Did the pandemic change our personalities? Increased neuroticism among young adults seen: Study

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Despite a long-standing hypothesis that personality traits are relatively impervious to environmental pressures, the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered the trajectory of personality across the United States, especially in younger adults, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Angelina Sutin of Florida State University College of Medicine, and colleagues.

Previous studies have generally found no associations between collective stressful events—such as earthquakes and hurricanes—and personality change. However, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire globe and nearly every aspect of life.

In the new study, the researchers used longitudinal assessments of personality from 7,109 people enrolled in the online Understanding America Study. They compared five-factor model personality traits—neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness—between pre-pandemic measurements (May 2014 – February 2020) and assessments early (March – December 2020) or later (2021-2022) in the pandemic. A total of 18,623 assessments, or a mean of 2.62 per participant, were analyzed. Participants were 41.2% male and ranged in age from 18 to 109.

A crowd of people at a pedestrian crossing./CREDIT:Brian Merrill, Pixabay, CC0(https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

Consistent with other studies, there were relatively few changes between pre-pandemic and 2020 personality traits, with only a small decline in neuroticism. However, there were declines in extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness when 2021-2022 data was compared to pre-pandemic personality. The changes were about one-tenth of a standard deviation, which is equivalent to about one decade of normative personality change. The changes were moderated by age, with younger adults showing disrupted maturity in the form of increased neuroticism and decreased agreeableness and conscientiousness, and the oldest group of adults showing no statistically significant changes in traits.

The authors conclude that if these changes are enduring, it suggests that population-wide stressful events can slightly bend the trajectory of personality, especially in younger adults.

The authors add: “There was limited personality change early in the pandemic but striking changes starting in 2021. Of most note, the personality of young adults changed the most, with marked increases in neuroticism and declines in agreeableness and conscientiousness. That is, younger adults became moodier and more prone to stress, less cooperative and trusting, and less restrained and responsible.”

Telecom fraud: DoT unearths fraudulent illegal Telecom set-ups to route ISD calls

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Fraudsters use illegal telecom set-ups to route ISD calls received through internet (VoIP) illegally to domestic mobile and wireline customers in India. Illegal telecom setups primarily use internet connectivity on one side and connect to domestic mobile and landline network for distribution of call which is not allowed as per regulations. Such illegal setups pose security threat and revenue loss to the Government.

DoT field units in coordination with TSPs and law enforcement agencies were able to unearth operations of 30 such illegal telecom set-ups in last four months.

Telephone

Members of the public are requested to report such illegal establishments to DoT’s call centre. The call centre having number 1800110420/1963 has been set up for reporting the cases by public on receiving any international call displaying Indian mobile / landline number.

Archaeological Survey of India unravels remarkable remains in Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve – Photos [Must see]

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In a major find, ASI has unraveled remarkable archaeological remains in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve.

During the exploration conducted by ASI, 26 ancient temples/relics of Kalachuri period (9th century CE to 11th Century CE), 26 caves (2nd Century CE to 5th century CE mostly Buddhist in nature), 2 monasteries, 2 stupas, 24 Brahmi inscriptions (2nd century CE to 5th century CE), 46 sculptures, 20 scattered remains and 19 water structures (c.2nd-15thCE) are recorded. Among the 46 sculptures, also is a Varah sculpture which is one of the largest.

The time period of the findings covered the reigns of the kings Shri Bhimsena, Maharaja Pothasiri, Maharaja Bhattadeva. Placed deciphered in the inscriptions are Kaushami, Mathura, Pavata (Parvata), Vejabharada and Sapatanaairikaa.

 

An ASI team covered nearly 170 sq km falling in the area of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve over months-long exploration of the region which was undertook for the first time since 1938.

The exploration was conducted under by the Jabalpur Circle of ASI.

Centre extends ‘PM-GKAY’ Yojana for another 3 months (October 2022-December 2022)

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Key Points:

  • Free good grains at 5 kg per person per month for all the beneficiaries of NFSA will be continued till December, 2022.
  • PMGKAY has so far had an estimated subsidy of Rs 3.45 lakh crore in six phases.
  • Phase VII of PMGKAY from Oct to Dec entails an estimated subsidy of Rs. 44,762 Crore.
  • The total outgo of foodgrains in Phase VII is expected to 122 LMT.
  • Decision will ensure that poor and vulnerable sections of society are supported for the forthcoming major festivals.

 

In pursuance of the pro-people announcement made by Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2021and successful implementation of additional food security under PMGKAY, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase VII) for a further  period of 3 months i.e. October to December 2022.

At a time when the world is battling with the effects of Covid on its decline and insecurity due to various reasons, India has been successfully maintaining food security for its vulnerable sections while taking necessary steps to keep availability and affordability for common man.

Recognising that people have gone through a difficult period of pandemic, Govt has decided to extend PMGKAY for a period of three months  so that  poor and vulnerable sections of society  are supported for the forthcoming major festivals like Navratri, Dussehra, Milad-un-nabi, Deepawali, Chhath pooja, Gurunanak dev Jayanti, Christmas, etc. which they can celebrate  with great gaiety and community for festivities.  With a view to ensuring this, Govt. has approved this extension of PMGKAY for three months, so that they continue to enjoy the benefits of easy availability of foodgrains without any financial distress.

Under this welfare scheme, 5 kg of food grain per person per month is provided free of cost for all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana & Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Financial implication for the Government of India has been about  Rs. 3.45 Lakh Crore  upto Phase-VI of PMGKAY. With the additional expenditure of about Rs. 44,762 Crore for Phase-VII of this scheme, the overall expenditure of PMGKAY will be about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.

Rice/Ians

The total outgo in terms of food grains for PMGKAY Phase VII is likely to be about 122 LMT. The aggregate allocation of food grain for phases I- VII is about 1121 LMT.

So far, PMGKAY has been in operation for 25 months as under

  • Phase I and II ( 8 months) : April’20 to Nov.’20
  • Phase-III to V (11 months) : May’21 to March’22
  • Phase-VI    ( 6 months)  : April’22 to Sept.’22

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), started during difficult time of COVID-19 crisis, has provided food security to the poor, needy and the vulnerable households/beneficiaries so that they do not suffer on account of non-availability of adequate foodgrains. Effectively it has doubled the quantity of monthly foodgrains entitlements being normally delivered to beneficiaries.

Going by the experience of earlier phases, the performance of PMGKAY-VII is expected to be on the same high level as achieved before.

Vice President flags off Jaipur Foot team to Syria to provide artificial limbs to amputees

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‘Nothing is more religious than serving the people in need’ says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Dhankhar lauds the efforts of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) for their untiring efforts, Says, ‘BMVSS’ service for humanity reflects India’s civilisational ethos of sharing and caring’.

The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that “there is nothing more religious than serving the people in need” and urged people to give back to society in their capacity.

The Vice President flagged off a team of eight persons from Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) going to Syria to set up an on-the-spot artificial limb (Jaipur Foot) fitment camp. The team will be setting up a camp in Damascus, Syria to provide 600 artificial limbs to amputees in 42 ensuing days.

 

  The Vice President flagging off the team from Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) to Syria to set up an on-the-spot artificial limb (Jaipur Foot) fitment camp from Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today.

 

Lauding the efforts of BMVSS, Shri Dhankhar said the organisation, by popularising the Jaipur Foot around the world and providing their services free of cost, has demonstrated India’s civilisational ethos of sharing and caring. He said that, as with their other initiatives, the latest effort will also generate enormous good-will for India.

 

Shri Dhankhar complimented the team for their courage to take up the mission in Syria and wished them all success in their endeavours. He also interacted with the team from BMVSS, led by its founder, Shri D.R. Mehta and some of its beneficiaries using the Jaipur foot.

The Vice President interacting with the beneficiaries of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) using the Jaipur Foot at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today.

It is notable that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visited one such centre of BMVSS in Philippines in 2017, and the former Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a fitment camp of BMVSS in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2019.

Celebrate ‘International Observe the Moon Night’ with NASA [Details]

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The public is invited to participate in NASA’s celebration of “International Observe the Moon Night” on Saturday, Oct. 1. This annual, worldwide public engagement event takes place when the Moon is close to first quarter – a great phase for evening observing.  Last year about 500,000 people participated from 122 countries and all seven continents.

This celebration provides opportunities to learn about lunar science and exploration, observe celestial bodies, and honor personal and cultural connections to the Moon.

How to participate:

  • Host an event in your community; participate in an event; or observe with your family, friends, or on your own. Events can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
  • Register your participation to add yourself to the map of lunar observers worldwide.
  • Connect  with lunar enthusiasts around the world and share your Moon viewing experience on social media, tagging #ObserveTheMoon.
  • On October 1, tune into a NASA TV Broadcast from 7p.m.–8p.m. EST and find views of the Moon from telescopes around the world on the program’s Live Streams page.
  • Find more information and resources on moon.nasa.gov/observe.

Refer to NASA’s Moon viewing guides, activity guides, and custom 2022 program Moon maps to make the most of your observations:

The Moon is a stepping stone to learning more about our solar system, galaxy, and universe. NASA is preparing to launch its Artemis I test flight to the Moon, a major step forward in a new era of human deep-space exploration.

Celebrate ‘International Observe the Moon Night’ with NASA/Credits: NASA/Vi Nguyen

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before for the benefit of all.

International Observe the Moon Night is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission and the Solar System Exploration Division of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with support from many partners. Launched on June 18, 2009, LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon. LRO is managed by NASA Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

For more information about International Observe the Moon Night, visit: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe

For more information about the Oct. 1 live streams, visit: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/participate/live-streams/

For more information about the Artemis program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/

For more information about the Moon, visit: https://moon.nasa.gov

For more information about LRO, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lro

Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity, lower risk of cardiovascular disease

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Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with avoiding coffee, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC.1 The findings applied to ground, instant and decaffeinated varieties.

“In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause,” said study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”

There is little information on the impact of different coffee preparations on heart health and survival. This study examined the associations between types of coffee and incident arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease and death using data from the UK Biobank, which recruited adults between 40 and 69 years of age. Cardiovascular disease was comprised of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and ischaemic stroke.

coffee

The study included 449,563 participants free of arrhythmias or other cardiovascular disease at baseline. The median age was 58 years and 55.3% were women. Participants completed a questionnaire asking how many cups of coffee they drank each day and whether they usually drank instant, ground (such as cappuccino or filtered coffee), or decaffeinated coffee. They were then grouped into six daily intake categories, consisting of none, less than one, one, two to three, four to five, and more than five cups per day. The usual coffee type was instant in 198,062 (44.1%) participants, ground in 82,575 (18.4%), and decaffeinated in 68,416 (15.2%). There were 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers who served as the comparator group.

Coffee drinkers were compared to non-drinkers for the incidence of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease and death, after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol consumption. Outcome information was obtained from medical records and death records. The median follow up was 12.5 years.

A total of 27,809 (6.2%) participants died during follow up. All types of coffee were linked with a reduction in death from any cause. The greatest risk reduction seen with two to three cups per day, which compared to no coffee drinking was associated with a 14%, 27% and 11% lower likelihood of death for decaffeinated, ground, and instant preparations, respectively.

Cardiovascular disease was diagnosed in 43,173 (9.6%) participants during follow up. All coffee subtypes were associated with a reduction in incident cardiovascular disease. Again, the lowest risk was observed with two to three cups a day, which compared to abstinence from coffee was associated with a 6%, 20%, and 9% reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease for decaffeinated, ground, instant coffee, respectively.

An arrhythmia was diagnosed in 30,100 (6.7%) participants during follow up. Ground and instant coffee, but not decaffeinated, was associated with a reduction in arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. Compared with non-drinkers, the lowest risks were observed with four to five cups a day for ground coffee and two to three cups a day for instant coffee, with 17% and 12% reduced risks, respectively.

Professor Kistler said: “Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components. It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behaviour.”

Voice control smart devices might hinder children’s social, emotional development: Study

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Voice control smart devices, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, might hinder children’s social and emotional development, argues an expert in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare, in a viewpoint published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

These devices might have long term effects by impeding children’s critical thinking, capacity for empathy and compassion, and their learning skills, says Anmol Arora of the University of Cambridge.

While voice control devices may act as ‘friends’ and help to improve children’s reading and communication skills, their advanced AI and ‘human’ sounding voices have prompted concerns about the potential long term effects on children’s brains at a crucial stage of development.

There are three broad areas of concern, explains the author. These comprise inappropriate responses; impeding social development; and hindering learning.

He cites some well publicised examples of inappropriate responses, including a device suggesting that a 10-year old should try touching a live plug with a coin.

Children-wikipedia

“It is difficult to enforce robust parental controls on such devices without severely affecting their functionality,” he suggests, adding that privacy issues have also arisen in respect of the recording of private conversations.

These devices can’t teach children how to behave politely, because there’s no expectation of a “please” or “thank you”, and no need to consider the tone of voice, he points out.

“The lack of ability to engage in non-verbal communication makes use of the devices a poor method of learning social interaction,” he writes. “While in normal human interactions, a child would usually receive constructive feedback if they were to behave inappropriately, this is beyond the scope of a smart device.”

Preliminary research on the use of voice assistants as social companions for lonely adults is encouraging. But it’s not at all clear if this also applies to children, he notes.

“This is particularly important at a time when children might already have had social development impaired as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and when [they] might have been spending more time isolated with smart devices at home,” he emphasises.

Devices are designed to search for requested information and provide a concise, specific answer, but this may hinder traditional processes by which children learn and absorb information, the author suggests.

When children ask adults questions, the adult can request contextual information, explain the limitations of their knowledge and probe the child’s reasoning—a process that these devices can’t replicate, he says.

Searching for information is also an important learning experience, which teaches critical thinking and logical reasoning, he explains.

“The rise of voice devices has provided great benefit to the population. Their abilities to provide information rapidly, assist with daily activities, and act as a social companion to lonely adults are both important and useful, the author acknowledges.

“However, urgent research is required into the long-term consequences for children interacting with such devices,” he insists.

“Interacting with the devices at a crucial stage in social and emotional development might have long-term consequences on empathy, compassion, and critical thinking,” he concludes.

 

PM Modi congratulates Giorgia Meloni for leading in Italian General Elections

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The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has congratulated Giorgia Meloni for leading her party Fratelli d’Itaia in Italian General Elections.

The Prime Minister tweeted;

“Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties.”

 

 

 

Bollywood actress ‘Asha Parekh’ to be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 2020

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Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has today announced that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2020 will be accorded to legendary actress Ms Asha Parekh. The award will be presented at the National Film Award ceremony in New Delhi on 30th September.

Announcing the decision Union Minister Anurag Thakur said “I am honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to recognise & award Ms Asha Parekh ji for her exemplary lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema.” The Minister also announced that the 68th National Film Awards will be held on 30th September, 2022 and will be presided over by President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu.

Ms Asha Parekh is a renowned film actress, director and producer and an accomplished Indian classical dancer. Starting her career as a child actor she made her debut as lead heroine in Dil Deke Dekho and has gone on to act in over 95 movies. She has acted in celebrated films like Kati Patang, Teesri Manzil, Love in Tokyo, Aya Saawan Jhoom Ke, Aan Milo Sajna, Mera Gaon Mera Desh.

Asha Parekh to be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 2020

Ms Asha Parekh was conferred the Padma Shri in 1992. She has also served as the head of Central Board for Film Certification from 1998-2001.
Shri Anurag Thakur also announced that the decision to confer the award to Ms Parekh was taken by a jury of five members. The jury for the selection of 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke award consisted of five members from the film industry:

  1. Ms Asha Bhosle
  2. Ms Hema Malini
  3. Ms Poonam Dhillon
  4. Shri T. S. Nagabharana
  5. Shri Udit Narayan

Bathukamma festival: Colourful flower show illuminates India Gate in Delhi [Photos]

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Bathukamma festival represents the culture and identity of the people of Telangana and involves the worship of Maha Gauri – “Life Giver” in the form of Gauri Devi.

Ministry of Culture organized the celebration of Bathukamma festival being at Kartavyapath, India Gate, New Delhi, today. The event was attended by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism G Kishan Reddy, MoS Tourism Shri Ajay Bhatt and senior women officers in the administrative and law enforcement, and women HODs of different Government departments.

Bathukamma Festival is an annual celebration in Telangana that goes on for nine days and overlaps with the festival of Navratri. The festival is celebrated with colourful exotic flowers of the region and symbolises the collective spirit of the people of Telangana. This year Bathukamma celebrations are taking place from 25th of September till the 3rd of October.

This festival is to pray to the Goddess for the health and achievements of each family. Young women of the Hindu household get to pray to the Goddess for a life partner of their choice. Bathukamma means “The Mother Goddess comes to life”. It represents the culture and identity of the people of Telangana and involves the worship of Maha Gauri – “Life Giver” in the form of Gauri Devi (patron goddess of womanhood).

 

The festival involves young women arranging flowers in stacks and making rangoli to start the celebrations. The men also help celebrate this festival, by aiding in the preparations like by collecting different flowers such as Marigold, Lotus, Senna. Some of the women dip a few flowers in vibrant colours and then arrange them in a wide plate and stack them in a pile.The rituals of this festival are performed by the Hindu women, especially young girls, who gather around in large numbers in their local areas during the evening time. Forming a circle, they then perform the ritual which involves them singing a folk song and revolving around the Bathukamma, all the while clapping their hands and walking in synchronised steps. This entire performance is to invoke the blessings of the goddess for good health and prosperity for their families.

President of India Inaugurates Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited; Also Lays The Foundation Stone for The Zonal Institute of Virology

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The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru today (September 27, 2022). She also laid the foundation stone for the Zonal Institute of Virology (South Zone) virtually on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that inauguration of the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility is indeed a historic moment not only for HAL and ISRO, but also for the whole country to have a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture Cryogenic and Semi-cryogenic Engines. She said that HAL has contributed immensely to India’s self reliance in defence. It can be said that HAL has been the force behind the forces. HAL has time and again demonstrated its capabilities in research, development and manufacturing of various Aircraft Platforms.

The President said that ISRO has been the pride of the nation. When this institution started operations in the 1960s, India was still a young Republic, facing challenges of severe poverty and illiteracy. But there was immense potential. The rapid pace, with which ISRO has grown, caught the attention of even the most advanced and technologically developed countries. Sincere efforts and dedication of ISRO have made India emerge as the sixth country in the world to have Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Capabilities.

The President said that HAL and ISRO together contribute to strategic defence and development. Both the organizations have played a major role in the development of various equipment and programmes which have reinforced the security and development of our country. HAL with its high end facility of manufacturing defence related equipment has proved to be an invaluable asset for our country.

The President said that the glorious past of HAL and ISRO gives us an assurance that these organisations will continue to play a significant and positive role in the future as India enters the Amrit Kaal. By 2047, when we will celebrate the 100 years of Independence, the world around us will have changed drastically. Just as we were in no position 25 years ago to imagine the contemporary world, we cannot visualise today how Artificial Intelligence and automation are going to transform life. We have completed 75 years as an independent country. We are looking ahead at the next 25 years as the period to re-imagine India and make it a developed country. It is our joint responsibility to ensure that the India of 2047 will be a much more prosperous and strong nation.

Speaking about the Covid pandemic, the President said that the resilience and extraordinary effort of our doctors and scientists helped us deal with the crisis. She noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research has provided exemplary support for effective COVID management and is expanding its research infrastructure. National Institute of Virology, Pune under Indian Council of Medical Research, is also taking all possible steps to increase R&D in the field of virology. She was happy to note that the National Institute of Virology has been designated as one of the collaborating laboratories of the World Health Organization. She said that the expansion of National Institute of Virology through Zonal Campuses across the country catering to the demands in the different geographical regions is praiseworthy.

WhatsApp’s critical bug found, fixed, re-install now, advises Meta

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WhatsApp owner Meta has revealed that a critical bug in older installations was fixed now and advised all users to update their devices with latest software version.

It said the vulnerability could allow an attacker to exploit a code error known as an integer overflow. “An integer overflow in WhatsApp for Android prior to v2.22.16.12, Business for Android prior to v2.22.16.12, iOS prior to v2.22.16.12, Business for iOS prior to v2.22.16.12 could result in remote code execution in an established video call,” WhatsApp said in an update.

Remote code executions (RCEs) usually occur due to malicious malware downloaded by the host and can happen regardless of the device’s geographic location and a hacker can remotely execute commands on someone else’s computing device.


The recently disclosed vulnerability called CVE-2022-36934, with a severity score of 9.8 out of 10 on the CVE scale and another bug that could have caused remote code execution when receiving a crafted video file – have been patched in the latest WhatsApp version, said the company.

WhatsApp is also rolling out Call Links to make it easier to start and join a call in just one tap and is testing secured and encrypted group video calls for up to 32 people on WhatsApp.

Sundar Pichai defends ‘aggressive’ cost saving, job cuts at Google

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Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has defended the company’s move to save costs of the company and advised employees not to see earning money alone as fun as little things in life can bring more joy than what money can do.

In a reply when asked why the company has shifted from “rapidly hiring and spending to equally aggressive cost saving,” he said: “”I’m a bit concerned that you think what we’ve done is what you would define as aggressive cost saving. I think it’s important we don’t get disconnected. You need to take a long-term view through conditions like this.”

Pichai plans to make the company 20 per cent more efficient, hinting at job cuts and going by reports, Google and its parent Alphabet are giving some workers 60 days time to apply for a new role at the company if their jobs are set to be cut.

in August, Google fired more than 50 workers at its incubator Area 120 and gave them extra 30 days to find another job at the company and a Google spokesman said that nearly 95 per cent of those employees found new roles within the notice period.

Pichai said the company is “still investing in long-term projects like quantum computing.” He added, “We’re committed to taking care of our employees. I think we’re just working through a tough moment macroeconomically and I think it’s important we as a company align and work together,” said Pichai.

Earlier, at the Code Conference, Pichai said that the more the company tries to understand the macroeconomic conditions, the more uncertain it is about it. “The macroeconomic performance is correlated to ad spend, consumer spend and so on,” he told the audience.

Google has suspended hiring new employees and reportedly told some existing employees to “shape up or ship out” if they fail to meet expectations.

Japanese protesters oppose expensive state funeral to Shinzo Abe

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For a pacifist nation like Japan, the assassination of Shinzo Abe would have been painful but the public outrage during the funeral is astounding in view of the state funeral at a cost of 1.7 billion yen ($12 million) at a time when the government is heavily indebted.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during the campaign trail in July and the government’s plans to a state funeral have been opposed by many since then owing to the country’s fragile economy.

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida has been unable to assuage public concerns as the controversy undermines his proposed record defense spending, which began with Shinzo Abe, whose legacy is left behind with the revision of the country’s post-war Pacifist Constitution and sending Japanese armed forces abroad.

PM Modi paying homage at the State Funeral Ceremony of the Former Prime Minister of Japan, Late Mr. Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo, Japan on September 27, 2022 / PIB

PM Kishida’s approval ratings have reached the lowest level since he became the country’s Prime Minister in October. Last week, a man has allegedly set himself on fire near the office of Japanese Prime Minister protesting against the expensive state funeral.

The funeral on Tuesday kept the capital under maximum security due to protests which began just before the funeral. About 4,300 attendees gathered in Tokyo to pay their respects at the funeral.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo were among 700 foreign dignitaries from 218 countries, regions and international organizations who attended the funeral.

 

Ukraine crisis: Russian gas pipelines leaking, sabotage suspected [Video]

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European countries rushed to probe unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden’s Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the day after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline, restricting shipping and impose a small no fly zone by Denmark.

The country’s armed forces released a video showing bubbles boiling up to the surface of the sea, revealing it to be a major gas leak disturbing the surface of about 1 km (0.6 mile) in diameter, the armed forces said.

Russia, which built the gas pipeline network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.

The gas pipelines leak on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia with European partners spent billions of dollars building, comes close on the occasion of Dmitry Medvedev, a former president, who reiterated that Russia had the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is “certainly not a bluff”.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is struggling to accommodate tens of thousands of Russians who have fled their homeland since Moscow announced a military mobilization recruiting the youth last week, officials say, but the Almaty government said it has no plans to close its border.

Snowden granted Russian citizenship

Another blow to the West is that Putin has granted Russian citizenship to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, nine years after he exposed the scale of secret surveillance operations by the National Security Agency.

 

How Titanic missed the iceberg warning by SS Mesaba before it sank?

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Just before it sank, the RMS Titanic ship was sent an iceberg warning by other ships but the message never reached the bridge on the fateful night of 15th April 1912.  Ironic, one merchant steamship SS Mesaba which had sent the message also met with similar fate six years later.

In 1912 the merchant steamship SS Mesaba was crossing the Atlantic and sent a warning radio message to the RMS Titanic, the supposedly unsinkable ship that was destined to sink on its first voyage after it hit an iceberg, taking 1,500 lives and becoming the world’s most infamous shipwreck that prompted the blockbuster movie The Titanic.

According to Geoffrey Marcus, author of The Maiden Voyage, the message never reached the bridge, but instead was shoved under a paperweight.

The SS Mesaba continued as a merchant ship over the next six years before being torpedoed whilst in convoy in 1918. Using state-of-the art multibeam sonar, researchers at Bangor University have finally been able to positively identify the wreck and have revealed her position for the first time.

For the marine archaeologist, multibeam sonar has the potential to be as impactful as the use of aerial photography was for landscape archaeology. Multibeam sonar enables seabed mapping of such detail that superstructure details can be revealed on the sonar images.

Multibeam sonar image of the SS Mesaba lying on the sea bed in the Irish Sea./CREDIT:Bangor University

Currently, the SS Mesaba was one among 273 shipwrecks lying in 7,500 square miles of Irish Sea, which were scanned and cross-referenced against the UK Hydrographic Office’s database of wrecks and other sources.

It was thought that 101 wrecks were unidentified, but the number of newly identified wrecks was far higher, as many, the SS Mesaba included, had been wrongly identified in the past.

Details of all the wrecks have been published in a new book, Echoes from the Deep by Dr Innes McCartney of Bangor University, conducted under a Leverhulme Fellowship while at Bournemouth University.

Titanic/wikipedia

Innes said, “The results of the work described in the book has validated the multidisciplinary technique employed and it is a ‘game-changer’ for marine archaeology.

“Previously we would be able to dive to a few sites a year to visually identify wrecks. The Prince Madog’s unique sonar capabilities has enabled us to develop a relatively low-cost means of examining the wrecks. We can connect this back to the historical information without costly physical interaction with each site.”

Dr Michael Roberts who led the sonar surveys at the University’s School of Ocean Sciences explained:

Titanic/wikipedia

“The expertise and unique resources we have at Bangor University, such as the ‘Prince Madog’ enable us to deliver high quality scientific research in an extremely cost-effective manner.  Identifying shipwrecks such as those documented in the publication for historical research and environmental impact studies is just one example of this.”

Stressful life make people focus more on their romantic partner’s negative behavior

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Stressful life circumstances can affect how married couples interact, but can they affect how partners see each other? A person experiencing stress is more likely to notice their spouse’s negative behavior than positive, according to a new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Prior research has focused on how stress influences behavior, but this study suggests that stress could affect what actions partners notice in the first place. The negative actions being monitored included a spouse breaking a promise, showing anger or impatience, or criticizing their partner.

“We found that individuals who reported experiencing more stressful life events outside of their relationship, such as problems at work, were especially likely to notice if their partner behaved in an inconsiderate manner,” says lead author Dr. Lisa Neff, of the University of Texas at Austin.

Researchers asked 79 heterosexual newlywed couples to complete a short survey each night for 10 days, in which they documented both their own and their partner’s behavior. Before beginning this portion of the study, participants completed a questionnaire in which they shared details on stressful events in their life.

Stress

Studying newlyweds drives home the significance of the results, Dr. Neff notes, because couples are especially likely to focus on each other’s positive behavior and overlook negative actions during the “honeymoon” period.

“For many people, the past few years have been difficult – and the stress of the pandemic continues to linger,” says Dr. Neff. “If stress focuses individuals’ attention toward their partner’s more inconsiderate behaviors, this is likely to take a toll on the relationship.”

Researchers noted a single stressful day was not enough to make someone zero in on their partner’s negative behavior, but a longer accumulation of stressful life circumstances could cause this shift in focus. The findings also suggest that those under stress were not any less likely to notice their partner’s positive behavior, but they were more likely to notice inconsiderate actions.

While it’s possible that being aware of the effects of stress could allow couples to correct their behavior and limit harm to the relationship, Dr. Neff notes that this will remain speculation until it is studied further. She also says that future research would do well to expand this study beyond the honeymoon phase.

“One direction would be to examine if the harmful effects of stress might be even stronger among couples no longer in the newlywed phase of their relationships,” says Dr. Neff, “but the fact that we found these effects in a sample of newlyweds speaks to how impactful the effects of stress can be.”

Manmohan Singh turns 90: Fifteen crucial facts to know about former PM

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As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turned 90 on Monday, leaders across party lines wished him and many remembered his contribution in turning the economy toward growth trajectory despite global recessions and pressures.

On this occasion, we bring 10 facts and key contributions made by Dr Manmohan Sing to India:

  1. Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, (now in Pakistan), he migrated to India along with his family
  2. Lost his mother at a very young age and was raised by his grandmother
  3. As there was no electricity in his village, he used to study under kerosene lamp
  4. Manmohan Singh studied in Hindu College Amritsar, and did B.A. and M.A. from Panjab University
  5. He did his Economics Tripos from Cambridge University and DPhil or doctorate from the University of Oxford
  6. He worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), from 1966 to 1969
  7. He worked as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade under L.N. Mishra
  8. In 1972, Manmohan Singh became the Chief Advisor in the Ministry of Finance
  9. In 1976, he became a Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
  10. In 1982, Manmohan Singh was appointed as the Governor of RBI
  11. He became the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India from 1985 to 1987
  12. In 1991, he was appointed as the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC)
  13. In June in 1991, he joined Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao’s cabinet as Finance Minister
  14. Initiated painful but crucial liberalisation policy for Indian economy
  15. Became the 14th Prime Minister of India on May 22, 2004.

 

Best Wishes pour in 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Wishing one of India’s finest statesman, Dr Manmohan Singh ji a very happy birthday. His humility, dedication and contribution to India’s development, has few parallels. He is an inspiration to me, and to crores of other Indians. I pray for his good health and happiness.”

Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal said, “Visionary leadership & dedication defines what Dr. Manmohan Singh means for India. The architect of India’s economic reforms, it was his magnificent vision that launched India’s economic story to the next level.” Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications, said: “Today is Day 19 of #BharatJodoYatra and the day Dr. Manmohan Singh turns 90.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished his predecessor and said:“Birthday greetings to former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Praying for his long and healthy life.” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “Warmest wishes to respected Dr. Manmohan Singh ji on his birthday. Pray for his long life, good health and happiness.”

S Jaishankar

“Many many congratulations to former Prime Minister of the country Dr. Manmohan Singh ji on his 90th birthday. I pray to God for his healthy life and long life,” tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Shashi Tharoor, Thiruvananthapuram MP, said he was “privileged to enjoy his blessings for many years & to learn so much from his sagacity, wisdom & profound understanding of human affairs,” adding: “Long May he continue to guide us all.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said, “Birthday greetings to former Prime Minister & erudite scholar Dr Manmohan Singh. He provided stability in governance, maintained dignity in public life, alleviated poverty and did all this while being an epitome of humility.”

NCP leader Supriya Sule said, “Wishing Former Prime Minister of India, Great Economist Hon. Dr. Manmohan Singh Sir Happy Birthday. May you be blessed with a long and healthy life.”

$250 Million Siphoned Off in COVID Time Scam: ‘Feeding Our Future’, 47 Suspects Charged by FBI

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Forty-seven suspects have been indicted so far on charges of defrauding a federally funded child nutrition program of more than $250 million, meant for reimbursements for the costs of serving meals to children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The investigators believe few meals were ever provided and accused the defendants of misusing the money to purchase cars, vacations, coastal resort properties, electronics, and other luxury items for themselves. The large-scale scam represents the largest theft of federal funds allocated to pandemic aid to date, said FBI.

At the center of the investigation is a now-closed Minneapolis nonprofit called “Feeding Our Future” and its former founder and executive director, Aimee Bock, who oversaw the scheme and has been indicted on multiple fraud and bribery charges.

FBI agents, along with investigators from the IRS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, prepare to execute one of 25 search warrants carried out in the early morning hours of January 20, 2022, as part of the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation / FBI

FBI agents, along with investigators from the IRS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, carried out 25 search warrants in the early morning hours of January 20, 2022, as part of the fraud investigation.

Feeding Our Future had served as a sponsor for numerous organizations that signed up to participate in the Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with states distributing funds locally. Under the program, Feeding Our Future allegedly used its position as a sponsor to engineer a massive fraud scheme.

The charges allege that beginning in early 2020, the organization began recruiting individuals and entities to open fake Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout Minnesota., which fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed despite having few—if any—staff and little to no experience serving this volume of meals. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees it was not entitled to.

Feeding Our Future employees also allegedly solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from the individuals and companies it sponsored. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” to shell companies. In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 sites throughout Minnesota between March 2020 and January 2022 and falsely claimed to have served 125 million meals.

How the defendants perpetrated the fraud:

  • Conspirators submitted a fake attendance roster of 2,040 children who attended one of the sponsor’s afterschool programs during the pandemic but only 20 names matched.
  • One site claimed to serve 2,000 to 3,000 meals per day, seven days a week, from a restaurant that previously had only a few dozen customers a day and $500-$600 in daily sales the previous year.
  • One roster was created using names from a website called listofrandomnames.com. Because the program only reimbursed for meals served to children, other defendants used an Excel formula to insert a random age between 7 and 17 into the age column. In some reports, the names of the children would stay the same, but their ages would change.

More than 250 law enforcement personnel took part in executing the search warrants and then the evidence was brought to the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, where the FBI’s forensic accountants untangled the scheme.

During a news conference announcing the charges, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul said, “During this investigation, the FBI followed many trails—including both money trails and paper trails—filled with falsified invoices and receipts, fictitious names, and an inconceivable number of meals allegedly served, all representing an astonishing display of deceit and evidence of outright fraud.”

To date, the FBI and its law enforcement partners have conducted more than 100 search warrants, completed an additional 100 seizure warrants, and reviewed more than 1,000 bank accounts.  The 18-month long investigation was extremely complex, but the crime was quite simple. “It was just a massive fraud scheme,” said Paul.

The government so far has been able to recover $50 million from 60 bank accounts, 45 pieces of property, and numerous vehicles and additional items, such as electronics and high-end clothing.