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BERLIN: Adidas can declare itself the winner over arch-rival Nike in the upcoming soccer World Cup even before the first match kicks off as it is kitting out the most teams.
However, the German sportswear brand, which is also the official sponsor of the tournament, expects only a limited financial impact, partly because this year’s World Cup takes place in Russia, where the economy is in the doldrums.
“The World Cup in Russia does carry lower financial opportunities than the similar event four years ago in Brazil,” Adidas Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted said earlier this month.
“At the same time, we’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be a fantastic way of bringing our brand to life globally,” Rorsted added.
Since the last tournament in 2014, Adidas has grown sales rapidly in areas other than soccer, capitalizing on booming demand for its retro basketball sneakers and springy Boost running shoes to outpace Nike, particularly in the U.S. market.
Nevertheless, soccer remains important for the image of the German brand, which has supplied the World Cup match ball since 1970 and has a deal to sponsor the event until 2030.
After Nike kitted out more teams for the first time in Brazil in 2014, Adidas has fought back, this year sponsoring 12 of the 32 participating teams, including strong contenders like Germany and Spain, along with hosts Russia.
Nike, which only got heavily involved in soccer when the World Cup was played in the United States in 1994, is supplying shirts for 10 countries, including Brazil, France, and England.
“The World Cup is such a powerful moment in sport, and we look forward to amplifying its energy,” Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker said in March.
While team deals are important for sales of soccer jerseys, more critical for sales of boots is the sponsorship of top players, particularly the likes of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who wears Nike, and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, in Adidas.
Nike expects 60 percent of all the players heading to Russia will be wearing its boots, including almost half the German and Spanish team and three-quarters of the Russians, even though they will be wearing Adidas shirts.
An exception is Iran, which faces new sanctions after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal. Nike says none of the country’s players are wearing its shoes, while Adidas is providing the team’s jerseys.
German brand Puma is a distant third, sponsoring just four relatively lowly teams in the competition, compared with the eight it kitted out in 2014, dented by the failure of its top team Italy to qualify.
Still, Puma Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden says the World Cup has helped its order book for the second and third quarters.
Adidas reported soccer-related sales of 2.1 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in 2014, when it sold 14 million official match balls and 8 million jerseys, including 3 million for the winning German team.
Sales rose to 2.5 billion euros by 2016 but slipped as a proportion of total Adidas revenue to 13.5 percent from 14.5 percent in 2014. It has not disclosed figures since then.
Nike saw soccer sales fall a currency-adjusted 4 percent to $2 billion for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2017, accounting for less than 6 percent of group revenue.
The World Cup could add about 3 to 4 percentage points to Adidas group revenue growth in 2018, lower than previous tournaments due to the fact it is happening in Russia, according to Piral Dadhania, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.
However, Dadhania noted much of the benefit occurs before the event as the jerseys have already been sold to retailers.
“Any incremental boost during or after the event relating to jersey sales depends on the extent to which specific teams progress through the competition,” Dadhania said.
The post Adidas takes 12-10 lead over Nike in World Cup shirt deals appeared first on ARYNEWS.
KARACHI: Fishermen had a big catch between the mouth of Turchan and Khajar creek of the Sindh coast when they netted a 15-foot long giant sawfish on May 26.
Locally known as liara, the gigantic yet dead sawfish was caught by shrimp trawler Al Zahid Ali. But due to the large size and heavy weight of the female large-tooth sawfish, fishermen used a crane to carry it on their boat. They later transported the endangered species to Karachi on a pick-up and auctioned it the same day at Ibrahim Hyderi.
The sawfish was estimated to weigh approximately 1,320 kg.
Sawfish are a critically endangered species and the population of this rarely occurring marine animal is globally threatened with extinction due to overfishing. Three species of sawfish namely knife-tooth (Anoxypristis cuspidatus), large-tooth (Pristis pristis) and large-comb (Pristis zijsron) were found in Pakistan.
There was an abundance of sawfish in Arabian Sea prior to the 1980s but because of the vulnerability of this species, specially the presence of a large rostra (saw) in front of their head, its population rapidly collapsed in Pakistan and since 1985, there are no commercial fisheries in existence.
It is believed that sawfish are practically extinct in Pakistan. However, during the last decade, a Pakistan based World Wilflife Fund (WWF) programme documented a few specimens, incidentally caught by fishermen and reported them to the authorities. Studies reveal that the sawfish inhabits coastal waters, and sometimes ascend rivers.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed all sawfish species as ‘Critically Endangered’ because of a worldwide decline in their populations. Sawfish is also included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Under the Appendix 1 of CITES, the commercial trade of sawfish is prohibited.
The post 15-foot long sawfish caught, chopped and sold in Karachi appeared first on ARYNEWS.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the approval of first ever film and culture policy by cabinet in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was a historic step.
Addressing a press conference, she said the government had laid solid foundation for revival of the film industry and preservation and promotion of national culture.
Former premier Nawaz Sharif constituted a committee comprising Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Attaul Haq Qasmi, Jamal Shah, Fauzia Saeed and other experts on culture from across the country and consultations were held with more than 100 experts to finalize the policy, she informed.
She said the new generation was alienated from the country’s culture, civilization and traditions because of the spread of new technologies and due to the rise in tendencies of extremism. “If the difference of opinion is due to some logic and reason, it is not an issue but when the differences reach the level of animosity then it is harmful. Those nations which are not tolerant cannot prosper,” she said. She further said cultural aspect was missing in the old curriculum but this time cultural issues were to be made part of curriculum.
She said films had been given the status of an industry and the film makers could now get facility of financing, adding film academy and studios would be set up, import duty on film equipment would be reduced to three percent, film finance fund was established besides preparation of an archive and database for films and dramas and the suggestion to formulate box office rating mechanism was also part of the policy.
The foreign film makers would get access to breathtaking and scenic locations of Pakistan and would get rebate for their film production in Pakistan, she explained. Pakistani films and dramas would also be exhibited in China, screening of Indian films on Eid days would be stopped and festivals would be held to boost local culture and films.
The post Minister hails Cabinet approval of Pakistan’s first-ever film, culture policy appeared first on ARYNEWS.
WASHINGTON: Nikolas Cruz, the now infamous shooter behind February’s Parkland school massacre, filmed his disturbing plans to attack his former school in footage released by Florida prosecutors Wednesday.
“It’s going to be a big event. When you see me on the news, you’ll know who I am,” Cruz said, filming with his cellphone.
“My name is Nik, and I’m going to be the next school shooter of 2018,” said the 19-year-old, in clips apparently in part filmed on February 14, the day of the shooting, which killed 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
“My goal is at least 20 people,” he added, speaking in a calm, nonchalant voice in an outdoor setting.
“You’re all going to die. Pew pew pew pew pew. Ah yeah. Can’t wait.”
Cruz explained his plan to take an Uber taxi, armed with his semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, to his old school. The video also revealed he initially intended to shoot down at students in a courtyard.
“All the kids in school will run in fear and hide. From the wrath of my power they will know who I am,” Cruz said.
“I am nothing, I am no one, my life is nothing and meaningless,” added the shooter, who was arrested soon after the massacre.
“I hate everyone and everything. With the power of my AR, you will all know who I am.”
Cruz faces the death penalty if he is convicted of first-degree murder.
The post ‘You’re all going to die’: Parkland school shooter’s phone videos released appeared first on ARYNEWS.
LAHORE: Former chief secretary of Punjab Nasir Saeed Khosa has excused to accept the office of the Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, sources said.
According to sources, Mr. Khosa was not consulted before his name was recommended for the top slot of the interim setup in Punjab.
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rashid said the party is taking back its decision to install Mr. Khosa as caretaker chief minister owing to public backlash.
He said a new name for the position will be made public soon after consultation with party leaders.
The opposition leader said the decision to withdraw Mr. Khosa’s name was taken after taking into consideration public backlash and voices of disagreement within the party.
Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had recently agreed over the name of Nasir Saeed Khosa as the caretaker chief minister of the province.
PTI’s central information secretary Fawad Chaudhry in a video message on Wednesday said “Mr Khosa’s name has been withdrawn following backlash on social media, public media and within the party.”
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his surprise over the PTI’s change of heart, saying Mr Khosa’s name had been given by the opposition and finalised after a thorough consultation. “It is beyond one’s comprehension why PTI withdrew the name of its own nominee after finalisation of the process,” he wondered.
He said the issue of caretaker chief minister stood settled as a summary in this regard had already been sent to the Punjab governor that could not be legally withdrawn.
Previously PTI chairman Imran Khan had also rejected the decided nomination of Manzoor Afridi for caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI took two days to withdraw its decision of nominating Nasir Saeed Khosa, who had served as federal finance secretary and Punjab chief secretary under Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif from 2010 to 2013.
The post ‘Khosa excuses to be Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab’ appeared first on ARYNEWS.
WASHINGTON: We all take multivitamins to provide our body with additional nutrients other than the meager quantity we get from our adulterated foods. But it turns out, contrary to popular belief, common vitamin and mineral supplements provide no health benefit at all.
A study conducted by the St. Michael Hospital, the most common vitamin and mineral supplements taken by people have no benefit claimed by them, such as prevention of cardiovascular disease, stroke, premature death or any other.
The systematic review of existing data and single randomized control and trials published from January 2012 to October 2017 found that multivitamins, calcium, vitamin D, and some other very common supplements have no advantage against prevention of cardiovascular problems and early death.
The researchers were surprised to find that these multivitamins have very few benefits to provide. These multivitamins have no major benefits but also, do not harm. The study also says that it is only folic acid and B-vitamins that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
It is more beneficial to rely on a healthy diet after knowing the little benefits these multivitamins provide us with.
The study appeared in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The post Multivitamins have no health benefits: Study appeared first on ARYNEWS.
FRANCE: A new study by the French Department of Public Health has found that one million daily smokers in the country quit the habit in the last year.
Smoking has been a cultural image of France for decades.
Authorities attribute the drop to recent anti-smoking measures and higher taxes on cigarettes.
“This historic decline proves to everyone that it is possible to fight against smoking through coherent and integrated actions,” said François Bourdillon, the health department’s director general, in the report released Monday.
According to the study, tobacco kills an average of 200 people in France every day — about 73,000 people per year.
In 2017, 26.9% of 18-to-75-year-olds smoked on a daily basis, down from 29.4% the year before.
That’s a drop from 13.2 million daily smokers to 12.2 million, which health officials attribute to the anti-smoking measures of their National Tobacco Reduction Plan in 2016.
Those steps included a switch to neutral packaging to make cigarette packs look less appealing and a ban on flavors and additives, which were particularly attractive to young people, the report says.
“This is the result of prevention measures that prove their worth, and good news that strengthens my commitment to the … health of all,” tweeted the Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn.
The reduction of smoking is a priority in Buzyn’s prevention policy. She also attributes the lower rates of smoking to an increase in taxes on nicotine.
In March, just after prices for a pack of cigarettes increased by a full euro, sales dropped by nearly 20%.
This may help explain why the decline in smokers was particularly steep among low-income residents.
Buzyn says she plans to increase the price to 10 euros per cigarette package by 2020.
Some 1.1 billion people on the planet — about 15% of the Earth’s population — are smokers, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO says that smoking kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year.
The post About a million people quit smoking in France last year; Here’s why appeared first on ARYNEWS.
LONDON: Looking for a new way to give money to charity as part of Ramadan? A mosque in Britain’s capital is willing to receive your donation – in bitcoin.
The Shacklewell Lane Mosque in Dalston, east London, has decided to accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in a bid to widen its donor base and cut down on currency conversion fees, mosque leaders said.
“For a donor that already has a bitcoin or an ethereum account, the effort of converting cryptocurrency into say British pounds or dollars can be quite burdensome. The mosque effectively takes the burden on themselves,” said blockchain consultant Lukasz Musial, who helped the mosque set up the technology.
Egypt’s Grand Mufti, the nation’s top Sunni Muslim official, said this year bitcoin was not permitted according to Islamic law, Egyptian media reported, but Shacklewell imam Abdalla Adeyemi defended the mosque’s decision.
“Bitcoin is like any other currency. It’s … accepted by a group of people… We ourselves are not trading. We are not involved … we are a charity,” Adeyemi told Reuters.
The mosque says it is one of a handful to accept cryptocurrencies out of hundreds in London and its move is yielding results. It says it is on track to double its donations this year to more than £10,000 ($13,300).
Muslims with the means are religiously obliged to give alms, often calculated based on Islamic texts as being 2.5 percent of their wealth, and many do so during the holy month, a time when Muslim charities are most active.
The post Looking for new way to donate during Ramadan? London mosque now accepts bitcoin appeared first on ARYNEWS.
SAN FRANCISCO: International Data Corporation forecast Wednesday that global smartphone sales would cool this year before heating up with help from new 5G networks and India’s vibrant market.
An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a percent this year to total 1.46 billion in a second straight year of slight decline.
But IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about 3 percent annually to 1.65 billion in the year 2022.
The “biggest driver” of the downturn last year was said by IDC to be the China market, which is expected to be down 7.1 percent this year after shrinking 4.9 percent last year.
IDC forecast that the smartphone market in China would flatten out next year, while sales in India were expected to continue to boom on low-priced handsets sold by Chinese companies.
“China remains the focal point for many given that it consumes roughly 30 percent of the world´s smartphones,” IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Tracker programme vice president Ryan Reith said in a release.
“But, plenty of pockets of growth can be found beyond China.”
A “catalyst to watch” will be arriving next year of smartphones tailored for ultra-fast 5G telecommunications networks, according to IDC.
While smartphone shipments will ebb this year, the average selling price will rise more than 10 percent to $345 and remain on an upward trend, said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella.
“This year will continue to focus on the ultra-high-end segment of the market as we expect a surge of premium flagship devices to launch in developed markets,” Scarsella said.
A trend toward premium smartphones would play to Apple´s strength, and IDC expected iPhone sales to grow 2.6 percent to 221 million total this year and to climb to 242 million by the year 2022.
Handsets powered by Google-backed Android mobile were expected to continue to dominate the smartphone market, with a share of about 85 percent remaining relatively stable during the coming five years.
“There is no question that Android is the OS (operating system) of choice for the mass market and nothing leads us to believe this will change,” IDC said in its forecast.
The post Smartphone market to stay cool this year appeared first on ARYNEWS.
FRANCE: A new study by the French Department of Public Health has found that one million daily smokers in the country quit the habit in the last year.
Smoking has been a cultural image of France for decades.
Authorities attribute the drop to recent anti-smoking measures and higher taxes on cigarettes.
“This historic decline proves to everyone that it is possible to fight against smoking through coherent and integrated actions,” said François Bourdillon, the health department’s director general, in the report released Monday.
According to the study, tobacco kills an average of 200 people in France every day — about 73,000 people per year.
In 2017, 26.9% of 18-to-75-year-olds smoked on a daily basis, down from 29.4% the year before.
That’s a drop from 13.2 million daily smokers to 12.2 million, which health officials attribute to the anti-smoking measures of their National Tobacco Reduction Plan in 2016.
Those steps included a switch to neutral packaging to make cigarette packs look less appealing and a ban on flavors and additives, which were particularly attractive to young people, the report says.
“This is the result of prevention measures that prove their worth, and good news that strengthens my commitment to the … health of all,” tweeted the Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn.
The reduction of smoking is a priority in Buzyn’s prevention policy. She also attributes the lower rates of smoking to an increase in taxes on nicotine.
In March, just after prices for a pack of cigarettes increased by a full euro, sales dropped by nearly 20%.
This may help explain why the decline in smokers was particularly steep among low-income residents.
Buzyn says she plans to increase the price to 10 euros per cigarette package by 2020.
Some 1.1 billion people on the planet — about 15% of the Earth’s population — are smokers, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO says that smoking kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year.
The post About a million people quit smoking in France last year; Here’s why appeared first on ARYNEWS.
LONDON: Looking for a new way to give money to charity as part of Ramadan? A mosque in Britain’s capital is willing to receive your donation – in bitcoin.
The Shacklewell Lane Mosque in Dalston, east London, has decided to accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in a bid to widen its donor base and cut down on currency conversion fees, mosque leaders said.
“For a donor that already has a bitcoin or an ethereum account, the effort of converting cryptocurrency into say British pounds or dollars can be quite burdensome. The mosque effectively takes the burden on themselves,” said blockchain consultant Lukasz Musial, who helped the mosque set up the technology.
Egypt’s Grand Mufti, the nation’s top Sunni Muslim official, said this year bitcoin was not permitted according to Islamic law, Egyptian media reported, but Shacklewell imam Abdalla Adeyemi defended the mosque’s decision.
“Bitcoin is like any other currency. It’s … accepted by a group of people… We ourselves are not trading. We are not involved … we are a charity,” Adeyemi told Reuters.
The mosque says it is one of a handful to accept cryptocurrencies out of hundreds in London and its move is yielding results. It says it is on track to double its donations this year to more than £10,000 ($13,300).
Muslims with the means are religiously obliged to give alms, often calculated based on Islamic texts as being 2.5 percent of their wealth, and many do so during the holy month, a time when Muslim charities are most active.
The post Looking for new way to donate during Ramadan? London mosque now accepts bitcoin appeared first on ARYNEWS.
SAN FRANCISCO: International Data Corporation forecast Wednesday that global smartphone sales would cool this year before heating up with help from new 5G networks and India’s vibrant market.
An IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker expected smartphone sales to slip two-tenths of a percent this year to total 1.46 billion in a second straight year of slight decline.
But IDC predicted that the smartphone market would reignite next year, growing about 3 percent annually to 1.65 billion in the year 2022.
The “biggest driver” of the downturn last year was said by IDC to be the China market, which is expected to be down 7.1 percent this year after shrinking 4.9 percent last year.
IDC forecast that the smartphone market in China would flatten out next year, while sales in India were expected to continue to boom on low-priced handsets sold by Chinese companies.
“China remains the focal point for many given that it consumes roughly 30 percent of the world´s smartphones,” IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Tracker programme vice president Ryan Reith said in a release.
“But, plenty of pockets of growth can be found beyond China.”
A “catalyst to watch” will be arriving next year of smartphones tailored for ultra-fast 5G telecommunications networks, according to IDC.
While smartphone shipments will ebb this year, the average selling price will rise more than 10 percent to $345 and remain on an upward trend, said IDC research manager Anthony Scarsella.
“This year will continue to focus on the ultra-high-end segment of the market as we expect a surge of premium flagship devices to launch in developed markets,” Scarsella said.
A trend toward premium smartphones would play to Apple´s strength, and IDC expected iPhone sales to grow 2.6 percent to 221 million total this year and to climb to 242 million by the year 2022.
Handsets powered by Google-backed Android mobile were expected to continue to dominate the smartphone market, with a share of about 85 percent remaining relatively stable during the coming five years.
“There is no question that Android is the OS (operating system) of choice for the mass market and nothing leads us to believe this will change,” IDC said in its forecast.
The post Smartphone market to stay cool this year appeared first on ARYNEWS.
It is a potential scandal that claims to strike at a key pillar of Indian democracy – the freedom of the press – yet it is barely being reported in the Indian media.
There’s a simple reason for that: this alleged scandal involves many of the most powerful media institutions in the country.
A sting operation by a news organisation called Cobrapost claims to have revealed a deeply engrained bias towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within many of India’s leading media groups, as well as a willingness among some of the country’s most senior media executives and journalists to take money in return for pushing a political agenda.
Cobrapost, a small but controversial outlet known for undercover stings, describes itself as a non-profit news organisation that believes too much journalism in India has been “trivialised”. It has dubbed its story “Operation 136” – the figure is a reference to India’s ranking in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Their website says its recordings show that some of the country’s leading news organisations are willing to “not only cause communal disharmony among citizens, but also tilt the electoral outcome in favour of a particular party”- and all in return for cash.
Undercover stings of this kind are notoriously unreliable. The footage can easily be taken out of context or edited to change the meaning of a conversation or misrepresent its real nature.
An undercover reporter from Cobrapost, Pushp Sharma, says he approached more than 25 of India’s leading media organisations, offering them all a similar deal.
He claimed to represent a wealthy ashram – a Hindu monastery – which, he said, was willing to pay large amounts of money in the run up to next year’s general election in an attempt to ensure the BJP, a Hindu nationalist party, remains in power.
Mr Sharma says he outlined a three-stage strategy his paymasters wanted to bankroll.
First, he proposed the media organisations promote what he describes as “soft Hindutva” – the idea that Hindu faith and values are the defining ideology of India. He suggested this could involve promoting the sayings of Lord Krishna or retelling stories from the Bhagvad Gita, the epic poem that is one of the most holy texts of Hinduism.
The next stage would involve attacks on the BJP’s political rivals, particularly Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress Party.
Finally, the plan was to move on to promoting incendiary speeches from some of hard-line proponents of Hindutva, including some divisive radical Hindu figures.
The idea of this stage of the operation, Mr Sharma explained to some of the executives, was to polarise voters in the hope that the BJP would benefit at the ballot box.
‘Viral videos and jingles’
Amongst the media groups Cobrapost says it approached were giants like Bennett Coleman, the media empire that owns The Times of India – the largest selling English language newspaper not just in India, but in the world.
It also targeted the The New Indian Express, another large English language newspaper, and the India Today Group, which owns one of the country’s most popular television news channels.
Hindi language newspapers and regional media groups were also approached.
According to Cobrapost, all but two of the more than two dozen groups it had meetings with said they were willing to consider the plan.
Videos of the encounters posted on the Cobrapost website show media executives, editors and journalists discussing how they might be able to accommodate his proposals.
The different organisations come up with a whole range of suggestions, from publishing undeclared “advertorials”, to paid news items and special features.
Some say they would set up “special teams” to push the ashram’s agenda. There is talk of creating viral videos, jingles, quizzes and events.
Cobrapost has made some potentially very serious allegations about some of the countries most powerful media organisations.
In most democracies, claims like this would have generated a huge national scandal with banner headlines and public outrage.
But, here in India, only few online media organisations – including the Wire, Scroll and The Print – have given the story extensive coverage.
‘Reverse sting’
Some of the big media groups targeted in the sting have responded to Cobrapost’s claims, however.
They deny any wrongdoing and say that the undercover footage has been edited to misrepresent the real nature of the encounters.
The Times of India, for example, says it is “a case of doctoring of content and falsification” and says none of the media organisations Cobrapost names “agreed to any illegal or immoral activity and no contracts were signed”.
The Cobrapost videos appear to show Vineet Jain, the managing director of Bennett Coleman, the publisher of the Times of India, haggling over how much the group would need in order to consider the proposal. Mr Jain says he wants $150mn (£112mn) but finally settles for half that.
There is also a discussion about how any payment could be made in cash, possibly to avoid paying tax.
Bennett Coleman has since rejected any suggestion of dishonesty. In fact, an article in the Times of India explained that Cobrapost was the victim of what the newspaper calls a “reverse sting”.
It says “senior functionaries” of Bennett Coleman were well aware that Mr Sharma was an imposter and deliberately went along with his proposals in an attempt to “trap the fraudster and discover his true intent”.
The India Today group also denied that it had done anything wrong. In a statement it said that the company’s managers would not do anything unethical, and that any advertising that divides the country on religious or caste lines will not be acceptable or aired on its channels.
Meanwhile the New Indian Express has said that there are no editorial issues for the newspaper because the meetings were between the undercover reporter and advertising executives and the discussion was only about the possibility of an advertising campaign.
It also said it would never accept advertisements which encouraged communal disharmony and that the executives made clear that any advertisement would need to be legally vetted.
There is no question that the Cobrapost allegations need to be treated with healthy scepticism. But there is also no question that they raise potentially troubling doubts over the independence of the media in India, particularly when it is a year away from a general election.
That the world’s largest democracy languishes towards the bottom of the rankings for press freedom is already a matter of national shame.
If proven, these allegations would no doubt see India slipping yet further down the table.
A headline in the online news site Scroll captures the challenge the country faces.
“Cobrapost expose shows Indian media is sinking”, it runs. “Now we can fight back or be drowned.”
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Read Moreلاہور: بلند و بالا اورخوبصورت عمارتوں کو اپنے دامن میں سمیٹے لاہور کے پہلو میں گہرے کھنڈرات اور ویرانوں کا ایسا سلسلہ بھی ہے جسے دیکھ یقین نہیں آئیگا کہ یہ بھی داتا کی نگری کا ہی حصہ ہے۔
لاہور رنگ روڈ محمود بوٹی انٹرچینج کے قریب کئی کلومیٹر پر پھیلے یہ کھنڈرات دریائے راوی کے خشک دامن میں موجود ہیں، یہاں کبھی دریا بہتا تھا لیکن آج یہاں خطرناک کھنڈرات،گہری کھائیاں، جنگلی بوٹیاں اورخوفناک جھاڑیاں ہیں۔
لاہور شہر میں بلند و بالاعمارتوں، پلوں اور انڈر پاسزکی تعمیر کے لئے اس علاقے سے اس قدر ریت اور مٹی اٹھائی گئی ہے کہ دریا کا دامن خوفناک کھنڈرات کی شکل اختیار کر گیا جہاں اب ہزاروں چیلوں، گدھوں اور خطرناک جانوروں کا بسیرا ہے، مقامی لوگ رات کے وقت یہاں سفر کرتے ہوئے ڈر محسوس کرتے ہیں دن کو بھی یہاں سے گزرتے ہوئے بھوکی چیلیں اور گدھ آپ کا استقبال کرتی ہیں۔
ان کھنڈرات اور ویرانوں میں دن کے وقت مقامی چرواہے مویشی چراتے اور بچے جھاڑیوں سے جنگلی پرندے پکڑتے نظر آتے ہیں، ایسے لگتا ہے جیسے یہ کوئی پہاڑی سلسلہ ہے جسے اب کھیتی باڑی کے قابل بنایا جارہا ہے، کچھ لوگوں کا یہ بھی ماننا ہے کہ یہ علاقہ آسیب زدہ ہے جس کی وجہ سے مقامی لوگ یہاں کا رخ نہیں کرتے ہیں، چرواہوں کا کہنا ہے کہ انہیں یہاں سے اکثر پرانے مٹی کے برتن ،کھلونے اور سکے ملتے رہتے ہیں۔
ان کھنڈرات کی بناوٹ بتاتی ہے کہ یہاں کوئی بہت بڑا قدیم پل تھا جو دریائے روائی میں بنایا گیا اور پھر وقت کے ساتھ ساتھ دریا کی ریت نے اسے اپنے دامن میں چھپا لیا اورکھدائی کی وجہ سے یہ کھنڈرات سامنے آئے ہیں، یہ خیال بھی کیا جاتا ہے کہ یہاں کوئی سرائے تھے جو سیلاب اور دریا کے پانی میں ڈوب کربرسوں نظروں سے اوجھل رہی، تاریخی حوالوں سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ دریائے راوی اس وقت لاہور کے شاہی قلعہ کے قریب سے گزرتا تھا جس سے اندازہ لگایا جاسکتا ہے کہ یہ سرائے دریا کے اندر بنائے گئے تھے۔
ان کھنڈرات کی حقیقت سے صوبائی محکمہ آثارقدیمہ کے حکام کا کہنا ہے مغلیہ دور میں یہاں ایک بڑا پل بنانے کی کوشش کی گئی تاکہ افغانستان ، ہندوستان کے شمالی علاقوں سے لاہور میں آنے والے یہاں سے داخل ہوسکیں، تاہم یہ کوشش کامیاب نہ ہوسکی ، یہاں موجود آثار پلوں کے لئے بنائے گئے بڑے بڑے ستونوں کے ہیں، تاہم ان پلوں کے اوپرکاحصہ کہاں گیا اس بارے محکمہ آثارقدیمہ کچھ بتانے سے قاصر ہے۔
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سان تیاگو: ہم چالاک انسان کےلیے لفظ کائیاں استعمال کرتے ہیں لیکن کائیا ایک روبوٹ کا نام ہے جو آپ کے گھر کے کونے کونے کو قدرتی دھوپ سے روشن کرنے کی صلاحیت رکھتا ہے۔
خوبصورت روبوٹ کائیا کی پیداوار شروع ہوچکی ہے اور اس کی صورت ڈش انٹینا سے ملتی جلتی ہے۔ اسے جہاں بھی دھوپ ملتی ہے اس کا خاص ریفلیکٹر اسے گھر کے اندر مطلوبہ جگہ پر بھیجتا ہے اور گھر کا وہ حصہ سورج کی قدرتی روشنی میں روشن ہوجاتا ہے۔
اس کا خاص نظام جانتا ہے کہ کس جگہ اندھیرا ہے اور کہاں کہاں روشنی ڈالنی ہے اور پورے دن سورج کے لحاظ سے خود کو تبدیل کرتے ہوئے روبوٹ گھر کے اندھیرے حصوں کو روشن کرتا رہتا ہے۔ روبوٹ کو عمارتوں، کارخانوں اور دفاتر میں بھی استعمال کیا جاسکتا ہے۔
آپ کو اتنا کرنا ہوگا کہ گھر کے اندر یا باہر کسی بھی مقام پر دھوپ کی ایک کرن یا روشنی کا دھبہ اسے دکھادیں اور یہ خود اپنے آپ کو اس لحاظ سے منظم کرتے ہوئے مطلوبہ جگہ پر روشنی بھیجنے لگتا ہے۔ اسے چلانے کےلیے کسی بجلی اور چارجنگ کی ضرورت نہیں کیونکہ یہ خود سورج سے توانائی لیتا رہتا ہے۔
جدید رہن سہن نے ہمارے گھروں کو تاریک بنادیا ہے اور مصنوعی روشنی میں جی رہے ہیں۔ دھوپ گھر کے جراثیم تباہ کرتی ہے اور قدرتی اینٹی بیکٹیریا بھی ہے۔ اسی طرح خود ہمیں بھی دھوپ اور دن کی روشنی درکار ہوتی ہے جس کا حل کائیا کی صورت میں پیش کیا گیا ہے۔ یہ روبوٹ گھریلوخواتین میں سیروٹونن اور وٹامن ڈی کی کمی دور کرنے میں بھی مدد فراہم کرتا ہے۔
کائیا کو کسی بھی کھمبے، دیوار، بالکونی اور دیگر اشیا پر نصب کیا جاسکتا ہے۔ اگر گھر بڑا ہے تو چھوٹے چھوٹے تین روبوٹ مل کر یہ کام انجام دیتےہیں۔ اس کا کام محض یہ ہوتا ہے کہ وہ ایک جانب سے سورج کی شعاع کو دوسری جانب مرکوز کرتا ہے۔
اس روبوٹ کی قیمت پاکستانی 23 ہزار روپے ہے۔
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روم، اٹلی: نیند کی کمی سے نہ صرف روزمرہ کے معمولات متاثر ہوتے ہیں بلکہ اس سے دماغ کے اندر پیدا ہونے والے فاسد مادے اور دماغی تھکاوٹ بھی دور ہوجاتی ہے۔ لیکن نیند کی مسلسل کمی سے نیورون کم ہونے لگتے ہیں اور ان کے درمیان باہمی روابط بھی کمزور ہوجاتے ہیں اوربعد کی نیند بھی اس نقصان کا ازالہ نہیں کرپاتی۔
اس ضمن میں اٹلی میں مارشے پولی ٹیکنک یونیورسٹی کے پروفیسر مائیکل بیلیسے نے چوہوں پر بے خوابی اور مکمل نیند کے تجربات کیے ہیں اور اس کے بعد یہ نتیجہ اخذ کیا ہے۔
واضح رہے کہ دماغی خلیات یا نیورونز دو طرح کے ذیلی گلائیل خلیات سے مسلسل تازہ ہوتے رہتے ہیں جنہیں اعصابی نظام کا گوند بھی کہا جاتا ہے۔ مائیکروگلائیل خلیات دماغ سے ٹوٹے پھوٹے خلیات کو باہر نکالتے رہتے ہیں اور یہ عمل فیگوسائٹوسِس کہلاتا ہے۔
نیند اس ضمن میں اہم کردار ادا کرتی ہے اور دماغ سے فالتو مواد اور ٹوٹ پھوٹ کو دور کرتی رہتی ہے۔ لیکن نیند کی کمی سے دماغ متاثر ہوتا ہے اور یوں خود اپنے آپ کو نقصان پہنچانا شروع کردیتا ہے۔ ماہرین نے حیرت انگیز طور پر دیکھا کہ نیند کی کمی سے دماغی خلیات کے رابطے یا کنکشنز شدید متاثر ہونے لگے۔ اس شے کی مزید کھوج کےلیے انہوں نے چوہوں کے دماغ کے اسکین لینے شروع کیے۔
ان چوہوں کو چار گروہوں میں بانٹا گیا: چھ سے آٹھ گھنٹے سونے والے چوہے، دوسرے گروہ کو اچانک بار بار نیند سے اٹھایا گیا، تیسرے گروپ کے چوہوں کو آٹھ گھنٹے تک نیند کے بجائے جگایا گیا اور جبکہ آخری گروہ کو مسلسل پانچ روز تک سونے نہیں دیا گیا یعنی ان میں نیند کی شدید کمی پیدا کی گئی۔
ان میں سے آٹھ گھنٹے جاگنے والے اور مسلسل پانچ روز نہ سونے والے دونوں طرح کے چوہوں میں ایک ایسی سرگرمی پیدا ہوئی جس میں مائیکروگلائیل نے رابطہ خلیات کو عین اسی طرح کھانا شروع کردیا جس طرح وہ نیند میں دماغ کے فاسد مواد کو تلف کرتے تھے اور ان میں یہ شرح 14 فیصد تک نوٹ کی گئی جو حیرت انگیز ہے۔
بری خبر یہ ہے کہ ماہرین نے کہا کہ اس طرح بہت سی بیماریوں کا راستہ کھل سکتا ہے جن میں اعصابی انحطاط اور الزائیمر بھی شامل ہیں۔ یعنی نیند کی مسلسل کمی ہمیں الزائیمر جیسے مرض کی جانب لے جاسکتی ہے۔ تاہم اب تک ہم حتمی طور پر نہیں کہہ سکتے ہیں انسانوں پر بھی یہی کچھ گزرتا ہے لیکن چوہوں پر ماضی میں کی گئی اہم تحقیق انسانوں پر ثابت ہوتی رہی ہیں اور ایک دن شاید ان کے درمیان کوئی مماثلت سامنے آسکتی ہے۔
اپنی نوعیت کی یہ اہم تحقیق جرنل آف نیوروسائنس میں شائع ہوئی ہے۔
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برازیل: اگر آپ کو کہیں سویوبا مینڈک دیکھنے کا اتفاق ہو تو اس کی پشت پر بنے آنکھ نما ابھاروں کو غور سے نہ دیکھیے کیونکہ چند لمحوں بعد ان سے زہر کی پھوار خارج ہوسکتی ہے۔ یہ چالاک مینڈک خود کو شکاریوں سے بچانے کےلیے ان کی جانب پشت کرلیتا ہے جس پر آنکھ نما ابھار بنے ہیں اور جونہی شکاری قریب آتا ہے اسے ننھا مینڈک اپنی جسامت سے بڑا دکھائی دیتا ہے اور خطرے کی انتہا پر اس کے پھولے ہوئے جسم سے زہر خارج کرتا ہے۔
مصنوعی آنکھوں تلے غدود زہر سے بھرے ہیں جن سے نکلنے والا زہر 150 چھوٹے چوہوں کو ہلاک کرنے کےلیے کافی ہے جبکہ یہ انسان کو نہیں مارسکتا لیکن تھوڑا بہت نقصان ضرور پہنچاتا ہے اور اس سے جلن کا شدید احساس ہوتا ہے۔
دنیا بھر میں مینڈکوں کی آبادی کم ہورہی ہے لیکن سویوبا مینڈک بڑی تعداد میں انڈے دیتے ہیں اور اسی بنا پر ان کی آبادی مستحکم ہے۔ ایک وقت میں مادہ 3800 انڈے دیتی ہے جن میں اکتوبر سے جنوری کے درمیان بچے پیدا ہوتے ہیں۔ ان کی افزائش کا موزوں ترین موسم کسی تالاب میں بارش کے تیسرے روز سے شروع ہوجاتا ہے۔
یہ مینڈک برازیل اور دیگر ملحقہ ممالک میں پایا جاتا ہے۔
دوسری جانب سویوبا مینڈک کے نر اپنی ماداؤں کو راغب کرنے کےلیے تالاب میں شور مچاتے رہتے ہیں۔ ان مینڈکوں کا رنگ بھدا اور بھورا ہوتا ہے اور اسی وجہ سے انہیں پالنے کا رحجان کم کم ہے ورنہ خوشنما رنگوں والے مینڈک بڑی تعداد میں فروخت ہوتے ہیں جنہیں شوقین افراد پالنا پسند کرتے ہیں۔
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کراچی: شہر میں آج رواں برس اب تک کا سب سے گرم ترین دن تصورکیا جارہا ہے اوردن 12 بجے ہی درجہ حرارت44 ڈگری تک جاپہنچا ہے۔
محکمہ موسمیات کے مطابق کراچی میں شدید گرمی کی لہر برقرار ہے، سمندری ہواؤں کی بندش اور بجلی کی غیر اعلانیہ طویل لوڈشیڈنگ نے شہریوں کی مشکلات میں اضافہ کردیا ہے۔ دن 12 بجے ہی شہر کا درجہ حرارت 44 ڈگری سے تجاوزکرگیا ہے جب کہ ہیٹ انڈیکس 45 ڈگری تک جاپہنچا ہے۔
محکمہ موسمیات کا کہنا ہے کہ شہر میں اس وقت ہوا بالکل بند ہے جب کہ ہوا میں نمی کا تناسب 7 فیصد ہے، آج شہر میں سال کا گرم ترین دن ہوسکتا ہے اور درجہ حرارت 44 ڈگری سے تجاوز کرسکتا ہے۔ شدید گرمی کی یہ لہر جمعرات کو بھی برقرار رہے گی اور جمعے سے گرمی کی شدت میں بتدریج کمی ہوگی۔
معالجین کا کہنا ہے کہ ہیٹ ویوکے دوران خاص طورپرروزے کی حالت میں شہری خصوصی احتیاط کریں، صبح 9 بجے سے 4 بجے تک گھروں سے بلاضرورت باہرنکلنے سے گریزکیا جائے، اس کے علاوہ باہرنکلتے وقت چھتری استعمال کریں اورسرپر گیلا کپڑا رکھیں۔
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