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Paris Olympics: Neeraj Chopra reaches final with a mega throw of 89.34m, to eye gold on Thursday

Paris, Aug 6, 2024
Defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra reached the final of the men’s javelin throw event with a mighty throw of 89.34m in the first attempt of the Group B qualification in the Paris Olympics here at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

Neeraj, who won India’s individual gold medal in first track and field at the Olympics in Tokyo, started his title defence in style after breaching the automatic qualification mark of 84m in his opening throw by a huge margin.

It was also his best throw of the season and also the biggest among the players who achieved automatic qualification for the final across groups.

However, Neeraj, the reigning World and Asian Games champion, is yet to surpass the career-best throw of 89.94m achieved at the Stockholm Diamond League in Sweden on June 30, 2022.

In Group A, India’s Kishore Kumar Jena, however, failed to reach the final after notching the best effort of 80.73m which came in his first attempt. The second throw was a foul before he threw 80.21m in the third attempt.

In Group B, Grenada’s Anderson Peters and Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem also progressed to the final after throwing above the 84m mark. Both athletes achieved the feat in their opening attempts.

Peters threw 88.63m while Nadeem’s effort finished third in the group with 86.59m throw, thus finishing behind Chopra.

Earlier in Group A qualification, Kenya’s Julius Yego and Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch heaved throws of 85.97m and 85.63m respectively, which earned them automatic qualification for the final. Germany’s Julian Weber also qualified with a throw of 87.76m.

Neeraj, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will aim to become the first Indian athlete to clinch two individual gold medals in the Olympics on Thursday (August 8).(Agency)

Exercise or extra fries? Study debunks the brain’s long time dilemma

New Delhi, Aug 6, 2024
Is your brain in a dilemma wondering if you should go for exercise or instead have those tasty extra fries? A study released by Swiss researchers on Tuesday may finally provide your answer.

Until now, science has had no idea what happens in our brain when we make this decision.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have uncovered a key factor in the brain’s decision-making process when it comes to this particular decision. Scientists discovered that the chemical messenger orexin and its neurons may be transferable to humans, explaining why some resist temptations and maintain regular physical activity.

Researchers found that mice with a blocked orexin system preferred a milkshake over exercise, while those with an intact orexin system spent more time on the running wheel and less time at the milkshake bar.

Denis Burdakov, Professor of Neuroscience at ETH Zurich, explains the significance of these findings. He notes that while many people struggle to get enough exercise, some manage to resist daily temptations and stay active.

Understanding what happens in the brain to facilitate this decision-making process is essential for developing new strategies to promote physical activity.

According to the World Health Organization, 80 per cent of adolescents and 27 per cent of adults do not get enough exercise, and obesity rates are rising alarmingly among both adults and children.

The study focused on orexin, a relatively recently discovered messenger substance in the brain. While other chemicals like serotonin and dopamine have long been known and studied, orexin’s functions are only now being clarified.

The researchers found that when mice were given a choice between running on a wheel and enjoying a strawberry-flavoured milkshake, the presence of an intact orexin system significantly influenced their preference for physical activity.

The implications of these findings extend beyond basic neuroscience. Daria Peleg-Raibstein, a group leader at ETH Zurich, emphasises that this research could help in understanding and addressing the global obesity epidemic and related metabolic disorders.

By exploring how the brain arbitrates between food consumption and physical activity, scientists can develop more effective interventions to overcome barriers to exercise, particularly for those whose physical activity is limited.

The next step for the researchers is to verify these results in humans, given that the brain functions involved are known to be practically the same in both species. This could involve examining patients with a restricted orexin system due to genetic reasons or observing people who receive drugs that block orexin.

Such studies could pave the way for new approaches to encourage exercise and reduce obesity rates, ultimately improving public health outcomes.(Agency)

Lily Allen considered quitting music after having her daughters

Los Angeles, Aug 6, 2024
Singer Lily Allen shared that she thought about quitting music and studying to become a lawyer after having her daughters Ethel and Marnie.

The “Smile” singer said that she felt “ashamed” to have not left school with any qualifications and had considered dropping her career at different times.

“When people start talking about where they went to university and stuff, I do go into a self-hatred spiral, because I’m not educated,” Allen, who was previously married to Sam Cooper, said on “Miss Me?” podcast.

“And I left school when I was 15 and I don’t even have one GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). I have not one qualification and I’m ashamed. I’m ashamed of it.”

Asked what it would mean to her if she did get some qualifications, she said: “I really don’t know. Because I think that if I had a degree, there were points — after I had kids for instance — I might not have thought I’m gonna try and re-enter music or entertainment. I might have thought, ‘I’m actually gonna go and be a lawyer.'”

Allen, who is married to ‘Stranger Things’ star David Harbour, had previously said that she believes having children killed her music career, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

She laughed as she told the ‘Radio Times Podcast’: “My children ruined my career. I mean, I love them, and they complete me, but in terms of, like, you know, pop stardom, totally ruined it.”

She also said she hated people using the phrase that mothers can “have it all”.

Allen added: “It really annoys me when people say you can have it all because, quite frankly, you can’t. Some people choose their career over their children, and that’s their prerogative. But, you know, my parents were quite absent when I was a kid, and I feel like that really left some, like, nasty scars that I’m not willing to, you know, repeat on mine.”

“And so I chose to step back and concentrate on them, and I’m glad that I have done that because I think they’re pretty well-rounded people.”(Agency)

‘Can Muslim girl marry after attaining puberty’, Centre seeks SC’s priority adjudication

New Delhi, Aug 6, 2024
The Centre on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to adjudicate on priority as to whether a minor Muslim girl can marry a person of her choice after attaining puberty.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, mentioned before CJI D.Y. Chandrachud a plea filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which had held that a Muslim girl can marry a person of her choice after attaining the age of 15.

SG Mehta submitted that diverse views were being taken by different High Courts across the country, resulting in the filing of multiple special leave petitions before the apex court around the same issue. “Please see if this can be listed on priority,” he said.

At this, CJI Chandrachud assured SG Mehta that he would direct the listing of the batch of petitions.

In January last year, the top court issued notice to the government and others on NCPCR’s plea to decide upon the question of law, clarifying that its decision not to stay the impugned order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court may not be used as precedent. It appointed senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao as amicus curiae in the matter to assist the court

The SC pointed out that if the high court judgment — which held that a Muslim girl aged 15 years can enter into a legal and valid marriage as per personal law — was stayed, the girl might be restored to her parents against her wishes.

Before the apex court, SG Mehta had contended that Muslim girls who were 14, 15, and 16 years old were getting married. “Can there be a defence of personal law? Can you plead custom or personal law as a defence against a criminal offence?” he said.

The plea filed by NCPCR said the Punjab and Haryana HC erred in ignoring the fact that sexual intercourse with a minor girl below the age of 18 years, is sexual assault as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and this legal position cannot be changed due to marital status of the child and that whether on the facts and in the circumstances of the case and in law.

It added, “The high court was justified in upholding that a minor girl, after attaining puberty after the age of 15, on her own willingness and consent, can enter into a marriage of her own choice while not considering the validity of a marriage with a minor all the while glossing over the fact that the impugned judgment would lead to endorsing child marriage which is illegal in India because POCSO Act applies to everyone.”

The high court’s order came on a habeas corpus petition filed by a 26-year-old man against the detention of his 16-year-old wife in a children’s home in Panchkula. The high court noted that such a marriage would not be void in terms of Section 12 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.(Agency)

Pawan Sehrawat, Pardeep Narwal among stars to go under hammer for PKL 11

Mumbai, Aug 6, 2024
Pawan Sehrawat, Pardeep Narwal, among other stars to go under the hammer as the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) announced the ‘Elite Retained Players’, ‘Retained Young Players’ and ‘Existing New Young Players’ for season 11 on Tuesday.

Besides, Sehrawat and Narwal Maninder Singh, Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh are the other non-retained players, who will undergo auction scheduled for August 15 and 16 in Mumbai.

Each of the franchises have retained a strong core group of players and are looking to build stronger units in the PKL season 11 Player Auction.

Dabang Delhi K.C. have retained their raider duo of Ashu Malik and Naveen Kumar. Meanwhile, the Most Valuable Player award winner in season 10 – Aslam Inamdar has been retained by Puneri Paltan.

Furthermore, the Jaipur Pink Panthers have retained their star raider Arjun Deshwal.

A total of 88 players were retained across three categories with 22 from the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category, 26 in the Retained Young Players (RYP) category and 40 in the Existing New Young Players (ENYP).

The domestic and overseas players will be divided into four categories at the PKL season 11 player auction: Category A, B, C and D.

The players will be further sub-divided as ‘All-Rounders’, ‘Defenders’ and ‘Raiders’ within each category. The base prices for each of the categories are Category A – Rs 30 Lakh, Category B – Rs 20 Lakh, category C – Rs 13 Lakh, Category D – Rs 9 Lakh.

The season 11 player pool will consist of 500+ including the 24 players from the two finalist teams of the Khelo India University Games 2024. The total salary purse available to each franchise for its squad is Rs 5 crore.(Agency)

Kim Kardashian spends sunny holiday in Greece

Los Angeles, Aug 6, 2024
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has shared a sneak-peek into her luxurious vacation in Greece.

Kim took to Instagram, where she shared a slew of throwback images from her June vacation. In the image, she posed for multiple selfies while riding on a boat and a jet ski in the post.

The “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star also posted glimpses of scenic views, wild cats and goats. She ended the post with a sunset.

American media personality Lauren Sánchez made an appearance in some pictures with Kim, reports pagesix.com.

“Greece this summer,” Kim captioned the post.

Last month, Kim shared a video of her sister Khloe Kardashian snapping the reality TV star’s bodysuit

The 43-year-old posted a video on her Instagram stories showing Khloe helping snap a black bodysuit into place while she stood with her pants pulled down, reported ‘People’ magazine.

She captioned the post: “Things I find in my phone… thanks @KhloeKardashian.”

In the clip, Kim filmed herself in a bathroom mirror as Khloe crouched at her waist, trying to fasten the bodysuit’s snaps located underneath her pants but struggling to do so.

“This is literally what sisters do,” Kim joked in the video.

“I can’t snap my bodysuit,” she added.

The two sisters chatted and laughed together as Khloe continued working on Kim’s pictures.

“This is what girls do in the bathroom for so long,” mom-of-two Khloe chimed in.

“When they’re like, ‘What are you doing in there?’ There’s one,” the Good American founder continued, finally managing to close one snap, adding a playful expletive.(Agency)

Tourist from Maharashtra dies in J&K’s Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 6, 2024
A tourist from Maharashtra died on Tuesday in Jammu & Kashmir’s Srinagar city where he was admitted for treatment in a hospital.

Officials said identified the tourist as Radha Krishna Goswami, aged 72. He was staying in a hotel in Gulmarg hill station when he fell ill on Tuesday morning.

“He was shifted to a sub-district hospital in Tangmarg town where doctors referred him to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital for specialised treatment. He succumbed in the SMHS hospital today,” the officials said.

“Police have taken cognisance of the incident and after completion of medico-legal formalities, the body will be sent to the deceased’s native village in Maharashtra,” the officials added.

The union territory received a record-breaking 2.11 crore tourists last year and by June this year, the number had already gone up to two crore.

Rising to the ever-increasing number of tourist arrivals, the local tourism department has opened new destinations like Gurez, Bangus Valley, and several others. The department has accordingly increased the number of rooms available to the tourists.

A large number of homestay facilities have come up in Srinagar city and around the tourist destinations of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg.

The gradual improvement in the law and order situation and opening of newer avenues like mountaineering, trekking, water sports, etc., have come in handy for the tourists choosing Kashmir as their vacation destination.

The return of Bollywood to Kashmir has also helped increase the tourist footfall during the last three years here.

This year the number of pilgrims to the Amarnath cave shrine had also witnessed a huge rise. So far nearly five lakh devotees had ‘darshan’ inside the holy cave.(Agency)

Fear and anxiety grips Dhaka as harrowing incidents of violence come to light in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Aug 6, 2024
Attendance at various government offices in Dhaka remained quite low amid growing fear and anxiety, Bangladesh media reported on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country.

With the central office of the Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital set on fire Monday night, tension gripped the ministry offices where portraits and photographs of Hasina were taken down on Monday morning.

“The smell of the fire from the Awami League office in the morning could be sensed from the Secretariat, increasing the fear among the officers and employees. Many people were leaving the Secretariat out of fear,” reported Dhaka Tribune.

The leading national daily quoted an official as saying that people were currently working “under the directives of the Secretary” and will keenly watch how the situation unfolds.

“Some officers and employees believed that leaving the Secretariat in this situation could be exploited by miscreants, potentially damaging important state documents. Therefore, they preferred to stay at the office,” the report mentioned.

Meanwhile, violence and chaos continues in the country after Hasina left Dhaka for New Delhi on Monday.

The Daily Star reported that at least 24 people were killed after a mob set fire to Zabeer International Hotel owned by Shahin Chakladar, the general secretary of Jashore District Awami League in the Khulna Division.

“The bodies were lying on different floors,” said Mamun Mahmud, Deputy Director of Khulna Fire Service who said that the blaze was finally doused around 5:45 am, local time on Tuesday.

The local media also reported a surge in sale of bail bonds in Dhaka courts following the decision that hearings will be held immediately whenever a bail application is made in a political case.

“After receiving the news, lawyers began applying for bail for the accused arrested in political cases starting from Tuesday morning.

“Since morning, long queues of lawyers have formed at every booth in the court to buy bail bonds. The decision to hear bail applications was taken during a meeting with lawyers earlier in the morning in the district judge’s court meeting room,” reported Dhaka Tribune.(Agency)

HM Shah shoots down Saugata Roy’s advice on handling Naxalism Bengal-style

New Delhi, Aug 6, 2024
Question Hour in the Lok Sabha saw a spirited exchange between Trinamool MP Saugata Roy and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday over controlling Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

Bringing up the issue of extremism in the country, Saugata Roy said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday that every week, there is news about clashes and encounters between security forces and Maoists.

Speaking during Question Hour Saugata Roy added, “There was Left Wing Extremism in West Bengal, but the Mamata Banerjee government controlled it there, worked on development and gave jobs to tribals.”

Saugata questioned, “Will the Union Home Minister, and state ministers follow the model of West Bengal and adopt it in Chhattisgarh and other states as well? Because, they are not able to control Left Wing Extremism.”

The MP’s comments came in the wake of recent attacks by Naxals in Chhattisgarh.

In mid-July, as many as two security personnel lost their lives, and four others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Naxals in Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh.

Similarly in June, two CRPF personnel were killed in an IED blast by Naxalites in Sukma District in Chhattisgarh. The IED blast took place near Timmapuram village between Silger and Tekalgudem camps in Sukma District of security forces, over 400 km from Raipur.

Replying to the Trinamool MP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “If any state does well, then Prime Minister Modi’s government has no problem in implementing its example in the whole country. But I believe that no state would want the model of West Bengal to be adopted there.”

This is not the first time Saugata Roy has criticised the Union government on its policies.

Earlier on Thursday, speaking in the Lok Sabha, the senior Trinamool MP accused the Centre of transforming the education system of the country into a money-laundering enterprise.

Saugata Roy also condemned the administration for failing to address the RSS’ growing interference in the education sector.

During a debate on the Union education ministry’s grant demands in the Lok Sabha, the MP for Dum Dum pointed out the absence of world-class institutions in India and questioned why the country lacks a single educational center that is on par with Harvard, Cambridge, or Yale.(Agency)

Public awareness, govt action needed to curb unhealthy foods, halt rising NCDs: Experts

New Delhi, Aug 6, 2024
Public awareness coupled with government action is needed to curb unhealthy food practices which will then help fight the rising non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, according to experts on Tuesday.

India has been witnessing a significant rise in obesity, diabetes, and hypertension which have been driving various health problems majorly heart diseases, stroke, and cancers.

A recent study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that westernisation of diet characterised by increased consumption of processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats has contributed to the global rise in gut microbial vulnerability, chronic inflammation, and chronic diseases, affecting mainly the cardiovascular system, systemic metabolism, and the gut.

“Changing dietary patterns and eating more industrial food products is responsible for increasing obesity and diabetes and 56 per cent deaths in India,” Arun Gupta, a paediatrician, and NAPi convener, told IANS

He blamed it on the “seductive and misleading advertising” and called for “necessary stringent regulation to control the food industry which comes at the expense of a sicker population”.

Meanwhile, the study by researchers from the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria discussed the links between diet and disease in the context of obesity and type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, gut and liver diseases, and solid malignancies.

They also argued that “healthcare professionals and societies must react today to the detrimental effects of the Western diet to bring about sustainable change and improved outcomes in the future”.

Rajeev Jayadevan, a Kochi-based gastroenterologist, told IANS that the term “Western diet” may be misleading and stigmatising, instead, he urged “it needs to be replaced by more precise, neutral terms such as ‘convenience diet’, ‘industrialised diet’ or ‘urban diet’.”

“Thus, it is not a question of the Western diet, but rather dietary indiscretion. It is driven by peer influence, advertising, availability, affordability, and convenience,” he said.

“Essentially, it refers to an increased amount of ultra-processed foods, high-calorie beverages, and fatty snacks that are high in sugar and salt being consumed instead of a balanced diet consisting of healthy fruit and vegetable servings, whole grains, eggs, legumes, fish, and lean meat,” he explained.

The doctor stated that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods, unhealthy fats, and high salt and sugar in the setting of a sedentary lifestyle is a well-known recipe for chronic illnesses.

He called for educating children “about healthy eating patterns, informing of the outcomes of poor dietary choices”.

“While the additional effects of alcohol and tobacco are already known, what needs to be studied more are the effects of pesticides, plastics, reheated oil, various pollutants, food colouring agents, and preservatives,” Jayadevan said.

Gupta also suggested that the government “bring a Bill for ‘warning on the front of the pack’ and ‘restriction of marketing and advertising’ exposure of people and move to halt rising obesity and diabetes”.(Agency)

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