Schools resent Gujarat’s move for Navaratri vacation
The Gujarat government’s move to declare a week-long vacation in state’s schools and colleges during the Navaratri festivities haD private schools fuming as they were opposed to any mid term vacation which, they claimed, would disturb academic activities in the schools.The Gujarat government on Saturday had announced a seven-day vacation starting from October 15 to 21, in the state’s schools and colleges, for the Navratri festival. However, on Tuesday the government changed the dates for vacation from October 10 to 17.“With one week vacation for Navaratri, students will get holidays holidays for Janmashthmi, Navaratri and Diwali and this will only disturb and disrupt academic activities,” said Naran Patel, President of All Gujarat School Management Association.Local association of private schools in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat had also raised their voice against the government’s announcement, which would reduce the Diwali vacation by one week and institute new vacation for Navaratri.The government had cited demands by students and parents seeking vacation during Navaratri so that youngsters could enjoy dance festivities.“We received several representations for vacation during Navaratri, which is a cultural festival in Gujarat,” said State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.Mr Chudasama contended that number of academic days had not been affected as the government had reduced the days of Diwali vacation to make up for seven days vacation during Navaratri.More than 1000 private schools in Surat and Rajkot had strongly opposed the vacation and contended that the private schools cannot be forced to join the vacation during Navaratri.”As is, the first semester gets shortened by many holidays for festivals like Janmashthami and schools also remain close due to heavy rainfall. There is also the Diwali vacation, and now there will be one week off for Navratri too,” said Ajay Patel, president of Self-Finance School Association in Rajkot.He added that the syllabus planning was prepared in June before school opened, and adjusted periods accordingly. A long vacation of seven days would disturb the syllabus which could not be recovered in any case.
The XPrize Foundation has scrapped its high-profile $10 million genomics challenge set for next month after attracting only two competitors to the sequencing contest.The Archon Genomics XPRIZE began with much fanfare 7 years ago with the aim of boosting medical genomics by offering a $10 million award to the first team to sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days for no more than $10,000 each. After complaints about the tight deadline and unclear judging criteria, the foundation revised the rules in October 2011: The objective was to sequence the genomes of 100 centenarians with high accuracy and 98% completeness within 30 days for $1000 or less. Interest was tepid, however, and only two of the eight contenders in the original contest registered by the 31 May deadline—the company Ion Torrent, and George Church’s lab at Harvard University. 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And late last week (22 August), XPrize CEO Peter Diamandis announced in The Huffington Post that the foundation was calling off the contest because it “was not incentivizing the technological changes” laid out by the XPrize board and the genomics prize’s chair, genome sequencer J. Craig Venter. Companies are already sequencing genomes in a few days for $5000 and “are moving quickly towards the goals we set for the prize,” Diamandis wrote.XPrize Senior Director Grant Campany says the fact that only two competitors signed up suggested that the $10 million prize wasn’t a sufficient incentive for sequencing companies, which are already making hundreds of millions of dollars, to invest their R&D funds in the challenge. At the same time, he says, no company is sequencing whole genomes to the accuracy the contest required—as Nature noted in May, the focus is on less accurate sequences and the subset of the genome that codes for proteins. “Nobody’s clamoring for it,” Campany says. “We’re fighting against the market in some respects.”The aborted contest has yielded two resources. Cell lines with DNA from more than 100 donors who have lived at least a century are stored at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, New Jersey; the genomes will now be sequenced anyway and shared with the research community, Campany says. The contest also produced a protocol for validating sequencing data that he hopes “will be a useful tool” for researchers.The foundation in Playa Vista, California, which has previously awarded prizes for projects such as spacecraft and oil cleanup, had never before cancelled a contest. The $10 million prize money will go back to the philanthropist who donated it, Stewart Blusson, president of Archon Minerals.Church, who says he’s spent “embarrassing” amounts of money to prepare (“with quite a lot to show for it,” he adds), calls the decision “a totally avoidable slap at innovators.” He disagrees that two contestants wasn’t enough—only two teams compete in the Super Bowl, he points out. He also questions the argument that companies were getting there anyway. “Is this going to be standard XPRIZE policy—to cancel if there is too much progress—at the last minute?”
Globe Business launches leading cloud-enabled and hardware-agnostic conferencing platform in PH Jerwin Ancajas at lobby of Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Downtown Marina. Photo by Roy Luarca/INQUIRERCorpus Christi, Texas— Just one pound above the weight limit, Jerwin Ancajas found a moment to relax Wednesday night.Right after a meet and greet at Rockit’s Whiskey Bar & Saloon Wednesday night, the International Boxing Federation junior bantamweight champion rode back to Holiday Inn Downtown Marina, where he and Mexican challenger Israel Gonzalez were billeted for their title duel at American Bank Center on Saturday here.ADVERTISEMENT Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Slow and steady hope for near-extinct Bangladesh tortoises Since that defeat, he has racked up eight wins, five by knockouts, and was rewarded with a title shot against Ancajas.Having studied videos of Ancajas’ last few fights, Gonzalez knows he is in for a rough, tough night.“He’s aggressive, a strong fighter with fast hands,” said Gonzalez, whose 21-1, 8 knockout record pales in comparison to Ancajas’ (28-1-1, 19 KOs) card.Gonzalez trained in high altitude for two and a half months at Jiquipilco, 40 kilometers north of the famed Toluca Mountains. He also sparred for over 100 rounds.Gonzalez, who learned boxing from his grandfather and an uncle, said he intends to exploit Ancajas’ “predictable” footwork, and lure the Filipino into a punch.With the official weigh-in set Friday afternoon, Gonzalez said he’s just a little above the 115-pound limit.“I don’t feel any pressure,” said Gonzalez, youngest among 10 siblings. “The pressure is on Ancajas and I’m going to give it to him.” 2 ‘newbie’ drug pushers fall in Lucena sting LATEST STORIES Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH AFP official booed out of forum Read Next MOST READ He turned pro at 17 in 2009, won the IBF crown from Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in 2016 and defended it thrice against Mexican Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, Japanese Teiru Kinoshita and Irish Jamie Conlan in succession last year.Finally realizing his goal of fighting in the United States, Ancajas is now looking forward to attaining global recognition like his idol and benefactor, eight-division champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao.The first step is to beat Gonzalez convincingly. And on fight night, Ancajas plans to be patient, stalking his prey, before going for the kill.That would be easier said than done. Gonzalez, who was riding a 13-bout unbeaten streak before an upset to lightly regarded countryman Argi Cortes, promises to keep on winning.“I don’t want to lose again,” Gonzalez told Filipino media through an interpreter before his open workout at Neighborhood Center Boxing Club Wednesday afternoon.ADVERTISEMENT Ancajas wary of ‘unpredictable’ Sultan PLAY LIST 01:04Ancajas wary of ‘unpredictable’ Sultan01:29Robredo to gov’t, after accepting anti drug post: Are you ready for me?00:59Sports venues to be ready in time for SEA Games01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC NEXT BLOCK ASIA 2.0 introduces GURUS AWARDS to recognize and reward industry influencers John Lloyd Cruz a dashing guest at Vhong Navarro’s wedding Ancajas went directly to his 15th floor room, changed into sleeping clothes, turned off the light, and dropped on the king-sized bed.He crawled inside the bedsheet, pulled out his mobile phone, put the ear plugs on and shut himself out from distractions.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSLillard, Anthony lead Blazers over ThunderSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutEyes closed, Ancajas reminisced on his journey so far.Lured by his brother, Jesar, into the sport, Ancajas won in the 2008 Palarong Pambansa in Palawan and was named best boxer in the Philippine National Games four years earlier. UAAP 80 Volleyball Preview: UST looks to ‘overachieve’ anew, targets twice-to-beat View comments
Foreigners cheering for India during a cricket matchIt is not often that when an Indian Formula 1 racer veers his yellow car at a practice session in Malaysia, he is cheered my hundreds of Indian flags. “Travelling offshore to support one’s country has become a familiar phenomena these days. It may surprise the players, but rest assured they have plenty of supporters,” says Sandeep Komaravelly, head, marketing, SnapDeal.com, a company that organises travel trips.This phenomenon is not just true for Grand Prix; the number of Indian spectators crowding international sporting events is on the rise. “Sporting events such as DLF-IPL, ICC World Cup, Twenty20, FIFA World Cup have received an overwhelming response from sports enthusiasts keen on attending these events thus leading to an augmentation in sports tourism,” says Kashmira Commissariat, chief operating officer, outbound division, Kuoni India.According to a data from the World Sport Destination Expo, sports tourism accounts for up to $600 billion or a tenth of the international tourism market in a year. The market is currently pegged at Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore and is expected to rise by 500 per cent reaching a figure of Rs 100 crore to Rs 150 crore. Sports tourism is getting its much needed impetus due to rise of popularity of sports such as tennis, racing, cricket and golf. “Sports tourism in India is carving a niche for itself in Indian tourism. Its scope and future is endless in India because of its diverse topography and climatic condition. For instance, many golf enthusiasts, usually Japanese groups come down to India to play at different golf courses,” says Rahul Singh, managing director, Golfworx.Together with this, business tours combined with sports activities are increasingly gaining popularity. Here business meets leisure and this kind of tourism on business trips is a global corporate strategy for employee entertainment and well-being. Singh reiterates, “The entertainment factor is also driving tourists into the sports and adventure industry. This ranges from skiing in the snow covered Himalayan regions to water sports like scuba-diving and snorkelling in the coastal regions.” He adds that activities like rock-climbing and scuba-diving attract hundreds of tourist every year. “The trend is gaining momentum in Goa, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Kerala, Uttranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Sikkim and Lakshadweep,” says Singh.Moreover, sports tourism also takes into account professional sportsperson who travel extensively for their career. This may include travel for international championships and tournaments. This travel activity also adds to the number of inbound tourism for sports. For instance, the Commonwealth games drew a large number of sports professionals to India.According to a report by the Ministry of Tourism, the foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) during the month of October 2010 were 4.87 lakh and recorded a growth of 9.2 per cent as compared to 2009. Also, the foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) during the period from January to October 2010 was Rs 51,334 crore with a growth rate of 21.1 per cent. This increase in the number of foreign arrivals, shows that sports tourism is on the rise and there is a need to cater to this emerging sector. Nominally priced holiday packages are introduced during sporting events and can cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000. “The package prices are based on the number of nights and days opted for, type of accommodation and category of air travel. The cost of tickets for a sporting event varies with the location and the type of sport among other factors,” says Commissariat.Sports tourism opens many doors for aspiring entrepreneurs. “It provides a number of options for business ventures like organising sporting activities such as paragliding, bicycle safari, snake boat race, snow sports, heli-skiing, mountaineering and tour operation,” says Singh. For those interested in inbound tourism management or plan to start their own tour and travel company, a bachelor in travel and tourism at NSHM College of management and technology, Kolkatta can be good bet. They can also enroll themselves at the International School of Business, Kolkatta or opt for the post graduate diploma in travel and tourism (PGDTTM) from Manipal University.”According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the number of international travel has risen to more than half a billion in a year, which means that, one out of every ten is a tourist. With rapid developments in the field of hospitality, transport and communications, the growth in the sports tourism industry is likely to double in the next decade. A formal training ensures the requisite knowledge to pursue a career in travel and tourism industry,” says AM Thimmiya, senior vice president and head, Distributed Learning, Manipal University.With Indian sporting enthusiasts crowding the world stadia and international tourists coming in to witness various sporting events, it is boom time for sports tourism across the world.advertisementadvertisement
Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Filipino MMA champs to be feted at PSA Awards “It’s a tough game, good game,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin. “Enderun got the jump in the beginning. But our defense kicked in after first quarter. Offensively, we don’t ask a lot right now, but Tyler did a good job, Ange pulled some boards, and Will Navarro did a good job for our guys. I’m happy that we got the win.”The sweet-shooting Tio went 6-of-9 from the 3-point line and also dished out five assists.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine football chiefSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesTio teamed up with Angelo Kouame to give Ateneo a lethal inside and out game.Kouame imposed his presence on both ends to finish with 20 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. ‘We are too hospitable,’ says Sotto amid SEA Games woes Ateneo also drew a near double-double effort from William Navarro, who posted nine points and 15 boards. Grace Poe files bill to protect govt teachers from malicious accusations Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. US judge bars Trump’s health insurance rule for immigrants LATEST STORIES Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting
PDEA chief backs Robredo in revealing ‘discoveries’ on drug war Tyler Tio. PBA IMAGESMANILA, Philippines — Tyler Tio waxed hot in the fourth quarter to shoot Cignal-Ateneo past Family Mart-Enderun, 82-68, in the 2019 PBA D-League at Paco Arena in Manila.Tio fired 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter where the Blue Eagles pulled away.ADVERTISEMENT Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss MOST READ SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte View comments Urgent reply from Philippine football chief
Guwahati, Feb 23 (PTI) The Centre will construct four new bridges over the Brahmaputra in Assam with one of them connecting Jorhat with neighbouring Majuli, the worlds largest river island. Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal talking to reporters here today said the other proposed bridges would connect Disangmukh in Sivasagar district with Tekeliphuta in Lakhimpur district, another would connect Nagaon with Rangapara near Tezpur in Sonitpur district while the fourth bridge would connect Gohpur with Numaligarh in Golaghat district. For improving transportation infrastructure on the northern bank of the river benefiting the people of northern districts of Assam, Sonowal said the Dhakuakhana-Lakhimpur road and Lakhimpur Majuli road would be converted to national highways. The ongoing construction work of the road and rail Bogibeel bridge over the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh district would be completed next year, he said adding Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari would come to Assam on February 27 to lay the foundation stone of various road projects. Bridges would also be constructed over the states other major river Barak as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised on the development of infrastructure in Assam, he said. PTI ESB MD RG KKB
Cricket is a team game but at times one player can fire up the whole unit with his performance or positive energy. After losing the ODI series in Australia, India needed some kind of inspiration before the three-match T20 series.The skipper, MS Dhoni didn’t had much of choice with the squad at his disposal, until Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were thrown in the mix for the shortest format against Australia. Not to forget, veterans Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh gave Dhoni the much-need balance he needed.The young guns, Pandya and Bumrah proved to be the game-changer for India in Australia and in the series that followed at home against Sri Lanka. Bumrah was drafted into the Indian side after impressive performances in the IPL and domestic cricket playing for Gujarat. The 22-year-old with an unusual action has an element of surprise to his bowling and added to that got the ability to bowl yorkers in death overs.In limited-overs cricket, India have struggled to contain in the death overs, but with Bumrah coming in, Dhoni doesn’t have to worry much. The experiment of using Bumrah in the death overs has worked perfectly for Dhoni. Moreover, with Bumrah getting through a spell at the end allows Ravichandran Ashwin to start the proceedings along with Ashish Nehra.Coming to Pandya, an allrounder who can chip in with the bat effectively added to his ability to get through the middle overs with his medium pace. During the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Ranchi, Pandya was promoted up the order, ahead of Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni – he didn’t disappoint. The Baroda allrounder also continued to impress with his Asia Cup performances.advertisementWith the team composition looking settled ahead of World Twenty20, India have one more option in Pawan Negi. In cricket, problem of plenty is a good situation to be in. Negi could prove to be Dhoni’s trump card in few matches and a good back up for Ravindra Jadeja, depending on the conditions.Undoubtedly, the presence of experienced players will boost the team’s confidence, but it would be the youngsters who will make a difference in India’s campaign at the World Twenty20.
Ragnar Klavan scored a dramatic late winner to steer Liverpool to a close 2-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League on Monday.In the other games on the evening, Brighton drew 2-2 with Bournemouth, Leicester beat Huddersfield Town 3-0 and Stoke City lost 1-0 to Newcastle United.Liverpool clearly missed the injured Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho on the evening as they scrambled to an away victory on the first day of 2018.Win the win, Liverpool are now fourth in the league table with 44 points in 22 games while Burnley are in the seventh spot with 34 points in as many games.FULL-TIME Burnley 1-2 LiverpoolThe Reds steal three points late on with Mane & Klavan getting on the scoresheet#BURLIV pic.twitter.com/9WI8HwLwoy- Premier League (@premierleague) January 1, 2018With Manchester United facing Everton in Monday’s late game, while Chelsea and table-topping Manchester City play later in the week, Liverpool registered their second win in 48 hours after the Estonian popped up with his first league goal.All the managers rotated players to deal with a busy festive period and Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp made seven changes, including giving Adam Lallana his first start this season, against a Burnley side who have often troubled the Meseysiders.The absence of Coutinho will prompt inevitable speculation about the his future on the day the transfer window opened although Klopp said the Brazilian had a thigh injury.With Liverpool’s top scorer Salah also ruled out with a groin strain and Firmino on the bench, Sadio Mane was the only member of their ‘Fab Four’ to start.advertisementHe opened the scoring with a superb strike after 61 minutes, picking up the ball with his back to goal and spinning to fire an unstoppable left-foot shot into the corner.Burnley thought they had salvaged a point when Berg Gudmundsson equalised in the 87th but Klavan secured a win that moved Liverpool level on 44 points with third-placed Manchester United, who trail Chelsea by a point. City lead with 59 points.RIYAD MAHREZ SPREADS HIS MAGICAs eye-catching as Senegal international Mane’s goal was, it was probably topped by Riyad Mahrez’s opener for Leicester.The Algeria midfielder, who like Coutinho has been linked with a January move, produced the deftest of sidefoot volleys to give Leicester the lead against Huddersfield, with Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton adding further second-half goals.A good day was made even better for the Foxes by a late cameo from Adrien Silva, who has had to wait to play his first game for the club after his move from Sporting was not registered in time in the last transfer window.In the other games, Stoke’s Mark Hughes left the field to a torrent of abuse from supporters after his side’s latest setback, a loss made all the worse because the Welshman had rested players in the 5-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday to prepare for Newcastle’s visit.Ayoze Perez scored the winner as fellow strugglers Newcastle United recorded back-to-back Premier League wins on the road for the first time since 2014.Bournemouth are another side looking anxiously over their shoulders after starting 2018 five points worse off than last year but Eddie Howe’s side will be pleased with their point at Brighton.(Courtesy: Reuters)
Hardik Pandya and Lokesh Rahul have been suspended until a pending investigation into their controversial comments made on a popular television show, Koffee With Karan.”Both Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry,” news agency PTI quoted CoA chief Vindo Rai as sayingNotably, the two cricketers will not be considered for selection during the three-match ODI series against Australia, starting January 12 in Sydney. In fact, it is likely they may not even be selected for the tour of New Zealand which starts later this month.”The duo are being sent back. If they can book tickets then tomorrow or at least by day after. At this point their chances of making it to the New Zealand tour is also bleak,” said a senior BCCI official.India vs Australia 1st ODI in Sydney – Live ScoreA source in the BCCI also told the PTI that the two cricketers will be issued fresh show cause notices.”Whether it will be an internal committee of the BCCI or an ad hoc ombudsman who will conduct an inquiry, is yet to be ascertained,” the official said.Earlier, there were reports that the team management wanted Pandya and Rahul to stay back in Australia to avoid further backlash.”The Indian team management will take a call on whether they would want to keep the two with the team or send them back. There is a school of thought that they be kept with the team as the backlash back home could be severe but the majority in BCCI brass is against the decision,” he added.advertisementThe source also added that the likes of Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey will be considered for selection as the two cricketers’ replacements.In emails exchanged between CoA, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and a legal team, it appears a show cause notice will be sent to the players with point-by-point breaches. Besides, an inquiry committee will be set up with a time-bound frame of 15 days.Here is a transcript of the letters CoA sent to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul Dear Mr. Pandya,You are aware that enquiry and proceedings against you for misconduct and indiscipline have been initiated under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution and the same are presently pending.In terms of Rule 41(6) of the BCCI Constitution, you are hereby suspended with immediate effect from participating in any manner whatsoever in any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter.Yours faithfully,The Supreme Court Appointed Committee of AdministratorsDear Mr. Rahul,You are aware that enquiry and proceedings against you for misconduct and indiscipline have been initiated under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution and the same are presently pending.In terms of Rule 41(6) of the BCCI Constitution, you are hereby suspended with immediate effect from participating in any manner whatsoever in any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter.Yours faithfully,The Supreme Court Appointed Committee of AdministratorsEarlier in the day, CoA member Diana Edulji had recommended an immediate “suspension till pending inquiry” for both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul and also insisted the two cricketers be called back from Australia ahead of the three-match ODI series, starting January 12.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary also endorsed Diana Edulji’s recommendation. The CoA member had sought legal opinion and the opinions of the BCCI top brass before arriving at the decision.”It is imperative that players be put under suspension till further course of action is decided for this misconduct as was done in case of (BCCI) CEO (Rahul Johri) when he was sent on leave on sexual harassment matter,” read Edulji’s response to the legal opinion which is in possession of PTI.Pandya, Rahul face severe backlashPandya and Rahul have been facing severe criticism over their borderline sexist and racist comments during their appearance on a popular television show, Koffee With Karan. This is the first time cricketers had appeared on the show hosted by acclaimed filmmaker, Karan Johar.On the show, Pandya had boasted about his dates and hookups with multiple women and also revealed how his parents encouraged his disrespectful attitude towards women.”At a party, my parents asked me acha tera wala [your women] kaun sa hai, so I said yeh, yeh, yeh [pointing out to some women] and they were like ‘waah proud of u beta’,” Pandya had said.advertisement”When I lost my virginity, I came home and said, ‘Mein karke aaya hai aaj (I had sex today)’.” he added.Pandya apologised for the comments through a social media statement but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) found the apology insufficient and sent show cause notices to the two cricketers.Vinod Rai was the first one to recommend a two-match ban for Rahul and Pandya.Virat Kohli reacts to Koffee With Karan controversyMeanwhile, Virat Kohli said the controversy surrounding Pandya and Rahul will not distract India’s preparations for the upcoming ODI series Down Under and the World Cup.He also insisted that the possible absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya won’t affect the balance of the team, considering the availability of left-arm spinner, Ravindra Jadeja who has shown a lot of promise with the bat at the highest level in the recent past.”We played in India against the West Indies with a finger spinner and a wrist spinner. So it’s good that we have someone like Jadeja who can do the all-rounder’s role if a scenario like that occurs,” Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against Australia.”So we are not too stressed as a team (about the Pandya situation) because you’ll always have things that you can do in terms of creating that balance for the side. And hence, we keep players who can provide balance with bat and ball as a backup anyway.”Hardik Pandya’s father, Himanshu though defended his son’s comments, saying they should be taken in a light-hearted manner.”I don’t think people should read too much into his comments. It was an entertainment show and his comments were made in a light-hearted manner,” Himanshu told mid-day.”He was only looking to entertain the audience. So, it [his comments] should not be viewed very seriously or negatively. He is an innocent boy with a very fun-loving nature.”Also Read | Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul set to miss Australia ODIs after Koffee with Karan controversyAlso Read | Sydney ODI: Kohli not worried about Hardik situation, banks on Jadeja for all-rounder’s roleAlso Read | Hardik Pandya’s father defends under-fire cricketer: Comments were made in light-hearted mannerAlso Read | Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul controversy won’t affect Indian dressing room: Sunil GavaskarAlso See:
kristen dantonio mark dantonio dancingMichigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was understandably excited after Saturday’s last-second victory over Michigan, and in the locker room after the game, he made that clear to his players. In the below video, shot by Dantonio’s daughter Kristen, the Spartans head coach can be seen breaking it down in the center of a player circle.MSU quarterback Connor Cook told reporters after the game that Dantonio pulled out some moves he’d never seen before. Michigan State next gets Indiana at home next Saturday. We’ll see if the Spartans can keep dancing all the way to the Big Ten title game. Hit the Quan dadA video posted by Kristen Dantonio (@k10dantonio) on Oct 17, 2015 at 9:22pm PDT [247 Sports]
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 01: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on before the 2018 SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)NFL prospects have not even had a chance to run the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. But one Alabama star has already had his stock a bit damaged by the initial measurements.According to NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams got his arms measured at the combine, and they turned out shorter than is ideal. Per his report, Williams’ arms measured at 33-5/8 inches, just under a full inch shorter than what McShay noted was ideally at least 34-1/2″.Williams is considered one of the top, if not the top, offensive tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has been projected to go in the top ten or higher by some mock drafts.Alabama OT Jonah Williams- 33 5/8” arms length. Doesn’t prevent him from playing OT in the NFL but certainly doesn’t help his cause. Ideally 34 1/2” or longer.— Todd McShay (@McShay13) February 27, 2019But while some scouts might be turned off by Williams’ measurement, others think that the fact he was even able to reach that mark is “a win” for the Alabama star.Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted that some scouts were suspicious that he would have trouble reaching the 33-inch threshold.33 5/8-inch arms for #Alabama OT Jonah Williams is a win.Yes, 34+ is desired for the position, but I know some scouts questioned if he would reach 33-inches. #NFLCombine2019— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 27, 2019Despite the issues surrounding his measurements, Williams still goes into the combine as the draft as one of the most highly-regarded offensive linemen available.ProFootballFocus has him graded as the top offensive lineman coming out of the SEC.With his 83.6 run-blocking grade, Jonah Williams was the best among SEC offensive lineman. pic.twitter.com/5sLkEwAs3n— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 22, 2019Williams is not the only member of the Crimson Tide to be the top prospect at his position.Fellow Alabama star Quinnen Williams is similarly considered by some scouts to be the top defensive tackle available.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is assisting farmers to better market their crops by strengthening its information gathering system. This is according portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, who lamented that lack of proper marketing techniques have often hampered the productivity of the nation’s farmers. “To tackle the problems with production, marketing has always been a serious problem. If the farmers know there are markets, they will produce for those markets, but when farmers produce and can’t sell, it is a terrible turn off and the only way we are going to make that happen is to have proper information,” he said. Minister Clarke was addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Ewarton Watershed and Farmer’s Co-operative Society at the Ewarton Community Centre in St. Catherine on March 28. He pointed out that through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority’s (RADA’s) extension officers, the Ministry is “working to see how we can upgrade the information gathering”. “We want to know when you’re going to plant and what you’re planting so that we can plan the market for it and to go further sometimes to tell you don’t put in any now because we don’t have market for it. Because there are some things that we grow in Jamaica that can only suit our local consumption, and if we can’t eat it off, it doesn’t make sense to over-produce, because there is no market for it,” the Minister said. He called on farmers to be honest when giving information so that extension officers can have an adequate picture of the quantity of crops being produced. The Minister noted that for instance, farmers can call the extension officer in their parish to give information on how much Irish potato they are planting at any given time.The extension officer will then know “that so much Irish potato was put into the ground and then he can start to connect you with the people in the marketplace who are trading in Irish potatoes”.In this vein, Minister informed that the Ministry currently has “a great programme going with Irish (potatoes), noting that persons who were previously importing Irish potatoes into the country, are now working with the local farmers to produce this crop.“Some have even brought in the seeds, some helping with fertilizer and working with the farmers to produce because they are the ones who are going to benefit by selling it. And if there is a little shortage, those are the ones who are going to bring it in,” he said.Mr Clarke said the Ministry is working to increase Irish potato production to 100 per cent, up from the 80 per cent produced last year. “We want to go further because Trinidad has some interest. We want to produce so that we can even export,” he said.“We are on a path, our task is to produce. This is going to be a tough year as far as finances go, but the Ministry of Agriculture is going to be out there mobilizing and working with the farmers to make sure that we achieve this ‘eat what we grow; grow what we eat’ concept because that is the only way that we are going to survive,” the Minister said.By Alecia Smith-Edwards, JIS Reporter
zoom Lamprell Energy Limited has signed an MOU with the national oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Aramco, the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and Hyundai Heavy Industries to form a partnership collaboration on establishing a maritime complex in Saudi Arabia.The intended maritime complex is aimed at providing engineering, manufacturing and repair services for offshore rigs, commercial vessels and offshore service vessels.The MOU, which was signed on Monday, covers joint participation and due diligence on all activities and work streams required to make a final investment decision by all participating parties.“Lamprell is pleased to be part of this undertaking and help assess possible ways through which potential partners can leverage their knowhow and current and future business needs, to actively pursue such an investment and promote economic development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and ensure availability of world class services to support the growing national and international portfolio,” the company said.The parties will now engage in a process of negotiation which may last up to 3 months. Once the negotiation round is closed, Lamprell said it would be able to disclose further details on the matter.
zoom Danish carrier of refined oil products TORM has raised USD 100 million through a private placement of new Class A common shares. A total of 11,920,000 new Class A common shares is being issued at a price of USD 8.39 per new share. The shares are issued without any pre-emption rights for TORM’s existing shareholders and have been placed with Danish and foreign institutional investors.The company’s majority shareholder, OCM Njord Holdings S.à r.l., has subscribed for 8,214,548 of new shares for an aggregate amount of USD 68.9 million.The company said it would use the net proceeds to finance existing newbuilding commitments and potential fleet growth opportunities through either execution of existing newbuilding options, or acquisition of attractively priced second-hand vessels.TORM has up to four options for product tanker newbuildings at Chinese shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International.The expected date of settlement is January 26, 2018, TORM said, adding that new shares are expected to be listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen on January 30, 2018 under the same ISIN code as the existing Class A common shares.TORM operates a fleet of approximately 80 tankers.
OTTAWA – Young political staffers on Parliament Hill, who are often ambitious and desperate for a foothold in their chosen profession, can be much more vulnerable to the scourge of sexual misconduct than their older, more experienced colleagues and elected counterparts, says Green party Leader Elizabeth May.Indeed, May — who took part in a recent Canadian Press survey of female MPs about their experiences with sexual harassment — is drawing comparisons between the career ladder in political Ottawa and the familiar Hollywood cliche of a “casting couch” mentality.Thirty-eight of Canada’s 89 female MPs took part in the survey, with more than half of respondents — 58 per cent — reporting that they had personally been the target of one or more forms of sexual misconduct while in office, including inappropriate or unwanted remarks, gestures or text messages of a sexual nature.Political staffers often lack job security, making them far less likely to speak up about their experiences — especially when the problem lies with someone who is in a position of authority, said May, who likened their environment at times to the “star culture” of Tinseltown.“There are political equivalents of the casting couch, and if you want to get ahead in certain political parties, you do not want to offend people who are seen to be movers and shakers,” she said.“It is not a normal workplace in that sense. I don’t think the culture is going to change overnight, but I do think it is important to have mechanisms for complaints that allow for confidentiality.”Shifting the culture and fixing the power imbalance on the Hill is going to demand that male MPs speak up when they are made aware of unacceptable behaviour, she added.“If you hear something in your caucus meetings you think is just bad form, tell your male colleagues,” said May, who expressed optimism of change now that the “floodgate” has opened in politics, sport and the entertainment industry.“Politics and power run together, which means power and politics and sex run together, and men in positions of power are going to abuse that,” she said. “To change that culture and to really have men in politics that understand that they’re feminists … that is a big step culturally for politics.”Three MPs who responded to the voluntary survey said they had been victims of sexual assault, while four said they experienced sexual harassment, defined in the survey as insistent and repeated sexual advances. Nearly half of respondents — 47 per cent — were subjected to inappropriate comments on social media.Meanwhile, 63 per cent said they don’t believe the level of harassment in federal politics is any different than any other workplace.May was full of praise for National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, who told The Canadian Press that she encouraged two young female staffers to file a complaint after noticing their discomfort with someone in a position of authority. The House of Commons has not confirmed receiving the complaint.Lebouthillier, who would not provide further details, told the staffers to add her own name to the complaint; they later told her they would not have done it without her encouragement.“Good for her,” May said.— With files from Joanna Smith and Mylene Crete— Follow @kkirkup, @smithjoanna and @MyleneCrete