Japan's #1 TV anime & world's longest animated show halted recordings in April

There will be some noticeable changes to the game when cricket resumes from its COVID-19 hiatus with one of the major differences being the way the ball is polished.

It's critical administrators produce the right response to the health challenges as swing bowling, along with wrist-spin, is a crucial part of attacking cricket. Both skills place a high priority on wicket-taking and need to be encouraged at every opportunity.

An out-swing bowler is seeking the edge to provide a catch behind the wicket. The in-swinger is delivered in search of a bowled or an lbw decision. In both cases the bowler, in seeking the perfect ambush, is also providing the batsman with a driving opportunity as the ball needs to be pitched full to achieve the desired outcome.

Either way two results are in play—a wicket or a boundary—which creates the ideal balance of tension and expectation. Fans crave a genuine contest between bat and ball and that's part of what attracts them to the game in the first place.

With ball tampering always a hot topic in the past, I've suggested that administrators ask international captains to construct a list [ie the use of natural substances] detailing the things bowlers feel help them to swing the ball. From this list the administrators should deem one method to be legal with all others being punishable as illegal.

Due to the pandemic, this is the ideal time to conduct the exercise with cricket on hold. Using saliva or perspiration are now seen as a health hazard, so bowlers require something to replace the traditional methods of shining the ball.

An ideal LBW rule

And while they're in a magnanimous mood, the administrators should also make a change to the lbw law that would be welcomed by all bowlers.

The new lbw law would simply say: "Any delivery that strikes the pad without first hitting the bat and, in the umpire's opinion would go on to hit the stumps, is out, regardless of whether or not a shot is attempted."

Forget where the ball pitches and whether it strikes the pad outside the line or not; if it's going to hit the stumps it's out.

There will be screams of horror—particularly from pampered batsmen—but there are numerous positives this change would bring to the game.

Most important is fairness. If a bowler is prepared to attack the stumps regularly, the batsman should only be able to protect his wicket with the bat. The pads are there to save the batsman from injury, not dismissal.

It would also force batsmen to seek an attacking method to combat a wrist-spinner pitching in the rough outside the right-hander's leg stump.

Contrast Sachin Tendulkar's aggressive [and successful] approach to Shane Warne coming round-the-wicket at Chennai in 1998 with a batsman who kicks away deliveries pitching in the rough and turning in toward the stumps. Which would you rather watch?

Bat and pad play

The current law encourages 'pad play' to balls pitching outside leg whilst this change would force them to use their bat. The change would reward bowlers who attack the stumps and decrease the need for negative wide deliveries to a packed off-side field.

The law as it pertains to pitching outside leg was originally introduced to stop negative tactics to slow the scoring. Imagine trying to stifle players like VVS Laxman and Mark Waugh by bowling at their pads. The law should retain the current clause where negative bowling down leg-side is deemed to be illegal.

This change to the lbw law would also simplify umpiring and result in fewer frivolous DRS challenges. Consequently, it would speed up a game that has slowed drastically in recent times. It would also make four-day Tests an even more viable proposition as mind-numbing huge first innings totals would be virtually non-existent.

The priority for cricket administrators should be to maintain an even balance between bat and ball. These law changes would help redress any imbalance and make the game [particularly Test cricket] a far more entertaining spectacle.

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Another 626 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total Coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 31,241, environment secretary George Eustice said. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

Earlier in the day, the National Health Service (NHS), England, said a six-week-old baby has become one of the latest to die after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus. Chairing the Downing Street daily press briefing, Eustice unveiled a £16-million fund to help support charities which feed some of the country's most vulnerable people hit by the pandemic.

"It is absolutely vital they have the resources they need and this funding will help the most vulnerable in our society get the food they need at this enormously challenging time," he said. The funding is part of the 750-million-pound pot announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak for charities across Britain during the Coronavirus outbreak. As to the exit strategy of lockdown measures, the secretary told reporters that there is not going to be "dramatic overnight change" in the country's lockdown measures.

16m pounds
Fund unveiled to help support charities

Russia reports 10,817 cases in 24 hours

The overall number of Coronavirus cases in Russia increased to 1,98,676 on Saturday after the emergence of 10,817 new infections in the last 24 hour, health authorities said. According to the country's anti-Coronavirus crisis centre, the death toll currently stood at 1,827, while 31,916 people have recovered from the illness so far.

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Two days after gas leakage from LG Polymers claimed 12 lives and affected hundreds of others, people of Venkatapuram village staged a protest on Saturday with three dead bodies at the chemical plant, demanding justice.

Tension prevailed at the plant as the villagers staged a sit-in at the plant's gate when Director General of Police Gautam Sawang was visiting the site. Some protesters barged into the plant premises. The police had a tough time clearing them and providing safe passage to the top official.

Sawang said that the gas leakage has been plugged and the situation is under control. Sawang said that more technical teams from Delhi will be reaching the site to have further assess the situation and decide the way forward. "The situation is absolutely under control. All the reactions and leakages have been plugged. There is no matter of concern anymore," he said.

Meanwhile, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rope in national and international experts for health assessment of the people affected by the leakage of gas.

He wrote a letter that the long-lasting impact on the health of those undergoing treatment is of serious concern. It is suspected that the toxins emitted may cause permanent damage to the victims, said Naidu.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The city might miss seeing Lord Ganesh in his full glory this year, as work on the gigantic idols, which usually adorn the biggest and richest pandals during Ganesh Chaturthi, has taken a big hit due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdown. Sculptors, who usually start work in May for the annual festival that will be celebrated on August 22 this year, have been forced to put all orders on hold, as raw materials aren't available, and most of the artisans are stuck in their hometowns. The government too, hasn't given permission to begin work. With the lockdown extended till May 17, the sculptors say that mandals might have to settle for scaled-down versions of the idol.

Mumbai has over 10,000 sarvajanik Ganesh mandals. To ensure that the idols are delivered on time, sculptors start work three months in advance, first making the pattern, a rough model, which is then corrected with welding at the workshops. Another 20 days are invested in painting the idol, and giving it the final touches. Mandals usually accept delivery of the idols 10 days before the festival begins.

A Ganesh idol-making workshop at Chinchpokli, where work otherwise begins in May, is currently shut due to the lockdown

With the way the situation has panned out till now, work is unlikely to begin before July. This will leave sculptors with just about a month to complete work. Reshma Khatu, daughter of late sculptor Vijay Khatu, says, "Currently, we have put all the orders and planning on hold and are awaiting the government's decision. The crisis doesn't seem to be nearing an end. We do not want to put our workers at risk. Even if one person is detected COVID-19 positive, work will go for a toss and the entire workshop will be sealed."

The other problem is that at least 70 per cent of the workers employed, hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They work in Maharashtra during May to October. Vijay Kumar Soni, hails from Patna, but is currently stuck in Konkan, where he and his employer Rajan Zaad, have been working on rough designs. "We came here in March, and hence could begin work. Some of the dyes are ready, and we hope to get started on the idols when we return to Mumbai. But, I am not sure if the other workers from Patna will be able to make it on time." Zaad, who is a sculptor from Lalbaug, says that he will be requesting the mandals to accept smaller-sized idols.

Sculptor Rajan Zaad says he intends to request mandals to have smaller-sized idols this year

The raw materials for making the larger idols come from Rajasthan and Kerala, while shadu—a kind of clay used for the sculpture—comes from Gujarat. But transportation has taken the biggest hit, and state borders are sealed.

Ankush Kambli, a sculptor from Parel village, says he has started work from home with the help of his family members but is running out of raw materials. Ditching the ubiquitous plaster of Paris, he has decided to use only shadu. "There is no clarity, if we will be able to get back to our routines of working from a workshop. We understand that there is the need for social distancing and that is the sole reason why we are working from home."

Reshma Khatu

The Brihanmumbai Murtikar Samanvay Samiti, an umbrella body of Ganpati sculptors, has decided to share their concerns with the government. Gajanan Tondvalkar, president of the samiti, and a sculptor in Naigaon, Dadar, says, "We will request the government to help ensure transportation of raw materials, so that we can work from home, at least."

Meanwhile, the city's Ganesh mandals, have decided to put discussions about the festivities on hold. Sudhir Salvi, secretary of Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, says, "Calls that need to be taken regarding the celebrations will be done once the Coronavirus situation is under control." The secretary of Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, popularly known as Ganesh Galli Ganpati, Swapnil Parab, says the committee is yet to take a decision and will honour the government's directive.

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Why do iron supplements worsen malarial infection, the scientist at National Institutes of Health have found a possible explanation for this. They found

As part of the OECD LEED project on university support for entrepreneurship in eastern Germany, undertaken in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, this handbook presents highlights of results of a series of case studies and a university survey.

The last decade has seen considerable policy attention to the social economy and its contribution to employment, in particular as regards the inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable workers and the provision of appropriate working conditions.

The world has seen more than one industrial revolution and another one is already upon us. We should face it as optimists.

Even though the term “open access” is widely used in policy discussions surrounding broadband networks, there is little universal agreement as to what it means. A new OECD report helps to shed some light on this important concept by examining how and why open access policies have been implemented in communication markets around the world.

A new OECD report finds empirical evidence that imposing mandatory higher charges for the completion (termination) of international inbound traffic suppresses demand. Moreover, governments that impose higher termination charges do not see their revenues increase proportionately.

The world has seen more than one industrial revolution and another one is already upon us. We should face it as optimists.

International migration flows are essential for the effective functioning of our economies. Even in times of crisis and fiscal constraint, a holistic approach is required to fully reap its full benefits, said Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General.

This article by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría addresses the refugee crisis, encouraging governments to seize the opportunity that refugees bring for our economies and societies.

This paper examines how three multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) incorporate transparency into their regulatory regimes: CITES (endangered species, especially tropical timber), the Basel Convention (hazardous e-waste), and the Kimberley Process (conflict diamonds)

We can’t use terms like “inclusive” and “green” as window dressing for the pursuit of economic growth as an end in itself. A real and profound change in how we think about growth is needed–one that doesn’t let special interests get in the way of creating a just, fair and sustainable economy with clean energy for all.

The paper reviews a number of commercial and public data sources to examine their potential for increasing coverage and understanding of the volume and characteristics of private climate finance beyond renewable energy projects. Such information is needed to assess progress towards the global transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies.

Reversing the damage is within our grasp, but it will hinge on a strong international climate agreement and policies that make polluters pay. Op Ed by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General and Nick Stern, Chair of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, The Guardian.

According to shocking new research by Oxfam, the world’s richest 1% would, on current trends, own more than half the world’s wealth by 2016.

Government support to fossil fuel consumption and production in OECD countries and key emerging economies remains high, at USD 160-200 billion annually, according to a new OECD report. This support is hampering global efforts to curb emissions and combat climate change.

"Back to the Future" festivities marking 21 October 2015 as the date Marty and Doc travel to the future in the famous film with Michael J. Fox. If only we had a similar time machine allowing us to travel to 2045 to see what the climate has in store to better decide what policies to adopt today. Alas, no time machine has been invented yet but, in the absence of such a cool device, we can rely on climate and economic models...

In order to help address climate finance-related information needs under the UNFCCC, this paper explores the extent to which currently-available secondary data make it possible to estimate private finance mobilised by developed countries for climate action in developing countries.

This report examines what would be needed to achieve zero CO2 emissions from international maritime transport by 2035. It assesses measures that can reduce shipping emissions effectively and describes possible decarbonisation pathways that use different combinations of these measures; and reviews under which conditions these measures could be implemented and presents concrete policy recommendations.

We can’t use terms like “inclusive” and “green” as window dressing for the pursuit of economic growth as an end in itself. A real and profound change in how we think about growth is needed–one that doesn’t let special interests get in the way of creating a just, fair and sustainable economy with clean energy for all.

The last decade has seen considerable policy attention to the social economy and its contribution to employment, in particular as regards the inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable workers and the provision of appropriate working conditions.

According to shocking new research by Oxfam, the world’s richest 1% would, on current trends, own more than half the world’s wealth by 2016.

A new OECD publication highlights notable economic and environmental benefits of phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies in Indonesia. Interestingly, the study is based on the context that pertained until mid-2014, when international oil prices where high and before the recent phase-out of subsidies by the government.

Government support to fossil fuel consumption and production in OECD countries and key emerging economies remains high, at USD 160-200 billion annually, according to a new OECD report. This support is hampering global efforts to curb emissions and combat climate change.

Die Resistenzraten für acht Antibiotikum-Bakterium Kombinationen sind in Deutschland zwischen 2005 und 2015 von 12% auf 10% gesunken, könnte aber bis zum Jahr 2030 wieder auf 13% ansteigen, falls die Trends im Antibiotika-Konsum, sowie beim Bevölkerungs- und Wirtschaftswachstum anhalten. Der Resistenzraten in Deutschland lagen im Jahr 2015 unter dem OECD-Durchschnitt (17%).

As part of the OECD LEED project on university support for entrepreneurship in eastern Germany, undertaken in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, this handbook presents highlights of results of a series of case studies and a university survey.

The last decade has seen considerable policy attention to the social economy and its contribution to employment, in particular as regards the inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable workers and the provision of appropriate working conditions.

OECD countries are seeing a trend away from traditional employment towards part-time and temporary work and self-employment. However, there are concerns that part-time and temporary work are contributing to inequality and poverty. Policy needs to focus on ensuring that these "non-traditional" jobs are stepping stones to better jobs, not dead ends.

Discussion on how technology helps measuring skills shortages in real time

The Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) has devoted its 9th Annual Conference to opening direct channels of discussion on experiences, methodologies and innovative practices in the process of optimization of public administration in the Western Balkans.

Director: Ang Lee; Cast: Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Makenzie Leigh, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, Brain "Astro" Bradley, Arturo Castro.

The Phase 3 Report on Italy by the OECD Working Group on Bribery evaluates and makes recommendations on Italy's implementation and application of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments.

A modern day Bulgarian proverb says “What money can’t buy, a lot of money can”. Sadly, the truth of this popular wisdom holds well beyond the country it comes from. Sadly too, it seems to work well in schools and universities. Year by year Transparency International (TI), an international anti-corruption NGO, publishes data on the perceptions and experience of people from around the globe...

Got a minute? How about 218 of them? That’s the average amount of time students in OECD countries spend in mathematics class each week (although to some, it feels like an eternity). Spare a thought, though, for students in Chile: they spend about twice that amount of time (400 minutes, or 6 hours and 40 minutes) each week in maths class. But who’s counting?

In 2012, 15-year-old students spent over two hours on line each day, on average across OECD countries. The most common online activities among 15-year-olds were browsing the Internet for fun and participating in social networks, with over 70% of students doing one of these every day or almost every day.

The number and length of school holidays differs significantly across OECD countries, meaning the number of instructional days in primary and secondary education ranges from 162 days a year in France to more than 200 days in Israel and Japan.

Primary school is a fundamental stage in children’s education. Yet it is often neglected in education research and policy debates, somehow squeezed between the seemingly more important stages of early childhood education and secondary education.

Today, around 5 million students study and do research in a country other than their own, attracted by the quality of overseas universities and willing to complement their education portfolio with international experience.

At the beginning of work-based learning programmes employers make an investment. This pays off later on when, after receiving high quality training, skilled trainees achieve higher productivity and contribute to production.

Register for a webinar "PISA 2015: Q&A Session Closing the Achievement Gap" with Andreas Schleicher (December 15th, 14h Paris time)

This public session will discuss the financial incentives to invest in education, with a particular focus on how tax systems impact skills development in OECD countries. The webinar will present some of the key findings from the OECD’s new report, Taxation and Skills and their implications for policy makers.

Join Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, and Éric Charbonnier, analyst in the Early Childhood and Schools division, who will present the main findings from Starting Strong V - Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education.