscaster Allie LaForce, she decided to pick a viewer named Bob, who initially offered to pay GBP 400 (approx Rs 36,000) for the date.

LaForce however, upped the stakes further, demanding GBP 2,410 (approx R2 lakh), the expenditure to feed hospital staff on the tennis player's behalf. Bob agreed and Genie said yes. Interestingly, Genie asked Bob to get some toilet rolls along, to which, Bob agreed but offered an extra GBP 800 (approx Rs 72,000) if she spoke in a British accent.

An embarrassed Genie replied: "Why are you doing this to me, Bob? I'm going to say yes but I have no skill whatsoever in imitating accents."

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Tennis ace Sania Mirza said that one needs to be more sensitive while coaching young female sportspersons. Speaking in the All India Tennis Association and the Sport Authority of Indias digital Coachs Education webinar on Wednesday, Sania said that coaches need to be sensitive of the hormonal changes that girls go through while working with them.

"My dad always tells me that to work with a woman tennis player is a lot trickier and a lot more mental because I do think that there are a lot of issues that girls go through, especially when they are adolescent," said Sania.

"There are so many changes that are happening, internally in your body and externally as well. You are trying to be the best tennis player that you can be while there are so many hormonal changes happening as well, and it happens throughout the life of a woman.

"You can be a little bit more sensitive to their needs and the way they are because a lot of the times they are just trying to discover who they are, while they are also trying to be a tennis player. It can be a pretty tough job."

33-year-old Sania made her comeback to tennis this year after giving birth to her first child. She won the Hobart International in January before playing an integral role in helping India seal a historic playoff spot in the Fed Cup.

"Just the way I have managed everything else, I could manage both tennis and motherhood. I am lucky enough to have enough help around me as well, that is a huge plus point for me. My mom and my sister have played a huge part in giving me as much help as possible," said Sania on being asked about how she is managing the twin-role of mother and professional tennis player.

"A lot of people questioned it even when I was trying to make that comeback, how did you find time to lose so much weight. There's so much that happens with your body after you give birth. You just have to, sort of, adapt, find a way to take out two hours from your day to work-out and try to find that balance. It's also good for your own sanity as well, to find time for yourself."

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It's not yet 9 am on a crisp wintry morning in Kolkata. Our guide for a synagogue trail, Jael Silliman, a Jewish scholar and author, reiterates that it's the ideal time to explore the three hidden gems before chaos takes over the oldest part of the city.

The decorative piece that rests above the central entrance to the chamber of the Magen David Synagogue in which the scrolls of the law are housed. Spot the representations of the Menorah and the two tablets on which are inscribed the initial words of the Ten Commandments. PICS/FIONA FERNANDEZ; information courtesy/jewishcalcutta.in

She curates an ongoing project on the city's Jewish community in partnership with Jadavpur University's School of Cultural Texts and Records and NUI Maynooth (Ireland). The digital archive received initial funding from Fulbright. 

A collection of scrolls of the Holy Torah housed at Magen David

"The area pin code is 1; the city took shape from here," Silliman slips the fact in, in between guiding our cabbie as he negotiates his rickety yellow Ambassador with the deftness of a Formala-1 driver in slow-mo. The Bombaywallah is smiling. Saki Naka seems like a sprawling promenade in comparison.

FOR GUIDED TOURS : Ms AM Cohen, General Secretary, Jewish Community Affairs, Jewish Girls School, 63 Park Street, Kolkata.
CALL : 9831054669
EMAIL : amc1946@yahoo.com log on to www.jewishcalcutta.in

STOP 1: Magen David Synagogue

Junction of Brabourne Road and Canning Street

We crane our neck and take a few steps back to soak in the grandeur of the structure built in Calcutta Renaissance style, as Silliman points to its steeple and clock tower, a rare feature in synagogues. The 42m-high tower was possibly suggested by its makers, who might have been influenced by the prevalent colonial design template. Silliman tells us that its benefactors allowed it on the condition that it towered above all other buildings in the city! "This synagogue was built in 1884 by Elias David Ezra, as the Beth El synagogue nearby was unable to accommodate the growing numbers of the community. Now, we are barely 20," she rues. We gaze at the stunning interiors, from its mosaic tiles and polished wooden furniture to the large stained-glass rose window. Silliman takes us closer to the pulpit where the Rabbi would preach, and towards the half dome and three curtained doors. Behind this, are housed handwritten Torah scrolls that are out of bounds for non-Jews. As sunlight bathes the space in all its morning glory, we notice rows of chairs that line the balconies of the synagogue. "Those were meant for Jewish women," she informs, all along giving us glimpses into customs and more importantly, the philanthropy and enterprise of the community that shaped the city, just like their counterparts in Bombay.

STOP 2: Neveh Shalome Synagogue

Junction of Brabourne Road and Canning Street

Kolkata's oldest surviving synagogue, which is Silliman's favourite, appears more like a dressed-down version of Magen David. Located in the same compound as its opulent counterpart, it was built in 1831, and rebuilt in 1911 by Jewish pioneer Ezekiel Judah Jacob.

We are welcomed at the entrance by Masood Hussain, who leads us to the upper level where he proudly explains the contents of a few rare books of the community. "Our families have been caretakers here for generations," he tells us with a wide smile. We spot several photo exhibits around us.

Caretaker Masood Hussain 

"We just held an exhibition of the city's Jewish history sourced from the digital archive that I am working on," shares Silliman. It's an invaluable resource. "Bring it down to Bombay!" is our first reaction to the exhaustive repository.

STOP 3: Beth El Synagogue

Pollock Street

We diligently follow our guide while combating the bullish traffic on Brabourne Road, to reach Pollock Street. Walking through this narrow gully feels as if all of India's market produce has been hastily thrown into a tiny location. The smells and sounds are in full flow.

All of a sudden, an impressive pale yellow façade springs up on us. The Beth El Synagogue was built in 1855-56 by visionaries, Joseph Ezra and Ezekiel Judah. Silliman leads us up the flight of marble steps to our final stop. Inside, we note that the basic architecture is similar to the other two synagogues. Though not in use for the congregation, its interiors are well maintained.

The craftsmanship of the chandeliers, stained glasswork, especially above the main entrance, its half dome and balconies, take our breath away. Despite the buzz outside, we could hear a pin drop as the past and present come to a standstill inside. Finally, we are able to gauge the unique challenge that faces this once-vibrant, now-dwindling community that has been integral to Kolkata's cosmopolitan fabric.

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Nearly 125 sailors from 10 countries participated in the sailing and regatta events as part of the three-day vClusive Cup - India Yachting Festival, which concluded in Goa on Sunday. Organised by vClusive, Luxury Hues Group and Marine Solutions, the event was conducted under the auspices of the state Tourism Department, along with the Confederation of Indian Industries.

Representational picture

"The vClusive Cup - India Yachting Festival is a platform that focuses on lifestyle experience. Our success lies in the fact that the mega event connects brands and consumers on an engagement platform," Vinu Sundaresan, founder and CEO of vClusive, told reporters here.

"We are committed to shaping the development of the luxury and marine sector, hence, we believe in involving the industry towards the growth of the tourism and leisure industry at large."

The aim of the event, Sundaresan said, was to expand the horizons of marine and lifestyle tourism in the country, considering the fact that India has a coastline of 7,000 km which could be tapped.

Gautama Dutta, Executive Director, Marine Solutions, said: "Yachting is a leisure past time that is waiting to be developed into a highly leveraged lifestyle and leisure activity.

"We realise its potential and we are committed to developing it in India. We also understand that yachting is waiting to be experienced as a lifestyle that is satisfying, adventurous and thrilling."

There is a New India rising. Along with this rise, there is a growing demand for experiential leisure, he said.

"We believe yachting can fill this space promoting not only marine tourism but also building infrastructure and creating employment," Dutta added.

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Google has introduced updates to its existing "Google Flights" service that will now let users book a hotel at their travel destination directly from Search. Earlier, the service helped users predict flight delays and find the cheapest fare by using machine learning capabilities.

According to Engadget, the company might introduce more integration to help users with the entire travel process.

According to Google, it also added improved price filtering, easier to find information on amenities, along with the new booking feature.

"There are some new interface features that help you check travel options on your mobile phone, too. Over the next few days, you'll see a 'Hotels' option to tap at the top of a 'Google Flight' search page," the report said.

If users want to search for hotels first, they could flip over to the 'Flights' tab as well to check prices and book air travel.

In addition, one could search by destination, then look up flights and hotels from there.

A simple tap on "More Destinations" at the top left of the search results and see more places to go.

"If you've booked travel via Google or have reservations in your Gmail, you'll be able to see it all in the new private 'Your Trips' section," the company said.

A user could also e-mail these details directly from "Your Trips". In case of offline access, the information would show up in the "Google Trips" app.

Colva beach in South Goa has been selected by the Union Tourism ministry to be developed under the ambitious India¿s Iconic Tourist Sites Project, a senior official said today. Union Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma made the announcement here today and added that it was the only beach along the 12 sites selected.

"It will boost tourism and build the profile of the area and bring about community development," state tourism officials said. The project envisages employment generation, development of local culture, beautification, infrastructure and other public amenities, they added. Verma said that a detailed master plan would be put in place to develop Colva beach as an iconic tourist site.

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