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Using Bezier Curve analysis in context of Expression Analysis

Modeste, Previste Using Bezier Curve analysis in context of Expression Analysis., 2019 . In ICASSP. (In Press) [Conference paper]




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No ‘Silence, s’il vous plaît’? French Open could take place without fans

The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros could be held without fans later this year, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FTF) said on Sunday.




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Covid-19: Europe begins easing lockdown measures

Tentatively, parts of Europe are emerging from lockdown, with France and Belgium joining the list of countries easing measures on Monday, amid fears of a second coronavirus wave.




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France holds its breath on the eve of Covid-19 lockdown lifting

As France begins to lift its eight-week Covid-19 lockdown, the government is stepping up efforts to ‘protect, test and isolate’. But many still fear a second wave.  




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Brighton cite 'concerns' over restart as third player tests positive for Covid-19

  • Unnamed player to go into 14-day isolation
  • Chief executive: every club is sizing up restart with self-interest

A third Brighton and Hove Albion player has tested positive for coronavirus, the club’s chief executive has said.

Related: Using players as guinea pigs would wipe out Premier League's integrity | Paul Wilson

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Using players as guinea pigs would wipe out Premier League's integrity | Paul Wilson

The final league table will merit the biggest asterisk in history if teams are full of footballers who don’t want to be on the pitch

Anyone who has spent the best part of an hour just waiting to cross a supermarket threshold in the past few weeks will be aware how quickly the outlandish becomes the new normal. Yet even in these strange days it was still odd to hear Gordon Taylor pop up on the radio with the suggestion that shortened games might be the solution to finishing the Premier League season sometime before the clocks go back.

How that would have helped maintain the integrity of the competition or assisted those clubs worried they might be relegated in less than optimum circumstances remained unclear, for the Premier League was pooh-poohing the idea proposed by the Professional Footballers’ Association’s leader as ridiculous and unfounded within hours.

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Bundesliga CEO adamant season will restart despite positive tests at Dresden

  • Dresden players sent home after two test positive
  • ‘We are not changing our plans,’ says Christian Seifert

The Bundesliga is keen to press ahead with plans to restart the season for the top two tiers next weekend, despite Dynamo Dresden’s squad being quarantined for two weeks.

Dresden’s players were sent home after two tested positive for coronavirus. This means the second tier club cannot play their first two games of the restart – against Hannover on 17 May and against Fürth the following weekend.

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Nathan Redmond: 'It's difficult to post a TikTok video if you've lost 1-0' | David Hytner

The Covid-19 lockdown has given the midfielder the chance to show his acting skills outside the Southampton changing room

Nathan Redmond hustles towards the camera, suited up, fedora jauntily perched and when he starts to lip-sync, the voice is that of Carter – the character played by Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3. It is the scene involving him, Master Yu and Mi and, for those who have not seen it, has Carter getting into a word-play tangle as he questions Yu and Mi. “Who are you? Yu. No, not me, you. Yes, I am Yu.” It goes from there.

Related: 'People's lives depend on it': the sacked English defender left in limbo | Sid Lowe

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Global report: Covid-19 cases rise in Germany as Wuhan reports first infection in weeks

Global infections surpass 4m; cluster detected in Dordogne, new cases highlight risks as lockdowns eased

New coronavirus infections rose again in Germany at the end of last week, a few days after leaders loosened social restrictions, while the Chinese city of Wuhan announced it had detected its first case in weeks, helping to push the global total past 4m on Sunday.

On the eve of the UK starting to ease its lockdown on Monday, the new cases in Germany and China illustrated the difficulties governments will face over the next months as they attempt to reopen their societies without triggering a second wave of infections.

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Lockdown diary: 'There's a gran isolating in a tree communicating by catapult!'

Like man buns on scooters and ukulele busking, Covid-19 has now spread to the north from London – inspiring a coronavirus soapcom from our self-isolating comedy-writer

Up here in the north-west, we’re used to living in the slipstream of London’s sleek urban shenanigans. Whatever the cultural breakthrough – man buns on scooters, cashless ukulele busking, emotional support bees – it takes a while to reach the Lancaster and Morecambe Non-Metropolitan Area. If it ever does.

A Street Stranger Watch leads to a death and the appearance at midnight of the street’s original Victorian inhabitants

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Race relations in 2016: much to deplore but plenty to applaud

No one should be complacent about racism but the story is rarely as straightforward as some commentators routinely assert

In my city neighbourhood this summer a man on the run from police custody hit a black woman in the face. Understandably, she reported it as a racial attack. Except it probably wasn’t. The runaway also hit a boy when his mother opened the door and tried to spray another woman’s hair red at a bus stop. He had mental health problems.

Not much harm done in this instance. But it’s one reason why I don’t often write about race relations in modern Britain, though I first did so 50 years ago when many aspects of them were pretty grim.

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EU referendum two months on: the 10 steps that led to Brexit

As the dust settles, hindsight makes the chain of events that culminated in UK’s vote to leave easier to discern

It is two months since British voters surprised themselves by deciding to end the UK’s 43-year relationship with the European Union – “independence day” to some and “the worst political decision since 1945” to others.

As stunned political leaderships on both sides of the Channel continue dithering about what to do next, it is worth looking back at the origins of a crisis the EU elite had not expected.

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Who lives at No 9 Downing Street?

The anatomy of Downing Street is complicated. The prime minister doesn’t live at No 10, No 9 has become a power address since the Brexit vote, and then there’s the house at the end …

No 9: That’s the boring property next to the security gates on the west side of Whitehall, the one that TV news crews never bother to film because it leads a quiet life. All this may change now that it is set to become Brexit HQ, David Davis’s centre of Leave EU planning, or possibly of panic, plots and pique. No 9 used to be the office of the judicial committee of the privy council until that moved into the old Middlesex Guildhall along with the new-fangled supreme court in 2009. In recent years, it has been the office of the chief whip, though their official address remains No 12. But Davis, an old Whitehall hand, refused to be fobbed off with a base so far from Theresa May that it was almost in Wales. He has what he wants: his officials have a power address.

Related: Boris Johnson forced to share mansion with Liam Fox and David Davis

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Owen Smith may not beat Jeremy Corbyn, but he passed the Today test | Michael White

As he tussled with John Humphrys on Radio 4, the Labour leadership challenger sounded confident, articulate and human

Listening to the radio this morning I had an experience I realised I’d almost forgotten. It was the sound of a Labour politician being combatively quizzed on Radio 4 by Today’s John Humphrys in the key 8.10 spot and giving confident, articulate answers in return. When did I last hear that, I wondered?

What follows here isn’t a party political broadcast for Owen Smith. For the first time since Labour’s glittering leadership contest to succeed Harold Wilson in 1976 – Callaghan versus Healey, Foot, Crosland, Jenkins and Benn – he’s a leadership contender whom OAP Mike doesn’t really know.

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Resentful Americans turn a blind eye to Trump's faults

The candidate’s excesses appeal to voters who feel marginalised and for whom the temptation is to blur reality and illusion

Whenever I think about the dysfunctional horror of the looming presidential election in America – so weird that Nigel Farage can pop up in Mississippi on the Trump campaign – I can’t get Susan Sarandon or Plato out of my mind. Let’s talk first about the actor. When did Plato make a decent movie, eh?

A few weeks ago Sarandon gave a magazine interview to an overawed writer in which she set out her well-known political stall as a radical feminist who backed Bernie Sanders and doesn’t think much of Hillary Clinton. “There’s nothing about her I find feminist except that she’s a woman,” she said.

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The Brexit debate needs more tolerance on both sides | Michael White

Bad sportsmanship is not confined to either camp. Let’s have more signs of mutual respect across the divide

I’m trying to cure this summer’s unattractive impulse before it turns into a bad habit. Whenever I see someone doing something stupid or self-harming like jumping an orange light on a bike or getting tattooed from neck to ankle, I want to shout: “Brexit voter.”

It’s not nice and it’s not fair. I’m trying to stop. As Theresa May’s divided cabinet meets to decide where to go next, ministers and demoralised Whitehall officials should refrain from recrimination too. The “phoney war” lull before the negotiation storm is about to end.

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Can Labour win an election under Corbyn? Readers debate

Catch up on our discussion looking at whether Labour can win under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership

We’re going to close comments shortly - thanks for taking part in the debate today. We’ll have another one next Thursday lunchtime.

The Labour Party will not win the next general election, but that isn’t the right way of looking at the problem. Labour is in the midst of the same crisis as its sister social-democratic parties across Europe, with one twist: as evidenced by all those new members, it is also home to the kind of new, insurgent politics we’ve seen with Podemos in Spain, Syriza in Greece, the Bernie Sanders campaign in the US etc. Time spent this week at Momentum’s A World Transformed event in Liverpool reminded me that a great deal of Labour and the left’s future lies with some of the people involved (I’ve written a column about this, out later today), but a watershed moment is probably going to be a long time coming.

As things stand, most of what we know takes the form of negatives: that the politics of New Labour are dead, that Labour is dangerously estranged from its old working class base, that the party is pretty much finished in Scotland. What happens next is unclear: my own belief is that it will have involve Labour embracing changing the voting system, creating a politics beyond work and the worker, and understanding that amassing a critical mass of support will involve other forces and parties. All this will take time.

Can Labour win without electoral reform? Certain prominent Labour MPs have been convinced of the merits of proportional representation, and Chris, a reader from Exeter, thinks Labour needs to be thinking in terms of a progressive alliance.

The future of British politics is coalitions and he can lead a combination of Labour / Lib Dem and Greens with support from SNP. He can reach out to those who are outside the current voting patterns and disenfranchised - which is a far greater number is the vote for 16 year olds can be passed.

What really needs to change is our voting system so it takes account of proportional representation. A system where a government is formed out of 40% choice is not representative and also unfair to smaller parties

Thanks everyone, we now have 10 minutes left to discuss. Please get any final points in while you can.

Looking at the Labour party in its current state – confused, conflict-ridden and in desperate need of coherent strategy – it would be easy to assume that electoral success is off the cards for the foreseeable future. Certainly, current polling suggests the party is on track to lose dozens of seats unless something changes.

It’s fairly widely accepted that Labour is in need of some new ideas for the 21st century. Encouragingly, these issues do seem to be being discussed. The Momentum conference fringe event was buzzing with energy and many speakers were tackling difficult topics such as automation and the possibility of a citizens income. Many politicians are also keen to explore similar themes, Jonathan Reynolds MP immediately springs to mind.

How will the triggering of article 50 affect Labour’s chances? If Labour are to benefit from Conservative turmoil over Europe, what line should the party take on negotiations? Jamie, 37, from Sheffield, sees opportunities:

Corbyn undoubtedly needs to reach out to the political centre. But we should not underestimate the trouble brewing for the Tories. This is Theresa May’s honeymoon period but already the cracks are beginning to show. Brexit, specifically the failure to trigger article 50, is a time bomb waiting to go off for the Conservative party. With a slim majority, a Eurosceptic rebellion could see off this government at any moment.

A Labour majority is difficult to imagine. But a coalition with Labour as the largest party? Entirely achievable.

A more optimistic view from a commenter, who believes the terms of the debate - particularly on austerity - have shifted to the extent that Labour’s only viable future is one where it tacks to the left.

Before Corbyn, Labour is going the way of PASOK in Greece - a pro-austerity embarrassment of a Party surviving on the remembered fumes of the Trade Union movement. Since Corbyn became Labour the membership has doubled and the Party has shifted the debate inexorably to the Left. Austerity, as a proclaimed intent, is finished. Not even the Tories can promote themselves as the Party of inequality and free enterprise. Of course, it'll take time for the ideas which have reclaimed the Labour Party to percolate outwards, and it won't be a smooth transition as the Right doing everything in their power to stop Labour, but it's a start of something better.

Readers responding to our form have been making the point that until Labour moves public opinion on key narratives, it’s going to be very difficult for them to make electoral headway. How can the party develop a reputation for economic competence when many voters still blame them for the 2008 economic crash?

Here’s the view of Martin, a registered Labour supporter in Sheffield:

The SNP have shown that the country is ready to elect an anti-austerity government. A government that actually provides excellent public services will find a public willing to bear the cost up to point.

There is a lot that needs to go their way - but I still feel that the main challenge is to change the narrative on the economy. Until we can change the narrative that investment can be positive for the economy, or that cuts aren’t effective in dealing with debt it will be difficult to get anywhere with undecided voters.

This is an interesting comment – making points about the fact that Jeremy Corbyn spent his career on backbenches. What do you think? Is he not very good at preaching to the non-converted? Or is he a man of the people?

No one would think of appointing a CEO of a major company who had no experience at a relatively senior management level, yet this is what the Labour Party has done with Jeremy Corbyn – and Leader of the Opposition is at least as demanding a role as leading a global corporation in terms of the organisational and negotiating skills, strategic vision, stamina, drive, pragmatism and media savviness required.

Corbyn looks like what he is – someone who has spent his entire career on the backbenches, free to follow his own principles and unaccustomed with the burden of having to make compromises and prioritise. And who is now out of his depth.

We’re trying out a new poll tool. Let us know what you think in the comments - and don’t forget to vote!

A commenter below the line makes the reasonable point that it’s all far too early to tell. Given the upheavals seen in domestic and international politics over the past few years, predicting the 2020 election is very difficult - particularly with the full effects of Brexit still to come.

The next election is most likely three and a half years away during which time we will experience the unprecedented upheaval of leaving the EU. There is also issues around boundary changes, scottish independence, the relevance of UKIP, whether labour can resolve their internal issues and divisions within the tory government. So on that basis nobody can say that Labour are not going to win the next election.
In the run up to the 2010 election the tories managed to paint the 2008 crash as caused by Labour and argued they were not economically responsible, yet could not win outright power. And against Gordon Brown of all people.
During the 2015 election campaign the tories maintained the argument, cast Ed Miliband as the son of Britain hater, glorified their own work on the economy since 2010, scapegoated the Lib Dems and saw the SNP all but obliterate Labour in Scotland, yet only managed a 17 seat majority.
Who wins the next election is pure guesswork, mine is that nobody wins outright.

Possible path to victory.
1. An electoral pact. The right win because they always vote together as one big monolith. Our turn. The scare of a small handful of Tories going over to UKIP was enough to panic Cameron into a Brexit referendum. I'm in a supposed Tory safe seat but the truth is that if you counted the Lib Dem and Labour vote together, we would comfortably win. That's repeated up and down the country. An electoral pact means not standing candidates against the most likely to win. It also means people can vote strategically yet maintain allegiance with the party of their conscience.
2. Stand a Labour candidate in Northern Ireland to recover ground lost in Scotland
3. Try and win over the 40% of non-voters.
4. As far as immigration is concerned, it really isn't rocket science. Saying Labour will build 60k new council homes a year is great but it is also arbitrary. Labour should go a bit further and say "we will institute whatever policy is necessary and build however many homes are required to make sure that house and rent prices don't outstrip wages, and if we can't achieve that, we'll look to reduce immigration"

One repeated criticism of Corbyn’s electoral strategy is that he doesn’t do enough to reach out to the centre: the kind of voters with no fixed political allegiance, the kind of voted for Blair in 1997 but were more convinced by David Cameron in 2015.

One ready, a 46 year old Labour member from Brighton, got in touch to say there’s another way of winning: by reaching out to those who don’t currently vote.

At the moment more that 35% of the eligible voters in the UK don’t vote. This is equal to or more than the number of eligible voters that voted Tories to win the last election. Most of these people are mostly not taken into account by pollsters. In my view, Corbyn is connecting with this group of eligible voters. If he can bring them into play in a large number, together with the traditional labour voters that remain loyal to the party, he has a credible path to victory.

An interesting comment from a reader below the line who suggests Corbyn does something to surprise voters.

For Corbyn to win he will need to do something big to convince enough Tories, Liberals and swing voters to vote for him - that's just the mathematical reality. It will be painful for him and his loyal membership perhaps, but he'll need to have at least one or two proposals that make this voting group sit up and say 'wow, I wouldn't have expected him to say that!', it's called cognitive dissonance and is used in advertising to cut through a crowded market place and change brand perceptions.

New Labour understood this; the end of Clause 4, being relaxed about the filthy rich, keeping to Tory spending plans for two years, and making the BoE independent all raised hell in the party, but were highly effective in changing damaging perceptions very quickly and forced the wider electorate to reconsider the brand. There is a downside of course; he will get slated by many on his own side and that hurts, but he has their votes already, he needs to hold his nose and put forward policies that appeal directly to the voters of his opposition.

In a year when Donald Trump’s campaign for the White House has moved from ugly fantasy to likely outcome it would take a very rash old political hack to say without reservation: “Labour cannot win a general election with Jeremy Corbyn as its leader.”

That’s what I think, of course. I do so on the basis of 40 years watching mainstream British politics from a ringside seat inside what my Twitter detractors routinely call the “Westminster bubble” - as if Momentum activists or Ukip Brexiteers don’t live in a tiny confirmation biased bubble of their own.

Comments are now open. For those without a commenting account, there’s also a form you can fill in at the start of the live blog.

We’ve been hearing from Labour members on whether they think the party can turn around its electoral fortunes - keep the views coming, though we’re happy to hear from non-Labour members too. What would it take for you to vote for the party under Corbyn, and what put you off voting for them in 2015?

On opinion, we hear from a Labour member who vows to be more engaged in communicating the party message.

Our engagement isn’t just about reassuring the Labour faithful. The polls are a stark reminder of just how much work there is to do. We must turn the party into a movement that can be radical, and can win. As Corbyn said in his speech at conference, this wave of new members is in fact a “vast democratic resource” – not, as some people see it, a threat.

Related: New Labour members like me need to do more - it’s time to get involved

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn gave his keynote speech to conference on Wednesday, relaunching his stewardship of the party by outlining his agenda for the country under a Labour government.

Responding to critics who accuse Corbyn of being more interested in campaigning than the more complicated and compromise-strewn business of winning general elections, Corbyn said:

Related: Jeremy Corbyn’s critics must decide: unity or terminal decline | Owen Jones

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Will Britain's exit from the EU be bad for business? Readers debate

Catch up on our debate on Theresa May’s plans to push ahead with Brexit and what this means for workers and business

Nearly four months after June 23’s fateful Brexit vote, even more half baked nonsense is still being talked by both sides than was spouted during the shabby campaign. Nothing is clear except that it is all going to be a lot trickier to disengage from the EU than some foolish people said – and still say despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

So my starting point is one of humility as I learn stuff I didn’t known before. It’s safe to say that some things will be better outside the EU, others worse, some sectors and individuals will thrive, others languish. The consequences of Britain’s leap in the dark – 37% of the total electorate voted Brexit by a very slender margin – are still largely unknown for all 28 members states. Only charlatans and romantics pretend otherwise.

If we left the EU, we would end this sterile debate and we would have to recognize that most of our problems are not caused by Brussels, but by chronic British short termism, inadequate management, sloth, low skills, a culture of easy gratification and underinvestment in both human and physical capital and infrastructure.”

We will be wrapping up the debate in the next four minutes, but we welcome any final comments and remarks.

We will keep comments open until 2.15pm

A view from Nigel Stern, who runs a design agency in London:

The biggest impact will hiring staff with the right skills. It’s already almost impossible to find skilled staff for our design agency - I say this having battled to keep an Australian whose Visa ran out, and lost the battle. I can’t imagine how difficult it will be when Brexit happens. Good skills are literally the biggest growth driver, so for my business Brexit is a disaster waiting to happen

An anonymous take from a bookseller, who thinks that Brexit will be bad for business and will have profound consequences for non-British citizens living and working in the UK.

I am a small on-line antiquarian and used bookseller. Since Brexit I have noticed an uptick in sales to the United States, but I have noticed a distinct decline in sales to Europe, though they do still take place. The effect of Brexit on Europe’s perception of Britain as a country is very negative - and the announcements from the Tory party conference will only reinforce the impression that Britain is not opening up for business. In fact, the very reverse: closing down for business and pursuing policies of discrimination against foreigners, especially from Europe.

The level of discrimination against immigrants from Europe is most definitely alienating what should be Britain’s closest friends. As someone with a slight foreign accent I no longer feel entirely safe in this country. A hard Brexit would be a disaster for me - as many books go abroad and the customs paperwork would add a considerable workload as well as extra costs in the case of more valuable books. There literally is not a single advantage to be derived from Brexit except for the lower pound, which could have been lowered by other means which would have done far less damage to Britain’s economy and society. I don’t know whether in future I will be able to continue business in this country and am wondering whether to move elsewhere.

News of job losses in Scotland are alarming.

The Scottish economy would suffer a severe shock if the UK has a “hard Brexit”, losing up to 80,000 jobs and seeing wages fall by £2,000 a head per year, an economics thinktank has warned.

The Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) has told the Scottish parliament that entirely leaving the EU single market – known as a hard Brexit – would see the Scottish economy decline by 5% overall, or by £8bn within a decade.

Related: Hard Brexit could cost Scotland £2,000 a head and 80,000 jobs

One commenter says that Brexit will cause some economic pain, although the extent of this is not yet known.

What we know for sure is that Brexit of any substantial kind will certainly cause some economic pain in the short, medium, and long-term, from breaking existing trading relationships and loss of easy access to a large pool of human capital. The additional opportunities, on the other hand, are all long to very long-term, and are uncertain and beyond the UK's control.

Even the bits which are under the UK's control (like massive investment in training and education in a way which actually achieves something instead of pfaffing around with needless re-structuring and testing kids to the edge of mental breakdown) are all things that would have made sense before, so it's optimistic to imagine that they'll happen in a future where the public finances are under more pressure than ever before (once Brexit decline takes hold).

Here’s a view from Richard Rose, who is worried about Brexit’s impact on the car industry.

I am an engineer working at Rolls-Royce in Derby but I have spent most of my working life so far in the car industry. I am 100% certain that if the UK Brexits out of the single market, it can wave ¾ of its car industry goodbye within 5 years. The idea of replacing the current arrangement with one of tit-for-tat tariffs on cars sold into and out of the UK is preposterous – we will be in the absurd situation of paying taxpayers’ cash to car companies in the form of ongoing subsidies, and every successive government will be looking for ways to reduce or avoid these payments every four years.

The whole arrangement sounds ridiculous and seeing as all the manufacturers who build here have sites inside the Eurozone where they can avoid all that uncertainty, what do you think they’ll do? Its keeping me awake at night as I feel ‘my’ industry is potentially about to be rendered economically unviable just as my right to live and work abroad is being curtailed.

Quitting the European Union’s single market is considered bad for business unless you belong to the small band of economists who believe that Brussels’ employment and environmental protections stifle innovation, that maintaining a low pound is easier outside the EU, and restrictions on migrants is unlikely to ever be enforced.

But the threat from Nissan to switch investment in its next car away from the north east without some form of compensation is the clearest indication yet that multinationals based in the UK to benefit from the single market are going to drift away as they consider an upgrade or new factory that would be cheaper abroad.

John Flahive, 51, a documentary producer and sales agent, is concerned about the implications of a “hard Brexit” on his business.

The impact on business is inevitably negative. At the moment we have free movement of goods throughout the EU, all I have to do in my own business is put an address on a shipment and off it goes. It’s just not possible for whatever is put in its place to improve on that.

A ‘trade deal’ usually involves reduced tariffs which is a dis-improvement on no tariffs at all. This would bring back customs paperwork and all the associated admin, whereas currently we have none at all. There is no upside, only a downside.

This has just launched online. Polly Toynbee asks why the health secretary would insult the one third of our doctors who were born abroad by suggesting that they’re only “interim”.

Hunt’s claim that we will be “self-sufficient” in medical staff is nonsense – and he knows it. These new doctors won’t qualify as consultants until 2030, while everywhere has ageing populations and the WHO estimates a global shortage of 2 million doctors. The number of people in Britain over the age of 85 will double by 2037 – and who is to care for them if we chase away all foreigners?

Related: Telling NHS doctors to go home is self-harming madness | Polly Toynbee

An interesting take from one commenter below the line:

The main reason I don't think it'll be good for business is the way it is and has effected Britain's image around Europe and probably the world. Made in Britain isn't actually very popular in Europe at the moment. When I am with my girlfriend in Spain what image of Britain is on the television? Farage, Boris Johnson and their xenophobic rhetoric. After all it's the consumers who are the most important when it comes to our exports. Do you really want to buy goods from a nation who's image is one of distaste and xenophobia to their neighbours. Look at the effect the Iraq war had on French products in the U.S when they went ( rightfully ) against the Iraq war.... Everything Farage and Boris do is making it far easier for the E.U to take a tough stance in negotiations with support from their people. Especially when they act so arrogantly by saying the E.U has too much to lose and will have to take any deal we offer.

Brexiters seem to have no idea on how politics will effect us more than anything else.

Comments are open below the line and our debate is underway.

Kicking us off from the form is a small business owner in the south east of England, who has noted a definite impact of the vote:

I’ve already seen an impact in car buying attitudes in the months following the referendum. Traditionally, September is a busy time for my business (my company move new and used cars around the U.K.) and already the volume of movements compared to March and this time last year is worrying.

Every dealership I visit, staff say the same thing; “It’s unusually quite for this time of year”. The uncertainty created by the referendum is clearly having an affect and I worry for the future of my business once article 50 is triggered. If people are out of work they won’t be buying cars, meaning I won’t be moving them round the U.K.

Polly Toynbee raised some interesting questions about the impact of hard Brexit this week. She wrote:

As speech after speech salutes “taking back control” as “a fully independent sovereign country”, only old sober-sides Philip Hammond throws cold water. There is a price to pay, he warns. He didn’t disagree with Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that Brexit will cost the UK 4% in growth in coming years.

Related: Will Theresa May be the next Tory leader to be bulldozed by the Europhobes? | Polly Toynbee

Theresa May made one thing perfectly clear during this year’s Conservative party conference: Brexit means Brexit.

The Tory leader said controlling immigration and withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the European court of justice would be her priorities during European Union (EU) exit. She says Article 50 will be triggered before the end of March 2017.

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Michael White reflects on 45 years as a Guardian journalist

As the former political editor and columnist retires, he considers his career at the paper and the greatest scoop he never wrote

Michael White, the Guardian’s assistant editor, retired last week after almost 45 years at the paper as a reporter, foreign correspondent and columnist. He was political editor from 1990-2006, Washington correspondent (1984-88) and parliamentary sketch writer (1977-84). Here he reflects on his Guardian career.

When did you first know you wanted to be a journalist?
I was never a student journalist but, after failing a few interviews for industry in my final student year, I decided – correctly – that I am by nature an observer, not a doer. I was lucky in my timing: 1966 was a very good time to embark on a career in journalism.

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Howard Green obituary

Howard Green, who has died aged 91, was my first editor, a journalist of the old school who worked his way up from junior reporter at 15 to the board of Thomson Regional Newspapers (TRN) when it was a force in the British regional press.

In the mid-1960s he was a key player in the plans of his Canadian proprietor, Lord (Roy) Thomson of Fleet, to ring London with new evening papers, located on the emerging motorway network and printed on state-of-the-art web offset presses. With well-run local papers still profitable, the big idea was eventually to print and distribute Fleet Street newspapers away from the clutches of its famously disruptive unions.

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How Theresa May’s exit compares with other difficult departures from No 10

The Guardian’s former political editor revisits humiliating prime ministerial resignations from Robert Peel to David Cameron

Both Brexit camps claim Sir Robert Peel, the Tory moderniser whose 1846 resignation crisis most resembles May’s. But he had succeeded where she failed. Determined to cut food prices for industrial workers, Peel pushed through repeal of protectionist Corn Laws with opposition help. In retaliation, rightwing enemies defeated his Irish Coercion bill. Peel resisted Queen Victoria’s appeal to stay, but grateful crowds cheered him as he walked to the Commons to resign. He slipped out by a side door, but was spotted and cheered home. Divided Tories lost office for 20 years.

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Opting for quarterly return

I want to opt for quarterly return but by mistake i opt for monthly returnhow can i rectify this?




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Ppf interest

Ppf interest exemption under which section?




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REFUND JASON NOT UPLOADING

The uploaded JSON file which was created via offline utility has invalid data format.. IS THE ERROR I GET EVERYTIME ON UPLOADING EVEN WHEN IM USING MSOFFICE2010 AND HAVE VALIDATED THE DATA IN XL




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GSTR9 REPORTING OF ITC

A sum of Rs. 413460.00 being the ITC available under head IGST for the financial year 2017-18 was claimed in the financial year 2018-19 in August 2018 through FORM GSTR3B, now while filing form GSTR9 for the financial year 2018-19 where to show this ITC as the form is showing difference in 6(J) t




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Interest on Fd, paid by the bank and TDS deducted

sir required help received statement from the bank for my FD's investments in the SBI bank, regarding Interest paid and TDS deducted , But unable to understand how to pass entries in the books of accounts,,------------------------------------------------------------




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Reg: E way Bill

Dear sir, IAM a registered taxpayer payer in telangana, I have purchased some goods from Maharashtra seller and sold in same state...the movement of goods are with in the state of Maharashtra..my Query is how can generate E way bill in above situation..is it possible to generate..




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Refund of Unutilized ITC

A Company is registered in different States under GST, having Branches in those States. The Company used to raise Invoices to their Branches (cross billing) by charging IGST. But, the outward Supply in those States is not so much that could utilize the ITC of IGST, being accumulated due to the "cros




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GST On Non-Resident Payments

My firm takes IT projects from an online Service based Marketplace www.guru.com; where Websoft Inc (doing business as Guru.com) is an entity from Pittsburgh, USA and they charge a certain percentage (%) of the total project value as a "Project Fee" and also take a monthly fee as "Subscriptttion




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GST On Rent

Person registered under GST proprietorship firm but Rent from house property to an individual it is taxable under Gst?




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Removal of goods and delivery of goods

What is the difference between removal of goods and delivery of goods?




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Unemployment due to Covid-19 is surely worth more than a footnote | Larry Elliott

The mental and physical stresses caused by fear of layoff have left many workers feeling suicidal

The number of jobless people in the US rose by more than 20 million in April, something deemed worthy of a mention in the “and in other news” slot on the BBC’s evening TV bulletin.

Sure, it was the 75th anniversary of VE day and there were socially distanced street parties to cover and archive footage of crowds gathered in front of Buckingham Palace to treasure.

Continue reading...




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To be fair, Cayla’s daughter hasn’t appeared in this strip in years

Comics Curmudgeon readers! Do you love this blog and yearn for a novel written by its creator? Well, good news: Josh Fruhlinger's The Enthusiast is that novel! It's even about newspaper comic strips, partly. Check it out! Rex Morgan, M.D., 5/10/20 Hey, everyone! Were you worried that Buck was going to be inconvenienced, even briefly, […]




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10 useless fact on me, because I am bored

I am sorry that I have been gone for a pretty long time but now I am back so yeah

1- my birdthay is 21 July
2- My colour eye is blue
3- I freaking love reading
4- when I was younger I told my mother that in the future I want a library be a part of my house
5- i hate math, I wish that this never exist
6 - i am obsed with vampire, but I am scare of blood
7- I freaking love, witchcraft
8- Before I was hating art because I was unable to drawn something, but Gerard made me like this
9- I have a collection of stuffy
10- I am deep down in love with the MCRmy, you guys are incredible always cheer up even that we don't know each other

bonus : i am famous now XD look at this: https://www.facebook.com/505322182/videos/10157492150367183/
at 0:54 sec you can see me ( I am the girl with eh black parade jacket :P)

<3




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bruh moment extreme (update on myself ig)

okay i haven't posted on this site in w e e k s
i think. i don't remember how to tell time.

but like here's a story for you guys. so i drew the four killjoys in danger days (like party poison, kobra kid, etc) and it looked sick and i wanted to upload at least one of the drawings on here cuz i think i mentioned it on here but never like followed up?? and yeah here's why: it was friday or something two weeks ago and i literally fainted from dehydration on my way up the stairs to get water. the IRONY is enough to kill a man.

it only lasted a split second but i hit my head on the kitchen floor because, well, i collapsed. and that was the day i would've uploaded crap on here but i felt so incredibly sick after that i just forgot. and i have been watching television like a maniac during quarantine, like i watched four movies back to back yesterday and i've been watching four shows at once and it's insane, but i love movies and fictional characters more than people in real life and all i gotta say is you watch one star wars movie, you watch all of them. so currently, half my life is TV.

the other half is a mixure of various things. one, i'm tryna exercise more because i'm stuck in my house. i had fitness at school which was cool because we had a track field at weight room and had a lot of stuff to do, but i've been slacking because now i don't. however, last week my mom and i decided to work out together so it's been fun. running three days a week on the trail outside the house. it's pretty cool mostly cuz i've got no endurance and need to build that up. second, i've been writing/drawing a comic and a bunch of other things, outlining and coloring it and stuff, and that's really fun and also takes forever. and third, i've been playing bass and learning electric guitar. i picked up guitar super fast so i can already play a ton of songs but i wanna be able to SHRED because that's super cool. and you can always improve, so there's that. that takes a lot of time, too, because i mess around and come up with riffs and i look up and it's been two hours instead of ten minutes. so i've been really enjoying myself.

and last thing, it's MOTHER'S DAY. and i love my mom like more than anything. she's so iconic. like. i can't even begin to express. we cleaned the kitchen for her while she was in the shower and like. mm. idk seeing my mom happy hits different. anyway. that's basically what i've been up to. i think i'll upload one of my drawings. if not today, it'll come eventually. so yeah. peace.




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Mekong Delta - Tales of a Future Past [2020]

Дата релиза: 08.05.2020

uploaded by st.liar

Список треков:
01. Landscape 1 - Into the Void
02. Mental Entropy
03. A Colony of Liar Men
04. Landscape 2 - Waste Land
05. Mindeater
06. The Hollow Men
07. Landscape 3 - Inharent
08. When All Hope Is Gone
09. A Farewell to Eternity
10. Landscape 4 - Pleasant Ground

Скачать и обсудить альбом здесь




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Remix Artist Collective - BOY [2020]

Дата релиза: 08.05.2020

Качество: Lossless

uploaded by magicman88

Список треков:
01. Rapariga
02. Boomerang (feat. Luna Shadows)
03. MIA (feat. Danny Dwyer)
04. Passion
05. Sweater (feat. Maddie Jay)
06. Next To You (feat. Emerson Leif)
07. Toulouse (feat. Minke)
08. Gomas
09. Stuck On You (feat. PHiL GooD)
10. Together (feat. Evalyn)
11. Carefree (feat. LeyeT)
12. Oakland (feat. Winnetka Bowling League)
13. Arcoíris
14. Solo (feat. Gothic Tropic)
15. Get A Life (feat. Instupendo)
16. Change The Story (feat. Jamie Lidell)
17. Dolores Park
18. Better Days (feat. St. Lucia)

Скачать и обсудить альбом здесь




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Serengeti - Ajai [2020]

Дата релиза: 01.07.2020

uploaded by SombraEsquiva

Список треков:
01. Ajai
02. Don't wear that suit ajai
03. Company softball
04. Summary
05. Ajais stuff
06. Parisian romance
07. Ajai end
08. Intermission
09. Check kenny
10. Elaine
11. Jueles trunk
12. Collab
13. Lotion drop
14. Exhausted
15. Kennys ad
16. Odouls x portillos and kools

Скачать и обсудить альбом здесь




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From Farida Jalal to Kirron Kher, here are six of our favourite onscreen mothers in Bollywood

Mother’s have been an important part of Hindi cinema. Over the years, the portrayal of mothers in Bollywood has been changing. Mothers are given much more importance in cinema than just being a character actor who has to nod to everything the husband or the child says. 

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, here’s looking at some of the most popular on-screen mothers. 

Rakhee 

Her dialogue “Mere Karan Arjun aayenge'' is not something that one will forget anytime soon. She played mother to actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in the hit film Karan Arjun. While Rakhee has played varied roles in her illustrious career spanning over 50 years, when it came to being a mother onscreen she has been seen as a woman of principles including in films like Baazigar, Ram Lakhan, Soldier, Khalnayak and others. 

Farida Jalal 

Farida Jalal too has been part of the industry for almost fifty years and continues to impress people with her charm. While the actress has played different kinds of roles, her motherly onscreen figure is the one most remembered by people. From being Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in Duplicate to Kajol’s in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, she is the kind of mother who is always ready to make sacrifices for her child. She is also popular for the savage yet emotional grandmother of Jiya from the television series Shararat

Kirron Kher

She is often cast as the loud Punjabi mother with a soft heart always caring and worrying about her child. From Dostana, to Hum Tum to Singh is King to Om Shanti Om she was the mother who could also make you laugh with her snarky comments. While she started her career in film in 1983, most of her hit films including Main Hoon Na and Rang De Basanti see her play the role of a mother. 

Reema Lagoo

Best remembered for her role in Tu Tu Main Main, she has largely been seen in Bollywood films playing the emotional mother. She has played mother to most superstars in the late 80s and 90s. She was considered as a "new-age mother" in Hindi cinema. She was low on drama and was not too emotional either, perfectly maintaining the balance between the two. From Hum Saath Saath Hai to Hum Aapke Hai Kaun to Kal Ho Naa Ho, she is the kind of mother you just want to give a hug and say everything will be okay. 

 Jaya Bachchan 

How can an onscreen mother’s list be complete without Jaya Bachchan. She raised the bar for on-screen mothers with her performance in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The scene with Shah Rukh Khan’s entry in the film will be remembered for Jaya Bachchan’s sixth sense rather than the superstar’s entry. She then went on to ditch the saree and all the parampara and thali and was seen playing a bold single mother in Kal Ho Naa Ho

Ratna Pathak Shah

She will always be remembered dearly as Maya Sarabhai who could accept anything else but being middle class. When it comes to playing a mother in Bollywood, she has never been typecast and has shown variety in her characters. In Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na she was the protective and progressive mother to Imran Khan’s character who could not tolerate violence or any unjust activities. She once again played mother to Imran Khan in Ek Main Aur Ek Tu. She was a rich- sophisticated woman yet very different from her character Maya Sarabhai. Meanwhile, she played a middle-class mother to Taapsee Pannu in the film Thappad who worried more about “Log Kya Kahenge”. 

Let us know your favourites in the comment section.




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Shilpa Shetty reveals she developed auto-immune disease, suffered miscarriages

It is that day when we celebrate motherhood, mothers, their unmatched love and every small and big thing they do for us. Bollywood celebrities have been sharing heart-warming photos and posts on social media, to mark the day. For Shilpa Shetty, however, it is an extra special day since her surrogate daughter Samisha came home a few months back, and she gets to celebrate the day with her two children now!

During a recent interview, Shilpa reveald that she always wanted two kids since she knows how impactful having a sibling can be, and did not want son Viaan to grow up alone. However, she developed an auto-immune condition called APLA which caused her miscarriages every time she got pregnant.

Before she decided to opt for surrogacy, Shilpa revealed she had also considered adoption as an option and put her name with an organisation for the same. However, it got pushed due to internal disputes and after waiting for four years, her patience got over and she and husband Raj Kundra decided to have a surrogate baby.

On Instagram, we keep coming across photos of the happy family, and Viaan always looks excited to have been promoted to a big brother.

Happy Mother's Day to you, Shilpa!




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Tomorrow X Together drops emotional teaser of 'Can't You See Me' track from The Dream Chapter: Eternity

The season of comebacks is here in the K-pop industry! Big Hit Entertainment's rookie group Tomorrow x Together is set for their second comeback this summer. The quartet will complete their trilogy with 'The Dream Chapter: Eternity'. 

The first teaser of their title track 'Can't You See Me' is here. More than one year after their debut, the boys are all grown up in this comeback. You hear them sing, "Can't you see me? / Like that magical day / Say believe me / Can't you see me?"

The five members are seen spending some good times together before everything falls apart. In the end, all of them stand outside a burning house as Soobin is seen screaming! It already looks like the MOAs are in for an emotional rollercoaster ride.

The concept trailer had similar emotions - a sense of losing your close friends over the course of time and lost feeling Soobin senses when he gets captured in the glass box.

The album is set to release on May 18, 2020. The group, which includes five members - Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai, debuted on March 4, 2019, with the EP 'The Dream Chapter: Star' with lead single 'Crown'. This was followed by 'The Dream Chapter: Magic' with '9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)' as its lead single.

Not just that, they also made their Japanese debut on January 15, 2020, with the single 'Magic Hour'. 

ALSO READ: TXT drops The Dream Chapter: Eternity concept trailer and the morse code says “SAVE ME”




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Music Review: The Dark Side Of Life: Mumbai City

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> One look at the title <em>The Dark Side of Life - Mumbai City</em> and it seems more apt for a book than a feature film. Nonetheless, that is indeed the case for this film which has a mix of newcomers and experienced actors with Mahesh Bhatt being seen in a crucial part as well. While Azeem Shirazi is the biggest contributor as the lyricist, several composers come together to create half a dozen songs in the film. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-925603" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/T4.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="450" /> <strong>MUSIC</strong> The kind of sound that kick-starts <strong><em>'Aawargi'</em></strong> reminds one of the kind of music that Vikram Bhatt time and again brings in his films. Jubin Nautiyal is effective as the singer in this Sabir Khan composition which is put together by Azeem Shirazi. The trouble though is that the song sounds dated by at least a decade. Hence, even though it has a soft feel to it, the overall impact is not the kind that makes you revisit it again on loop. The song that follows next is titled <strong><em>'Tu Mujhse Nikalta Nahi'</em></strong> and has the kind of hook-line which is indeed catchy. In a bigger film with a larger setup, this Prakash Prabhakar composed and heard song may well have found good traction. Again, the song is not exceptional but still has that quintessential Bhatt touch to it which makes it stand out. Moreover, Tanveer Gazi puts together a good spin of words, especially the title. Remember <em>'Manali Trance'</em> from <em>The Shaukeens</em>? The song which follows, <strong><em>'Saanp Seedhi Wala Saanp'</em></strong>, is on the same lines and belongs to the trance genre. As a matter of fact Tripty Sinha sings this one too in the same style as that of Neha Kakkar and does manage to make an impact too. It is a new team of composer Sandeep Batraa and lyricists Azeem Shirazi and Ozil Dalal who pair up for this promotional song which is expected to bring in good entertainment quotient. However, a little impact that had been created so far is diluted to a major extent by Rashid Khan composed <strong><em>'Ae Zindagi'</em></strong> which is as sad as it gets. From the composition, writing (Nisar Akhtar) as well as the singing (Altamash Faridi Brothers) perspective, the song is really depressing and just doesn't make you root for it all. A slow moving number that is all about pathos, separation and the fact that life doesn't have much to offer to the protagonists, this one belongs to the quick-skip variety. Another newcomer, Shaan Asif Raj, is the composer for <strong><em>'Muddaton'</em></strong> which starts with the sound of guitar. Seemingly a concert number, this Azeem Shirazi written song is rendered by Amit Mishra. A soft rock number, <em>'Muddaton'</em> tries to bring in the kind of mood that was created by <em>'Sun Raha Hai'</em> [<em>Aashiqui 2</em>]. Though it does fall short, it still makes for a decent hear after all. Had it carried more punch to it, this one could well have found itself a better audience. <strong><em>'Aawargi Deewangi'</em></strong> is the song that concludes the album and its depressing notes do not really help the cause. On the same lines as <em>'Ae Zindagi'</em>, this one is written by Aslam Sani with music by Ahsan Ahmed. There is just nothing in there which arrests your attention and even though Mohammed Irfan is the singer here, you don't really find much entertainment quotient in there. <strong>OVERALL</strong> The music of <em>The Dark Side of Life - Mumbai City</em> is a mixed bag and though there is no real chartbuster out there, two-three songs at least hold your attention while at play. <strong>OUR PICK(S)</strong> <em>‘Tu Mujhse Nikalta Nahi’</em>, <em>‘Saanp Seedhi Wala Saanp’</em>, <em>‘Muddaton’</em>




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Music Review: Kedarnath

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> Films directed by Abhishek Kapoor have traditionally carried good music. From <em>Rock On</em> to <em>Fitoor</em>, the music has been consistently impressive and has been as per the theme and setting of the film. Now that he is bringing on <em>Kedarnath</em> that marks the launch of Sara Ali Khan opposite Sushant Singh Rajput, one waits to hear what do composer Amit Trivedi and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya have to offer. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-926514" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Petition-filed-in-Gujarat-High-Court-seeking-ban-on-Sushant-Singh-Rajput-Sara-Ali-Khan-starrer-Kedarnath.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="450" /> <strong>MUSIC</strong> There is something truly divine about the manner in which <strong><em>‘Namo Namo’</em></strong> begins. A devotional number which is truly devoid of any forced Bollywood inspirations, this one is a well rendered number by Amit Trivedi and makes an instant impression. A smooth sailing song that has a peaceful feel to it and is further accentuated due to the striking visuals that go alongside, ‘<em>Namo Namo’</em> can well be assured of a long shelf life amongst those who want to hear a devotional number first thing in the morning. A love song arrives next in the form of <strong><em>‘Qaafirana’</em></strong> and the mood and feel remains consistent with the kind of set up that Abhishek wanted to put together for <em>Kedarnath</em>. Moreover, there is certain director’s touch that is apparent in the way the tune has been composed, words have been written and especially the manner in which Arijit Singh has rendered this one. There are minimum instruments in the background as primarily it’s the voice and the core composition that takes centre stage which ensures that <em>‘Qaafirana’</em> turns out to be a soulful number that can be heard for a serene experience. What further adds to the beautiful melody is the manner in which Nikhita Gandhi makes a very good impression as a singer despite making a late entry. Things take a celebratory turn as Dev Negi enters the scene and croons <strong><em>‘Sweetheart’</em></strong>. A fun number which is just the kind that one could expect from a Karan Johar, Imtiaz Ali or Aditya Chopra film, this one is as Bollywood as it gets. As a matter of fact it also faintly reminds one of <em>‘Butterfly’</em> [<em>Jab Harry Met Sejal</em>] due to the kind of desi stage and setting that goes with the situation in which the song is set. This one could well have been picked up by Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor or Shahid Kapoor with glee and in that aspect Sushant Singh Rajput can well be happy about the fact that he bagged ‘Sweetheart’ which is a potential chartbuster. Arijit Singh returns on the scene, this time with <strong><em>‘Jaan ‘Nisaar’</em></strong> which appears in a couple of versions. A situational number where the male protagonist is trying to understand why his ladylove is unhappy with him and is trying to woo her all the way back, this one has a smooth flow to it which sees Indian melody being supported by Western instruments. That said the consistency of sound stays in the mood set so far in <em>Kedarnath</em>. Asees Kaur is the voice of the female version and this one somehow appears to be even slower. This is the kind of number that is good when heard in a stand-alone fashion though one can’t expect it to emerge as a chartbuster of sorts. <strong>OVERALL</strong> The music of <em>Kedarnath</em> is good and though it doesn’t have too many songs to result in a complete package affair, it is fine till it lasts. This one has the kind of music that could well grow on the basis of the success of the film. <strong>OUR PICK(S)</strong> <em>‘Namo Namo’</em>, <em>‘Qaafirana’</em>, <em>‘Sweetheart’</em>




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Music Review: Tina & Lolo

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> After Sunny Deol's delayed releases <em>Mohalla Assi</em> and <em>Bhaiyaji Superhit</em>, it is now time for Sunny Leone's long pending <em>Tina &amp; Lolo</em> to finally see the light of the day. Announced five years back, the film was originally supposed to feature Minissha Lamba with Sunny Leone. However, Karishma Tanna came in place of Minissha, though the film continued to get delayed. Now that it is gearing up for arrival, one waits to see how does the film's music turn out to be. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-930160" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Music-Review-Tina-Lolo.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="450" /> <strong> MUSIC</strong> Enbee and Ikka (who is also the lyricist) come together as composers and singers for <strong><em>'Dirty Girl'</em></strong>. A fun-n-naughty number that is just in the kind of territory that one expects from a Sunny Leone dance number, this one with Shivangi Bhayana as the female singer has the kind of hook-line which is catchy but that's about it. Otherwise whether it is the beginning or the end of the intermittent rap portion, there isn't much striking about 'Dirty Girl'. On the same lines as <strong><em>'Aaj Blue Hai Paani Paani</em></strong>' [Yaariyaan], <strong><em>'Tension Waali Raat'</em></strong> does fetch your attention. An Arko written and composed song, this one has Neha Kakkar in her element as she goes about singing this one in her own naughty 'andaaz'. Though the choreography and picturisation of the song with Farhad Bhiwandiwala as the other vocalist leaves much to be desired, as a standalone number it does make you play it again. Had the number been released at the time when Sunny Leone was in her prime, this one could well have covered a distance. Last to arrive is the song of seduction, <strong><em>'Raat Ke Saaye Tale</em></strong>', which is rendered by Aakanksha Sharma. A lazy number that has standard lyrics by Rohit Sharma, it also has ordinary music by Raghav Sachar that hardly leaves much of an impression. This one may just about make heads turn if supported by the kind of picturisation that the genre, stage and setting desires. Otherwise as just a musical piece it makes for a one time hear and that's about it




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Music Review : Zero

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> First things first, it is extremely surprising that the entire soundtrack of <em>Zero</em> released on the same day as the film's arrival in theatres. Even though <strong><em>'Mere Naam Tu'</em></strong>, <strong><em>'Issaqbaazi' </em></strong>as well as <strong><em>'Husn Parcham'</em></strong> had been received quite well, somehow the makers didn't unveil the entire soundtrack with four more songs. What's further surprising is that these songs have been quite well composed as well and hence one wonders why the jukebox release was delayed. Nonetheless, let's check out what Ajay-Atul and Tanishk Bagchi along with Irshad Kamil have to offer. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-936677 size-full" title="Music Review: Zero" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Music-Review-Zero-005.jpg" alt="Music Review: Zero" width="720" height="405" /> <strong> MUSIC</strong> <em>Zero</em> sees a fantastic start for itself, what with <strong><em>'Mere Naam Tu'</em></strong> turning out to be the love ballad of the year. A marvellous composition by Ajay-Atul with some beautiful poetic lyrics by Irshad Kamil, <em>'Mere Naam Tu'</em> has been sung brilliantly by Abhay Jodhpurkar. In fact his voice suits Shah Rukh Khan to the T and one now waits for their further collaborations. An all-rounder of a tune which makes one play this romantic number in loop<strong>, </strong><em>'Mere Naam Tu'</em> has a grand feel to it, especially the orchestra and the chorus that emerges at the end. Chartbuster. The combo of Ajay-Atul and Irshad Kamil continues with further offering in the form of<strong><em> 'Issaqbaazi'</em></strong>. This was meant to be a huge inclusion in<em> Zero</em> considering the fact that it features Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan together. However, Salman has limited appearance in this song which is rendered by Sukhwinder Singh and Divya Kumar. A catchy number with a foot tapping appeal, this one has a 80s feel to it with a UP-Bihar set up. Somehow the song doesn't cover an extra distance to emerge as a huge success and just about fits into the proceedings. As for Katrina Kaif, she does get a special song indeed; what with <strong><em>'Husn Parcham'</em></strong> pretty much paying homage to her <em>'husn'</em>. Think Katrina Kaif and you expect a song like this which takes her into <em>'Sheila Ki Jawaani'</em> zone. Of course, this one with Bhoomi Trivedi as the lead singer and Raja Kumari adding with her rap is more class oriented but it a chartbuster number nonetheless. As a matter of fact after you have heard this one a couple of times, <em>'Husn Parcham'</em> comes across as a tune that Vishal-Shekhar would have composed with ease. Yet again, it is huge orchestra at play as Ajay-Atul brings on the kind of canvas that is expected out of them. A song about separation and pining heart that is rooting for true love, <strong><em>'Ann Bann' </em></strong>is a very well written number that is sung quite well too by Kunal Ganjawala. It is after a long time that one hears the singer in a biggie and he does complete justice to <em>'Ann Bann'</em> which comes as a crucial juncture in the film's narrative and adds good weight to the proceedings. A well composed, tunes and sung situational number. Tanishk Bagchi takes over from this point on and is associated with as many as three songs. First to arrive is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's <strong><em>'Tanha Hua'</em></strong> which is recreated by Tanishk with Jyoti Nooran and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan coming together. An excellent number which has Irshad Kamil adding on to Khwaja Parvaiz's words, <em>'Tanha Hua'</em> is a heartfelt number of pain and intensity about loneliness in love. This is the kind of number that should have been promoted long ago as it has the adequate depth and is also in Shah Rukh zone. Hope it finds its audience soon. The soundtrack only continues to get better, what with <strong><em>'Heer Badnam'</em></strong> coming next. A superb song that is sung brilliantly by Romy, it has just the kind of lyrics that one would have expected from guest lyricist Kumaar. He pours in all the pain that one feels in love and it is remarkable to hear how Romy goes about rendering this one with Tanishk Bagchi coming up with a composition that is instantly catchy and impressive. Any regrets? Well, the song is just 140 seconds long when it could have just been apt had it been much longer. Altamash Faridi concludes <em>Zero </em>on a satisfactory note with the traditional <strong><em>'Duma Dam Mast Kalandar'</em></strong>. There is something magical about this sufi outing that you are entertained each time it is played. There may have been close to half a dozen filmy outings that the song has already witnessed in last few years but you never get tired of it. Same is the case here too in Zero. <strong> OVERALL</strong> <em> Zero</em> is a complete album and is one of the best that 2018 had to offer. Had the promotion of the entire soundtrack been intensive during last couple of months, the songs may well have reached a different level altogether. Nonetheless, now that the soundtrack is out, do give it a hear for sure. <strong>OUR PICK(S)</strong> <em> Mere Naam Tu, Husn Parhcham, Tanha Hua, Heer Badnaam</em>




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Music Review: Bombairiya

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> This one actually throws a pleasant surprise. Typically when it comes to independent films one can't really be sure of the kind of music that they would offer. However in case of <em>Bombairiya</em> there is some effort that has actually been put into creating some pleasant music. Arko is brought on board along with guest composers Amjad-Nadeem and the results are satisfactory. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-936675 size-full" title="Music Review Bombairiya" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Music-Review-Bombairiya.jpg" alt="Music Review Bombairiya" width="720" height="405" /> <strong>MUSIC</strong> Arko plays the triple role of composer, lyricist and singer for <strong><em>'Sanki',</em></strong> a Punjabi-Hindi number that is just the kind that on expects from a Punjabi hip-hop album. With a catchy tune to it, <em>'Sanki' </em>turns out to be instantly catchy and makes one look forward to how it is placed in the film. Producer Michael E Ward chips in too with lyrics for this fun number that has a hook playing right through which makes one nod in appreciation. Next to arrive is <strong><em>'Bairiya'</em></strong>, the word which also forms the base for the film's title <em>Bombairiya.</em> The song arrives in two versions, one which is a Navraj Hans solo and another that has Akriti Kakar joining as well. A sufi outing which has a melodic base to it, <em>'Bairiya</em>' is composed as well as written quite well by Arko. As a matter of fact one could well have expected a song like to feature in an Akshay Kumar film since the superstar is known for including such music for a soothing love song situation. This one deserves to cover good distance in both the versions. Amjad-Nadeem chip in for <strong><em>'Sajde Karoon'</em></strong>. They write as well as compose this number which is spearheaded by Yasser Desai with Warsi brothers (Meraj Warsi, Riyaz Warsi, Faraz Warsi) adding on well in the background. A 'qawalli' that manages to establish an identity of its own and adds on to the genre that it belongs to; <em>'Sajde Karoon'</em> could well be utilized for a devotional as well as romantic outing. This one makes it three out of three for <em>Bombairiya</em>. <strong>OVERALL</strong> Music of <em>Bombairiya</em> is good and it would have covered some distance had it been promoted well. One just hopes that the soundtrack doesn't go unnoticed due to lack of awareness. <strong> OUR PICK(S)</strong> Sanki, Bairiya, Sajde Karoon &nbsp;