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By IANSlife
New Delhi, June 2 (IANSlife) People exploring the world of love and romance have come up with new and more effective ways to connect with their dates. From sending memes to sharing their favourite playlist, connecting with matches has been taken to a whole new level. Dating app, QuackQuack, recently conducted a survey studying the approaches in which GenZ and Millennial daters are communicating their feelings.


QuackQuack Founder and CEO Ravi Mittal commented, "More than 35+ million chats are exchanged per month on our app, and among them, the new matches often send each other cute videos that might express the same emotions as they have for each other, memes, and we even see them discussing movies and current trends on the social media."

The new love languages

21 per cent of GenZ daters mentioned during the survey that sending memes and funny videos builds great rapport between new matches. It is no longer "Hey, how are you?" If your person of interest continues to send you memes, it only means that they are interested, and the content they send has more meaning to it than just for laughs. It can be a direct indication that they are interested. They also mentioned that this is strictly about two people who have previously shown romantic interest in each other and not just any random person.

Get to know each other better

During the survey, 37 per cent of daters above 30 disclosed that the getting-to-know-each-other phase is much different now than it was some five years back. For instance, no one asks about your favourite colour anymore. It is more about how well you have healed from your previous heartbreaks, how you carry yourself in the face of troubles, and more profound questions that are much more useful to know than someone's favourite colour.

Pulling the heartstrings with music

If two people have similar tastes in music, it's reason enough to connect, says 19 per cent of daters from tier 1 and 2 cities. There's a lot to talk about when you have similar likings, making it easier for the conversations to flow between matches. 11 per cent of these daters disclosed that sharing passwords for OTT platforms is also a way to connect. They said that if you want to impress someone you have been speaking to for a while, offer them your password to an OTT platform you have a subscription to and see how fast you become friends.

Movie, series, and more

Speaking about OTT platforms, loving the same series as someone, or even better, hating the same series, can be a reason for connecting; at least 16 per cent of male daters between the age of 22 to 28 say so. Sharing critical notes about a series, how well-made it is, or how it did not live up to the hype are great topics for conversation. 14 percent of female daters in the same age group mentioned, "Did you watch so and so series?" is the most used ice-breaker at the moment.

Comedy over drama

Forget movies; comedy shows are the place new couples prefer more these days, said more than 24 per cent of daters between 25-30 from tier 1 cities. Laughter is good for your health; why shouldn't that apply to your relationship; asked these seasoned daters. They explained that it allows you a good laugh, and you can also gauge your match's sense of humour and even see if your vibes match all at the same time.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Online food delivery platforms saw a modest 7 per cent spike in orders during the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) season, a report showed on Friday.

In comparison, the online food delivery platforms dominated by the likes of Zomato and Swiggy garnered 50 per cent food order growth during IPL-2020.

The online food delivery platforms (OFD) took a softened approach during IPL-2023, leading to a modest spike in the business, according to the report by Redseer Strategy Consultants.

During the IPL seasons from 2017 to 2020, OFD giants made a significant presence on prime-time television through their advertisements.

"They enticed viewers with attractive discounts ranging from 50-60 per cent at a wide array of restaurants. Additionally, they integrated their offerings with OTT platforms and created customised advertisements for maximum impact," said Kushal Bhatnagar, Associate Partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants.

These efforts even led to a spike of more than 50 per cent in the IPL 2020 season.

However, in the 2023 IPL season, there was a noticeable change in the approach.

Despite the limited action by OFD platforms, IPL-2023 generated online food ordering use-cases among tier 2 and beyond consumers, wherein the spike was almost 2.5 times of mature consumers in the metro/tier 1 markets.

"This hints towards the ability of spike events to drive habit formation among not-so-mature-users in India," said the report.

--IANS
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Varanasi (UP), June 2 (IANS) Scientists from the Centre for Genetic Disorders, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have been granted a German patent for coming up with a novel therapeutic approach against Covid-19, using sominifericin, a phyto molecule which inhibits the growth and proliferation of the SARS CoV-2 virus.

The patent has been granted by the German Patent and Trade Mark office (DPMA) to the team of researchers led by Prof Parimal Das, for their work which is being considered as breakthrough research in the fight against Covid-19.

Coordinator, Centre for Genetic Disorders, Prof Parimal Das, one of the lead researchers, said, "This German patent is a testament to our team's dedication and commitment to finding innovative solutions to combat the SARS CoV-2 virus. We believe that the somnifericin phyto molecule growth inhibitor has the potential to make a significant impact in the ongoing battle against this global pandemic."

According to him, the inhibitor holds significant potential as an effective weapon to combat the SARS CoV-2 virus, which has posed a global threat to public health.

"This breakthrough development aims to provide a novel approach in containing the growth and proliferation of the virus, potentially leading to improved treatment options and preventive measures. The innovative system harnesses the power of the somnifericin phyto molecule to effectively inhibit the growth of the SARS CoV-2 virus," he added.

The interdisciplinary team of researchers has spent considerable time and effort in developing this cutting-edge solution, combining their expertise in virology, pharmacology and molecular biology.

He said that the research team's breakthrough discovery has opened up new possibilities for the development of antiviral therapies and preventive measures against the SARS CoV-2 virus.

He further said that with the patent protection in place, the research team is now poised to further explore the potential applications of the somnifericin phyto molecule growth inhibitor.

They are actively seeking partnerships and collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and healthcare organisations to accelerate the development and eventual deployment of this ground-breaking innovation.

--IANS
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By Yajurvindra Singh
A last-ball finish in the IPL'23 was, as one can term it, a perfect 10. The tournament was without a doubt an unimaginable success. The cricket was scintillating and the hordes of spectators at every venue were quite remarkable.



The final between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the enormous Ahmedabad stadium got delayed by a day due to rain and to have a full house the next day showed the dedicated love of the IPL followers. The digital world of live streaming of the matches had millions of eyeballs as well. This truly augmented the fact that T20 cricket is here to stay and one that will rule cricket in the future.

The IPL'23 has brought about a completely different dimension to the game. The Impact Player substitution has made a huge IMPACT. The possibility of getting an additional bowler or batsman, if needed, was a boon for many a side. It led to a dynamic change in the way the playing eleven of the teams were structured and the IPL benefitted enormously. Totals that looked out of reach became possible through the inclusion of an extra batter as well as defending via an extra bowler.

The umpteen number of close finishes with many of them off the last few deliveries, made viewing nail-biting and extremely interesting. Seeing cricketers perform and successfully implement their capabilities in such an intensive high-pressure situation was astounding. How can one describe the mental calmness of the two shots played by Ravindra Jadeja, a six and a four, to clinch the victory for his side, CSK, off the last two balls of an IPL final? One needs nerves of steel to do so, similar to a Rinku Singh performance of hitting 5 sixes off the last 5 deliveries to clinch victory for his side, Kolkata Knight Riders. These are remarkable feats, along with many others that made the IPL'23 so enjoyable to watch.

One did feel sorry for Gujarat Titans led by Hardik Pandya, to lose the final match which seemed to be in their favour for most of the game. A total of 215 runs that they notched up was a huge task for CSK to chase. The rain gods and luck came to CSK's advantage and with the reduction in overs and runs due to the match being affected by rain and the breaks that they got, gave them time to regroup and reignite mentally.

Hardik Pandya, the man in-line most likely to lead India in the T20 format, tried to look calm and unflustered during CSK's chase and gave an impression that he had things under control. However, due to the reduction in overs, assessing which of his bowlers would be the most effective to exploit the situation the best, is where he unfortunately faltered. However, when it finally came down for CSK to get 10 runs off the last 2 deliveries, it looked like GT were on the road to victory.

Mohit Sharma, the astute Gujarat Titan bowler, brought a ray of hope when he delivered four outstanding balls. This is when Hardik faltered unknowingly. Mohit Sharma had his tail-up having bowled four superb yorkers showcasing that his rhythm and muscle memory were well in tune.

Hardik, in trying to calm Sharma down, stopped play to boost his bowler and have a light-hearted chat over a cold drink with him. This action by the GT captain resulted in two huge mistakes. One where he gave the cool and experienced Ravindra Jadeja time to get his thought process in place, especially as both he and Shivam Dube had struggled to hit a boundary on four earlier occasions. The second and most important failure was that Hardik in his attempt to play cool, lost the bowling rhythm and flow that Mohit Sharma had captured in his deliveries previously. Thereafter, he did the unthinkable of following the same ritual on the last and final ball of the match.

This incident takes one back to the earlier days when coaches were against either a bowler or a batter taking refreshments in between the stipulated time of a drinks interval. Their profound theory was that it broke one's concentration and momentum. Players in the past went even further when they refused to change a pad or a wet glove or even an item of torn clothing as it may deter their mindset and mental concentration. A good example of this was when Sunil Gavaskar, during his magnificent century at Manchester against England in 1974, in cold dreary and bowling-friendly conditions, refused to change his torn trouser, lest he lose his concentration. He rates that innings as his finest.

This brings one to the men who control the game at the centre, the umpires. One felt that on many occasions in the IPL, they were very lax in their approach. Long chats between overs, extra time for captains to adjust their field, drinks coming in at every stoppage, and at times when the batter had barely played a few deliveries, were some things that needed to be monitored far more strictly.

There was a famous incident of Mahendra Singh Dhoni taking those four extra precious minutes by interacting with the umpires to ensure that one of his bowlers would be able to bowl because he was off the field earlier. This may have been a very good ploy by Dhoni, but one in which the umpires came through as being very lenient. The DRS somehow seems to have softened them, especially in controlling tricky situations out in the middle.

Dhoni is at present the biggest icon in Indian cricket. He has captured the heart of every Indian and has a fan following that he truly deserves. For his side to win the IPL'1yu23 under his able captaincy was the icing on the cake.

A perfect 10!

(Yajurvindra Singh is a former India cricketer. The views expressed are personal)

--IANS

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Toronto, May 27 (IANS) Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) has called on the government not to deport 150 Punjabi students who were told to leave the country as they arrived on fake college admission letters, according to the Canadian Border Security Agency.

The students, whose deportation order is scheduled on May 29, said they were cheated by their immigration consultation agency in India that provided them fake documents, of which they were unaware of.

The NDP, in a statement released on Friday, said the international students who were misled by dishonest recruiters shouldn't have to pay the price.

"Right now, students who came to Canada for their university education are under threat of deportation. I wrote to the minister (Immigration Minister Sean Fraser) on May 25 urgently calling for action to help these students who unknowingly received fraudulent travel documentation from bad actors looking to make money from their deceit," NDP critic for Citizenship and Immigration Jenny Kwan said.

Minister Fraser had earlier tweeted that he is focusing on "identifying culprits" and not penalising victims of fraudulent acceptance letters.

Welcoming Fraser's response to the situation, Kwan said that it is critical that the pending deportations are stayed.

"I want to make it clear that as the Liberal government goes after the culprits, it is critical that the pending deportations are stayed, and inadmissibility on the basis of misrepresentation waived."

She called for an alternate pathway to permanent status for the students -- whether it's humanitarian and compassionate application process or a broad regularisation program.

Some of these students have already spent half a decade living in Canada and paid international tuition fees to complete their studies. Many are now reportedly working in essential frontline jobs.

"It is crucial that anyone who considers studying here can have confidence that they will be treated well and that our processes are trustworthy and fair. I urge the minister to act immediately to stop these unjust deportations," Kwan said.

According to the Canadian Border Service Agency, more than 700 Indian students are reportedly facing deportation after finding that their educational institution's admission offer letters were fake.

Most of these students had come to the country to study in 2018 and 2019.

The fraud was discovered when the students applied for permanent residency in Canada.

Brijesh Mishra, a Jalandhar-based agent, was responsible for providing fake admission letters, charging students thousands of dollars, according to media reports.

--IANS
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Karachi, May 27 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that an agreement is not being reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but underscored that Chinas support will play a crucial role in preventing the country from facing any potential default.

During his address to industrialists and businessmen in Karachi, Prime Minister Sharif said that Pakistan has successfully met all the stringent conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasising the government's commitment to completing the IMF programme, Samaa TV reported.

Sharif said that China has demonstrated support by rolling over its commercial debt, highlighting the goodwill of friendly countries towards Pakistan's development.

He further stated that Pakistan enjoys positive sentiments from its friendly nations, reflecting the collective desire to see the country progress, Samaa TV reported.

The premier pointed out that the previous government had violated the agreement with the IMF.

The country has experienced political instability for a year, which continues to persist. This prevailing instability has further contributed to the rise in prices, exacerbating the issue of inflation

Sharif underlined the significance of investors who willingly take risks and invest in Pakistan, considering them as ambassadors of the country.

--IANS
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Melbourne, May 27 (IANS) Australian women's team captain Meg Lanning has been ruled out of the Women's Ashes Tour of the UK due to medical reasons.

On the advice of CA medical staff, Lanning has been withdrawn from the squad due to a medical issue which requires management from home.

A timeline for Lanning's return to play will become clearer in due course.

CA's Head of Performance (Women's Cricket) Shawn Flegler said:

"It's an unfortunate setback for Meg and she's obviously disappointed to have been ruled out of the Ashes; it's a significant series for the team and she'll be missed, but she understands the need to put her health first.

"Meg will remain at home where she will continue to work with medical staff with the aim to return to playing as soon as possible.

"We ask that Meg's privacy is respected at this time."

Alyssa Healy will captain the women's team throughout the upcoming Ashes Series and will be supported by Tahlia McGrath as vice-captain.

Lanning will not be replaced in the squad due to the concurrent Australia A tour which allows players to be available for and cross over into both squads as required.

--IANS
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New York, May 27 (IANS) Two US Congresswomen have introduced a bill to make it easier for the Department of Veteran Affairs to hire foreign employees on H1-B visas when they cannot find a suitable applicant in the country.

Introduced by Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez on Thursday, the Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act, will help address the healthcare provider shortage in the US by allowing immigrant health workers, who are H1-B visa holders, to offer the services that the veterans need.

The bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs and State Veterans Homes as cap exempt institutions for the purposes of the H1-B visa program.

"We have a duty to uphold our commitment to our veterans, who are being affected by the health worker shortage in our nation. We can address this shortage with the immigrants in our communities who are ready and want to work, but face so many hurdles to do so," said Congresswoman Ramirez, member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

The Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act was developed after the Detroit VA Medical Center nearly had to close their clinic -- which provides life-saving care to more than 90 local veterans -- earlier this year due to hiring difficulties imposed by the H1-B visa cap.

Representative Tlaib's intervention was able to prevent the clinic's closure, and this bill is designed to ensure such a situation does not arise again in the future, a statement released by the Congresswoman's office said.

"Our veterans deserve high-quality health care, and our district knows firsthand the importance of providing access to care, especially mental health services for veterans who need it most," said Congresswoman Tlaib.

"I am proud to introduce this legislation to expand healthcare providers for our veterans by welcoming healthcare professionals who are immigrants to care for them, and I will continue to ensure that our veterans are not forgotten when they return home," she said.

This legislation is endorsed by The Veterans For Peace Save Our VA National Project and The American Immigration Lawyers Association.

--IANS
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Seoul, May 27 (IANS) Around one in six North Korean children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition, an international report revealed on Saturday.

The stunting rate of the children in the age group in the impoverished state was estimated at 16.8 per cent, or 285,000 children, in 2022, according to the report on the levels and trends in child malnutrition released jointly by the Unicef, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group.

The figure is over 10 times greater than the 26,800 children in the same age group experiencing the condition in South Korea, Yonhap News Agency quoted the report as saying.

It, however, marked a decline from 2012, when 411,300 North Korean children were estimated to have suffered from the condition.

The number of overweight North Korean children in the age group stood at 47,500 last year, compared with 25,100 in 2012.

The report comes amid concerns over chronic malnutrition in the isolated country, which has implemented strong antivirus measures in recent years, such as border lockdowns, to ward off the spread of Covid-19.

--IANS
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By Yashwant Raj
Washington, May 27 (IANS) A US congressional committee has recommended that India should be added to an expanded group of close American allies currently called NATO+5 as part of a broader effort to deter any Chinese military aggression against Taiwan.


The panel also suggested that to improve the effectiveness of economic sanctions the US must coordinate them with the Quad, an Indo-Pacific-centric group US forms with India, Australia and Japan, and other alliances and partnerships.

"The US should strengthen the NATO Plus arrangement to include India," said the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party in a report released on Wednesday titled "Ten for Taiwan policy recommendations to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

The NATO+5 group currently comprises all 31 member countries of NATO and Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan and South Korea, all countries that have bilateral defense and security treaties with the US.

India doesn't have a defence treaty with the US, but the latter has granted it the unique status of a "Major Defence Partner" with Strategic Trade Authorization 1 (STA-1) category facilitating license exemption for importing sensitive technology.

NATO Plus countries enjoy better access to America's vaunted defence industry and technology.

This is the first report from the select committee which was formed in January by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, to guide congress on competing with and countering China.

The committee has bipartisan support from both parties and the attention of the White House, which has had a testy relationship with Beijing so far, starting with a verbal free-for-all between their top foreign policy and national security officials at a meeting in Alaska in 2021, to recent tensions over a spy balloon that floated over the American mainland for days before US fighter jets shot it down over the Atlantic Ocean.

"Winning the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring the security of Taiwan demands the US strengthen ties to our allies and security partners, including India," said Raja Krishnamoorthi, the highest ranking Democrat on the committee.

"Including India in NATO Plus security arrangements would build upon the US and India's close partnership to strengthen global security and deter the aggression of the CCP across the Indo-Pacific region."

NATO Plus status for India has been bandied about for years now, but without fruition. It made it quite far in one instance and cleared the House of Representatives as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is the Defence Department's budget, but came up short.

Ro Khanna, a Democratic member of the House, had introduced legislation to add India to the group some years ago.

A move is underway this time to include it in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2024, as part of the main legislation and not as an amendment, which are seemingly easier to jettison during passage. And, most importantly, efforts are afoot to win over Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the powerful foreign relations committee, who is said to be the only man standing in the way of India becoming a NATO Plus country.

He is a Russia hawk and wrote the legislation that is now known as the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which calls for sanctioning countries that make significant arms purchases from Russia. He is upset with India because of its purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems.

The China select committee's recommendations are in the nature of policy guidance for the US congress and reflects growing American desire to loop India into a larger plan to to prepare for a confrontation with China, which many US military experts have said is inevitable and most likely over Taiwan.

General Mike Minihan, a top US general, wrote in an internal memo earlier this year: "I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025." And President Joe Biden has now repeatedly said that he will send forces to defend Taiwan if it is attacked by China.

"Economic sanctions will be most effective if key allies such as G7, NATO, NATO+5, and Quad members join, and negotiating a joint response and broadcasting this message publicly has the added benefit of enhancing deterrence," the report said, seeking to further draw India into US plans for a confrontation with China.

The Quad -- Quadrilateral Security Dialogues -- has an avowed goal of keeping the Indo-Pacific "free and open" for all, as a bulwark against Chinese aggression. It has gained strength in recent years and though it has not gone as far yet as to coordinate economic sanctions against China, they have been moving in that direction such as their decision to block the Chinese IT giant Huawei by all four Quad member countries.

The other recommendations of the select committee include basing more longer-range missiles and unmanned vehicles in the Indo-Pacific, the US should strengthen collective planning (NATO+ for India is a part of this category), improving combined training of US and Taiwanese militaries, supplying key military systems to Taiwan, preparing key US infrastructure from Chinese cyberattacks, prepare Taiwan for similar contingencies, develop plans for US forces to operate in integrated manner with Taiwan, strengthen US bases in the Indo-Pacific; and, lastly, plan for a situation in which it would be difficult to resupply Taiwan during a crisis.

--IANS
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