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The Summer Festival at the Boxing Day Test offers family-friendly fun with Cricket Australia & Victoria’s stars, celebrating cricket inside and outside the MCG.
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Summer Festival for Families at The Boxing Day Test
MELBOURNE, Dec 4: The Allan Labor Government is backing Victoria’s summer of cricket and Melbourne’s iconic Boxing Day Test with action inside and outside the MCG with the Summer Festival in Yarra Park.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today joined Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley, Melbourne Renegades WBBL champion Nicole Faltum and Victoria player Todd Murphy at Australia’s home of cricket to announce a three-day festival, with fun for the whole family.
The Boxing Day Test will be bigger and better than ever with a Summer Festival in Yarra Park before history is made in January with the Women’s Ashes Test between Australia and England.
To match the excitement inside the ground, Yarra Park will be filled with family friendly activities – the Summer Festival will take place for the first three days of the Boxing Day Test match, helping celebrate the rich connection between India and Victoria, with a focus on food, music, art, cricket and community.
The Summer Festival will feature live music, Bollywood dance performances, celebrity chef demonstrations, food trucks and pitches for pop-up cricket games and each morning experts will provide a preview of the day’s play and big screens will show all the action from inside the ground throughout the day.
When India travelled to Australia for the summer Test series in 2018, more than
176,000 cricket fans from Australia and overseas filling the ‘G’ across the five days.
And this year could smash those numbers with ticket sales this year at more than double those at the same stage in 2018/19, with more than 10 per cent of ticket sales from international fans.
As an added bonus after stumps on day three, fans will also have the opportunity to walk across to John Cain Arena to see the first ever professional Kabaddi matches played in Australia. The second biggest sport in India behind cricket, Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid will feature a double header with Indian and Australian sporting superstars.
Outside of the Boxing Day Test, Victoria’s calendar of cricket includes men’s Big Bash League action throughout December and January and a women’s Ashes one day international leading to the historic women’s test match.
The Boxing Day Test and the Women’s Ashes Test are just two of many major blockbuster events across Victoria including the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition at the NGV – all contributing to Victoria’s $39.2 billion visitor economy.
To book your seat at the Boxing Day Test and the Women’s Ashes, visit ticketek.com. au.
For tickets to Pro Melbourne Raid, visit johncainarena.com.au/event/pro-kabaddileague-melbourne-raid-2024/.
Cutting Red Tape and Making It Easier to Do Business
MELBOURNE, Dec 8: Victoria is open for business – with the Allan Labor Government slashing red tape to make it easier and cheaper for cafes, pubs, and restaurants to open their doors, serve more customers and grow their business.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny and Minister for Small Business Natalie Suleyman today visited the Peacock Hotel in Northcote to announce common sense changes to how businesses apply for liquor licenses and permits, as well as outdoor dining.
As part of the Economic Growth Statement, the requirement to apply for a planning permit to serve alcohol will be abolished – saving venue owners time and
money.
Good regulation helps keep Victorians safe and ensures fair outcomes for everyone. But heavy-handed and outdated red tape gets in the way – stifling growth and creating headaches for business owners.
It’s why our Economic Growth Statement is making it simpler and easier to do business in Victoria.
Currently, hospitality businesses wanting to serve alcohol for consumption require a liquor license from the Victorian Liquor Commission and a planning permit from their local council. This means that more than 14,000 business have gone through the same process twice for essentially the same license – it’s unnecessary duplication, costs money and wastes time for business and government. It just doesn’t make sense.
By removing the double up, this reform will slash the time it takes for pubs, cafes and restaurants to get a liquor licence – enabling businesses to open up to six months earlier and saving them up to $7,000.
Protections around amenity, noise and operating hours will remain in place, while zoning and planning permit requirements will continue to determine where restaurants
and pubs can open their doors. Only now we won’t ask businesses to prove the same things twice.
The decision to remove Clause 52.27 (Licenses Premises) followed consultation with multiple councils and will be implemented by 1 July 2025.
During the pandemic, we temporarily removed the need for a planning permit for outdoor dining on public land. Now, we’ll make it permanent – making it easier for cafes and restaurants to serve patrons outdoors, while growing the footprint of their businesses.
The move will allow venues to serve customers in underutilised spaces including streets, footpaths and carparks without a planning permit – supporting more Victorians to enjoy dining outdoors at pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants without businesses facing unnecessary red tape.
This is the first in a series of announcements the Government will make this week that will help unlock new economic growth by opening doors, cutting red tape, building new skills and reaching every community.
Stay Scam-Safe This Festive Season
Nov 28: The Allan Labor Government is urging Victorians to be aware of online scams in the lead up to the festive season.
Boxing Day, New Year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are massive retail events in Australia, with an estimated $30 billion spent over the summer of 2023–2024 – and online scammers and cyber criminals can take advantage of more people shopping online.
Scamwatch reports that Australians lost
$7.1 million to online shopping scams in 2023, with $1.65 million from within Victoria. A common scam to look out for is notifications about parcel deliveries. Consumers may receive texts, emails or notifications asking them to click on a link, but should always try to validate these requests by going through the courier’s official website or app.
While anyone can fall victim to a scam, there are some ways Victorians can protect
themselves. Spot a scam by looking out for red flags including:
• a product or service that sounds ‘too good to be true’
• a sense of urgency or pressure to act quickly
• an unusual web address or web address that’s different to the usual webpage for a seller
• an unusual or specific method of payment, for example, cryptocurrency or gift card payment.
It always pays to be extra cautious by checking the business’ website, social media accounts or contacting the business independently to check whether a call or message is genuine.
Service Victoria has launched a new Spot a Scam quiz to help Victorians improve their knowledge of scams. The quiz tests if consumers know how to recognise a scam, and then provides tailored practical advice and information.
Victorians can test their scam knowledge now on the Service Victoria app and website at service.vic.gov.au/spotascam.
Scams can be reported to Consumer Affairs Victoria at consumer.vic.gov.au/ contact-us.
School Saving Bonus Saves Families $13M And Counting
MELBOURNE, Dec 3: The Allan Labor government is delivering cost-of-living relief for Victorian families, saving more than $13 million in back-to-school costs just one week since the launch of the School Saving Bonus.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll has announced that the School Saving Bonus has raced to an impressive milestone as it delivers $400 in support to families in Victoria.
As of Monday, parents and carers have saved more than $13.05 million, for school uniforms, textbooks and school activities.
Around 46 per cent has been put towards school activities, with more than 28 per cent for uniforms, and more than 25 per cent for textbooks.
About 700,000 families have now received an email about the cost-of-living relief scheme, which helps to manage school costs. The Bonus applies to each child, so a family with three school children receives $1,200 in support to help cover school costs.
The voucher for uniforms and textbooks is redeemable at local school-approved uniform or book suppliers, while funds for school
activities are credited to the family’s school account.
Families can purchase uniforms and textbooks in-person or online through schoolapproved suppliers, including State School Relief, which offers items such as shoes, swimwear and workwear for VCE Vocational Major students.
Vouchers are also redeemable at schooloperated second-hand uniform and textbook shops. Textbook and uniform vouchers are valid until 30 June 2025.
Unspent funds will automatically transfer to a family’s school account once the uniform and textbook voucher period expires, with parents able to use the remaining funds on future school activities.
Non-government school families who are eligible for the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (including healthcare and concession card holders) are also eligible for the School Saving Bonus. Families need only to apply for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund to receive both types of support.
MELBOURNE,
Australia’s Best Food and Wine Festival Is Back
MELBOURNE, Nov 25: Melbourne is Australia’s culinary capital, and the Allan Labor Government is backing another incredible year of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today unveiled the 2025 program, announcing that the 10-day festival, from 21 to 30 March, will include
more than 200 events across Victoria.
The Festival will kick off with the World’s Longest Lunch in Melbourne’s Kings Domain, where Melbourne-born chef Curtis Stone will create a three-course feast for hundreds of diners, on a row of tables more than 600 metres long.
Twenty international chefs are making their way to Victoria for the 2025 festival,
bringing their creative food ideas from around the world with them. The festival is also brimming with Victorian and Australian chefs who will tantalize and entertain food lovers of all ages.
The reimagined World’s Longest Brunch, led by author Julia Busuttil Nishimura, will give diners the chance to choose from delicacies at three stops around the Royal Botanic Gardens – including lemon mascarpone tarts at Tecoma Pavilion, chive pancakes at Taxodium Lawn and roasted apricots with labne at The Alto on Dog Flat.
Fed Square will host the Baker’s Dozen, which brings Melbourne’s top bakers together for a two-day celebration of cakes and pastries.
The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival provides a major boost to the state’s tourism and hospitality sector, and is just one of many major blockbuster events across Victoria including the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition at the NGV – all contributing to Victoria’s $39.2 billion visitor economy.
Program information is available at mfwf. com.au.
Making Maths Best Practice Common Practice
Dec
The Allan Labor Government is building every child’s confidence in mathematics, with new resources to boost numeracy outcomes for Victorian students.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll launched ready-touse mathematics lesson plans for teachers and announced an expression of interest process to appoint four inaugural Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors, who will promote the importance of maths to schools, students and families.
The first ready-to-use mathematics lesson plans are available today, with further lesson
plans available through the first half of 2025.
Lesson plans will strengthen students’ mathematics and numeracy outcomes by providing schools with high-quality materials to make best-practice, common practice across Victorian government schools.
The plans will also help reduce teacher workload, particularly for early career and out-of-field teachers, so they can spend less time planning and preparing lessons, and more time engaging with students.
The plans support teachers to implement the revised Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0), with explicit teaching at its core.
The lesson plans are part of the $16.4 million investment announced last year to provide quality lesson plans in priority subjects, with future releases to be rolled out for English, science and the technologies.
As confidence with mathematics is also an issue across families and communities, the Government will appoint Mathematics Ambassadors to help students develop a positive attitude, motivation to learn, and academic achievement in mathematics.
Four mathematics teachers will be appointed as inaugural Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors. These will be teachers who are enthusiastic and passionate about mathematics and exemplify excellence in mathematics teaching at primary and secondary levels.
They will support parent and community engagement in mathematics and provide inspiration to study mathematics, as well as highlight mathematics careers and pathways.
Victorian schoolteachers are invited to express interest in one of the four Ambassador roles or to nominate a colleague, with nominations now open and closing on 20 December 2024 at vic.gov.au/ victorian-mathematics-ambassadors(opens in a new window)
Students can also be involved in recommending a teacher to be considered as an Ambassador via a VicSRC process at Student Nominations - Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors
Number Of Teachers Growing Across Victoria
MELBOURNE, Dec 4: The Allan Labor Government is helping Victorian kids get a world class education by growing the teaching workforce across the state.
Minister for Education Ben Carroll and Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn today welcomed the increase in new teachers who have joined the Victorian education profession in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating the effectiveness of initiatives to address workforce needs.
In the past year from June 2023 to June 2024, nearly 1,700 new school
teachers joined our government schools. More broadly, the number of registered schoolteachers in Victoria grew by 14.9 per cent between June 2017 and June 2024, far exceeding Victoria’s population growth of 10.8 per cent over this period.
The number of new early childhood teachers who have gained provisional registration grew by almost 50 per cent in 2023, while fully registered early childhood teachers also grew by 10.2 per cent over the same period.
The growth in the Victorian teaching workforce demonstrates the success of the Labor Government's record investment in teacher supply to support schools and early childhood services.
Victorian Institute of Teaching data shows there are over 12,000 more registered school
teachers in Victoria in 2024 compared to 2020.
We are supporting our teachers through Career Start, a graduate program for new teachers, career development through the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership and investment that means we have the best student to teacher ratios of all states.
Alongside the growth in the current teaching workforce, the Labor Government is also setting the platform for the future by supporting more Victorians to undertake teaching degrees.
This year Victoria has seen a 23 per cent increase in student teachers enrolling in secondary undergraduate education courses through VTAC compared to 2023, showing that the scholarships are increasing the number of people studying to become teachers.
The scholarships in addition to paid placements for trainee teachers and employment-based degrees are part of the Labor Government’s $1.6 billion investment to support and grow the school teaching workforce in Victoria. (MEDIA RELEASE)
MELBOURNE,
5:
New Program to Kickstart Victorian Startups
MELBOURNE, Nov 29: The Allan Labor Government is launching an Australian-first fellowship program to accelerate home-grown entrepreneurship – boosting the state’s startup economy and creating at least 50 new local jobs.
Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas launched the Breakthrough Victoria University Innovation Platform Fellowship
Program, which will establish up to 50 new startup companies by supporting early-stage researchers and PhD candidates to accelerate their ideas into the market.
Backed by a $7.5 million investment, the program is available for current undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates from all Victorian universities and medical research institutes and will contribute up to $150,000 per startup to fund research commercialisation, plus tailored mentoring and skills development.
The Fellowship Program is part of the $100 million Breakthrough Victoria – University Innovation Platform, which is a partnership with Deakin University, La Trobe University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University
and the University of Melbourne to commercialise critical research and unlock its market potential.
The program will support the development of local innovations and manufacturing capabilities, while building a pipeline of Victorian products to invest in and create more jobs across the state. In addition, it will attract local, interstate and international entrepreneurial talent to Victorian universities.
Breakthrough Victoria invests in Victorian innovation, entrepreneurs and ideas to accelerate technologies into market to improve the lives of Victorians, and to support business growth and job creation.
In addition to Breakthrough Victoria, the Government is providing targeted industry investments to drive innovation through LaunchVic. Since 2017, LaunchVic has supported more than 12,300 entrepreneurs to upskill and backed more than 1,400 Victorian startups.
For more information about the Fellowship Program, visit breakthroughvictoria.com/breakthroughvictoria-fellowship.
Consulate General of India in Brisbane hosts Indian women's team ahead of 2nd Australia ODI
BRISBANE, Dec 7: The Consulate General of India in Brisbane hosted the Indian women's team at the Brisbane Club ahead of the second ODI against Australia, starting from Sunday at the Allan Border Field.
Team India is on a tour to Australia for a three-match ODI series.
The official X handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Women posted, "The Consulate General of India, Brisbane hosted #TeamIndia at the Brisbane Club ahead of the 2nd ODI at the Allan Border Field #AUSvIND."
In the first ODI held on Thursday, Australia defeated India by five wickets. After
they elected to bat first, India lost wickets regularly. Except for Jemimah Rodrigues (23 in 42 balls, with one four), no player could touch the 20-run mark.
Megan Schutt was brutal with the ball, picking 5/19 in 6.2 overs and her tally included Priya Punia, Smriti Mandhana, and Richa Ghosh. Kim Garth, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, and Alana King got a wicket each.
In the run-chase, Australia did lose some quick wickets, but knocks from Georgia Voll (46* in 42 balls, with six fours and a six) and Phoebe Litchfield (35 in 29 balls, with eight fours) were more than enough to seal a fivewicket win with over 33 overs in hand.
Renuka Singh (3/45) and Priya Mishra (2/11) did well for India with the ball, but they did not have enough runs to defend.
After the second ODI, the third and final ODI will be held on December 11, Wednesday at WACA Stadium in Perth. Indian squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Uma Chetry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saima Thakor.
India, Australia hold talks on bolstering Agri-tech ties
NEW DELHI, Nov 15: In a bid to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between India and Australia and to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the agriculture and allied sectors, Australian High Commissioner Philip Green held talks with Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, at Krishi Bhawan, according to an official statement.
Chaturvedi outlined India's current priorities in agriculture, emphasizing that the government is not only committed to ensuring food security but also to enhancing farmers' incomes and improving nutritional security for the population.
He highlighted key initiatives such as crop diversification, the promotion of exports, achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses, and the strengthening of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as vital components of India's agricultural strategy.
The Secretary stressed the importance of technological advancements, including
precision agriculture, the Digital Agriculture Mission, and the mechanization of small farms, in modernizing the sector. Additionally, he acknowledged the growing role of startups in driving innovation and transformation in agriculture.
Green highlighted the importance of agriculture in Australia’s priorities and the potential for enhanced collaboration between the two nations. He expressed keen interest in exploring opportunities within the agritech sector and emphasised the importance of strengthening trade ties to further these objectives. Green emphasised the need for continued engagement to identify and unlock new opportunities for trade and cooperation.
Both sides agreed on the importance of advancing collaboration across various areas, including agri-tech, horticulture, digital agriculture, and agricultural machinery.
During the meeting, Chaturvedi underscored the significance of the longstanding and multifaceted partnership between India and Australia, with particular
focus on the agricultural sector.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, representatives from ICAR, and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs also participated in the discussion.
Australia and India signed an MoU to develop and strengthen cooperation in skills training in the agriculture sector.
The agreement was the outcome of the joint commitment of the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers in October 2012 to build bilateral partnerships between skills councils in key industry areas, including telecommunications, retail, mining and agriculture.
The MoU was signed between the Agriculture Skills Council of India and AgriFood Skills Australia to promote cooperation in creating quality occupational, training, assessment, certification, information and stakeholder engagement standards.
Australians report cybercrime every six minutes, reveal authorities
CANBERRA, Nov 20: Australians reported a cybercrime to authorities every six minutes in the 12-month period to the end of June, according to the country's signals intelligence agency.
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) on Wednesday published the Annual Cyber Threat Report for 2023-24, revealing that cybercrime reports fell slightly from the previous year while financial losses for individuals impacted by cybercrimes increased.
According to the report, the ASD received 87,400 cybercrime reports in the 12-month period to the end of June 2024 -- the equivalent of one report every six minutes on average.
The total number of cybercrimes reported to the ASD was seven per cent lower than in 2022-23.
However, the average self-reported cost of cybercrime to individual victims increased to 30,700 Australian dollars ($20,082.7) - up 17 per cent from 2022-23.
For businesses, the average self-reported cost of cybercrimes was down eight per cent.
The report said that identity fraud, online shopping fraud and online banking fraud were the most common types of cybercrime affecting individuals.
Richard Marles, Australia's defence minister and deputy prime minister (PM), wrote in the report that the data reinforces the need for all Australians to play their part in protecting cyber security.
"Reporting cybercrime, incidents and vulnerabilities remains a critical part of building a national threat picture and enabling us to effectively counter malicious cyber actors," he said.
The ASD said that it responded to 1,100 cyber security incidents in 2023-24. Of those, almost half were categorised as unsuccessful low-level malicious attacks but 52 caused extensive compromise, including one that targeted the federal government, government services or critical infrastructure.
It said that 11 per cent of those incidents targeted critical infrastructure.
Australian discovery of ancient hot water on Mars an indicator of its habitable past
SYDNEY, Nov 23: Australian researchers have discovered the oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars, revealing that the planet may have once been habitable.
In a study, a team led by researchers from Curtin University in Western Australia analyzed a 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain from the famous Martian meteorite NWA7034, also known as Black Beauty, that was found in the Sahara Desert in 2011.
The researchers found that the grain of zircon, a type of mineral, contained geochemical fingerprints of water-rich fluids, suggesting that water was present during early Martian magmatic activity.
Aaron Cavosie, a co-author of the study from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said that the discovery would open up new avenues for understanding ancient Martian hydrothermal systems, as well as the planet's past capacity to support life.
"We used nano-scale geochemistry to detect elemental evidence of hot water on Mars 4.45 billion years ago," he said, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Hydrothermal systems were essential for the development of life on Earth and our findings suggest Mars also had water, a key ingredient for habitable environments, during the earliest history of crust formation."
He said that even though Mars' crust endured major meteorite impacts that caused surface upheaval, the research shows that water was present on the planet during the early Pre-Noachian period prior to about 4.1 billion years ago.
The study also involved researchers from
the University of Adelaide and was led by Jack Gillespie, a former research associate at Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences now at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.
(IANS)
Mumbai's iconic, historical landmark Gateway of India completes 100 years
MUMBAI, Dec 4 (IANS) Mumbai's most famous landmark, the Gateway of India on the Arabian Sea at Colaba -- built to commemorate the 1911 historic visit of King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain -- turned 100.
Marking the momentous occasion, Chief Postmaster General of Maharashtra Amitabh Singh, released a Commemorative Special Cancellation and Picture Postcard in the present of top officials like Manoj Kumar, Abhijeet Bansore, Sudhir Jakhere, Yadagiri Nyalapalli and others.
"This special cancellation and picture postcard aim to honour the Gateway of India's 100-year legacy, showcasing the grandeur and architectural beauty of the monument. It's to celebrate the centenary of this monument through a beautifully crafted post-card, offering a glimpse into the historical importance of this national treasure,” said Singh.
Emphasising the significance of preserving India’s history through philatelic commemorations, Singh said that the special offering – which went on sale at the Mumbai Philately Bureau - make them an essential collector's item for philatelists, historians, and anyone with an interest in India’s heritage.
The imposing monument was built to immortalise the landing of King George V here on December 2, 1911 - for his Coronation as the Emperor of India a few days later – making it the first ever visit by a British Monarch to India, a British Colony then.
Work on it started in March 1913 and was completed in 11 years, with the inauguration done on December 4, 1924, with the monument built in Indo-Islamic and Gujarati style architecture, on the shores of the
The Gateway of India stands diagonally opposite its equally famous neighbour, the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace (opened in 1903), which was already 20 years old at the time.
Designed by Scottish architect George Wittet, who came to India in 1904, and later was elected the first President of the prestigious Indian Institute of Architects in 1917.
The Gateway of India is an imposing memorial arch made of basalt, standing 85 feet tall with an architecture similar to a triumphal arch, which have been built in some other countries globally.
After it was inaugurated by the then Viceroy of India, Rufus D. Isaacs on Dec. 4, 1924, the monument was thrown open for people to marvel, making it a popular tourism site, and subsequently was utilised as a symbolic ceremonial grand entrance for important official visitors and dignitaries.
Months after India’s Independence on August 15, 1947, the last contingent of British troops – the Somerset Light Infantry that left the country, made their exit from the Gateway of India on February 28, 1948, with a 21-gun salute, signalling the end of British Rule on the Jewel in the Crown.
Since Independence, the Gateway of India remains the top tourist attraction in Mumbai, one of its most-photographed monuments, with thousands visiting there daily to marvel at its beauty with the Arabian Sea as a backdrop.
Flanked by five jetties, thousands of excited tourists and local hop onto the harbor rides in motorboats, and also to the UNESCO site, the Elephanta Islands, around 10 km off Mumbai, and from the Arabian Sea get to view the Gateway of India and Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in a single frame.
Incidentally, both the locations were targeted by terrorists during the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008, but survived without any serious damage. Later, stringent security measures have been enforced in the vicinity.
Wittet, whose greatest creation is the Gateway of India, gave several other significant landmarks to the country's commercial capital.
Some of them are the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly, the Prince of Wales Museum), the Institute of Science, the KEM Hospital, the Small Causes Court, the Bombay House (Tata Group headquarters), the Wadia Hospital and many more, all situated in south Mumbai.
By Quaid Najmi
Learn from Indian women how to invest in gold and silver: Jim Rogers
DELHI, Nov 28: As the prices of gold and silver continue to rise amid geo-political tensions, ace global investor Jim Rogers has an advice for people: stay invested in precious metals and nothing can teach us better about bullion than Indian women.
In an interaction, Rogers, who is known for his expertise and strategic insights, said he owns both gold and silver.
“Everybody should own gold and silver. That is one thing I learned in India where women in the markets taught me a lot about gold and silver,” he quipped.
“If I were buying one today, I would buy silver because it's cheaper. I hope I'm smart enough to buy more of both if they go down in price,” Rogers added.
According to a recent report by the World Gold Council (WGC), the demand in India surged 18 per cent (year-on-year_ to 248.3 tonnes in the September quarter due to a rise in jewellery consumption and investment in gold.
In terms of value, India's gold demand during the quarter surged 52 per cent (onyear) to Rs 1.65 lakh crore compared with Rs 1.08 lakh crore in the same period last year. India's demand for gold jewellery rose 10 per cent on year to 171.6 tonnes in the September quarter owing to weddings and the festive season.
On mutual funds (MFs), Rogers said if people know what they're doing, everybody should invest in MFs “because it's a way to have better prosperity”.
“But do not invest unless you know what you're doing yourself. Don't listen to other people. Only invest in what you know a lot about. But if you know a lot about something, you should find investments and have success,” the veteran global investor told.
“I sold my investments in India too soon. I will invest more in India as the country has a brighter future,” said Rogers, the American millionaire based in Singapore.
Arabian Sea.
NEW
We are an India that is more Bharat now: EAM Jaishankar
NEW DELHI, Dec 6: Spotlighting India's phenomenal rise over the last 10 years, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said that Indian democracy has delivered in the country's eighth decade of independence.
"We are more aspirational, more ambitious, more capable and confident. But, most of all, we are an India that is more Bharat. You can see it today, that in our eighth decade of our independence, actually democracy has delivered," Jaishankar said after receiving the 'India First' award from AMG Media Network CEO and Editor-inChief Sanjay Pugalia at NDTV's 'Indian Of The Year' ceremony.
The EAM stated that India is far more representative today with success not just being "elitist" or "metropolitan" and every walk of life - and every part of India - now having that equality of opportunity.
"When I say democracy has delivered, I just don't mean that our elections are better than everyone else's. They are, but what I mean is that when you look at our politics, civil services, sports teams, and journalists, we are today far more representative as a selection of people than we have ever been before," he mentioned.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong commitment to modernise India, the EAM said that there is a "degree of energy and sense of purpose" in the current government.
Having worked with several governments, first as a diplomat and then as a Minister, Jaishankar said this is a "good moment" to be the External Affairs Minister of India.
"Having a PM who is prepared to do the reforms we should, not just the reforms we must. I can tell you that every week when the Cabinet meets, if you look at the decisions that are taken and the policy implications that
they have, it is really an extraordinary period in our national lives," the EAM said.
Highlighting India's growth story, the External Affairs Minister also detailed journey from the early 90s to now, when the country is on its way to become a leading global economic power.
"In 1991-92, we were a $250 billion economy with trade of $40 billion. Today, we are a $4 trillion economy with a trade of $80 billion. Think about it, I'm throwing these numbers at you as it is a way of measuring how much more we are dealing with the world and how much we matter to the world."
The EAM reiterated that foreign policy has now become more relevant than ever before to Indian society and Indians are now aspiring towards a 'Viksit Bharat' - a developed India - a feeling which was missing 10 years ago.
"This is today a 'can-do' generation, a
generation that has done the Chandrayaan, a generation which was probably the most efficient producer and inventor of vaccines during Covid...Which has produced its telecom technology, our own 5G technology, a generation which today produces its own trains like Vande Bharat..."
Taking an indirect dig at the Congress-led UPA government over its response following the 2008 Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks, the EAM told the gathering that the country now knows it well how to give it back to those promoting terrorism from across the border.
"In the past, India left 26/11 unanswered, but today we answered Pakistan with Uri and Balakot," he said before wrapping up his speech at the NDTV 'Indian of the Year' awards ceremony.
(IANS)
Court clears way for TikTok ban in US unless Chinese owners sell it
NEW YORK, Dec 7: An appeals court has cleared the way for shutting down TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owners sell it by January 19, upholding a law passed by Congress to safeguard national security.
The court threw out the appeal by TikTok against the law disagreeing with the company's Chinese owner's contention that the law violated the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of expression.
"The government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary's ability to gather data on people in the US," Judge Douglas Ginsburg wrote in the majority opinion.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose
department defended the law, welcomed the ruling.
"Today's decision is an important step in blocking the Chinese government from weaponising TikTok to collect sensitive information about millions of Americans, to covertly manipulate the content delivered to American audiences, and to undermine our national security," he said summarising the lawmakers' opposition to TikTok.
While it is ironic that a company operating under the iron fist of the Chinese Communist Party invokes the US Constitution's free expression guarantee, ByteDance said it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
The social media for short videos is owned by ByteDance and has about 170 million users in the US.
Under the law passed in April and signed by President Joe Biden, app stores like Google and Apple cannot provide TikTok in the US, and internet hosting companies cannot support it from January 19.
If they do not comply, they could face fines running into billions of dollars because the penalty is $5,000 for each user given access to TikTok.
The January 19 date is significant because it is two days before Donald Trump, who once supported the ban but changed his mind, becomes President.
He can ask Congress to rescind the law and in the interim not enforce it or accept cosmetic changes in ByteDance's ownership as complying with the law.
In 2020, Trump citing national security risks unilaterally ordered it sold or face a ban, and while several companies scrambled to buy it, a court stayed the order.
Joe Biden, who succeeded him, revoked the order, but Congress enacted the law requiring its sale.
Trump changed his mind while out of office because it did not ban or restrict him like several US social media gaints and said he was for allowing it to operate in the US.
Of the three judges in the Washington DC Court of Appeals panel, two were Indian Americans.
Judge Naomi Rao concurred with Ginsburg, while Chief Judge Srinath Srinivasan wrote a separate judgment also upholding the ban.
India banned TikTok and 58 other apps in 2020 over national security concerns.
India’s spice exports projected to reach $10 billion by 2030
NEW DELHI, Nov 16: The domestic spice exports market is likely to reach $10 billion by 2030, entering newer geographies, according to Ramkumar Menon, chairman of the World
Spice Organisation (WSO).
At the ‘National Spice Conference (NSC) 2024’ event in Ahmedabad, Menon said the spice export growth in the first half this fiscal has seen 8.8 per cent growth (year-on-year).
India’s spice exports for the first half of FY24 reached Rs 17,488 crore ($2.09 billion), according to Menon. The spice exports are set to surpass $4.7 billion for FY 24-25.
To meet the ambitious $10 billion target, India needs to produce nearly 15 million tonnes of spices, he mentioned.
The export of spices and spice products reached an all-time high in FY 2023-24 and attained $4.46 billion.
During 2023-24 the export of spices and spice products from the country has been 15,39,692 tonnes valued Rs 36,958.80 crore ($4464.17 million), according to data by the Spices Board, under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The growth was seen owing to a rebound in volumes and higher prices for certain varieties such as pepper, cardamom and turmeric. The red chilli exports hit a record $1.5 billion in FY24, a 15 per cent increase
from the previous year's $1.3 billion which is driven by robust demand from China and Bangladesh.
Red chilli exports, worth $1.5 billion, comprised about 34 per cent of India's total spices exports. China was the top importer of Indian red chillies in FY24, purchasing over 1.79 lakh tonnes valued at Rs 4,123 crore, according to Kedia Advisory.
The Spices Board is set with a transformative scheme aimed at significantly enhancing the export of spices and valueadded spice products as well as improving the productivity of cardamoms and upgrading the post-harvest quality of spices across India for export.
Various programmes rolled out under the scheme 'Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED)' will be implemented during the remaining period of the 15th Finance Commission cycle, till FY 2025-26, with a total approved outlay of Rs 422.30 crore.
Putin lauds PM Modi's 'Make in India' policy, says Russia willing to invest
MOSCOW, Dec 5: President Vladimir Putin praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'India-first' policy and the 'Make in India' initiative and expressed Russia's willingness to establish manufacturing operations in India.
Addressing the 15th VTB Russia Calling Investment Forum in Moscow, President Putin drew parallels between Russia's import substitution programme and India's 'Make in India' initiative.
The two-day forum started in Moscow. "Prime Minister Modi has a similar programme called Make in India. We are also ready to set up our manufacturing operations in India. The Indian government, under the Prime Minister's leadership, has been creating stable conditions, driven by a policy of putting India first. We believe that investing
in India is profitable," the Russian President said.
He highlighted that Russian oil giant Rosneft has invested $20 bn in India recently.
The 'Make in India' initiative, aimed at boosting manufacturing and attracting foreign investment, has played a key role in strengthening India's position in the global economy, he observed.
President Putin's remarks underscored India's economic progress under PM Modi's leadership. He lauded the Indian government and its efforts in creating "stable conditions" for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly highlighting the economic initiatives spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a special focus on the 'Make in India' programme.
President Putin also highlighted the significance of Russia's import substitution programme in the context of BRICS' evolution, focusing on the growth of SMEs and the necessity for a rapid dispute resolution mechanism to facilitate smooth business transactions for SMEs in BRICS+ countries.
He pointed out the rise of new Russian brands that are replacing Western brands
that have exited the market, noting the success of local Russian manufacturers in sectors such as consumer goods, IT, hightech, and agriculture.
"For us, this is particularly important as part of our import substitution programme. The emergence of new Russian brands is helping replace those of Western companies that have voluntarily left our market. Our local manufacturers have achieved significant success, not only in consumer goods but also in IT and high-tech industries," he said.
President Putin also underlined the need for greater cooperation among BRICS nations to support the growth of SMEs and encouraged member countries to identify key areas for collaboration at the upcoming summit in Brazil next year.
Referring to the investment platform Russia is developing with BRICS, President Putin said that it has the potential to benefit all partner countries and is expected to become an important instrument for supporting our economies and providing financial resources to the countries of the Global South and East.
"I urge my BRICS colleagues to evaluate the current situation in key areas of cooperation, and we will certainly bring this to the attention of our Brazilian counterparts, who will be leading BRICS next year," Putin added.
Five Indian students selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2025
NEW DELHI, Nov 14: Five students from Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand have been selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2025, announced the Rhodes Trust.
The five students were selected after a competitive application process and two rounds of preliminary interviews. The shortlisted finalists were interviewed and five were chosen to receive the prestigious scholarship.
They will be heading to the University of Oxford in October 2025 to join a cohort of more than a hundred scholars from around the world to undertake fully funded post-graduate studies and become part of a strong community of people determined to make a positive difference in the world.
“The Rhodes Trust is delighted to introduce the extraordinary 2025 Class of Rhodes Scholars Elect who represent cultures and perspectives from every corner of the world," said Dr Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust.
"It is heartening to see candidates from diverse disciplines, institutions, and parts of the country apply to the Rhodes Scholarship. We
are always impressed by the level of intellect as well as the character and empathy that they all display. As is the case each year, we had a diverse and talented field of applicants,” according to a statement from the Rhodes India Secretariat.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903. The Scholarships for India began in 1947 and have been awarded to five outstanding applicants each year.
This year’s winners continue the fantastic legacy of excellence and are from Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kurukshetra, Ghaziabad, and Ranchi.
Rayan Chakrabarti, who is completing his Master's at the School of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, aims to build and work on an archive and museum of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact in South Asia.
Another is Vibha Swaminathan, a finalyear law student, pursuing an LL.B. (Hons.) at the National Law School, Bengaluru. She is interested in studying the political and legal fragilities of citizenship regimes and hopes
to combine this academic engagement with a human rights litigation practice before trial courts in India.
The visually impaired Avanish Vats from Ranchi has completed his bachelor's in Philosophy from St. Stephen’s College. His academic interests include epistemology and making philosophy accessible to disabled people.
Shubham Narwal is the first Indian scholarelect from veterinary medicine. He is pursuing a Bachelor's in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry at ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly, UP.
He is eager to pursue an M.Sc. in Clinical Embryology to explore new conservation strategies for the critically endangered bird, the Great Indian Bustard.
Pal Aggarwal, a final year B.Tech. Engineering Physics student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, wants to study high-energy astrophysics at Oxford and strive towards her dream of becoming an astronaut and advocating for women in science.
(IANS)
Getting married in Australia
What are the signs of a forced marriage? Part - II
A combination of the following signs may indicate that a person is in a forced marriage, or at risk of being made to enter into a forced marriage: Have communications monitored or restricted. Show evidence of family or domestic violence within the family unit. Show evidence of running away from home or isolation from the community. Express concern regarding an upcoming family holiday or overseas travel. Make a sudden announcement they are engaged. Express feelings of shame or dishonour on the family if family / community expectations are not met. Show evidence of economic or dowry abuse including family members or others seeking to gain financially from a proposed marriage or engagement; ongoing demands for cash or material goods; threats made when financial obligations or
arrangements are not met.
Demonstrate feelings of conflict or concern for the ramifications if they do not go ahead with an agreed marriage / engagement. Have intergenerational and cultural conflict within the home. Express concern of physical or psychological violence for not fulfilling family / community expectations. If someone is in, or at risk of a forced marriage, they may find it hard to tell someone about their situation.
EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME MAY RAISE RISK OF EARLY PUBERTY
Even as children are increasingly getting exposed to screens from a young age, a new study in rats showed that long-term exposure to blue light, emitting from smartphones or tablets, may lead to early puberty. The findings linked the early risk of puberty with accelerated bone growth and bone age caused because of exposure to blue light.
The research, presented at the 62nd Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in Liverpool, is the first to explore the link between bone growth and pubertal development.
“This is the first study to show how blue light could potentially influence physical growth and development, prompting further research into the effects of modern screen exposure on children’s growth,” said lead researcher Dr Aylin Kılınc Ugurlu, from Gazi University in Turkey.
As the study was conducted in rats, “we cannot be sure that these findings
would be replicated in children, but our data suggest that prolonged exposure to blue light accelerates both the physical growth and maturation of the growth plate, leading to early puberty,” Ugurlu noted.
When children grow, they develop long bones such as the femur, which progressively elongates at each end. This eventually solidifies stopping growth in height. While girls reach their maximum height between ages 14 and 16, boys
finish their growth between 16 and 18 years of age.
However recent studies have pointed out a rise in early puberty in both girls and boys. The studies show that the children might grow quickly at first but often stop growing earlier than usual. One factor may be the increased use of blue lightemitting devices, Ugurlu said.
The study was conducted on 18 male and 18 female rats aged 21 days old. These were divided into three groups of six and exposed to either a normal light cycle, six hours, or 12 hours of blue light until the first signs of puberty.
The team measured their length and femur and found that the rats exposed to blue light had faster growth, particularly in their bones.
“This means their bones matured too soon, which could potentially cause them to be shorter than average as adults,” Ugurlu said, stressing the need for more studies.
(IANS)
Loan or gift – property division
TBY GURPAL SINGH
he property settlement between separating couples/partners requires to identify the property pool, its assets, liabilities, contributions and financial resources held individually and/or jointly. On calculation, the net value of the property pool is distributed amongst the separating couples/partners in accordance with the principles of Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (the act).
It is frequently seen that the parents provide/contribute money to the newlyweds/ de facto partners to purchase the property. At the time of such an action, the money per se is given as a gift. However, at the time of separation and the property settlement, and in order to deplete the value of the equity in the matrimonial pool, such payment by the parent(s) is claimed to be a loan rather than a gift. This is notwithstanding that such transaction fail to satisfy the features of a loan. Such a claim is made purposely as a loan owed to parents or third parties shall constitute a liability and returned to the lender. In such an event one of the partner shall loose the money in final settlement whereas the other party gets undue enrichment at the cost of the partner.
Generally, the financial assistance via a loan incurred during a marriage or relationship is considered a joint liability of the parties. Such joint liability should be paid from the asset pool. Taking advantage of the principles, it has become a common practice for parties in a property dispute redefine what was once understood to be a gift.
The Family court often come across a situation where it requires to determine if a particular transaction was a ‘loan’ or a ‘gift’.
A loan agreement might be drawn up to protect the parents’ financial assistance intended for both parties shared benefit when they are together but not to be distributed for the ex-spouse’s benefit after separation.
The court is governed by the principle of ‘presumption of advancement’. Transaction from a parent to child relationship gives rise to the presumption of advancement – a legal presumption that such a transaction is presumed to be a gift. Such a presumption was, however, rebuttable.
The assessment requires consideration of various factors including but not limited to the loan agreement; security for such a loan; intention of the lender/parents at the time of contribution of the funds; repayment terms and if a demand for repayment was made; evidence of any repayment; acceptance by the partner(s) that the funds so transferred were a loan; evidence of representation to
third parties including the bank that such a payment was given as a loan; if the parties had not separated, would the loan have been called for repayment; likelihood of the loan actually being returned; if the loan was an enforceable debt or lapsed by the limitation; so on and so forth.
The burden of proof lies with the person alleging that the transfer of funds was a loan and not a gift. If a party is unsuccessful in rebutting the presumption and funds are considered a gift, the funds will be considered as a part of the financial pool and included in the assessment of contribution and distributed.
The case law on this issue had disregarded the loan agreement(s) where the evidence to its legitimate existence and intention to repay is vague. In the matter of Af Petersens the court stated that “it’s common in this court to meet a situation where a parent has made a loan to a child which is in all respects legally enforceable, but which is not in fact enforced and would not really be expected to be enforced. It is no doubt an “obligation” but if the obligation is not likely to have to be met, it should not be take into account”.
The court will look at surrounding evidence when determining the treatment of a loan and whether it should be taken into account. The court is more likely to recognise parents’ financial assistance a loan where the criteria is met. On the contrary a verbal agreement with no past repayment can still constitute a valid loan, it is far more difficult to prove its existence and the court is more likely to categorise it as a gift and treated as an indirect financial contribution of a party who received the gift.
Gurpal Singh is the
Milestones and Future Vision - A Journey of Resilience, Authenticity, and Innovation
Sabrini Foods Celebrates 25 Years of Connecting Cultures Through Indian Cuisine
In the vibrant world of culinary innovation, few brands have made as lasting an impact as Sabrini Foods.
Founded in 1999, Sabrini Foods has become a household name in Australia, playing a pivotal role in bringing the rich flavors of Indian cuisine to local kitchens. Celebrating 25 years of success, we had the opportunity to speak with the founder of Sabrini Foods, Raja Hariramakrishnan, also known as Uvaraja who reflects on the journey that began with humble aspirations and has evolved into a multi-faceted business. In this interview, we delve into the brand’s journey, its commitment to authenticity, the challenges overcome, and the exciting plans for the future.
Q: Reflecting on 25 Years: Sabrini Foods has been a pioneer in promoting Indian food culture in Australia for 25 years. What inspired you to start this journey, and how has the vision evolved over the years?
A: The journey began in 1999, like many successful ventures, with a simple opportunity to sell spices. I spent months researching the market, analysing competition, and preparing for the challenges ahead. Despite extensive preparation, we soon realized that focusing solely on spices was limiting. This led us to diversify, expanding into a wider range of products over time. Today, I take immense pride in
knowing that Sabrini Foods has become a trusted brand in nearly every kitchen within the Indian diaspora in Australia.
Q: Connecting Cultures Through Food: Your tagline, “Connecting Cultures Through Food,” beautifully encapsulates the essence of Sabrini Foods. Can you share how your products have helped bridge cultural gaps and fostered a greater appreciation for Indian cuisine in Australia?
A: Food has a universal appeal, and every culture celebrates it in its own way. Our mission was simple: to connect people from diverse backgrounds through the love of food. At Sabrini, we specialize in authentic Indian cuisine, offering everything from raw ingredients for cooking from scratch to fully prepared frozen meals. Our goal has always been to bring people closer to India through our authentic flavors, helping multicultural communities in Australia experience and appreciate Indian culinary traditions.
Q: Challenges and Milestones: Over the past quarter-century, what have been some of the most significant challenges Sabrini Foods has faced in promoting Indian cuisine in Australia? How did you overcome them, and what milestones are you most proud of?
A: Every business faces its own set of challenges, and ours were no different. In the
early days, I encountered scepticism from people who doubted the viability of an Indian food business led by a young entrepreneur. At that time, entering the wholesale market with Indian products was considered unconventional, and I was often dismissed as “just a young kid trying to do business.” Rather than feeling discouraged, I used this criticism as motivation. I worked harder, proved myself, and slowly built trust within the market. Over the years, overcoming those challenges has been one of our greatest achievements, and it laid the foundation for the thriving business we are today.
Q: Commitment to Authenticity: Indian cuisine is deeply rooted in tradition and flavor. How does Sabrini Foods ensure the authenticity and quality of its products while catering to diverse palates and dietary preferences in Australia?
A: Our commitment to authenticity and quality has always been the cornerstone of our success and I take immense pride in sharing this. From day one, we have maintained rigorous standards, especially for our powdered spices. A recent example from December 2024 perfectly illustrates this commitment. A retailer shared with me that his mother regularly takes packets of our Pattu Turmeric Powder back to India as gifts. This shift—where Indian spices are now being exported back to India—symbolizes the trust and quality we’ve built over the years.
Moreover, we have implemented strict quality assurance systems, ensuring that every product meets our high standards. We’ve collaborated with culinary experts, including Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, to tailor products specifically for the Australian market. This blend of tradition and innovation ensures we offer products that meet the diverse tastes and dietary preferences of our customers while maintaining the essence of authentic Indian cuisine.
Q: Looking Ahead: As Sabrini Foods
celebrates this remarkable milestone, what are your aspirations for the next 25 years? Are there any new initiatives, products, or plans to introduce new cuisines, expand globally, or innovate in ways that continue to honor your mission of “Connecting Cultures Through Food”?
A: We have worked hard to build a strong team and continue to strengthen it as we look ahead to the next 25 years. Our goal is to make this new chapter even more successful by turning our vision into reality. Moving forward, our ambition is to continue growing and expanding our presence, both locally and globally. Our vision is straightforward: we want to be present wherever Indian food is enjoyed—whether at home, in restaurants, or other spaces. This means exploring new product lines, introducing new cuisines, and continuing to innovate while staying true to our roots.
Our foundation is strong, and we’re
confident that the future holds exciting opportunities. We’ll continue to strengthen our team, adopt cutting-edge technologies, and bring fresh ideas to the table. This balance between innovation and tradition will keep us ahead of the curve, allowing us to remain a trusted name in the Indian food industry for decades to come.
Sabrini Foods’ remarkable 25-year journey is a testament to the resilience, innovation, and commitment to authenticity that have shaped its success. From its humble beginnings selling spices to becoming a leading brand in the Australian market, Sabrini Foods continues to connect cultures and foster a greater appreciation for Indian cuisine. With a strong foundation and an eye toward the future, Sabrini Foods is poised for continued growth, ensuring that the legacy of connecting cultures through food remains at the heart of its mission.
G’day India
Unlocking Success in the Digital Era
Ramneek
Wayne Discusses His New Book, Entrepreneurship Insights, and the Evolving Role of Traditional Business Principles
In an ever-evolving business landscape, the foundational principles of marketing—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—remain as relevant as ever. In his newly released book, The 4Ps of Business, Ramneek Wayne explores how these time-tested principles can serve as a powerful framework for entrepreneurs
and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to succeed in today’s digital world. In this interview, Wayne sheds light on his inspiration for writing the book, the challenges of its development, and how modern digital tools can help businesses thrive.
Q: Congratulations on the launch of The 4Ps of Business! What inspired you to write this book, and why do you believe these principles— Product, Price, Place, and Promotion— are crucial for the success of businesses today?
A: Thank you! The inspiration for The 4Ps of Business came from my personal journey as an entrepreneur and my observation of the key factors that drive businesses to either succeed or fail. The 4Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—are timeless principles that form the foundation of any effective business strategy. While these
concepts have existed for decades, I noticed a gap in how they were being applied in today’s fast-changing business environment. I wanted to create something accessible to entrepreneurs and SMEs that bridges the gap between theory and practical application. These principles are vital because they provide a clear, actionable framework that businesses can use to refine their strategies and grow, no matter their size or industry.
Q: Can you share with us the process behind developing the content for The 4Ps of Business? What were some of the biggest challenges and rewards you encountered during the journey from idea to publication?
A: The process was a combination of introspection, research, and collaboration. It began with insights from my business school days, where I wrote several essays on the 4Ps of Marketing. However, it wasn’t until a conversation with someone seeking advice on their business that I realized the 4Ps go far beyond marketing—they are a broader framework for evaluating and launching any business.
Along the way, I was fortunate to have a supportive network of mentors and peers, but one of the biggest challenges I faced was dealing with the naysayers. The turning point for me was realizing that, while people will always have opinions, I have the power to choose what I take in and what I reject. The sense of accomplishment in delivering
the book, despite the obstacles, has been incredibly rewarding and has fuelled my drive for even greater success.
Q: As an entrepreneur and host of The Million Dollar Podcast, you've had the chance to speak with many successful business leaders. How did your interactions with these experts shape your perspective on the 4Ps and influence the ideas shared in your book?
A: Hosting The Million Dollar Podcast has been a transformative experience. I’ve had the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, community innovators, and industry visionaries. What struck me most was that, despite the complexities and challenges of the digital age, the 4Ps are still at the core of every successful business.
For example, one guest emphasized the importance of storytelling within “Promotion,” while another highlighted the growing significance of ethical sourcing in creating a standout “Product.” These real-world insights enriched the content of my book and helped shape the way I approached the 4Ps in a contemporary context. The conversations I had, combined with the real-world lessons learned, deeply influenced how I structured the content of The 4Ps of Business.
Q: Given your background in both business and media, how do you see the role of traditional business strategies, like the 4Ps, evolving in the digital age,
particularly for small to medium enterprises (SMEs)?
A: The 4Ps are more relevant than ever, but their application has evolved dramatically in the digital age. “Place” is no longer confined to physical storefronts— it now includes digital platforms, social media, and even the metaverse. Similarly, “Promotion” has expanded far beyond traditional advertising and includes SEO, content marketing, influencer partnerships, and a deep understanding of the global psychosocial climate.
For SMEs, this evolution is a gamechanger. Digital tools provide them with affordable, scalable solutions to refine their 4Ps, allowing them to compete on a more level playing field with larger corporations— something that was previously unimaginable. In the book, I explore how SMEs can leverage these changes to thrive in today’s fast-paced environment, making these time-tested principles more accessible and applicable than ever before.
Q: What’s next for you after the book launch? Are there any upcoming projects or ventures you're excited to dive into that will continue to support entrepreneurs and business leaders?
A: I have several exciting projects in the
pipeline, but they’re still in development, so I’ll be making announcements soon! Postlaunch, I plan to continue expanding The Million Dollar Podcast, creating deeper, more interactive content that engages audiences in new ways. Another initiative I’m passionate about is mentoring young entrepreneurs, equipping them with the tools and mindset they need to succeed in today’s competitive business world. My focus will always be on creating meaningful impact—whether through my book, my podcast, or community-focused initiatives.
Ramneek Wayne’s The 4Ps of Business offers invaluable insights into how traditional business principles can be adapted and applied to succeed in the modern, digital world. Through his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons, he’s gleaned from successful leaders on The Million Dollar Podcast, Wayne provides SMEs with a clear, actionable framework for growth. As he looks ahead, Wayne remains committed to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, continuing his mission to create lasting impact and innovation across industries.
G’day India
GOOGLE MAPS TO INTRODUCE LANE GUIDANCE FOR IMPROVED NAVIGATION
In a significant update aimed at improving urban driving experiences, Google Maps is set to introduce enhanced navigation features starting next month.
This upgrade will visually indicate the correct lane for upcoming turns, alongside displaying essential elements such as crosswalks, traffic signs, and lane restrictions, according to The Verge.
Beginning in November, users in 30 metropolitan areas across the United States will benefit from this innovative feature on both Android and iOS platforms.
The enhanced navigation is designed to ease the stress of driving in unfamiliar settings, adding to existing tools like lane guidance and 3D route visualization.
In conjunction with these updates, Google Maps is also enhancing its “destination guidance” functionality.
This week, users will see improvements that highlight their destination, identify building
entrances, and provide information about nearby parking lots.
Additionally, the app will now include reminders for parking locations and offer walking directions to the entrances of buildings, according to The Verge.
To further support drivers, Google Maps is expanding its reporting capabilities to include adverse weather conditions.
This new feature will alert users to potential hazards such as low visibility, fog, snow, unploughed roads, and flooding, ensuring safer travel during inclement weather.
Beyond these navigation enhancements, Google is integrating more artificial intelligence features into the app to assist users in discovering new places.
Meanwhile, Waze, a Google-owned navigation service, is experimenting with voiceactivated incident reporting to improve real-time updates for drivers, according to The Verge.
Recent months have seen a wave of significant changes to Google Maps, including the use of AI to summarize reviews for electric vehicle chargers and to provide tailored recommendations for dining and attractions.
As Google continues to refine and expand its mapping services, users can expect a more intuitive and informative navigation experience in the near future.
SMARTWATCHES CAN DETECT ABNORMAL HEART RHYTHMS IN CHILDREN
A recent study from the Stanford School of Medicine suggests that smartwatches can assist medical professionals in identifying and diagnosing abnormal heart rhythms in children.
The results are based on an analysis of electronic health data for children with heart conditions who are being treated at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. The study was published in Communications Medicine.
In the course of four years, 145 times, “Apple Watch” was cited in patient medical records. Of the patients whose medical records referenced the smartwatch, 41 had irregular cardiac rhythms that were verified using conventional diagnostic techniques; 29 of these kids received a diagnosis for the first time for their arrhythmias.
“I was surprised by how often our standard monitoring didn’t pick up arrythmias and the watch did,” said senior study author Scott Ceresnak, MD, professor of paediatrics. Ceresnak is a paediatric cardiologist who treats patients at Stanford Medicine. “It’s awesome to see that newer technology can really make a difference in how we’re able to care for patients.”
The study’s lead author is Aydin Zahedivash, MD, a clinical instructor in paediatrics.
Most of the abnormal rhythms detected were
not life-threatening, Ceresnak said. However, he added that the arrythmias detected can cause distressing symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, dizziness and fainting.
Skipping a beat, sometimes Doctors face two challenges in diagnosing children’s cardiac arrythmias, or heart rhythm abnormalities.
The first is that cardiac diagnostic devices, though they have improved in recent years, still aren’t ideal for kids. Ten to 20 years ago, a child
had to wear, for 24 to 48 hours, a Holter monitor consisting of a device about the size of a smartphone attached by wires to five electrodes that were adhered to the child’s chest. Patients can now wear event monitors -- in the form of a single sticker placed on the chest -- for a few weeks. Although the event monitors are more comfortable and can be worn longer than a Holter monitor, they sometimes fall off early or cause problems such as skin irritation from adhesives.
The second challenge is that even a few weeks of continuous monitoring may not capture the heart’s erratic behaviour, as children experience arrythmias unpredictably. Kids may go months between episodes, making it tricky for their doctors to determine what’s going on.
Connor Heinz and his family faced both challenges when he experienced periods of a racing heartbeat starting at age 12: An adhesive monitor was too irritating, and he was having irregular heart rhythms only once every few months. Ceresnak thought he knew what was causing the racing rhythms, but he wanted confirmation. He suggested that Connor and his mom, Amy Heinz, could try using Amy’s smartwatch to record the rhythm the next time Connor’s heart began racing.
(IANS)
INDIANS LEAD ADVANCED AI USAGE GLOBALLY, EARLY AI ADOPTION SAVING THEM 2 HRS A DAY
Nearly half (46 per cent) of Indian knowledge workers, among those surveyed, are now advanced users of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report on Wednesday.
On the advanced AI usage, Indian workers have outpaced their counterparts in regions such as the US (34 per cent), Germany (32 per cent), France (26 per cent), and Australia (23 per cent), as per the report by Atlassian, a global leader in team collaboration and productivity software.
The report outlined four stages of AI collaboration - from basic adoption as a simple tool (stage 1) to advanced usage as a strategic partner and decision-making advisor (stage 4).
Even at the earliest stages of AI adoption, Indian knowledge workers are experiencing significant productivity gains.
In India, those using AI as a simple tool (stage 1) report saving an average of 104 minutes per day, compared to the global average of around 45 minutes, said the report.
This jumps to a whopping 127 minutes per day for strategic AI collaborators (stage 4), equivalent to more than an extra workday each week.
“To unlock the full potential of AI, it is not enough for companies to simply deploy AI tools. They also need to give their employees room to experiment,” said Jamil Valliani, Head of Product (AI), Atlassian.
“Teams should feel encouraged and empowered to integrate AI as a strategic partner in their work,” Valliani added.
As workers progress in AI maturity, the benefits of their investment become increasingly evident. An impressive 92 per cent of strategic AI collaborators (stages 3 and 4) report that the time they dedicate to learning and using AI has been well worth it, the report mentioned.
According to the research, 96 per cent of advanced users see a marked improvement in their work quality through co-creation with AI.
“Indian organisations that encourage experimentation and provide a safe space for employees to explore AI without fear of failure see better outcomes. Among advanced AI users, 87 per cent credit their leadership for creating an environment that supports innovation and experimentation with AI tools,” said the report.
NEW AI TOOL HELP DETECT ALZHEIMER’S
LINKED BEHAVIOURS DECADES EARLY
A team of US researchers has developed a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tool that can pick subtle signs of Alzheimer’s disease that emerge decades before a formal diagnosis is made.
The signs are often in the form of irregular behaviors that reflect very early stages of brain dysfunction.
The team from Gladstone Institutes in California engineered mice to mimic key aspects of Alzheimer’s and used the new videobased machine learning tool to detect early signs of the brain disease.
The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, sheds light on a new strategy for identifying neurological disease earlier than currently possible and tracking how it develops over time.
Gladstone investigator Jorge Palop said that AI can potentially revolutionise how the analysis of Alzheimer’s-linked behaviours -- indicative of early abnormalities in brain function -- is conducted.
The machine learning platform called VAME, (Variational Animal Motion Embedding) analysed video footage of mice exploring an open arena. It identified subtle behavioral patterns -- disorganised behaviour, unusual patterns and transitioning more often between
different activities -- as the mice aged. These behaviours, likely associated with memory and attention deficits, were captured on camera but may not be noticed by simply looking at the mice.
The tool may help decode the origin and progression of the devastating brain disorders, Palop said, noting it can also be applied to other neurological diseases.
Further, the new study also used VAME to learn whether a potential therapeutic
intervention for Alzheimer’s would prevent disorganised behavior in mice.
They found that genetically blocking a bloodclotting protein called fibrin from triggering toxic inflammation in the brain can prevent the development of abnormal behaviors in Alzheimer’s mice.
The team said the intervention also tackled the spontaneous behavioral changes in Alzheimer’s mice.
(IANS)
(IANS)
OUR DESIRE FROM RELATIONSHIPS CHANGES AS WE AGE
An explanation for why what actually happens sometimes doesn’t match your fantasy of a joyful, picture-perfect holiday season has been provided by new research. According to Samia Akhter-Khan, a graduate student at King’s College London and the study’s lead author, loneliness originates from this. The journal Perspectives on Psychological Science published it. “Loneliness results from a discrepancy between expected and actual social relationships,” Akhter-Khan said.
Together with Duke psychology and neuroscience PhD. Leon Li, Akhter-Khan and colleagues co-authored a paper on why people feel lonely, particularly in later life, and what we can do about it. The problem that we identified in the current research was that we haven’t really thought about: What do people expect from their relationships?” Akhter-Khan said. “We work with this definition of expectations, but we don’t really identify what those expectations are and how they change across cultures or over the lifespan.”
In every relationship, we expect certain basics. We all want people in our lives who we can ask for help. Friends we can call on when we need them. Someone to talk to. People who “get” us. Someone we can trust. Companions with whom we can share fun experiences. But the team’s theory, called the Social Relationship Expectations Framework, suggests that older people may have certain relationship expectations that have gone overlooked.
Akhter-Khan’s first clue that the causes of loneliness might be more complex than meets the eye came from a year she studied ageing
in Myanmar from 2018 to 2019. At first, she assumed people generally wouldn’t feel lonely -- after all, “people are so connected and live in a very close-knit society. People have big families; they’re often around each other. Why would people feel lonely?”
But her research suggested otherwise. “It actually turns out to be different,” she said. People can still feel lonely, even if they don’t spend much time alone.
What efforts to reduce loneliness have neglected, she said, is how our relationship expectations change as we get older. What we want from social connections in, say, our 30s isn’t what we want in our 70s.
The researchers identified two age-specific expectations that haven’t been taken into account. For one, older adults want to feel respected. They want people to listen to them, take an interest in their experiences and learn from their mistakes. To appreciate what they’ve been through and the obstacles they have overcome.
They also want to contribute: to give back to others and their community and pass along traditions or skills through teaching and mentoring, volunteering, caregiving, or other meaningful activities.
Finding ways to fulfil these expectations as we get older can go a long way towards combating loneliness in later life, but research has largely left them out.
“They’re not part of the regular scales for
loneliness,” Li said.
Part of the reason for the oversight may be that often the labour and contributions of older people are unaccounted for in typical economic indices, said Akhter-Khan, who worked in 201920 as a graduate research assistant for a Bass Connections project at Duke on how society values care in the global economy.
“Ageism and negative ageing stereotypes don’t help,” she added. A 2016 World Health Organization survey spanning 57 countries found that 60 per cent of respondents said that older adults aren’t well respected.
Loneliness isn’t unique to older people. “It is a young people’s problem as well,” Akhter-Khan said. “If you look at the distribution of loneliness across the lifespan, there are two peaks, and one is in younger adulthood, and one is in old age.”
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, world leaders began sounding the alarm on loneliness as a public health issue. Britain became the first country to name a minister for loneliness, in 2018. Japan followed suit in 2021.
Because loneliness affects health, it is more than just an emotion. Chronic loneliness has been linked to increased risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, among other health issues. According to some researchers, it poses risks on par with or even greater than smoking and obesity.
The researchers believe that if we can better comprehend the causes of loneliness, we may be able to address it more effectively. (ANI)
LOW-IMPACT YOGA, EXERCISE CAN HELP OLDER WOMEN MANAGE URINARY INCONTINENCE
Older women suffering from urine incontinence can benefit from frequent, lowimpact exercise, including yoga, stretching, and strengthening, according to a new study.
The research, led by scientists at Stanford Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, is part of a bigger attempt to develop low-risk, low-cost treatments for one of the most frequent health concerns that women encounter as they age.
After 12 weeks of a low-impact yoga exercise, study participants experienced approximately 65 per cent fewer incontinence episodes. Women in a control group who did stretching and strengthening activities saw similar results over the same period. According to the researchers, the benefits are comparable to the effects of incontinence medications.
“Our study was testing the kind of yoga that just about anyone can do, with modifications for different physical abilities,” said the study’s senior author, Leslee Subak, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynaecology at Stanford Medicine. “What I love about it is that it’s safe, inexpensive, doesn’t require a doctor and is accessible wherever you live.” Because the trial was conducted partly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many participants received their yoga or exercise instruction via online meetings, exercising in their own homes, she noted.
The study’s lead author is Alison Huang, MD, professor of medicine, urology, and epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF.
Urinary incontinence, which affects more than half of middle-aged women and up to 80 per cent of 80-year-olds, can lead to a variety of other problems, from social isolation to bone fractures caused by falls. But there is help.
“Part of the problem is that incontinence is stigmatized; we don’t talk about it,” said Subak, the Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor III. “Or we hear folklore about this being normal when you get older. In fact, it’s very common but it’s not inevitable, and we have very effective ways of treating it.”
Incontinence deserves good treatment because of the many ways it interferes with people’s lives.
“It takes away independence,” Subak said. “My patients will say, ‘I can’t stay with my kids or grandkids because I’m afraid I’ll wet the bed, and I can’t talk about it; it’s too embarrassing.’”
Patients may avoid activities that could boost their well-being, such as exercising and seeing friends. They are more likely to be admitted to a nursing home and to suffer certain serious medical problems such as hip fractures.
“Incontinence and overactive bladder are among the biggest risk factors for falls and fractures among older women,” Subak said. “You’re rushing to the bathroom at night -- with the lights off -- tripping and falling and breaking a hip.”
Some factors that contribute to risk for incontinence can’t be changed, such as aging or having had children. But others are modifiable.
“A lot of my research has focused on weight loss and physical activity, which in fact are effective treatments,” Subak said. She became interested in studying yoga as a treatment after some of her patients told her it helped them.
The study compared two 12-week exercise programs: 121 participants were randomly assigned to yoga, and 119 to a physical conditioning control group. The participants were women with urinary incontinence that caused symptoms at least once a day. They were 45 to 90 years old, with a mean age of 62.
In the yoga program, participants learned 16 hatha yoga poses intended to strengthen the pelvic floor, via two 90-minute sessions per week. The pelvic floor consists of the muscles that form the base of the pelvis and hold its organs -- including the bladder and urethra -- in place. Participants were also asked to practice yoga for at least one hour per week outside of class and to maintain a practice log.
Participants in the control group spent an equal amount of time in exercise classes, but their classes focused on nonspecific stretching and strengthening exercises that did not engage the pelvic floor. They were also asked to practice for an additional hour per week and keep a practice log.
The study began with in-person classes, then transitioned to a videoconference format when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began.
Participants recorded when they leaked urine and classified whether each episode was urgency incontinence, when an overactive bladder causes a person to feel the need to urinate more often than usual, or stress incontinence, in response to pressure in the abdomen, such as from coughing or sneezing. They also answered standard questionnaires about their bladder function.
At the beginning of the study, the participants had an average of 3.4 episodes of urinary incontinence per day, including 1.9 urgencytype episodes and 1.4 stress-type episodes.
By the end of the 12-week programs,
participants in the yoga group were experiencing 2.3 fewer episodes of incontinence per day, on average. Those in the physical conditioning group were experiencing 1.9 fewer episodes per day.
The two treatments are about equally effective, with both approaches reducing episodes of incontinence by around 60%, and the benefits from both treatments are meaningful, Subak said. Patients who would like to try these approaches can search for low-impact Iyengar yoga or low-impact exercise classes in their communities or online, she said, adding that instructors should be able to adapt the activity to participants’ physical limitations.
“I’m impressed that exercise did so well and impressed that yoga did so well,” Subak said. “One of the take-home messages from this study is ‘Be active!’”
Other nonsurgical treatments for incontinence, including medications, typically result in a 30% to 70% improvement in symptoms, she noted.
If a patient asked whether yoga could help with incontinence, “I would say that I think it’s a great idea to try it if you’re interested,” Subak said. “It’s very low risk, and there’s potential for benefit not only for incontinence but also for your general well-being.
(ANI)
5 TIPS FOR VIRTUAL FITNESS BEGINNERS
More and more often these days, we may incorporate gaming and exercise. If you haven’t already noticed, playing VR games may be physically demanding. They are, however, a lot of fun, and you may forget you are exercising at all. If you’re not sure where, to begin with, virtual fitness, some pointers for you.
SELECT
A
VIRTUAL GAME OF FITNESS CAREFULLY
Numerous VR games only need you to stand motionless and move your hands. You move, but do you improve in terms of fitness? Fair enough, you will burn calories, but you might not be working the right muscles.
You won’t significantly enhance your athletic condition playing these kinds of games. True exercise causes an elevated heart rate, shallower breathing, and profuse perspiration. You will be forced to punch, dodge, avoid obstacles, crouch, and do several more manoeuvres in VIRO MOVE that simulate actual physical training.
FOLLOW YOUR DEVELOPMENT
Use your home scale every day and record your findings if you have one, which you undoubtedly do. You’ll be conscious of your advantages and room for improvement. Monitoring your development is crucial and inspirational. Why don’t you give it a try if it works for me?
The key is to gradually raise the bar while not going overboard at first. You’ll develop a training programme over time that you’ll practically grow dependent upon.
AVOID OVERDOING IT
Start with five-minute intervals at first. These baby steps will help you persuade your mind and acclimate your body to the effort. I began my trip by beginning to run at 1 kilometre, and as of right now, I have reached a half-marathon.
To have stronger bones, greater muscles, strength, and even a better mood, you must work hard. VR Fitness can help you with this. But keep in mind that engaging in sports improperly or excessively might lead to damage.
REMAIN POSITIVE AND REALISTIC IN YOUR ATTITUDE
Long-term goals like losing weight, increasing endurance, flexibility, and strength call for both your dedication and a separate element, time.
You ought to exercise and eat throughout the day, and then rest and build up fatigued muscles at night. Do not anticipate success in a week. Believe me, the months will fly by. Examine your objectives objectively. The most crucial element is execution.
VIRTUAL FITNESS. REST AND REPEAT.
Even the most accomplished athletes recognise the value of taking a break after a strenuous workout. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night and spend at least one day each week relaxing. After that, you can be confident that every workout will be more dependable and powerful than the one before it.”
By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe
TEN THINGS TO CARRY WHILE TRAVELLING WITH A BABY
It might be difficult to decide what to bring on a trip with a baby and what to leave behind. Most of the time, you probably need exactly what you may have left at home.
However, it is impossible to bring everything on your list with you. The baby bag checklist is being scrutinised for all these reasons, including weight restrictions, the sheer difficulties of lugging around so much luggage with a baby, and the feeling that you’ve packed your entire house for a twoday trip.
Here are ten things that are must carry when travelling with a baby:
Carrier/Stroller
‘Wear your baby!’, an infant carrier comes as a blessing in disguise making you hands free and keeping your little one securely strapped onto you as well. Not only is this a convenience during the travel journey, it also serves as a must have in your bag while vacationing during sightseeing and shopping.
For children that have outgrown the carrier, carrying a stroller may seem bulky but is convenient and less cumbersome than carrying the child in arms. If not both, than either is a must have with you.
Noise free/Quiet toys
Any mode of travel, air, road or sea in most cases comes with fellow passengers around. For the sake of their privacy along with the avid engagement purpose of your child, it is a good idea to invest in some noise free toys.
Pop it figures, squigz, suction cup rotators, plush toys, stacking cups, shape sorters, wooden puzzles, finger puppets, board books: the options are several.
White noise machine
Travel often plays truant with a baby’s sleep routine. Add to that an unfamiliar surroundings. One can never be sure of the noise levels on an airplane or hotel room overlooking a busy street. A portable white noise machine can prove to be God sent in such times. (Use a white noise app on your phone if you do not have a machine)
Nursing Cover
If you are breastfeeding mum, this one is your best friend while travelling. A hungry baby can never be soothed without a quick session at the breast. While travelling this could mean having to feed
anywhere. A nursing cover can make you feel comfortable about having to feed in public or may just be the need of your surroundings when you need to get down to feeding your baby.
Silicone Mat/Snack Cup
For infants that are on finger foods or toddlers too during regular meal times, a silicone mat or silicone snack cup could make it easier to have them snack on the go at their convenience while you tour through your said sightseeing attraction for the day or indulge in a meal at one of the local eateries at your travel destination.
Lightweight Baby Cover Up
This single item could serve multiple purposes, it could work as a blanket for your baby when they could be cold, it could act as a nursing cover, a swaddle, a shield against the scorching sun or a spread on the floor in case of the need to perform a quick diaper change.
Baby Thermometer
Variations in temperature, change in environment, a general sleep routine that has gone for a toss or the widespread food + water exposure: reasons for their little immunity fluctuating and a baby coming down with a fever while travelling is common situations parents face. Having a baby thermometer handy can just make you feel less stressed in such times as you can ascertain the baby’s body temperature
easily.
Small night lamp
Your baby may be used to night light or the twinkling street lights that make their way through your window curtains. Pitch darkness may not of comfort to them, but while travelling the hotel room may have neither of these that your baby is used to. A lightweight night lamp that is battery free and runs on a simple USB could prove to be beneficial while traveling for the very said purpose.
Clip on teether/pacifier
A teething baby is often a difficult one to manage. A teether that can be clipped onto the baby’s clothing makes it easier for you to have it accessible for whenever they need to be distracted, seem fussy or are simply in need of some pacifying.
Anti-Bacterial Wet Wipes
Call it being fussy but these on-the-go antibacterial wipes can be handy to wipe down surroundings of your baby in a long journey on a public transport, in a park while your little one has just played on a mucky patch, while dinning at a local restaurant if you feel the need to be cautious about the hygiene levels of the table or the cutlery or in times when there is no accessibility to simple water and soap for hand washing.
By Dr. Vanshika Gupta Adukia
HEALTH
STUDY EXPLAINS WHY FEMALES SLEEP LESS
While caregiving roles often take a toll on women’s sleep, a new study on Thursday suggested that biological factors may also play a role in why females sleep less.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that women sleep less, and wake up more often. They also get less restorative sleep than men.
The findings based on experiments in mice shed new light on what may underlie sleep differences in men and women.
“In humans, men and women exhibit distinct sleep patterns, often attributed to lifestyle factors and caregiving roles,” said Rachel Rowe, assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, US.
“Our results suggest that biological factors may play a more substantial role in driving these sleep differences than previously recognised,” Rowe added.
Sleep research has exploded in recent years, with thousands of animal studies exploring how insufficient sleep impacts the risk of diseases like diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, and immune disorders -- and how such diseases impact sleep.
For the non-invasive study, the team used specialised cages lined with ultrasensitive
movement sensors to assess the sleep patterns of 267 “C57BL/6J” mice.
They found that males slept about 670 minutes total per 24-hour period, about an hour more than female mice. That extra sleep was non-rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep -- the restorative sleep when the body works to repair itself.
Female mice were found to have shorter bouts of sleep -- essentially, their sleep is more fragmented.
The study saw similar sex differences in other animals, including fruit flies, rats,
zebrafish, and birds.
Rowe said biologically, “females are designed to be more sensitive to their environment and be aroused when they need to be because they are typically the ones who are caring for the young,” Rowe said, noting that stress hormones like cortisol (which promotes wakefulness) and sex hormones also may play a role.
The team hopes for more research to understand the underlying biological differences that can boost sleep treatment.
(IANS)
WHY YOU REGAIN LOST WEIGHT WITHIN WEEKS?
Ever felt frustrated for having regained your lost weight within a matter of weeks?
Blame the fat cells’ memorising abilities, which is significantly contributing to obesity, according to a study.
Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland showed that obesity leads to characteristic epigenetic changes in the nucleus of fat cells. They remain the same even after a diet.
The team led by Ferdinand von Meyenn, Professor of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics at the varsity, found that “fat cells remember the overweight state and can return to this state more easily”.
The team first analysed fat cells from overweight mice and those that had shed their excess weight through dieting.
Their findings revealed that mice with these epigenetic markers regained weight
more quickly when they again had access to a high-fat diet.
Epigenetic markers play a key role in determining which genes are active in our cells and which are not.
The study, published in the journal Nature, found that the mechanism works in similar ways in humans.
To explore, the team analysed fat tissue biopsies from formerly overweight people who had undergone stomach reduction or gastric bypass surgery. The results were consistent with those of the mice.
Von Meyenn noted that the simplest way to combat the phenomenon, “is to avoid being overweight”, especially for children, youth, and adults.
The researchers for the first time showed that “fat cells possess an epigenetic memory of obesity”. However, fat cells may not be alone with this ability, the team said.
They noted that the findings implied that the cells in the brain, blood vessels, or other organs may also have the ability to remember obesity and contribute to the effect -- an area that can be explored next.
(IANS)
AN EGG A DAY MAY BOOST MEMORY, BRAIN FUNCTIONS IN WOMEN
Want to boost your memory as you age? Eating eggs may help maintain cognitive function, particularly semantic memory, among women, according to a study.
While eggs contain high levels of dietary cholesterol, they also provide nutrients beneficial for cognitive function, said the team from University of California San Diego.
They examined the effects of egg consumption on change in cognitive function among 890 ambulatory adults (357 men; 533 women) aged over 55 years.
The results, published in the journal Nutrients, showed that women who ate more eggs experienced a smaller decline in verbal fluency over four years.
Further, women who ate more eggs maintained their ability to name categories of items, like animals, better than those who ate fewer or no eggs. These benefits were seen even after accounting for various lifestyle and health factors.
The cognitive benefits of
eggs are due to choline which can help with brain function, memory, and communication between brain cells. Eggs also contain vitamins like B-6, B-12, and folic acid, which may help prevent brain shrinkage and delay cognitive decline.
While the study did not find any significant impact on cognitive function in men, it also showed no detrimental effects of egg consumption in both sexes. The finding is significant, said the researchers, given the rising concern over cognitive decline as people live longer.
Overall, the findings suggest that eggs could be a costeffective and accessible way to support cognitive health in women, said Donna KritzSilverstein, Professor at UC San Diego, who led the study.
Previous studies have shown that eggs also provide essential protein that can protect against osteoporosis among women. Eggs are rich in high-quality protein, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium. The vitamin A, vitamin B12, and selenium in eggs are key to keeping the immune system healthy.
(IANS)
Health tip:
Besides tasting good cucumbers are a perfect remedy for swollen and diseased gums
How Can Noise Cancellation Headphones Help You Get Good Teeth?
Does the noise of drills at the dentist’s make you run for life? You are not alone. The noise of dental drills cutting deep into your teeth is so scary people often avoid going to the dentist because of it. But what suffers the most from this dislike is your dental health. And you cannot compromise your dental health.
To solve this issue, we, at Healthy Smiles Dental Group have introduced noise cancellation headphones at our clinic. Our principal dentist, Dr Ved Berani, says, “Noise cancellation headphones are becoming very popular these days. You can see hordes of people syncing to their favourite rhythms without disturbing others. So, we thought, why not use them for dentistry and provide comfort to our patients suffering from dental anxiety due to dental drilling noise. And it is working just fine. We treat many of our patients while they are using these headphones. Our greatest joy comes when we see them smiling carefree.”
Noise cancellation headphones have positively comforted anxious dental patients.
Let us learn more about how these noise cancellation headphones prove beneficial to the patients:
1. Music can uplift your mood faster
As we all know this proven fact, music is one of the best remedies when it comes to uplifting spirits. No matter how stressed a person is, good music can soothe all the lines on the forehead. When it comes to dental patients who are anxious about their dental treatment, we use the same concept. Our Healthy Smiles clinic provides Spotify streaming in all rooms. You need to select your favourite genre and tune in while we operate on your teeth. Patients have had a great experience with noise cancellation headphones.
2. It works to distract you from worries
Patients suffering from dental anxiety have all kinds of worries and troubling thoughts about a dental procedure. But when we explain the whole dental process in advance, it helps them feel in control of their surroundings with the knowledge of the proceedings in advance. And the noise cancellation headphones add to this comfort. They distract the patients from whatever that is left of the worries. Patients can relax throughout the whole dental procedure.
3. You can also watch a show of your choice on our screen
These noise cancellation headphones can also be synced with a TV screen on the ceiling. You can watch a TV show while our dentists work on your teeth. When the patients are relaxed, our dentists can also concentrate more on the treatment.
The aim behind using noise cancellation headphones for dentistry is to provide patients with a comfortable dental care experience. Our dentists enthusiastically work towards providing the best dental treatments using state-of-the-art technology so that you can leave all your anxieties behind and walk out with a confident smile.
Do not neglect to look after your teeth and oral health because a lot of health issues can stem from oral health conditions. Contact us today to make use of this new method of cancelling out the drill noise and pay your teeth all the attention they need.
Most Americans not aware that alcohol ups cancer risk
Despite the warning that drinking alcohol can lead to cancer risk, less than half of Americans know that regularly drinking alcohol increases the risk of later developing cancer.
According to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania in the US, although 40 per cent of survey respondents were aware that regularly consuming alcohol increases the chance of later developing cancer, 40 per cent were not sure whether that is true, and 20 per cent reported inaccurate beliefs (either that it would have no effect or that it would decrease the chance of developing cancer).
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that you can “lower your risk for cancer by drinking less alcohol or not drinking at all”.
The CDC reports that more than half of US adults drink alcohol, 17 per cent binge drink, and 6 per cent drink heavily.
According to the survey, alcohol consumption carries significant health risks is backed by systematic reviews as well as meta-analyses focused on the association between alcohol consumption and the risk
of death from any cause.
“Public health messages about the risks associated with drinking alcohol have to overcome the effects of decades of sophisticated marketing and positive media portrayals,” said Patrick E. Jamieson, who directs APPC’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute.
The survey data come from the 21st wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,744 US adults. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples were added over time using a random probability sampling design.
The policy centre has been tracking the American public’s knowledge, beliefs and behaviors regarding vaccination, Covid-19, flu, RSV, and other consequential health issues through this survey panel over the past three-and-a-half years. (IANS)
Standing at work can actually be detrimental to BP
Prolonged standing at work had a negative impact on blood pressure and in contrast, spending more time sitting at work was associated with better BP, a new study has revealed.
The Finish study from University of Turku, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, suggests that activity behaviour during working hours may be more relevant to 24-hour blood pressure than recreational physical activity.
“Rather than any single measurement, 24-hour blood pressure is a better indication of how blood pressure stresses the heart and blood vessels throughout the day and night,” says doctoral researcher Jooa Norha.
If blood pressure is slightly high throughout the day and does not fall sufficiently even at night, blood vessels start to stiffen, and the heart has to work harder to cope with the increased pressure.
“Over the years, this can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Norha added.
In the Finnish Retirement and Aging study (FIREA) conducted at the University of Turku, the physical activity of municipal employees approaching retirement age was measured using thigh-worn accelerometers during working hours, leisure time, and days off.
In addition, the research participants
used a portable blood pressure monitor that automatically measured their blood pressure every 30 minutes for 24 hours.
The results confirm previous findings that physical activity at work can be harmful to the heart and circulatory system.
In particular, prolonged standing can raise blood pressure as the body boosts circulation to the lower limbs by constricting blood vessels and increasing the pumping power of the heart.
“A standing desk can provide a nice change from sitting at the office, but too much standing can be harmful. It’s a good idea to take a break from standing during the workday, either by walking every half an hour or sitting for some parts of the day,” Norha said.
In addition, the results of the study suggest that sedentary work in itself is not necessarily harmful to blood pressure. Instead, researchers stress the importance of recreational physical activity for both office and construction workers.
(IANS)
Want to age well? A good night’s sleep may be the key
A team of Chinese researchers found that healthy and successful ageing is determined by sleep patterns.
The team from Wenzhou Medical University in China defined successful ageing, as the absence of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, and stroke; having good cognitive and mental health; and with no physical impairments.
The study called for maintaining stable and adequate sleep durations to promote healthy ageing.
“The findings underscore the critical importance of monitoring dynamic changes in sleep duration in middle-aged and older adults,” said the team in the paper, published in the journal BMC Public Health.
In the study, the team analysed 3,306 participants who were free of major chronic
diseases in 2011 and had reached age 60 or older by 2020.
The team combined nighttime sleep and daytime naps to calculate total daily sleep hours in 2011, 2013, and 2015.
The researchers identified five distinct sleep duration trajectories: normal-stable (26.1 per cent of participants), long-stable (26.7 per cent),
decreasing (7.3 per cent), increasing (13.7 per cent), and short-stable (26.2 per cent).
People with increasing and short stable sleep trajectories exhibited significantly lower odds of successful ageing. The decreasing sleep pattern also showed reduced odds.
Overall, just 13.8 per cent of the cohort met the definition of successful ageing by 2020.
The team found that regular shorter and longer sleep durations may hamper successful ageing, as it can disrupt physiological and psychological well-being.
“These findings underscore that chronic sleep deprivation, as well as the patterns of increasing and decreasing sleep duration, are not mere age-related changes; rather, they emerge as pivotal indicators of obstacles in the pursuit of successful ageing,” the team said in the paper.
Suffering from high BP? Eating fruits and vegetables may help
Fruits and vegetables, which are an underprescribed treatment, have become a crucial part of hypertension treatment, new research said on Tuesday. Diets high in these foods have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce cardiovascular risk, and improve kidney health due to their base-producing effects.
A new study in The American Journal of Medicine, presents findings from a fiveyear interventional randomized control trial. Despite efforts to improve hypertension treatment with pharmacological strategies, hypertension-related chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular mortality are rising. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for patients with chronic kidney disease.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, is recommended as the first-line treatment for primary hypertension. However, it is often under-prescribed and underimplemented, despite supporting data. Diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated with lower blood pressure, reduced chronic kidney disease progression, and decreased cardiovascular disease risk and mortality.
“Our patient studies showed that an acidproducing diet (high in animal products) is harmful to kidneys, while a base-producing diet (high in fruits and vegetables) is beneficial. We hypothesized that fruits and vegetables are both kidney- and heart-healthy because they reduce dietary acid,” said Donald E Wesson
from Dell Medical School, The University of Texas.
The study involved hypertensive patients with macroalbuminuria -- a marker of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular risk. Participants were divided into three groups: one adding 2-4 cups of fruits and vegetables to their daily diet, another taking sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) tablets, and a control group receiving standard medical care.
Results showed that both fruits and vegetables and NaHCO3 improved kidney health, but only fruits and vegetables reduced
blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Co-investigator Maninder Kahlon, PhD, noted, “Fruits and vegetables achieved these benefits with lower doses of medication, supporting their use as a foundational treatment for hypertension.”
Dr Wesson said that dietary interventions for chronic disease management are effective and should be prioritised. “We must increase efforts to incorporate healthy diets into patient management and make them more accessible to at-risk populations,” he added.
NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR WORTH: AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN
Amidst chatter about her divorce, global head-turner Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has talked about street harassment and said to “never compromise your worth”.
For a campaign video of a beauty brand she is a brand ambassador of, Aishwarya shared the video on her Instagram stories. In the clip, she said to go headon with the problem rather than avoiding it.
Aishwarya said, “Street harassment. How do you deal with it? Avoid eye contact? No. Look the problem directly in the eyes. Hold your head high. Feminine and feminist. My body, my worth. Never compromise your worth. Do not doubt yourself. Stand up for your worth. Don’t blame your dress or your lipstick. Street harassment is never your fault.”
For the caption, she wrote: “On this International Day for the elimination of violence against women, join @lorealparis’s Stand Up against street harassment training program. We’re all worth it.”
She added the hashtag--We Stand Up.”
Talking about work, Aishwarya was last seen in “Ponniyin Selvan 2”, directed by Mani Ratnam. It is the sequel to the 2022 film of the same name.
Aishwarya has been married to Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan since 2007. The two have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan. There have been some rumours doing the
rounds about the star couple walking their own separate ways. However, on November 21, Megastar Amitabh Bachchan broke his silence over the ongoing divorce speculation surrounding the gossip.
He penned a note addressing his concerns about “information ending with question marks” on his blog and the negative impact it has on those involved.
The veteran actor wrote, “It takes immense courage conviction and a sincerity to be different and believe in its presence in life… I rarely say much about family, because that is my domain, and its privacy is maintained by me…” Amitabh added, “Speculations are speculations… they are speculated untruths, without verifications. Verifications are sought by the seekers to authenticate their business and commercials of the profession they be in… I shall not challenge their desire to be in the profession of their choice… and I shall appreciate their effort in serving society…”
The post further read, “But untruths ... or selected question marked information can be a legal safeguard for them that inform ... but the seed of suspected belief is sown with this most used emblem ... the question mark ...write express whatever you like ... but when you follow it up with a question mark, you are not only saying that the write may be questionable ... but also quite surreptitiously wanting the reader to believe and expand on it, so that your write gets valued repeats. (IANS)
VIKRANT MASSEY ISSUES FRESH STATEMENT ON HIS ‘BREAK’
Actor Vikrant Massey, who earlier announced his sabbatical from films, has now issued a fresh statement with regards to his announcement. The actor clarified that he is not retiring from films, as a major section of the media reported, and said that he is just going for a long break to focus on his health and his family. The actor said in his fresh statement, “Acting is all I can do. And it has given me everything I have. My physical and mental health have taken a hit. I just want to take some time off, I want to better my craft. I feel a sense of monotony at the moment”.
He added, “My post has been misinterpreted that I am quitting or retiring from acting. I want to take some time off to focus on my family and health. I would be back when the time feels right (sic)”.
Earlier, the actor had announced his “break” when he took to his social media and shared a post. He wrote, “Hello, The last few years and beyond have been phenomenal. I thank each and every one of you for your indelible support. But as I move forward, I realise it’s time to recalibrate and go back home. As a Husband, Father & amp; a Son. And also, as an Actor. So, coming 2025, we would meet each other for one last time. Until time deems right. Last
2 movies and many years of memories. Thank you again. For everything and everything in between. Forever indebted”.
Meanwhile, on the work front, the actor has been receiving a lot of positive response for
along with Taapsee Pannu and Sunny Kaushal.
ANANYA PANDAY SAYS SHE WON’T COMPROMISE IN A RELATIONSHIP NOW
Actress Ananya Panday, who reportedly broke up with actor Aditya Roy Kapur in March, has revealed that she will not compromise in a relationship now and shared her idea of romance.
Ananya was in a conversation with Raj Shamani on his podcast, where the host asked the actress if she has been in a relationship where she has compromised herself.
“We all have… I have seen around that people have been… I have been… I am sure where I have changed myself a lot but not to the point ki itna kuch bura hua hai. I have realised that yes maybe I have not been myself, so this isn’t the best situation for me,” said Ananya.
The host asked what she changed about herself and in hindsight realized, to which she said: “My likes and dislikes. Like I’ll pretend to be as small as haan ‘mujhe yeh movie dekhni hai (I want to watch these movies)’ and I only do what my partner likes in terms of I’ll only eat this kind of food, go to only these kind of places, I won’t go out because my partner likes staying at home…”
Ananya said that she has done that.
“But now I wouldn’t. Now I would want my partner to accept me as I am as I would accept my partner for whatever they are.”
Talking about her idea of romance, she added: “Idea of romance for me is someone who listens to me…. Remembering small things and just listening… I don’t always want solutions. Sometimes I want my partner to listen to me.”
It was in 2022, when chatter about Ananya and Aditya being in a relationship started doing the rounds on social media after they were seen together at Kriti Sanon’s Diwali party. Filmmaker Karan Johar dropped subtle hints about the two dating during an episode of his talk show, Koffee With Karan, where she was a guest along with Sara Ali Khan.
In the episode, Karan asked Sara about the one thing that Ananya has that she doesn’t, to which, Sara hilariously had said: “Night Manager,” hinting at the series starring Aditya Roy Kapur.
his recently released movie ‘The Sabarmati Report’. The actor was earlier seen in the streaming movie ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’
(IANS)
To which, a shy Ananya added: “I am feeling very Ananya Coy Kapur. (IANS)
KARTIK AARYAN SPARKS CURIOSITY WITH MYSTERIOUS GIRL
Actor Kartik Aaryan has once again caught the attention of his fans by stepping out with a mysterious girl, fuelling curiosity and speculation.
The ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ actor was recently spotted in Mumbai with a mysterious girl. As fans scrambled to identify her, whispers emerged suggesting she could be actress Kashika Kapoor. While neither Kartik nor Kashika have addressed these rumours, their possible connection has sent fans into a frenzy, eagerly speculating about the duo’s relationship.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Kartik and Kashika have caught everyone’s attention. A few months ago, the two were seen together at the airport while promoting their film. Their light-hearted laughter, warm smiles, and undeniable chemistry left fans swooning over the duo. Social media was abuzz with admiration, with many labelling them the “ideal couple.”
Kartik and Kashika’s camaraderie has certainly sparked curiosity. Fans are wondering if their connection goes beyond professional collaboration.
Notably, the actress, who is steadily making her mark in the entertainment industry, has openly admired Aaryan’s work in
past interviews.
Meanwhile, the ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’ actor recently celebrated his 34th birthday with his friends in Goa. He also gave a glimpse of the celebrations and activities he did during his birthday weekend. Kartik shared a series of photos on Instagram, giving fans a glimpse into his leisurely moments. One standout image featured the actor enjoying dinner with friends at an open-air restaurant, seated together at a warmly lit table. He was also seen trying his hand at playing the guitar, showcasing his playful and artistic side.
Sharing the images, the Dhamaka actor wrote, “A birthday to remember (upside-down face emoji). A much-needed getaway.”
On the work front, the actor is currently riding high on the success of his recent release “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3,” which has become the biggest Bollywood grossing movie. Directed by Anees Bazmee, the horror comedy also starred Vidya Balan Madhuri Dixit in the lead roles, and Rajesh Sharma, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Sanjay Mishra in supporting roles.
“Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” clashed with Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again on November 1, on the occasion of Diwali.”
(IANS)
BECAME
AN
ACTOR IN A TIME WHERE THE WAY I LOOKED WAS SECONDARY: BHUMI PEDNEKAR
Bhumi Pednekar went down memory lane as she talked about her debut film “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” and said that she became an actor in a time where the way she looked was secondary.
“Dum Laga Ke Haisha”, which released in 2015, was directed by Sharat Katariya. The film also stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa. The film told the story of a school dropout named Prem, who hesitantly marries an educated but overweight girl, Sandhya. However, the two come closer when they take part in a race, which involves Prem carrying Sandhya on his back.
“‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ is a very special film not just to me, but also the film connected so deeply with people that it’s still the first thing they come and tell me— that we loved you in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. That’s truly very special.”
The film broke stereotypes with its authentic storytelling and questioned beauty standards. Bhumi added, “I think the film is special for all the reasons that have truly questioned the status quo. I think through my work I’m constantly trying to do that.”
The 35-year-old actress said that she was taken by surprise when she did the film.
“Even when Dum Laga Ke Haisha happened, I was so pleasantly surprised because I was like, here is a Hindi film heroine in a Yash Raj movie who is not going to look like any of the girls that they have cast in their films before,” she said.
For Bhumi, the film’s success proved that talent is more important than appearance.
“I fortunately became an actor in a time where the way I looked was secondary and what I gave on screen was primary. And I’m so, so fortunate to have had all these opportunities and just the platform.
(IANS)
FILM INDUSTRY IS NOT ALONE RESPONSIBLE FOR NEPOTISM: KRITI SANON
Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon, who was recently seen in her debut production ‘Do Patti’, which was released on streaming, has shared her take on the issue of nepotism that’s prevalent across the board.
The actress, who is herself a complete outsider, shared that the Hindi film industry welcomed her with open arms. However, she mentioned that when an artiste is not from the film industry, it does take them sometime for them to get to a position which they desire.
The actress attended the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India in Goa on Monday and engaged in a conversation during the session ‘Empowering Change: Women Leading the Way in Cinema’.
She said, “The industry has given me a very warm welcome since the time I have come. Of course, when you don’t belong to a film background, it takes time for you to get there. It takes time for you to get those opportunities you crave for. It takes time for you to even get those magazine covers. So, everything is a bit of a struggle. But after 2-3
films, if you keep working hard and if you are at it, nothing can stop you”.
However, the actress made a bold point as she said that Bollywood is alone not responsible for nepotism.
She shared, “I feel the industry is not so much responsible for nepotism. It’s also the media and the audience. The audiences want to watch what the media is putting
JACKKY BHAGNANI SPEAKS
about certain star kids. Because the audience is interested in them, the industry feels that since the audience is interested, let’s make a movie with them”.
“So, I think it’s a circle. But I feel if you are talented, you will get there. If you’re not talented, and if the connection is not there with the audiences you will not get there”, she added.
(IANS)
ABOUT PERCEPTION
IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani, who has worked alongside his father Vashu Bhagnani, has spoken up on the subject of perception in the age of social media. He said that over a period of time social media incubates perception into reality.
Jackky also spoke about the difference in work cultures between the two generations, and how things have changed over time.
Speaking about the same, Jackky Bhagnani said, “It’s a combination of too many things. I have the opportunity to sit on both sides of the fence. The first thing is that nothing can take away hard work. Being there at the right place at the right time, there is a little bit of luck. For example, you’ve created an excellent film, but a film with the same genre was released two weeks ago and turned out to be a blockbuster”.
He further mentioned, “So, the audience may not have the time or energy for it. Also, perception plays a vital role in the age of social media. Perception becomes a reality. I feel it’s a combination of all things put together that makes the difference”.
He also opened up about how movies get stuck in today’s time and do not perform
as expected, as he said, “If an actor is popular, that person is more in demand. Be it a female or a male actor, it is understood that their dates will be blocked. I’m sure that the directors would also want that. So, that’s always been there. Overall, I feel that there is a question mark on the dynamics”.
“You don’t know that if you cast an actor, your primary recovery was guaranteed till a point. Today, that’s not there”, he added.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Jackky
Bhagnani recently announced the theatrical re-release of ‘Biwi No.1’. Dropping the trailer of the iconic comic caper, he revealed that the film will be re-release in theatres on November 29, 2024. He also has ‘Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues’ in the pipeline. The film stars Shahid Kapoor in the lead.
Helmed by Sachin Ravi, the film is produced by Jackky Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment.
Mushroom contains riboflavin.
mushrooms to maintain a healthy red blood cell count in your body
Inside the life of chefs behind cooking meals for Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul & Suryakumar Yadav
Harsh Dixit, founder of The Private Chefs Club, calls his journey of cooking for Indian cricket team players for a little over two years as a crazy and very exciting journey.
His current initiative, which started from a group of three people, has now flourished into a team of twenty chefs who travel across the globe, adapting to diverse kitchens and meeting the meticulous demands of players like India’s Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and batter KL Rahul.
His team previously provided chefs to Hardik and Krunal Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis. Dixit’s journey in this specialized culinary space began over a decade ago, with a vision to provide calorie-counted, dietfocused meals.
The first time he cooked for an athlete was for India’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli and his actor-producer wife Anushka Sharma when their second wedding anniversary came in 2019. “There was a lot of madness that went behind that too, because I got a call for it on a Saturday, and I shared the menu that evening. Their anniversary was on Thursday in 2019 and they wanted to bring in via a Wednesday night dinner. I only got the confirmation on a Wednesday afternoon at 12.30.”
“It was a five-course vegan dinner, an entirely private dining experience in his home. For me, the opportunity was not just a win professionally, but it also underscored the importance of providing personalized, private dining for athletes who can’t enjoy the same restaurant freedom as others,” said Dixit.
Dixit’s team is in charge of managing the special dietary requirements and preferences of the cricketers they accompany on tours. “Our chefs bring a sense of familiarity and comfort for these players. It’s about more than just food – it’s about understanding what each athlete needs to stay at the top of their cricketing game.”
“We have seen winning the World Cup two times. We had one chef – Velton Saldanhacooking for Marcus Stoinis, during last year’s ODI World Cup. Before we reached the finals, it was a winning moment for us to be cooking for people who are about to win the World Cup.”
“During the T20 World Cup this year, it was insane again. As Indians, we were also happy that our team was winning the trophy. Plus, we get to do this for a living – cook for
athletes who become World Cup winners.
We get a little glimpse of the madness from a very close perspective.”
“So, kudos and hats off to them because it really gave us a sense of understanding what it really takes and how much of dedication these guys really show. At the end of it, we are just enablers and can only fulfil their demands to bring food for them. It’s great to be a part of this partnership and see all of it from a very close proximity as well.”
Over time, Dixit has come to see that what cricketers like Rohit, Rahul and Suryakumar want is a proper structure in terms of nutrition. “It’s all about bringing a structure to someone’s everyday diet. We don’t just cook – we share our menus with the players, list ingredients, and even adapt to their changing needs and preferences.”
“Having a sense of nutrition also means that you don’t really have to chase protein in every meal. Every time anyone talks about nutrition and diets, everyone is trying to chase protein, but you have to be mindful about it.”
“You don’t really have to chase protein in a single day thing. It can be covered up in a week’s or a month’s requirement and each day requires a different set of ingredients that need to be going into your body for you to perform the on-field roles.”
“It's so imperative for them to know what food works for and how their bodies function with different kinds of food groups. There are so many factors that really come into play when it comes to your everyday nutrition - be it the cultural background and the kind of food products you're being introduced to.”
He also insists on adaptability and commitment from each chef who travels with the players, especially with Rohit and Rahul going for Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, while
Suryakumar leads India in the four T20Is in South Africa.
“Well, it always looks rosy from the outside. Definitely, there is a lot more that goes on and off the ground daily. Irrespective of what the match conditions are and how they have performed, diet is something that has to be constant and on throughout. Like, how gruesome it can become when you are trying to adapt to different kitchens. Since you are also travelling with these cricketers, to make sure that their nutrition is intact at a point where things like some specific ingredients are not available.”
“Of course, the perks are there that you travel with the cricketers and fly with them. But the tough part of this is that you have to be adaptable to every kitchen that you’ve been put in. So, you have to know different kinds of cuisines and you just can’t be bound to knowing that usually most of us are trained like specializing in Indian or Chinese cuisine.
“A true cook always knows how to cut vegetables, chop meats and make sauces. Now, if you can apply that to different cuisines and get that thing done, then you should not be bounded to just one style of cooking or cuisine, as at the end of the day, you’re a modern day cook. That’s what we try and inculcate in all our chefs who are a part of our team,” he signed off.
(IANS)
CAN FLAX SEEDS GIVE YOU THE SAME AMOUNT OF OMEGA 3 AS FISH?
Many believe that flax seeds can give you the same omega three as a fish. This is not entirely true because the body does not convert all of the ALA found in flaxseeds to the longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found in fish. Some research suggests that men who consume flaxseed oil have slightly higher levels of EPA and DHA in their blood than men who don’t, and the stories are still low compared to those achieved by fish consumption.
Did you know that flax seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids? These acids are essential for the human body and can be found in fish in high concentrations. Many people take flaxseed oil capsules as a dietary supplement, but can flax seeds give you the same amount of omega three as a fish? In this article, we will explore the benefits of flax seeds and how much omega-3 they contain.
The question of whether flax seeds can give you the same omega three as a fish is interesting. To answer this question, we must first understand what omega 3 is and where it comes from. Omega 3 is a type of fatty acid essential for human health, and it can be found in various foods, including fish, nuts, and seeds.
Some believe that flax seeds can give the same omega three times as a fish.
Flaxseeds are a source of soluble and insoluble fibre, minerals, lignans, and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to their nutritional value, flaxseeds contain phytochemicals that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. A single tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 3 grams of fibre and 2.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.
Types of omega-3 fats
There are two primary kinds of omega-3 unsaturated fatseicosapentaenoic corrosive (EPA) docosahexaenoic corrosive (DHA)
EPA and DHA are found in fish and other seafood, while ALA is found in plant sources such as flaxseeds. The body can convert some ALA to EPA and DHA, but the conversion is inefficient. For this reason, it is generally recommended that people consume omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements rather than from plant sources.
There are two main types of omega-3 fatty acids: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
EPA and DHA are found in fish oil, while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is located in
plants such as flaxseed oil. The body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but the conversion is inefficient. For this reason, it is generally recommended that people consume EPA and DHA directly from fish or fish oil supplements rather than from plants such as flaxseeds.
ALA is found in plant-based foods, such as flaxseeds, while EPA and DHA are found in animal-based foods, such as fish. The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but the conversion is inefficient. For this reason, consuming foods rich in EPA and DHA is essential. Flaxseed is a type of plant that has a lot of health benefits. It has been used for centuries and is often considered the most nutritious plant on earth.
Why should you eat flax?
Many people have been using flaxseed for their health because it provides many benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, improving digestion, reducing inflammation, and more. The seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for the heart and brain.
Flaxseeds are a rich source of alphalinolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid
essential for health. It is often used to produce vegan mayonnaise and other vegan products. Flaxseed oil is also used as a cooking oil and an ingredient in some baked goods.
Flax is a plant that can be consumed in the form of seeds, oil, or flour. It’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. The benefits of consuming Flax are -
It helps to control cholesterol levels and blood pressure, it has anti-inflammatory properties, which help to reduce pain and swelling associated with arthritis, reduces risk of heart disease, helps to maintain a healthy weight.
Flax seeds are a source of protein and fibre with a variety of uses. As a result, the popularity of these seeds has grown in recent years. It has been concluded that eating flaxseed can improve cardiovascular health, and it is a good idea to add flaxseed to your diet. Not only can flaxseed improve cardiovascular health, but it can also improve cholesterol levels and help protect against cancer.
By Nikhil Bendre
Eat to Beat Inflammation:
8 Foods to Reduce Pain and Boost Health
Are you tired of living with chronic pain and inflammation? The key to relief lies in your diet. Certain foods can either fuel or fight inflammation, impacting conditions like joint pain, heart disease, and diabetes. Discover the top 8 antiinflammatory foods to incorporate into your daily meals.
BY DEEVYA GUPTA
The Anti-Inflammatory Eight
1. *Nuts and Seeds*: Rich in omega fatty acids, magnesium, and Vitamin E.
2. *Extra-Virgin Olive Oil*: Reduces inflammation with up to 3 tablespoons daily.
3. *Cinnamon*: Natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.
4. *Ginger*: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant traits for osteoarthritis relief.
- Enjoy 2 servings of fruits, plenty of vegetables daily.
INGREDIENTS
PaPflet Hara Masala
(Pomfret fish cooked with fresh green herb paste)
Pomfret fish is an important food sources for humans. It is widely available in the Asian countries, there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy it here in Melbourne! Pomfret is healthy and wonderfully tender when steamed, baked in the oven, fried or cooked in a curry. Pomfret Fry is a mouth watering fish recipe.
2 Pomfret (medium sized)
Salt and pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp red chilli paste
2 tbsp fresh mint paste
2 tbsp fresh coriander paste
1 cup rice flour
2 tbsp olive oil
Oil – to cook
METHOD
1. Clean fish and make slits on either side.
2. Marinate the fish with salt, pepper, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Set aside for 15 mins.
3. In a bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients, except the rice flour, to make a thick paste.
4. Generously apply the paste on both sides of the fish and set aside for 30 minutes or more.
5. Coat the fish with a thin layer of rice flour on each side.(optional)
6. In a pan, heat enough oil to pan fry or deep fry the fish, according to preference. Fry the fish until golden brown.
7. Serve hot with Tadka Dal and Basmati rice or Chappati.
SERVES: Serves four people.
GARNISH: With lemon wedges and onion rings.
TIP:
BY MANJIT SETHI
RANVEER BRAR BLENDS CHAOS AND FUN IN HIS NEW COOKING SERIES recipe
Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar has been injured and is unable to cook temporarily. However, he has found a creative way to keep the kitchen lively. In his new cooking series, ‘Pakake Dikho’, Ranveer invites close friends and popular chefs to take over his kitchen but there’s a quirky twist. During the cooking process, Ranveer is not allowed to utter a single word. He has to communicate all instructions using hand gestures and facial expressions. To add to it, more unpredictable, he has no prior knowledge of the recipe being prepared.
The line-up of the guests include culinary stars like Sanjyot Keer, Saransh Goila, and Kabita of Kabita’s Kitchen, along with comedian Akash Gupta, actor Gajraj Rao, singer Krishna Beuraa, and pastry chef Nehal Karkera. Speaking about working with Gajraj Rao ji, Ranveer added, “Gajraj ji is a very good friend, and
we keep meeting often, he does not know how to cook which made it even more fun and challenging. I was not allowed to cook or speak and had to direct him only with gestures”.
The show promises a fun, light hearted, and uniquely entertaining experience, blending culinary creativity with laugh-out-loud moments. ‘Pakake Dikho’ blends chaos, creativity, and camaraderie, a must-watch for foodies and entertainment lovers alike.
Ranveer, who hails from Lucknow had humble beginnings and even hauled coals for his ustaad during his early years while learning the craft of cooking.
Meanwhile, Ranveer was recently seen in the theatrical movie ‘The Buckingham Murders’. The film, which stars Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role of a cop, was directed by Hansal Mehta of ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta’ fame.
from
Have your fish pre-cut down the centre for better taste.
ASTROLOGY
Mesha (Aries)
This month your normal self-confidence, whatever it be would desert you, and take away along with it the ability to take initiative. Most of you would tend to become dispirited, and lack of opportunity would contribute to this state of mind. Further, there is the danger that some of you would be influenced by a mean streak which would goad you on to severely exploiting your juniors.
Best days: 3, 12, 30
Lucky Colour: Red, Orange, Cream
Simha (Leo)
Your efforts would meet stiff resistance and an extremely unpleasant situation could come about, curb such tendencies very firmly, failing which you would only have yourself to blame. The climate would also not be congenial for investment or launching any new ventures. Any such plans should, therefore, be shelved for the time being.
Best days: 5,3
Lucky Colour: White & Orange
Dhanu (Sagittarius)
An excellent month, in so far as your educational prospects are concerned, since the stars are in an obliging mood. Most of you would have the drive and motivation required for getting to the top. This in itself would give your efforts a competitive edge. Those sitting for competitive examinations would be so enthusiastic about getting through, that half the battle would be won at the outset.
Best days: 9, 18
Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Vrishabh (Taurus)
This month the stars are in quite favourable in so far as your professional attainments are con-
cerned. Those engaged in the fine arts would find excellent opportunities for satisfying creative involvement in which they could go on to achieve a good deal. Travel also would prove quite beneficial and there would be a fair quality of this during the ensuring period.
Best days: 9, 18, 27
Lucky Colour: Green, Blue
Kanya (Virgo)
Your efforts would be met with stiff resistance and could create a very unpleasant situation, curb such tendencies and remain fair with your juniors or subordinates. Writers, poets, and others of their ilk should make some provision for a rainy day, since they are likely to face a lean spell during this coming month. The climate would also, not be congenial for investment and new ventures
Best days: 3, 12
Lucky Colour: Orange, Green
Makara (Capricorn)
A very helpful, month in so far as your financial prospects are concerned. Many of you would reap a rich harvest of sudden gains, that are likely to come your way. Others would gain from speculative activity, making handsome profits. Most of you would be able to derive quick, useful results from your efforts. Others among you would have a way of handling your juniors or subordinates.
Best days: 1, 3, 4
Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue
By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) M: 0425 660 220
Mithuna (Gemini)
A month during which the combination of stars facing you would bless your health in most
respects, leaving you very few problems on this score. The focus of all your possible troubles would be your digestive system. Any predisposition to chronic constipation is troublesome this month. This you would have to take precautionary measures to control. Control would be primarily some treatment and more diet control.
Best days: 2, 7, 9
Lucky Colour: Red, White, Yellow
Tula (Libra)
The stars are in a good mood and your financial prospects, therefore appear to be quite bright. Musicians, dancers, painters, and other practitioners of the arts can look forward to an extremely satisfying and productive spell during this coming month. They would not only benefit financially but also have cause for satisfaction at their creative output.
Best days: 9, 18
Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Kumbha (Aquarius)
This month your financial prospects look quite good and could well establish you on a permanently sound footing. Many of you can look forward to reaping a rich harvest of sudden gains. Others would gain through speculation, which would also bring in rich profits. This would be a very important benefit for you and could well result in big profits.
Karkat
(Cancer)
An excellent month in so far as far your pursuits in education go, since the stars are out to bless you. Technical students would perform some outstanding feats involving skill and dexterity. In fact, some of you could well go on to score notable successes. Your performance with textbooks would also be passable at least. The students of arts and hotel management would also face quite well in their subjects.
Best days: 9, 18
Lucky Colour: Red, Blue
Vrishchik (Scorpio)
An excellent month, in so far as your educational prospects are concerned, since the stars are in an obliging mood. Most of you would have the drive and motivation required for getting to the top. This in itself would give your efforts a competitive edge. Those sitting for competitive examinations would be so enthusiastic about getting through, that half the battle would be won at the outset.
Best days: 1, 3, 4
Lucky Colour: Red, Orange
Meen (Pisces)
A gainful month, in so far as your financial prospects are concerned. Many of you can look forward to reaping a rich harvest of sudden gains. Speculation would also benefit quite a few among you. There is also a good chance of a favour being done to done to you by some old gentleman which could easily turn out to be a financial boom.
