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Director Ankit Kothari recounts his journey of finding the perfect location and cast for Paanchika, which opened the Indian Panorama (Non-Feature) segment of IFFI Tender emotions and innocence have the power to break the tyranny of harsh surroundings and societal biases. This is what director Ankit Kothari wanted to capture when he deliberated on how to adapt Bawa, a Marathi short story by Vyankatesh Madgulkar, for the screen. The Baroda-born director chose to set this story of a furtive friendship between Miri and outcast Suba in the arid landscape of Rann of Kutch. Adapted as a Gujarati short film titled Paanchika (Five Pebbles), this opened the Indian Panorama (Non-Feature) category of International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2021, on Sunday. Paanchika follows young Miri’s journey through mounds of salt crystals to deliver lunch to her father. Miri is followed by Suba, whose family has been ostracised by the villagers. Suba keeps her distance since they are not supposed to play together. Yet, their friendship finds ways of subverting social diktats. “Society has its own rules and by adhering to them we are rewarded with validation. We in turn become the representation of the society for another individual. I was interested in exploring the individual will of my characters in spite of their age and how friendship brings out what they truly stand for,” Kothari says. Since he didn’t have any other project in hand then, Kothari saw “time as a valuable resource” and dedicated around six months in finding the “perfect” location for Paanchika. Much to his disappointment, he found several parts of Rann of Kutch touristy while others not meeting his idea of aesthetics. He was searching for locations that would be different from what the audiences have already seen. His search came to an end when he came across salt pyramids near a village. “From the villagers, I understood that chemical factories would soon take those salt piles away. However, I was told if I waited for three-four months, there would be hundreds of such pyramids,” said Kothari. A fine arts graduate from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, he has been part of the film industry for over a decade and has worked on movies such as Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2007), Shanghai (2011), and Tumbbad (2018). “We are so used to seeing snow on the screen. But seeing salt pyramids on the ground while the sky is brightly lit appealed to me aesthetically. I thought the characters would stand out in such a setting while everything else would be burnt out. With that, I thought of creating a certain discomfort in the visual,” Kothari said. This location that Kothari zeroed in for Paanchika – on the outskirts of Odu and Kharaghoda villages – has lots of history. “I saw nearly 80-year-old registers of salt workers in which women have signed their names. That shows they were educated. There is a railway track nearby that was used by trains to carrying salt during the British period,” says Kothari, who is now based in Ahmedabad. The other challenging task before the director was to find the two central characters. “When children have been exposed to technology, it is difficult to find shyness in them. I wanted to evoke emotions such as sadness, anger, and doubt in the two central characters,” says Kothari who auditioned about 300 children. Finally, Kothari chose Aarti Thakore, 7, and Anjali Thakore, 9, to play the role of Miri and Suba, respectively. What helped his process is that his wife, who had turned producer of the film, established a rapport with the villagers and won their confidence. The film is shot by Kuldeep Mamania while Manan Bhatt edited it and Pritam Das took care of sound designing. Soon Kothari realised, rehearsals with the young actors won’t work; it hampered their spontaneity. “As they say, there are no bad child actors; only bad directors. I had to think of unconventional ways during the shoot to get the desired reaction from them,” he says. The 22-day shoot was gruelling as they shot during the month of May and June in 2018 when the temperature hovered around 48 degrees. After going through the roller-coaster ride of making his first short film, Kothari wants to once again shift his attention to making his feature film debut as a director. His feature script Dastaan-e-Awargi was earlier selected for Film Bazaar.

Pro For Pending Bro

All UK travel corridors, which allow arrivals from some countries to avoid having to quarantine, have now closed. All travellers arriving in the UK will need to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test Travellers arriving in the UK, whether by boat, train or plane, also have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry. The test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500. All passengers will still be required to quarantine for up to 10 days. The isolation period can be cut short with a negative test after five days. The government has said the travel corridor closure will be in force until at least 15 February. Under the new rules, travellers arriving from the Falklands, St Helena and Ascension Islands are exempt. Those arriving from some Caribbean islands are exempt until 04.00 GMT on Thursday 21 January. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC'S Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that Public Health England would be stepping up checks on travellers who must self-isolate. He said enforcement checks at borders would also be "ramped up" and added that asking all arrivals to self-isolate in hotels was a "potential measure" the government was keeping under review. Earlier, the government announced that a financial support scheme for airports in England would open this month in response to the new travel curbs. Aviation minister Robert Courts said the aim was to provide grants of up to £8m per applicant by the end of this financial year. Industry groups have warned there was only so long airports could "run on fumes", following the announcement of the new quarantine rules. In a tweet, Mr Courts said the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme "will help airports reduce" additional costs faced due to the pandemic and that further details would follow soon. The scheme was first announced in November but without a start date. In a statement at the time, the Airport Operators Association said the scheme would be a relief. However, it said support equivalent to business rates would only go so far and with the pandemic crisis deepening, a broader package of support was needed for all four nations, to see the sector through the next few months. AOA chief executive Karen Dee said the measures would "provide much-needed support to many embattled airports, helping them through the challenging months ahead". A ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde also came into force on Friday, having been imposed over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil. New variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations. Scientists fear the variants seen in South Africa and Brazil may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system. The travel industry has said closing the travel corridors was understandable due to the health emergency, but warned it would deepen the crisis for the sector. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said the system had been "a lifeline for the industry" last summer but "things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency". He said he assumed the government would remove the latest restrictions as soon as it was safe. "We've had no revenue now effectively for 12 months, give or take a few months in the summer last year. If we're going to have an aviation sector coming out of this we need to open up in the summer," he told the BBC. The Department for Transport has said it is supporting the travel industry with an extension to the furlough scheme until the end of April, business rates relief and tax deferrals. With all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential travel is permitted. On Sunday, another 671 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were reported in the UK, and a further 38,598 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus.

According to the CDC, Avian flu viruses do not normally infect human beings. Such an infection is rare, and only sporadic cases have been reported since 2015 The samples were tested at the Bhopal-based ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Pandey said. (PTI photo) While we try to stay optimistic amid the COVID-19 pandemic — with a vaccine now in sight — a new health scare has us worrying. Avian flu, also known as bird flu, has created quite a stir and people have been wondering how dangerous it is, and what they can possibly do to stay safe. But while there’s an influx of rumours, Dr Kirti Sabnis, Infectious Disease Specialist, Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai answers some frequently asked questions for indianexpress.com. What is avian flu? Avian influenza is the disease caused by infection with Avian (bird) Influenza (flu) Type A viruses. This is said to occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other birds and animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), H5N8, H5N5 and H5N1, with H5N8 are the most commonly-reported flu viruses among birds. Does it affect humans? According to the CDC, Avian flu viruses do not normally infect human beings. Such an infection is rare, only sporadic cases have been reported since 2015, according to Mayo Clinic. If it does infect a person, infection is generally mild and can require ICU care in a few patients. It’s rare to have a human-to-human transmission of the same. Between 2003 and 2019, the WHO confirmed a total of 861 human cases of H5N1 worldwide, of which 455 deaths were recorded, although not from India. What are the common symptoms? * Cough * Fever * Sore throat * Muscle aches * Headache * Shortness of breath How can one contract the virus? People can contract the bird flu virus by close contact with birds or bird droppings. Some people have caught the virus from cleaning or plucking infected birds. It is also possible people contract the virus while swimming or bathing in water contaminated with the droppings of infected birds. Should one stop eating chicken and eggs? Chicken and other poultry are safe to eat if cooked properly, according to a joint statement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WHO. No birds from flocks with the disease, however, should enter the food chain, the authorities said. As per WHO, thorough cooking of poultry products at or above 70° Celsius is crucial. This ensures there is no active virus remaining if the live bird has been infected and has mistakenly entered the food chain. To date, there is no epidemiological evidence that people have become infected after eating contaminated poultry meat that has been properly cooked. All in all, in its paramount to maintain good hygiene practices and stay alert on the symptoms. In conclusion, here are some WHO recommended good hygiene practices: – No birds from flocks with the disease should enter the food chain. – Do not eat raw poultry parts, including raw blood, or raw eggs in or from areas with outbreaks in poultry. – Separate raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination. Do not use the same chopping board or the same knife. Do not handle both raw and cooked foods without washing your hands in between and do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or surface it was on prior to cooking. Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in food preparations that will not be heat-treated or cooked. – Keep clean and wash your hands. After handling frozen or thawed raw poultry or eggs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat. – Thorough cooking of poultry meat is necessary. Either ensure that the poultry meat reaches 70°C at the centre of the product, or that the meat is not pink in any part. Egg yolks should not be runny or liquid.

The new Honda City is priced between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 14.85 lakh The Honda City was the largest-selling mid-size sedan in India in 2020 with cumulative sales of 21,826 units, Honda Cars India has claimed. According to the automobile manufacturer, the City had a market share of 41 per cent in its segment in December 2020. Honda Cars India had launched the fifth-generation City in the country in July 2020. Among the major rivals of the Honda City are the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento and Toyota Yaris. The automobile manufacturer claims that the new Honda City contributed to the overall growth of the mid-size sedan segment, which expanded by 10 per cent during the period from July to December 2020. The cumulative sales for the segment climbed to 45,277 units in July-December 2020 from 41,122 units in the year-ago period, with the City having sales of 17,347 units. Although Honda Cars India launched the fifth-generation City in July 2020, the company did not discontinue the fourth-generation model. Both the models are currently on sale in India. The fourth-generation Honda City comes with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that delivers 119PS of maximum power and 145Nm of peak torque. The mill is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It is available in two variants -- SV and V. Below are their prices (ex-showroom, Delhi). ~ SV Petrol MT - Rs 9.30 lakh ~ V Petrol MT - Rs 10 lakh The fifth-generation Honda City gets both petrol and diesel powertrain options. The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre i-VTEC DOHC unit producing 121PS of maximum power and 145Nm of peak torque. The diesel mill is a 1.5-litre i-DTEC unit belting out 100PS of utmost power and 200Nm of peak twisting force. A 6-speed MT is standard across both the motors. The petrol engine gets an option for a 7-speed CVT automatic as well. The new City is available in three trims -- V, VX and ZX. Below are their prices (ex-showroom, Delhi). ~ V Petrol MT - Rs 11 lakh ~ V Petrol CVT - Rs 12.30 lakh ~ VX Petrol MT - Rs 12.36 lakh ~ VX Petrol CVT - Rs 13.66 lakh ~ ZX Petrol MT - Rs 13.35 lakh ~ ZX Petrol CVT - Rs 14.65 lakh ~ V Diesel MT - Rs 12.50 lakh ~ VX Diesel MT - Rs 13.86 lakh ~ ZX Diesel MT - Rs 14.85 lakh Honda Cars India claims that the ZX grade of the new City is the most po[CENSORED]r among the customers with almost 50 per cent of the total sales going in its favour. Also, the share of CVT variants of the mid-size sedan is 48 per cent in the initial six months.

Two great songs But my vote goes for DH1

Suzuki has rolled out a range of low-rate finance packages across its range of V-twin powered models Suzuki UK has announced a new finance offer across all of the firm’s V-twin models. This means the new year deal will cover the SV650 models, and both the V-Strom 650 and 1050 ranges. All bikes in the above-mentioned line-ups will be available with 3% APR available on both three-year PCP and HP agreements, with a minimum deposit of just £300. The offer is available on the SV650 and its café racer-inspired cousin, the SV650X. Both machines use Suzuki’s iconic and accessible 645cc V-twin engine, wrapped in a steel trellis frame that comes equipped with KYB suspension and four-piston front brake calipers. The café racer-inspired SV650X sports racy clip-on handlebars, a headlight cowl, plus a ribbed seat completing the café racer look. For those looking to travel further into the unknown, the offer also extends to the entire V-Strom range of adventure touring motorcycles. This means the V-Strom 1050, V-Strom 1050XT, and the recently-announced V-Strom 1050XT Tour, which comes equipped with three-piece aluminium luggage as standard, plus the ever-po[CENSORED]r V-Strom 650 and V-Strom 650XT middleweights are all included in the offer. Launched in 2020, the V-Strom 1050 gets the latest version of Suzuki’s 1037cc V-twin, but with power increased by 7PS over its predecessor, and features a three-stage traction control system and three selectable engine maps. The XT adds cruise control and IMU-governed ABS that responds to lean angle, pillion, and luggage load as well as deceleration on inclines and descents. There are also two ABS modes and hill hold.

From the looks of it, it is the simplest life hack ever that can take care of the problem! There are many skin issues that people deal with on a regular basis. And even while there is a plethora of options available, it only ends up making a person more confused. Additionally, what may work for one person may not necessarily work for another. One of the most common of all skin problems is that of blackheads, for which there are many DIY techniques and masks. But model Chrissy Teigen has a simple hack for it, which she recently shared with her followers on Instagram. She uploaded a picture of herself and her family. While Teigen was seen wearing a mask, a little white strip also popped out from under it. In her caption, the mother of two wrote: “life hack: nose strip under your mask. keep safe AND get those rent free blackheads out. (sic)” From the looks of it, it is the simplest life hack ever that takes care of the problem and also allows the person the luxury of stepping out in public with pesky blackheads! Besides keeping a person — and also those around them — safe from the transmission of the viral infection, a mask also does a great job of hiding stubborn zits, pimples, and other skin conditions on the face. In Chrissy’s case, the mask she wore hid her nose/pore strip — one that is typically used to remove blackheads. These strips are great for the removal of blackheads from the nose and chin region, and many people around the world swear by them. They need to be carefully placed on the blackheads and then yanked.

Joaquim Rodrigues finished in 18th place; Sebastian Buhler came in 21st while Indian ace rider CS Santosh closed stage 3 in 36th place. HIGHLIGHTS - Joaquim Rodrigues finished in 18th place. - Sebastian Buhler came in 21st in stage 3 of the Dakar rally 2021. - Indian ace rider CS Santosh closed the stage in 36th place. Continuing their sound run in the 2021 Dakar Rally, the rider trio from Hero MotoSports Team Rally turned in another good performance in the 3rd stage of the rally, a 629km circuit route around the dunes of Wadi Ad-Dawasir out of which 403km was the special stage. Joaquim Rodrigues finished in 18th place; Sebastian Buhler came in 21st while Indian ace rider CS Santosh closed the stage in 36th place. Ashish Raorane, riding as a privateer in a KTM, had a tough day at the office as he finished the stage at 81st place. Team captain Rodrigues led the team standings as well, continuing to grow in confidence, retaining his position in a predominantly sandy stage. Buhler also kept it steady throughout the stage and sits on 24th place in the overall rankings while CS Santosh tackled another long stage really well to gain a couple of positions in the overall rankings, and now finds himself at 34th place. Raorane, at present, struggles at 84th place. It is still early days in the Dakar 2021 but the growing confidence of Rodrigues, consistency of Buhler, and determination of Santosh coupled with the flawless performance of the new Hero 450 rally bike bode well for the team’s prospects in the upcoming stages. Up next, the rally will move out of the Wadi Ad-Dawasir to the capital city of Riyadh for the longest stage of the rally covering 813km, including the transport section. The timed special will be relatively shorter at 337km.

The 63-year-old designer retired from the fashion world in 2009, also leaving the fashion house Maison Margiela (previously known as Maison Martin Margiela) he founded in 1988 Martin Margiela, the reclusive Belgian fashion designer is making a comeback. And the means of doing this is by showcasing his art publicly in a solo exhibition in Paris. However, the exhibition will not feature his designs, instead his visual art — sculptures, paintings. In a statement shared and quoted by The Guardian, “This exhibition celebrates the idea that Martin Margiela has always been an artist, whose work has played out since, within and outside the art world. [He] has always made us look at things with fresh eyes. Going against the grain he cultivated an obsession for discreet people, abandoned objects and forgotten places and events, bestowing on them a new dignity.” The exhibition will open on April 15 and continue till July 25. The 63-year-old designer retired from the fashion world in 2009, also leaving the fashion house Maison Margiela (previously known as Maison Martin Margiela) he founded in 1988. But even before that, he was known for being extremely elusive. A report in Artnet News confirms that despite being one of the most celebrated names in fashion, he never gave an interview. In fact, the report further states that no verified photograph of his face exists. Keeping an extremely low-profile always, the designer would always stay backstage during his shows. Way back in 2009 a report in The New York Times informed that even though the designer left the label he would not be replaced by anybody else. Giovanni Pungetti, chief executive of Maison Martin Margiela was quoted as saying, “It would have been very simple to hire someone else, and we evaluated that option, but in the end, what is important is the taste of the designer.” However, in 2014 former Christian Dior star designer John Galliano joined Maison Martin Margiela as a creative director.

Some 1.3 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, says the government. In England, that includes nearly a quarter of the most elderly, vulnerable patients. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it meant that within a two to three weeks they should have a "significant degree of immunity" to the virus. He said there would be a ramping up to get more people immunised - up to 2 million a week. The ambition is to vaccinate all the over-70s, the most clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers by mid-February. That will require around 13 million vaccinations. He defended the UK's policy of immunising more people with one dose immediately - rather than holding some stock back to give people a second booster shot - in order to save "the most lives the fastest". US regulators have questioned the policy, saying it is premature without more trial evidence, but the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says it is a pragmatic decision to protect more people. Both the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses to provide the best possible protection. Initially, the strategy for the Pfizer vaccine was to offer people the second dose 21 days after their initial jab - full immunity starts seven days after the second dose. But when approval was announced for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on 30 December, it was also announced that the policy would now change - the new priority would be to give as many people a first shot of either vaccine, rather than providing the required two doses in as short a time as possible. Everyone will still receive their second dose, but this will now be within 12 weeks of their first. England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty told the Downing Street press conference that extending the gap between the first and second jabs would mean the number of people vaccinated can be doubled over three months. "If over that period there is more than 50% protection then you have actually won. More people will have been protected than would have been otherwise. "Our quite strong view is that protection is likely to be lot more than 50%." Asked whether the longer gap could lead to an increase risk of the virus mutating into a version that could escape the vaccine, he said it was a worry, but a small one. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said vaccines would probably need to be changed further down the line to continue to be a good match for the virus - but that this was relatively quick to do. One of the exciting things about the science of the RNA vaccines is that they are incredibly fast to make in response to new mutations, he said.

The 722 Edition honors Stirling Moss's win in a 300 SLR in the 1955 Mille Miglia and is powered by a 641-hp supercharged V-8. - A 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition, once owned by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, is for sale. - The SLR McLaren 722 Edition honors one of Stirling Moss's wins in 1955 and has black wheels, a stiffer and lower suspension, added aero, carbon trim, and a more powerful supercharged V-8. - It's listed for $695,750 by Crave Luxury Auto in Houston, Texas. Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time (we won't get into the MJ vs. LeBron debate), and the six-time NBA champion has owned some of the greatest cars as well. A handful of them were shown briefly in ESPN's The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary about the final season of Jordan's Chicago Bulls dynasty in the 1990s. One of his cars, an SLR McLaren, which wasn't shown in the series, is up for sale with just over 1000 miles. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was a joint venture between McLaren's Formula 1 team and Mercedes and was produced between 2003 and 2010. Jordan's example is a 722 Edition, a limited edition introduced in 2006 that honors the late Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson's victory in a 300 SLR with the starting number 722 at the Mille Miglia in 1955. It's finished in Crystal Antimony Grey with black 19-inch wheels and has a stiffer suspension with a lower ride height plus larger front brakes and upgraded aero. There's also red "722" badging and tinted head- and taillights, and the interior features carbon-fiber and Alcantara trim. A supercharged 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 is under the hood. In the 722 Edition, it spits out 641 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque, increases of 24 horsepower and 30 pound-feet over the standard SLR's supercharged eight-cylinder engine. At launch, Mercedes touted a 3.6-second sprint to 60 mph in the more powerful 722 Edition, though in our testing, a standard SLR clocked in at the same time and raced through the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at 125 mph. An eBay auction for the car ended on January 3 without meeting the reserve; however, the selling dealer told Car and Driver that it's going live on eBay again on January 4. The asking price is currently $695,750.

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2021 Date in India: On this day, 'Shami puja', 'Aparajita puja', and 'Seema avalanghan' are some of the rituals that are performed during the Aparahna time Dussehra 2021 Date: Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a major Hindu festival that marks the end of Navratri. In the year 2021, Dussehra will be celebrated on October 15, Friday. According to drikpanchang.com, the Vijay muhurat will begin at 2:02 pm and continue till 2:48 pm. Aparahna puja muhurat will start at 1:16 pm and end at 3:34 pm. The Dashami tithi will begin at 6:52 pm on October 14, 2021, and will end at 6:02 pm on October 15, 2021. This festival is celebrated as the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. It also celebrates the triumph of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishadura. On this day, ‘Shami puja’, ‘Aparajita puja’ and ‘Seema avalanghan’ are some of the rituals that are performed during the Aparahna time. In a lot of places, effigies of Ravan are burned on this day to signify the destruction of evil, along with fireworks. On the same occasion, Bengalis observe Bijoya Dashami that marks the tenth day of Durga puja. On this day, idols of the goddess are carried in processions and immersed in the river. Married women also smear vermilion on each other’s faces while others exchange greetings and celebrate with feasts.

Broadcast journalist Larry King was moved Sunday from the ICU at a Los Angeles hospital, where he continues to be treated for Covid-19, a source close to the family said. The source said King, 87, has been in the hospital for about 10 days, and that King believes he contracted the virus from a health care worker who went to his home. One of his sons also contracted Covid-19, the source said. King, known for his tireless work ethic, retired from CNN in 2010 after 25 years of hosting the interview show "Larry King Live," only to return to broadcasting in 2012 with "Larry King Now" on the free streaming service Ora TV. In 2019, he told television's "Extra" that he had suffered a stroke that put him in a coma for "a couple weeks." Ora TV also reported that King had suffered a heart attack. He told "Extra," "It's been a rough year." "I don't remember anything since March," he said. "I had the stroke in March." The next year, his son Andy King, 65, died of a heart attack, and his daughter Chaia King, 51, died after battle with lung cancer. Married eight times, King has three other children. King is perhaps America's interviewer laureate, having faced world leaders, Hollywood royalty and sports stars in his Q&A career. The Brooklyn-born journalist got his start as a radio DJ in the 1950s before moving on to syndicated talk radio in the 1970s. King has become such a television icon that he's been impersonated on "Saturday Night Live" several times, including by Kevin Nealon in the 1990s and Fred Armisen in the 2010s. In August, King helped launch an online education platform, Royal Age, aimed at American seniors. It was unveiled ahead of schedule to provide people 60 and older with information on the pandemic, according to a statement. "From my own personal quarantine, I understand how big the need of senior citizens in America is to have their own reliable and safe online platform," King said in the statement. In the 2019 "Extra" interview. King said he is a survivor: "My head doctor said I have an incomparable spirit."

Multiple sources are claiming that a new V4 sports bike from Honda is set to land as early as 2023 THE rumours of a new sports bike from Honda with a V4 engine at its heart have been bouncing around for some time now, with the idea only being semi-officially put to bed by an HRC boss earlier this year. The thing is, the bike that Tetsuhiro Kuwata (HRC Director and Manager) was referring to, was a full-fat, out and out sports bike with race-winning dreams. He said it was unlikely for Honda to be releasing another sports bike when the latest generation CBR1000RR-R was working well in both BSB and World Superbike. What he didn’t rule out though was Honda bringing a new V4 format to the roads in a less racy design. Indeed, should ‘Big Red’ want to continue the linage of the VFR nameplate in Europe, it’s going to need to move quickly. The current VFR800F is a bike we are set to lose at the end of this year thanks to incoming Euro5 regulations, and it’s going to take more than just an ECU update and exhaust change to get it through next year’s regulations. The V4 engine residing in the bike has been around in this guise since around 2013 although it can trace its roots back to the first of the VTEC models of the bike, originally introduced way back in 2002. All manufacturers design and build-in a certain number of regulatory updates within an engine, but even for Honda, dragging a design along with for twenty years a real ask! What could the new Honda VFR engine look like? With no official confirmation from within the company as to what the bike will be, we can only go by the accumulation of rumours we have found (not all of which will be correct) and the wealth of patent images unearthed in the last few years. One such image appeared in 2019 and at the time was linked with Honda’s potential new V4 superbike. With that idea now on ice, it’s easy to imagine the tech described in that patent being used on this new more distance inclined machine. As for the capacity of the machine, it could be the case that the VFR800 becomes the VFR900 or even 1000. The golden rule with updated bike models is always to never lose power, a mantra that Honda has stuck to with it’s 2021 model line-up. With ever-more stringent emissions regs’ and this bike unlikely to receive forced induction, a larger displacement seems like the only way forward for the model.

- Regional restrictions in England are "probably about to get tougher" to curb rising Covid infections, the prime minister has warned. - Boris Johnson told the BBC stronger measures may be required in parts of the country in the coming weeks. He said this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, although this is not "something we want to do". Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for new England-wide restrictions within 24 hours. Sir Keir said coronavirus was "clearly out of control" and it was "inevitable more schools are going to have to close". It comes as the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row, with 54,990 announced on Sunday. An additional 454 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result have also been reported, meaning the total by this measure is now above 75,000. - Speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson said he stuck by his previous prediction that the situation would be better by the spring, and he hoped "tens of millions" would be vaccinated in the next three months. But he added: "It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country. I'm fully, fully reconciled to that." "And I bet the people of this country are reconciled to that because, until the vaccine really comes on stream in a massive way, we're fighting this virus with the same set of tools." - The PM added that ministers had taken "every reasonable step that we reasonably could" to prepare for winter, but "could not have reasonably predicted" the new, more transmissible variant of the virus that has emerged over the autumn. Speaking after Mr Johnson's interview, Sir Keir said introducing new nationwide restrictions in England "has to be the first step to controlling the virus". "There's no good the prime minister hinting that further restrictions are coming into place in a week or two or three," he told reporters on Sunday. "That delay has been the source of so many problems." "Let's not have the prime minister saying 'I'm going to do it, but not yet'," he added. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson defended plans for primary schools to reopen in most of England on Monday, amid opposition from teaching unions and some local councils. It came after Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, England's schools watchdog, said closures should be kept to an "absolute minimum". The rapidly rising infection rates mean it should come as no surprise that tougher measures are being considered. Infection levels are nearly four times higher now than they were at the start of December - and that in turn has put more pressure on hospitals. There are signs the restrictions have started slowing the rises in London, the East of England and the South East. But that on its own is not enough. Ministers want to get cases down. So what extra can be done? After all most of England is effectively in lockdown already with tier four in place. Those places not in tier four could, of course, follow. But some public health experts are warning more needs to be done. There is a determination to get primary school children back - they have among the lowest rates of infection if you look at symptomatic cases. But infection rates are higher among secondary school age children. The government has bought itself time by delaying their return. Presentational grey line A further 20 million people in England were added to tier four - "stay at home" - the toughest set of rules, on 31 December in a bid to stem a surge in Covid cases. It means 78% of the po[CENSORED]tion of England is now in tier four, under which non-essential shops are closed and people can only leave their homes for a certain number of reasons. The Scottish government will meet on Monday to consider "further action" to limit the spread of the disease, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. All of mainland Scotland is currently under its own level four restrictions - with only some islands under less stringent tier three measures. Wales entered a nationwide lockdown on 20 December, with First Minister Mark Drakeford saying on Sunday it was "difficult to see" how the rules could be strengthened further. He said Welsh ministers would consider whether restrictions could be "tweaked at the margins" at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Northern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown that began on Boxing Day. Stricter measures, including a "stay-at-home curfew", ended on Saturday.

- The survey quoted 1,000 new or expectant mothers, and found that seven in 10 "felt overwhelmed" As per the research, more than three quarters of expectant mothers have admitted to feeling afraid on account of Covid. Even though we have entered a new year, the pandemic is not over. And with every passing day its varied effects are coming to be known. Now a report in The Guardian states a majority of new and expectant mothers experience more anxiety due to Covid. The same report further states that as per the research, more than three quarters of expectant mothers have admitted to “feeling afraid” on account of Covid. The survey quoted 1,000 new or expectant mothers by the pregnancy charity Tommy, and found that seven in 10 “felt overwhelmed”. The survey results reveal that 14 per cent admitted struggling all through while 49 per cent shared “feeling anxious”. Constant news headlines in relation to pregnancy also was a cause of problem. The charity suggested that common myths shared at this time can also “contribute to the 1 in 4 babies lost during pregnancy or birth”. “Knowledge is power – and when it comes to pregnancy, feeling confident you have everything you need to do the right thing for you and your baby is important – but there is such a thing as too much information, which can leave mums-to-be anxious and overwhelmed. Expectant parents need advice they can trust and personally tailored support throughout their pregnancy journey, not myths and misconceptions that evidence has disproved,” Tommy’s midwifery manager, Kate Marsh was quoted as saying in the report. As of now, two Covid-19 vaccines of both Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have been approved for restricted use.