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The mysterious diseases killing starfish, sea fans and shellfish

By www.newscientist.com
Published On :: Wed, 29 May 2019 18:00:00 +0000

Ocean Outbreak unveils the little-known diseases wreaking havoc in the seas and the book does a first-rate job of inspiring readers at the same time


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WRKY13 Enhances Cadmium Tolerance by Promoting D-CYSTEINE DESULFHYDRASE and Hydrogen Sulfide Production

By www.plantphysiol.org
Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a plant gasotransmitter, functions in the plant response to cadmium (Cd) stress, implying a role for cysteine desulfhydrase in producing H2S in this process. Whether d-CYSTEINE DESULFHYDRASE (DCD) acts in the plant Cd response remains to be identified, and if it does, how DCD is regulated in this process is also unknown. Here, we report that DCD-mediated H2S production enhances plant Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). When subjected to Cd stress, a dcd mutant accumulated more Cd and reactive oxygen species and showed increased Cd sensitivity, whereas transgenic lines overexpressing DCD had decreased Cd and reactive oxygen species levels and were more tolerant to Cd stress compared with wild-type plants. Furthermore, the expression of DCD was stimulated by Cd stress, and this up-regulation was mediated by a Cd-induced transcription factor, WRKY13, which bound to the DCD promoter. Consistently, the higher Cd sensitivity of the wrky13-3 mutant was rescued by the overexpression of DCD. Together, our results demonstrate that Cd-induced WRKY13 activates DCD expression to increase the production of H2S, leading to higher Cd tolerance in plants.


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RPGCast – Episode 489: “Fulfilling Their Destiny”

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Sat, 26 Jan 2019 21:17:54 +0000

Before the rush of releases at the end of January, we talk about your feedback, our briefs turn into longer discussions, and we get really confused about a new...farming...eSport?!


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Trump 'torn' over U.S.-China trade deal as officials push to fulfill its terms

By feeds.reuters.com
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:22:04 -0400

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was "very torn" about whether to end the so-called Phase 1 U.S.-China trade deal, just hours after top trade officials from both countries pledged to press ahead with implementing it despite coronavirus economic wreckage.


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We Aren’t Selfish After All - Issue 84: Outbreak

By nautil.us
Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:30:00 +0000


What is this pandemic doing to our minds? Polls repeatedly show it’s having an adverse effect on our mental health. Physical distancing, for some, means social isolation, which has long been shown to encourage depression. Previous disasters have been followed by waves of depression, exacerbated by financial distress. The situation also puts us in a state of fear and anxiety—anxiety about financial strain, about being lonely, about the very lives of ourselves and our loved ones.

This fear can also bring out some of the everyday irrationalities we all struggle with. We have trouble thinking about numbers—magnitudes, probabilities, and the like—and when frightened we tend toward absolutes. Feeling powerless makes people more prone to conspiracy theories. We naturally believe that big effects should have big causes, and we see with the current coronavirus, as we did with AIDS and SARS, conspiracy theories claiming that the virus was engineered as a weapon.

We are seeing the theory of “collective resilience,” an informal solidarity among people, in action.

These psychological ramifications can make us fail to behave as well as we should. We have what psychologists call a “behavioral immune system” that makes us behave in ways that, in general, make us less likely to catch infectious disease. Things we perceive as being risky for disease makes us wary. An unfortunate side effect is that it increases prejudice against foreigners, people with visible sores or deformities, and people we perceive as simply being ugly. Politically, this can result in xenophobia and outgroup distrust. Coronavirus-related attacks, possibly encouraged by the misleading term “Chinese virus,” have plagued some ethnic Asian people.

And yet, in spite of all of the harm the pandemic seems to be wreaking on our minds, there are also encouraging acts of kindness and solidarity. In turbulent times, people come together and help each other.

A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS: Author Jim Davies took this photo in Centretown, Ottawa. The sign in the window reads, “Physical distancing is an act of love.”Jim Davies

In the days after the World Trade Center fell, it wasn’t just the police, hospitals, and firefighters who came forward to help, it was normal citizens who often put themselves at risk to help other people out. An equities trader named Sandler O’Neill helped rescue a dozen people and then went back to save more. A tour guide at the Pentagon helped victims outside, and then went back in the burning building to help more. We find these kinds of behaviors in every disaster.

During this pandemic, we see the same thing. Some acts are small and thoughtful, such as putting encouraging signs in windows. Others have made games out of window signs, putting up rainbows for children on walks to count. Some show support for health care and other frontline workers, applauding or banging on pots on their balconies and at windows in a nightly ritual. Others are helping in more substantial ways. In the United Kingdom, over half a million people signed up to be a National Health Volunteer, supporting the most vulnerable people, who have to stay home.

John Drury, a professor of social psychology at the University of Sussex, England, who studies people’s behavior in disasters, has seen these acts of kindness in his own neighborhood over the past month. He and his neighbors set up a WhatsApp group to help one another with shopping. “I think that translates across the country and probably across the world,” Drury says. “People are seeing themselves as an us, a new kind of we, based on the situation that we all find ourselves in. You’ve got this idea of common fate, which motivates our care and concern for others.”

We have always been a social species who rely on each other for happiness and our survival.

Drury is the pioneer of a theory known as “collective resilience,” which he describes as “informal solidarity among people in the public.” Drury’s study of the 2005 London bombing disaster found that mutual helping behaviors were more common than selfish ones. This basic finding has been replicated in other disasters, including the crash of the Ghana football stadium and the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile. In disasters, Drury says, people reach heights of community and cooperation they’ve never reached before.

It turns out that being in a dangerous situation with others fosters a new social identity. Boundaries between us, which seem so salient when things are normal, disappear when we perceive we’re locked in a struggle together, with a common fate, from an external threat. People go from me thinking to we thinking. Respondents in studies about disasters often spontaneously bring up this feeling of group cohesion without being asked. The greater unity they felt, the more they helped.

Popular conceptions of how people respond in a crisis involve helplessness, selfishness, and panic. In practice, though, this rarely happens. “One of the reasons people die in emergencies isn’t overreaction, it’s underreaction,” Drury says. “People die in fires mainly because they’re too slow. They underestimate risk.” The myth of panic can lead to emergency policies that do more harm than good. At one point during Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana governor at the time Kathleen Blanco warned looters that National Guard troops “know how to shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so if necessary, and I expect they will.” A few days later, New Orleans police officers shot six civilians, wounding four and killing two.

People revert to selfishness when group identity starts to break down. Drury describes how people acted when the cruise ship, Costa Concordia sank off the coast of Italy in 2012. “There was cooperation until one point, when people got to the lifeboats and there was pushing,” Drury says. “Selfishness isn’t a default because many times people are cooperative. It’s only in certain conditions that people might become selfish and individualistic. Perhaps there isn’t a sense of common fate, people are positioned as individuals against individuals. After a period of time, people run out of energy, run out of emotional energy, run out of resources, and that goodwill, that support, starts to decline. They just haven’t got the resources to help each other.”

Perceptions of group behavior can shape public policy. It’s important that policymakers, rather than seeing groups as problems to be overcome, which can lead to riots and mob behavior, take account of how people in groups help one another. After all, we have always been a social species who rely on each other for happiness and our survival. And groups can achieve things that individuals cannot. This understanding couldn’t be more important than now. We can build on people’s naturally arising feelings of unity by emphasizing that we are all in this together, and celebrating the everyday heroes who, sometimes at great cost, go out of their way to make the pandemic a little less awful.

Jim Davies is a professor of cognitive science at Carleton University and author of Imagination: The Science of Your Mind’s Greatest Power. He is co-host of the Minding the Brain podcast.

Lead image: Franzi / Shutterstock


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Legendary Amalfi Coast hotels offer 40 luxury getaways to support COVID-19 vaccine

By www.standard.co.uk
Published On :: 2020-04-06T08:16:00Z

The iconic Italian properties have joined forces to help end the Coronavirus crisis


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Fifa promises to fulfil £800m investment in women's football despite coronavirus pandemic

By www.standard.co.uk
Published On :: 2020-04-21T04:33:00Z

Fifa has promised to fulfil its planned investment in women's football despite the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.


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Gareth Southgate: No job could ever be as fulfilling as managing England

By www.standard.co.uk
Published On :: 2020-05-06T17:45:00Z

Gareth Southgate says no other coaching job could ever be as fulfilling as managing England.


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Macclesfield Town deducted seven points for failing to fulfil League Two fixture and non-payment of players

By www.standard.co.uk
Published On :: 2020-05-07T10:40:00Z

Macclesfield Town have been hit with an immediate seven-point deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture along with non-payment of their players.


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Yes Yes Yes wins The Everest, Mer De Glace takes the Caulfield Cup, but focus remains on racing's slaughter scandal

By www.abc.net.au
Published On :: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:13:00 +1100

Chris Waller continues his big race domination, taking out The Everest at Randwick with Yes Yes Yes, on a day marked by protests and calls for change after an investigation revealed widespread slaughter and abuse of former racehorses in Australian abattoirs.


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Halle Berry Posts All-Natural Selfie Fresh Out Of The Shower

By feeds.bet.com
Published On :: Mon, 4 May 2020 15:00:00 EDT



Plus, take a look at other stars going au naturale.


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Prehistoric sea creatures evolved pebble-shaped teeth to crush shellfish

By www.eurekalert.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 00:00:00 EDT

Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles during the time of the dinosaurs, and scientists don't know much about their ancestry. But by CT-scanning the fossil of one of the first ichthyosaurs, scientists discovered pebble-shaped teeth hidden in its short snout. These strange teeth, probably used for crushing the shells of snails and clam-like bivalves, help illuminate the ways that early ichthyosaurs filled different roles in Triassic marine ecosystems.


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Face-Aging Selfies Help Modify Risky Skin Behaviors for Teens

By www.medpagetoday.com
Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:30:00 +0000

(MedPage Today) -- Witnessing ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced facial aging firsthand may be a useful tool to convince youth to slather on the sunscreen, a new study suggested. In a randomized trial of high school teens in southeast Brazil...


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Jack Riewoldt says AFL players aren't being selfish in pay cut talks

By www.abc.net.au
Published On :: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 11:14:10 +1100

As the AFL feels the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, its players reject suggestions they are being greedy as they negotiate a pay cut with the league.


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'Here we are now, entertain us': Fans demanding players hurry up and get back to work are the ones being selfish

By www.abc.net.au
Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 05:11:54 +1000

The cries of football fans demanding players return to the field under any circumstances have become shrill as the craving for lockdown distraction turns from stoical whimsy to rank desperation, writes Richard Hinds.


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German Engineering Firm Bilfinger Resolves Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Charges and Agrees to Pay $32 Million Criminal Penalty

By www.justice.gov
Published On :: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:44:47 EST

Bilfinger SE, an international engineering and services company based in Mannheim, Germany, has agreed to pay a $32 million penalty to resolve charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by bribing government officials of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to obtain and retain contracts


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Ocean Spray Recalls Pink Lite Cranberry Juice For Undeclared Sulfites

By www.rttnews.com
Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 11:43:59 GMT

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. is recalling Pink Lite Cranberry Juice Drink citing potential for undeclared sulfites, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. The recall involves a single production lot of 5.5oz cans of the drink with lot number MH0030LPK4 and Best Before Date of 24JAN21. The product is sold in boxes containing six 5.5oz cans. They were distributed to retail


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Ultrafast optical response and ablation mechanisms of molybdenum disulfide under intense femtosecond laser irradiation

By feeds.nature.com
Published On :: 2020-05-06


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Author Correction: Metabolic activity analyses demonstrate that Lokiarchaeon exhibits homoacetogenesis in sulfidic marine sediments

By feeds.nature.com
Published On :: 2020-04-29


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FDA-approved disulfiram inhibits pyroptosis by blocking gasdermin D pore formation

By feeds.nature.com
Published On :: 2020-05-04


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The unfulfilled promise of reverse mortgages: Can a better market improve retirement security?

By webfeeds.brookings.edu
Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:00:03 +0000

Abstract With the gradual disappearance of private-sector pensions and gradually increasing life expectancy, Americans must increasingly take responsibility for managing their own retirement. Many older households end their working years with limited financial resources, but have accumulated substantial equity in their homes—making home equity a potential source of retirement income. Reverse mortgages offer one avenue…

       


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Impact governance and management: Fulfilling the promise of capitalism to achieve a shared and durable prosperity

By webfeeds.brookings.edu
Published On :: Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400


Capitalism has provided unprecedented wealth and prosperity around the world, but a growing community is raising concerns about whether the promise of the capitalist system to achieve a more shared and durable prosperity can be achieved without systemic changes in the way for-profit corporations are governed and managed. The change in public opinion has become evident among workers, consumers, and investors, as well as through new policies enacted by elected officials of both parties: more than ever before, the public supports businesses that demonstrate positive social change and sustainable development. These new attitudes have begun to take root in corporations themselves, with a growing community of investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs expressing a fiduciary duty to create value not only for shareholders but for society. However, businesses and investors seeking to harness these opportunities face significant institutional and normative barriers to achieving their goals.

In a new paper, the co-founders of non-profit B Lab, Andrew Kassoy, Bart Houlahan, and Jay Coen Gilbert, write about this overarching culture shift, the importance of and impediments to effective impact governance and impact management to make this shift meaningful and lasting, and how a rapidly growing community of responsible businesses has overcome these barriers, is maximizing its social impact, and is creating pathways for others to follow. The impact and growth of the B Corp movement will be maximized not only through increased adoption by business leaders, but also through the unique roles played by research institutions, the media, policy-makers, investors, and the general public. With enough support, this movement may soon transform shareholder capitalism into stakeholder capitalism, in which businesses can more easily live up to their potential to create a more shared and durable prosperity for all. 

This paper is published as part of the Center for Effective Public Management’s Initiative on 21st Century Capitalism. It is one of more than a dozen papers written by academics and practitioners about the changing role of the corporation and the importance of improving corporate governance. The authors of this paper are the co-founders of B Lab, a nonprofit organization that oversees the certification of B Corporations, and a major subject of this paper. The perspectives put forth in this paper are solely those of the authors, based on their professional expertise in this area.

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Authors

  • Andrew Kassoy
  • Bart Houlahan
  • Jay Coen Gilbert
      
 
 


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Elfin mountain toad discovered in misty, mossy elfin forest

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Fri, 19 May 2017 12:54:19 -0400

The newly discovered horned mountain toad found in Southern Vietnam's elfin forest is the smallest of its species – and is already considered endangered.


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Six Selfish Reasons You Don't Want Dead Oceans

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:39 -0400

TreeHugger asked Andrew Sharpless, CEO for the Oceana ocean protection organization, why we really personally care about the health and fate of the world's big water bodies. Many of us, after all, live far from


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Selfie-takers are trampling Dutch tulip fields

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Sun, 28 Apr 2019 03:35:00 -0400

After thousands of euros' worth of damage, the tourism board is begging young people to be more respectful.


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The Joy of Fix: Experience the true joy that comes from a fulfilling fix life

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:35:12 -0400

Fixing and making feels good, and everyone's doing it, so don't be shy. Experience the Joy of Fix.


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Inquisitive Emperor penguins star in delightful selfie (video)

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:50:48 -0500

Australian Antarctic Division captures a vision of curious penguins ready for their close-up.


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You don't need to travel around the world to take selfies with art

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:12:17 -0500

Just take them with big photos, nobody will ever know.


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Wildlife selfies are a terrible idea

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2019 07:00:00 -0400

The animals get distracted and distressed. Oh, and you could get your head bitten off.


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Costa Rica wants to stop animal selfies

By www.treehugger.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 07:00:00 -0400

The social media-driven practice is harmful both to wild animals and selfie-takers themselves.


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Paying with a selfie? Alibaba's testing it out

By www.cnbc.com
Published On :: Sat, 10 Mar 2018 01:38:12 GMT

CNBC's Morgan Brennan and Tom's Guide Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer discuss whether Alibaba's facial recognition payment system could actually be popular among consumers.


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Trump 'torn' over US-China trade deal as officials push to fulfill its terms

By www.cnbc.com
Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 02:43:12 GMT

Asked if he was "breaking up" the Phase 1 trade deal, Trump said: "I'm very — I'm very torn as to — I have not decided yet, if you want to know the truth."


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Eder Lima of Russia takes a selfie with spectators

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 04:34:00 GMT

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Eder Lima of Russia takes a selfie with spectators after the FIFA Futsal World Cup Semi-Final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Gustavo of Russia poses for a selfie with fans

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 04:38:00 GMT

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Gustavo of Russia poses for a selfie with fans after the final whistle during the FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Mehran Alighadr (R), Ahmad Esmaeilpour (2nd R) and Mohammad Taheri (3rd R) of Iran take a selfie

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 04:42:00 GMT

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Mehran Alighadr (R), Ahmad Esmaeilpour (2nd R) and Mohammad Taheri (3rd R) of Iran take a selfie with supporters after the FIFA Futsal World Cup Semi-Final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Sergey Abramov of Russia takes a selfie with spectators

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 17:20:00 GMT

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Sergey Abramov of Russia takes a selfie with spectators after the FIFA Futsal World Cup Group B match between Thailand and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 10, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Sergey Abramov of Russia takes a selfie with spectators

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 17:22:00 GMT

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Sergey Abramov of Russia takes a selfie with spectators after the FIFA Futsal World Cup Group B match between Thailand and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 10, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Cristian Borruto #9 of Argentina takes a selfie photo with fans

By www.fifa.com
Published On :: Thu, 29 Sep 2016 03:28:00 GMT

BUCARAMANGA, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Cristian Borruto #9 of Argentina takes a selfie photo with fans after Group E match play between Argentina and the Solomon Islands in the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup at Coliseo Bicentenario on September 15, 2016 in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Argentina defeated Solomon Islands 7-3. (Photo by Victor Decolongon - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)


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Mumbai: Fishermen rescue three who get stranded in the sea while taking selfie

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 16 Jul 2018 09:31:20 GMT

Local fishermen yesterday rescued three teenagers who had got stranded in the sea off Uttan while taking selfies. Sources said the three, residents of Bhayander, had gone for a picnic to Bhati Bandar village beach near Uttan last morning and got engrossed clicking selfies on the rocks.

They'd failed to pay attention to the high tide, and before any one of them realised, they were surrounded by water from all sides. Scared, they'd then started screaming for help.


Fishermen rescued the three teenagers who had got stranded near Uttan while taking selfies. Pics/Azim Tamboli

The fisherfolk from the village heard their cries and rushed to their aid, while a villager called up the fire brigade. By the time fire officials reached the spot, the fishermen had rescued the boys — Sachin Waghmare, 16, Vishal Minde, 19, and Sumit Fatpara, 18 — studying in Stds XI and XII.

Chief Fire Officer Prakash Borade from Mira-Bhayander fire station said, "We received the call and rushed to the spot around 11.30 am. But when we reached, we saw that the local fishermen had already helped the youngsters out. Later, we called their parents and handed them over."

Also Read: Travel: Go camping to tranquil Uttan in Bhayander

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Mumbai: Ghatkopar 'plane crash galli' turns into a selfie-spot

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 30 Jun 2018 06:48:45 GMT

It was a case of so near and yet not near enough for people at the disaster venue, a day after a plane crash shook the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar. An MTNL building at the mouth of this lane gives it its name — MTNL Galli. But now it has been temporarily rechristened as the 'plane crash galli' by the stream of curious visitors that poured in last afternoon.

A cop at the now-barricaded scene good-naturedly asked people to "get into a line and I will allow you to peek through the barricades. Only one minute per person," he grinned. Overhead, planes seemed to skim the buildings. "One day after the crash, every plane we see sends a jolt of fear through us," said someone, as Kalyan resident Jitendra Jaiswal, who works in Ghatkopar, made his way to the crash site. Jaiswal explained, "I keep coming back here, wondering how this could happen. There is still a sense of disbelief." Shakhawat Khan and Dinesh Yadav, both drivers (the latter drives a rickshaw), said, "The sound keeps echoing in our ears. We were eating snacks at a nearby restaurant and heard at least two-three blasts. The sound literally blew us off our chairs."


Policemen keep curious crowds at bay at the crash site. Pic/Sameer Markande

Thank God
A resident ambled to the site to see the progress of the clean-up. "I was in the car with my son at the wheel when we heard at least three blasts. Shaken, my son parked the car a few metres from this site. Everything was covered in black smoke. The smell of that smoke still lingers in my nostrils. No disrespect to the dead, but I cannot stop thanking God for sparing me," finished Pravin Shah.

Wing clip
Conversations in Gujarati dominated as one walked down the lane. Ankita Shah who lives nearby said, "I will never forget the thick, black smoke rising into the sky. It's my most enduring memory of this disaster." A number of people who claimed they witnessed the crash, insisted they saw the wing of the plane clip the pedestrian who died. A woman said dramatically, while others concurred, "one second the wing had clipped him and the next a charred body lay on the ground. It was the man," she stressed, while others agreed that they too saw a "wing clip the man. It was a wing," they shouted as some onlookers snorted in disbelief. Through the drama, an idli seller arrived putting down his wares and joining the queue to peer through the barricades. People shouted "idli, idli" while the cops shooed him off.


Mother-daughter duo of Naina (right) and Tanisha Gala point to an aircraft above them. Pics/Sameer Markande

Terrifying images
Naina Gala, MTNL lane resident, said, "I witnessed the blast and last night, the terrifying images — burnt bodies, fire, smoke and the wreckage came back to haunt me." Her daughter Tanisha said there were tons of questions from her classmates. Naina added, "I feel the pain of the pilots, the crew. They knew they were going to die, they sacrificed their lives to save all of us." Naina and Tanisha said the fire brigade, police and everyone was at the site within minutes. A local informed this reporter, "The birds in the sky were faster though. There were a huge number circling the crash site within minutes. They had smelt death in the air…" Yet another gent walked down the lane wearing a T-shirt with the prophetic lines: 'Your life is your story. Write well. Edit often'. As one exited the lane, one could not help thinking, this must rate as a very surprising twist in Ghatkopar's story.

5
No. of people dead in the plane crash


Pravin Shah (left) tells his story

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Doctors to use teeth to ID victims

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Coolpad 'Note 6' with dual selfie cameras launched in India

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 01 May 2018 08:24:18 GMT


Coolpad 'Note 6'. Pic courtesy/Twitter

Chinese handset maker Coolpad launched 'Note 6', an offline exclusive product in India on Tuesday. Two of the most notable features of Note 6 are 5.5-inch HD display and 8MP+5MP dual front cameras. The company in a statement said that smartphone will be available from Tuesday in 32GB and 64GB internal storage variants with 4GB RAM for Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.

Note 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset, backed by 4,070 mAh battery and runs on Android 7.1 Nougat Operating System (OS). "Coolpad 'Note 6' will offer a great value for money smartphone for Indian customers," said Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India.

"We are also planning to introduce more aggressive offline devices in the next few months to expand in the offline market through our retails partners and multi-brand outlets," Tajuddin added.

Coolpad "Note 6" will be available at over 300 multi-brand stores across eight states including Delhi-NCR, Telangana and Maharashtra.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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mid day editorial: Motorists, snap out of the selfie-destruct mode

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 06 May 2018 01:12:48 GMT

The numbers don't lie; Mumbai motorists are in selfie-destruct mode. At least 50 per cent of road accidents on the 93-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway are due to cars stopping or stalling on the road.

A report in this paper stated that stopping to take a selfie or to enjoy the greenery along the E-way could cost you your life. The first two months of the year have already seen 91 accidents, in which 52 people have died. Of these, 26 accidents happened because of vehicles halting. We must warn people that however tempting the scenery, it is just not safe to halt on the E-way and take photographs of the greenery. Once you reach Pune or the outskirts, you have the time to park your vehicle, alight and take all the pictures you want, so keep moving along the expressway, which is what is was made for.

Travellers must realise that an expressway is a piece of infrastructure, pure and simple. It is designed to take people to their destination. It is certainly not a picnic spot. It is no place to lounge around and eat, get out of the car and wash your hands, use as a Kodak moment or to idle outside your car for any other reason. Drivers have to drive within the speed limit on the expressway.

Cut going over the speed limits, which is a sure killer. Authorities have to ensure cameras are in excellent condition. If there is a car breakdown, switch on your hazard lights, and get your co-passengers to wave their hands; do all you can to alert oncoming traffic. The upcoming monsoon means more challenges for E-way users. Let us bring those fatality figures down, and let the numbers do some happy talking, for once.

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Sonakshi Sinha takes a ride to nowhere; clicks selfie in her parked car

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 28 Apr 2020 05:36:57 GMT

In a bid to get a feel of the normal life, Sonakshi Sinha went to the parking lot of her Juhu home and sat in her favourite set of wheels for a while. The actor took to Insta, shared a selfie and wrote, "Sat in my parked car just to remember what it feels like (sic)." Sona did not forget her glares and designer bag to complete the going-out look.

 
 
 
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Quarantine day 34: sat in my (parked) car today just to remember what it feels like 🤪 #sundayselfie

A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) onApr 26, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

The actress has been active on social media since the lockdown period, and she has shared a lot of messages with her fans through an important medium. Shotgun Junior never shies away from speaking her mind. She is hoping for the coronavirus crisis to end soon and says she would like to dive into the sea once all this is over.

On the professional front, Sonakshi Sinha was last seen in Dabangg 3, opposite Salman Khan. Saiee Manjrekar was also a part of this comedy film. Now, the actress will be next seen in Bhuj: The Pride of India.

"Bhuj: The Pride of India" stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk and Pranitha Subhash. The film is directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

In the film, Ajay will be seen playing Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik, while Sonakshi will essay the character of Sunderben Jetha Madharparya, who is a social worker and a farmer women, who convinced 299 other women from Madhapur to help build a runway during the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

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Relationships: Researchers uncover top 6 facts about sexual selfies

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 28 Feb 2017 09:48:52 GMT

Courting lovers by sending flowers is a thing of the past, for teens and adults nowadays. They have found a rather 'sexy' way to lure the object of their affection -- 'sexting' i.e. sending nude or semi-nude selfies of oneself to a boyfriend, girlfriend, crush or casual acquaintance from smartphones. This is also termed by some researchers as a 'sexual selfie'.

We look at factors that have led to this fast-emerging trend...


Representational picture

'Sext messages' and 'sexual selfies' popular with most adults
A recent survey revealed that, almost half of all adults - or 47 per cent - send sexy text messages or selfies to their partners. And one in nine people ‘sexts’ their partner every day, a new survey has found.

But the poll of 2,000 adults conducted by mobile phone experts found that one in 10 have mistakenly texted an inappropriate message to a friend or family member.

The poll also found almost one in five phone users are risking their relationship by secretly sexting people other than their partner.

Girls as young as 14 send sexy texts and selfies!
A new study has shed light on how an increasing number of girls in their early teens are resorting to sexting and sending explicit selfies to their boyfriends.

The study of 14 to 15-year-old girls revealed that four out of 10 did not find anything wrong in taking a topless selfie.

And one in six underage girls did not see anything inappropriate about posing fully nude for others.

Celeb nude photo scandals a major reason
Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the report, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages.

Given that so many stars like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Khloe Kardashian and many others have been involved in sexting scandals in recent times, have those stars made it seem okay to be sending nude photos and sexually explicit messages?

'Sexting' termed worst technology jargon!
The term ‘sexting’ has been chosen as the most irritating phrase to enter lexicons in recent years. However, selfie as a term has been appreciated and even included in day-to-day conversation.

A UK tech magazine, which conducted the poll, a few years ago, awarded ‘sexting’ its ‘Unspeakable Award’ for the worst new piece of technology jargon.

Sexting teens are not offenders
According to experts, to consider labeling a teen a sex offender because of a sexting incident -- a label that will stick for life -- defies common sense.

A Canadian researcher presented a paper on children's sexuality, defending the practice as a modern variation on "playing doctor or spin-the-bottle."

The expert argued that such online activities are safer than traditional sexual games because there is no immediate physical contact and thus are less likely to lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

It's not the same as face-to-face sexual relationships
The way people get involved in and develop sexual relationships with others has changed dramatically over the last 20 years due to the increased availability of devices such as computers, video cams and cell phones.

But at the end of the day there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact in our sexual relationships, according to a new study.



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Army jawan's widow fulfills his dream, builds a school in Kolhapur

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 13 Feb 2019 02:36:18 GMT

The Indian Army motto, 'Service before Self,' seems to be ingrained not just into the minds of its personnel, but also into the minds of their families. The selfless young widow of an Indian Army jawan has fulfilled his dream of building a school in his village, demonstrating this. The Shaheed Jawan Satappa Mahadev Patil Vidyalaya, was inaugurated by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj at Belewadi Masa village in Kolhapur District, last Sunday.

Fulfilling husband's dream
Satappa Patil was married to Ashwini after her HSC in 2011. The 24-year-old Gunner Operator was posted with the 26 Air Defence in Keran sector in Jammu Kashmir, and was martyred in cross-firing by terrorists in 2013. Ashwini was widowed at 23, barely a year and half after their wedding. But like her warrior husband, the brave woman thought of others and not herself, amid the tragedy.


Gunner operator Satappa Patil was martyred in Keran sector in Jammu Kashmir in 2013

After the funeral many politicians offered her money and asked if she wanted a gas agency, a petrol pump or anything else for her livelihood. She only asked for help to fulfill her husband's wish of building a school in his village. She vowed to fulfill his dream.

A struggle for education
After their wedding, Patil and Ashwini had gone to his village, where he told her about his school days. He told her the village school did not have classrooms for Stds VIII, IX and X. These classes would be held in a Hanuman temple. Ashwini said, "Girls who had their periods wouldn't be allowed in for those few days. On Saturday or whenever there was a religious festival or a meeting in the temple, there would be a holiday for the school, or classes would be held after the event."

Ashwini added, "I could see the efforts and pain he and his friends took while struggling to get an education. He said he would build a school after retirement so children in his village could pursue their education without a break."

Donations helped build school
She said after Patil was martyred, many people offered her help. "I don't know what came over me. But I asked them if they could help me build a school in the village. I did the paperwork and it was kickstarted with the help of former chief minister Prithviraj Chavhan's wife, Satvasheela. She also donated Rs 20 lakh for the school. I also received Rs 1 lakh from the Mandlik Sugar Factory. Its owner also gave me the land for the school. The amount from other donors was R2 lakh. I also donated frequently from my pension of Rs 15,000 per month and we built the school."

Construction on the school building began in 2014 and was completed recently. Classrooms were built for Stds VIII, IX and X. There are seven classes including an additional study room and a computer lab with 12 computers, besides toilets.

'Pray for our soldiers'
Ashwini, who is doing an MA in English and preparing for the Maharashtra Public Services Commission (MPSC) exam while staying with her parents in Karnataka, said, "I am connected to my husband through the school. He lives for me in the form of the school. I too want to serve the country. I want to be a class I officer or collector so that I can serve people. My husband is an inspiration to me and will always be so."

She also had a message for others, in which she remembered her husband's colleagues. She said, "We pray every day for our well-being and that of our loved ones'. But I suggest that you also pray for our soldiers and their safety on the border."

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COVID-19 impact: Nick Kyrgios to fulfil free food promise

By www.mid-day.com
Published On :: 13 Apr 2020 04:51:49 GMT

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has apparently followed through on a promise to help people going hungry in the coronavirus shutdown, with social media images showing boxes of essential items prepped for delivery.

The controversial Kyrgios, infamously outspoken and known for his fiery on-court antics, said on Monday he would personally drop food on doorsteps after COVID-19 restrictions closed down entire industries, forcing huge numbers of people out of work across Australia. People queueing for welfare payments across the country have been likened to scenes from the Great Depression. "Please don't go to sleep with an empty stomach," Kyrgios, the world number 40, posted on Instagram Monday. "Don't be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message. I will be more than happy to share whatever I have.

"Even just for a box of noodles, a loaf of bread or milk. I will drop it off at your doorstep, no questions asked!" he said in a post that attracted almost 100,000 likes. His mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, posted on Instagram over the weekend a photo of a table laden with food -- including bread, fruit and canned goods -- with the caption "dining room or food distribution centre".

Images of Canberra-based tennis star's Instagram stories shared on News Corp websites showed boxes of essentials captioned "deliveries in progress". It comes just months after the 24-year-old led a bushfire relief campaign that raised millions of dollars. Kyrgios gave Aus$200 (US$125) for every ace he hit across his home tennis summer, which ran until the end of the Australian Open. Other players and Australian Open organisers jumped on board the fundraising drive, also contributing large sums to people affected by the deadly fires.

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Tolexo Launches the First-of-its-kind Fulfilment Service to Make B2B Buying & Selling Easier

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Published On ::

Tolexo.com, India’s largest online marketplace for business goods and supplies is the country’s first B2B platform to launch a fulfillment service, Tolexo Speedy.


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Russia is ready for its Phase 3 evaluation once it fulfills high-priority recommendation

By www.oecd.org
Published On :: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 15:58:00 GMT

The OECD Working Group on Bribery considers that it is ready to conduct the Phase 3 evaluation of the Russian Federation, provided that Russia further aligns its foreign bribery offence with the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (OECD Anti-Bribery Convention) by October 2020.


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