Cheptegei, Gidey Get Their Long Distance Records Ratified
Ugandan long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei’s 10,000m world record and the 5,000m record of Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, which were set earlier this year, have been officially ratified.
Gidey’s 5,000m mark of 14:06.62 and Cheptegei’s 10,000m performance of 26:11.00 were both set at the aptly named ‘NN Valencia World Record Day’ on October 7.
Gidey went first, producing a stunning run that clipped more than four seconds from the previous record set by Tirunesh Dibaba 12 years earlier. A few minutes after the 22-year-old crossed the line, Cheptegei took his turn, churning out 25 laps of the track in an average of less than 63 seconds apiece to better Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old benchmark by more than six seconds. The records for those two events had never been broken on the same day.
Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey
The two-race meeting was held at Valencia’s Turia Stadium before a crowd limited to less than 150 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Cheptegei’s performance had come 54 days after he broke the world 5000m record in Monaco.
“I wanted to show the sports lovers of the world that the track is exciting,” said the 24-year-old, who became the 10th man to hold the 5,000m and 10,000m world record concurrently, as per a World Athletics media release.
Alluding to the coronavirus pandemic, Cheptegei said, “In this difficult situation, I hope things like this can still give us joy and some hope for tomorrow.”
“I have been dreaming about this (setting a world record) for six years,” said Gidey, who hadn’t won a 5000m race since 2016. “I am very happy now,” he added.
The Bengaluru-headquartered Ola has said that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government for setting up a factory which is in line with the firm’s aim to make India a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles.
The ride-hailing major said it will make an investment of Rs 2,400 crore for setting up the “world’s largest” scooter factory in Tamil Nadu.
Upon completion, the factory will create almost 10,000 jobs and will be the world’s largest scooter manufacturing facility, which will initially have an annual capacity of two million units, Ola said.
The announcement comes as the company is gearing up to launch the first of its range of electric scooters in the coming months.
The Tamil Nadu factory will cater to customers not only in India but in markets around the world including Europe, Asia, Latin America, and more.
“This will be one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world. This factory will showcase India’s skill and talent to produce world class products that will cater to global markets,” Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman and Group CEO, Ola, said in a statement.
The factory will produce Ola’s upcoming range of two-wheeler products starting with Ola’s electric scooter.
Ola said that it features a beautiful and seamless design, removable banana battery that is easy to carry and can be charged anywhere as well as “intelligent” software designed to elevates the consumer experience of owning a scooter.
Earlier this year Ola announced plans to hire over 2,000 people for its electric business as it builds a suite of electric and smart urban mobility solutions for consumers around the world.
Recently, the company also roped in General Motors veteran Jose Pinheiro to head its global manufacturing and operations.
Despite the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Telangana is focusing on expansion of information technology sector to further strengthen its standing as a leading global technology destination.
It is not only setting up IT parks in tier-II cities but within Hyderabad, it is taking up initiatives to ensure expansion of the sector in all corners of the city.
For over two decades, the IT presence in Hyderabad was confined to Madhapur and Gachibowli clusters in western part of the city and it is only in recent years that few companies started their operations in the east.
The state government has now drawn up ambitious plans to take the IT growth to all corners of the city.
Under the GRID (Growth in Dispersion) policy of the state government, as many as 11 industrial parks within Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits will soon be converted into IT parks. This week, the authorities issued detailed guidelines pertaining to the zones, incentives and government support for the conversion.
The IT towers will come up in industrial parks at Balanagar, Kukatpally, Moula Ali, Mallapur, Patancheru, Katedan and Sanatnagar, covering all corners of the city excluding the west.
This followed the government’s order to all polluting industries within the ORR to shift outside it. Non-polluting industries were also given the option to shift.
Officials say the conversion of industrial parks into IT Parks will improve the elevation and the quality of living in the city.
Home to 1,500 IT/ITES companies including global majors Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and nearly six lakh employees, Hyderabad is recognised as one of the leading Information Technology hubs globally.
The new initiatives including GRID are expected to help achieve the state government’s vision to increase the IT exports to $25 billion (Rs 1,87,000 crore) by 2025.
The officials said the government embarked on dispersion as there is resurgence of interest among the global investors community, due to the state’s investor friendly and proactive policy measures.
It is estimated that, about 30 per cent of the IT talent pool resides in eastern part of the city and commutes to western IT Corridor on a daily basis. Similarly, a large part of the IT workforce resides in the northern parts of the city including Kompally, Bahadurpally, Bachupally and Dundigal. This has led to overall city congestion and increase in commuting time for the IT employees.
Dispersing the IT sector will not only decongest the western corridor and reduce the infrastructural burden, but also makes it convenient for IT workforce to commute to work and reduce the transportation burden on the IT companies.
This is part of the objective to make Hyderabad the most preferred technology investment destination in the country and to attract niche segments which are fast emerging and evolving new verticals in technology sectors.
The IT, Electronics and Communications Department has announced various incentives for units, anchors, developers, infrastructure development and institutional measures and branding and promotional activities.
The IT and ITeS units coming up in the industrial parks would be eligible for GRID benefits like an additional power subsidy of Rs 2 per unit on the industrial power tariff on a reimbursement basis for a period of five years, with the total incentive for the unit not exceeding Rs 5 lakh per year.
According to the Government Order, the units will also get a lease rental subsidy of 30 per cent for a period of five years with the total subsidy for the unit not exceeding Rs 10 lakh per year.
The department announced concessions on land conversion for industrial lands under the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) or industrial area local authorities that are converted to IT or ITES use.
The developer has to utilise a minimum of 50 of the total built up area towards IT purpose. The remaining 50 per cent can be utilized for non-IT use including commercial and residential use.
In addition to converting industrial parks into IT parks, the government will also build an IT park at Kompally in the northern part of the city and another facility at at Kollur or Osmannagar in the north-western part of the city.
The government chosen the areas for creating IT parks based on representations from various players.
The eastern part of the city already has NSL IT Park, Genpact, Infosys and others.
Minister for Information Technology and Industry K. T. Rama Rao in July announced that the government permitted conversion of five industrial parks into IT parks in east Hyderabad.
Prime minister Boris Johnson meets with Ursula von Der Leyen at the European Commission in Brussels to continue with Brexit talks. Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street
Though Sunday had been slated as a cut-off point to reach an agreement before the end of the UK’s Brexit transition period, the European Union (EU) and the UK have agreed to continue Brexit trade talks in hopes of reaching an agreement before the transition period ends on December 31.
In a surprise move, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed that negotiations between both sides should continue beyond the deadline, Xinhua news agency reported.
After a “constructive and useful phone call” with Johnson, von der Leyen said in a statement late Sunday that despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, “we both think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile”.
Further negotiations will take place in Brussels, von der Leyen said, adding that it remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached even “at this late stage”.
The development raised hopes on both sides of the English Channel, that at the 11th hour, a future trading deal between both sides started to appear on the horizon.
Despite the last-minute extension, Johnson said both sides remain “very far apart on key issues”.
“We are always happy to talk and make progress where we can. I do think there is a deal to be done, if our partners, want to do it,” he told the media.
The Sunday deadline had been set on the basis that time was needed for the British and the European parliaments to ratify the deal.
Under the EU rules, a veto from just one member state would be enough to reject any deal.
The continuation agreement was welcomed by politicians and business leaders, though companies were still being urged to ready themselves for a no-deal exit from the regional bloc.
In its first response to Sunday’s development, a spokesperson for the UK’s main opposition Labour Party said: “The Conservatives promised the British people that they had an oven-ready deal and that they would get Brexit done.
“The government needs to deliver on that promise, get us the deal and allow us to move on as a country.”
Simon Coveney, Ireland’s Foreign Minister, said on Twitter: “Time to hold our nerve and allow the negotiators to inch progress forward even at this late stage.
“The joint statement on Brexit negotiations is a good signal. A deal clearly very difficult but possible.”
Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: “The news that talks will continue gives hope. A deal is both essential and possible. It is the only way to build upon the extensive support for the economy given by all governments during the pandemic. Without it, that progress is undermined.”
He said the UK government must move with even more determination to avoid the looming cliff edge of January 1, 2021.
A trade deal needs to be agreed upon by London and Brussels before the transition period expires.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Failure to reach the agreement means bilateral trade will fall back on World Trade Organization rules in 2021.
The British and EU leaders have said significant differences still remain between the two sides on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries.
Meanwhile, Adam Marshall, director general of British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a very frustrating time for business as they anxiously wait for decisions about the terms of trade with the EU come January 1.
“If a few more hours or days makes the difference, keep going, and get an agreement that delivers clarity and certainty to businesses and trade on both sides. Businesses will need time and support to adjust in a New Year like no other — whatever the eventual outcome.”
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence with Ambassador of Afghanistan to the UAE Javid Ahmad
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and the Afghan ambassador discussed the distinguished relations between the UAE and Afghanistan and stressed the importance of boosting cooperation between the two friendly countries in all fields to mirror the overall strategic partnership.
The Meeting was held on Sunday at Sheikh Nahyan’s palace where he received the Ambassador of Afghanistan to the UAE Javid Ahmad.
Sheikh Nahyan said that the UAE, led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is keen to develop cooperation and ties with countries throughout the world to boost tolerance, coexistence and solidarity, as well as expand the principles of human fraternity, which are the values that the UAE adopts in its relations with all countries.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence with Ambassador of Afghanistan to the UAE Javid Ahmad
Sheikh Nahyan added that the relations between the UAE and Afghanistan are well-established and witnessing ongoing development, thanks to the support of the leaderships of the two friendly countries, in order to achieve the aspirations of their peoples.
In turn, Ahmad emphasised his country’s keenness to enhance cooperation with the UAE in the interests of the two friendly countries, praising the role of the UAE and its global pioneering efforts in laying the foundations for peace, tolerance and coexistence by launching initiatives aimed at promoting stability and prosperity worldwide.
The Afghan ambassador praised the UAE’s humanitarian and development efforts worldwide, especially those provided for the Afghan people, which reflects the Emirati principles of human solidarity and the spread of goodness throughout the world, which remains an inspiring role model for global giving.
According to the the UAE’s 1st National Health Account (NHA), the country has topped the Gulf, Arab and Eastern Mediterranean countries in terms of the Current Health Expenditure per Capita (CHE_pc). The results also showed that the country’s health financing system is sustainable, with the mandatory spending reaching 83 per cent of the total spending on healthcare.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) on Sunday announced the results of the National Health Account (NHA) 2017, which was carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and relevant health and government authorities.
The results were announced during a virtual media briefing held in presence of Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary of Health Centres and Clinics, Ministry of Health and Prevention, and representatives from the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Sharjah Health Authority, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC) and the Insurance Authority.
Sustainable Development “The UAE deservedly occupies a prominent position across many global competitiveness reports when it comes to sustainable development, thanks to first the support and directives of its wise leadership and second having developed national indicators and performance standards, which are serving as a roadmap for improving the quality of healthcare services, taking advantage of the country’s modern infrastructure, state-of-the-art technologies, and highly efficient medical care facilities,” said Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention.
ICU
“The 1st National Health Account findings revealed that the UAE is leading the Gulf, Arab and Eastern Mediterranean countries in the total expenditure on health per capita, in itself a remarkable achievement that would enhance the effectiveness of national initiatives, projects and policies in line with the Future Foresight Strategy and the UAE Centennial 2071,” Al Owais stated.
Governance & sustainability For his part, Dr. Mohammad Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health, affirmed that the NHA has become a strategic priority in the UAE, supporting the sustainability, competitiveness and governance of the country’s health sector.
He thanked all members of the NHA Committee and health authorities and MoHAP work team for their exceptional efforts, which ensured the success of the NHA’s first edition.
“The NHA aims to set up an integrated national platform with a sustainable vision to gather health spending data, improve planning and allocate resources. The platform will give a special focus to the distribution of expenditures according to diseases and linking expenditures to budgets and health outcomes to offer national health strategic plan makers greater and more flexible options,” Al Olama said.
Healthcare a governmental priority Also speaking during the briefing, Al Rand congratulated the UAE leadership on the occasion of the Commemoration Day and 49th National Day, stressing that the country’s healthcare system is constantly evolving, making it one of the strongest and most resilient regionally and globally. “This has been made a reality thanks to the support and directives of the UAE government, which spares no effort to provide quality healthcare services based on a world-class health system known for being effective, flexible and sustainable,”.
“Providing a healthy life for every individual and family in the society tops the priorities of the UAE government; this is why we are today one of the best countries in the world,” Al Rand said.
During the virtual event, Al Rand gave a brief presentation about the NHA results, highlighting its strategic importance, elements and the methodology used in the calculations. “The findings would greatly help enhance the competitiveness of health spending not only in the UAE but also in the Gulf, Arab countries, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Economic Cooperation Organization countries,” he emphasised.
Report Findings According to Dr. Al Rand, the Current Health Expenditure increased by 26 per cent, to US$ AED 57 billion in 2017, compared to AED 45 billion in 2016, as per WHO statistics. The results also found that the per capita Health expenditure run to AED 6,128 (US$ 1,669), with a similar growth rate of 26 per cent, up from US$ 1,323 in 2016. This increase in the Current Health Expenditure per capita is topping the rank of the UAE over the Gulf States and the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Sustainable Health Financing He added that the CHE as a per cent of GDP is making up 4.0 per cent with a 14.3 per cent increase compared to 3.5 per cent in 2016, which confirms a faster pace of growth in the health sector than the GDP.
In 2017, the Compulsory Financing Arrangements (CFA) comprised 82.6 per cent of the CHE, while it was estimated at 71.6 per cent in 2016, recording 15.4 per cent growth. The share of CFA as a per cent of CHE is higher than the average of OECD countries with six points, which reflects the sustainability of health financing in the country.
Al Rand went on to say: “The Out of Pocket Expenditure as a per cent of CHE dropped by 36 per cent reaching 12.2 per cent in 2017, down from 19.2 per cent in 2016. This reflects the government’s interest in strengthening the financial protection of individuals to help them obtain health services and achieve universal health coverage, which is one of the most important health goals of the UAE’s plan set to achieve sustainable development goals,”.
The sixth phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded a voting percentage of 42.79 in six hours across different constituencies in several districts.
The Kashmir Division recorded an overall polling percentage of 26.28 and Jammu Division registered 56.90 per cent up to 1.00 p.m.
As per the figures given by the office of State Election Commissioner, in Kashmir Division, Pulwama recorded 6.80 per cent voting, Baramulla 26.68 per cent, Kulgam 32.71 per cent, Shopian 3.66 per cent, Anantnag 20.95 per cent, Bandipora 40.57 per cent, Ganderbal 45.89 per cent, Kupwara 41.21 per cent and Budgam 27.44 per cent.
Similarly, in Jammu division, Udhampur recorded 54.69 per cent voting, Jammu 55.62 per cent, Kathua 50.09 per cent, Ramban 61.91 per cent, Doda 53.39 per cent, Samba 60.61 per cent, Poonch 60.73 per cent, Rajouri 63.07 per cent and Reasi 61.21 per cent.
In the sixth Phase of the elections, voting is being held in 31 DDC constituencies, 14 from Kashmir Division and 17 from Jammu Division.
For the smooth conduct of elections, 2,071 polling stations, 1,208 in Kashmir Division and 863 in Jammu Division have been setup in this phase, where 7,48,301 electors (3,90,432 male and 3,57,869 female voters) will exercise their right to franchise.
Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth scored brilliant unbeaten hundreds but it was India who dominated the second warm-up game against Australia A which ended in a draw on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Chasing 473, Australia A reached 307/4 in the final session of the day when both teams decided to shake hands and end the match in a draw. McDermott remained not out at 107 while Wildermuth scored unbeaten 111.
Earlier, India declared their second innings on their overnight score of 386/4, giving Australia A an improbable target on the final day of the pink-ball practice game.
Senior India pacer Mohammed Shami once again provided the visitors with a great start as he sent back openers Joe Burns (1) and Marcus Harris (5) back to the dressing room within the first nine overs. Nic Maddinson, who came to bat at number three, also couldn’t stay long at the crease and became the victim of Mohammed Siraj after contributing with 14.
With 25/3, Australia A looked to be in all sorts of trouble. However, skipper Alex Carey then stitched a 117-run partnership with McDermott to steady the innings. Both scored runs at a brisk pace and didn’t allow the Indian pacers to put pressure.
Carey, after scoring 58 runs of 111 deliveries, got out by Hanuma Vihari. Following his wicket, Indian team pressed for the win but McDermott and Wildermuth shared an unbeaten 165-run partnership to force the match end in a draw. While McDermott hit 16 boundaries in his 167-ball knock, Wildermuth scored at a very brisk rate and smashed 12 fours and 3 sixes during the course of his 119-ball innings.
Earlier, India scored 194 all out in their first innings, riding on an unbeaten half century from Jasprit Bumrah. Indian bowlers then came out with a superb bowling display as they bundled out Australia A for mere 108, gaining an 86-run lead.
In their second innings, India scored 386/4, riding on centuries from Hanuma Vihari (104) and Rishabh Pant (103). Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal also made valuable contributions of 61 and 65 and the pair could be seen open the innings for India in the first Test against Australia slated to start from Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.
Brief scores: India 194 and 386/4 dec, Australia A 108 and 307/4 (Jack Wildermuth 111, Ben McDermott 107; Mohammed Shami 2/58), Result: Draw
Samsung has unveiled a smartphone rental programme in Germany in partnership with Grover.
Under the scheme, one can rent a Galaxy device for 1/3/6/12 months. Samsung customers, who may want to take advantage of the new rental service, can choose a Galaxy S20 model from the official Samsung store and select the rental option, reports SamMobile.
The potential customers will then be redirected to Grover where they can decide to rent the phone for any of the above mentioned periods.
Grover enables people to subscribe to tech products monthly instead of buying them.
The Galaxy S20 FE with 128GB of storage can be acquired for 59.90/49.90/39.90 or 29.90 euros a month, depending on the duration. The longer the rental period, lower the monthly fee.
The standard Galaxy S20 can be rented for 99.90/69.90/59.90/49.90 euros, whereas the Galaxy S20+ is available for 109.90/74.90/64.90/54.90 euros.
The top-tier Galaxy S20 Ultra model would set you back 119.90 euros for a month of rental, or 99.90/79.90/69.90 euros for 3/6/12 months, respectively.
The rental service is seemingly limited to Germany for the time being and as yet there’s no indication as to when – or if – it might be launched in other markets.
