Representational picture

A bottle gourd or dudhi as we call it is one of the healthiest vegetables. When it is fresh, the fruit has a light green smooth skin and white flesh. Doodhi is about 92 percent of water and minerals which keeps your body hydrated. The bottle gourd or doodhi has a long list of health benefits. Dr. Manoj Kutteri, Wellness Director at Atmantan Wellness Director lists some of them

• Cooked bottle gourd aids for better digestion. It is cooling, calming, diuretic and anti-bilious (reduces bile and stops indigestion). The B vitamins assist in increasing the body’s metabolic rate to better digest fats, proteins, sugar and carbohydrate.
• Like cranberries, bottle gourd supports the kidneys and the urinary system of our body by reducing burning sensation from high acidic urination. It also reduces the chances of urinary infection because it is alkalizing and has a diuretic effect. Consume if you have high creatine and uric acid.
• A nutritious vegetable for the female reproductive system.
• It is extremely popular for weight loss especially the bottle gourd juice.
• Bottle gourd is extremely popular for reducing high blood pressure and bad cholesterol in some people.
• Bottle gourd is known to combat excessive thirst in diabetic patients.
• The fiber and the minerals in the bottle gourd support healthy digestion and combats constipation, colic pain and ulcer.
• Helps to prevent premature greying and improve hair growth.
• The Vitamin C and Zinc in lauki prevent pre mature aging and wrinkles as well.
• Bottle gourd is recommended for reducing liver inflammation.
• Lauki juice taken with ginger or black pepper can help with respiratory health.
• Bottle gourd is over 90% water therefore it is easy to digest
• The vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre in lauki keep the body well-nourished and curb unnecessary appetite, especially if you drink its juice in the morning on an empty stomach.
• It also contains sodium, potassium, essential minerals and trace elements, which regulate blood pressure and prevent the risk of heart ailments.
• High in sodium and potassium, bottle gourd is also an excellent vegetable for people with hypertension.
• Mixing the juice with sesame oil provides an effective medicine for insomnia. Massage the scalp with this preparation every night.

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Mujahid Jameel With music director Vivek Prakash. Pics/Datta Kumbhar

As a child growing up in Kanpur's Chaman Ganj locality, poet Mujahid Jameel would often be a regular at kirtans organised by the area's bhajan mandalis. He'd sit in the front row, entranced by the sound of cymbals and bells, as the group sang songs in praise of Lord Krishna. Son of a clothes designer who worked at a mill, a young Jameel never saw  himself as an oddity at these events held in temple premises.

"I would tag along with my friends to nearby temples. At no point was I made to feel like I wasn't supposed to be there," says Jameel, now 85 years old. It helped to hail from a literary background — his father Nayab Dehlvi was also a poet and his grandfather Habib was a peer (Sufi spiritual guide) — which made straddling both worlds fairly easy. "My family never interfered with my religious leaning. When I look back, I think my small Kanpur neighbourhood was also quite liberal," he recalls.

Reviving a decade old song
It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the octogenarian who now lives in Malad with his family, has written over 250 bhajans, apart from several other Urdu shai'rs. His latest single in Braj Bhāshā, a Hindi dialect from Mathura, titled Radha Rani Rooth Gayi, celebrates the delightful camaraderie between Krishna and Radha. An out-and-out bhajan, it released earlier this week on YouTube and is produced by music director Vivek Prakash and sung by Anoop Jalota and Roli Prakash. It's a piece he had penned 10 years ago on a whim. The book in which he had jotted it down was relegated to the shelf, until a chance encounter with music director Vivek Prakash at an event gave the song a second life. "We got talking about songs, and I mentioned this bhajan that I'd written a decade ago. When Prakash heard it, he felt there was potential in the lyrics," he says.

Mujahid Jameel

It was in 1953 that Jameel moved to Mumbai to become a poet. After much struggle, he landed a job with a leading music production company for which he wrote several songs. Of this, few were devotional. What catapulted him to fame was a Pankaj Udhas song, Chupke Chupke Woh Sakhiyon Se, which released in 1999, featuring a fresh-faced John Abraham and model Rajlaxmi Roy. "All this while I continued writing devotional songs in both Hindi and Urdu dedicated to Lord Krishna," he says. When we quiz him about his unusual fascination with bhajans, Jameel finds it both amusing and puzzling. "I was born in Uttar Pradesh which is home to some important places where Lord Krishna was born and spent a major part of his life. So, according to me, it's not strange to find a Muslim man who is inspired by Krishna," he remarks.

A call for goodness  
The love for bhajans also stems from his fixation with theology. He remembers the time in Kanpur when he would visit local libraries and devour religious texts. But for Jameel, his love for Krishna bhajans is more innate. "It comes naturally to me. There's a certain mystical charm that I see in him," he adds. Jameel usually has a pen and notebook at hand to jot down lyrics in moments of inspirations.

In all these years, Jameel has travelled to Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana  and Dwarka — places linked to Lord Krishna's life. He has even trekked to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and driven to Swaminarayan Akshardham at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. "It's a magnificent temple. I felt so inspired while I sat there, that I ended up writing 108 bhajans," he says. Jameel says his fixation with Krishna doesn't make him any less Muslim. In  fact, he considers himself a humanist. "I am a proud Muslim but I believe all religions point towards a common universal truth. All I want to tell people through my shayari and bhajans is to be a good human being."

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Twitter became unavailable for many users after the site stopped working at about 3.20 p.m. EST on Saturday, media reported. According to Down Detector, the outages were mostly reported along the East Coast of the US and in western Europe. The Twitter outage map showed very little outages on the West Coast of the US, Newsweek reported on Saturday.

When users visited Twitter on Saturday, they were greeted with an error message -- "something is technically wrong. Thanks for noticing-we're going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon", the report said.

"Twitter doesn't work on the tablet either have to do this from my phone. Won't load my tweets but is logged into my account," one Down Detector user wrote.

"Omg why are my twitter notifications not working," another said.

Twitter appeared to be down across platforms; both for iOS and android as well as desktop and third-party sites like Tweetdeck.

Around 3.40 p.m., many users reported that Twitter started working again, the report said.

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Google has rewarded an Uruguayan teenager a "bug bounty" of more than $36,000 for disclosing a severe security flaw. Ezequiel Pereira's sporadic poking around has finally paid off in a big way: Google just awarded the Uruguayan teenager $36,337 for finding a vulnerability that would have allowed him to make changes to internal company systems, CNBC reported on Saturday.

"I found something almost immediately that was worth $500 and it just felt so amazing. So I decided to just keep trying ever since then," Pereira was quoted as saying by CNBC.

"It feels really good - I'm glad that I found something that was so important," he added.

Although, Pereira found the bug earlier this year, he only just got permission to write about how he discovered it this week, after Google confirmed that it had fixed the issue, the report said.

It marks Pereira's fifth accepted bug, but it's by far his most lucrative.

Pereira was about a month shy of 17 when he first got paid for exposing a Google security flaw through its bug bounty programme.

Pereira got his first computer when he was 10, took an initial programming class when he was 11 and then spent years teaching himself different coding languages and techniques.

In 2016, Google flew him to its California headquarters after he won a coding contest.

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The use of technology by business and government in tax compliance is driving continued simplification and reduction in the burden of tax compliance on businesses, says Paying Taxes 2018, a report by The World Bank Group and PwC.

BDO, the accountancy and business advisory firm, has released a report into the rapidly growing issue businesses and governments face with fraud, including tax fraud.

Denmark was found to have the heaviest burden of taxation as a percentage of the economy in a new study by accountancy firm UHY.

(this is continuation of the title): Why is the daylight robber being rewarded instead of punished or fired BEFORE he proves he has value ?! Your proposed role for him doesn't seem to offer any value to us. I saw the mails about Ankit stealing research id..

As all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja shared a video to show-off his swashbuckling swordsmanship, former England skipper Michael Vaughan left a cheeky comment on the Instagram post.

Jadeja had shared a video on Instagram on Sunday to show off his trademark swordsmanship. However, taking the note of the grass in Jadeja's lawn, Vaughan replied: "Your grass needs a mow rockstar".

On Sunday, the left-handed Jadeja was displaying various moves with the sword in the video posted on Instagram.

 

 

 

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A “SWORD” MAY LOOSE IT’S SHINE,BUT WOULD NEVER DISOBEY IT’S MASTER. #rajputboy

A post shared by Ravindra Jadeja (@royalnavghan) onApr 12, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

The cricketer is very-well trained in swordsmanship and he has also made it popular by swinging his bat like a sword in cricket matches whenever he crosses the mark of 50 or 100.

Last week, Australian batsman David Warner had also shared a throwback video from the last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in which he was swinging his bat like a sword.

The SunRisers Hyderabad skipper was swinging the bat like a sword for a commercial and he immediately broke into laughter once the director said cut.

 

 

 

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Throwback to this time last year to a commercial we were doing for @sunrisershyd Do you think I’ve got @royalnavghan covered for the sword?? 😂😂

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) onApr 7, 2020 at 11:21pm PDT

Warner had also asked the fans to give their opinion on as to how he did as compared to Jadeja.

With the country battling COVID-19, all sporting activities have been either postponed or stand cancelled. The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) has also been suspended till April 15.

Jadeja is part of the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and he would have been in action if the tournament had started as planned on March 29.

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Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria might be currently serving a life ban for his involvement in fixing, but he has once again taken the attack to the Pakistan Cricket Board saying that he wasnt supported enough by the PCB.

In a YouTube video, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had spoken about how Brian Lara had taken Kaneria to the cleaners even though the Pakistan captain had placed fielders on the boundary and thereby shown his true class.

But taking to Twitter, Kaneria wrote: "I have taken @BrianLara's wicket 5 times in my career. He was a good cricketer. If PCB had supported me, I would have broken many big records."

Describing the episode, Inzamam had said: "Kaneria bowled a googly and Lara hit the ball back towards the bowler, coming out of his crease. Danish said ‘well played Brian', which prompted Lara to say ‘okay sir'. The next three balls were all dispatched over the boundary.

"I was the captain of the side so I went over to Danish and told him to tease Lara a bit more. I felt he was angry so we might make him throw away his wicket. I placed the fielders on the boundary in anticipation of big shots but he still managed to outfox us by hitting Danish to all parts of the ground."

Kaneria had earlier asked Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh to help the hindus in Pakistan as they fight the coronavirus outbreak.

"I request @YUVSTRONG12 and @harbhajan_singh to make a video for the minorities living in Pakistan as well. They need your help in this moment of #coronacrisis," Kaneria had said in a tweet.

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Former Australia captain Allan Border has given a thumbs down to the concept of Australia hosting the ICC WorldT20 in empty stadiums in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the Australian government has sealed its border for six months till September 30 to deal with the global health crisis which has claimed 61 lives and infected 6400 in the country. With the flagship event starting October 18, there are speculations that Cricket Australia might be forced to conduct matches in empty stadiums, something that is not acceptable to the World Cup winning former skipper.

"I just can't imagine playing at empty stadiums ... it defies belief," he told Fox Sports News. In fact, Border said that he doesn't see the World T20 happening if spectators are not allowed inside the stadiums as the purpose of the sport is lost. "Having teams, support staff and everyone else associated with the game wandering around the country, playing games of cricket, but you can't let people into the grounds. I just can't see it happening," Border said.

For him, it's an either-or situation for Cricket Australia. "It's either you play it and everyone just gets on with the job and we're past this pandemic or it just has to be cancelled and you try to fit it in somewhere else," said the 64-year-old Border.

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India cricketer Hardik Pandya is not just an entertainer on the cricket field but off it too.

On Tuesday, a video of Hardik Pandya surfaced on Instagram where he is seen entertaining his social media followers alongside fiancee Natasa Stankovic.

In the video that went viral, Hardik Pandya asks Natasa Stankovic, "Baby, main kya hoon tera? [who am I to you]." The Serbian model-actor hesitates for a bit before replying: "Jigar ka tukda [a piece of my heart]" after which both burst out laughing at her accent. Take a look at the video below.

 

 

 

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@hardikpandya93 blood💥💯#hardikpandya #nature #nature #naturalhairstyles #naturephotography #photo #photographer #photography #photooftheday #photoshoot #photographylovers #photoshop

A post shared by hardikpandya_93 🔵 (@hardikpandya_93_blood) onApr 12, 2020 at 7:15pm PDT

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic's dating rumours began in early 2019. Hardik Pandya shocked the world when he announced that he proposed to Natasa Stankovic on New Year's Day 2020 confirming that they were engaged.

Natasa Stankovic has appeared in many reality shows, most notable ones being, Bigg Boss 8 and Nach Baliye 9.  

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Fast bowler Ishant Sharma said that he can't pick between his seven-wicket haul at Lord's in 2014 and the fifer he took in India's maiden pink ball Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.

"Both of them are equally memorable," Ishant said in a video tweeted by his Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals. "Taking seven wickets at Lord's is obviously something I can't forget. And taking those five wickets with the pink ball also I can't forget because after 12 years I had taken a five-wicket haul."

Ishant's 7/74 was crucial in India recording a historic win at Lord's over England in 2014. It was the first time in 28 years that India had won a Test at the famous stadium.

Ishant's career went through many troughs after that before he resurfaced and became an integral part of the fierce pace battery that Virat Kohli's team now possesses alongwith Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

In the pink ball Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, Ishant blew the opposition away in the first innings and ended up with figures of 5/22. It was his first fifer at home since 2007.

Ishant last played for India at Wellington in their first Test against New Zealand before his ankle injury resurfaced. He was expected to play for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 edition of the IPL but it has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Reminiscing the old days, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Monday shared a classic throwback picture with brother Krunal.

In the 2011 photo, the duo are smiling while posing for the camera with a 'desi swag.'

 

 

 

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Throwback to 2011 😅 How time changes @krunalpandya_official Swag mera desi hai

A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) onApr 20, 2020 at 6:42am PDT

"Throwback to 2011, How time changes @krunalpandya_official, Swag Mera desi hai," Hardik captioned the post on Instagram.

The flamboyant all-rounder, who was out of the Indian team due to back injury, made a comeback during the South Africa tour of India.

The first match of the series got washed out due to rain, and the series was eventually postponed following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Pandya made his ODI debut against New Zealand at Dharamsala in October 2016.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all sporting action across the world has been stopped including the 13th edition of the IPL.

On April 16, the IPL 2020 was suspended till further notice due to 'evolving global health concerns'.

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India cricketer Krunal Pandya, 29, Instagrammed a fun video, enjoying of a unique version of table tennis with his brother, Hardik in their room.

With their double bed forming a table and a rolled up blanket playing the role of a net, the two brothers are seen using their hands as racquets as they play TT with a soft ball (screengrab above). "#PandyaBros in action in a different sport. @hardikpandya93 and I are always competitive with each other. Who do you think won this round?," Krunal captioned his post that got nearly 40,000 views within a few hours.

 

 

 

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#PandyaBros in action in a different sport 😏 @hardikpandya93 and I are always competitive with each other 🤪 Who do you think won this round?

A post shared by Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya_official) onApr 23, 2020 at 5:00am PDT

Interestingly, former India pacer Munaf Patel replied with a cheeky comment: "No cheating, KP please."

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The numbers are heavily in favour of Mahendra Singh Dhoni but former India batsman Gautam Gambhir says spin legend Anil Kumble was the best India captain he has ever played under. Gambhir has high regards for Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly as India skippers, but believes Kumble would have been phenomenal as captain had he led the national team for a longer period.

"From the records point of view it obviously has to be MS Dhoni. He has won every ICC trophy possible. He has done fabulously well, he has handled the pressure for a very long time. Sourav (Ganguly) has also done well. "But one person I would definitely, would have liked to captain India for a long time should have been Anil Kumble. I played 6 Test matches under him and had he captained India for a long time would have broken many records," Gambhir said on Star Sports 'Cricket Connected' show on the occasion of IPL's 12th anniversary.

"From the records point of view Dhoni is right up there but for me the best captain I played under is Anil Kumble," Gambhit, who is now a BJP MP, added. Kumble was appointed as India captain after Rahul Dravid in 2007 and led the side in 14 Tests -- winning three, losing six and drawing five. But his stint as captain lasted little less than a year as he retired in November 2008, following which Dhoni was appointed as the skipper in all three formats. Gambhir also picked Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma as the all-time great IPL captain. "I think it's Rohit Sharma . He has won the IPL four times and his captaincy is all about winning trophies," he said. "He will end up being the most successful IPL captains of all-time as well, probably he will finish with 6 or 7 titles under his belt."

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India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has joked that a cup of coffee proved too costly for him and he now drinks green tea instead in an Instagram live chat with wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik. Pandya was referring to the controversy he landed in due to his comments on the television show Koffee With Karan in early 2019.

"I don't drink coffee, I drink green tea instead. I drank coffee only once and proved to be too expensive for me. I can bet that Starbucks would not have such an expensive coffee. Since then I stay away from coffee," he said in the live chat which also featured his brother and fellow all-rounder Krunal.

Pandya was caught in a maelstrom of controversy in early 2019 due to his remarks on the chat show in which he had appeared with teammate KL Rahul. It led to both being briefly suspended from the Indian team.

Pandya has since got engaged and while his return to the Indian team has been hampered by injuries and the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, he is expected to play for the team at the T20 World Cup later in the year should it go through.

He also said that he would be okay with the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) being played behind closed doors. The season has been postponed after the Indian government extended the ongoing lockdown in the country to May 3 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"It will be different. We are used to playing in front of them as the feeling of competition comes with the crowd," said Pandya in an Instagram live chat with Dinesh Karthik.

"I've played in the Ranji Trophy without crowds, and it feels different. To be honest, if that [IPL behind closed doors] happens, it will be a smarter option. At least people will be entertained at home," he said.

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Australia's world number one pacer Pat Cummins finds India's middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara the toughest batsman to bowl at in Test cricket and called him a "pain in the back" for his team.

With his solid batting at number three, Pujara had played an influential role in India's historic triumph Down Under in 2018-19. Cummins held Pujara in high esteem when asked which batsman he found toughest to bowl to during a Question & Answer session that was arranged by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).

"There are a lot of them out there, unfortunately. But I am going to go with someone different, and he is (Cheteshwar) Pujara from India. He was a real pain in the back for us," Cummins said. The unassuming Pujara had helped India claim their maiden Test series victory in Australia last year by amassing a staggering 521 runs at an average of over 74 with three hundreds and a half-century. Cummins recalled the difficulty the Australian bowlers faced in dislodging Pujara.

"He (Pujara) was an absolute rock for them in that series. (He was) really hard to get out. Just ultra concentration all day, day after day. He is the hardest one in Test cricket so far, I think," Cummins added. Pujara was named the Man of the Series for his stellar showing, proving to be the player that made all the difference.

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev said that his new bald look with a beard is inspired by West Indies great Viv Richards whom he described as his hero and 2011 World Cup-winning Indian captain M.S. Dhoni.

"I had seen Sir Vivian Richards on your Instagram. He is my hero so (I thought) why not? I'll follow my hero. I also saw Dhoni who is also my hero and he had cut his hair after winning the World Cup. So I thought why not, now I have the chance so I did it," Kapil said in a video tweeted by Chennai Super Kings.

Richards respond to the CSK tweet, saying: "Hahaha You took the right inspiration my friend @therealkapildev (sic.)"

Dhoni had famously cut off his long locks after winning the 2007 World T20 and even sported a semi-bald look after winning the 2011 World Cup.

Kapil's bald look with a beard is also quite similar to what Richards has carried for the better part of his retired life. The two have faced off on the field a number of times, most prominently in the final of the 1983 World Cup in which Kapil's rather unheralded Indian team stunned the mighty West Indies and won the trophy.

It was only the third time that the tournament was being held and the first time that a team apart from the West Indies had won it.

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Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are undoubtedly the finest batsmen Indian cricket has ever produced. Virat Kohli is also closing in on Sachin's ODI record of most centuries. The most discussed topic which has been a debate is will Virat Kohli every overtake Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries? Well, this former Australian pacer thinks it is possible.

On a special two-part episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected that airs on April 25th, 2020, former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has hinted that Team India captain Virat Kohli could surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 100 centuries.

Brett Lee spoke about Virat Kohli’s chances of passing Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 centuries, "We are talking about phenomenal numbers here. Give it another 7-8 years of cricket and the way he is going currently, Kohli can definitely knock it off easily. However, it comes down to three things. One thing that I would like to eliminate is his talent as a batsman. He definitely got that, so we eliminate that.

Picture Courtesy/ Brett Lee's Instagram

Brett Lee continued, "The second will be his fitness. Kohli has surely had that, because for me it’s all about fitness. Last would be the mental strength and the capacity to get through the hard games and being away from home. I believe he has all these three-components to go past Sachin, but again we are talking about Sachin and how can somebody go past God. So, we just have to wait and watch."

Brett Lee also took to Instagram to wish his former on-field rival-turned-friend Sachin Tendulkar as the latter celebrated his 47th birthday on April 24, 2020. Take a look at Brett's post below.

 

 

 

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Happy birthday legend @sachintendulkar Even though that the battles on the cricket field have now ceased, the friendships will last forever! Stay safe mate and have a wonderful celebration 🎉

A post shared by Brett Lee (@brettlee_58) onApr 24, 2020 at 2:44am PDT

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Former Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke is reportedly still seeing fashion designer Pip Edwards, but doesn't want the world to know. According to British tabloid, The Daily Mail, Michael was spotted at Pip's apartment, but made a dash for it moments later.

Michael, nicknamed Pup, and Pip broke up earlier this month as the former cricketer was not too happy about the publicity that accompanied their relationship.  However, on Monday morning, he was spotted with Pip at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

It is learnt that the couple emerged from Pip's home in a black car at around 9am and drove to a nearby juice bar. Pip, who turned 40 on the day, then headed to collect their order, but on noticing the paparazzi, left in a huff, forgetting to pick their drinks.They then drove back to her place from where Michael took off on his motorbike. Later, Pip returned to the juice bar and picked up three juices.

Michael separated from his wife of seven years, Kyly in September last year. They have a daughter Kelsey Lee, four.Pip has a teenaged son Justice.

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Veteran Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor on Friday claimed the top honour on the final day of the 2020 New Zealand Cricket Awards, winning the prestigious Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the third time while Tim Southee was named Test Player of the Year. The virtual ceremony also saw Canterbury umpire Kim Cotton's meteoric rise through the officiating ranks recognised with the GJ Gardner Homes New Zealand Cricket Umpire of the Year award. Taylor had a great season, he helped guide the Blackcaps to a second successive ICC Cricket World Cup Final. He surpassed Stephen Fleming's all-time Test runs scoring record for New Zealand and became the first cricketer to play 100 international games in each of the three formats.

The 36-year-old was once again the glue in the top-order, amassing 1,389 runs across the three formats in a season in which he played in all but one of the Blackcaps' 32 internationals, from England to Sri Lanka, Australia and at home. Taylor reflected on the influence of the late Martin Crowe who was instrumental in developing the right hander's Test technique and helping him to set his goals. "I'm sure he would be proud of this. Marty was able to pass on a lot of his experience and wisdom which has played a massive part in my career," Taylor said.

"It was always something that he always pushed me to do (break records). I think he would probably be surprised at how well I have done. But I've been fortunate to be helped by a lot of people over the years and I guess when you win awards like this it's nice to be able to thank them," he added. On the other hand, Southee claimed 40 wickets from eight Tests, including 14 in the two-Test wins against India, in Wellington and Christchurch.

In the four Tests, the Kiwis won during the judging period, he took 25 wickets at an average of 16.40.

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India pacer Shardul Thakur, 28, cannot remember when he last spent a summer break at his home in Palghar, where he is catching up with old neighbours and childhood friends thanks to the Coronavirus-caused lockdown. Thakur was in the Indian team for their last ODI series before the lockdown—three games in New Zealand—where the hosts won 3-0. In three games, Thakur claimed four wickets including 2-60 while opening the bowling in the second ODI at Auckland. It was in this game that he slammed a 15-ball 18 (3x4) at No. 8, but it couldn't help India cross their 274-run target; Virat Kohli's men falling short by 22 runs.

Thakur has played a solitary Test (against the West Indies at Uppal in 2018), but a groin strain restricted his participation to just 10 balls. He has played 15 T20 internationals but has yet to establish himself in the team, partly due to injuries.

Apart from providing a lowdown on his lockdown schedule, Thakur opened up on his batting evolution, his aim of becoming a bowling all-rounder, the hot debate about applying saliva on the ball and his views on social media trolls.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

How are you dealing with the lockdown?

I can do sprints in my backyard. There are certain workouts that can be done inside, which I do regularly. In my verandah, I practise my action from just one or two steps. The purpose is to ensure my body and mind do not forget what I have been doing. When I step on the field, these drills will make it a bit easier to start again. It will be very difficult if I don't do anything during the lockdown.

You played some useful knocks during the T20Is against Sri Lanka and the limited-overs series in New Zealand. How has your batting evolved?

I have either batted at No. 9 or 10 for Mumbai. There were some guys, who never believed in my ability but when I played under coach Chandrakant Pandit, I made some useful contributions with the bat. He encouraged me to focus on my batting. But unfortunately, he left. I kept telling the Mumbai team management that I can bat at No. 8, so we don't need an extra batsman to increase the depth in the batting. But there are a lot of other factors that determine that [playing XI]. Honestly, I always feel I got very less opportunity with the Mumbai team to prove my worth as a batsman. To be a bowling all-rounder, I expect my state team to promote me. During the injury period [foot surgery], I decided to make a conscious effort to bat. I would visualise various situations to bat in and what would be my approach. In the Indian team, they always back me and I've been told that I will bat at No. 8.

How did the Indian team management come to know about your batting ability?

I practised in the nets. The team management believed that I could bat and always encouraged me. They saw my potential, my hunger, and backed me. There was a conscious effort in the nets, genuinely wanting to contribute in other depart-ments for the Indian team.

Are you aiming for an all-rounder's role?

In my head, I am already a bowling all-rounder, but I have to dish out some strong performances for the people to recognise it. I will have to go out there and prove it. That's the plan.

What's your view on avoiding the use of saliva or sweat on the ball as a Coronavirus-related precaution?

I am pretty okay avoiding saliva on the ball for some time, till COVID-19 [pandemic] settles down completely. The dynamics of bowling will definitely change, there is no doubt about it. But the sport has always evolved, so I am sure some new ideas will come up; within the rules of the game of course.

You were trolled after going for 227 runs in the three ODIs v NZ. This happened after a decent performance in the T20I series [eight wickets in five matches v Kiwis]…

I am new to the international circuit; I'm learning. It has been an up and down curve, but what I get to learn from it is important. I have no problem with people criticising me, but there are our family members, near and dear ones on social media as well and they also read the abuse and harsh language against us [players]. The family gets affected the most as they are not used to it. So, they [trollers] should think twice before writing anything on social media.

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Sourav Ganguly, former India skipper and the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday shared a throwback picture of him training at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

Ganguly shared the picture on his Instagram account and captioned the post as: Memories .. training at Lords day before my test debut in 1996".

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Memories .. training at Lords day before my test debut in 1996

A post shared by SOURAV GANGULY (@souravganguly) onMay 6, 2020 at 4:06am PDT

The left-handed batsman made his Test debut against England in 1996 at the Lord's Cricket Ground. In his opening Test, Ganguly came out to bat at number three and played a knock of 131 runs from 301 balls, studded with 20 fours.

His innings helped India post a total of 429 runs and gain a lead of 85 over the hosts England. England managed to hang on in the second innings for a draw.

Over the years, Ganguly went on to become one of the most successful Indian skippers. Under his leadership, India defeated Pakistan in Pakistan for the first time in a Test series. He also guided India to the finals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Ganguly played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs. The swashbuckling left-handed batsman scored 18,575 runs across all formats in his international career. In October 2019, Ganguly became the president of the BCCI.

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Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have completed the formalities in transferring Rs 50 lakh to the Maharashtra Chief Minister's COVID-19 Relief Fund, according to an MCA official on Thursday.

Though the decision was taken on March 26, the amount was not remitted as there was no direction whether to make the donation to the CM's Relief Fund or the specially-created fund for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maharashtra is one of the worst-hit states in India with over 14,000 positive cases reported.

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China has reported 99 new Coronavirus cases, the highest in a single day in recent weeks, and 63 fresh asymptomatic infections, taking the total number of patients in the country to 82,052, health officials said here on Saturday, amid concerns about a second wave of the pandemic.

According to China's National Health Commission, as of Saturday, a total of 1,280 imported cases were reported in China. Of them, 481 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 799 were being treated with 36 in severe condition.

It said 99 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 97 were from people returning from abroad. Also on Saturday, 63 new asymptomatic cases, including 12 from abroad, were reported on the mainland. The NHC said 1,086 asymptomatic cases, including 332 from abroad, were still under medical observation.

Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.

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A northeast China province is offering cash rewards of up to 5,000 yuan ($700) for help in catching people who illegally cross the Russian border after a flood of imported Coronavirus cases. As of Monday, China has reported a total of 1,464 imported cases of which 905 are still undergoing treatment.

Weeks after it drastically cut international flights and banned entry to foreigners to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus crisis, China is still struggling to contain a spike in imported cases.

Most of the new infections have been in Chinese citizens returning home. A new front has emerged in Heilongjiang province, which on Tuesday reported 79 new cases in arrivals from neighbouring Russia, taking its total of imported infections to 326. Provincial authorities said on Monday that people who report illegal border crossings will receive a 3,000-yuan reward. "If the citizen captures and hands over (offenders) to relevant departments, there will be a one-off reward of 5,000 yuan," the virus prevention and control working group said.

McD apologises after store in China bans Africans

US chain McDonald's has apologised after a sign telling black people they were banned from entering a branch in southern China prompted outrage online, following reports of discriminatory treatment towards Africans in the city. A McDonald's spokesman told AFP that the notice was "not representative of our inclusive values". It said it removed the sign and temporarily closed the restaurant.

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Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff are working on the frontline, dutifully serving patients in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Most healthcare workers have been working in longer shifts risking their lives to save others while combatting daily challenges like shortage of PPEs and other issues. Their efforts have been lauded and people across the globe have taken to social media to praise the healthworkers 

Business tycoon Harsh Goenka shared a video on Twitter of a doctor getting praises from people in a unique way that has gone viral. In an emotional video that is been widely circulated online, medical practitioner Dr Uma Madhusudan is seen outside her house getting 'Thank you' praises from cars passing by with passengers holding placards in a 'Drive of Honour'.

The car rally also had the fire brigade trucks and police cars with neighbours holding 'Thank You' placards for her. The elated doctor is seen thanking them and waving at them.

According to the Star of Mysore, Dr Madhusudhan studied at the JSS Medical College in Mysuru and is currently working at the South Windsor Hospital in the US.

“Dr Uma Madhusudan, an Indian  doctor, was saluted in a unique way in front of her house in USA in recognition of her selfless service treating Covid patients,” the caption for Goenka’s post read.

Dr Uma Madhusudan, an Indian doctor, was saluted in a unique way in front of her house in USA in recognition of her selfless service treating Covid patients pic.twitter.com/Hg62FSwzsP

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) April 20, 2020

The video posted on April 21, garnered more than 44,600 views and over 3,400 likes and was retweeted 354 times. Here’s how the Twitterati reacted on the post:

She's from my wife's medical college in Mysore. The alumni group was having lot of joy seeing this.

— D Prasanth Nair (@DPrasanthNair) April 21, 2020

Proud and salute for her dedication.

— Vimal (@gupt1001) April 22, 2020

Also in India we have people who are showering flowers on police & sanitation workers. Thinking matters among different people, societies & localities.

— Arvind Behal (@ArvindBehal) April 20, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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President Donald Trump has said he will place a pause on the issuance of new green cards for the next 60 days as part of his efforts to protect American workers. He also confirmed that he would sign on Wednesday an order partially blocking immigration to the US.

Trump, seeking re-election in November, said his executive order to ban immigration will last for 60 days and apply only to those seeking permanent residence in the country and exempt temporary workers.

"It will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as US reopens. It would be wrong and unjust for Americans to be replaced with immigrants flown in from abroad," he said.

The US — with 45,000 deaths and over 8,25,000 infections -- is the world's hardest-hit country. About 22 million Americans have lost their jobs since the outbreak.
Meanwhile, a study funded by the National Institute of Health stated that the plan to use hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 patients has received a setback with more deaths being reported among those who were given the drug, according to a report.

Missouri sues Chinese govt

The US state of Missouri filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government, the ruling Communist Party of China, and other Chinese officials and institutions, alleging that Chinese officials are "responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians." China dismissed as "nothing short of absurdity" and violation of sovereignty the lawsuit.

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The internet is filled with some interesting content that does not disappoint. From motivational, inspirational pictures and videos filled with positivity to creepy and scary, the internet has it all. After a viral video of a black blob-like creature resembling Marvel villain Venom surfaced online, a scary video of an odd-looking bird resembling like an alien spawn is making rounds on social media.

The video posted by a page on Twitter called ‘When Animals Attack’, shows a newly-hatched chick eating feed from a tube. The appearance of the bird that has weird spots around its mouth and has small teeth in its beak is, bears a slight resemblance to Demogorgon, a character in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things, has scared netizens.

Anyone know what that is? pic.twitter.com/6VElcKlzKy

— When Animals Attack (@Animalsandfools) April 23, 2020

The video, shared on Thursday, managed to garner over 49,600 views with 879 likes and was retweeted 270 times. Apart from posting how scary the bird looks, some users commenting on the video identifying the bird.

No but I know what my next nightmare will be.

— Tarla Vorg (@TarlaVorg) April 23, 2020

I think i saw it in "stranger's things"

— simone iavazzo (@SimoTaboga) April 23, 2020

I think i saw it in "stranger's things"

— simone iavazzo (@SimoTaboga) April 23, 2020

Baby shark dododo

— LassieWolf (@LassieWolf) April 23, 2020

Baby shark dododo

— LassieWolf (@LassieWolf) April 23, 2020

Some users identified the bird as a Gouldian finch.

It's a gouldian finch chick which would grow to be a beautiful bird like in this picture pic.twitter.com/BSPvwV8bgd

— Muthu (@muthurajk) April 23, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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China has approved its third coronavirus vaccine for the second phase of clinical trials as it reported 12 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 82,816. China has approved three coronavirus vaccines, including the one developed by Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for clinical trials. An "inactivated" vaccine developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products under the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) started its clinical trials, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

An "inactivated" vaccine consists of virus particles, bacteria, or other pathogens that have been grown in culture and then lose disease producing capacity. In contrast, live vaccines use pathogens that are still alive. WIV has been in the eye of the storm in recent weeks as US President Donald Trump and top American officials alleged that the coronavirus may have escaped from there and demanded a probe into it. An official of the WIV denied it, terming the allegation "entirely based on speculation".

A total of 96 persons in three age groups have received the vaccine in the first phase of clinical trial as of April 23. The vaccine has shown good safety results so far and vaccine receivers are still under observation, said the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm. The randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trials of the inactivated vaccine are conducted in Jiaozuo, central China's Henan Province, and the second phase of clinical trial will focus on the vaccination procedure, it said.

The vaccine will also go through the third phase of the clinical trial, and it may take about one year to complete the clinical trial before finally reaching the conclusion on the vaccine's safety and efficacy, it said. China has approved three COVID-19 vaccine candidates for clinical trials. An adenovirus vector vaccine, developed by Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences, was the first to be approved to enter a clinical trial. The first phase of the clinical trial was completed at the end of March, and the second phase started on April 12.

Meanwhile China's National Health Commission, (NHC) said on Saturday that 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the country on Friday, of which 11 were imported. The other one was domestically transmitted in Heilongjiang Province bordering Russia. The death toll in the country remained at 4,632 people as no fatalities were reported due to coronavirus on Friday, it said.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,816 by Friday, including 838 patients who were still being treated and 77,346 people discharged after treatment. The total number of imported cases of the coronavirus in China increased to 1,629 on Friday, of this 909 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 720 were being treated with 25 in severe conditions, it said. Also on Friday, 29 asymptomatic cases were reported. So far, 983 suspected asymptomatic cases, including 150 from abroad, were still under medical observation, it said.

Coronavirus' first epicentres Hubei and its capital Wuhan had 553 asymptomatic cases under medical observation, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The asymptomatic cases were a cause of concern as the government has lifted over two-month lockdown in Hubei and Wuhan after cases abated.

Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.

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China has approved its third Coronavirus vaccine for the second phase of clinical trials as it reported 12 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 82,816. The approved vaccine also includes one developed by Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for clinical trials. An "inactivated" vaccine developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products under the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) started its clinical trials, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The inactivated vaccine consists of virus particles, bacteria, or other pathogens that have been grown in culture and then lose disease producing capacity. In contrast, live vaccines use pathogens that are still alive. WIV has been in the eye of the storm in recent weeks as US President Donald Trump and top American officials alleged that the Coronavirus may have escaped from there and demanded a probe into it. An official of the WIV denied it, terming the allegation "entirely based on speculation".

A total of 96 persons in three age groups have received the vaccine in the first phase of clinical trial as of April 23. The vaccine has shown good safety results so far and vaccine receivers are still under observation, said the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.

72 therapeutics trial underway, 211 in planning stages in the US

A top Trump administration health official has said that as many as 19 therapeutics trial are underway and 211 in planning stages in a bid to find the cure for Coronavirus. "We are leaving no stone unturned to find the antidote for Coronavirus... We don't have any approved therapeutics for the virus but we are actively involved with the academic, commercial and private sector to find it," FDA commissioner Stephen M Hahn told reporters at a White House news conference.

"Seventy-two trials of therapeutics are underway in the United States under FDA oversight and 211 are in the planning stages, so we expect to see more. This includes convalescent plasma as well as antiviral therapies," Hahn added. According to Hahn, work is continuing on finding a vaccine. FDA has authorised two firms on vaccine trials. Hahn said that the FDA has told manufacturers that in order to market anti-body tests in the US, they have to validate their tests.

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Russia reported more than 10,000 new cases of coronavirus infections on Sunday, the first time the country's daily tally reached five figures."More than half of the 10,633 new cases reported were in Moscow, where concern is rising about whether the capital's medical facilities will be overwhelmed. Russia has recorded more than 1,34,000 coronavirus infections overall and 1,420 deaths."

150 test positive in Kabul
Afghanistan's public health ministry announced Sunday that 500 random Coronavirus tests in the capital revealed more than 150 positive results, raising fears that the virus may be spreading faster than originally thought.

Ministry spokesman Wahid Mayar called the results from Kabul "concerning" and said people must remain in their homes to slow the spread. He said the country's actual infection rate would likely increase as testing becomes more available. Afghanistan has thus far taken close to 12,000 samples, of which over 2,700 have been positive, and 85 have died.

Kabul and most other cities are in lockdown. Afghanistan has also received more than 250,000 refugees who have returned from Iran, the country hardest hit by coronavirus in the region. There are growing fears that the country's health care system, devastated by four decades of war, will be woefully unprepared for a major outbreak.

Pakistan's COVID-19 tally crosses 19,000

Pakistan's COVID-19 tally crossed 19,000 on Sunday after 989 new patients were diagnosed in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of National Health Services said 23 patients died in this period, taking the total toll to 440. The authorities so far have conducted 2,03,025 tests, including 8,716 in the last 24 hours. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he was not sure when the anti-COVID-19 vaccine will be available and expressed fears that "we may have to live with the virus for six months or (even) a year". He said the war against the pandemic can be won by wisdom and not by using force to shut down the masses.

657 more infected in Singapore

Singapore on Sunday recorded 657 new cases, over 600 of whom are foreign workers, taking the total number of COVID-19 infections to 18,205. "The number of cases among migrant workers has been fluctuating in recent days due to clearance of backlogged cases by one laboratory," the Health Ministry said. Singapore will allow some businesses to reopen from May 12.

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North and South Korean troops exchanged fire along their tense border on Sunday, the South's military said, the first such incident since the rivals took unprecedented steps to lower front-line animosities in late 2018.

Violent confrontations have occasionally occurred along the border, the world's most heavily fortified. While Sunday's incident is a reminder of persistent tensions, it didn't cause any known casualties on either side and is unlikely to escalate, observers said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement that North Korean troops fired several bullets at a South Korean guard post inside the border zone. South Korea responded with a total of 20 rounds of warning shots on two occasions before issuing a warning broadcast, it said.

A preliminary South Korean analysis showed that the North firing wasn't likely a calculated provocation, though Seoul will continue examining whether there was any motivation for the action, a South Korean defense official said. The firing came a day after the North broadcast a video of Kim Jong Un reappearing in public after a 20-day absence.

S Korea refutes surgery rumour

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not undergo surgery or any other medical procedure, a South Korean official said on Sunday, amid speculation about his health that continues to linger even after he reappeared publicly. He refused to provide the basis for the intelligence assessment.

Glad Kim is back and well, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was "glad" about the reappearance of Kim Jong Un and that he is apparently healthy. "I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!" Trump tweeted, following Kim's first public appearance in nearly three weeks after rumours that he was seriously ill or possibly dead."

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US officials believe China covered up the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak — and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show. Chinese leaders "intentionally concealed the severity" of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by the AP.

Marked "for official use only," the DHS analysis states that, while downplaying the severity of the virus, China increased imports and decreased exports of medical supplies. It attempted to cover up doing so by "denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data," the analysis states.

Hid details from WHO
The report also says China held off informing the World Health Organisation that the COVID-19 "was a contagion" for much of January so it could order medical supplies from abroad " and that its imports of face masks and surgical gowns and gloves increased sharply.

Those conclusions are based on the 95 per cent probability that China's changes in imports and export behaviour were not within normal range, according to the report. China publicly identified the pathogen as a novel Coronavirus on January 8.

Trump 'thinks' we'll have vaccine by year end

President Donald Trump says he believes a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available by the end of the year. Trump commented Sunday night during a televised town hall. "I think we'll have a vaccine by the end of the year. We'll have a vaccine much sooner rather than later," he said. Trump also increased his projection for the total US death toll to 1,00,000 — up by as much as 40,000 from what he had suggested just a few weeks ago. So far, over 67,000 have died in US.

'Remdesivir to be out by next week'

Antiviral drug Remdesivir, approved by the USFDA for emergency use to treat COVID-19 patients, is expected to be available by early next week, the CEO of Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical firm manufacturing the medicine has said.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] Polymer Comply Europe (PCE) is pleased to announce its next live webinar on the polynSPIRE project “Demonstration of innovative technologies towards a more efficient and sustainable plastic recycling”, organised on behalf of European Plastics Converters (EuPC) and the polynSPIRE project. The live webinar will focus on recycling and redesigning the plastics value chain are essential in reusing plastic waste material and avoiding landfill. Webinar agenda: Welcome & Introduction About CIRCE The polynSPIRE project: goals, challenges and progress Questions & Answers Closing

[Source: Research & Innovation] Generating safe antigens to induce immunity is one of several key steps in vaccine production. Purification is another, and it is typically a complex process. EU-funded researchers have designed a way to simplify the process, boost yields, limit waste and reduce costs, in a bid to help make more doses available more affordably.

Environmental tax revenue as a percentage of Germany's overall tax take has fallen to its lowest level in more than 20 years, according to the country's statistical agency.

The newly elected President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who was formerly Germany's defense minister, has proposed the introduction of a new Carbon Border Tax, which would be included in a new "Green Deal for Europe" she has promised to deliver within her first 100 days in office.

Belgium, Denmark, and Germany have the highest personal income tax burdens, at over 35 percent, among OECD countries, according to the latest OECD Taxing Wages report, which says that just over half of countries made small increases to their average personal tax rates last year.

Share price of SBI Cards and Payment Services gained 2.44% to Rs 587.80 compared to the previous close of Rs 573.80 on BSE

While marketing and promotional activity is not an immediate priority for advertisers struggling to re-build their own businesses, revenues will remain subdued through the middle of 2021

Once the menace of COVID-19 pandemic is over, a new ecopolitical order will emerge which will be more focussed on human development, infrastructure around health and education, climate preservation and most importantly on people

Inmarsat, together with Global Marine Networks and Network Innovations, announced on February 22 that the trial of Fleet Xpress in Antartic waters was a success. The service – the world's first globally available high-speed broadband service from a single network operator – was installed on board the adventure cruise ship Ocean Nova.

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into a Polish tax scheme for shipyards, which it says could give shipbuilders an unfair competitive advantage over rivals.

Experts believe there was already a visible turnaround in the pharma sector, both on the domestic as well as on the exports side even before any traces of COVID-19

The IMF has welcomed the Austrian Government's efforts to lower personal income taxes but said that the labor tax burden remains high.

The Seychelles says that the OECD has found the territory to have made sufficient reforms to comply with its BEPS Action 5 standard on harmful tax regimes.

Researchers from The University of Cincinnati are working on the development of affordable and disposable e-readers. The research by Andrew

Nearly three quarters of the sample reported having been "humorously" accused of promoting death; for example, being called "Dr. Death," in a recent survey of palliative care medicine practitioners.