New machine learning algorithms identify early symptoms of urinary tract infections
Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Jan 17 2019New AI developed at the University of Surrey could identify and help reduce one of the top causes of hospitalization for people living with dementia: urinary tract infections (UTI).UTI is an infection of any part of the urinary system, from the kidneys to the bladder. The symptoms include pain in the lower part of the stomach, blood in urine, needing to urinate suddenly or more often than usual and changes in mood and behavior.In a paper published in PLOS ONE, scientists from the University of Surrey’s Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) detail how, in an NHS clinical trial, they used a technique called Non-negative Matrix Factorisation to find hidden clues of possible UTI cases. The team then used novel machine learning algorithms to identify early UTI symptoms.The experiment was part of the TIHM (Technology Integrated Health Management) for dementia project, led by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and in partnership with the University of Surrey and industry collaborators. The project, which is part of the NHS Test Beds Programme and is funded by NHS England the Office for Life Sciences, allowed clinicians to remotely monitor the health of people with dementia living at home, with the help of a network of internet enabled devices such as environmental and activity monitoring sensors, and vital body signal monitoring devices. Data streamed from these devices was analyzed using machine learning solutions, and the identified health problems were flagged on a digital dashboard and followed up by a clinical monitoring team.According to The World Health Organisation, around 50 million people worldwide have dementia. This number is estimated to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, one in four hospital beds in the UK are occupied by a person with dementia, while around 22 percent of these admissions are deemed to be preventable.Related StoriesDon’t Miss the Blood-Brain Barrier Drug Delivery (B3DD) Summit this AugustHealthy lifestyle lowers dementia risk despite genetic predispositionApplication of machine learning methods to healthcare outcomes researchPayam Barnaghi, Professor of Machine Intelligence at CVSSP, said: “Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons why people living with dementia go into hospital. We have developed a tool that is able to identify the risk of UTIs so it is then possible to treat them early. We are confident our algorithm will be a valuable tool for healthcare professionals, allowing them to produce more effective and personalized plans for patients.”Professor Adrian Hilton, Director of CVSSP, said: “This development hints at the incredible potential of Professor Barnaghi’s research here at CVSSP. Machine learning could provide improved care for people living with dementia to remain at home, reducing hospitalization and helping the NHS to free up bed space.”Dr Shirin Enshaeifar, Senior Research Fellow at CVSSP, said: “I am delighted to see that the algorithms we have designed have an impact on improving the healthcare of people with dementia and providing a tool for clinicians to offer better support to their patients.”Professor Helen Rostill, Director of Innovation and Development at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The TIHM for dementia study is a collaborative project that has brought together the NHS, academia and industry to transform support for people with dementia living at home and their carers. Our aim has been to create an Internet of Things led system that uses machine learning to alert our clinicians to potential health problems that we can step in and treat early. The system helps to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers and could also reduce pressure on the NHS.”Source: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/new-ai-can-detect-urinary-tract-infections
Source:http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Jan 30 2019Rain-repelling fluorochemicals used in waterproof clothing can and should be phased out as unnecessary and environmentally harmful, textile researchers argue.But they remain the only effective option for medics and emergency service personnel.New research demonstrates how waterproofs using highly fluorinated chemicals are over-engineered for consumers, building in unnecessary resistance to oil and other stains, when only resistance to rainwater is required.Publishing their findings today in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the team – from Leeds and Stockholm – say effective alternatives to harmful fluorochemicals used in durable water repellents (DWRs) for waterproof clothing are readily available.Dr Richard Blackburn, who heads the Sustainable Materials Research Group at the University of Leeds’ School of Design, said: “Environmentally-friendly and biodegradable solutions are available, but are being resisted by some manufacturers and retailers.”The reasons for this were unclear, he said, putting it down to a lack of information and appropriate technical research demonstrating the effectiveness of sustainable alternatives, as well as a lack of engagement with consumers.In the new research, a survey of 300 outdoor clothing users revealed that most consumers only look for water repellency from their gear, not stain resistance.”Non-fluorinated alternatives are a viable option in all cases where stain repellency is not an essential function,” Dr Blackburn added. “These alternatives provide excellent rain protection, and there are long-term ecological benefits from phasing out the highly fluorinated chemicals.”Fluorochemical repellents were shown to be the only effective option for clothing worn by medical staff to protect against infection spread by bodily fluids, and by military, firefighting or oil and gas industry personnel seeking protection against chemical contamination.The study’s co-author Philippa Hill, a PhD researcher from the School of Design at Leeds, said there was still room for innovation when it came to eliminating fluorochemicals from protective clothing worn by people in hazardous circumstances.Related StoriesTAU’s new Translational Medical Research Center acquires MILabs’ VECTor PET/SPECT/CTOlympus launches next-generation X Line objectives for clinical, research applicationsAMSBIO offers new, best-in-class CAR-T cell range for research and immunotherapy”Currently, only fluorinated chemicals can provide the high levels of protection needed from other types of liquids such as oils, chemicals, and bodily fluids, so there is a major opportunity for future innovation in that area,” she added.In this collaborative research – the most detailed study of its kind – Ms Hill from Leeds and co-author Steffen Schellenberger, a fellow PhD researcher, from Stockholm University, developed an innovative new testing method and applied different waterproof finishes to test fabric before measuring resistance to a wide range of fluids – water, orange juice, red wine, olive oil, synthetic blood and gastric fluid, and cough medicine.Fabric treated with non-fluorinated repellents was shown to be resistant to water-based stains such as orange juice and red wine, but gave no repellency to oil-based stains.When it came to medical fluids, non-fluorinated repellents showed some resistance to synthetic blood and cough medicine, but none for gastric fluid.The researchers’ innovative “roll-off” method assessed repellency with movement, which more accurately reflected clothing as it is worn.The paper points out that the textile and clothing industry uses a quarter of all chemicals produced globally and is known to be a large contributor to environmental pollution.Concerns have been raised about waterproofing fluorochemicals finding their way into the environment during their production, as well as during the life of a garment – through washing and microfibre shedding – and when it is disposed of.All highly fluorinated chemicals are extremely persistent in the environment, and some have been associated with health problems in humans.”We want to help textile producers and retailers to develop better garments that also have minimal environmental impact,” said co-author Professor Ian Cousins from Stockholm University. “It is important to look into the necessary functionality and durability, otherwise people won’t buy the greener alternatives.”
Reviewed by Alina Shrourou, B.Sc. (Editor)Apr 29 2019Urine testing may be as effective as the smear test at preventing cervical cancer, according to new research by University of Manchester scientists.The study, led by Dr Emma Crosbie and published in BMJ Open, found that urine testing was just as good as the cervical smear at picking up high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer.The research team say a urine test could help increase the numbers of women who are screened for cervical cancer, which affects more than 3,000 women every year in the UK.The research was supported by the Manchester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.Urine testing could also have a role in the developing world, where cervical cancer is up to 15 times more common and smear testing largely non-existent.The NHS cervical screening programme tests for so called ‘high-risk’ types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the health of the cells of the cervix in women who test high-risk HPV positive.Around 1 in 20 women show abnormal changes which might go on to become cancer and are referred for colposcopy, where the cervix is examined under magnification, allowing abnormal areas to be seen, sampled and treated, before they ever cause cancer.According to the team, cervical smear samples, self-collected vaginal samples and urine samples are all effective at picking up high risk HPV infection.Cervical cancer is most common in women aged 30 to 35 years. But the precancerous stage is detectable in the 5-10 years before this, when up to a third of women fail to attend for their smear test.”We’re really very excited by this study, which we think has the potential to significantly increase participation rates for cervical cancer screening in a key demographic group,” said Dr Emma Crosbie.”Many younger women avoid the NHS cervical cancer screening programme because they find it embarrassing or uncomfortable, particularly if they have gynaecological conditions like endometriosis.”Related StoriesUsing machine learning algorithm to accurately diagnose breast cancerTrends in colonoscopy rates not aligned with increase in early onset colorectal cancerBacteria in the birth canal linked to lower risk of ovarian cancerShe added: “Campaigns to encourage women to attend cervical screening have helped. The brilliant campaign by the late Jade Goody increased numbers attendance by around 400,000 women.”But sadly, the effects aren’t long lasting and participation rates tend to fall back after a while. We clearly need a more sustainable solution.”Of the 100 or so types of HPV, some are linked to cervical cancer, and some are linked to other conditions, like genital warts.Most cervical cancers are caused by high-risk types HPV-16 and HPV-18.104 women attending the colposcopy clinic at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester participated in the study and were screened using two brands of HPV testing kits.Around two-thirds of the women tested positive for any high-risk HPV type, and a third for HPV-16 or HPV-18.From the total, eighteen women had pre-cancerous changes to the cervix that needed treatment.With the Roche HPV testing kit, urine, vaginal self samples and cervical smears picked up 15 of these.With the Abbott HPV testing kit, urine picked up 15 of these and vaginal self samples and cervical smears picked up 16.Dr Crosbie said: “These results provide exciting proof of principle that urine HPV testing can pick up cervical pre-cancer cells, but we need to trial it on a greater number of women before it can be used in the NHS. We hope that is going to happen soon.”Urine is very simple to collect and most hospitals in the developed and developing world have access to the lab equipment to process and test the samples.”Let us hope this is a new chapter in our fight against cervical cancer, a devastating and pernicious disease.” Source:https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/urine-test-could-prevent-cervical-cancer/
Over the past two or three decades, researchers have tried inhibiting the process by which they believed MPTP was metabolized, with mixed success. We believe that mitochondrial CYP2D6 is the more direct drug target, which might prove better in treating idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.”Narayan Avadhani, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania The study, which appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, investigates the mechanism of Parkinson’s disease when a specific cause cannot be pinpointed, which is a majority of examples of the chemically induced disease.Previous studies have shown that MPTP and similar toxic compounds induce Parkinson’s disease in rodents and primates. The mechanism of action, as scientists understood it, involved the compounds being oxidized to form MPP+, a toxic metabolite. The enzyme that was believed to be responsible is called monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), present in the nervous system’s glial cells. In that conception of the mechanism, MPP+ was thought to then be transferred to dopamine neurons by dopamine transporter proteins, and, indeed, Parkinson’s is characterized by unusually low dopamine levels in the brain.Related StoriesStudy on REM sleep disorder patients provides key predictors of Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson’s update – hydration, awareness and detectionPeople with bipolar disorder more likely to later develop Parkinson’s diseaseResearchers have tried to stem the effects of Parkinson’s by targeting two players in this presumed pathway, both MAO-B and the dopamine transporter protein, with only mixed success.Yet the Penn-led study implicates an entirely separate mechanism. In earlier work, Avadhani and colleagues had shown that the enzyme CYP2D6, localized to the body’s energy factories, the mitochondria, could play a role in metabolizing MPTP to MPP+. In the new investigation, they took a closer look at beta-carbolines and isoquinolines, toxins that resemble MPTP which the body produces from substances found in tobacco smoke, alcohol, and some foods.They found that, instead of MAO-B, it was mitochondrial CYP2D6 that activate the beta-carbolines and isoquinolines inside the dopamine-producing neurons, rather than the glial cells. This route of activation, in a mouse model, results in neuronal damage and oxidative stress, symptoms akin to Parkinson’s.”CYP2D6 is known to play a role in influencing the activity of a number of drugs,” says Avadhani.In an attempt to target this pathway, the researchers showed that mice lacking CYP2D6 did not exhibit the severe symptoms that mice with the protein did. In addition, an inhibitor of CYP2D6 prevented neuronal damage in the nice.”The CYP2D6 inhibitor ajmalicine is a member of the reserpine family of alkaloids, found in the plant Rauwolfia serpentine and was long used in India for treating mental illness, such as paranoia and schizophrenia,” Avadhani says. “Mitochondrial targeting of such compounds is likely to be effective in treating Parkinson’s patients, and pursuing that is our future strategy.”Source: University of Pennsylvania Source:University of PennsylvaniaJournal reference:Avadhani, N. et al. (2019) Mitochondria-targeted cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 is involved in monomethylamine-induced neuronal damage in mouse models. Journal of Biological Chemistry. doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.008848. Reviewed by Alina Shrourou, B.Sc. (Editor)Jun 23 2019More than three decades ago, scientists discovered that a chemical found in a synthetic opioid, MPTP, induced the onset of a form of Parkinson’s disease. In a new study led by scientists from the School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers found that an enzyme in the body can metabolize compounds formed in the brain from alkaloids present in certain foods and tobacco into MPTP-like chemicals, triggering a neurodegenerative condition in mice.The researchers, led by Narayan Avadhani and Mrittika Chattopadhyay, suggest that the enzyme, mitochondrial CYP2D6, presents a potentially powerful new target for Parkinson’s treatment.
The Center for Women’s Health seeks to empower women to prioritize their care, and provide them with the options and solutions they need to improve their well-being based on their health needs, genetic traits, lifestyle and personal preferences. During an appointment in the center, women will be provided with information and education on health and wellness. They can take advantage of additional appointments or consultations in areas of women’s health to help them stay healthy or to treat their medical conditions.The multidisciplinary center also will work with other divisions and departments at Mayo Clinic to incorporate integrative health and lifestyle services into their models of care. In addition, the center will promote further research and education on how sex and gender affect health.Related StoriesAMSBIO offers new, best-in-class CAR-T cell range for research and immunotherapyAn active brain and body associated with reduced risk of dementiaTAU’s new Translational Medical Research Center acquires MILabs’ VECTor PET/SPECT/CT”This transformative philanthropic gift from Bill and Penny George, and the George Family Foundation, will personalize the health care experience of women,” says Stephanie Faubion, M.D., Bill and Penny George Director, Center for Women’s Health. “The Center for Women’s Health will lead by example to set a new national standard for women’s health care, providing personalized care that considers women as partners in their health care. The center’s goal is to become a destination for women’s health care where patients are not only treated for a specific condition, but also empowered with the tools and knowledge they need to improve their overall health and wellness: mind, body and spirit.”The center builds on the leadership role Penny George and the George Family Foundation have played over the past two decades to advance the principles of integrative health both locally and nationally. From co-founding the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Allina Health to underwriting programs that fund culturally significant healing practices at the grassroots level through the Catalyst Initiative, Penny George has helped to transform health care. Also, since 1999 the George Family Foundation has awarded more than $4 million in grants for initiatives supporting women and girls.Mr. George has long been involved with Mayo Clinic, including serving on the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2019. “It’s our hope that the Center for Women’s Health inspires other philanthropists to join in the mission to transform health care for women, ensuring its continued success and elevating women’s health as a priority at Mayo Clinic,” he says. Source:Mayo Clinic We are truly grateful to Penny, Bill and the George family for their friendship and incredible generosity. The Center for Women’s Health furthers their visionary work to support lifelong, holistic care for women, and we are honored to partner with them to accomplish this goal.”Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor)Jun 25 2019Mayo Clinic has received a combined gift of $5 million from Penny and Bill George, and the George Family Foundation, to create the innovative Center for Women’s Health. The center will be a destination where women will receive personalized, holistic health care that is tailored to meet their needs throughout their lives.
Our gift represents a significant investment in shifting the ways women interact with health care at Mayo Clinic, one of the premier health care institutions in the U.S. Mayo Clinic has long been known for its Executive Health Program. This program will mirror the success of that approach but take it a step further. The focus will be not only on women, but also on integrative health and healing practices that will go hand in hand with traditional medicine – an approach we’ve been advancing through our work over the past two decades.”Penny George
Related StoriesStem cell stimulation shows promise as potential stroke treatmentStudy reveals long-term behavioral deficits after developmental Zika infectionStudy reveals how electrical stimulation reorganizes the brainUsing functional magnetic resonance imaging, Astrid Rosenthal-von der Pütten, Fabien Grabenhorst and colleagues evaluated brain activity from the prefrontal cortex and amygdala as human participants scored images of robots on their likability, familiarly, and human-likeness. The participants also chose the robot from which they would prefer to receive a gift, indicating their social value.Participants preferred more lifelike robots, but disliked the ones that appeared “too human,” including artificially altered humans. Activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex followed the same pattern, increasing with the more lifelike robots until dropping significantly in relation to the most lifelike choice. The scientists concluded that each of several brain regions had a unique role in assessing the images, and the combination of their inputs determined whether or not a robot was likable.This direct representation of a psychological pattern in the brain provides insight into how people respond to and assess artificial social partners. The findings may also apply to the evaluation of human social partners. Source:Society for NeuroscienceJournal reference:Grabenhorst, F. et al. (2019) Neural Mechanisms for Accepting and Rejecting Artificial Social Partners in the Uncanny Valley. Journal of Neuroscience. doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2956-18.2019. Jul 3 2019Researchers have identified a network of brain regions that work together to determine if a robot is a worthy social partner, according to a new study published in JNeurosci.
Explore further © 2018 AFP At 37,160 square metres the Hyderabad store will be comparable in size to an average Indian shopping mall Ikea on Amazon? Furniture giant to use online retailers This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. “We have done over a thousand home visits and interviewed people to try to understand their needs, dreams, aspirations and how they feel about their home,” explained Antoni.More than 1,000 products priced under 200 rupees ($2.94) will be on sale.India, with its abundant supply of cheap labour, is not known for its “DIY” culture so Ikea has teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform that helps connect handymen with consumers.Ikea, founded in 1943 by late Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, operates 418 stores in 49 markets. In May it announced that it would expand into South America with stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru.The home goods behemoth first tried to enter India in 2006 but was foiled by strict foreign direct investment (FDI) rules that required foreign companies to sign up with a local partner.Seven years later the rules were relaxed to allow foreign businesses to own retail stores operating under a single brand, clearing the way for Ikea’s entry into India.The Swedish company hopes its walk-in stores and famed restaurant will be a unique selling point as it goes up against popular Indian online furniture retailers Pepperfry and Urban Ladder. It will also have to contend with Walmart. The world’s largest retailer has agreed to buy a majority stake in Indian e-tailer Flipkart, which sells a wide range of home furnishings.Ikea’s global sales grew by five percent on-year in 2017 as it recorded annual revenues of 38 billion euros ($47 billion).The firm hopes access to India’s growing middle class in the country of 1.25 billion people will open up new revenue streams.Analysts, however, warn it faces a long journey in a crowded market.”Profitability will take some time for Ikea in India,” Sowmya Adiraju, an analyst at research firm Euromonitor, told AFP. Alongside its popular Billy bookcases and Poang chairs, Ikea will also offer spice boxes and kitchen appliances to make traditional Indian staples such as idlis (rice cakes). Ikea is betting big on India as it seeks new revenues away from its key Western markets Ikea, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, will next month cut the ribbon on a massive 37,000 square metre outlet in the southern city of Hyderabad, complete with a 1,000-seater cafeteria.The restaurant will be Ikea’s largest and will cater to local tastes, with religious sensitivities in India dictating that beef and pork, staples of Swedish meatballs, will not be served.”There will be chicken meatballs and vegetarian balls,” Patrik Antoni, Ikea’s deputy country manager for India, told AFP during an interview in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.”Fifty percent of the food will be Swedish inspired, salmon and shrimp dishes and so on. We’ll also have quite a few Indian dishes like dal makhani, biryani, samosas,” he added.The Swedish multinational, which revolutionised household furnishings with its range of affordable ready-to-assemble products, is betting big on India as it seeks new revenues away from its key Western markets.Ikea plans to invest $1.5 billion in Asia’s third-largest economy as it seeks to lure price-sensitive Indians away from satisfying their furniture needs at local, family-run shops.Ikea has already spent close to $750 million procuring sites for four stores, including the Hyderabad one which will open in July on a date that is yet to be announced.Outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and the capital New Delhi will follow, Antoni said, without putting a timescale on them. He added that Ikea will then look at Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolkata.”We are very bullish and excited about the Indian market. Normally, we would test a market by opening one store but in India, we are going all out and expanding,” said Antoni.At 37,160 square metres the Hyderabad store will be comparable in size to an average Indian shopping mall. It will have 850 employees and is expected to attract several million visitors a year.Spice and all things niceAs well as its wide range of international items Ikea will also sell goods uniquely suited to the Indian market. Citation: Ikea bets big on India but keeps meatballs off the menu (2018, June 24) retrieved 18 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-06-ikea-big-india-meatballs-menu.html Furniture giant Ikea is set to open its first store and restaurant in India after years of trying but arguably its most famous item is off the menu—Swedish meatballs.
Explore further This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, left, accompanied by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are sworn in before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on ‘Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms’ on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Facebook and Twitter executives, defending their companies on Capitol Hill, said Wednesday they are aggressively trying to root out foreign interests seeking to sow divisions in American democracy as the November elections near. Facebook’s No. 2 executive, Sheryl Sandberg, and Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, testified before the Senate intelligence committee, but there was an empty chair in place for Google’s parent Alphabet, which refused to send its top executive.Sandberg told senators that Facebook was “more determined” than adversaries trying to meddling in the upcoming elections, and she called the fight an “arms race,” as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has in the past.Dorsey was to appear later before a House committee amid complaints from Republicans that social media companies have shown evidence of bias against conservatives. In testimony released before that hearing, Dorsey denied that Twitter uses political ideology to make decisions.Congress has criticized the companies over the past year as Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections and beyond became clear. That scrutiny has led to additional criticism over the companies’ respect for user privacy and whether conservatives are being censored.”The companies have made progress, the government has made progress, but the bad guys have made progress as well,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate committee. Warner has proposed ways that the companies could be regulated for the first time.The later hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee was to focus on bias and Twitter’s algorithms. Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have pushed the idea that Twitter is “shadow banning” some in the GOP because of the ways search results have appeared. Twitter denies that’s happening. The companies have made many policy changes, and have caught and banned malicious accounts over the past year. Still, their business models—free services that rely on attracting as many users as possible for as long as possible and finding out as much about them as possible—remain the same.Sandberg, in her prepared remarks, detailed how Facebook was addressing the problem but reiterated that the company was slow to spot it. Thirteen Russians were indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller this year on charges of an elaborate plot to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election by creating fake accounts that pushed divisive issues on social media.Dorsey said Twitter has continued to identify accounts that may be linked to the same Russian internet agency as identified in Mueller’s indictment. He said Twitter has so far suspended 3,843 accounts the company believes are linked to the agency, and has seen recent activity.On bias, the Twitter CEO said in prepared testimony before his second hearing that “”Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules.”Only Dorsey was invited to the House hearing after specific Republican concerns about bias on Twitter. While all three tech companies have been accused of political bias against conservatives, the more public-facing nature of Twitter has made it an especially easy target. Absent from the Senate’s questioning was Google. The committee invited Larry Page, the CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, but the company said it would send a lower-ranking executive instead. The committee rejected that offer.The committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said Google doesn’t “understand the problem” if it doesn’t want to work with the government to find solutions.The back-and-forth with Google is the latest in a year’s worth of attempts by Congress to force the companies to focus more sharply on the Russian interference issue. While Burr said he believes Facebook and Twitter do understand the problem, it took both companies several months last year to acknowledge they had been manipulated. This Nov. 19, 2015, file photo shows Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey being interviewed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Dorsey says the company isn’t biased against Republicans or Democrats and is working on ways to ensure that debate is healthier on its platform. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Citation: Facebook, Twitter defend efforts to stop election meddling (2018, September 5) retrieved 17 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-09-facebook-twitter-defend-efforts-election.html Twitter CEO says company isn’t biased, wants healthy debate
Is Nike joining the Amazon roster? Nike reported quarterly revenue gains in September 2018 in all four of its regions, with the strongest increase in China, where year-over-year revenues gained 24 percent to $1.4 billion © 2018 AFP Explore further Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker, commenting on an earnings call for the first time since the Kaepernick ad was released September 3, said he was “very proud” of the spots and that the company had seen an uptick in online traffic and social media mentions since it was released.”We know its resonated actually quite strongly with consumers, obviously here in North America but also around the world,” he said. “It’s really transcended North America to touch people around the world.”The comments came as Nike reported a 15 percent jump in earnings for fiscal first quarter 2019 to $1.1 billion.Revenues climbed 10 percent to $9.9 billion for the period ending August 31.Nike scored revenue gains in all four of its regions, with the strongest increase in China, where year-over-year revenues gained 24 percent to $1.4 billion. However, that jump was a bit below the 35 percent leap in year-over-year revenues reported in the prior quarter.’Record engagement’Nike’s results were also pinched somewhat by higher costs, as it ramps up spending on sports marketing and its direct selling business. That spending caused the profit margins to come in below some analyst forecasts. Chief Financial Officer Andy Campion said full-year revenue growth was now projected at the low end of the prior range due to the strong dollar.Parker defended the spending as needed to realize the ambitions for more direct selling to consumers and “becoming more personal at scale.”To that end, Parker said the “Just Do It” campaign with Kaepernick had succeeded in introducing the slogan to the “new generation of consumers.”The name of Kaepernick, a civil rights activist who has been criticized by President Donald Trump, was not explicitly mentioned during the call.The campaign also features other Nike stars, such as tennis player Serena Williams and American football players Odell Beckham Jr. and Shaquem Griffin, all of whom were mentioned by Parker.Some critics took to social media to destroy their Nike garb over Kaepernick, who has essentially blacklisted by the National Football League over his civil rights activism.But many marketing experts consider the campaign a success and some data has shown an uptick in online sales since the spots were shown. The ad has been seen as a winner with non-white and younger consumers.”Like many campaigns, it’s driving a real uptake in traffic and engagement,” Parker said on a conference call. “We’ve seen record engagement with the brand.” Nike shares had risen 3.2 percent following the ad’s release but fell Tuesday in after-hours trading and were off 4.1 percent to $81.50.
Citation: Nike touts edgy ads but shares fall on mixed earnings (2018, September 26) retrieved 17 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-09-nike-touts-edgy-ads-fall.html Nike’s CEO said Tuesday a controversial ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick was connecting with consumers worldwide but shares fell after the sports giant reported slowing growth in China. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
In this April 12, 2016 file photo, David Marcus, Facebook Vice President of Messaging Products, watches a display showing new features of Messenger during the keynote address at the F8 Facebook Developer Conference in San Francisco. On Tuesday, Facebook is announcing a redesign of its Messenger app with the stated goal of making it more simple to use. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Still, considering that people no longer need a Facebook account to use Messenger, maybe some day it will be. After all, people (especially younger ones) are using Facebook less frequently, even as they flock to Instagram and its messaging services. A Pew Research Center study recently found that just over half of teens use Facebook, while 72 percent use Instagram.”The idea has always been not to replace Facebook, but to add to it,” said Nate Elliott, head of the market research firm Nineteen Insights. “But now that Facebook’s reputation has taken a beating, I’m sure that they see it as a very nice insurance policy.” Stan Chudnovsky, head of product for messaging at Facebook, said the primary intent wasn’t to elevate messaging with businesses. But he said that “when people spend more and more time communicating with each other on a platform, inevitably that is where businesses need to be. It’s almost like print happened and then businesses needed to be on print.”Facebook, of course, is working hard to nudge people and businesses in this direction, convincing them that chatting on Messenger is more efficient than, say, emailing, calling—or tweeting at—an airline, a clothing store or even your bank.One thing Facebook has always understood is the importance of human connections and interaction. Chudnovsky considers one-on-one communications a “basic human need.” Considering that people use Messenger, and not the main Facebook service, for such interactions, does this mean Messenger is more important than Facebook?”We don’t take a position on what is more important,” Chudnovsky said. “It really speaks to the fact that advertisers love Instagram,” eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson said. “It has the appeal of being a generally positive environment.”In fact, Instagram is becoming the top social media service for many brands to interact with consumers, said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CEO of the social media marketing firm Socialbakers. So even though these companies are reaching a smaller audience than Facebook, these people are “engaging,” or interacting, a lot more with the advertisers, he said.Facebook is working hard to ensure that Messenger and later, WhatsApp, become viable businesses as well. On Tuesday, Facebook announced plans to make its Messenger app simpler and easier to use. But the redesign also makes it clear that messages from businesses—and ads—are becoming increasingly important. Such messages are now front and center alongside messages with friends and other individuals. In this April 12, 2016, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about the company’s 10-year roadmap during the keynote address at the F8 Facebook Developer Conference in San Francisco. Instagram along with Messenger and WhatsApp are serving as the social media giant’s insurance policy for a future that might not be dominated by its flagship service. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) Facebook boosts ‘stories’ format, now open to ads The new Messenger features a “dark mode” that lets people switch to white text on a black background. It has fewer “tabs”—or words and icons to tap to get to different sections in the app. The previous version had nine, including “messages,” ”active” to show ongoing conversations, “groups,” ”games” and a “discover” icon to find bots to chat with for everything from the weather to horoscopes to shopping. The new version has just three: “chats,” ”people” and “discover” to connect with businesses, follow the news or play games. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. In this June 20, 2013 file photo, a journalist makes a video of the Instagram logo using the new video feature at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion back in 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) This Feb. 19, 2014, file photo, shows WhatsApp and Facebook app icons on a smartphone in New York. Instagram along with Messenger and WhatsApp are serving as the social media giant’s insurance policy for a future that might not be dominated by its flagship service. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File) Explore further When Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, it seemed like a big gamble for an unproven little app. Six years later, that little app—along with Messenger and WhatsApp—are serving as Facebook’s safety net for a future that could find its flagship service on the sidelines. Sure, Facebook reigns in social media today, and this is not likely to change soon. Still, amid the company’s seemingly endless troubles over elections meddling, misinformation, privacy lapses, hacking and hate speech, the idea that Facebook may not always be on top has begun to take hold.”Facebook could collapse,” said David Kirkpatrick, who wrote a 2010 book on Facebook’s early history.In an interview, he said the elections manipulations issue “could get so terrifying that advertisers could start to back away. That’s nowhere near happening now, but it could happen.”That is, as Facebook stops being a virtual watercooler for friendly conversation, but a lair for trolls and misinformation—advertisers might find the service too dangerous to showcase laundry detergent and shoes.For now, Facebook is a social and advertising powerhouse. It has 2.23 billion users, a number that’s still growing at a healthy pace outside of the U.S. Wall Street analysts project Facebook’s 2018 revenue will top $55 billion. While the company doesn’t break out revenue among its apps, eMarketer estimates that Instagram will bring in 16 percent of Facebook’s advertising revenue this year and 25 percent by 2020. (The research firm does not have estimates for Messenger ads, which are still new and nascent, and WhatsApp, which doesn’t have ads yet.) Citation: Facebook beyond Facebook? Instagram, Messenger step up (2018, October 23) retrieved 17 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-10-facebook-instagram-messenger.html © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Move to promote micro destinations In a bid to promote tourist footfalls in Kerala, the State, which now has four international airports, is planning to create awareness among travellers about its lesser known micro destinations.“With the inauguration of the Kannur International Airport, Kerala tourism will leverage its established destinations in North Kerala such as Bekal and Wayanad, while giving thrust to lesser known micro destinations in Kannur and Kasargode districts,” said State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran. Partnership meetsTo increase the arrival of tourist in the State, Kerala tourism is organising various partnership meets in 10 cities across India.“Last year’s flood led to a decline in both domestic and international tourist arrivals during September and October. However, in December and January, the numbers started picking up again,” said BS Biju, Tourist Information Officer, Kerala. Potential marketsThere is a lot of scope for expansion in untapped markets such as Japan, China, Malaysia and Australia, so there will be lot of focus there, apart from the UK and the US from where most international tourists visit Kerala, Biju added. Published on state politics January 29, 2019 COMMENTS Kerala Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran – THE HINDU tourism SHARE SHARE EMAIL SHARE COMMENT
national elections Published on political candidates Yesteryear actor Urmila Matondkar’s political debut in March this year raised many an eyebrow. The 45-year-old, a political greenhorn, opted to contest on a Congress ticket from the Mumbai North constituency for the 17th Lok Sabha elections and is readying to take on BJP strongman Gopal Shetty, who trounced Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam in 2014 by a huge margin. Matondkar, who was trolled on social media for lack of experience, is of opinion that the Modi wave of 2014 favoured Shetty, who calls himself the ‘garden king’. In an interview with BusinessLine, Matondkar says she has a better connect with the masses and will deliver on real issues such as women issues, water shortage, power crisis and improving infrastructure. Excerpts:Why is Mumbai North considered as one of the most difficult constituencies?This constituency is a representation of the entire country and its diversity. There are a lot of Maharashtrians, Gujaratis, people from UP and Bihar, Sikhs, Christians, and a large Muslim and Jain population. Secondly, in terms of economic strata, the constituency is so different. There are people who would be eligible for our NYAY scheme, as well those with really plush complexes, big buildings and houses. So there are all kinds of people and economic strata.The infrastructure is extremely poor, there are huge water and electricity problems; housing is a huge challenge, which we hope to address through SRA schemes.If you win, which would be the first issue you would address?There is an urgent need to get water into houses, and then electricity. Can you imagine a part of Mumbai not getting electricity?Also, the building of the infrastructure, improving of trains services – ramping up local services, getting a parallel track, and increasing ladies specials – and road widening, all these need immediate attention.Much on the lines of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, you were also heavily trolled on social media and provoked badly…I am in this field only to fight the politics of negativity and hatred, which is extremely saddening to me as a citizen.I’m here to make those changes, so I can’t stoop to those levels of negativity, and retaliate to these kind of remarks, in spite of being instigated and having enough material to hit back. Destroying (trolling) by IT cells in Uttar Pradesh by the BJP government has to be eradicated, because of which I have been trolled so badly.I refuse to believe that it is normal (trolling me), a woman with 27 years of glorious career, who was never trolled.Your main opponent Gopal Shetty (BJP), who defeated Sanjay Nirupam (Congress) in the 16th Lok Sabha elections, is a strong candidate. How do you plan to compete with him?There was definitely a Modi wave in 2014, and yes, he (Shetty) has been around for a long time. But there are two different issues here: being present for a long time is different, and the work he has put in is different. He calls himself the ‘garden king’. As a Mumbaikar, I love gardens, but what about the other issues. Actions should speak louder than words.India has seen Modi in action, but you are new to politics. Does that weaken you?No, it only tires me to have to answer that question again and again. The fact that I haven’t run a public office shouldn’t be an issue, because I am more empathetic to people’s issues than our respectable current MP. I am totally confident that I will be able to deliver.You had accused Modi of failing to deliver, but citizens are pleased with Modi’s actions, especially the Kashmir issue and Balakot strike…Taking care of a border security is one of the issues that government has to manage. It is not to be politicised to win votes and gain sympathy. When you promise something like ₹15 lakh in the name of chunavi jumla, offer two crore jobs, have farmer suicide at its peak, demonetisation and the GST, that have completely crumbled the economy, I think the election is the time to answer those questions. How will the government execute NYAY?I think it is one of the biggest and most promising things that the Congress has come up with. The propaganda they (BJP) are trying to sell is stealing from the middle class. NYAY would work for 70 per cent below the poverty line; it will stabilise the economy.Many Bollywood and sports celebrities, who came in to politics, never did well?But there are the Jayalalithas and Sunil Dutts as well.You had roped in a couple of celerities for your campaign, including Shatrughan Sinha?I have refrained from calling any celebrity from Bollywood because I don’t want to put them in a tight situation and since I have been called glamour doll or politically zero, I say whatever is the outcome of elections, I would fight it on my own. Shatrughan Sinha came in for Sanjay Nirupam, while Shabanaji (Shabana Azmi) has known me since I was 11 years old, so she is family to me. SHARE SHARE EMAIL interviews April 26, 2019
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, on Monday, that all political parties need to work in the larger interest of nation without any bias. “When we come to Parliament, we should forget Paksh and Vipaksh. We should think about issues with a Nishpaksh spirit and work in the larger interest of the nation,” Modi said in his opening customary remarks to the media here on the first day of 17 Lok Sabha. The first session of newly constituted lower house will continue till July 26.Message to the oppositionThe Prime Minister also underlined the importance of opposition in parliamentary democracy. He expressed hope that the opposition will play an active role and accordingly participate in house proceedings. “The opposition need not worry about their numbers in the Lok Sabha,” he said. This will be second term that not a single opposition party has got 10 per cent (54) of total strength of the house, which means that no opposition leader can technically be conferred the title of Leader of Opposition (LoP). The LoP is given rank of a Cabinet Minister and (s)he can automatically be part of key committees.PM Modi expressed happiness in the increased number of women Parliamentarians in the 17th Lok Sabha. 78 women were elected to the Lok Sabha (14 per cent of the strength of the house), which is an all time high. The 16th Lok Sabha had 62 women MPs. The Lok Sabha this time has 300 first-time MPs and 197 MPs who have been re-elected for a second consecutive term.“Today marks the start of the first session after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. I welcome all new MPs. With them comes new hopes, new aspirations and new determination to serve,” Modi said, and added that Parliament can fulfil the aspirations of people when it functions smoothly.New sessionThe session will provide 30 sittings spread over 40 days in Lok Sabha and 27 sittings spread over 37 days sittings in the Rajya Sabha. The session will mainly be devoted to Oath taking, Election of Speaker, the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, Financial Business relating to Union Budget for 2019-20. However, time will also be provided for the transaction of essential Legislative and Non-Legislative business during the session.The resolution seeking Extension of Proclamation issued by the President on December 19under article 356 of the Constitution of India in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir is also required to be approved by both Houses of Parliament by July 2.The Economic Survey of India will be presented to Parliament on July 4. The Union Budget for 2019- 20 will be presented to Lok Sabha on July 5 at 11.00 AM.Ten Ordinances have been promulgated during the inter-session period, which are to be replaced by Acts of Parliament as they shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament, i.e., by August 1. 46 Bills have lapsed on dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha, which were at various stages in both the Houses. Some of these important bills are likely to be revived and brought before Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to the media ahead of the commencement of the 17th Lok Sabha – Kamal Narang Published on June 17, 2019 RELATED BJP MP Virendra Kumar sworn in as pro-tem speaker of Lok Sabha SHARE
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BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday – Sandeep Saxena Published on politics The Union Minister asserts the BJP is campaigning on development Indian National Congress parties and movements 0 The BJP on Thursday fielded one of their best-performing ministers and senior leader Nitin Gadkari to accuse the Congress of lowering the political discourse during the campaign with invective and personal slander against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the BJP is only fighting on “performance and development”.At a press conference at BJP headquarters, Gadkari said the Congress’ “NYAY (basic minimum income) lacks credibility because for 70 years, the opposition parties and different prime ministers — from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh — gave the Garibi Hatao slogan but India continues to be a rich country with a poor population.”He said the Congress has no credibility. “After 1947, Nehru said he will remove poverty. Then Indira Gandhi said the same using Garibi Hatao slogan but poverty was not eradicated.”“Rajiv Gandhi repeated that followed by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, but poverty persists. Now, even Panditji’s (Nehru) great-grandson is saying the same thing. If he (Congress chief Rahul Gandhi) will remove poverty by giving ₹72,000, then what did Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh do? That is why the political credibility of the Congress in removing poverty has ended,” he said. Gadkari said the Congress had a history of injustice and since 1947, it had been responsible for “wrong economic policies, bad and corrupt governance, and visionless leadership”. He also recalled 1984 riots and the Congress’ complicity.“NYAY will not happen as the person doling it out should be trustworthy. And how can they talk of justice when they have not delivered justice to the victims of 1984 riots and rewarded the accused,” he said. He said the BJP and PM Modi, who only worked on the principle of “minimum government, maximum governance”, are now being showered with “a total of 56 choice of abuses like chhappan bhog (56-course meal)”.“We did what we promised. We made the waterways and that is why (Congress leader) Priyanka could travel from Prayagraj to Varanasi on a boat while abusing us continuously.I want to ask her, had we not made the waterway, how would she have done that? She could drink the water thrice because we have cleaned the Ganga water,” he said.Confident of winThe Minister said this election is about “Modiji’s performance and development”.“The politics of performance and development is our biggest asset. Our schemes have reached every nook and cranny of this country. We will form a BJP-led NDA government with a record mandate,” Gadkari said May 09, 2019 elections BJP COMMENT SHARE SHARE EMAIL SHARE COMMENTS
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday visited the Polavaram project site in West Godavari district and reviewed the progress of works. It was the first time he has visited the site after becoming CM.He was accompanied by the State Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister P. Subhashchandra Bose and Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu.The CM first conducted an aerial survey of the project site and then held a meeting with officials to review the works. Later, he also met people affected by the project and assured them of proper relief and rehabilitation works. He received representations from them.Briefing the media after he left the project site, State Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav said there was a temporary stoppage of works due to the Godavari floods, but “the works would be taken up after four months and would be completed in a time-bound manner. We are aware that the mega irrigation project on the Godavari is the lifeline of the state and the CM has left clear instructions with officials to take up and complete the works in a time-bound manner.”He said that relief and rehabilitation works would be taken up simultaneously and “for us the proper implementation of R&R package is as important as the speedy construction of the dam. Mostly, Girijans are affected by the project and we will do justice to them and others as well.”State Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu said that without creating any hype the present CM had reviewed the project works and “we will complete the project works in due course.” SHARE SHARE EMAIL COMMENT
Related News He said this when met by reporters after attending the High Profile Policing programme at Jalan Wong Ah Fook, here on Saturday (July 13).Also present were Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, state financial officer Datuk Rahim Nin and Johor Baru Mayor Datuk Amran A. Rahman. {{category}} {{time}} {{title}} Nation 09 Jul 2019 Cops to quiz those who spread fake news on Pasir Gudang death Nation 08 Jul 2019 Round-the-clock air quality monitoring at Pasir Gudang schools Tags / Keywords:
JOHOR BARU: Police will gradually reduce the number of roadblock set up in Pasir Gudang as conditions in the area return to normal.Johor police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said that the Disaster Management Committee had performed their job well and worked together with the police to monitor the situation in Pasir Gudang.”We play the role of monitoring and preventing any attempts by irresponsible industries or individuals to transfer materials that can harm public safety.”In the meantime, other agencies such as the Fire and Rescue Department and Department of Environment can focus on conducting inspections on industries in the area,” he said. Pasir Gudang , Police , Roadblock Related News Nation 07 Jul 2019 Lawsuit to be filed against Johor govt, 10 others on behalf of Pasir Gudang pollution victims
Karnataka crisis broadens as 5 more rebel MLAs approach SC, allege Speaker not accepting resignationsThe five MLAs have argued that unlike the other 10 lawmakers, they had submitted their resignations in person to the Speaker and had followed the procedure. Hence, the MLAs said, no objections were raised by the Speaker regarding the format like he [the Speaker] happened in case of the other 10 other lawmakers.advertisement Next Aneesha Mathur New DelhiJuly 13, 2019UPDATED: July 13, 2019 20:15 IST Karnataka assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar had earlier denied the allegations, saying he was only following rules. (Photo: IANS)Five more rebel MLAs from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka on Saturday approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the assembly Speaker, KR Ramesh Kumar did not accept their resignations.In their plea to the Supreme Court, the five MLAs — Anand Singh, Munirathna, K Sudhakar, MTB Nagaraju and Roshan Baig — have sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebel MLAs on which the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.The five MLAs who moved the Supreme Court on Saturday said that the legislators, who have submitted their resignations, have the “fundamental right to resign in consultation with their conscience or other attendant circumstances”.They also allege that the actions and the delay caused by the Speaker are in violation of the fundamental rights of the MLAs.”The right to resign from their office is their fundamental right as a citizen and as a public representative. It is humbly submitted that the actions of the Hon’ble Speaker are in violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicants,” the plea stated.It should be noted that the Speaker had earlier denied the allegations, saying that he is only following the Constitution and the rules. Justifying his actions, Speaker KR Ramesh said, “I am delaying the matter because I love this land. I only the Constitution. I am not acting in haste because of my love for the people.”The MLAs have said they are “identically placed” with the 10 MLAs who were granted status quo orders on Friday by the bench headed by the Chief justice of India.The rebel MLAs also argued that unlike the other 10 lawmakers, they had submitted their resignations in person to the Speaker and had followed the procedure of resignation. Hence, the MLAs said, no objections were raised by the Speaker regarding the format like he [the Speaker] happened in case of the other 10 other lawmakers.”Therefore, no objections were raised by the Speaker regarding the format, but the Speaker has still failed to accept their resignations so far. Further, there were no pending disqualification proceedings against them at the time of resignation. The act of submitting in person itself shows the voluntary nature and genuineness of the resignation,” the plea stated.The plea also added that “there is no scope for inquiry” into their resignations.They have also opposed the Karnataka government’s move to initiate disqualification proceedings against the MLAs who skipped the legislature party meeting on July 9. “The non-attendance of the legislature party meeting outside the House does not amount to a ground for disqualification,” the MLAs argued.The MLAs have also expressed their “apprehension” regarding their “safety” after MLA K Sudhakar was allegedly “held up” in a room where the embattled party leaders tried to convince him not to quit.”Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has announced on July 12 on the floor of the House that they would be seeking a floor test. It is submitted that despite the applicants’ resignations, they are being threatened to support the government on the threat of disqualification,” the plea read.These 10 rebel MLAs of Congress- JD(S) coalition who moved the apex court earlier alleging that the Speaker was not accepting their resignations were Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, S T Somashekhar, Arbail Shivaram Hebbar, Mahesh Kumathalli, K Gopalaiah, A H Vishwanath and Narayana Gowda.Hearing their plea, the Supreme Court had on Friday restrained Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar from taking any decision till Tuesday on the resignation and disqualification of these 10 MLAs.Citing “weighty issues that have arisen”, the apex court had said it will consider the matter on July 16 and ordered that the status quo as of Friday should be maintained.The resignation of these MLAs has plunged the HD Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka into a crisis as it faces the risk of losing majority in the Assembly.Also Read | MLAs have given resignation in right format now: Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh clarifiesAlso Read | Karnataka crisis: Speaker asked us to go to hell, rebel MLAs tell Supreme CourtAlso Watch | Kumaraswamy trust vote offer a googly or full toss?For the latest World Cup news, live scores and fixtures for World Cup 2019, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for World Cup news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted byChanchal Chauhan
Press Trust of India BengaluruJuly 13, 2019UPDATED: July 13, 2019 21:13 IST Mallikarjun Kharge. (File photo: PTI)As Congress and JDS leaders in Karnataka made hectic efforts to mollify its rebel legislators and save the coalition government, a BJP MP Saturday said he would be the happiest person if arch rival Mallikarjun Kharge is made Chief Minister.”I will welcome it. If a Dalit becomes chief minister, I will be the happiest person,” said BJP MP Umesh Jadhav who defeated Kharge in the Lok Sabha election from Gulbarga.His statement comes against the backdrop of the political imbroglio in the State following the resignation of 16 disgruntled coalition MLAs and speculation that some of them want somebody else as chief minister other than HD Kumaraswamy to resolve the crisis.A section of dalit leaders in the Congress were reportedly clamouring to be made the CM from one among them.The BJP MP also maintained that it was not he but the people of Gulbarga who defeated Kharge.Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently lashed out at the BJP for not inducting a Dalit MP from Karnataka in the Union Cabinet, saying “upliftment” of the community will not happen just by “talking big.”Retaliating, the Karnataka BJP had asked him to make veteran party leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who lost in the Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister,if he really cared for Dalits.People are also aware that it was Siddaramaiah who prevented G Parameshwara (now Deputy Chief Minister) from becoming the Chief Minister as he was a Dalit, the party alleged.Asked about the current political developments in Karnataka, Jadhav told reporters at Kempegowda International Airport here he has come for the admission of his son at a college and expressed ignorance about the political uncertainty.The MP said he was focusing only on the development of Gulbarga from where he got elected.Jadhav was the first disgruntled Congress MLA to quit the party and join the BJP.As a Congress MLA, he had aligned with rebel Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli and B Nagendra.The Congress had even sought their disqualification for ignoring the pary whip to attend the budget session but Jadhav resigned from the party, joined BJP, contested the Lok Sabha election and defeated Kharge.Also Read | BJP threatening, forcing MLAs to switch, says Abhishek Banerjee after 10 TMC councillors rejoin partyAlso Read | 107 Congress, TMC, CPM MLAs will join BJP, claims Mukul RoyAlso Watch | Leaderless Congress headed towards self-destruction?For the latest World Cup news, live scores and fixtures for World Cup 2019, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for World Cup news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted byShifa Naseer Tags :Follow KhargeFollow BJPFollow Karnataka CMFollow Karnataka crisis Karnataka crisis: Will be happiest if rival Mallikarjun Kharge is made Karnataka CM, says BJP MPBJP MP Umesh Jadhav’s statement comes against the backdrop of the political imbroglio in the State following the resignation of 16 disgruntled coalition MLAs and speculation that some of them want somebody else as chief minister other than HD Kumaraswamy to resolve the crisis.advertisement Next