Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan shared the screen space for the first time in Piku and had become very close friends through the course of this Shoojit Sircar directorial. The film that explored a father-daughter relationship in its truest forms has completed 5 years of its release and this time, it comes with a sad note as Irrfan Khan, who played a pivotal role in the film, passed away a few days ago.

The entire industry mourned for this loss and now, Deepika Padukone bids a teary farewell to her friend with the lyrics of one of the film’s songs, ‘Lamhe Guzar Gaye’. The movie will always hold a special place in our hearts for all the right reasons. Deepika Padukone shared an unseen candid picture with Irrfan Khan where they are seen laughing about something. Take a look at it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में पल में रुला दिया पल में हसा के फिर रह गये हम जी राहो में थोड़ा सा पानी है रंग है थोड़ी सी छावो है चुभती है आँखो में धूप ये खुली दिशाओ में और दर्द भी मीठा लगे सब फ़ासले ये कम हुए ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो लम्हे गुज़र गये चेहरे बदल गये हम थे अंजानी राहो में थोड़ी सी बेरूख़ी जाने दो थोड़ी सी ज़िंदगी लाखो स्वालो में ढूंधू क्या थक गयी ये ज़मीन है जो मिल गया ये आस्मा तो आस्मा से मांगू क्या ख्वाबो से रस्ते सजाने तो दो यादो को दिल में बसाने तो दो -Piku Rest in Peace my Dear Friend...???? #rana #piku #bhaskor @shoojitsircar @juhic3 #5yearsofpiku

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 8, 2020 at 1:45am PDT

The film could not have had a better casting than Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan.

Also Read: Post Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor’s demise, John Cena shares pictures of the legends on his Instagram

Arti Singh was one of the most popular contestants of Bigg Boss 13. The actress who is comedian Krushna Abhishek's sister had a rather interesting journey while inside the house and even made it to the top 5.

Arti's marriage was one of the most discussed topics on the show. She had expressed her desire to get married by the end of the year. The viewers started pairing her with some of the co-contestants and her sister-in-law Kashmera Shah also suggested that she explore her friendship with fellow contestant Sidharth Shukla.

Talking to a daily, Arti Singh said that she is searching for the right man. She said that she would prefer a love marriage but is open to an arranged match as well.

Arti said that she wishes to meet someone during the lockdown because they will then get ample time to chat with each other, even if they cannot physically meet.

ALSO READ: Arti Singh shares a jaw-dropping before and after picture of her physical transformation

With the ongoing pandemic, our lives have almost come to a stand-still, and the lock-down is taking a toll on the mental health of many of us. At such a time of crisis, one can only try to keep the optimism alive and not let the situation get the best of them. Actor, Ranveer Singh, in a recent Instagram live session, appealed fans to do the same.

“It’s been a very difficult couple of weeks, emotionally difficult. Turbulent times with everything that is going on in the world. To all my friends & fans stay safe, hang in there, stay healthy. Sending you love, positive vibes & good energy. I’m always an optimist, I like to look at the bright side of things. I always like to stay positive in any situation that life throws up. To be honest, this is unprecedented. We all are in this together and I believe that on the other side of this we’ll come out with more compassion,” he said.

”Its been a very difficult couple of weeks, emotionally difficult. Turbulent times with everything that is going on in the world. To all my friends & fans stay safe, hang in there, stay healthy. Sending you love, positive vibes & good energy.” -Ranveer Singh live on insta today pic.twitter.com/qtYCbiUxyU

— RanveerSingh TBT | #83????♥️ (@RanveerSinghtbt) May 8, 2020

Ranveer and wife Deepika Padukone, at home, are keeping themselves occupied with workouts and household chores as they also keep sharing glimpses of their locked-down life. Post lockdown, they both await the release of Kabir Khan's sports drama '83.

A non-invasive system being developed by EU-funded researchers could make radiotherapy a safer and more-effective treatment for cancer patients by creating a visual dosage map of the tumour and the surrounding healthy tissue.

An EU-funded project has developed prefabricated energy-efficient building concepts made from materials, components and structures derived from construction and demolition waste. The concept enables the easy assembly and disassembly of buildings for future reuse.

An EU-funded project promoted the exchange, display and transfer of innovative fertigation technologies which combine fertilisation with irrigation. This approach will help farmers to use limited water resources more sustainably while reducing harmful nutrient losses to the environment.

EU-funded researchers have developed innovative genetic reprogramming techniques to replace and repair brain cells, opening up novel therapeutic pathways to combat debilitating disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.

An EU-funded project is enabling efficient intra-chip and chip-to-chip communication via a new type of silicon capable of emitting light. It is demonstrating a technological breakthrough that could revolutionise the electronics industry and make devices faster and much more energy efficient.

By failing to properly take gender interactions into account in research we are limit-ing today's science. EU-funded research is revealing how economic trends affect genders differently, as for example in the COVID-19 crisis. It is also looking at how the interaction between genders impacts macroeconomic trends.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has warned against "artificial means" of deciding the Premier League. In a statement to the London club's supporters, which saw the former England boss thank health workers and all those trying to combat the coronavirus, the veteran former England manager insisted there was widespread support for playing the 2019/20 season out to a finish. "Everyone is in total agreement we need an end to this season," wrote Hodgson.

"We don't want artificial means of deciding who wins the league, who gets into the Champions League, who gets relegated and promoted." His letter came after UEFA, European football's governing body, warned a failure to complete domestic leagues could see clubs excluded from continental competitions next season. Hodgson said players who, in common with the rest of the British population, are currently in lockdown would ideally like three to four weeks' preparation before playing a match again.

But the 72-year-old added: "I accept there may have to be a squeeze on that time-frame." The Premier League has been suspended until April 30 at the earliest, with further delays looking likely. League leaders Liverpool, one of Hodgson's former clubs, are a huge 25 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, with nine games to play and need just two more wins to be certain of their first English championship in 30 years. Palace are currently safely in mid-table, with the Eagles 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

England football club Chelsea on Sunday confirmed that the legendary goalkeeper Peter Bonetti passed away at the age of 78 after a battle with long-term illness.

Bonetti was nicknamed as 'The Cat' due to his superb reflexes and he went on to feature in 729 games for Chelsea. He is on the second spot in the club's list of all-time appearances after Ron Harris. Bonetti also held the record for the cleanest sheets as a Chelsea goalkeeper until January 2014, when Petr Cech surpassed him.

"Peter Bonetti's position in the pantheon of Chelsea footballing gods is unassailable. He was the Cat who broke the mold, defied the odds, drew the gasps, earned the cheers and got the cream. All in front of an adoring Stamford Bridge," Chelsea FC said in an official statement.

During his stint with Chelsea, Bonetti managed to win the 1965 League Cup and the 1970 FA Cup.

He was also the first to recognise a role for gardening gloves, leading to his Peter Bonetti-branded specialist gloves which were a first and so successful they were sported not only by kids up and down the land but by many of his contemporaries at the top level of the game too.

Bonetti also played seven matches for England and served as number two behind Gordon Banks during the team's FIFA World Cup-winning run in 1966.

After an FA-led campaign years later which persuaded FIFA to reward every squad member, Bonetti was presented with a medal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street in 2009.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery's ex-girlfriend Sacha Wright, 35, has told British tabloid, The Sun that he blamed her for his sacking last year.

Unai, 48, who joined Arsenal on May 2018 on a two-year deal, was sacked by the team management in November last year, following a poor run. Sacha claimed that Unai called her a "white witch" and blamed her for his team's failure.

"I trusted Unai and believed we would get married and have kids. I thought he was a gentleman and a family man. But in the end I realised he was not ready for a serious relationship," said Sacha, who first dumped Unai in September only to take him back in December.

"It was then that he blamed me for getting him the sack. He said I was a white witch as I brought him bad luck. He said the team began losing the day we broke up," said Sacha, who finally left Unai in March.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

If it is CK Vineeth responding to the COVID-19 helpline in Kerala, his Indian teammate Subhashish Bose has taken it upon himself to feed the homeless and jobless in his home town Subhasgram in South 24 parganas. Amid the nationwide lockdown, a long queue could be seen every morning at Subhasgram comprising of local rickshaw pullers, daily wage earners or small time hawkers who come to collect their daily ration. Bose, a member of the 'Blue Tigers' would be at the other end, happily distributing packets containing rice, pulses, potatoes, onions and other staple food items. This is his way of paying back to the society. "The rickshaw pullers who have so many times offered me free rides to-and-fro to local matches, that local vendor and shopkeeper who had gifted me so many free packets of food after heart-warming performances -- I felt I needed to pay them back," the India left-back told PTI of his daily regime since Friday.

"It was such a satisfaction to hand over some food items to lot many known faces whom I have known in my locality over my upbringing." India had imposed a nationwide lockdown since March 24 to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and the worst-hit were people from the lower strata of the society whose life revolve around their daily wages. One fine morning, the 24-year-old felt restless and was awakened by the Swami Vivekananda's soul-stirring words 'Arise, Awake, And Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached!' "It kept on reverberating between my ears. My conscience did not allow me to shy away -- rather it kept on pushing me to give it back to the society where I have grown up."

"Somewhere down the line, however, I felt restless. It's understandable that even as we need to Stay Home Stay Safe, there have been so many brave hearts who have cared less for their lives, and are out to serve the country in this troubled time -- the doctors, nurses, cleaners, police, journalists, etc. It's not only the frontline workers, who are put their lives on line but citizens need to do their bit, reckons Bose. "But are they enough? Can we all just sit back on our cosy rooms, and expect the privilege of others keeping us safe? Don't we need more volunteers? And eventually, I had to move out -- not for fun, not to have a roam, but try to lend a helping hand," he said. He is thankfu to GOd that he has made a decent living as a footballer playing in the cash-ruch Indian Super League and for the Indian team. "God is kind, that today I am able to help them. Thank you, Lord for providing me with the strength. All of that was done by maintaining social distancing, and proper protection.

"All of them whom I handed over packets wanted to hug me but couldn't because of the social distancing. "Some of them had tears in their eyes. Their hugs can wait as we need nrmalcy to return. Till then stay home, and stay safe," he added. The Mumbai City FC defender was looking forward to the Indian camp when the pandemic halted all sporting activities. "A longer camp for the national team was planned and we were forward to it. But under current circumstances all sporting action around the world has been postponed." Asked whether he's missing the game, he replied: "Human lives are of utmost importance, and like everyone around us, I look forward for normalcy to return soon." The defender however regrets that he's not able to go out for runs so he's making the best use of the time at his private gym. "I cannot go out for my runs. So I am trying to keep myself as much fit as possible indoors. I try to sweat out at least two hours a day in my personal gym so that I stay in proper shape when the season resumes. "There is also monitoring from the medical staff, and we need to strict to the regimes provided," he concluded.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is in lockdown in the UK due to the Coronavirus but that hasn't stopped him from keeping in touch with Playboy model, Laura Bragato (right). Italian Laura told British tabloid, The Daily Star that Jesse has been texting her while in self-isolation. "I spoke to Jesse yesterday, and he is staying home like the rest of us. He is safe. In Italy here we are all in lockdown, it's been one month and I hope everything is going to start again here. When it's over, I can't wait to travel. I want to spend my summer in Spain and London" Laura said on Tuesday.

Jesse Lingard

Laura became famous in 2018, when she claimed that her 'lucky' behind would help Italy beat England in the FIFA World Cup. The match ended 1-1 but her pre-match comments, hoping for Jesse to score, saw her earn lakhs of online fans instantly.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba revealed while growing up he was an Arsenal fan. French international idolised Thierry Henry and wanted to follow the footsteps of the countryman.

"I will be honest. So, at the start, I was an Arsenal fan - obviously because of all the French players, you know. Me and my brother were but my other brother was a Manchester United fan," Pogba told United's official podcast.

"I couldn't say anything so I used to love Henry and, because of him, I was an Arsenal fan. Then I changed and went on to choose with my other brother. No Arsenal, I went with the other one, the United fan!" he added.

Pogba came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford while Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge but after only making a handful of appearances for the first team in 2011/12 he left for Juventus in the summer.

He re-joined United in 2016 from Juventus when Jose Mourinho was the manager as he saw it as an opportunity to finish what he had started.

Henry, who had left Arsenal for Barcelona by the time Pogba arrived in England, was not the only iconic Frenchman or all-time great that an energetic midfielder looked up to.

"I had Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane, Thierry Henry, Djibril Cisse, Kaka," Pogba said.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Former Arsenal star Serge Gnabry is not just succeeding professionally at his new club Bayern Munich, but also on the personal front. Serge, 24, has been in top form, having scored a brace against Chelsea recently, making it six Champions League goals this season.

Now, off the field, it is learnt that he is dating top Swiss model Sandra Jerze, 23. According to German newspaper Bild, the couple has been dating for three weeks now and spent the Easter weekend together in Munich. Model Sandra has also done a few acting stints besides featuring in German artist Pietro Lombardi’s music video, Phenomenal.

Initially, it was rumoured that Sandra was dating Pietro before latest reports confirmed she’s in a relationship with Serge.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Leeds United legend Norman Hunter died on Friday at the age of 76 after testing positive for coronavirus. "Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of club icon Norman Hunter at the age of 76," the club said in a statement. "Norman was taken to hospital last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and despite continuing to battle and the best efforts of NHS staff, he sadly lost his fight earlier this morning," the statement added.

Hunter made his Leeds debut in 1962 when he was just 18 years old. Hunter amassed a huge 726 appearances for Leeds United over a 14 year period, the club's most successful to date, earning the infamous nickname "Bites Yer Legs".

He won a total of 28 caps for England and was in the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, whilst was also the first winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1974.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Liverpool's star footballer Mohamed Salah, 25, has donated a huge amount of money besides food to families in his hometown of Nagrig, a village in the Egyptian city of Basyoun, to help in the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report in British tabloid, The Sun, the Egyptian footballer sent supplies to poverty-hit residents along with some advice on how to stay safe from the virus.

Salah Ghaly, the Liverpool striker's father, said that the village has been sanitised and residents have been given facemasks to prevent the spread of the virus, which has already killed 205 people in the North African country. It is believed that the total amount donated by the Liverpool star is around £405,000 (R3.8 crore).
Mohamed is currently in lockdown like the rest of the UK, where the death toll has crossed 15,000.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been using some of his spare time in lockdown to teach British kids how to speak Spanish.

The Argentina international has been signed up by the BBC as part of its home-schooling initiative while educational establishments are closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Aguero is teaching kids how to count in Spanish. His lessons became available on a day kids in Britain would have usually returned to school after the Easter holidays.

Aguero says it's a tough time for children at the moment, and also for parents trying to keep them focused on their education from home. Aguero hasn't played a competitive match since March 8 because soccer is shut down in England and across most of the world during the outbreak.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The financial squeeze put on Premier League clubs by the coronavirus crisis could be felt across the continent in the coming months as the well to fund massive transfer fees runs dry. For each of the past four summers, Premier League clubs have flexed their financial muscle to splurge over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on transfers. That has helped spread the wealth of television contracts worth billions across Europe and crucially down the divisions to cash-strapped clubs in England. Now even the world's richest league is facing economic meltdown. Premier League matches have been suspended indefinitely with no return expected before mid-June at the earliest. Broadcasters could be due a rebate worth a reported £762 million if the season is not completed and, even when the games do recommence, they are likely to be behind closed doors, quashing income from gate receipts.

Moreover, a number of major sponsors such as airlines and gambling companies have been just as badly hit by the COVID-19 shutdown, which is expected to lead to a curb on commercial revenue. Rather than the usual arms race for talent, Premier League clubs are fretting about just meeting their wage bills for the next few months. "Many clubs could be threatened by insolvency and transfer plans came to a standstill for most clubs because of the many uncertainties," said Matthias Seidel, founder of Transfermarkt, a website specialising in transfer values. According to Transfermarkt, 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) has already been wiped off the value of Premier League squads. "There's no doubt the actual value of players right now has gone down in all squads," said Brighton owner Tony Bloom. "How much less, I have no idea. It depends on how the next few months play out."

'Vultures and predators'
Such uncertainty has led for calls to do away with transfers entirely to avoid the unseemly sight of clubs, who have asked staff to take pay cuts and in some cases relied on government money, spending money on new players. "If you're trying to get 30 percent pay cuts from existing players, you may have to put a transfer embargo in place," former Manchester United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports. However, embargoes may only accelerate fears that clubs lower down the pyramid will not survive the crisis. Proceeds from transfer sales are commonly used in the lower leagues to cover running costs and will be needed even more without the regular income of gate receipts to rely on. "I think there will be significant transfer fee deflation," football finance expert Kieran Maguire told AFP. "There will be a significant number of clubs that when some form of transfer market returns, they will be close to going out of business and therefore will accept fire sale prices. "The vultures and predators will pick off good players for very modest fees."

The fear for those reliant on transfer fees, though, is that the damage has already been done. Given the vast sums involved, transfer fees are very commonly paid over the course of a player's contract. Based on accounts published to the end of the 2018/19 season, Premier League clubs owed £1.6 billion in outstanding transfer payments, £900 million of which was to foreign clubs. Maguire warns of the domino effect whereby if one club fails to meet its transfer debt, it could spark a series of defaulted payments on other deals or even worse force clubs into insolvency. "The concern is that financial problems in one league could spread throughout the industry just like the pandemic," he said. Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert told the New York Times earlier this month that the transfer market will "collapse" and that "some leagues will understand that money is nothing that is coming automatically every month from heaven." That may have been a slight on the Premier League's overindulgence on transfer fees. But as the biggest spender, the economic earthquake felt by English football will ripple across Europe for some time to come.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said Monday that leagues across Europe were ready to return to action behind closed doors in a bid to limit the damage caused by coronavirus. Football leagues have been suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic which has claimed more than 100,000 lives throughout the continent. But the head of European football believes that playing would be an important step towards a return to normal life and avoid heavy financial losses for leagues.

"I believe there are options that can allow us to restart cup championships and to complete them," Ceferin said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. "We may have to resume without spectators, but the most important thing, I think, is playing games. "It is early to say that we cannot complete the season. The impact would be terrible for clubs and leagues. Better to play behind closed doors than not at all. "In such hard times it would bring happiness to people and a certain sense of normality even if the games can only be seen on TV. "All activities are being organised to start again, everyone needs to find their lives. "If safety measures are respected and if the authorities give the green light, the training could resume like the rest. "Further consent will be needed for matches." Ceferin said that if leagues returned "soon enough" then Champions League and Europa League matches could "be played in parallel" with no date limit for the finals.

The Slovenian said he was not in favour of the season going into September and October as it "would have a heavy impact" on the 2020-2021 campaign. "We can finish, but we must respect the decisions taken by authorities," he continued. "The priority is the health of fans, players and coaches." As for countries who have decided not to finish the season, Ceferin said that UEFA "will review the cases". "Such decisions were not made alone," he said. "Football is interconnected, we have seen how important it is for UEFA and leagues to work in good cooperation. The executive committee will review the cases." He added: "Leagues are the revenue base for clubs nationwide. If completed, the financial consequences will be limited. "UEFA, on the other hand, will lose a lot of money for postponing Euro 2020."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

England football star Jesse Lingard's model friend Laura Bragato is hoping the Manchester United player likes her latest pictures from a shoot for Playboy magazine.

Italian Laura, who shot topless for the magazine's Croatian edition before the global lockdown, told British newspaper Daily Star: "I haven't shown him [Jesse] the pictures yet but for sure he will appreciate them like all my friends."

Jesse Lingard

Laura met Jesse during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the pair have since kept in touch via text messaging. "I spoke to Jesse recently, and he is staying home like the rest of us. He is safe," Laura added.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Spanish League LaLiga President Javier Tebas has made it clear that cancelling the 2019/20 season is not an option and they are exploring various options and scenarios as the situation develops amid the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus. Spain's football industry is one of many-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and like any other sector, next steps will depend on the advice of health authorities. "Nulling and voiding the season is not an option on the table. But we are reviewing multiple scenarios, such as what happens if we play behind closed doors and what happens if we play with crowds and what happens if games aren't played," Tebas told reporters on videocall.

"We have to look at all possibilities, but we're not working towards a situation where we don't complete the season. "We're looking to ensure the best health conditions for players for when they resume training and we're looking to reduce the economic risk. "This is a health pandemic, but also an economic pandemic," he added.

The league President provided figures for each of these situations, outlining that the estimated total economic impact for not resuming the season would be 1bn euros. Completing the season behind closed doors would lead to losses of 300m euros and it would be 150m euros for resuming it with fans after this delay. On the likelihood of matches being resumed behind closed doors, Tebas said: "We will not have fans until the health authorities allow it. The decision does not depend on LaLiga or the clubs. We know it can affect future seasons so we are calculating the potential impact."

Tebas explained that LaLiga is considering all of the finer details that various scenarios could entail, such as whether or not matches can be held at the usual stadiums due to planned renovation works, the need to extend player contracts, pending fees due to clubs from past transfers, maintaining Financial Fair Play rules, payments from broadcasters and the knock-on effects for the 2020/21 season.

Tebas also mentioned that the last weekend of May is the first possible date for LaLiga to resume, with European competitions playing in July. A later option would be for LaLiga and European competitions to start on June 6 and play an alternating schedule. Finally, LaLiga and other domestic leagues could start on June 28 with European competitions starting again in August after the domestic leagues finish.

"We can't put an exact date on when we'll return as the Spanish government's health authorities have to set that," he said. "There are two options for organising the schedules, one with domestic leagues at the weekends and European matches midweek or another option is to work towards finishing the domestic leagues first." The league President also underlined that the football industry plays a major role in Spain's economy. It accounts for 1.37 percent of Spain's GDP and an estimated 185,000 jobs, meaning that any losses suffered could have a domino effect elsewhere.

"The most important aspect of this is that we protect our future," Tebas noted. "What we're working towards here is to save the future of football."

"By acting now, we can ensure that we have a sustainable model," he added."We will not forget the responsibilities we have to everyone."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Arsenal's squad will be allowed back to their training ground from next week, although the club stressed they would still have to maintain British government guidelines designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The Premier League side's players will have access to training pitches but on a strict rotational basis that will see them uphold social distancing measures. "Players will be permitted access to our London Colney training grounds next week," said a club spokesperson. "Access will be limited, carefully managed and social distancing will be maintained at all times.

"All Colney buildings remain closed. Players will travel alone, do their individual workout and return home." This week saw Arsenal become the first Premier League club to agree a coronavirus pay cut with their players as manager Mikel Arteta and his stars slashed their wages by 12.5 percent. There are reports Arsenal, whose yearly wage bill is around £230 million ($286 million), will give players their money back in the event that they bridge an eight-point gap and qualify for the Champions League when football restarts. Football is currently suspended indefinitely in England, with the UK under lockdown.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Consider yourself a big La Liga fan? Check out this list of expressions that no true La Liga lover should be unfamiliar with.

1. “Croqueta”
A ‘croqueta’ is a way of quickly shifting the ball between a player’s feet, especially when tempting a defender into making a challenge by first slowing down and then sprinting away. The signature move of former Barcelona captain and nine-time LaLiga winner Andres Iniesta, the word literally means ‘croquette,’ that famous staple of Spanish tapa bars and granny’s cooking.

2. “Sombrero”
In Spanish Sombrero is a hat, but in Spanish football it is where a player lifts the ball over his opponent’s head and controls it as it drops to the floor, leaving his rival confused and out of the play. A famous example would be Neymar’s goal for Barcelona against Villarreal in LaLiga in 2016, which was nominated for that year’s FIFA Puskas award.

3. “Chilena”
When a player pushes himself into the air with one foot, then acrobatically volleys it with the other, often lifting his boot well over head height. Similar to a ‘bicycle kick’ in English. Although a ‘Chilena’ literally refers to someone from Chile, its most famous exponent was Mexico international Hugo Sanchez. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have more recently scored screamers like this.

4. “Colgarse del larguero”
Literally meaning ‘hang from the goalposts,’ the expression is used when a team brings all their players back to defend inside their own penalty area. Similar to the English phrase ‘Park the bus,’ the tactic is often used by a team defending a narrow lead or facing a much more powerful opponent and used to criticise them by managers whose team cannot find a way through.

5. “Hacer la cama”
A team thought to not be making 100% effort in games can be said to be ‘making the bed’ for their coach, which means trying – consciously or not – to get their boss fired!

6. “Zamorana”
The patented signature move of legendary 1920s and 30s Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora was to fake catch a ball, then double his arm, flex his elbow and propel the ball far up the pitch with surprising power. Besides clearing danger from his own box, the ‘Zamorana’ often helped start counter-attacks and had a highly demoralising effect on shocked opposition strikers, too.

7. “Tirarse en la piscina”
To ‘throw yourself into the swimming pool’ is a nicely poetic Spanish way of saying a player dived, or threw himself to the ground without any contact from a defender, to deceive the referee into whistling for a foul. Sometimes also described as ‘simulación’ which is closer to the English ‘simulation.’

8. “Tener flor”
A player, or more often a coach, who ‘has a flower’ is thought to have good fortune, similar to being 'charmed’ in English. The expression is also often used by defeated opposition fans or pundits as a way to avoid praising tactical or technical excellence in an opposition team.

9. “Rabona”
When a player plants one foot in front of the ball, and then sweeps his other leg around behind to spectacularly strike the ball, you have a ‘Rabona.’ One-time Barcelona winger Ricardo Quaresma is an expert, while former Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals scored a superb rabona against Huesca in 2019.

10. “Pase de la Muerte”
The ‘pass of death’ has a specific meaning in Spanish football. It refers to a through ball which breaks an offside trap to leave a teammate clear in front of goal. Quite a few of Barça captain Lionel Messi’s 12 LaLiga assists this season have met this description. Deadly, and very hard to defend against.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Manchester City's Brazilian footballer Gabriel Jesus is doing his best to help his country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabriel has donated three tonnes of food to the poor in Brazil's notorious favelas from where he emerged as a footballer. He recently arranged for 400 food baskets to be delivered to Sao Paulo's Jardim Peri neighbourhood where he grew up.

The player has also got together with famous Brazilian singer Beto for a song that has been uploaded on YouTube to raise funds.

Gabriel, 23, has reportedly helped raised £370,000 (approx Rs 3.7 crore) alongwith fellow footballers to help some 32,000 families with relief material. Back in Brazil, when he played for Palmeiras as a teenager, Gabriel, then 17, earned around £3,500 a year (approx R3 lakh) before he went on to bag a whopping £75,000-a-week (approx Rs 67 lakh) contract with Manchester City in 2016.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Legendary former India footballer Chuni Goswami, who captained the 1962 Asian Games gold-winning team, died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Former Indian footballer Chuni Goswami passes away due to cardiac arrest in Kolkata, West Bengal.

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

The iconic sportsperson, who also played first-class cricket for Bengal, was 82 and breathed his last at a hospital here. He is survived by his wife Basanti and son Sudipto. "He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in the hospital at around 5pm," a family source told PTI.

BCCI mourns the death of Subimal ‘Chuni’ Goswami, an all-rounder in the truest sense. He captained the Indian national football team & led to them to gold in the 1962 Asian Games. He later played first-class cricket for Bengal & guided them to the final of Ranji Trophy in 1971-72 pic.twitter.com/WgXhpoyLaB

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2020

Goswami was suffering from underlying ailments, including sugar, prostrate and nerve problems. Goswami played 50 matches for India as a footballer from 1956 to 1964. As a cricketer, he represented Bengal in 46 first-class games between 1962 and 1973.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Paris Saint-Germain were named as Ligue 1 champions on Thursday after France's football league declared the coronavirus-hit season over, leaving some other clubs disappointed and pondering legal action. PSG led the table by 12 points from Marseille when the season was suspended in mid-March because of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has killed over 24,000 people in France. The announcement by the LFP comes after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday that "professional sports leagues, notably football, cannot restart" because of the pandemic.

"There is no ambiguity about this declaration. We needed to make a final decision about this season. We acknowledge that the 2019-20 season is over," said LFP president Nathalie Boy de la Tour, in a conference call with reporters. France becomes the biggest European league yet to end its season, just as its neighbours in England, Germany, Italy and Spain consider ways of resuming matches. Ruling out any possibility of copying the Netherlands, who voided their season without a champion, relegation or promotion, the LFP arranged a final table on the basis of average points per game.

Ten rounds of matches remained when the campaign was halted, although PSG and Strasbourg both had a game in hand. As a result, PSG are champions with an average of 2.52 points per game, with Andre Villas-Boas's Marseille second with an average of 2 points and qualifying for the Champions League.

Title dedicated to health workers

"We wish to dedicate this title to all health workers and other everyday heroes whose commitment and self-sacrifice throughout these long weeks deserve our admiration," said PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi. It is PSG's ninth French title, the seventh in eight seasons for the Qatar-owned club being awarded in unique circumstances and with many of their foreign players -- including Neymar -- having returned to their home countries with France under strict lockdown. "We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French government to stop the season.

Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone's priority," added Al-Khelaifi, whose club still hope to be able to continue their Champions League campaign having reached the quarter-finals before action stopped. Rennes finish third and also qualify for the Champions League, while fourth-placed Lille will play in the Europa League.

Lyon to appeal?

Toulouse and Amiens, the bottom two, are condemned to relegation, with Lorient, as champions, and Lens coming up from Ligue 2. The usual promotion and relegation play-offs, meanwhile, have been ditched. However, Toulouse have kept open the possibility that they might now take legal action. The identity of the other European representatives depends on whether the finals of the two domestic cups are ever played. Large gatherings remain banned in France until September. However, if the French government and UEFA accept, both finals could be staged in early August with European places still up for grabs.

The LFP then hopes to begin next season by August 23 "at the latest". PSG were due to play Lyon in the League Cup final and Saint-Etienne in the French Cup final. If the games are played, Lyon and Saint-Etienne could qualify for the Europa League by winning. Otherwise, Nice and Reims would qualify by virtue of finishing in fifth and sixth in the league. Lyon -- seventh in the table when the season was stopped -- would otherwise miss out on European qualification for the first time in over two decades. Ironically, they were still involved in this season's Champions League when it was suspended, leading Juventus 1-0 after the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas had previously stated his hope that the season could be played to a conclusion via play-offs in August and his club have now hinted at legal action. In a statement on Thursday, Lyon said they "reserve the possibility of trying to appeal against this decision and claiming damages and interest" and adding that "the losses for the club will come to several million euros". For all French clubs, the economic consequences of ending the season now could be dire. Resuming matches behind closed doors would have safeguarded TV income, but the loss for clubs in the top two divisions of remaining payments from broadcasters Canal Plus and beIN Sports is believed to be as high as 243 million euros ($266 million), plus 35 million euros for international rights.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Italy's 20 Serie A clubs have reiterated their unanimous desire to complete the season as the northern Emilia-Romagna region became the first to open the way to training despite government restrictions. An emergency Lega Serie A assembly via video of the top-flight clubs took place after Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora this week said the chances of restarting were "increasingly narrow". League president Paolo Dal Pino stated after the meeting "his openness to a dialogue with the government from a constructive and collaborative perspective, obtaining on this position the full agreement of all the clubs."

Spadafora has warned that the government will call time on the season which has been suspended since March 9 if the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) fails to convince them on its health and safety protocol. An FIGC meeting slated for May 8 could be decisive. Meanwhile, the Emilia-Romagna region on Friday gave permission for local clubs, including top-flight sides Bologna, Parma, SPAL and Sassuolo, to resume training in sports centres from May 4 if they wished to do so.

Emilia-Romagna regional president Stefano Bonaccini has agreed to allow "professional sportspeople to train individually, in compliance with social distancing rules and without any gatherings in closed-door structures." Southern giants Napoli are also planning to return to training as their safety proposals have received the backing of local authorities.

Friday's league meeting also addressed the issue of TV rights, but no resolutions were adopted concerning broadcasters Sky, DAZN and IMG, with a final payment estimated at 340 million euros ($370 million) for the current season, due to be paid in May. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina has said that calling time would be "the death of Italian football", predicting losses of over 800 million euros in TV rights, sponsors, ticketing and marketing.

If the government did decide to pull the plug on the season it would have the support of a country traumatised by over 28,000 coronavirus deaths. According to a recent survey, two out of three Italians would support a stoppage, in particular in the northern epicentre, stronghold of heavyweights Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan and Atalanta.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne believes the Premier League season will be finished despite the coronavirus pandemic "because the financial aspect is far too important". "My feeling is that we may be able to train again within two weeks. The government wants to restart football as soon as possible to give people something. I think this season will be finished," De Bruyne told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

"The financial aspect is far too important in the Premier League. If the season is not finished, it will cause serious problems," he added. Clubs were presented with the league's "Project Restart" plans at a meeting on Friday and were told the remaining 92 matches of the 2019-2020 season must be played at neutral venues. De Bruyne also said he was optimistic about City's participation in next season's Champions League. UEFA has banned the club from European competition for the next two years for "serious breaches" of financial fair-play rules.

"The club told us they're going to appeal and that they're almost certain to get their way. I'm waiting to see what happens, but I trust my club," said De Bruyne. The 28-year-old Belgium international admitted he would be forced to consider his City future if the ban was upheld. "Once we know more, I will make a decision. Two years without playing in Europe would be long but in the case of one year I might see," he said. bnl/jr/mw/nr

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

India's star footballer Sunil Chhetri has gone out of his way in order to help a fan who approached him online in order to get a free Netflix account.

Not only did Sunil Chhetri give the fan a Netflix subscription but also handed him a personally signed jersey.. This was after this fan had asked Sunil Chhetri to share his Netflix ID and password during coronavirus pandemic. The fan also stated that the football captain could change the password after the lockdown is done.

Taking to Twitter, Sunil Chhetri posted a screenshot of a message he received on Facebook and wrote: "Jersey X Autograph on a picture X Reply to the post X Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog X. Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand."

Netflix India's Twitter handle took note of this message from Chhetri and went on to reply: "While we on that topic, could we also get your autograph on a picture?"

In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I'll send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal? https://t.co/Ub0WaMcutg

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 3, 2020

Sunil Chhetri then proposed a 'barter' deal and asked for a two-month free subscription for the fan in return for an autographed jersey from him.

He wrote: "In the true spirit of a barter, how about you guys hand the kid a two-month subscription and I will send a signed shirt and a picture your way? Do we have a deal?"

In reply, Netflix India's Twitter handle posted: "How about we send him both the jersey and a subscription card? Let's make his day."

To this, Chhetri replied: "Sounds great guys, now that we've got this figured out. Subscription for the kid, Shirt for the kid, Shirt for you guys."

The boy had earlier sent a Twitter post to Sunil Chhetri. Take a look at the shared post by the footballer.

Jersey ❌
Autograph on a picture ❌
Reply to the post ❌
Video wishing the neighbour's son's pet dog ❌

Here's someone who has priorities straight and it's really making me want to consider the demand. 😂 pic.twitter.com/OdBGrS7g5v

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) May 2, 2020

Earlier, in a series of tweets, Chhetri had announced that the members of the Indian team had come together and 'put on table a sum that has been sent to the PM-Cares Fund' to help in the fight against coronavirus.

Inputs from IANS

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Italy offered Serie A clubs a glimmer of hope on Sunday after it said footballers could take part in individual training sessions as the strictest coronavirus lockdown measures begin to ease. The interior ministry's go-ahead for players to attend their club's training facilities offered fans in the football mad country the first sign that the 2019-20 season might yet be saved. Matches were abandoned on March 9 in the face of a health crisis that has now officially claimed nearly 29,000 lives in Italy and 245,000 worldwide. Some of the bigger clubs with title aspirations from the less affected regions have been talking about going back to training for weeks.

But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte only allowed teams to resume organised activities on May 18 -- a date that might push back this season's completion into the start of the next. Several regions that have avoided the worst of the pandemic have taken matters into their own hands and allowed clubs to open their facilities for players to train on their own. Teams such as Napoli and Parma have followed the lead of Lazio -- trailing leaders Juventus by just a point -- and gave the nod for players to return. They insisted that they were not breaking the rules because Conte has allowed all Italians to start exercising in open public places starting Monday. The interior ministry bowed to the seemingly inevitable on Sunday and agreed that teams can open their facilities to players for training. "Athletes, professional or otherwise, of non-individual sports are allowed -- just as every citizen -- to exercise in public or private areas," the interior ministry said. But players must "respect social distancing rules of at least two metres and the ban on public gatherings."

'All together'
Italian media read the statement as an encouraging sign for football. "Serie A clubs (and not only) can return to training," the La Repubblica daily wrote. Yet Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora has noted that the path for football to return was getting "increasingly narrow". And league president Paolo Dal Pino said Serie A "will comply" should Conte decide that it was simply too dangerous to complete the campaign. The teams themselves seem hopelessly divided about what they should do. Those that play in northern regions that were hardest hit by the virus have voiced the gravest concern. Brescia president Massimo Cellino -- whose team is based at the very heart of the outbreak -- said in March that he would rather forfeit games than play in a "plague". The 63-year-old revealed that he had tested positive for the virus a few weeks later. "It would be unfortunate if some teams can start again and others cannot," Fiorentina coach Beppe Iachini said on Saturday. "I think teams like Atalanta, Milan, Inter, Juve and Turino have had more problems than the others," he said of the main northern clubs. "If we do start, we have to do it all together."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The global lockdown caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't affected Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's workout regime.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Discovering my island with the best company👨‍👦❤ï¸Â #madeiraisland #staysafe

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) onMay 2, 2020 at 3:55am PDT

Before he returns to Italy next week, the Juventus player took partner Georgina Rodriguez and son Cristiano Jr to the scenic mountain top of the Madeira island for a hike on Saturday. He shared this picture of his son and him, with his 216 million Instagram followers and captioned it: "Discovering my island with the best company #madeiraisland #staysafe."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

🍃🌴🌵🌾ðŸ¦ÂŽ Punta de San Lorenzo ⛰🌏❤ @aloyoga #family #love

A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) onMay 2, 2020 at 9:10am PDT

Meanwhile, Georgina posted this family picture (right) of them visiting the Ponta de Soo Lourenco (it means the Point of Saint Lawrence in Portuguese), the eastern point of the island, and wrote: "Punta de San Lorenzo #family #love."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Manchester City's Argentine footballer Sergio Aguero has revealed that the secret to his goal-scoring prowess is a switch in diet from barbecued beef to chicken.

Sergio, who joined City from Atletico Madrid for £38million (R357 crore) in 2011, is their all-time high scorer with 254 goals from 368 games.

However, he struggled with weight issues until a few years back as his love for barbecued beef steaks lowered his blood pressure, leaving him feeling dizzy on the pitch.

"From 2013 to 2016, I could not adapt to food well. Then, I met an Italian doctor online and told him what I usually ate, which was a lot of meat. He said I should try chicken at least once a week. Initially, I was like 'uhhh' but then I adapted. He told me that if I'm very hungry, I should put rice and chicken together. Today, I'm a big fan of rice. Earlier, my weight was 81 or 81.3 kg. Now I am 79.5. In football, even if it's only half a kilo, you feel the difference. It's incredible," Sergio, 31, told Argentine TV channel, TyC Sports.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Hugo Lloris believes that ending the English Premier League season without declaring Liverpool champions would be "cruel", but the Tottenham captain wants the final table decided on the field. The goalkeeper is following the English social isolation rules at home with his family in London, helping his two oldest daughters with their homework while trying to stay fit in case the reason restarts.

"We're in a situation where everyone wants to finish and get the verdict from the pitch," Lloris told French sports daily L'Equipe. "It would be terrible if it all ended like that with nine or 10 games to go in the Premier League." "We're coming into the most exciting, beautiful time of the season. Nobody wants it to end like this." Liverpool lead the table by 25 points. "It would be cruel for Liverpool with the lead they have. They're practically champions. "There would be a taste of the unfinished business." The France captain says that resuming the Premier League without fans will be strange. "It'll be weird wherever it happens. Football is not a closed-door sport," he said.

"Without spectators, it's not the same sport. That's not how I see football. "We're here to bond, to share our emotions. We all want full stadiums, with atmosphere, fans, colour and song." "But you have to take the context into consideration." "Everyone has to find the right compromise between health, which is above all else, and the need to finish this season," he added. The British government still has not given any indication when football will be able to resume.

"We have to be ready. Just in case," said Lloris, who was among the players to return to Tottenham's training centre last week for individual sessions. The World Cup winner contributed the gloves he wore when Tottenham lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool in France for one charity auction. They raised 4,800 euros ($5,250). He also organised a France team auction with Blaise Matuidi, the Juventus midfielder, and Raphael Varane, the Real Madrid defender, and raised more than 300,000 euros for Paris hospitals. "This gesture does not represent much compared to the investment made by caregivers," he said.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The virtual war between WAGs Rebekah Vardy, 38, and Coleen Rooney, 34, is far from over. It is learnt that Rebekah, wife of Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, wants a public apology from Coleen, the wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney, for accusing her in October of leaking fake stories to the press via social media.

While both ladies are currently locked in a legal battle, it is learnt that they will have an arbitration meeting on Zoom this week in a bid to avoid a costly court case, reported British tabloid, The Sun.

"Becky [Rebekah] is adamant she's done nothing wrong and has told her team she wants a public apology," an insider told the newspaper. "She was hurt that Coleen went straight on social media to lay the blame at her door, rather than speaking to her privately. She has maintained her innocence throughout and doesn't want this to be brushed under the carpet without Coleen publicly apologising," added the source.

The two used to be good friends before Coleen claimed in October that Rebekah's Instagram account had been leaking false stories to the press. Subsequently, Rebekah endured a lot of abuse on social media.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Portuguese footballer Bernardo Silva has reportedly found love during the ongoing Coronavirus-caused lockdown.

The Manchester City star, who split from his French model girlfriend Alicia Verrando two years ago, is said to be in a relationship with Portuguese model Ines Tomaz.

According to a report in the Portuguese media, Bernardo has been in lockdown near Lisbon in Portugal with Ines for over a month, but the couple are not keen to rush into things.

"They've not been together for very long and they want to take things slowly," a source told Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha.

It is learnt that Bernardo and Ines have been watching Netflix, playing the piano and even learning to cook together. Bernardo revealed last week that he was in quarantine with a group, including Ines, and had even posted a picture of the bunch on social media.

"Hey guys, it's been over a month that we're all locked down in our homes so I have decided to show you a little bit of what our quarantine looks like. This is the group of friends with whom I'm spending my quarantine," he wrote.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

German footballer Manuel Neuer, 34, who split from his wife Nina only four months ago, is said to be dating a teenage student in Munich.

Bayern Munich's star goalkeeper is reportedly in a relationship with Anika Bissel, 19, a fashion management student, who also plays for a local handball club team named Kuties. Interestingly, Anika bears a striking resemblance to Nina.

Manuel Neuer's ex-wife Nina

According to leading German magazine Bunte, Anika owns a flat in Munich but is seen spending most of her time at the footballer's luxurious home.

It is learnt that 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Manuel is very serious about his relationship and has even introduced Anika to his mother, Marita.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

From a childhood nickname to his world champion horse, these are some of the lesser-known facts about the Real Madrid captain and legend

1. His nickname as a child was Schuster
As a child, Sergio played up front and was nicknamed ‘Bernd Schuster’ after the great German goalscorer by the friends he played with on the grass outside his apartment block. He’d go on to play in defence throughout his career, at right-back and centre-back, but has maintained his brilliant goalscoring ability. Coincidentally, he was even coached by Schuster at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2008.

2. He’s only ever worn the number 4 shirt at Real Madrid, but never for Spain…
When Ramos arrived at Real Madrid, he was touted to fill the void left by the departing legend Fernando Hierro. Ramos wasn’t shy about taking on the challenge and adopted Hierro’s famous No.4 jersey from day one. That has been the number on his back during his entire decade-and-a-half career at the Santiago Bernabéu. Funnily enough though, Ramos picked a different number for when he plays with the Spanish national team: 15.

3. He has never scored for Spain at a major tournament
Sergio is Spain’s all-time record appearance holder (170) and has scored 21 goals for his country, a mightily impressive tally for a defender. Bizarrely enough, though, he’s never scored for Spain at a major tournament. Each of his 21 strikes has come in qualification rounds, in friendlies, or in the UEFA Nations League. Beyond penalty shootouts, he’s never scored at a World Cup, European Championship or even the Confederations Cup.

4. He didn’t win a Champions League knockout tie until the age of 25
Ramos has four Champions League titles to his name, winning the tournament in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He may undoubtedly be one of the all-time greats of the competition, but it’s easy to forget that he didn’t reach the competition’s quarter-final until the age of 25. He never played in the Champions League with Sevilla, then his first few years at Real Madrid coincided with a barren spell for the capital city club in which they were consistently knocked out in the first knock-out phase. Finally, in 2010/11 after the arrival of Jose Mourinho, Ramos made it to his first quarter-final, against Tottenham Hotspur. He’s certainly overcome that initial disappointment as the years have gone on.

5. His horse Yucatán de Ramos is a world champion
Like any true Andalusian, Sergio loves horses and has done since childhood. He owns stables near his hometown of Seville, and Yucatan de Ramos, his star horse, won a world championship at the 2018 Interntional PRE Horse Fair recognising it as the finest pure-bred Spanish horse in the world.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

German professional football is going to return to action on May 16 to 18 with its first and second tier getting back underway. League association CEO Christian Seifert announced the permitted re-start is planned without games on Friday evening but contains two rounds of matches during the week. "We wanted to follow the wording in the orders of politics strictly," the 50-year-old commented, reports Xinhua news agency. All games will be run behind closed doors.

The season was interrupted mid-March due to the coronavirus crisis. Nine rounds remain plus one postponed match. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 federal state prime ministers gave the green light for a restart on Wednesday based on a comprehensive hygiene concept. Most of the 36 clubs voted for the earliest possible start. At least two sides, such as Werder Bremen and FSV Mainz 05, demanded a start one week later to gain time for additional training.

Seifert announced the season is to be continued with matchday 26, which contains the delicate derby of Borussia Dortmund against the FC Schalke 04 on Saturday. Six games are notified for Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday evening. All match-days contain a so-called late-game in the evening. The table leaders Bayern Munich face an away game against league newcomer Union Berlin Saturday evening.

The season's last games are planned to take place on June 27 to 28. Seifert indicated the Champions League final could be run around the end of August. The German Cup has to be rescheduled. To address parts of the demands of Bremen, their game against Bayern Leverkusen is scheduled for Monday on May 18. The federal state of Bremen was one of the last spots allowing training in smaller groups.

All 36 clubs took up full team training this Thursday. From Saturday on, all clubs attend an obligated seven-day-long quarantine. Players, staff, and family members will undergo a diverting number of tests. Referees are going to be tested by next week. Seifert said football concept could be a blueprint for other team-sports, fighting sports and athletics as well as for orchestras and theaters.

Clubs and association are in close contact with fan groups to avoid gatherings around the arenas. Therefore, negotiations take place with pay-tv broadcasters to provide certain games on free tv.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Manchester City's Kyle Walker says he is being "harassed" after admitting he breached coronavirus lockdown rules to visit his sister and parents. The defender was forced to issue an apology last month after media reports that he had hosted a party at his home. But Walker has hit back at the latest stories, insisting that he is being targeted and that the ongoing controversy is affecting his family's health.

In a statement on his official Twitter feed, Walker wrote: "I have recently gone through one of the toughest periods of my life, which I take full responsibility for. "However, I now feel as though I am being harassed. "This is no longer solely affecting me, but affecting the health of my family and my young children too." Walker admitted contravening coronavirus regulations again by visiting Sheffield to see his sister and his parents -- for which he could be fined and cautioned by police.
"In relation to the events on Wednesday, I travelled to Sheffield to give my sister a birthday card and present, but also to speak to one of the few people I believe I can trust in my life," he said.

"She hugged me to remind me that she cares and that I am loved. What am I meant to do -- push her away? "I then travelled to my parents' house to pick up some home-cooked meals. Again, it's been an extremely tough couple of months for them." He criticised the media for invading the privacy of his family, saying he constantly felt he was being followed.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish was forced to apologise in March after breaching lockdown rules, while Everton strongly criticised Moises Kean for hosting a party last month.

Walker said the response to his actions had been disproportionate, raising mental health concerns and saying his family had been "torn apart" by the continuing scrutiny.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The Fast And Furious franchise started way back in 2001. Since then we have seen the franchise evolve from racing to something that includes, heists, spying and of course fast cars. Now two years after the last release in the series THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS hit screens in 2017, we see a spin off feature film in the form of FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW. But will this new action flick woo the Fast and Furious audience or will it like so many other actioners be all glitz and no content is what we analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1004788 size-full" title="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Movie-Review-Fast-Furious-Presents-Hobbs-Shaw.jpg" alt="Movie Review Fast &amp; Furious Presents Hobbs &amp; Shaw" width="720" height="450" /> Starting off, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW is centred around the titular Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), characters introduced in the main series. The film begins with a crew of MI6 agents attempting to retrieve a virus, Snowflake, which can be programmed to decimate millions of people, from terrorist organization Eteon. Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants, arrives and kills all agents except for their leader, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), who injects Snowflake into herself as a dormant carrier and escapes. Brixton frames Hattie as a traitor who killed her team and stole Snowflake, forcing her to go on the run. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw are both informed of the missing virus and are assigned to work together reluctantly to track it down. From here on begins a cat and mouse game to save Hattie and the world while keeping the deadly ‘Snowflake’ out of the wrong hands. Much like the previous FAST &amp; FURIOUS films, this spin off too is an action entertainer that promises edge of the seat stunts, fast cars, and big explosions. While there were initial questions raised whether a spin off on a series like F&amp;F would work and hold the audience’s interest, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW proves that such films if made well, not only keep the audience in their seats but also provides for a fun filled thrilling watch. Director David Leitch, who has in the past proved his mettle with JOHN WICK (2014), ATOMIC BLONDE (2017) and the more recent release DEADPOOL 2 (2018), has done it again. Thanks to a background as a stuntman with professional martial arts training, Leitch is able to execute and shoot some rather difficult action sequences with precision. Keeping in mind the background of the franchise, Leitch has capitalized on characteristic traits of Hobbs and Shaw to develop seamless fight sequences that are well co-ordinated. As for the story of the film, like most action flicks, this one too features a wafer thin plot. However, it isn’t the plot that is the film’s mainstay; instead it is the eye popping relentless action that is interjected with well-placed humour to break the monotony. Coming to the performances, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs does what he does best, which is smashing things. Assisting him on this endeavour is Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw who takes the more refined approach as compared to Hobbs’ brute force technique to eliminate targets with finesse. Vanessa Kirby as Hattie Shaw does a commendable job and manages to hold her own despite the fact that the film is centred on the characters of Hobbs and Shaw. However it is Idris Elba as Brixton Lore who steals the limelight. A cybernetic enhanced superhuman hybrid, Brixton is capable of feats that push the boundary. Despite having such power, Elba’s restrain is clearly evident, thus preventing the film from becoming too over the top. The dialogues, though not much are good in places with well time punch lines that deliver. As for the action, well it is a spin off from the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, so expect tons of it. Though unlike the previous films in the series, this one features fewer high end cars, skimpily clad women and debauchery, but rest assured David Leitch has done well with the action. Adrenaline pumping, edge of the cliff (quite literally) gasoline fuelled explosions that are sure to satiate your hunger for destruction. On the whole, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW lives up to the FAST &amp; FURIOUS tag, with insane stunts, high octane action, well timed humour and an entertaining rollercoaster ride that keeps you in your seat. At the box office, the film that releases in four languages, English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu is expected to open well and will see an increase in footfalls over evening and night shows. With little competition at the box office, FAST &amp; FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS &amp; SHAW looks set to dominate the weekend.

Films based on or inspired from true incidents always have an edge, especially if made well. A recent classic example being ARTICLE 15, loosely inspired from Badaun rape case and Una flogging incident, and which became a commercial success. Now Nikkhil Advani attempts to unravel the mystery behind the more-than-a-decade-old Batla House encounter in his flick, also titled BATLA HOUSE. So does BATLA HOUSE give viewers an entertaining and thrilling time? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1008066" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Batla-House-3.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="450" /> BATLA HOUSE is the story of an upright cop caught in a sticky situation. The year is 2008. The Indian Mujahideen has conducted a series of blasts across the country. Their latest attack is in the capital city, Delhi, on September 13. ACP Sanjay Kumar (John Abraham) is having trouble in his marriage with Nandita (Mrunal Thakur). On September 19, he is informed by his team that the terrorists responsible for this blast are holed up in a flat in L-18, Batla House in the Okhla locality of the city. Before Sanjay could reach the site, his junior officer K K (Ravi Kishan) orders the team to engage with the occupants of the said house. The occupants who are Okhla University students fire at the cops, injuring K K grievously. Sanjay meanwhile reaches and he along with the rest of the police team eliminate the shooters. One of them, Tufail (Alok Pandey) is arrested. Even before the cops could leave, the residents begin raising slogans against the police. Soon, the media and political leaders blame the police for staging a fake encounter. K K on the other hand passes away in hospital. Sanjay meanwhile finds it difficult to prove that he’s right and that these residents of Batla House were indeed a part of Indian Mujahideen. He also informs the police department that there were two more guys in the Batla House flat who escaped, one of which is Dilshaad Ahmed (Sahidur Rehman). He escaped to Nizampur, Uttar Pradesh. Sanjay’s senior Jayvir (Manish Chaudhari) sternly tells Sanjay not to head to Nimzapur to arrest Dilshaad. Yet, Sanjay defies the orders and heads to nab Dilshaad with his team. In Nizampur, he encounters hostile residents and a leader of a political party who tell him to back off. Yet, he goes ahead and attempts to take Dilshaad back to Delhi. The locals on one hand are baying for his blood. On other hand, Jayvir and other senior cops are slamming Sanjay for his irresponsible action. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Ritesh Shah's story is well researched and gripping. Moreover, it’s extremely relevant in today’s times. Many might not be aware of this case and how it led to such a huge controversy at that time. Hence, the novelty factor is also there. Ritesh Shah's screenplay is captivating for most parts but is shaky in the first half. The film should have been simpler yet thrilling and devoid of too much of docudrama feel, for a better impact. However, there’s no doubt that some scenes are exceptionally scripted. Ritesh Shah's dialogues are acidic and sharp. The one-liners in the climax work very well. Nikkhil Advani's direction is simply brilliant. He understands the material he has in his hand and its sensitive nature. He has handled some scenes deftly and shows his brilliance in the interrogation scene in the first half and later in the courtroom sequences. Also, the Rashomon effect works well here to make the audiences wonder as to which version is correct. However, a few scenes in the first half are not up to the mark. Some scenes might even confuse viewers. For instance, it is bewildering why Sanjay switches off the camera during a crucial interrogation. Thankfully, the plusses outweigh the minuses by a huge margin here. BATLA HOUSE’s first half is decent but one misses the overall ‘Wow’ factor here. The reason behind the straining of relations between Sanjay and Nandita is not explained properly. The encounter is only partly shown and hence, one remains confused as to what exactly transpired between the police and the students. Also, Sanjay’s constant hallucination sequences become a little too much after a point. But on the positive side, a few scenes are quite promising. The film picks up in a big way when Sanjay quotes from the Holy Quran while interrogating Tufail. This powerful scene will surely be greeted with claps and whistles and it also proves how vested interests smartly misinterpret religious texts for violent gains. The Nizampur episode is a bit over the top but is quite thrilling. The intermission point also comes at a great moment. Post-interval, the interest levels increase as Sanjay gets determined to nab Dilshaad. The entry of Victoria (Nora Fatehi) adds charm to the film. But the best is reserved for the last 35-40 minutes. The courtroom drama is quite exhilarating and clap worthy. Also, once the entire scenario becomes clear, the film becomes simpler.  As a result, audiences would be even more interested once they know the complete picture. Sanjay’s monologue at this hour ensures the film ends on a high. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Batla House Public Review | John Abraham | Mrunal Thakur | Movie Review | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/batla-house-public-review-john-abraham-mrunal-thakur-movie-review-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> BATLA HOUSE belongs to John Abraham, without a shred of doubt. He is not just playing a brave, decorated police officer. He also essays the role of a person who is abused and slammed from all quarters. No one wants to know or believe his version of truth. The trauma he faces is brought out beautifully by John. Also, he’s first-rate as expected in action scenes and also in dramatic and confrontational sequences. Mrunal Thakur is letdown a bit by the script as the back story is never revealed. But she gives a decent performance. In the second half, she impresses even more as the woman who stands up for her husband. Ravi Kishan leaves a huge mark in a small role. Manish Chaudhari is efficient. Rajesh Sharma (Advocate Shailesh Arya) is quite scathing, as per his character’s requirement. Nora Fatehi provides much-needed sizzle in the film. Her character has a small but important role in the film. Alok Pandey and Sahidur Rehman play their respective parts with earnest. Pramod Pathak (Defence counsel P Krishnan) has a late entry but makes an impact. Others also do well. Songs aren’t memorable except for of course <em>'O Saki Saki'</em>. The item song is quite entertaining but it starts off quite suddenly though. <em>'Rula Diya'</em> and <em>'Jaako Rakhe'</em> are okay. John Stewart Eduri's background score is subtle yet adds to the impact.  Adil Shaikh's choreography in <em>'O Saki Saki'</em> is visually great. Soumik Mukherjee's cinematography is topnotch. This is especially in the interior scenes of Batla House flat and in the chase sequence in the small town. Priya Suhas's production design is quite realistic. Amin Khatib's action is thrilling and yet not gory or disturbing at all. Maahir Zaveri's editing is razor sharp in many scenes and also stylish. But this kind of editing also affects the impact in some of the scenes in the first half. On the whole, BATLA HOUSE is a powerful saga which is sure to spark off discussions and debates. The relevant plot, watertight screenplay, clapworthy moments and terrific performance by John Abraham makes BATLA HOUSE one of the finest films of the year. At the box office, it will have a promising run. Recommended!

The #MeToo movement took off in a big way in 2017 in Hollywood after well-known producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment episodes became public. It reached India a year later and became a huge social movement. Although the movement made people aware of some genuine cases, it also came to light that some of the allegations were false or were made with ulterior motives. The latest film SECTION 375 is inspired from cases of this nature and expects to make a hard-hitting point. So does SECTION 375 manage to succeed in its endeavour? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016957" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Movie-Review-Section-375-IMG.jpg" alt="Movie Review Section 375 IMG" width="720" height="405" /> SECTION 375 is the story of a filmmaker accused of rape. Anjali Dangle (Meera Chopra) is a junior costume designer on a film set. She’s told to go to director Rohan Khurana’s (Rahul Bhat) residence to show him the costumes. When she reaches the house, Rohan and the house maid are present. Rohan sends the maid out of the house on some pretext and then forces himself on Anjali. Anjali reaches her house and tells her family that Rohan raped her. The same evening, Rohan is arrested from his film set. The Sessions Court finds Rohan guilty and sentences him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. Rohan’s wife Kainaaz (Shriswara) approaches famous criminal lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) to file the case in the Bombay High Court. Tarun goes through Rohan’s file and realizes that the Sessions Court verdict was unfair. The case gets accepted in the High Court and the trial begins. Tarun’s ex-protégé Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chadha) is the public prosecutor and Anjali’s lawyer. As the case begins, a lot of unknown and intentionally hidden details tumble out. What seemed like an open and shut case of rape turns out to be murkier than expected. What happens next forms the rest of the story. Manish Gupta's story has tremendous potential and is the need of the hour. It is also quite relevant in today’s times. Manish Gupta's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Ajay Bahl) is quite effective for most parts. The film gets a bit technical but will be easy to comprehend for its target multiplex audience. Manish Gupta's dialogues (with additional dialogues by Ajay Bahl) are quite acidic and sharp. However, at places, there are far too many English dialogues. Ajay Bahl's direction is quite apt. He captivates the viewers with his storytelling and doesn’t lose their attention even once in the 120 minute duration. Also, he presents both sides quite nicely and convincingly. This is a courtroom drama but like conventional Bollywood films in this genre, the film is not made in a dramatic fashion. Yes, a lot is happening in the film but it is all done a bit more realistically. On the flipside, the second half is where the film drops a bit. One expects a film with so many unpredictable moments to end with a bang. Sadly, that doesn’t happen. Also, it’s bewildering why Hiral, who used to shout ‘Objection’ each time Tarun would present anything or make an attention grabbing statement, doesn’t react at all when Tarun explains to the court how Anjali got the injury marks on her inner thighs. Except for Tarun, the private lives of Hiral and Anjali are never shown and it takes away the impact to an extent. SECTION 375 begins on a fine note. Tarun Saluja explaining the concept of justice and law by giving the instance of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case makes for a strong point and it also indicates what is to follow. The scene where Anjali meets Rohan in his house and the alleged rape happens is quite smartly executed and only a part of it is shown to keep the unpredictably going. This is followed by probably the most gut wrenching scene of the film – the medical officer asking the gory details of rape to Anjali quite nonchalantly, in front of her mother. And also, the said medical officer is a male! The film obviously goes on a high once the trial begins. The manner in which it comes to light that the investigating police officer Milind Kasle (Shrikant Yadav) did an extremely shoddy job is bound to shock viewers. Post-interval, the interest is maintained as many more details pour out in the courtroom. The finale however lacks punch. Also, the verdict announced in the end might leave viewers divided. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>“Aamir Khan Will Make a Good Politician”: Akshaye Khanna | Rapid Fire | Section 375</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/aamir-khan-will-make-a-good-politician-akshaye-khanna-rapid-fire-section-375/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Akshaye Khanna takes the cake when it comes to performances. Other actors also do well but Akshaye leaves a very strong impact. Whether it’s his dialogue delivery or his interrogating style in the court or his shrewd smile when confronted by the judges or Hiral, Akshaye’s performance is spot-on. Richa Chadha is very good as the no-nonsense lawyer whose idea of justice differs from that of Akshaye’s character. One of her heartening scenes is when Hiral is discussing about her partner and sharing her meal with her ‘rival’ Tarun. Rahul Bhat gets into the skin of his character. He’s too good in the beginning scene when he comes on the set and blasts everyone. Meera Chopra has very few dialogues initially but in the second half, she has a crucial part and does well. Krutika Desai (Justice Bhaskar) is good while Kishore Kadam (Justice Madgaonkar) is very impressive in his part. The latter also contributes to the laughter quotient. Shriswara speaks a lot through her silences and makes her presence felt. Shrikant Yadav is too good. His less-than-a-minute-conversation with Richa after he messes up in the court is memorable. Same goes Dibyendu Bhattacharya – his performance takes one of the most important scenes to another level. Sandhya Mridul (Shilpa) is lovely in the special appearance. SECTION 375 is a songless film. Clinton Cerejo's background score however is subtle and dramatic. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is quite appropriate. The alleged rape sequence is shot well in different angles and the perspective changes with each angle. And he also makes use of some hand-held, zoomed-in shots that also helps with the impact. Nilesh Wagh's production design is decent. Ameira Punvani's costumes are realistic. Praveen Angre's editing is crisp. On the whole, SECTION 375 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama that raises some important points. At the box office, it has the potential to grow significantly in multiplexes once the word of mouth spreads among its target audience.

Reincarnation sagas have been immensely popular in Bollywood. There’s a certain charm to see protagonists facing an untimely death and then avenging for the wrongdoings in their next life. Interestingly, there has never been a reincarnation comedy. This void has now been filled thanks to HOUSEFULL 4. The film looks grand in every way and is also the big Diwali release. So does HOUSEFULL 4 emerge as the ideal entertainer for families in this festive season? Or does it fail to impress? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1034345" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/housefull4567.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="450" /> HOUSEFULL is the story of three couples and how destiny helps them reunite after 600 years. The story begins in 2019. Harry (Akshay Kumar) is a barber in London who has a habit of momentarily losing his memory when he hears a loud noise. During one such time, he ends up destroying a large amount of money belonging to Michael (Sharad Kelkar) that was given to him for safekeeping by Big Bhai. Big Bhai hence gets angry at Harry, his brother Max (Bobby Deol) and their friend Roy (Riteish Deshmukh). He demands them to return the money of Bhai. Harry, Max and Roy then tell Bhai that they are in a relationship with Pooja (Pooja Hegde), Kriti (Kriti Sanon) and Neha (Kriti Kharbanda) respectively. All three are daughters of a very wealthy man, Papa Ranjeet (Ranjeet). Hence they’ll pay Big Bhai the money once they get married to them. The trio then meet Papa Ranjeet and the marriage is fixed. The venue chosen is a place called Sitamgarh, a town in India. The trio along with their girlfriends and Papa Ranjeet arrive at Sitamgarh palace, which has now been converted into a hotel. The moment they reach there, the bell boy, Aakhri Pasta (Chunky Panday) claims that all of them were a part of the kingdom of Sitamgarh. He goes overboard while making the claim, which makes the guests uncomfortable. Hence the manager Winston Churchgate (Johny Lever) fires Aakhri Pasta. However, Harry has often got flashes of his past life. He goes to Madhavgarh, where Aakhri Pasta resides, to find out more information. As soon as he reaches Madhavgarh, Harry is able to remember his past life. The story then goes on a flashback mode in the year 1419. Bala (Akshay Kumar) is a notorious Prince of Madhavgarh who is banished from the kingdom by his father (Parikshit Sahni). With the help of Pasta (Chunky Panday), he finds out that the king of Sitamgarh, Maharaja Surya Singh Rana (Ranjeet) will be celebrating his birthday and that he had three daughters, Madhu (Kriti Sanon), Meena (Kriti Kharbanda) and Mala (Pooja Hegde). Bala arrives in Sitamgarh and succeeds in wooing Madhu. Meanwhile, Bangdu Maharaj, a dancer in the royal palace, gets into a relationship with Mala while the warrior Dharam (Bobby Deol) starts an affair with Meena. The king even approves the union and their marriages are fixed. All is going well but Suryabhan (Sharad Kelkar) who wants to be king comes up with a plan. He kills brother of Gama (Rana Daggubati), a ferocious chieftain of a neighbouring kingdom. Gama is made to believe that it’s the king who ordered the killing. As a result, Gama arrives in Sitamgarh during the marriage ceremony for revenge. In the ensuing battle, they all die. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Sara Bodinar and Sajid Nadiadwala's story is very weak. Aakash Kaushik and Madhur Sharma's screenplay (with additional screenplay by Farhad Samji, Tushar Hiranandani, Sparsh Khetarpal and Tasha Bhambra) spoils the show further. It seems like the makers took audiences for granted and in the attempt to show grandeur, they missed out on the factors that made HOUSEFULL such a successful franchise. Farhad Samji's dialogues add to the fun but only at places. Farhad Samji's direction is unimpressive. Though for most parts, he is able to handle the grandeur and confusion well. The opening credits are very similar to the opening of BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION. In fact there’s an in-your-face reference to the film later. However, several sequences are weak and the jokes fall flat. The writing is also to blame but the director should have hidden these shortcomings with his execution. Sadly that doesn’t happen. HOUSEFULL 4 begins on a very fun note. The madness that happens at Harry’s salon sets the mood. The film gets better as they all reach Sitamgarh. Once the flashback begins, one expects the film to go on a high. But the opposite happens as the humour is missing from the film. Yes there are fun moments but they aren’t funny enough to give audiences a <em>paisa</em> <em>vasool</em> time. Much of the second half is about how Harry tries to persuade Max and Roy that they are doing a mistake by getting married to their <em>bhabhis</em>. The humour here is strictly okay and in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s track, it goes out of the window. Thankfully the entry of Pappu Rangeela (Rana Daggubati) acts as a respite. The climax works only in parts. The continuity issues spoil the fun. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>FUN UNLIMITED: Team Housefull 4 Interview | Crazy Rapid Fire, Hilarious Quiz &amp; 5 Second Challenge</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/celeb-interviews/fun-unlimited-team-housefull-4-interview-crazy-rapid-fire-hilarious-quiz-5-second-challenge/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Akshay Kumar emerges as the most entertaining actor in the film. His Bala act is superb but even in the 2019 portions, he is too good. Riteish Deshmukh comes next. As the effeminate Bangdu Maharaj, he does a fine job which was expected as he has done similar roles in the past. Bobby Deol is disappointing as he doesn’t have much to contribute in terms of humour. Rana Daggubati is excellent in both avatars. He adds to the fun in the pre-climax and climax especially. Talking of the girls, all three look stunning. Kriti Sanon gets her share of interesting scenes. Kriti Kharbanda makes a mark in the scenes where she hums Hindi songs. Pooja Hegde is decent. Chunky Panday doesn't get enough scope as in part 1 and 2 but he gets to be a part of some crazy scenes. Johny Lever manages some laughs in the second half. Sharad Kelkar is efficient in a small role. Manoj Pahwa raises laughs in his cameo appearance. Ranjeet is fine. Jamie Lever is okay and the Johny Lever connection comes at a surprise. Parikshit Sahni is nothing great. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is awkward. Songs are average and they won’t have a recall value. <em>'Shaitan Ka Saala</em>' is the best of the lot. <em>'Ek Chumma'</em> comes next followed by <em>'Badla'</em>. <em>'The Bhoot Song' </em>is the weakest part of the film while <em>'Chammo'</em> is forgettable. Julius Packiam's background score is theatrical and the recurring theme is catchy. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography adds to the grandeur. Sham Kaushal's action is good. Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty's production design is splendid. Costumes compliment the characters. The ladies especially look gorgeous in both avatars. Do It Creative, AI Solve Ltd and Prime Focus's VFX is of superior quality. The Sitamgarh Kingdom especially is depicted in a fascinating manner. Rameshwar S Bhagat's editing is inconsistent and there are several jumps in the narrative. On the whole, HOUSEFULL 4 is a major disappointment and suffers on the account of poor writing and vacuous screenplay. The negative word of mouth will ensure that it will crash at the box office though it might still end up crawling to Rs. 100 crore mark on account of festive period and the extended weekend.

The franchise of STAR WARS has always enjoyed a massive cult like following worldwide. STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999), followed by STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005), STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977), STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017), with every new film, the expectation from the franchise has increased. The ninth and supposedly the last chapter has arrived and it brings a lot of nostalgia. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is destined to have mixed reactions considering the flick is the conclusion to the story that began in the year 1977.  While the franchise enjoys a huge following, we analyze whether this conclusion to the 42-year saga is the most satisfying on or a controversial one. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1054446 size-full" title="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Star-Wars-The-Rise-of-Skywalker-Review-12.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" width="750" height="450" /> STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER begins with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is now the Supreme Leader of the First Order is in search of the ancient threat called Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). On the other side, Resistance leader Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and their droid friends C3-P0 (Anthony Daniels), and BB-8 are on a quest which quickly turns into a stunning action showdown between the heroes and the villains while they jump from one planet to another with light speed skipping technique. Meanwhile, Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still in dilemma about her story, her parentage as she has a dark vision which showcases her mysterious connection to Kylo Ren. The two Jedi continue to connect with each other in different ways as they Resistance prepare to fight the Emperor Palpatine. Following the orders of Princess Leia (Carrier Fisher) and lessons of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the space heroes begin their final journey to win the biggest battle. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER upped their game as the film boasts of mind-blowing and truly astounding cinematography that leaves the audience wanting for more. The visual effects are seamless which create magic on screen. From the beginning itself, the story leaves you hooked as the galactic world of STAR WARS begins with action packed scenes. The battles, the duals, the light speed jumps, everything seems seamless. Though the story is bit slow in some parts with lesser words and more emotions, it picks up in the second half with some interesting and crazy cameos. The stakes are high in this film and major focus is on Rey and Kylo Ren. However, though JJ Abrams does a marvelous job in directing this last film in the franchise, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER does not come across as something to write home about. In fact, for the most part the film looks like a series of montages that have been developed to fill certain check boxes that appeal to the audience and fan base strung together. Though the chemistry between Kylo Ren and Rey is worth watching, the predictability of the film’s story is a massive dampener. More often than not, the viewer is able to foretell the coming sequences, and if discerning will also more or less be able to gauge what the climax of the film will be. Despite this, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER does have its high points, but sadly they are few and far between. For a quintessential Star Wars fan who has followed the series, this film would be more of a walk down memory lane. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1054447 size-full" title="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Star-Wars-The-Rise-of-Skywalker-Review-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker (English)" width="750" height="450" /> Coming to the performances, every actor shines bright in the film but it is hands down Daisy Ridley’s show. This time around, she has matured while portraying Rey. Two instances stand out and both scenes are shared with Adam Driver. Adam Driver Kylo Ren gets his due in this film with powerful performance as Kylo Ren as he gets the audience emotionally involved in his storyline. Rey and Kylo Ren’s scenes are some of the most engaging scenes in the film with some complex lightsaber battles involved. Late Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) returns as the makers use the limited footage that was left of her as they pay tribute to the original girl of Star Wars. Her scenes are sensitively projected. Oscar Isaac as Resistance leader Poe Dameron along with John Boyega’s Finn along and BB-8, C-3PO and Chewbecca bring banter, humor and emotions to their scenes. Oscar and John’s bromance has hits hilarious moments as they continue to be the heroes who wear their hearts of their sleeves. Dominic Monaghan, new member of Resistance, hardly has any time to establish his character. Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine is astounding. Meanwhile, Kelly Marie Tran's character Rose Tico hardly gets any screen time besides a few moments during the final battle. We get introduced to Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss who is decent in her scenes. The certain cameos are nostalgia – filled which makes this end of the sage a memorable one. JJ Abrams direction is crisp and tight as he delivers some of the biggest questions that were left answered during STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017). JJ Abrams captures the essence of this galactic world as he brings out the best in every character especially Ren and Rey. John Williams background score is incredible. The story by JJ Abramas, Chris Terio, Colin Tervorrow, Derek Connolly is moving. JJ Abrams and Chris Terrior is impressive. On the whole, STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER may not be for everyone but it gives a bittersweet yet endearing ending to saga which is a tribute to the legacy. The die-hard fans might enjoy some of the stunning intergalactic moments.

Gold has indeed proven itself as an effective hedge against any downside risk. It has seen a sharp rise in the price rally since the first case of Novel Coronavirus was reported in November 2019.

In the beginning of March, gold prices fell marginally, however it is on the upswing and has retained its level above Rs 40,000 per 10 grams.

Graph: Gold's rising uptrend

Gold started to ascend last year when the US and China trade talks began and escalated in trade war, followed by similar trade wars of the US with other nations.

These events have proved to be favourable for the momentum of the price of Gold. It played its role of a crucial hedge and store of value when other asset classes had witnessed high volatility and posted marginal returns.

Some of the other factors that have supported gold are...

• The outbreak of COVID-19 with no evident containment yet
• Economic uncertainty and fears of a virus-led global recession
• Global GDP growth revised downwards and for across regions
• Easy monetary policy action (of reduction in interest rates and stimulus packages) and an accommodative stance adopted by the central banks across the world to support growth
• A crash in the oil markets due to lack of demand and excess supply with storage problems
• A record-high global debt-to-GDP of nearly US$ 255 trillion (over 322% of global GDP) - 40 percentage points higher than at the onset of 2008 global financial crisis according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), as the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
• The US Presidential elections later this year, in November 2020
• Increased stock market volatility
• The potential risk to the inflation trajectory.

[Read: Coronavirus Has No Antidote. Your Bad Investments Could Have.]

Besides, the lockdown brought upon due to COVID-19 pandemic is going to hurt the economy for a couple of quarters badly which will amplify the credit risk. The economic activity will slow grind to full capacity, prompting furloughs and pay cuts, and job losses across sectors, which will affect the credit line as the number of defaulters will rise because cash strapping will be seen.

Recognising the risk stemming from the bottom hit economy, where the growth projections by the IMF are almost 1.9% due to the CoVID-19, the NPAs of banks and NBFCs are expected to increase.

[Read: How the COVID-19 Extended Lockdown Has Made Investments in 'Banking Funds' Very Risky]

Until the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and economic uncertainty prevails, the spotlight will continue to be on gold owing to the financial uncertainty it brings along. Even the IMF Global Financial Stability report highlights an increase in the level of risk among multiple global metrics and, therefore, the importance of owning gold in one's portfolio.

Hence, in my view, in the current situation consider allocating some portion of your investment portfolio to gold and its equivalents. This year buying gold in a physical form from your preferred jeweller or gold merchant may not be possible amidst the COVID-19 extended lockdown. But you can always consider Gold Exchange Traded Funds, Gold Saving Funds, Sovereign Gold Bonds, and/or Digital Gold, which are smart and unconventional ways of investing in gold.

Recently the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020 as per the calendar specified below:

Each of the tranche is offered for a limited subscription period, having a maturity tenure of 8 years and a lock-in period of 5 years

With an initial investment amount of Rs 20,000, resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions can subscribe to SGBs. The application can be also made by the guardian on behalf of the minor. One can purchase units from the secondary market as well.

The issue price of the SGB will be Rs 50 per gram less than the nominal value when applied online and the payment against the application is made through digital mode.

On maturity, the Gold Bonds shall be redeemed in Indian Rupees and the redemption price shall be based on a simple average of the closing price of gold of 999 purity of previous 3 business days from the date of repayment, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited.

In order to encourage passive but direct gold investment, as an alternative to purchasing physical gold, Modi led Government sanctioned a Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November 2015. Under this scheme, investors have to pay the issue price in cash and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on maturity. The Bond is issued by the Reserve Bank on behalf of Government of India.

With the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, the risks and costs of physical storage are eliminated. Plus, it is free from issues like the costs of making charges and purity, as in the case of gold in jewellery form. But these bonds are held in the books of the RBI, or in demat form to eliminate even the risk of loss of scrip, etc.

Sovereign Gold Bonds will generate market returns linked to the price of gold, so there may be a risk of capital loss if the market price of gold declines. Moreover, these bonds will provide interest income at the rate of 2.50 per cent (fixed rate) per annum on the amount of initial investment to investors and will be redeemable.

The minimum investment allowed is 1 gram, while the maximum buying limit is a subscription of 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), and 20 kg for trusts and similar entities notified by the government from time to time per fiscal year (April - March).

These bonds are sold through offices or branches of Nationalised Banks, Scheduled Private Banks, Scheduled Foreign Banks, designated Post Offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL), and the authorised stock exchanges, either directly or through their agents.

Do note, that the interest on the bonds is taxed as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961. If you hold the SGB till maturity the capital gains tax on redemption of SGB is exempted. But if you sold the bond in the secondary market after three years, long term capital gains (LTCGs) tax is applicable and it will be taxed at 20 per cent with indexation. And if sold before three years, a short-term capital gains (STCGs) tax will be applicable according to the income tax slab.

What should the investors do?

Defeating the Coronavirus and surviving is everyone's core focus and having liquidity, those who have an adequate contingency fund are looking for investments.

Equity and debt markets are yet to see any signs of revival despite the stimulating relief measures provided to uplift the slowing of economy but investing in gold can prove to be worthy for your portfolio.

[Read: What Could Be the Potential Impact of a Lockdown on Your Mutual Fund Portfolio? Know Here...]

Even the bond prices were at all-time lows, which are inversely proportional to gold as well. In my view allocate at least 10-15% of your entire investment portfolio to gold and hold it with a long-term investment horizon.

Remember gold offers an effective hedge during global uncertainty and a shield against inflation. Most importantly in your portfolio, it serves as a diversifier.

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

COVID-19 has started showing its impact on the mutual fund industry. Few days ago I mentioned in my article, Debt mutual funds witnessed massive outflows of Rs 1.95 trillion in the month of March.

Though we could attribute most of that outflow to corporates redeeming funds to meet their quarter end obligations, high volatility and uncertainty as consequences of the pandemic could have also played a major hand in the redemption pressure for debt schemes.

Join Now: PersonalFN is now on Telegram. Join FREE Today to get 'Daily Wealth Letter' and Exclusive Updates on Mutual Funds

FII have been redeeming investments heavily in equity and debt segment ever since WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. In March, FIIs pulled out Rs 60,375 crore from the debt market.

High redemption and lack of buying interest has made debt mutual fund schemes vulnerable, especially those with higher exposure to low rated instruments.

This instability has claimed its first casualty in debt mutual funds...

Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (FTMF) has decided to wind down six of its debt schemes with effect from April 23, 2020 due to COVID-19 related market dislocation. This is something that is unheard of in the mutual fund industry and has perplexed many investors and advisors.

The schemes that are wound up are:

• Franklin India Low Duration Fund
• Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund
• Franklin India Credit Risk Fund
• Franklin India Short Term Income Plan
• Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund
• Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund

Together these schemes have an AUM of 30,854 crore as on March 31, 2020. Notably, these are the very schemes which in the past had to create segregated portfolio for its exposure to downgraded papers of Vodafone Idea and Yes Bank.

What led to the move?

According to a statement to investors from FTMF, "Despite several measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the liquidity in certain segments of the corporate bond markets has fallen-off dramatically and has remained low for an extended period. In this scenario, mutual funds are facing unprecedented liquidity challenges due to a variety of factors-rising redemption pressures due to heightened risk aversion, mark to market losses following a spike in yields and lower trading volumes in the bond markets. These factors have together caused a significant and worsening liquidity crunch for open-end mutual fund schemes investing in corporate credits across the credit rating spectrum."

The schemes had to resort to continuous borrowing to fund redemptions during this time, and were unable to repay the borrowings through sale of portfolio securities due to the prevailing market environment. The Investment manager did not believe it was prudent to continue funding redemptions through potentially increasing levels of borrowings.

-------------Advt.-----------

If you wish to invest in a readymade portfolio of top recommended equity mutual funds based on the 'Core & Satellite' approach to investing, I recommend that you subscribe to PersonalFN's Premium Report, "The Strategic Funds Portfolio For 2025 (2020 Edition)".

This premium report will help you build your optimum mutual funds portfolio for 2025 without any effort on your part. If you haven't subscribed yet, do it now!

--------------------------------

FTMF follows a high-risk high-return strategy for the above mentioned funds - Meaning a major part of its portfolio is exposed to lower rated securities (rating below AAA). The market disruption due to the virus outbreak has impacted these securities the most.

Under conditions of high redemption pressure, mutual funds sell their liquid assets to meet the demand, leaving the portfolio highly exposed to illiquid assets.

Thus, investors who choose to stay invested are at a disadvantage here.

Anticipating continued liquidity stress to the funds, the fund house thought winding up the scheme is the only viable option for the unitholders to minimize erosion of value.

Table: Details of schemes being wound up

What does it mean for investors of these schemes?

Investors of these schemes will not be able to purchase/redeem investment, switch to other schemes or do systematic transactions. In short their funds will be locked. The fund will not charge any management fees for the funds that are being wound up.

The fund house will rely on coupon payments, maturity value of underlying securities, and selling of securities at realisable value. While the fund house expects to realise most of the proceeds as per maturities, there may be some low rated securities that may even default on the due date. The fund house may create segregated portfolios for such securities and pay back as and when the money is realised.

It will be prudent to check the average maturity of portfolios of each fund and expect major repayment within that period.

What should investors in debt funds do?

Debt mutual fund Investors are not as confident, due to incidents of exposure to toxic papers in the past. This event could make them even more wary about their investment in debt schemes. As a consequence, there may be some panic selling in other debt schemes by investors worried about their funds getting locked.

However, instead of taking any hasty decisions, it would be a great idea to check your funds for the quality of assets it holds.

Choose a fund house that follows prudent investment process and stringent risk-management system. In these uncertain times, it would be wise sticking to liquid funds and overnight funds for the fixed-income part of your portfolio. Alternatively, if you prefer safety of capital, invest in Bank fixed deposits.

Our friends at Quantum Mutual Fund have highlighted the secret behind their debt management strategy which has helped them provide safety and liquidity to investors when it comes to investing in quantum funds. Don't Worry, Quantum Liquid Fund always aims for Safety and Liquidity

The way ahead...

While the fund house has done this to protect investors' interest, it has made the funds illiquid from the investors' point of view. Many investors may lose faith in debt funds for their short-term goals.

Going further, investors may have to consider liquidity risk due to AMC action, while investing in any high credit risk oriented debt funds.

It is time for the regulator to step up and clarify the illiquidity part for other debt schemes out there to investors. Moreover, it needs to provide a framework of strict guidelines to restrict fund managers from putting investors' hard-earned money at risk by exposing them to low rated securities for higher yield.

Meanwhile, AMFI has assured investors that a majority of the fixed income fund assets is invested in superior credit quality securities, and the schemes have appropriate liquidity to ensure normal operations. It further stated that the industry remains fully committed to the investors' interests and there is no need for them to panic and redeem investments.

Author: Divya Grover

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

Join Now: PersonalFN is now on Telegram. Join FREE Today to get 'Daily Wealth Letter' and Exclusive Updates on Mutual Funds

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

Unnerving movements for debt mutual funds investors!

Just last week my colleague, Divya explained the fiasco at Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, which took a decision to abruptly wind down six debt mutual fund schemes, namely:

• Franklin India Low Duration Fund
• Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund
• Franklin India Credit Risk Fund
• Franklin India Short Term Income Plan
• Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund
• Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund

In all, the above debt mutual fund schemes had an AUM of Rs 30,854 crore as of March 31, 2020.

The fund house cited, "severe market dislocation and illiquidity in the fixed income space" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the reason behind the decision.

Investors in these schemes are now left in the lurch: they cannot sell (nor buy) these funds and will have to rely on the fund house to get back their hard-earned money. Investors will have to hold their investments in these schemes until liquidity is available to the mutual fund house by either selling securities in the fund's portfolio or receiving maturity proceeds.

Currently, a fact is, not just Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, but debt mutual fund schemes of many other fund houses are have a remarkable exposure to stressed assets.

According to portfolios disclosed on March 31, 2020, mutual funds collectively held Rs 1.38 trillion of exposure to debt securities issued by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). Approximately Rs 51,000 crore of the exposure in debt securities has a maturity profile of less than 3 months; and now, mutual funds fear that there will be defaults.

NBFCs and other corporate borrowers claim that they do not have enough liquidity to fulfil their obligations and have requested for additional time. Given that, rating downgrades from rating agencies look likely.

However, some companies are playing smart: they are approaching the Courts to prevent a rating downgrade, plus seeking a stay on sale of pledged shares. Of course, they are well within their right to approach the judicial authority or Courts and contest.

Join Now: PersonalFN is now on Telegram. Join FREE Today to get 'Daily Wealth Letter' and Exclusive Updates on Mutual Funds

But the capital market regulator, seems to be in no mood in offering them any leeway. On the contrary, the regulator is asking the mutual fund industry to act against the issuer of securities who are possibly carrying high credit risk; facing asset quality problems.

Delays in repayments would mean the creation of more side-pockets by mutual funds. And in my view, more the losses investors suffer, more frustrating it will be for mutual fund houses and their investors. Eventually retail and High Net-worth Individuals, particularly, will lose confidence and may not be keen to invest in debt funds.

If you are wondering what has gone wrong, here's everything you may like to know about liquidity, credit risk and the exposure of mutual funds to corporate debt in the present scenario.

If you remember, the capital market regulator had mandated large corporations to source at least 25% of their borrowings from the bond markets from the beginning of FY 2019. This move was expected to deepen Indian bond markets and reduces the stress on banks. Just a year later, the same move is proving fatal for companies that went to the bond markets to raise money.

Now that the COVID-19 lockdown has forced many business units to shut off temporarily or operate much below their optimal operational capacity with a skeletal staff, companies, including the large organisations that relied heavily on debt markets, are finding it difficult to honour maturity claims on Commercial Papers (CPs), Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs), and Bonds.

They were hoping for an 'at-par treatment' with Banks when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offered a moratorium period to borrowers. But the RBI circular came to them as a shocker. The devil was in the details.

On March 27, 2020, the RBI issued a notification allowing a three-month moratorium on all outstanding term loans and working capital facilities on account of disruptions caused by the outbreak of coronavirus. This circular did not cover around 10 thousand NBFCs, who mainly depend on CPs, NCDs, and Bonds for their funding requirements.

As far as NBFCs are concerned, the RBI has already provided them with a liquidity facility through the banking channel. The RBI directed banks to utilise funds infused under Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO) facility to invest in 'investment-grade' CPs, NCDs, and Bonds issued by NBFCs. Also, RBI mandated banks to allocate 50% of Rs 50,000 crore of liquidity introduced by way of TLTRO 2.0 to small and mid-size NBFCs and small finance banks.

But NBFCs seemed not too happy with just liquidity and many of them are now approaching courts to prevent rating downgrades. This is not a best practice for the industry, although fund houses may be well within their rights to contest.

Recently, Indiabulls Housing Finance was successful in receiving the interim order from Delhi High Court, throttling any coercive action against the housing finance company for its inability to repay its bondholders. The Delhi High Court will hear the case further on May 19, 2020.

This has added to the worries of mutual fund houses that now fear other NBFCs will follow the same path.

The capital market regulator, only recently (a few days ago) following the three moratorium by RBI (due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic) has relaxed the valuation norms for debt and money market instrument held by mutual funds vide a circular dated April 23, 2020, wherein it states as under:

• Based on assessment, if the valuation agencies appointed by AMFI are of the view that the delay in payment of interest/principal or extension of the maturity of a security by the issuer has arisen solely due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and/or in light of the moratorium permitted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (vide notification no. RBI/2019-20/186, dated March 27, 2020) creating temporary operational challenges in servicing debt, then valuation agencies may not consider the same as a default for the purpose of valuation of money market or debt securities held by Mutual Funds.
  
  However, in the scenario, as stated above, if there is any difference in the valuation of securities provided by two valuation agencies, the conservative valuation shall be accepted.

But then what is the point of coming up with these valuation norms as an afterthought, and not in close synchronisation when the RBI came with its notification a month ago?

The damage now is already done and companies are anyways approaching the Courts to prevent a rating downgrade.

Let's say shares of a company are pledged and to recover the proceeds -- if they cannot be sold due to a court order -- then such lending would be as good as unsecured lending.

Also, why should that not be construed as an instance of deviation from the stated fundamental attributes of a debt mutual fund scheme? After all, mutual fund investors invest in debt fund schemes taking into account a certain level of risk. Change in the risk profile of a scheme is a change in the fundamental attribute/s.

According to India Ratings, NBFCs having the asset base of Rs 500 crore to 5,000 crore, largely fall between "A" and "BBB" rating categories.

The mid-path could be a decision on payment or deferring the payment in consultation with all stakeholders, including debenture trustees. The industry will require a blanket resolution because a case-to-case resolution approach is cumbersome and may create more chaos.

Unless the RBI takes a clear stance on NBFCs and other financial institutions, mutual fund houses are likely to feel the heat of redemptions. Suppose, there's no further statement issued by the banking sector regulator; mutual funds will have to be prepared to handle large-scale defaults, which might look inevitable. After all, a majority of NBFCs' customers are retail borrowers and they enjoy a moratorium on the EMI payment for 3-months. This has been the trickiest part for NBFCs.

While COVID-19 outbreak has been the genuine reason for the potential defaults this time, asset-liability mismatches of NBFCs are well-known. Many NBFCs have gone overboard with cheap credit available during stable market conditions. Their credit underwriting has been questioned widely. The industry has also witnessed belly-up instances such as IL&FS and DHFL. Many mutual fund houses have burned their fingers badly in such defaults.

At the time of writing this piece, to ease the liquidity pressure on mutual funds, the RBI today decided to provide a special liquidity facility of Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds. Under this facility, the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. This will be on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). The scheme is available from today i.e., April 27, 2020, till May 11, 2020, or up to utilization of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier. The Reserve Bank will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions.

The RBI has stated further that the liquidity support availed under the Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds shall be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of mutual funds by, 1) extending loans; and (2) undertaking outright purchase of and/or repos against the collateral of investment-grade corporate bonds, CPs, debentures and certificates of Deposit (CDs) held by mutual funds.

Having taken this measure, keep in mind that it does not make investing in debt mutual funds risk-free. Considering the prevailing investment environment, you should stay away from mutual fund schemes whose portfolio characteristic appears compromised. Also, avoid credit risk funds and corporate bond funds as they are likely to be more vulnerable amidst the financial crisis followed by COVID-19 pandemic.

As a thumb rule: Choose mutual fund schemes from fund houses that follow prudent judicious investment processes and stringent risk-management systems.

In these uncertain times, it would be wise sticking to liquid funds and overnight funds while considering debt funds.

Our friends at Quantum Mutual Fund have highlighted the secret behind their debt management strategy which has helped them provide safety and liquidity to investors when it comes to investing in quantum funds. Don't Worry, Quantum Liquid Fund always aims for Safety and Liquidity.

As with all financial matters, better be safe than sorry!

PS: If you wish to select worthy mutual fund schemes, I recommend you to subscribe to PersonalFN's unbiased premium research service, FundSelect.

Additionally, as a bonus, you get access to PersonalFN's popular debt mutual fund service, DebtSelect.

Each fund recommended under FundSelect goes through our stringent process, where they are tested on both quantitative as well as qualitative parameters.

Every month, PersonalFN's FundSelect service will provide you with insightful and practical guidance on equity mutual funds and debt schemes - the ones to Buy, Hold, or Sell.

If you are serious about investing in a rewarding mutual fund scheme, Subscribe now!

Join Now: PersonalFN is now on Telegram. Join FREE Today to get 'Daily Wealth Letter' and Exclusive Updates on Mutual Funds

Author: Rounaq Neroy

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.

Coronavirus or Covid-19 is showing no signs of receding. On the contrary, the number of cases is increasing by the day and the situation is rather depressing, as almost every region of the world and country is infected.

Sadly, there is no antidote or a vaccine conclusively developed to fight this deadly pathogen yet. And according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Coronavirus will be with us for a long time. Most cases are still in the early phase of the epidemic and some countries which were affected early in the pandemic, are now seeing a resurgence in the number of cases, said the WHO Chief.

COVID-19 is truly playing havoc and may be followed with a financial crisis owing to the lockdowns imposed to contain the spread. The risk of global recession undeniably looms large. "This crisis is like no other", as what the International Monetary Fund's (IMF), Chief Economist, Ms Gita Gopinath wrote in the foreword to the World Economic Outlook, April 2020.

Graph 1: The virus has spread even to Indian equities

The graph above depicts the S&P BSE Sensex falling off the cliff and investors' wealth being eroded. Since the all-time high of the S&P BSE Sensex (42,273.87 points made on January 20, 2020), we have fallen more than -25% and overall sentiments seem downbeat and volatility has heightened.

On a year-to-date basis, Indian equity is down nearly -23.2% (as of April 27, 2020), while gold -- with uncertainty looming around the world -- has exhibited its sheen and demonstrated its trait of safe haven and an effective portfolio diversifier, clocking nearly +5.0% absolute return as of April 27, 2020.

Graph 2: YTD Performance of key asset classes

The graph above validates the importance of tactical asset allocation. The key lesson here is: all asset classes will not necessarily move in the same direction (up or down) always - over the long-term; some may even move in the opposite direction as what we have seen in the recent past (in the case of equities and gold).

As we (the world) continue to fighting COVID-19 and the aftereffects of it are conceivable, a further correction cannot be ruled out and the bottom is unknown. COVID-19 is likely to impact corporate earnings amidst a time when India is already facing slowdown blues. As people are quarantined, demand would remain muted and inflation risk will begin to surface, particularly in food prices.

So, although the current levels offer a decent value-buying opportunity, skewing your portfolio completely to equity as an asset class could endanger wealth creation. In such times you, as an investor, need to follow tactical asset allocation while you aim to generate wealth.

Tactical Asset Allocation with Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

To invest sensibly in the current times, you need a Multi-Asset Fund that invests in mainly three asset classes: equity, debt and gold; and is truly balanced.

Among the plethora of Multi-Asset Funds, the Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds (QMAFOF) incepted on July 11, 2012, is truly balanced and holds well-diversified portfolio (across the three key asset classes: equity, debt and gold) at all the times -- unlikely many of its peers who swayed by the excess exuberance in equities, lost sense, and eroded investors wealth.

Table 1: Asset Allocation of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

The Scheme predominantly invests in the units of Equity, Debt / Money Markets and Gold schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund. Currently, the following schemes are used to gain exposure to a particular asset class:

For equity - Quantum Long Term Equity Value Fund, Quantum Nifty ETF

For debt & money market instruments - Quantum Liquid Fund, Quantum Dynamic Bond Fund

For Gold - Quantum Gold Fund (ETF)

The Units of any other Equity and Debt / Money Markets scheme launched by Quantum Mutual Fund from time to time would be eligible to be part of the above asset allocation components.

Although QMAFOF aims to invest predominantly only in the schemes launched by Quantum Mutual Fund, QMAFOF may seek to invest in the units of similar schemes of other mutual fund houses in case of any investment and regulatory constraints that arise that prevent the Scheme from increasing investments in the schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund.

The investment objective of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds is, "to generate modest capital appreciation while trying to reduce risk (by diversifying risks across asset classes) from a combined portfolio of equity, debt/money markets and gold schemes of Quantum Mutual Fund"

QMAFOF benchmarks it against the Crisil Composite Bond Fund Index (40%) + S&P BSE Sensex Total Return Index (40%) + Domestic price of Gold (20%).

Being a fund of fund, this benchmark is most suitable to compare QMAFOF's performance. The unique combination clubs together the relatively risky assets with other stable asset classes in the portfolio.

Backed by an astute investment strategy, taking the relative valuations between asset classes into consideration such as Price-to-Earnings relative to historical averages; the relationship between earning yield to bond yield relative to historical averages; and macroeconomic factors prevailing globally and within India, the two fund managers of QMAFOF, namely Mr Chirag Mehta (MMS - Finance, M.Com, and CAIA with over 13 years' experience in research and investments) and Mr Nilesh Shetty (B.Com, MMS -Finance, and CFA with collectively 16 years in equity markets), have generated respectable returns for investors.

Table 2: Report card of QMAFOF versus some of its peers

Even as the equity market is panting for breath attributable to COVID-19 and volatility has intensified, QMAFOF due to its sensible asset allocation to equity, debt and gold through its underlying portfolio, has fared relatively better than some of the peers.

ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund, Axis Triple Advantage Fund, HDFC Multi-Asset Fund, and UTI Multi-Asset Fund, on the other hand, have all eroded investors wealth posting double-digit negative returns (see Table 2) in this downturn. Some of these schemes have fared well during upswings by keeping to the allocation to equities high, but on the downside, they have not managed the risk very sensibly. Investors, as a result, have experienced a roller-coaster ride in the journey of wealth creation.

A multi-asset fund, ideally, is expected to be truly balanced and sensibly allocate its assets whereby the downside risk of one asset class is compensated by the positive returns of the other asset classes.

Here are five good reasons to invest in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

1. You gain from a diversified portfolio across asset class which, in turn, reduces risk and optimizes returns.
2. You do not have to worry about portfolio rebalancing; the fund manager will astutely do it for you at regular intervals in the endeavour to achieve the set-out investment objective of the fund.
3. Portfolio tracking will be easy for you instead of tracking 10 different schemes
4. You will benefit from the lowest expense ratio in the category
5. And above all, Quantum Mutual Fund's strong research capabilities across various asset markets - equity, debt and gold, -- with robust investment processes & systems followed at the fund house.

Suitability of Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds

QMAFOF is a perfect fund for investors looking to tactically diversify the portfolio with a single fund across equity, debt and gold, plus leave the aspect of rebalancing to the discretion and expertise of the fund manager.

Furthermore, the fund is appropriate for investors seeking long term capital appreciation, who have a moderately high-risk appetite, and an investment time horizon of 3 to 5 years.

It is the best time to invest in the Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds. Valuation-wise, Indian equities look attractive and there appears to be a decent margin of safety (with a high return potential if the equity markets ascend).

Similarly, given the uncertainty surrounding the world, gold is expected to display its lustre. The economic uncertainty surrounded by the COVID-19, GDP growth rates being revised downwards, easy monetary policy action and stance followed by central bank across the world, geopolitical tensions, trade tension, and increased stock market volatility are likely to keep spotlights on gold.

Likewise, with credit risk getting amplified, it makes sense to have exposure to a pure Liquid Fund (that does not take exposure to Commercial Papers issued by private entities). Now that policy rates are already lowered by RBI to address growth concerns, it does not make much sense to take exposure to the longer end of the yield curve; it could prove less rewarding and risky (may encounter high volatility) in the foreseeable future. Deploying your hard-earned money is short-end of the maturity curve, would be far better.

By investing in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds, you will be able to balance the risk better with a sensible investment strategy in place.

Just as an excess drug dosage cannot treat COVID-19, your investment portfolio, too, needs just a fair amount of diversification to clock optimal risk-adjusted returns in the journey of wealth creation.

Go ahead and consider investing in Quantum Multi Asset Fund of Funds.

Happy Investing!

Join Now: PersonalFN is now on Telegram. Join FREE Today to get 'Daily Wealth Letter' and Exclusive Updates on Mutual Funds

Author: Rounaq Neroy

This article first appeared on PersonalFN here.

PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.