Tuesday, 26 November 2019
PSLV-C47 to be launched today
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K. Sivan offered prayers at the renowned hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh. Mr Sivan visited the temple which is located about 60 miles from the rocket launch site. '26 hours countdown for the launch of PSLV-C47 mission commenced today at 0728 Hrs (IST) from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. Launch is scheduled at 0928 Hrs IST on November 27, 2019. … updates will continue…,' Isro tweeted posting a picture. The rocket will carry the 1,625 kg Cartosat-3 satellite and 13 commercial nanosatellites from the US related to earth observation, and communication test bed. 'PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in 'XL configuration (with 6 solid strap-on motors). Cartosat-3 is the ninth satellite of Cartosat series. This will be the fifth launch of 2019,' the Isro said. During 2016, Cartosat series satellites were employed when the Indian Army carried out a cross border strike along the line of control by providing 'Area of Interest' based images. Cartosat-3 has a wider spatial range (approximately 16 km), multi-spectral and hyperspectral (captures light from across the electromagnetic spectrum) capabilities, which can assist in locating enemy hideouts and terror hubs, media reports said. Speaking to reporters Mr. Sivan said this would be an important launch and claimed that Chandrayaan-2 was doing good. The mission had ended in heartbreak on September 7, failing to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. The mission, if successful, would have made India the fourth country after the US, China and Russia to achieve this feat and the first to do so in its very first attempt. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.pearltrees.com/bentstopmes
Pick up those banned books
Kids are smart.Globally, there's a long history of banning children's books. Books seen as imparting ideas that offend a religion, morality or political views are regularly deemed unfit for children. By grown ups. But for books to be banned, they must first make their way to library and bookstore shelves. What happens when a book is forced to withdraw even before that happens? The Art of Tying a Pug by Natasha Sharma and Priya Kuriyan was recently withdrawn after the creators and publishers (Karadi Tales) received threatening phone calls, legal notices and harassment on social media. 'The book attempts to present the proud Sikh tradition of the pug and kesh to a larger audience, using humorous interplay with a 'pug' (the pet). The book was intended to familiarise children with the process of tying the 'pugdi' (Sikh turban).' Shobha Viswanath of Karadi Tales said in an official statement, adding 'We received effusive praise from all quarters including Sikhs for the book.' I wish I could say 'I've read this book and that's not true!' But I can't, because copies were recalled before they reached my favourite bookstore. My guess is that many of the people who protested haven't read it either. But as a parent, I can say this with conviction: that I will actively encourage my children to read banned books. Here's why. Reading is one of the most subversive acts a person can commit. What are books if not a magical medium that help readers think? Form ideas and opinions? Discuss and debate? Many parents look at books as a 'worthy' way to occupy their child's time. We want our children to read because it's important for academics: improved vocabulary! Better spellings! Research for papers! There's a failure to truly see what books give us beyond perfect standardised test scores. If we provide our children with a steady diet of bland, morally nutritious books that don't challenge commonly accepted notions and perceptions, what happens to them when they grow up? How will they challenge the status quo, question injustice or dissent if they have not read or seen it before? In a world where we increasingly cloister ourselves and our families in settings that are familiar, safe, more of us and less of them - books are often the only avenues for children to see the world in all its diverse glory. To then insist that only 'our' views are presented in books seeks to keep that world closed. I support the creators of this book, who had no malice in heart when they set out on this journey. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://anotepad.com/notes/q4rtabe
Two Iraqi protesters shot dead as unrest intensifies
In Iraq's mostly rural south, schools and public offices have been severely affected with many students and teachers leading rallies and sit-ins outside public offices. The education ministry has issued a directive that classes resume Sunday, the first day of the school and work week in Iraq. But protesters in Nasiriyah defied the ministry and shut down schools anyway, AFP's correspondent said. In the oil-rich southern city of Basra, demonstrators blocked main roads just before dawn, including those leading to the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair. The ports, which bring in food and medicine to Iraq but also export fuel products, have seen some delays in loading and offloading due to the unrest in recent weeks. Clashes also pitted protesters against security forces in Karbala, one of Iraq's two Shiite holy cities. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.spreaker.com/user/vinoudsreera
Pilgrims throng Sabarimala temple, offer prayers
Express photo) The court stated that the Devaswom boards must give appropriate directions to the temples under their jurisdiction so that the priests do not include, plastic utensils and items in the 'irumudiketti'. Express photo) The mandala pooja is scheduled on December 27 after which the sanctum sanctorum closes for three days. It reopens again on December 30. The 'makaravilakku' festival falls on January 15. Express photo) Conveying its displeasure to the Kerala government for not framing a law exclusively for the management of the Sabarimala hill shrine despite an undertaking earlier, the Supreme Court Wednesday directed the state to come up with such a legislation by the third week of January. (Express photo) A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had on November 14, in a 3:2 verdict, decided to refer to a larger bench the re-examination of religious issues including those arising out of its 2018 verdict lifting a centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age visiting the shrine. (Express photo) M S Parameswaran Namboodiri on Saturday took charge as priest of the Malikappuram temple, located near the Ayyappa temple. (Express photo) A Hindu Helpline activist was arrested Tuesday for spraying chilli powder on Bindu Ammini, one of the two women who had first managed to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple last year, outside the Kochi Police Commissioner's office. The activist was identified as Srinath Padmanabhan. (TDB) Following the SC's ruling this year, the Kerala government has adopted a cautious approach and made it clear Sabarimala was not a place for activism. (TDB) It also added that no women devotees will be granted police protection and that they will not be allowed near the shrine without the Supreme Court order. (TDB) Many women, including a 12-year-old girl, have been turned away from the shrine since the temple opened last month. (TDB) The Sabarimala temple opened for the annual 'mandala-makaravilakku' festival this year on the evening of November 16. (TDB) DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.magcloud.com/user/michealseans
Waste segregation not a hard task anymore, thanks to this Bengaluru entrepreneur
At the Basavangudi Municipal Corporation ward in Bengaluru, Nivedha's invention-the Trash- Bot-is doing its job of making the city clean one load at a time. A worker dumps garbage at the entry area of the machine and the waste moves forward and enters a magnetic chute. This removes the screws and nuts. Then it goes onto the second level. An arm pushes all the metals to one side. The rest of the waste moves to a loading conveyor. The food packets are cut into several slits. The load then hits a blast of air and the biodegradable waste falls, and the plastic and other materials are carried into another chamber. "That's how the segregation takes place," says the young entrepreneur. The biodegradable waste is converted to compost, biogas or biofuel. The non-biodegradable waste is converted into boards-another technology invented by Nivedha and her team. "It looks like plywood but is stronger, compact, water-resistant, as well as termite- and rot-resistant. And it is available at one-fifth the price of plywood," she says. While studying at the Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, Nivedha would notice that the streets were always strewn with garbage. "I thought that instead of doing rallies or campaigns, I should clear the stretch," she says, and so she did. But the mound of waste was back in a week. Not one to give up, Nivedha decided to make a machine that would automatically segregate the waste. Her mother put in Rs 2 lakh. Nivedha applied for a grant to Elevate 100, an initiative of the Karnataka State Department of Information Technology and Biotechnology, and received Rs 10 lakh. With the help of friend Saurabh Jain, a chemical engineer as well as a chartered accountant and now cofounder of Trashcon, the TrashBot was made. And the rest, as they say, is history. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttp://www.nfomedia.com/profile?uid=rJcYZbJ
Frozen 2 movie review: Elsa and Anna make a case for reparations in more beautiful but needless sequel
However, the test is often deemed unreliable for one factor--the sweet, clinking sound of coins dropping in their purses. Frozen is still the most successful animated film ever made with a box office haul of $1.27 billion. And this isn't even a fraction of the money it made for Disney with its Elsa tiffin boxes, Anna backpacks and Olaf toilet plungers. Of course, a sequel is too glossy an idea to not entertain. Another movie means four more Elsa costumes and four more Elsa dolls for your child's collection. I'll pray to my god that you find the four-in-one version, for the sake of your wallet and your sanity. That's the least I can do after writing a review that tells you why you should bring your kids for Frozen II anyway. In its second part, the story of ice queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) and her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) takes a more colourful albeit less enchanting turn. Set in the season of autumn, the screen aflush with stunning hues; the fiery red maple leaves, the soft auburns of hidden forests, the icy blues of Elsa's snow outfits and the royal aubergines of Anna's cloak. It's an aesthetic fit for an Instagram trend. #VSCOgirls are shook. But beautiful visuals were not all that was promised. Six years ago, Frozen gave Disney one of the most refreshing stories about princesses and magic. It wasn't just a musical delight -- although repeated listenings did ...uh... made one particular song hard to 'let go' from your head. Frozen subverted long-held ideas about the meaning of true love and why one must always find it in a suitor. With a lot of pomp and pageantry, it sang about a woman's need to break free from isolation and embrace her powers; and finally, learning to trust the ones closest to her. It was a story about how people can help others heal and grow stronger. Things change for Elsa as she breaks away from her sallow, lonely origins and embraces a happier side with her sister. This image released by Disney shows Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, in a scene from "Frozen 2." (Disney via AP) ( AP ) With Frozen II, there is no relationship to resolve or personality issues to address. Therefore, the story, the tension and the central conflict feels forced from the very beginning to the absolute end. This time when we meet the two sisters of Arendelle, an undisclosed amount of time has passed since the original. Everything seems happy and joyous in her kingdom but Elsa has been hearing eerie voices call out to her. In the spirit of every kids movie ever, she decides to chase after it and once again brings peril to her kingdom with her ever-growing icy powers that are beyond her control. To bring things back in order, she goes searching for answers in an enchanted forest and Anna is bent on staying by her side. Last time's events should have been enough to remind Elsa that Anna can hold her own and even save her in times of need. But the days of not trusting her sister and infantilizing her are still not behind her. The entire party, including the sisters, Anna's boyfriend Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven and snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) get divided into different groups when Elsa ditches them to save Arendelle and to find her true self. Cue a song sequence in which Elsa sings at night in a kingdom of isolation with not a footstep to be seen. Welcome back to Frozen (2013). Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, from left, Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, Kristoff, voiced by Jonathan Groff and Sven in a scene from Frozen 2. ( AP ) In between a few death hoaxes and one stunning song (Into The Unknown) and one that will make 1991 Bryan Adams proud (Lost In The Woods), the film also makes a case for reparations...? The wronged people of the forest should be given their due for all that they suffered for decades and it falls on Elsa and Anna to make a tough decision for the good of their kingdom. What could have been a powerful opportunity to draw parallels with contemporary realities and teach a lesson or two in sacrifice and acceptance, was too quickly resolved with not much of a sacrifice. Of course, the real world doesn't have ice queens to help them out. The film, even without a strong, beating, motivated heart at its core is still not dull enough to be unwatchable. Josh Gad's Olaf is once again one of the best things about the film. He still gets the most hilarious lines; his laugh is just as infectious as we remember it; his stupidity is the kind that make you burst into giggles rather than roll your eyes in frustration. In a standout scene, he gives a hilarious recap of the events of the original and it's the most exciting and impressive piece of writing in the whole film. As a sad cherry on the cake, Olaf looks forward to adulthood and how he will be wiser when he grows up -- a sly dig at all the grown-ups in theatre, realising how wrong he is about it all. It'll stab at your heart when he realises none of it was true and frankly, he has one of the best character arcs in the film. Can't believe I just said that about an anthropomorphic pile of snow. Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, and Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, in a scene from Frozen 2. ( AP ) Frozen II, however, falls short on the musical front, something that made the original Disney so memorable. Each song was catchy, crisp and brilliant in the first film. However, with the sequel, dig my brain as hard as I might, I can't remember a single line of lyrics from more than one song. Idina Menzel knocks it out of the park once again with the powerful Into The Unknown, and the haunting chorus is still ringing in my ear, hours later. And karaoke lovers beware, this one will be tougher than its predecessor to sing. But one catchy song is too less, one great snowman too little a reward for those who have waited six years for this. Maybe now that we have realised it was not really worth it, can we finally let it go? DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://peatix.com/user/5286482/view
Tamil signboards defaced to stall President Gotabaya's India visit: Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa
The "heinous move" was aimed at creating a rift between the Tamil community and the interim government and to strain the Sri Lanka-India ties, the prime minister said. Officials from the Police Media Division (PMD) said that following the Prime Minister's orders, all senior police officers had been informed to remain vigilant in areas where the defacement took place. Officers have been instructed to scrutinise CCTV footage and identify all those responsible. Although an investigation is going on, no arrests have not been made so far. On the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will visit India on November 29. This will be his first official visit after being elected to office this month. The two leaders are expected to hold talks on a wide-ranging issues during the visit deemed as a "fresh start" between the two governments after the bilateral ties were strained during the previous Rajapaksa regime that was tilted more towards China. According to the Sri Lankan media, Tamils and Muslims did not vote for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the November 16 presidential election. The president himself said that he was elected by the majority Sinhalese voters. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://favinks.com/profile/meekumarks
'Forced ideological centers': Documents show Chinese detention camps' ops
But a classified blueprint leaked to a consortium of news organizations shows the camps are instead precisely what former detainees have described: Forced ideological and behavioral re-education centers run in secret. The classified documents lay out the Chinese government's deliberate strategy to lock up ethnic minorities even before they commit a crime, to rewire their thoughts and the language they speak. The papers also show how Beijing is pioneering a new form of social control using data and artificial intelligence. Drawing on data collected by mass surveillance technology, computers issued the names of tens of thousands of people for interrogation or detention in just one week. Taken as a whole, the documents give the most significant description yet of high-tech mass detention in the 21st century in the words of the Chinese government itself. Experts say they spell out a vast system that targets, surveils and grades entire ethnicities to forcibly assimilate and subdue them -- especially Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim Turkic minority of more than 10 million people with their own language and culture. 'They confirm that this is a form of cultural genocide,' said Adrian Zenz, a leading security expert on the far western region of Xinjiang, the Uighur homeland. 'It really shows that from the onset, the Chinese government had a plan.' Zenz said the documents echo the aim of the camps as outlined in a 2017 report from a local branch of the Xinjiang Ministry of Justice: To 'wash brains, cleanse hearts, support the right, remove the wrong.' China has struggled for decades to control Xinjiang, where the Uighurs have long resented Beijing's heavy-handed rule. After the 9/11 attacks in the United States, Chinese officials began justifying harsh security measures and religious restrictions as necessary to fend off terrorism, arguing that young Uighurs were susceptible to the influence of Islamic extremism. Hundreds have died since in terror attacks, reprisals and race riots, both Uighurs and Han Chinese. In 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched what he called a 'People's War on Terror' when bombs set off by Uighur militants tore through a train station in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, just hours after he concluded his first state visit there. 'Build steel walls and iron fortresses. Set up nets above and snares below,' state media cited Xi as saying. 'Cracking down severely on violent terrorist activities must be the focus of our current struggle.' In 2016, the crackdown intensified dramatically after Xi named Chen Quanguo, a hardline official transferred from Tibet, as Xinjiang's new head. Most of the documents were issued in 2017, as Xinjiang's 'War on Terror' morphed into an extraordinary mass detention campaign using military-style technology. The practices largely continue today. The Chinese government says they work. 'Since the measures have been taken, there's no single terrorist incident in the past three years,' said a written response from the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom. 'Xinjiang is much safer....The so-called leaked documents are fabrication and fake news.' The statement said that religious freedom and the personal freedom of detainees was 'fully respected' in Xinjiang. The documents were given to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists by an anonymous source. The ICIJ verified them by examining state media reports and public notices from the time, consulting experts, cross-checking signatures and confirming the contents with former camp employees and detainees. They consist of a notice with guidelines for the camps, four bulletins on how to use technology to target people, and a court case sentencing a Uighur Communist Party member to 10 years in prison for telling colleagues not to say dirty words, watch porn or eat without praying. The documents were issued to rank-and-file officials by the powerful Xinjiang Communist Party Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the region's top authority overseeing police, courts and state security. They were put out under the head official at the time, Zhu Hailun, who annotated and signed some personally. The documents confirm from the government itself what is known about the camps from the testimony of dozens of Uighurs and Kazakhs, satellite imagery and tightly monitored visits by journalists to the region. Erzhan Qurban, an ethnic Kazakh who moved back to Kazakhstan, was grabbed by police on a trip back to China to see his mother and accused of committing crimes abroad. He protested that he was a simple herder who had done nothing wrong. But for the authorities, his time in Kazakhstan was reason enough for detention. Qurban told the AP he was locked in a cell with 10 others last year and told not to engage in 'religious activities' like praying. They were forced to sit on plastic stools in rigid postures for hours at a time. Talk was forbidden, and two guards kept watch 24 hours a day. Inspectors checked that nails were short and faces trimmed of mustaches and beards, traditionally worn by pious Muslims. Those who disobeyed were forced to squat or spend 24 hours in solitary confinement in a frigid room. 'It wasn't education, it was just punishment,' said Qurban, who was held for nine months. 'I was treated like an animal.' On February 18, 2017, Zhu, the Han Chinese official who signed the documents, stood in chilly winter weather atop the front steps of the capital's city hall, overlooking thousands of police in black brandishing rifles. 'With the powerful fist of the People's Democratic Dictatorship, all separatist activities and all terrorists shall be smashed to pieces,' Zhu announced into a microphone. With that began a new chapter in the state's crackdown. Police called Uighurs and knocked on their doors at night to take them in for questioning. Others were stopped at borders or arrested at airports. In the years since, as Uighurs and Kazakhs were sent to the camps in droves, the government built hundreds of schools and orphanages to house and re-educate their children. Many of those who fled into exile don't even know where their children or loved ones are. The documents make clear that many of those detained have not actually done anything. One document explicitly states that the purpose of the pervasive digital surveillance is 'to prevent problems before they happen' -- in other words, to calculate who might rebel and detain them before they have a chance. This is done through a system called the Integrated Joint Operations Platform or IJOP, designed to screen entire populations. Built by a state-owned military contractor, the IJOP began as an intelligence-sharing tool developed after Chinese military theorists studied the U.S. army's use of information technology in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'There's no other place in the world where a computer can send you to an internment camp,' said Rian Thum, a Xinjiang expert at the University of Nottingham. 'This is absolutely unprecedented.' The IJOP spat out the names of people considered suspicious, such as thousands of 'unauthorized' imams not registered with the Chinese government, along with their associates. Suspicious or extremist behavior was so broadly defined that it included going abroad, asking others to pray or using cell phone apps that cannot be monitored by the government. The IJOP zoomed in on users of 'Kuai Ya,' a mobile application similar to the iPhone's Airdrop, which had become popular in Xinjiang because it allows people to exchange videos and messages privately. One bulletin showed that officials identified more than 40,000 'Kuai Ya' users for investigation and potential detention; of those, 32 were listed as belonging to 'terrorist organizations.' 'They're scared people will spread religion through 'Kuai Ya,'' said a man detained after police accused him of using the app. He spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to protect himself and his family. 'They can't regulate it....So they want to arrest everyone who's used 'Kuai Ya' before.' The system also targeted people who obtained foreign passports or visas, reflecting the government's fear of Islamic extremist influences from abroad and deep discomfort with any connection between the Uighurs and the outside world. Officials were asked to verify the identities even of people outside the country, showing how China is casting its dragnet for Uighurs far beyond Xinjiang. In recent years, Beijing has put pressure on countries to which Uighurs have fled, such as Thailand and Afghanistan, to send them back to China. In other countries, state security has also contacted Uighurs and pushed them to spy on each other. For example, a restaurateur now in Turkey, Qurbanjan Nurmemet, said police contacted him with videos of his son strapped to a chair and asked him for information on other Uighurs in Turkey. Despite the Chinese government's insistence that the camps are vocational training centers for the poor and uneducated, the documents show that those rounded up included party officials and university students. After the names were collected, lists of targeted people were passed to prefecture governments, who forwarded them to district heads, then local police stations, neighbor watchmen, and Communist Party cadres living with Uighur families. Some former detainees recalled being summoned by officers and told their names were listed for detention. From there, people were funneled into different parts of the system, from house arrest to detention centers with three levels of monitoring to, at its most extreme, prison. Experts say the detentions are a clear violation of China's own laws and constitution. Margaret Lewis, a professor of Chinese law at Seton Hall University, said the Communist Party is circumventing the Chinese legal system in Xinjiang. 'Once you're stamped as an enemy, the gloves go off,' she said. 'They're not even trying to justify this legally....This is arbitrary.' The detention campaign is sweeping. A bulletin notes that in a single week in June 2017, the IJOP identified 24,612 'suspicious persons' in southern Xinjiang, with 15,683 sent to 'education and training,' 706 to prison and 2,096 to house arrest. It is unknown how typical this week might be. Local officials claim far less than a million are in 'training,' but researchers estimate up to 1.8 million have been detained at one point or another. The bulletins stress that relationships must be scrutinized closely, with those interrogated pushed to report the names of friends and relatives. Mamattursun Omar, a Uighur chef arrested after working in Egypt, was interrogated in four detention facilities over nine months in 2017. Omar told the AP that police asked him to verify the identities of other Uighurs in Egypt. Eventually, Omar says, they began torturing him to make him confess that Uighur students had gone to Egypt to take part in jihad. They strapped him to a contraption called a 'tiger chair,' shocked him with electric batons, beat him with pipes and whipped him with computer cords. 'I couldn't take it anymore,' Omar said. 'I just told them what they wanted me to say.' Omar gave the names of six others who worked at a restaurant with him in Egypt. All were sent to prison. The documents also detail what happens after someone is sent to an 'education and training center.' Publicly, in a recent white paper, China's State Council said 'the personal freedom of trainees at the education and training centers is protected in accordance with the law.' But internally, the documents describe facilities with police stations at the front gates, high guard towers, one-button alarms and video surveillance with no blind spots. Detainees are only allowed to leave if absolutely necessary, for example because of illness, and even so must have somebody 'specially accompany, monitor and control' them. Bath time and toilet breaks are strictly managed and controlled 'to prevent escapes.' And cell phones are strictly forbidden to stop 'collusion between inside and outside.' 'Escape was impossible,' said Kazakh kingergarten administrator Sayragul Sauytbay, a Communist Party member who was abducted by police in October 2017 and forced to become a Mandarin camp instructor. 'In every corner in every place there were armed police.' Sauytbay called the detention center a 'concentration camp...much more horrifying than prison,' with rape, brainwashing and torture in a 'black room' were people screamed. She and another former prisoner, Zumrat Dawut, also told the ICIJ detainees were given medication that made them listless and obedient, and every move was surveilled. AP journalists who visited Xinjiang in December 2018 saw patrol towers and high walls lined with green barbed wire fencing around camps. One camp in Artux, just north of Kashgar, sat in the middle of a vast, empty, rocky field, and appeared to include a police station at the entrance, workshops, a hospital and dormitories, one with a sign reading 'House of Workers' in Chinese. Recent satellite imagery shows that guard towers and fencing have been removed from some facilities, suggesting the region may have been softening restrictions in response to global criticism. Shohrat Zakir, the governor of Xinjiang, said in March that those detained can now request time and go home on weekends, a claim the AP could not independently verify. The first item listed as part of the curriculum is ideological education, a bold attempt to change how detainees think and act. It is partly rooted in the ancient Chinese belief in transformation through education -- taken before to terrifying extremes during the mass thought reform campaigns of Mao Zedong. 'It's the dark days of the Cultural Revolution, except now it's powered by high-tech,' said Zenz, the researcher. By showing students the error of their former ways, the centers are supposed to promote 'repentance and confession,' the directive said. For example, Qurban, the Kazakh herder, was handcuffed, brought to an interview with a Han Chinese leader and forced to acknowledge that he regretted visiting abroad. The indoctrination goes along with what is called 'manner education,' where behavior is dictated down to ensuring 'timely haircuts and shaves,' 'regular change of clothes' and 'bathing once or twice a week.' The tone, experts say, echoes a general perception by the Han Chinese government that Uighurs are prone to violence and need to be civilized -- in much the same way white colonialists treated indigenous people in the U.S., Canada and Australia. 'It's a similar kind of savior mentality -- that these poor Uighurs didn't understand that they were being led astray by extremists,' said Darren Byler, a scholar of Uighur culture at the University of Washington. 'The way they think about Uighurs in general is that they are backward, that they're not educated....these people are unhygienic and need to be taught how to clean themselves.' Students are to be allowed a phone conversation with relatives at least once a week, and can meet them via video at least once a month, the documents say. Trainers are told to pay attention to 'the ideological problems and emotional changes that arise after family communications.' Mandarin is mandated. Beijing has said 'the customs of all ethnic groups and the right to use their spoken and written languages are fully protected at the centers.' But the documents show that in practice, lessons are taught in Mandarin, and it is the language to be used in daily communication. A former staffer at Xinjiang TV now in Europe was also selected to become a Mandarin teacher during his month-long detention in 2017. Twice a day, detainees were lined up and inspected by police, and a few were questioned in Mandarin at random, he told the AP. Those who couldn't respond in Mandarin were beaten or deprived of food for days. Otherwise, speaking was forbidden. One day, the former teacher recalled, an officer asked an old farmer in Mandarin whether he liked the detention center. The man apologized in broken Mandarin and Uighur, saying it was hard for him to understand because of his age. The officer strode over and struck the old man's head with a baton. He crumpled to the ground, bleeding. 'They didn't see us as humans,' said the former teacher, who declined to provide his name out of fear of retribution against his family. 'They treated us like animals -- like pigs, cows, sheep.' Detainees are tested on Mandarin, ideology and discipline, with 'one small test per week, one medium test per month, and one big test per season,' the documents state. These test scores feed into an elaborate point system. Detainees who do well are to be rewarded with perks like family visits, and may be allowed to 'graduate' and leave. Detainees who do poorly are to be sent to a stricter 'management area' with longer detention times. Former detainees told the AP that punishments included food deprivation, handcuffing, solitary confinement, beatings and torture. Detainees' scores are entered in the IJOP. Students are sent to separate facilities for 'intensive skills training' only after at least one year of learning ideology, law and Mandarin. After they leave, the documents stipulate, every effort should be made to get them jobs. Some detainees describe being forced to sign job contracts, working long hours for low pay and barred from leaving factory grounds during weekdays. Qurban, the Kazakh herder, said after nine months in the camp, a supervisor came to tell him he was 'forgiven' but must never tell what he had seen. After he returned to his village, officials told him he had to work in a factory. 'If you don't go, we'll send you back to the center,' an official said. Qurban went to a garment factory, which he wasn't allowed to leave. After 53 days stitching clothes, he was released. After another month under house arrest, he finally was allowed to return to Kazakhstan and see his children. He received his salary in cash: 300 Chinese yuan, or just under $42. Long an ordinary herder who thought little of politics, Qurban used to count many Han Chinese among his friends. Now, he said, he's begun to hate them. 'I've never committed a crime, I've never done anything wrong,' he said. 'It was beyond comprehension why they put me there.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://ask.fm/rampagearjuns
Students reject JNU late-night fee slash
umar said: "The committee (set up by the JNU administration) scrutinised the estimated utility and service charges in the hostels, which are Rs 2,000 per month (including electricity and water charges of Rs 300) and has recommended that Rs 1,000 per month may be charged. Students who are below poverty line - an outdated classification - who are not receiving scholarships, will pay Rs 500 a month towards these charges."When the Executive Council - held outside campus without elected teacher representatives - approved the new norms a fortnight ago, a partial rollback to the hostel manual was announced. This included a 50 per cent waiver in service charges - estimated by students at a minimum of Rs 1,700 - and utility charges for students from BPL families. The increase in room rent - the smallest component of the hike - was also halved.With Monday night's rollback, the total hostel charges will be around Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 a month from January. These are currently a little over Rs 2,700 per month, which the JNU administration had initially raised to around Rs 5,000, sparking the protests. The merit-cum-means scholarships, availed by a fifth of boarders, is only Rs 2,000 per month. The administration is yet to define its income ceiling for BPL students.The JNU students' union said in a release: "Statutory bodies like the IHA (Inter-Hall Administration, which maintains the hostels), Executive Council and other deliberative structures have been completely bypassed.. Our repeated demand has been to cancel the sham 28 October IHA meeting, call a new one with the JNUSU present and discuss the modalities of a new Manual and fee structure to be implemented with student consent."The union added: "The administration should think twice before engaging in such juvenile stunts and testing the patience of the students."The students have also protested the inquiries by police in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha at the homes of leaders involved in the protest against the fee hike.The JNU teachers' association echoed the students and called for vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar to quit. "The circular itself suggests that the university is at least officially conceding, more than it did when the hoax of a concession for BPL category students was announced on 13th November 2019, that the proposed increase in hostel charges was exorbitant and needed to be reversed. ".After first appealing to teachers to persuade students to accept the hike in charges as both reasonable as well as necessary, the university administration has now accepted that they were neither reasonable nor necessary," the JNUTA said in a statement.A section of teachers opposed to the JNUTA welcomed the rollback.The Centre has formed a panel of three academics to talk to students and teachers and recommend ways to end the agitation. But vice-chancellor Kumar has neither met teachers' or students' unions nor the human resource development ministry's committee that visited the campus last week.The report by the Centre's team was submitted on Tuesday.Kumar's administration formed its own high-level committee on Sunday to ask for suggestions from students' representatives by evening. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://visual.ly/users/michealjohsonpratts3/portfolio
Reading books, with your ears
But the recent boom is unprecedented. In the United Kingdom, for instance, in 2018, the sales of print books fell for the first time in five years, but that of audiobooks rose by a whopping 43%. In the United States, audiobook sales in 2018 were worth as much as $940 million, a growth of 24.5% over 2017 (According to Forbes, this was the seventh year in a row that the audiobook industry saw double digit growth). Along with the increasing popularity of podcasts and the rise of voice user interfaces (VUI) such as Alexa, Siri and Cortana, audiobooks mark a shift in the way we consume information and interact with technology. As it becomes increasingly difficult to find time to sit in one place for extended periods of time to read a book, the habit of listening to something — such as audiobooks and podcasts — while commuting, driving, or doing other work around the house, appears to be here to stay. In fact, it has been found that 74% of audiobook consumers listen to the books in their car. This is not to say that traditional reading is dying out. A survey also found that 83% of audiobook listeners had also read a print book over the previous 12 months, while 79% also read an e-book. Even though the words may be the same as in a print book, the sensorium of the audiobook, the pleasures of having a book read to you — of reading with your ears — are markedly different. Authors and performers such as Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman, who are vocal advocates of audiobooks, have read aloud many of their own and other texts as audiobooks, debunking the long-held view that reading must be a visual experience, and that the nuances of structure and emotion can only be appreciated through reading the words on a page. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://devakrajints.soup.io/
Refugees in Bengal who came after '71 war to get land rights
She said all refugee colonies on government and private land measuring up to three acres will be regularized. 'Many have agricultural land as well. The state government earlier regularized 94 refugee colonies (in the last two decades) located on state government land,' she said. 'But there are several colonies that came up on land owned by the Centre or private owners. These people are often sent eviction notices. We have decided to earmark land and take care of this problem,' said Banerjee. The state cabinet's decision came on a day when assembly bypolls were held at Kaliaganj, Karimpur and Kharagpur Sadar assembly constituencies. The first two constituencies are located in North Dinajpur and Nadia districts, respectively, and along the India-Bangladesh border. Both have sizeable number of families that fled from Bangladesh in or after 1971. The NRC and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill were dominant issues in the assembly bypolls with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying a sizeable section of those living in Bengal are illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. According to records of the state refugee, relief and rehabilitation department, the number of refugees entering India from East Pakistan in 1947 was around three million. After the 1971 War, the number rose to six million. 'This is nothing but a gimmick because the chief minister knows that the Citizenship (Amemdment) Bill will soon be passed by Parliament and people have to prove their citizenship rights. For decades, we have been hearing that refugees would be given land rights but nothing happened. Nothing will happen now as well,' BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said. 'The timing of the cabinet decision indicates that Banerjee is keen to stop polarization of votes before the upcoming municipal polls and the 2021 Assembly election,' according to political analyst and columnist Suvashsis Maitra. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://danmooredesigns.com/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/462985/Default.aspx
Air pollution can trigger Alzheimer's in aged women: Study
Previous research has suggested that fine particle pollution exposure increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. What scientists haven't known is whether PM2.5 alters brain structure and accelerates memory decline. How was the study conducted? For the study, published in the journal Brain, researchers used data from 998 women, aged 73 to 87, who had up to two brain scans five years apart as part of the landmark Women's Health Initiative launched in 1993 by the US National Institutes of Health and enrolled more than 160,000 women to address questions about heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Those brain scans were scored on the basis of their similarity to Alzheimer's disease patterns by a machine learning tool that had been "trained" via brain scans of people with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers also gathered information about where the 998 women lived, as well as environmental data from those locations to estimate their exposure to fine particle pollution. When all that information was combined, researchers could see the association between higher pollution exposure, brain changes and memory problems -- even after adjusting to take into account differences in income, education, race, geographic region, cigarette smoking and other factors. "This study provides another piece of the Alzheimer's disease puzzle by identifying some of the brain changes linking air pollution and memory decline. Each research study gets us one step closer to solving the Alzheimer's disease epidemic," Petkus said. "Our hope is that by better understanding the underlying brain changes caused by air pollution, researchers will be able to develop interventions to help people with or at risk for cognitive decline," Petkus added. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://visual.ly/users/jeffmattyhardayhappy1/portfolio
Nokia 2.3 set to debut on December 5
As far as selfie camera goes, it's said to come with a 32-megapixel front shooter. Nokia 8.2 is also expected to come with 5G support. Nokia 8.2, however, isn't the only phone that HMD Global is working on. Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 5.2 budget phones are also in the pipeline. Nokia 2.3 will be an entry-level phone. Based on Android Pie, it will have Bluetooth 5.0. Nokia 5.2 will come with a 6.1-inch full HD display and 3,920mAh battery. The smartphone is likely to come with up to 6GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel rear camera in a circular module. Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 5.2 are set to succeed the current gen Nokia 2.2 and Nokia 5.1 phones. Faced with stiff competition from Chinese players, the Finnish firm's aggressive push to hit in the smartphone segment is seen more as a desperate need. Nokia 8.2 with 5G support It will feature up to 8GB of RAM, 256GB built-in storage, and run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 730 processor. As far as selfie camera goes, it's said to come with a 32-megapixel front shooter function catchException() {try{ twitterJSDidLoad(); }catch(e){}} function getAndroidVersion(ua) {ua = (ua || navigator.userAgent).toLowerCase(); var match = ua.match(/android\\s([0-9\\.]*)/);return match ? match[1] : false;}; var versions='4.2.2'; var versionArray=versions.split(',');var currentAndroidVersion=getAndroidVersion();if(versionArray.indexOf(currentAndroidVersion)!=-1){var blocks = document.getElementsByTagName('blockquote'); for(var i = 0; i < blocks.length; i++){blocks[i].innerHTML = '';}}DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttp://www.tripntale.com/profile/186217
South African franchise boss defends 'sensitive' Chris Gayle
Gayle scored just 101 runs in six innings which included a blistering 54 off 27 deliveries in Monday's defeat by Tshwane Spartans. Jono Leaf-Wright, chief executive of Central Gauteng Cricket and the franchise, defended Gayle in an interview with The Star newspaper. "In Chris's head, he feels that when he doesn't perform, because there are such expectations, from the franchise, the fans, that he's the reason the team is not performing. "I know Chris well, he seems like he's the big character, lots of bravado, the swag and all that stuff but he's actually a sensitive guy, and unfortunately when he doesn't perform he really takes it to heart. He's certainly no burden on our side." In his farewell press conference, Gayle had also taken a swipe at the way the Stars had performed, hinting at off-field problems. "This is not a champion team," he complained. "That is not how defending champions should play." Responding to Gayle's assertion that the spirit in the dressing room was not the same as it had been in their winning season, Leaf-Wright said it might have been a man-management issue. "As manager last year I looked after Chris personally," said Leaf-Wright. "Maybe he just hasn't had the same attention and TLC that maybe I gave him last year because of my relationship with him." - 'Important' break - Gayle's poor form and lack of mobility in the field were highlighted by critics as the West Indian failed to live up to his billing as one of the competition's "marquee" players who are paid a reported 1.2-million rand (about $82,000) for a full season. Gayle, who played most recently for the West Indies in an ODI series against India in August, has shown no signs of retiring from cricket but will not play again this year. "It's important to take a break from the game as well," he said. "The mental part is not an issue for me, it's more the physical side of things. "Once I get the physical side of things right, I can still carry on for however long I want to play this game." DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://justpaste.it/6vmf5
In the previous financial year, the company logged a turnover of Rs 200 crore. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://issuu.com/novemdecem
Sri Lanka: Days after change of govt, top detective flees citing 'death threats'
The Daily Mirror newspaper said Silva left after receiving death threats after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won a presidential election on November 16. His investigations included high-profile killings and corruption involving administration members under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, brother of the new president, who ruled for a decade until 2015. Mahinda Rajapaksa has returned to power as prime minister after leading his younger brother's successful election campaign. Police said there was no pending disciplinary action against Silva, but an inquiry will be initiated to find out how he left the country without permission. Silva was removed from his CID post last year after Mahinda Rajapaksa briefly served as prime minister. But he was restored after that administration collapsed. Among the cases he was investigating was the 2009 assassination of editor Lasantha Wickrematunge by an alleged hit squad. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://justpaste.it/4bcjp
Henry Cavill auditioned for James Bond, reveals he was rejected for being 'chubby'
The British actor credited Campbell for telling him the 'truth'. 'I didn't know how to train or diet. And I'm glad Martin said something, because I respond well to truth. It helps me get better,' he said. Cavill has no qualms in disclosing he was 'chubby' in his childhood and his bullies would often call him 'Fat Cavill'. 'I was a chubby kid. I could've very well gone down the route of just accepting my lot in life and being like, 'I guess I'm not going to do anything',' he said. View this post on Instagram The journey continues. Thank you to Mr Dave Rienzi for being such a wonderful guide. My physical journey over the years has been an interesting one, with plenty of pit falls and plenty of moments of reward. I've been reflecting on them a lot recently and I've been very fortunate to work with some fantastic minds. I'm thankful to them all. Recently I've been exploring some of the big players in bodybuilding, both from the past and the present. It's absolutely fascinating to see what they put themselves through, the drive and mental strength required to get to such a place physically. Phil Heath in particular has caught my eye not only for his achievements but also for his genuinely humble and informative approach to his messaging. All this while being a 7x Mr Olympia. If you haven't checked out his page it's worth a peek. @DaveRienzi @PhilHeath #GymStuff A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Dec 21, 2018 at 4:17pm PST
Casino Royale was not the only rejection Cavill had faced in his career. He had also auditioned for the role of Edward Cullen from Twilight, a part which ultimately went to another British actor Robert Pattinson. But he never got dejected by these hiccups. 'I wasn't ecstatic about not getting these things but I was so used to disappointment from the acting business, and also from boarding school. 'No, you're not good enough' - (so) that wasn't anything new to me,' Cavill added. function getAndroidVersion(ua) {ua = (ua || navigator.userAgent).toLowerCase(); var match = ua.match(/android\\s([0-9\\.]*)/);return match ? match[1] : false;}; var versions='4.2.2'; var versionArray=versions.split(',');var currentAndroidVersion=getAndroidVersion();if(versionArray.indexOf(currentAndroidVersion)!=-1){var blocks = document.getElementsByTagName('blockquote'); for(var i = 0; i < blocks.length; i++){blocks[i].innerHTML = '';}}DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/62/UserId/198784/Default.aspx
Watch: 22-storey Johannesburg building demolished in 30 seconds
Tasneem Motara, Gauteng Member of the Executive Council for Infrastructure and Property Development told Euro News that it was one of the most difficult demolitions they have worked on. Around 2000 people were reportedly evacuated from buildings near the bank before the demolition. function catchException() {try{ twitterJSDidLoad(); }catch(e){}} function getAndroidVersion(ua) {ua = (ua || navigator.userAgent).toLowerCase(); var match = ua.match(/android\\s([0-9\\.]*)/);return match ? match[1] : false;}; var versions='4.2.2'; var versionArray=versions.split(',');var currentAndroidVersion=getAndroidVersion();if(versionArray.indexOf(currentAndroidVersion)!=-1){var blocks = document.getElementsByTagName('blockquote'); for(var i = 0; i < blocks.length; i++){blocks[i].innerHTML = '';}}DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.ozbargain.com.au/user/327809
South Korean boyband BTS not exempted from military service
The seven-strong BTS has spearheaded a wave of Korean pop, crowning their success with three No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart in less than a year, a 2019 Grammy nomination and concerts from New York to Saudi Arabia. None of the band members, who range in age from 22 to 26, was available for comment on Friday. Korean men who turn 18 become eligible for a physical examination by the Military Manpower Administration, which can then lead to service. Women do not have to do military service. Authorities occasionally grant exemptions, for instance to athletes, but only if they have won gold medals at the Asian Games, or any medal at the Olympics. Also, classical musicians who have received awards at recognised international competition can skip their military service. Last year, Son Heung-min, who plays for the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, was given an exemption but only after he helped the South Korean national team win gold at the Asian Games. The defence ministry said fewer than 45 people are exempt from service every year. South Korea has nearly 600,000 soldiers, most of them conscripted. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.youmagine.com/jokerjokin/designs
Privatisation protest in Assam
t demanded that the governments revive the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills and clear the dues of the employees at the earliest. The committee also criticised the state government's attempt to privatise the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL). "We demand that the state government strengthen the APDCL rather than engage private outsourcing, provide financial assistance to revive the Assam Co-operative Jute Mills Limited and Assam Polyester Cooperative Society Limited and raise the daily wage of tea estate workers to Rs 350 per day," committee convener Pankaj Kumar Das said. Additional deputy commissioner of police, Guwahati central, Gunendra Deka received the memorandum from the committee.The protest was jointly staged by the Assam State Power Workers' Union, Nagaon Paper Mill Employee Union, Cachar Paper Project Workers' Union, All India Trade Union Congress, Assam Sangrami Cha Sramik Sangha, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, All India United Trade Union Centre, Assam Cooperative Jute Mill Employee Parishad, Assam Polyester Shramik Sangstha, Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union, Namrup Fertilizer Workers' Union, United Workmen Union, Bokajan Cement Factory Labour Union, Assam Carbon Wokers and Employees' Union and the India Carbon Workers and Employees' Union. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.curbed.com/users/vinoudsreera
Karnataka to come up with drug action plan
"The aim is to make the State self-sufficient in care of drug-use disorders. Awareness and early intervention is part of this. To know what the situation on the ground is, we need to have an assessment. For this, a household survey has been suggested in the action plan. This has to ideally happen once every 10 years. Apart from this, capacity building of teachers, schools, doctors, nurses, medical colleges and hospitals will have to be done as not all are able to handle cases at their levels," said Dr Arun Kandasamy, Additional Professor, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS. "The drug action report will focus on tobacco, alcohol, drugs and cyber addiction as well. Intervention is required at juvenile homes, prisons, for sex workers, transgenders and other such special population who are prone to drug use disorders," Dr Arun added. The proposal is at a nascent stage and it not decided as to how funds will be allocated for implementing the drug action plan. There is also no deadline on submitting the report as of now. Dr Rajani, deputy director, Mental Health, Health and Family Welfare Department, was not reachable for a comment. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment formulated a five-year National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://onmogul.com/rampagearjuns
Know how to deal with seizures, stress due to this chronic condition
A total of 70 million persons suffer from the condition, worldwide. Out of this number, 12 million persons with epilepsy are expected to reside in India, making us contribute to nearly one-sixth of the global burden. The figures are staggering in our country with an overall incidence and prevalence of 0.2-0.6 and 3.0-11.9 per 1000 population/year, respectively. Dr Pradeep Mahajan Regenerative Medicine Researcher gives a better understanding of epilepsy. The causes of epilepsy What exactly causes the idiopathic form of epilepsy remains unknown in close to 50 per cent of global cases? Secondary epilepsy may be associated with conditions such as stroke, head/traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory brain disorders, tumours, congenital anomalies, etc. The cardinal manifestation of epilepsy is seizures, which occur due to altered electrical activity in the brain. There can be excessive electrical discharges in a group of cells, in any region of the brain. Such discharges cause brief lapses of attention or muscle jerks or even prolonged convulsions. The frequency can vary from less than one seizure per year to several episodes per day. What happens when one gets seizures? During a seizure, a person can experience abnormal behaviour, symptoms, and sensations, sometimes including loss of consciousness. Patients may not remember what happened during the seizure or may not even realize that they had a seizure. Occasionally, seizures may be preceded by warning signs (like aura before migraine attack); however, this is not consistent. A seizure ends when the abnormal electrical activity in the brain stops and brain activity begins to return to normal. However, because seizures can occur repeatedly and cause physical injury as well as psychological consequences, epilepsy becomes a burdensome neurological disorder impairing the quality of life of an individual. Prevention and Treatment It is not always possible to identify triggers of the condition. Some patients report common triggers such as: Lack of sleep Illness or fever Stress Bright lights, flashing lights, or patterns Caffeine, alcohol, medicines, or drugs Skipping meals, overeating, or specific food ingredients However, these triggers cannot be considered the standard-in fact, they may not occur consistently in the same individual during each episode. Nonetheless, maintaining a diary to keep track of seizure-inducing factors is advisable to avoid the same or be prepared in the future. We often end to be overprotective of a person with Epilepsy and advise them against participating in sports and exercise. However, research suggests that physical exercise and active participation in sports may result in seizure control, in addition to producing broader health and psycho-social benefits. Conventionally, treatment of epilepsy predominantly symptomatically comprises of seizure suppressing anti-epileptic medications. In extreme cases, surgical therapy is indicated to eliminate seizure generating neuronal impulses. However, there is no effective therapy to prevent epileptogenesis (generation of abnormal electrical activity). Role of cell-based therapy in epilepsy Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapy is garnering attention in the treatment of various conditions that were previously thought to be untreatable. It is known that epilepsy is associated with underlying factors such as loss in specific cells in the brain. Mesenchymal cells in the human body are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into other cell types. This property aids in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and can also be utilized to regenerate lost neurons and repair tissue damage. Paracrine property of mesenchymal cells can enhance the function of neighbouring cells of the nervous system and provide endogenous factors (trophic factors and cytokines) to prevent epileptogenesis. The advantage of cell-based therapy lies in its minimally invasive nature, being autologous; therefore safe, and effective. Mesenchymal cells are known to selectively migrate to areas of damage (area of epileptic foci) and regenerate cells and tissues. Studies have shown the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into mature neurons, which replaced lost neurons and ameliorated seizure activity. Additionally, these cells arouse neuroprotective properties by releasing neurotrophic factors and can modulate the immune system that can attenuate seizures and cognitive dysfunction in epileptic patients. Results achieved through cell-based therapy are maintained for long periods of time as they bring about the regeneration of affected structures and not just symptomatic relief. With a better understanding of molecular mechanisms, we can personalise cell-based treatment strategies using cells, peptides and growth factors to achieve more effective outcomes in various conditions. Take-home message: The need of the hour is targeted programs and a stronger public health approach aiming towards prevention, control, and management of epilepsy. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.zintro.com/profile/zi63d4b20e?ref=Zi63d4b20e
Enable children to learn languages without ignoring mother tongue, says Venkaiah Naidu
'We must encourage our mother tongue because 'bhasha' (language) and 'bhawna' (emotions) go hand in hand. Mother tongue is like eyes and other languages are like spectacles. Children must be taught their mother tongue first,' the vice president said. He said the next area of focus must be nutrition and it is appalling that at the all-India level, 21 per cent of children under the age of five years are wasted and 36 per cent of children under the age of five years are underweight. 'Good health is the absolute precondition to a fulfilling life. I am happy that the government has taken the initiative to address this concern through the POSHAN Abhiyan. We must recommit ourselves with renewed determination to the principles of CRC,' Naidu said. The vice president also urged parliamentarians to prioritise child welfare and evolve meaningful child-centred policies, and empower and equip children to be the change agents and the transformational leaders of the future He also called for providing 'quality education' which is affordable and inclusive. Expressing concern over incidents of exploitation, cruelty, abuse, crime, trafficking, and discrimination faced by children around the world, the vice president stressed on the needed to address these formidable threats that endanger children, on a war footing. 'We must begin by ensuring education to every single child. No child is to be left behind.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://doodleordie.com/profile/vinoudsreera
India-Pak Davis Cup tie likely in Kazakhstan: AITA
The Pakistan Tennis Federation then appealed to ITF against shifting the tie out. It was given five days by ITF to pick a neutral venue, but chose to lodge an appeal to keep the tie at home. If ITF decides on a neutral venue, it would vindicate India's safety concerns. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://ctendodontists.org/UserProfile/tabid/84/userId/789292/Default.aspx
Sangai festival opens under shadow of Naga talks
hief minister N. Biren Singh said, "Manipur Sangai Festival is no more a simple festival but a pride of Manipur and also a platform to promote the identity of the state to the world".He also hoped the state would overcome every hurdle and called for collective effort to resolve issues.He welcomed the delegates from around the world and assured them of a peaceful stay and urged them to enjoy the beauty of Manipur.Earlier in the day, Singh flagged off the Manipur Sangai Run from Khuman Lampak Main Stadium as well as a half marathon at Moirang in Bishnupur district as part of the festival. On the other hand, COCOMI said its boycott call still stands.In a late night press release, Ch. Sanajaoba Meitei, PRO to Biren Singh said Union home minister Amit Shah has given an appointment to meet the civil society organisation leaders of Manipur on Monday on the prevailing situation in the state in relation to the Naga talks.It further said, the state government has also decided to convene a special winter session of the Assembly on December 20. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttp://www.nfomedia.com/profile?uid=rJcYhgI
Training class in weaving and printing sees a full house
The training programme is being organised by the Haryana-based textile label 'Reza by Lalita'. Fashion designer Lalita Choudhary and her sister Neethu Singh are helming the programme. The training which began on November 20 was officially launched on Tuesday with Cultural Minister A K Balan inaugurating the programme at the Travancore Textiles Handloom Weaver Co-operative Society, Nemom. The training is being given in weaving and designing using block printing with medicinal and organic dyes. Twenty women are being provided training in block printing and weaving. Only natural and medicinal plants are used to get the dyes, according to the organisers. "The fabric and the colours are being created organically and it helps avoid skin infections," says Lalita. Presently, the spices brought from Haryana are being used for creating dyes. "We are assured of the colour and texture that we can obtain from the spices in Haryana. It needn't fetch the same tone if they are sourced from the markets and we need spices which aren't laden with any form of pesticide. So we are presently exploring and experimenting here," says Neethu. Block prints are rich and heavily detailed. All the block prints are inspired by Lord Buddha, and so you have a banyan tree, the aura (associated symbols), and Lord Buddha himself being incorporated into the wooden blocks as designs. The duo says that while the number of weavers in North is on the verge of extinction, in the Kerala context, the strength of the weaver community hasn't waned. "The focus is on bringing the buyers and giving a fresh touch to the Kerala textile sector by incorporating fresh designs, colours and showcasing them in the international milieu, says Lalita. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://lookbook.nu/meekumarks
'Haven't set myself any target for world titles' - Pankaj Advani
I enjoy playing not just winning titles. Certainly, one plays for winning but staying focused on enjoyment part is more important to me. People who know me, including my family, friends, know that I play because I love the sport. Not at all. People say that winning 23 world titles is a big thing for anyone, but I feel it's just a process and reward for your hard work. I haven't set myself any target for world titles. Some say that I would think about quitting when I win my 30th title, but I am not sure. This isn't a sport where one needs to quit after a certain age. There are a few, including our own Geet Sethi. The Chinese players are a tough nut to crack. The 2015 snooker world championship at Hurghada (Egypt) remains the most exciting match of my life so far. While playing against a 17-year-old Chinese Zhao Xintong, I was almost clueless midway through the game even after taking a good lead. Thank god Xintong committed a fault and I got a chance to win the title 8-6. There has been a lot of change in people's perception about the sport and now it is popular in India as well around the world. TV has come up and giving you live coverage. I am satisfied. The league of sports, which was introduced in India recently, produced enough excitement among fans as well as players. Though the 20-second rule for a shot in the game looks a bit short and we committed many mistakes as well. Variations like six-ball red etc are quite exciting. Besides playing, I have started 'Cue School by Pankaj Advani' at Bengaluru. Many schools are associated with us. The purpose is to set up training facilities at schools so that we can create awareness about the sport. I don't know when but I would like to try my hand at personal coaching as well. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://anotepad.com/notes/xff58g
How Opposition parties in Maharashtra put on the 'We are 162' show
The legislators were paraded before the media and also made to take an oath of the Constitution of India to be loyal to their alliance and not fall prey to any inducement by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They also pledged not to indulge in any anti-party activity and adhere to the instructions given by the leadership of the respective parties. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge, along with other top state leaders from all three parties, were present at the event. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? NCP insiders said it was the idea of leader Jitendra Awhad, also the core committee member, who had earlier organised a Constitution Day walk in Mumbai, in which Sharad Pawar and several other leaders had participated. 'Since Tuesday is Constitution Day, I thought we could organise something on Monday to convey the message that the MLAs of three parties would not let the principles of Constitution be destroyed in Maharashtra,' Awhad said. He discussed it with Milind Narvekar, secretary to Uddhav Thackeray. Narvekar spoke to Thackeray and got his approval. Meanwhile, Awhad spoke to Pawar who supported it. Once both the top leaders agreed to the plan, state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat too was called for his opinion and he agreed to come on board. The idea was discussed around 11.30am and within a few hours the organisers made it reality. 'The original plan was to conduct it at Chaityabhoomi, Dadar, but the NCP supremo said it would not be feasible. We want to show the state and judiciary that we are stating facts,' said an NCP leader. THE EVENT NCP chief Pawar used the occasion to counter the BJP's argument that Ajit Pawar was the group leader of the NCP in legislature and had the authority to issue a whip to the party legislators. 'I assure you that you will not be disqualified and I take personal responsibility for it. I have taken written opinion from former senior officers who have worked in Parliament and in the Maharashtra Legislature that once a leader is removed from the position (legislative party leader), he cannot issue a whip,' said Pawar. There are reports that Ajit Pawar may issue a whip asking NCP legislators to vote for the BJP and if not followed, the legislators may get disqualified. Pawar also invoked Maharashtra pride. 'This is Maharashtra, we won't tolerate anything here. We can teach a lesson [to the BJP],' he said. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray warned the BJP not to indulge in misadventure against their three-party coalition. 'In the past 30 years, you have only seen our friendship. If you create more problems, we will show our might,' Thackeray said. THE COUNTER The BJP was quick to react. 'The show put up by the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena is childish. They put an identification parade of their elected legislators akin to criminals. This is not just their insult, but also an insult to the mandate. They can pretend they have the support of 162 MLAs, but will they be able to show support of 145 legislators on the floor during the trust vote,'' asked BJP leader Ashish Shelar. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://onmogul.com/besantreddy
NTPC profit boost
Green bonds are debt instruments used to raise funds for eco-friendly projects and the acquisition of hydropower (renewable sector) firms can make NTPC eligibile to float for such an issue. "A higher debt funded acquisition would be more value accretive for NTPC given it has access to low-cost debt," a JM Financial report observed, adding that both the acquisitions would be earnings accretive for NTPC at a fair value. "With NTPC's strong balance sheet (FY19 net debt to equity ratio at 1.3) and annual profits of Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000 crore, these are easily funded from two-three years of internal accruals," the analysts said.According to the company's annual report, Neepco's net worth as on March 31, 2019, was Rs 6,301.29 crore. The net worth of THDCIL was Rs 9,280.78 crore as on March 31, 2019.THDCIL has a long-term borrowing of Rs 2,415 crore and a short-term borrowing of Rs 647 crore. Neepco has a long-term borrowing of Rs 6,309 crore and short-term borrowing of Rs 200 crore. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.theverge.com/users/bentstopmes
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Devendra Fadnavis is shortest serving CM of Maharashtra
Some may also consider P.K Sawant as one of the shortest serving CMs, since he held the post for just nine days. Nevertheless, Sawant was an acting chief minister after Marotrao Kannamwar died in office in November 1963. Meanwhile, Fadnavis also joined Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Jagdambika Pal as one of the shortest serving CMs in Indian history. Both Yediyurappa and Pal resigned as the chief minister of their respective states in less than three days. Meanwhile, Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the Shiv Sena alleging that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party started making threats after realising its increased bargaining power due to the number game. While wishing good luck to Thackeray and his new government, Fadnavis also predicted that the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance would not last for long because of the 'core differences' in all three parties. 'The BJP and Shiv Sena contested election as an alliance and we got a clear mandate from the people. The mandate was more in favour of the BJP as we won nearly 70 per cent of the seats that we contested. Shiv Sena managed to win just 40-42 per cent of the seats they contested. But as the results came out and the Sena realised that their bargaining power had increased, they began arm-twisting us over demands that were never agreed upon. Sena leaders stopped talking to us and started talks with the Congress and NCP,' Fadnavis said in a press conference held to announce his resignation. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://jobboard.usw.edu/employers/342015-devakrajints
Hungama partners with Flipkart to offer premium subscriptions to users
Non Flipkart Plus members can also take advantage of the partnership, however, they will have to pay 50 SuperCoins each to get the Hungama Play Pro and Hungama Music Pro subscription for three months. Hungama Music has a library of over 10 million songs and music videos in over 20 Indian and international languages. Pro users are offered all of the songs in HD quality along with unlimited audio and video downloads. It also offers users original content, online radio channels and curated playlists. Flipkart to manufacture and sell Nokia branded smart TVs in India Hungama Play, on the other hand, provides consumers with over 5,000 English, Hindi and regional movies. Apart from that it consists of over 1,500 short films, over 7,500 hours of kids and television content in multiple languages, over 1,50,000 short-format videos and various Hungama Originals. 'At Hungama, we have always believed in creating enriching experiences for our users. We were the first in the industry to gamify streaming and create an innovative loyalty program of our own called Hungama Rewards. This program rewards users for every action they take on our music and video platforms allowing them to exchange the coins earned for exciting physical merchandise and digital experiences. Our partnership with Flipkart leverages natural synergies between the two programs and takes our commitment to gamification a step further while making shopping a rewarding experience for their users,' said Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.openstreetmap.org/user/repentkentop
Teacher of finance does poll math
I am more than 100 per cent confident of my victory. People want someone genuine to solve civic problems plaguing the constituency for years," he said while campaigning in Bagunhatu in Sidhgora on Monday.A national spokesperson of the Congress, Vallabh shot to fame after he schooled BJP leader Sambit Patra - during a TV debate - on the number of zeros in a trillion. He can teach a thing or two to many people, going by the number of degrees he has. Vallabh is a chartered accountant and a company secretary. He also has a PhD, an LLB and MCom under his belt. He is canny enough to have gotten on the poll bandwagon of slum-dweller land rights and the closure of Incab. "I decided to contest from Jamshedpur East as I know very well as a resident of the steel city for close to two decades (he has been with the XLRI for 18 years) how urban slum dwellers have been fooled by their elected representative on the issue of land ownership rights. I want to stop this cheating," he said. He added: "I am also focusing on the inability of the local MLA and CM in opening Incab. It is a shame that during his tenure many industries in his constituency either closed or shifted base." Vallabh claimed he had a lot of support on social media. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://steepster.com/michealseans
India heading for economic growth below 5%: Analysts
The Reserve Bank of India has cut interest rates five times this year to boost growth, with the monetary easing complemented by fiscal measures, including $20 billion of tax cuts for companies. 'We now expect larger rate cuts from RBI in December,' said Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser at State Bank in Mumbai, whose growth estimate matches that of Nomura's Varma. 'However, such rate cut is unlikely to lead to any immediate material revival.' Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week said it was too early to say if the slowdown had bottomed out. Companies are planning new investments which might take time to materialize, she said. 'We doubt that these tailwinds will have been enough to offset the weakness elsewhere,' said Shilan Shah, senior India economist at Capital Economics in Singapore, who is forecasting a 4.7% expansion. 'It is clear that the recovery in growth we have been forecasting has so far proved elusive.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttp://knowledge.thinkingstorm.com/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/400422/Default.aspx
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Rheumatoid arthritis can now be detected through thermal cameras
Dr Alfred Gatt, from the University of Malta and a Visiting Fellow at Staffordshire University, was the lead author of the report. He explained "We used Flir T630 thermal camera and followed the guidelines of the American Thermology Association. "The results of our study show that the two probability curves intersect at 31.5 for palm temperatures, indicating that individuals whose palm temperatures is less than 31.5 per cent are more likely to be healthy; while those persons whose palm temperature is less than 31.5 are more likely to have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Similarly, for finger temperatures, the two probability curves intersect at 30.3 per cent." "While ultrasonography had not detected any significant changes in our study population, thermography flagged a possible ongoing disease process by reporting these higher temperatures". "We hypothesise that this temperature difference may be attributed to underlying subclinical disease activity or else that the original inflammatory process may cause irreversible thermal changes that persist after the disease activity has resolved. We will need further studies to substantiate this." Dr Gatt added: "Thermal imaging is an emerging technology within medicine and has the potential to become an important clinical tool as disease processes can vary the magnitude and pattern of emitted heat in a person with Rheumatoid Arthritis." Associate Professor Cynthia Formosa, also from the University of Malta and Visiting Fellow at Staffordshire University, said: "This is the first study to explore thermographic patterns of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis comparing them to healthy controls. Our results have clearly shown that an RA hand without active synovitis [the medical term for inflammation of the synovial membrane] exhibits higher temperatures when compared to healthy individuals." Professor Nachi Chockalingam, Director of Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies at Staffordshire University co-authored the study. He added: "Rheumatoid Arthritis affects more than 400,000 adults in the UK which can lead to deformity, disability and cardiovascular problems. Timely detection of ongoing synovitis in RA is of paramount importance to help enable tight disease control. However, we know RA can be difficult to diagnose." "This work showcases our successful collaboration with colleagues in Malta and the potential thermal imaging has in helping practitioners to assess the disease. In addition to making some seminal scientific contributions, our collaborative research work informs our curriculum development and teaching." ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.theverge.com/users/meekumarks
Musharraf's treason case: Petition in Islamabad High Court to stop tribunal from issuing verdict
The petitioner said that since Musharraf was not present in the country, the tribunal should be asked to wait until he got well and came back to face the trial. According to Pakistani media reports, Musharraf suffers from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by the build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues in the body, and is under medication The IHC would hear the petition on Tuesday. The tribunal headed by Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth reserved the judgment on November 19 by announcing that it would be announced on November 28. The high treason case launched in December 2013 is about the declaration of emergency in the country by Musharraf in 2007 when he was president. He suspended the Constitution, which according to article 6 of the Constitution was an act of high treason. Musharraf was indicted in 2014 but the case had made slow progress by the time he was allowed to go out of Pakistan in 2016 for medical treatment in Dubai. He never came back and the case was stalled. But the Supreme Court earlier this year ordered the tribunal to prosecute him even if he failed to come back. Separately, the Lahore High Court Monday took up another petition filed last week to stop the tribunal from giving the verdict. After initial hearing, the court announced that it would decide on Tuesday about the maintainability of the petition. It is for the first time that a military dictator has been tried in Pakistan where four military generals toppled the civilian government. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://clm.utexas.edu/robotpatch/robotpatchforums/users/devakrajints
Ola ready to fill London void
It has expanded to cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool. Simon Smith, head of international division of Ola, said: "Today, we are inviting the tens of thousands of private hire vehicle drivers across London to register themselves on the Ola platform, as we prepare to launch in the city in the coming weeks. We have built a robust mobility platform for London."Uber has been stripped of its licence to operate in London by TfL over safety breaches. It said the company had not been granted a new licence to operate in the capital after "several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk" were identified. Apart from Uber and Ola, there is a host of app cabs operating in London including Bolt, Kabbee, Kapten, ViaVan and Wheely.Uber is going to appeal the decision, said a spokesperson for Uber. In which case, it will be allowed to continue to operate during the appeal process.The ride-hailing firm launched its operations in the UK starting with Cardiff in August 2018. It later expanded to Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, Bath, Coventry, and Warwick. Apart from the usual safety features of SOS button and a 24x7 helpline for customer support, Ola said its technology systems ensure that only licenced drivers compliant with TfL requirements can operate on the platform. Uber lost its licence after TfL found that in 14000 Uber trips, drivers had uploaded photos of themselves to the app linked to cars which they were not registered to drive. Passengers were being picked up by drivers not named or authorised by the company. Ola said that it has a driver facial recognition technology for continuous authentication and also a driver image verification against driving licence photographs to eliminate misrepresentation and re-entry of blocked drivers. The company also stores digital copies of vehicle insurance certificate, driver's licence, to ensure that they are always up to date.However, apart from Uber and Ola, there is a host of next generation app cabs operating in London including Bolt, Kabbee, Kapten, ViaVan and Wheely. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://lwccareers.lindsey.edu/employers/341255-guessyleague
Anupam Kher on being Hemant Oberoi in Hotel Mumbai and a newcomer on the sets of his American TV show
es, I was sceptical because one of our Indian directors had made a film on these attacks and it was atrocious. I was also a little unsure because Anthony Maras (the film's director) is a foreigner and this is his first feature-length film. I was supposed to meet him at The Oberoi hotel. It was a long commute from Juhu, so I told him that I could only meet him for 30 minutes. We ended up talking for over three hours. I was mesmerised by his passion, detailed research and his need to tell this story. He wasn't just another foreign director who wanted to tell an Indian story. Sometimes you want to be a part of films that need to be told, and for me, Hotel Mumbai was that. When an outsider comes to a city, very often they help us see our surroundings in a different light. Did that happen with you, seeing Mumbai through the eyes of Anthony?I have been seeing the city change from the day I reached here from Shimla decades ago. I remember the day Saaransh (his debut film) released, Bhiwandi riots had happened. Mr Mahesh Bhatt (the film's director) and I had to travel to Metro cinema at the other end of town. Then we had the '93 riots and 26/11 over a decade ago. But you are right. When an outsider comes and he is sympathetic to a tragedy in the city, I like that. We needed someone to tell this story of tragedy but also of immense bravery as truthfully as possible, without making it filmi. This is a very immersive film. When you watch this film, you will feel like you were there during this mindless attack. Did making this film feel personal?I think this attack was personal to every Indian and every Mumbaikar. A friend of mine who was the general manager (of The Taj Hotel & Towers) lost his family. Another friend lost his sister. Anyone who is a victim of such a terrorist siege is a personal loss for all of humanity. When innocent people are killed without any reason, everyone should take it as a personal loss. Only then can we be called sensitive human beings. Deaths because of terror attacks should not become statistics. What are your memories of those three horrific days?I was shooting for a film in Bandra. Initially, we were told that a gang war had broken out in Colaba. Then we learnt about the massacre that happened at CST Station and then spread through other locations. For the next three days, we saw the attack unfold in almost real time like a macabre reality television show, only the blood was real. It was horrific.There are two memories of terror attacks that will always be etched in our memories - seeing the second plane crash into the World Trade Centre on 9/11 and the Mumbai attacks on 26/11. Everyone in the world would remember where they were when they saw those visuals on TV or read about it. You play chef Hemant Oberoi in the film. Did you know him from before?We must have met when I went to the Taj for a meal but after I was finalised for this role, Anthony told me to not meet him. Actors have this habit of picking up on people's mannerisms and then they lose focus of portraying the inner journey of that person. Once the script was given to me, I didn't feel the need to meet him. We finally only met after the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. At the end of the screening, he hugged me and said, 'Thank you'.This, I believe, is your 501st film. Even by Bollywood standards, that's an insane number! (Laughs) It is insane. Many years ago, when I told (director) Woody Allen that I had made 418 films, he looked at me and asked, 'Over how many lives?'Do you remember every single one of these 501 films?I think I remember most of my movies. The ones that most people remember, which are at the top of my filmography are obviously ones that I'd never forget. In my memory, certain films are attached to the memory of certain people. Like Saaransh, for me, was dedicated to the memory of my grandfather. I also remember my bad films because they just make me laugh. I don't take myself seriously enough to think that I am going to change cinema. What is important for me is to be working every day. When I was a struggling actor, I promised God that when I start getting work, I will never complain about being too tired or busy. Among these 501 films, I think I can count at least 20-25 really good performances. I am very happy to have done films like Daddy, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, Khosla ka Ghosla, Special 26, Rao Saheb or even Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. But this is just the interval... my real work starts now. I am more comfortable as an actor now. Earlier I was going nowhere. Now I think I know what acting is all about. I am not being modest. Now that I am working with international talent, I discovered that there is so much to learn. Yesterday, I watched the new Tom Hanks film A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood. My mind is blown. It was the most amazing performance by Tom Hanks. The other day, I saw Marriage Story (starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver) which is another brilliant film. When you see work like that, you realise that there is still so much to learn about this craft. My whole idea of shifting to New York was to find new horizons. I was getting a little tired and bored of people describing me as 'thespian', 'veteran' and 'legend'. These are all rubbish terms that we use for people who have spent more than 20 years in the business... it's not about the quality of his or her work. I feel like a newcomer here in the US.You talked about remembering your bad films as well. Would you tell us about any one of them?Of course! I have to explain that a bad film for me is one where during the shoot I thought I was doing brilliant work and that wasn't the case when I finally saw the film. After the success of Nagina, the makers had decided to make Nigahen. In the first film Amrish Puriji's character dies. Harmesh Malhotra, the film's producer and director, came to me with Sridevi and Sunny Deol and said that he wanted me to play Amrish Puri's role. I thought to myself that I'll do this role so brilliantly that people will forget Amrish Puri's performance. When you act to impress others, there is no way that you'll do well. I was so over-the-top in the film. Two days before release, the film's distributor sent me a bottle of Blue Label whisky as a mark of my performace. I had not seen the film and I have never had Blue Label before so I told myself this was a sign that I was brilliant in the film. I invited a lot of guests, including (filmmaker) Yash Chopra and his wife Pamela for a special screening. In the first scene, I realised how bad I was. By the third scene, Mrs Yash Chopra started coughing and said, 'I am feeling....' It was clear that she was horrified by my performance! (Laughs) By the fourth scene, I was hoping for an earthquake that would destroy the theatre, so I didn't have to sit through that torture any more. But I am happy to have done every single film... they have brought me to where I am today. You are shooting for the second season of New Amsterdam. How is that going?It's been unbelievable. Yesterday at the screening of A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, there was a young girl who started screaming when she saw me. I thought maybe Tom Hanks was behind me! (Laughs) But then she said 'Dr Kapoor', so I realised that she was excited to see me. It's not a regular hospital show, and I am very happy that it's so well received. My character is developing an interesting storyline and I get to add little Indian touches like a Hindi song, a line in Hindi or recite the Hanuman Chalisa. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://serc.carleton.edu/person/126996.html
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