The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 witnessed another thrilling contest between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians which the Virat Kohli-led side were able to win in the Super Over.
On Monday, Bangalore posted 201/3 while batting first, riding on brilliant half centuries from Aaron Finch (52), Devdutt Padikkal (54) and AB de Villiers (55). In response, the Rohit Sharma-led side managed to match the score, courtesy brilliant knocks of 99 and 60 not out from Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard respectively in their allotted 20 overs.
The result of the match was decided through a Super Over in which Mumbai Indians could muster seven runs and then RCB chased down the 8-run target on the last ball of the over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
This was the first instance for Mumbai Indians where they lost a match in the Super Over bowled by Bumrah.
Earlier on April 29, 2017, Bumrah had won the match for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Lions when he managed to defend 11 runs. Bowling to the likes of Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum, the Indian pacer gave just six runs from his six deliveries at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Then on May 2, 2019, Bumrah again won the match for his franchise against SunRisers Hyderabad when he conceded just eight runs in the Super Over which Mumbai Indians chased down within the first three deliveries at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Writer-producer Shailja Kejriwal says serving as a juror for the Emmy Awards in the Covid-19 era was an interesting experience, with the virtual world connecting people all across the world.
“Looking at the amazing work from different parts of the world from the point of view of relevance, inclusivity and impact is a big responsibility but it’s worth it,” Kejriwal told.
Talking about the process of voting for the jury in the Covid-19 era, Kejriwal said: “The pandemic made the whole judging process online this year. The most interesting part of being on a jury like this is meeting and interacting with other members as well as talent, which unfortunately could not happen this year.”
“So that was sad, but the great experience was watching some amazing content from different parts of the world. The professionalism and fairness with which it was hosted by Keiko H. Bang, CEO, Millenasia, was amazing. None of the jury members were allowed to speak to each other before the judging process was over,” she added.
Kejriwal, known for creating content properties including the Zindagi, continued: “We all watched the content at the exact same time and had to judge individually for the best concept and production without influencing one another. There were break out groups, where we got a chance to interact with the other jury members and we could discuss anything but the material we were judging, so that was interesting.”
“It opens up a lot of opportunities for sharing best practices and/or collaborating in the future. Being part of the jury is by invitation and our category this year was to judge the semi- final round of Best Drama Series,” she added.
This year, the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards gala was held virtually on September 20.
Canadian family comedy, “Schitt’s Creek”, made history at the ceremony as it took home the majority of awards. Brian Cox’s “Succession” and the superhero series “Watchmen” also emerged big winners. “Schitt’s Creek” won nine awards, going on to break the Emmys record for most wins in a single season for a comedy. “Succession” won the Best Drama Series accolade.
Asked about representation of India on foreign shores, the content producer said: “As a jury member you are not privy to content that comes from your own region, but seeing the shows that made it to the top five in the last couple of years, I would say that India has a fair bit of representation.
“Not only are our makers and artists creating content that is viewed globally, but we also are one of the largest markets for content consumption,” she added.
5 natural alternatives to help you cope up with work stress.
5 natural alternatives to help you cope up with work stress.
Covid-19 has triggered a global financial crisis and due to strict adoption of lockdown measures, the magnitude of poor mental health is increasing across the world. The ‘New Normal’ hopes to bring a positive outcome, but the fear of contracting the virus is making it difficult for people to live through these times.
All we need is to do is go back to basics and work on maintaining mental health by sculpting resilience on a daily basis. Resilience is a healthy pathway to cope with stress, fear and anxiety. It will make you, the people you care about and the community stronger. The bounce-back-ability is a kind of “miracle drug” personality trait, something that can heal all wounds and right all wrongs. It is a wonderful trait to have as it is related to a plethora of positive outcomes, and “perhaps most important of all” it can be improved.
Resilient outcome doesn’t come about as a result of something particularly earth shattering, it’s just everyday stuff, like getting a teacher to give a bit more attention to a particularly weak or disadvantaged student.
According to the research, resilience contains 5 essential elements:
Knowing your inner self — Your inner self is who you really are on the inside, to know your purpose, values, vision, goals, motivations, and beliefs. Your inner self is who you really are on the inside.
Challenge — Resilient people encompass an adverse situation as a challenge and not as a paralysing phenomenon. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth in future. They don’t view themselves as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.
Analysing situations — Resilient people are very good at analysing any negative situation and turn the situation into a positive phenomenon.
Commitment — Resilient people possess a strong sense of commitment, they are committed to their lives and their goals. Commitment isn’t just restricted to their work – it’s to their relationships, their friendships etc.
Self control — People with resilience, focuses only on self-regulation and self-control. They like to invest their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. They put their time and effort where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident in.
9 ways to build resilience and tackle mental health problems. (Photo: Unsplash)
Here are nine ways to build resilience:
Cognitive Restructuring — Do you often find yourself “stuck in your own head,” caught in endless spirals of negative thinking? Try cognitive restructuring! It is a simple but powerful technique for identifying and undoing negative thinking patterns like worry and rumination. When thought patterns become destructive and self-defeating, it’s a good idea to explore ways to interrupt and redirect them. That’s what cognitive restructuring can do.
Sleep is vital — Sleep is a vital component of every person’s overall health and well-being, often neglected. It reinvigorates the body and prepares it for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Sleep apnea and depression â Is there a correlation?
Maintain perspective — Resilient people are well-versed with the fact that although a situation or crisis may seem overwhelming in the moment, it may not make that much of an impact over the long-term. Remind yourself of your priorities. Doing the “things that matter most” is all well and good – but it requires actually knowing what your priorities are.
Physical Wellness — Physical activity in any kind is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improving your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing physical exercise influences the release and uptake of feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain.
Building Social Connections — Being social enables you to interact with these people and relate to them in a positive manner. People with social connection helps build our resilience and improve our physical and mental health, and help us cope with life stress.
Thought awareness — People with resiliency don’t let any negative thoughts destroy their efforts. Instead they consistently work upon restructuring a positive mindset.
(Photo: Unsplash)
Empathetic and compassionate — Resilient people don’t think of themselves as a victim. They don’t waste time worrying what others think of them. They maintain healthy relationships, but don’t bow to peer pressure.
Balanced diet — A recent study found that a balanced diet (a diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.) supplemented with fish oil led to a reduction in depression among patients. To boost your mental health, focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables along with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Dark green leafy vegetables in particular are brain protective. Nuts, seeds and legumes, such as beans and lentils, are also excellent brain foods.
Spirituality — Spiritual resilience comes by cultivating gratitude and counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you do have rather than focusing on what you’re missing. Build optimism and be positive, accept the past and focus on the future.
The World Health Organization (WHO) will roll out at least 120 million affordable, high-quality rapid Covid-19 tests for low and middle-income countries, said in an announcement on Monday
According to a statement , the organisations involved in agreement include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Global Fund, Unitaid, and the WHO.
The WHO and the leading partners will ahead with the project despite it not being fully funded yet.
“As part of this comprehensive, end-to-end effort, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has executed separate volume guarantee agreements with rapid diagnostic test (RDT) producers Abbott and SD Biosensor.
“These two arrangements will make available to LMICs 120 million antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) over a period of six months,” the WHO statement said.
It further said that these tests provide results in 15-30 minutes, rather than hours or days, and will enable expansion of testing, particularly in countries that do not have extensive laboratory facilities or trained health workers to implement molecular (polymerase-chain reaction or PCR) tests.
An emergency-use listing was issued by the WHO last week for the antigen-based rapid Covid-19 diagnostic tests which cost $5 each.
“High-quality rapid tests show us where the virus is hiding, which is key to quickly tracing and isolating contacts and breaking the chains of transmission,” Monday’s statement quoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying.
“The tests are a critical tool for governments as they look to reopen economies and ultimately save both lives and livelihoods.”
As of Tuesday, the overall number of global coronavirus stood at 33,273,720 million, while the deaths have increased to 1,000,825, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Columnist and Restaurant Reviewer Riccha Grrover in an exclusive review of NoriTacos from brand Sugoi JPN and in conversation with the entrepreneur of award-winning food concept Felipe Preece for Asian Lite International.
Felipe Preece
Initially based out of a small dark kitchen under a railway arch in Bethnal Green, and catering to a local pub via a food truck, Sugoi JPN (known for its unique NoriTacos) is now working on a new franchise expansion initiative and plans to launch 10 sites in 12 months during a global pandemic, with two sites already open in South Wimbledon and Palmers Green.
Sugoi JPN is inspired by Tokyo’s ‘Piss Alley’ street food market and Latin America’s street food stalls. A hybrid between Japanese nori and Mexican tacos, the brand prides itself on championing NoriTacos, a crispy seaweed tempura shell shaped like a taco and packed with sushi rice and Japanese-Latin toppings. The secret recipe took a year to develop with particular attention to its structure in order to create the ideal street-food dish that is easy to eat on the go.
For more than fifteen years Felipe and his wife Veronica had been developing Japanese restaurant concepts together providing management, strategic planning, marketing and design and have a proven record of successful concept development.
They have both advised and eaten in different Nihon restaurants around the world including Chicago, Miami, California, Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Paris, Caracas, Santiago, San Juan, and of course, London. They were the creators and founders of SushiOlé (Madrid 2004-2008), Sushi House (Mallorca 2008-2010), Japo Express (Mallorca 2010-2011), Oh! Sushi (Miami 2011-2012).
In 2012 they came to London and following their working stunts with Aqua, Hakkasan and SSP they self-funded Sugoi JPN and within two years became an award-winning brand.
RG- When did you set up Sugoi JPN and what inspired you towards it?
FP- When we arrived in London five years ago, we realised that the Japanese food market was saturated so we were keen to create something different, unique, simple, but cool (which is what Sugoi means). The hospitality industry is aware that delivered food is an increasingly important feature of urban living, uptake is highest in the capital. Technology has been the catalyst, driving uptake via mobile platforms and digital marketing with full-service delivery platforms opening new channels. As a result, we decided to bet on the dark delivery kitchens to try our crazy cool idea, and we found one in Bethnal Green, which we shared. The kitchen was located down an alley under a railway arch which was coincidental, considering our concept was inspired by Piss Alley (Tokyo).
RG-Tell us about the concept of NoriTacos and what cuisine is it?
FP- We are combining the best of Latin and Japanese, traditions, culture and flavours to get a new intense street food and delivery concept: noritacos. These are 100% fresh & fun, in other words: Eating Japanese – Living Latino.
Nori is the Japanese name for edible seaweed which is primarily used as an ingredient to wrap sushi. Taco is the traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.
If we combine the two words, Nori + Taco, we get, Noritaco: A crispy seaweed tempura shell with Japanese-Latin fusion fillings.
RG- Tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur who’s aiming for expansion as the FnB industry is still reeling under the post lockdown impact?
FP- For more than fifteen years my wife Veronica and I had been developing Japanese restaurants concepts together, providing management, strategic planning, marketing and design. We have the knowledge and expertise to create and define restaurants, the brand positioning and expansion, from the initial idea through to the construction, start-up and beyond.
We are professionals who know the Japanese fine dining and casual restaurant industry, with a proven track record of successful concept development. We have also advised and eaten in different Nihon restaurants at cities around the world including Chicago, Miami, California, Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Paris, Caracas, Santiago, San Juan, and of course, London.
We are also the creators and founders of SushiOlé (Madrid 2004-2008), Sushi House (Mallorca 2008-2010), Japo Express (Mallorca 2010-2011), Oh! Sushi (Miami 2011-2012) and Arepita Sliders (2019 – Currently).
The hospitality industry has hugely been impacted by Covid-19 and it’s all about supporting each other during this crisis and getting through it together.
Most restaurants that closed were pivoting their business to delivery and takeaway, however to continue to generate profit, this is almost impossible. Whilst we were closed, we thought about this issue and how we could get around it and we decided on an exciting partnership.
As so many people know already, owning your own business is not always a piece of cake. It’s very rewarding, but it involves more of your time, energy and dedication. So we wanted to give entrepreneurs an opportunity to run their own delivery kitchen, and professionals who would like to maximise their restaurants or delivery/takeaway business, by adding a successful and multi award-winning concept to it.
We do the training, we give them the right to use our brand, we teach them our know how, etc. Their venue does not need to have our branding, it will work just with online presence. It will help others to make it happen through maximizing their structure (rent, staff, etc) and it will help us to expand our brand at the same time in a professional way. The whole idea is to be able to run a multi-concept kitchen where entrepreneurs can manage their concept and ours simultaneously in the same venue.
We are quite proud of what we have accomplished over the past two years. As you read through this interview, you’ll see why we say, “This is not just a company, it’s a concept!” and we would love to work with more partners to expand this cool concept.
We don’t want to be thought of as someone who only sells ‘franchises’. That isn’t our intention. We’ve designed this business as if we are going to grow together.
RG- Tell us about your current locations, range of menu options? Do you cater to vegan and vegetarians? Where are your current franchises/outlets?
FP- We are delighted with the response of our partnership idea! We have received hundreds of proposals that are currently being taking into consideration, however, we would like to develop a small and controlled expansion. For the moment we have two Sugoi JPN sites open; the first one started trading at the beginning of August in South Wimbledon and it is working wonderfully, better than we expected. The second one opened at the end of August in Palmers Green and it is part of an Italian restaurant that closed to become a multi-concept dark kitchen – it is also working very well.
We are currently in negotiation to open more Sugoi JPN sites in East London and there are a couple of good potential opportunities in the Central area as well. Simultaneously we are launching a new concept of franchise partners inspired by Venezuelan food which has been adapted to meet the needs of the modern consumer during the pandemic. The concept is called Arepita Sliders and the first kitchen opened on September 17th in Tooting Broadway.
Our concept was designed to meet the growing demands of the vegan and gluten-free consumer market as well as online delivery. Our forward-thinking team are also on a mission to tackle one of the biggest challenges we are facing as a global community; food waste.
Both concepts offer options to suit a wide range of palates and dietary requirements.
RG- What are future plans for Sugoi JPN? Does your menu have specials or seasonal dishes or is it the same menu across venues through the year?
FP- With regards to the future, our plan is to develop a controlled small expansion, with ten more kitchens opening in London. After that we can think about opening internationally, maybe in the Middle East, who knows! Things can change so quickly, as we have seen with Covid-19, so it’s about being flexible, and having the capability to adapt to drastic changes quickly and calmly.
Also, we would like to think that in the future our nori shells could be available in retail stores and supermarkets so our customers can make their own noritacos at home.
We are constantly adapting our menu on a seasonal basis to keep up with the latest trends and we do launch cool limited time only dishes, so yes, we have some special dishes once in a while.
RG- What kind of a meal can diners look forward to when they order a meal from your outlet? What’s the kind of vibe you wanted to create with your menu?
FP- We offer a very unique menu. We are a very positive, original, humble brand, and that is our aim, not to be recognised as the best ones, or be in the top 10, we just want to keep it cool, relaxed, friendly, and connect with our customers.
RG- What have been your high points that keep you motivated to be in the food business? What would you say are the challenges involved in FnB start-ups?
FP- Without a doubt, our motivation is the personal satisfaction we feel when we see our guests smile after trying our food and they leave happy.
With regards to the challenges, definitely the lack of passion in the industry, but also the level of initial investment. However, when we speak about street food, there are not as many high risks if we compare it with a brick and mortar restaurant in a local high street that comes with rent and cost pressures, as well as maybe needing refurbing, equipment, an army of staff, etc. You can start your business and develop your concept at a considerably lower risk. I would advise collecting and analysing feedback, improving the logistics, operations, etc before you go and invest half million in a restaurant and realise that you made a mistake – it will save you a lot of time, effort and money.
However, the revenue is proportional-you won’t make as much money at the beginning as you could in a restaurant, but it can be more profitable.
RG- What would you say is the reason of the continued success of your NoriTacos offerings?
FP-Just three words – we are Sugoi!
RG-Any words of advice or inspiration to budding enthusiasts for setting up their own food brand?
FP- Without passion your game is going to be over sooner or later, that is the most important thing. You need to be human, we are dealing with people, not with numbers. This is hospitality and if you don’t have the enthusiasm and love for it, people will notice it. Remember, happiness brings success, not money!
And with the pandemic situation we are currently in, do not see this as a crisis, but an opportunity! Be positive and open your mind and think outside the box. Everyone is starting from scratch, take advantage of it and make this new start work for you.
Sugoi is a Japanese superlative, is an exclamation linked to the positive admiration of talent or power, very used in Japan to describe something that is wonderful or incredible (Cool-Awesome). JPN is the acronym or the international abbreviation for the country of the rising sun. It could be interpreted as the incredible power of Japan, its cuisine, but with a happy Latin twist in the case of their food concept.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement at an extraordinary European Parliament plenary session in Brussels, Belgium, July 23, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
The European Union (EU) has reiterated of considering legal options if the UK breaches the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement with the controversial Internal Market Bill, which will override some parts of the deal, it was reported.
The remarks were made by Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations, after a meeting with UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove on Monday, Euro News said in a report.
“The Withdrawal Agreement is to be implemented, not to be renegotiated, let alone unilaterally changed, disregarded or disapplied,” Sefcovic was quoted as saying to reporters.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement at an extraordinary European Parliament plenary session in Brussels, Belgium, July 23, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
“It cannot be stressed enough that the (Ireland/Northern Ireland) Protocol is specifically designed to protect the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement and the achievements of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland,” he added.
The Good Friday Agreement refers to a pair of deals signed on April 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, a political conflict in Northern Ireland that had been ongoing since the 1960s.
It served as a major development in the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s.
Sefcovic further said that the EU has given the UK until the end of the month to withdraw the Internal Market Bill and that it is “considering all legal options available” and will “not be shy” in using them if London fails to do so.
London, Sept. 11, 2020 (Xinhua) — British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove walks to 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, Sept. 8, 2020. Senior officials from the European Union (EU) and Britain met in London on Thursday for hastily arranged talks over a controversial Brexit bill as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson intended to override key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement previously agreed with Brussels. (Xinhua/Han Yan/IANS)
In a statement issued after the meeting, the UK’s Cabinet Office said: “The measures set out in the Internal Market Bill are designed to create a ‘safety net’ to ensure the communities of Northern Ireland are protected.
“The UK is clear that those measures would not be withdrawn.”
The Internal Market Bill proposed by the Johnson-led government would override that part of that agreement when it came to goods and would allow the UK to modify or re-interpret “state aid” rules on subsidies for firms in Northern Ireland, in the event of the two sides not agreeing a future trade deal.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the bill would provide belt-and-braces protection against extreme interpretations of the Brexit protocol, adding that the law-breaking powers will only be used in extreme circumstances.
Meanwhile, his government has agreed to table an amendment to the bill, giving MPs a vote before its powers are used.
The UK left the EU on January 31, having negotiated and signed the withdrawal agreement, which is now an international treaty, with the bloc, the BBC reported.
The two sides are now in the closing weeks of negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal before the transition period ends on December 31.
The Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals (DC), high on confidence after two wins on the trot, will be up against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), the only team without a point, in the 11th match of the IPL, today.
While DC will aim for a hat-trick of wins, the David Warner-captained SRH would aim to register their first win of the season, having lost two of their previous outings against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
In their first game against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), which went into the Super Over, Marcus Stoinis and Kagiso Rabada ensured a win for DC before they comprehensively defeated a star-studded Chennai Super Kings in the next match.
In batting, the DC top-order comprising Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw will look to lay the foundation of a big total. While Shaw looks in good nick with the willow, Dhawan is dish out something special.
Rishabh Pant and Iyer have also been in fine form. While the duo rescued DC after a top-order collapse against KXIP, they also chipped in with valuable contributions against CSK.
In the bowling department, the South African pace duo Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje have looked sharp so far. The DC team management will just hope Nortje to be a bit economical like his compatriot.
In the absence of ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is recovering from an injury, Axar Patel and Amit Mishra have performed decently well and they are once again likely to share the spin workload. Ashwin suffered an injury in their game against Punjab and his inclusion in the playing XI remains doubtful.
From left to right Mr Sayed Habib General Manager Business Development of Danube Home , Mr Shubhojit Mahalanobis General Manager of Danube Home, Mr Adel Sajan Director of Danube Home
From left to right Mr Sayed Habib General Manager Business Development of Danube Home , Mr Shubhojit Mahalanobis General Manager of Danube Home, Mr Adel Sajan Director of Danube Home
Danube Home, the leading one-stop retail solution for all home interior and improvement needs in the region, announced the virtual launch of its latest Garden collection 2021 on 24th September 2020 at the Danube Home showroom where Mr.Adel Sajan – Director Danube Home, Mr.Shubhojit Mahalanobis – General Manager Danube Home and Mr.Sayed Habib – General Manager Business Development Danube Home addressed the media and other esteemed guests virtually.
“The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a challenging year with travel restrictions, social distancing, and fear in the air. At the same time, it offered a chance for individuals and organizations to reset and reshape the world in a more sustainable way. Following this shift with the new normal, Danube Home decided to take the paperless route with our all-new Garden e-catalogue 2021. The new exhaustive e-catalogue is loaded with Danube Home outdoor product range along with insightful information about each of them. It is designed to be easy-to-use, with high-quality visuals all organized into easy-to-navigate sections”, commented Mr. Adel Sajan, Director Danube Home.
The concept of the new Garden Catalogue 2021 is – ‘Bring in the outdoor’. With their new product offering, Danube Home brings the outdoor ambience to home exteriors. A major part of 2020 saw people working and staying home due to COVID-19. With Danube Home garden solutions, customers can get the feeling of a mini-staycation every time they step out into their outdoor space. Balconies, terraces, backyards, and lawns can be designed to entertain family and friends, provide a place for kids to take a break from their electronic devices and play outside or to simply relax and enjoy moments of solitude all the while staying safe at home.
“The Garden 2021 e-catalogue is seamlessly integrated with our e-commerce website. This means that customers can simply click on the product they like on the e-catalogue to navigate to the specific product page on the site and find detailed information and videos of the product. Once they like what they see, they can add to cart and checkout with ease”, said Mr.Sayed Habib, General Manager Buying Danube Home.
“We consistently strive to provide the best product range for our customers and with our new Garden 2021 collection, our customers are sure to be spoilt for choice in all categories, whether it is outdoor flooring solutions, gazebos, umbrellas, sofas, balcony furniture, lighting, garden ornaments, kids play or outdoor bar and barbeque sets. We also have an expert team of professionals who can landscape with our lifelike artificial grass and plants that look great without the maintenance hassle. This year we have added many new products for the kids play area as well as barbeque sets, camping solutions, and artificial plants. I would like to thank my team for the efforts they have put to make a diverse portfolio of products available to appeal to the aesthetics of every customer”, He added.
Danube Home also offers free garden design services which make them even more appealing.
“We are happy to see that customers are keener than ever to design their home exteriors. We’ve had customers who wanted to convert even parking areas to a garden,” Mr. Sayed Habib said.
At the launch, Danube Home also showcased customer testimonial videos featuring some of their happy customers and a look at how the designers at Danube Home completely transformed customers’ outdoor spaces into dream gardens.
Mr. Shubhojit Mahalanobis, General Manager Danube Home said, “After experiencing a challenging period in March-April 2020, we have come back with a bang thanks to our diverse portfolio of products, our adherence to stringent safety protocols, and new and improved strategies in place. Since this period, the global furniture market has also been seeing steady growth as people are now focusing on improving their homes owing to the travel restrictions and COVID-19 related safety protocols. The demand for outdoor furniture is also rising as more and more people have started realizing that living space is not just confined to the walls around them. We as a retailer continuously strive to explore avenues for seamless experience while shopping at all platforms. So I am sure that with the e-catalogue, ecommerce business and brick-and-mortar stores, our customers shall get enthralled as a complete package.”
Saudi Arabia busted a terrorist cell whose members got military and field training inside sites belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday citing the spokesman for the Presidency of State Security. The cell was discovered last week during security monitoring according to SPA, report.
The spokesperson also said that a total of 10 members of the cell were arrested, three of them received training in Iran. The cell was formed between October and December 2017, the spokesperson added.
According to the spokesperson, their training took place in two locations and included field exercises and making explosives. The security operation seized a large number of weapons, explosives, chemicals, and electronic devices and equipment from a house and a farm.
Amnesty International has closed its offices in India, as it had to let go of all the staff after its bank accounts were frozen earlier this month by the government of India.
“The complete freezing of Amnesty International India’s bank accounts by the Enforcement Directorate, an investigative agency of the Government in India, brings all the work being done by the organisation in India to an abrupt halt. Amnesty has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work,” the Amnesty said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the government of India reportedly stated that the global rights watchdog has been receiving foreign funds illegally and that it never registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
Responding to the closure, Julie Verhaar, Acting Secretary General of Amnesty International, said:
“This is an egregious and shameful act by the Indian Government, which forces us to cease the crucial human rights work of Amnesty International India for now. However, this does not mark the end of our firm commitment to, and engagement in, the struggle for human rights in India. We will be working resolutely to determine how Amnesty International can continue to play our part within the human rights movement in India for years to come.
Acting Secretary General of Amnesty International Julie Verhaar
“The Amnesty movement is very proud of the vital work carried out by our outstanding colleagues in India regardless of the risks they faced, including their unequivocal calls for accountability for the actions of the authorities during the Delhi riots and in Jammu and Kashmir and their work on gender based violence. Sadly, this enormously important work standing up for victims has been met with the heavy-handed tactics that Indian civil society has become increasingly familiar with – part of the government’s drive to silence critical voices and stoke a climate of fear.
“The staff of Amnesty India have shown great dignity in the face of a concerted and vicious smear campaign of spurious allegations, raids by various investigative agencies, malicious media leaks, and intimidation without an iota of credible evidence of wrongdoing. No laws have been broken,” she said.
