The city has repeatedly pressed for a special regulation from the national government

Pistiwan Jameel described migrants as "pigeons" or "sticks" as he facilitated illegal crossings.

1. 'I have found ways...': Ravichandran Ashwin gives an insight on his mind games with Steve Smith  The Times of India
2. 'I have figured out Steve Smith': R Ashwin tries to get inside Australia star's head ahead of India's series opener  Hindustan Times
3. 'His Time At Delhi Capitals...': R Ashwin Reveals How He Broke Steve Smith's Sound Game Plans  News18
4. BGT 2024-25: Ashwin says over the years he found ways to break Smith's 'sound game plans'  Daijiworld.com
5. I've found ways and means to break it down: Ashwin on Smith's batting  The Hindu

On this opening week of Spring Training, all 30 Major League teams have one thing in common: optimism. Here's an optimism cheat sheet for each of them.

At an age that is generally considered to be past an athlete's prime, Ian Desmond will try to rely more on his speed as the Rockies move him to center field.

On this opening week of Spring Training, all 30 Major League teams have one thing in common: optimism. Here's an optimism cheat sheet for each of them.

A unique population of ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons co-transmits glutamate and GABA. However, the circuit inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons are unknown, limiting our understanding of their functional capabilities. By coupling monosynaptic rabies tracing with intersectional genetic targeting in male and female mice, we found that VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons received diverse brainwide inputs. The largest numbers of monosynaptic inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons were from superior colliculus (SC), lateral hypothalamus (LH), midbrain reticular nucleus, and periaqueductal gray, whereas the densest inputs relative to brain region volume were from the dorsal raphe nucleus, lateral habenula, and VTA. Based on these and prior data, we hypothesized that LH and SC inputs were from glutamatergic neurons. Optical activation of glutamatergic LH neurons activated VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons regardless of stimulation frequency and resulted in flee-like ambulatory behavior. In contrast, optical activation of glutamatergic SC neurons activated VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons for a brief period of time at high frequency and resulted in head rotation and arrested ambulatory behavior (freezing). Stimulation of glutamatergic LH neurons, but not glutamatergic SC neurons, was associated with VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ footshock-induced activity and inhibition of LH glutamatergic neurons disrupted VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ tailshock-induced activity. We interpret these results such that inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons may integrate diverse signals related to the detection and processing of motivationally salient outcomes.

Goal-directed visual attention is a fundamental cognitive process that enables animals to selectively focus on specific regions of the visual field while filtering out irrelevant information. However, given the domain specificity of social behaviors, it remains unclear whether attention to faces versus nonfaces recruits different neurocognitive processes. In this study, we simultaneously recorded activity from temporal and frontal nodes of the attention network while macaques performed a goal-directed visual search task. V4 and inferotemporal (IT) visual category-selective units, selected during cue presentation, discriminated fixations on targets and distractors during the search but were differentially engaged by face and house targets. V4 and IT category-selective units also encoded fixation transitions and search dynamics. Compared with distractors, fixations on targets reduced spike–LFP coherence within the temporal cortex. Importantly, target-induced desynchronization between the temporal and prefrontal cortices was only evident for face targets, suggesting that attention to faces differentially engaged the prefrontal cortex. We further revealed bidirectional theta influence between the temporal and prefrontal cortices using Granger causality, which was again disproportionate for faces. Finally, we showed that the search became more efficient with increasing target-induced desynchronization. Together, our results suggest domain specificity for attending to faces and an intricate interplay between visual attention and social processing neural networks.

After watching others be baptised, an Uzbek lady who had recently repented in the church expressed her desire to follow the others’ example.

Dorothea, from Germany, joins the one-year programme with OM Russia, which includes visiting Siberian villages to help churches and sharing the Gospel with locals.

A young couple who met on the Internet answers God’s call to missions to help others find Christ using their IT and web design skills.

A teenage girl's courage and boldness opens door for family´s salvation (Philippines).

OM worker rejoices her friend's baptism in Greece.

Alex Erdélyi, an OM contact in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War, continues to publish and distribute Christian literature today.

Nathan Schmutz, an OMer working in Latin America, shares how a five year-old girl embodies OM's new mission statement.

President-elect Donald Trump was welcomed at the White House on Wednesday after declining to do the same for President Joe Biden after the 2020 election.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Steve Smith will face off during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting November 22 in Perth.

If this isn't real yet, surely it soon will be...

Jeff Smith of LiveRamp explains the connection between customer identity and going beyond omnichannel marketing

“The Commission continues to criticise previous designs, despite our clarification that these have been discarded and will be redesigned based on the outcomes of the local plan review”

Returning to Washington, Trump meets with Biden in the Oval Office

Donald Trump winning the election is a game-changer not just for America, but for Jews worldwide.

The members of the House debated the role of lack of integration, antisemitism within the Muslim population, and failure of authority in a discussion about the attacks.

KARACHI: At a time when cities across Punjab are facing the worst air pollution in their history, two members of the ruling coalition on Tuesday made “insensitive” jibes over the issue in their posts on social media.

In his post on X, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari shared a chart of the air quality index readings of Pakistan’s major cities on November 10 at 9pm.

The chart showed Peshawar as the most polluted city with an AQI of 591, followed by Multan 573 and Lahore 479. Karachi was 7th with AQI of 78.

“Dear Pakistan, move to Karachi,” wrote Mr Bhutto-Zardari in his post.

Late at night, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said crop burning was unreasonably blamed for the smog when vehicles were the biggest polluters.

He shared a chart showing that total emissions from transport were 127 gigagrams, while that from stubble burning was 5.97gg.

The minister’s post did not mention the chart’s source or when the readings were taken.

He said the chart shows the “real culprits” contributing to the smog, but the people are being misled into believing that stubble burning, which has been going on “since the time of Mohenjo Daro”, was causing the pollution.

In another post, he referred to an order by Lahore High Court Justice Shahid Karim to close markets at 8pm, which was “yet to be implemented”.

According to the minister, the markets in Lahore remained open from 2pm to 2am and blamed the traders for being “intransigent” on this issue.

He also called out political leaders who are not ready to address this issue due to “political expediency”.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024

Residents of India’s capital New Delhi choked in a blanketing toxic smog Wednesday as worsening air pollution surged past 50 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily maximum.

Many in the city cannot afford air filters, nor do they have homes they can effectively seal from the misery of foul-smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.

Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds trap deadly pollutants each winter, stretching from mid-October until at least January.

At dawn on Wednesday, “hazardous” pollutant levels in parts of the sprawling urban area of more than 30 million people topped 806 micrograms per cubic metre, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

That is more than 53 times the WHO-recommended daily maximum of fine particulate matter — dangerous cancer-causing microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs.

By midday, when air usually is at its best, it eased to about 25-35 times above danger levels, depending on different districts.

The city is blanketed in acrid smog each year, primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring regions to clear their fields for ploughing, as well as factories and traffic fumes.

‘Alarming’

But a report by The New York Times this month, based on air and soil samples it collected over five years, revealed the dangerous fumes also spewing from a power plant incinerating the city’s landfill garbage mountains.

Experts the newspaper spoke to said that the levels of heavy metals found were “alarming”.

Swirling white clouds of smog also delayed several flights across northern India.

The India Meteorological Department said that at least 18 regional airports had a visibility lower than 1,000 metres (1,093 yards) — dropping below 500m in Delhi.

India’s Supreme Court last month ruled that clean air was a fundamental human right, ordering both the central government and state-level authorities to take action.

But critics say arguments between rival politicians heading neighbouring states — as well as between central and state-level authorities — have compounded the problem.

Politicians are accused of not wanting to anger key figures in their constituencies, particularly powerful farming groups.

City authorities have launched several initiatives to tackle pollution, which have done little in practice.

Government trucks are regularly used to spray water to briefly dampen the pollution.

A new scheme unveiled earlier this month to use three small drones to spray water mist was derided by critics as another “band-aid” solution to a public health crisis.

The WHO says that air pollution can trigger strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

It is particularly punishing for babies, children and the elderly.

A study in The Lancet medical journal attributed 1.67m premature deaths to air pollution in the world’s most populous country in 2019.

Background

Lung cancer ranks as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is evidence that second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure is a risk factor for the development of lung cancer in never-smokers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide the most accurate quantification of the association between SHS exposure and lung cancer risk in never-smokers.

1. COP29: Small victory as nations approve new carbon market rules, standards  The Indian Express
2. COP29 begins in Azerbaijan: Everything you need to know  The Indian Express
3. Developed nations need to triple their contribution to make climate finance credible: Avinash Persaud  The Hindu
4. COP29 gets momentum with consensus on creation of carbon credits standards, India wants to conclude work  The Times of India
5. UN Climate Draft Shows Deep Divide On Funding For Poorer Nations At COP29  NDTV

1. Donald Trump meets Joe Biden in White House; both pledge smooth transition  The Hindu
2. Power Transition Will Be "As Smooth As You Can Get", Says Trump  NDTV
3. US President Biden meets President-elect Donald Trump at White House, leaders vow smooth transition of power  The Financial Express
4. Joe and Donald warm up by the White House fireplace  The Times of India
5. Biden greets Trump with handshake, both pledge smooth transition  Moneycontrol

The body of a 52-year-old man was discovered in his Toa Payoh flat last Sunday (Nov 10), several days after his death. The police told AsiaOne they were alerted to the case at 11.15am on Sunday, where they pronounced the man dead at the scene. It is not known when he died.  The man, Bai Zongren (transliteration), had been living alone in his unit at Block 157 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 for several years after divorcing his wife, according to a neighbour who spoke to Shin Min Daily News. He also had a daughter, who moved out with his ex-wife after they split.  The neighbour, who did not want to be named, added that Bai would occasionally get visits from relatives. "His mother used to live on the fifth floor, but she died a few years ago."  The neighbour told Shin Min that she was unaware of Bai's death when she passed by his unit several days ago. As Bai's door was locked, she assumed the flat was empty.  When she passed by his unit again on Saturday, she detected a foul smell but thought that it was from wastewater. She said she only found out about his death when she saw the police at his door.

By Ankit Jain

137 years after the now famous words “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you,” were transmitted across Alexander Graham...

In this modern age, the standard of living of the people is very high. As a result, the needs to look better from others are increasing at a very high rate. On the contrary, note, monthly earnings...

Extending its P series, Panasonic India on Tuesday launched a new smartphone P71 that will come in two variants.

Domestic start-up Hyve Mobility in collaboration with MediaTek on Wednesday launched a new smartphone 'Pryme' at Rs.17,999.

October turned out to be the best month for the Indian smartphone market because of the festivals. With the launch of some amazing and most anticipated smartphones

Battling with multiple issues like the discontinuation of Galaxy Note 7, recall of 2.8 million exploding washing machines and a corruption scandal, South Korean giant Samsung has reportedly filed a patent with the Korean.

As the competition in the mid-range smartphone segment gets fierce in India, Chinese players are offering too many specifications in their devices. Coolpad has been among the top Chinese players when it comes to launching such feature-packed devices.

Alcatel, TCL communication's mobile brand, on Wednesday launched a GPS-enabled smartwatch in India which allows kids to communicate with pre-approved contacts at Rs.4,799.

2016 witnessed the launch of various smartphones built with new technologies and features.

Earlier part of Chinese multinational telecommunications company ZTE Corporation, Nubia is rumoured to unveil a new smartphone with a "bezel-less" display in India soon.