Former footballer Xavi Hernandez, hoping that Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar will return to Barcelona, said that the latter is among the 'top three or five players in the world'.

"Footballing wise, he's in the top three or five players in the world, no doubt," Goal.com quoted Xavi as saying during an Instagram chat with ex-Barca forward, Samuel Eto'o.

 

 

 

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Avui em connectaré a @roadto2022es per fer una sessió de preguntes i respostes en viu amb @setoo9. Si tens qualsevol pregunta per nosaltres, escriu-la a sota en els comentaris. Les preguntes i respostes es realitzaran a Instagram Live a les 18h horari de Doha, dilluns 4 de maig. ___ Hoy me conectaré a @roadto2022es para celebrar una sesión de preguntas y respuestas en vivo con @setoo9. Si tienes una pregunta para cualquiera de nosotros, escríbela en los comentarios a continuación. Las preguntas y respuestas se realizarán en Instagram Live a las 18:00 hora de Doha, el lunes 4 de mayo. ____ Today, I’ll be in @roadto2022es to participate in a Q&A live session with @setoo9. Send us your questions in comments below, and we’ll answer them on Instagram Live today, Monday 4th, at 18:00h (Doha time)

A post shared by Xavi (@xavi) onMay 4, 2020 at 4:37am PDT

"He can make the difference. Let's hope he returns to Barcelona. I'm a Barcelona fan and I want the best players there," he added.

After a four-year stay in the club, the former Barcelona player, Neymar, left in 2017 to join Paris Saint-Germain.

During the interaction, Xavi also expressed a desire to manage Barcelona saying that it is his dream to coach the club.

"In January, it wasn't the right moment. I had conversations with Eric Abidal [Barcelona's sporting director] and Oscar Grau [Barcelona chief executive] and a big offer, but it wasn't the right moment. I need a bit more experience. Coaching Barcelona is my dream. I'd like to do it one day. I've said that many times," he said.

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Former Argentina footballer Martin Cardetti named his pick between Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest footballers ever to grace the game.

Cardetti, manager of Ecuadorian football club Mushuc Runa, said he saw the Brazilian from close quarters during their time together at Paris St. Germain and according to him, Ronaldinho is one-of-a-kind footballer.

"As a coach, for my team I would choose Ronaldinho at his best over Messi," Cardetti told El Crack Deportivo as per Goal.com. "I shared a year with Ronaldinho and he is a different player, he's touched by God.

"He always had fun; with the ball he was always doing things and he practiced a lot so that he could replicate those things in matches.

"You see him in training, in matches and every move he makes is different from everyone. Players like him appear very rarely and they are remembered in football history," he added.

Before Messi started ruling the roost at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was a fan-favourite at Camp Nou. He stayed with the Spanish Giants from 2003 to 2008 and won two LaLiga titles and one Champions League trophy.

As for Messi, he has so far won 10 LaLiga titles, six Copa del Reys and four Champions League titles. Messi is also a six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

On the international stage, Ronaldinho trumps Messi as he is a World Cup winner with Brazil and the Argentine is yet to open his international account. Messi although won the Gold with Argentina at 2008 Olympics.

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The excellent box office performance of SATYAMEVA JAYATE was one of the success stories of 2018. It catapulted director Milan Milap Zaveri into stardom and that too at a time when many thought that his directorial career was in trouble. Now the filmmaker is back with MARJAAVAAN, which also seems like a very commercial masala fare, like his earlier flick. So does MARJAAVAAN manage to entertain and provide paisa vasool entertainment to the viewers? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1041278 size-full" title="Movie Review: Marjaavaan" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Movie-Review-Marjaavaan.jpg" alt="Movie Review: Marjaavaan" width="720" height="450" /> MARJAAVAAN is the story of unrequited love, set against the backdrop of the underbelly of Mumbai. In one of the poorer areas of Mumbai, Narayan Anna (Nassar) calls the shots. He has an army of men at his disposal and the most faithful of them is Raghu (Sidharth Malhotra). As an infant, he was found abandoned and it was Narayan Anna who raised him. Raghu is faithful and dedicated and always in the good books of Narayan Anna. As a result, Narayan’s son Vishnu (Riteish Deshmukh), a three-foot-midget, feels very jealous and he detests Raghu. The said locality also consists of a brothel where one of the nautch girls is Arzoo (Rakul Preet Singh). She is in love with Raghu but the latter doesn’t believe in this concept. It all however changes when Raghu comes across Zoya (Tara Sutaria), a mute girl from Kashmir. She teaches him the power and importance of music and love. In no time, both fall for each other. Things go smooth until one day, Zoya witnesses a murder committed by Vishnu. Vishnu informs Narayan Anna about it who in turn tells Raghu to finish off Zoya! Raghu decides to elope with Zoya but he’s caught by Vishnu’s men at the bus stand. Also, Vishnu kidnaps two kids - Timepass (Om Kanojia) and Payal (Alina Qazi) – both of whom train under Zoya. Narayan Anna then gives Raghu two choices – eliminate Zoya and save Timepass and Payal. Or else, everyone will die. Zoya insists that Raghu should kill her and Raghu reluctantly does so. Raghu is shattered like never before and he’s arrested by ACP Ravi Yadav (Ravi Kishan). What happens next forms the rest of the film. Milap Milan Zaveri's story is dated and is reminiscent of the films witnessed in 70s, 80s and 90s. Milap Milan Zaveri's screenplay sets the film in the same zone. A few scenes are well written but one wishes this was consistent throughout the film. Milap Milan Zaveri's dialogues are quite over the top and some of them work very well and are clap worthy. Milap Milan Zaveri's direction is decent, considering the genre and space. Not many can pull off such a film but Milap manages. A few scenes are well executed like Vishnu’s entry, Tara and Raghu falling in love and in the second half, Raghu getting back in the revenge zone is a paisa vasool moment. On the flipside, the character of Vishnu needed to be more menacing. Also, the film dips at a few places and also becomes predictable. A few developments are not very convincing either. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Marjaavaan: Public Review | First Day First Show | Sidharth Malhotra | Tara Sutaria | Riteish Deshmukh</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/marjaavaan-public-review-first-day-first-show-sidharth-malhotra-tara-sutaria-riteish-deshmukh/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MARJAAVAAN has a bit of an awkward beginning. The execution is a bit weak and hence it takes a while to get used to the setting and characters. Also, the opening fight is massy to another level and audiences might not be prepared for such kind of masala. Usually, commercial movies are made in such a way that it can appeal to the multiplex audiences as well. But MARJAAVAAN is an exception as its content doesn’t appeal to the sensibilities of the multiplex viewers. A few scenes seem unconvincing. The manner in which the religious harmony bit is presented looks a bit forced. The intermission point is fine. The second half doesn’t start on a great note and seems a bit dragging. The action quotient dips as Raghu abandons all plans of revenge. But the scene where he decides to fight back is when the film rises again. The climax fight is massy as expected but also convenient. Sidharth Malhotra tries his level best and in some scenes, he does shine. But his performance is a bit weak overall. He should have gone really all out as that would have really helped. Riteish Deshmukh also gives his best and his three-foot height gives him a nice edge. Sadly, he’s letdown by the writing of the character to some extent. Tara Sutaria is lovely and without mouthing a single dialogue, she makes her presence felt. Rakul Preet Singh is credited in a special appearance role but she has a supporting part and looks very glamorous. Her performance is decent. Nassar leaves a mark. Ravi Kishan is okay but his dialogue in the pre-climax about the police force will be met with claps in cinemas! Shaad Randhawa (Mazhar) is decent. Uday Nene (Gopi) and Godaan Kumar (Shafi) are passable. Same goes for Suhasini Mulay. Nora Fatehi is sizzling as always. Music is soulful and peppy. <em>'Tum Hi Aana'</em> is like the theme song and well utilized. <em>'Thodi Jagah'</em> is touching. <em>'Kinna Sona'</em> is nothing great. <em>'Ek Toh Kum Zindagani'</em> is smoking hot and <em>'Haiya Ho'</em> is in the same zone.  Sanjoy Chowdhury's background score adds to the massy element, especially in Sidharth’s fight scenes. Nigam Bomzan's cinematography is appropriate. Priya Suhass' production design is not very appealing. Amin Khatib's action is very over the top. Akshay Tyagi's costumes are stylish. Futureworks's VFX is quite good, especially in making Riteish a three-foot-baddie. Maahir Zaveri's editing could have been a bit crisper. On the whole, MARJAAVAAN is a true blue masala entertainer. At the box office, it has the potential to impress its target audience in the single screens.

The Nirbhaya gang rape case of 2012 in Delhi shocked one and all across the country. What added to the astonishment was that one of the violent assaulters was a minor. It generated a debate on whether juveniles can be treated like an adult in cases where the crime committed is exceptional and of an extremely violent nature. Yash Raj Films’ latest offing, MARDAANI 2, also deals with this burning topic and coincidentally, comes around two weeks after a similar violent gang rape committed in Hyderabad sparked nationwide outrage. So does MARDAANI 2 manage to shock as well as thrill the audiences? Or does it fail to keep the viewers engaged? Let’s analyse. <img class="aligncenter wp-image-1051871 size-full" title="Movie Review Mardaani 2" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Movie-Review-Mardaani-2.jpg" alt="Movie Review Mardaani 2" width="720" height="450" /> MARDAANI 2 is the story of a psychotic rapist trying to challenge the police. Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) is now the SP of Kota, Rajasthan. In this town, a girl named Latika (Tejaswi Singh Ahlawat) attends a fair where she fights with her boyfriend Monty (Pratyaksh Rajbhatt). A mysterious person, Sunny (Vishal Jethwa), witnesses the way Latika blasts Monty. He has an issue with such outspoken women and on an empty stretch, he abducts her. He takes her to an abandoned place where he brutally tortures Latika, rapes and then kills her. Shivani is shocked with the violence but carries out the investigation immediately. At the press conference, she calls the murderer 'dedh shaana'. This hurts Sunny and he decides to teach Shivani a lesson. He sends her flowers with a taunting note. He sneaks into her house and steals her clothes and accessories. He wears her saree to trap a journalist Kamal Parihar (Anurag Sharma) and eliminates him, as part of the contract given to him by a local politician Panditji (Prasanna Ketkar). Sunny then smartly gets employed in the tea stall outside Shivaji’s police station. Hence he gets access to visiting the police station and even eavesdropping what the cops are talking about the case. When a kid, who had seen Sunny, comes forward to identify him, Sunny kidnaps him from the police station toilet and kills him. Shivani hence faces backlash for what is termed as a lapse on her part. She is transferred. But as everyone is busy with Diwali celebrations, the replacement is expected to take charge only 2 days later. Hence Shivani has 48 hours to crack the case and nab Sunny. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Gopi Puthran's story is excellent and serves as a worthy sequel to the first part. It also makes a nice comment on misogyny. Gopi Puthran's screenplay is highly effective and also entertaining. The way he has thought of novel ways to show the villain's sharp mind is seen to be believed. He could have avoided a few cinematic liberties in the second half though. Gopi Puthran's dialogues are acidic and work very well. Rani Mukerji's monologue during her TV interview is applause worthy. Gopi Puthran's direction is terrific, also considering that this is his debut film. He adds the required thrill and entertainment to keep the viewers gripped. Also there are sub plots in the film, of the fellow cops who don’t like taking orders from a female officer and of a politician using Sunny for his gains. All of it is brought together nicely. On the flipside, the film gets a too convenient in the second half. The antagonist is freely roaming in the city although his picture is out everywhere. Moreover the film has a lot of disturbing content. The scene where the forensic doctor (Deepika Amin) is explaining Latika's injuries will make viewers highly uncomfortable. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mardaani 2 | Public Review | Rani Mukerji | First Day First Show</strong></span> <iframe id="jwiframe" class="playerFrame" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/first-day-first-show/mardaani-2-public-review-rani-mukerji-first-day-first-show/?jwembed=1" width="800" height="340" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> MARDAANI 2 is just 105 minutes long and doesn’t waste time. The villain gets introduced in the beginning itself and the way he smartly traps Latika and then violates her shocks you. The astonishment continues as Sunny manages to kill Kamal Parihar as well and passes it off as suicide. The sequence where he abducts the child also keeps the thrill going. Post interval, one expects the film to drag but a surprise awaits here as Shivani finds Sunny minutes after second half commences. And it’s after this scene that the film drops a bit. The cat and mouse chase becomes a bit repetitive. Also after a point it becomes unconvincing the way Sunny is always able to outsmart Shivani and has thought ten steps ahead. The climax however is massy and viewers would surely break into applause. MARDAANI 2 belongs to Rani Mukerji and Vishal Jethwa. Rani yet again delivers a terrific performance as Shivani Shivaji Roy. It’s great to see how she understands her part so well. She is tough but she also has a sensitive side, as seen during her conversation with the forensic doctor and also in the very final scene. But both the characteristics look very organic and nothing seems forced. She also gets the action scenes right. Vishal Jethwa rocks the show and how! He impresses from the first scene itself when he breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to viewers. Surprisingly, he gets more screen time than Rani in the first half! Throughout the film, he gets the menacing bit perfectly. Tejaswi Singh Ahlawat is decent while Deepika Amin is fine in a special appearance. Other actors who do a fine job are Pratyaksh Rajbhatt, Prasanna Ketkar, Shruti Bapna (Bharti), Sumit Nijhawan (Brij Shekhawat), Sunny Hinduja (Viplaw Beniwal) and Richa Meena (Sunanda). Rajesh Sharma (Amit Sharma) is quite good as the reporter and his scene with Rani is one of the highpoints of the film. Mardaani 2 is a songless film. John Stewart Eduri's background music is loud but exhilarating. Jishnu Bhattacharjee's cinematography is quite neat and captures the small town feel to an extent. Sukant Panigrahy's production design is passable. Leepakshi Ellawadi's costumes are realistic. Vikram Dahiya's action is realistic. Shanoo Sharma's casting is spot on. Monisha R Baldawa's editing is uncomplicated. On the whole, MARDAANI 2 is a gripping thriller that boasts of an exciting script and bravura performances by Rani Mukerji and Vishal Jethwa. At the box office however, it will need a strong word of mouth to sustain.

Russian tennis beauty Maria Sharapova turns 33 on Sunday, but the celebrations already began for the former World No. 1, a day earlier. On Saturday, she shared this picture of a cake with her four million Instagram followers and captioned it: "This little piece of cake goodness arrived at our doorstep this morning [happy early birthday to meeee] and didn't make it past noon."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) onApr 17, 2020 at 5:18pm PDT

Originally known as a German tree cake, the Japanese got some skin in the game and crafted several versions of their own. It's one of my favourite morning coffee indulgences. Thank you, Yutaka!!"

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Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova has allegedly flouted the strict Coronavirus-caused lockdown rules in the US, where over 55,000 have died due to the pandemic.

According to British tabloid, The Sun, Maria, 32, recently visited some friends around Los Angeles with boyfriend Alexander Gilkes, 41, whom she has been dating since 2018.

Maria was photographed on Friday, relaxing on a balcony alongside another couple at a Manhattan beach pad.

The quartet were in clear breach of the two-metre social distancing norm that has been laid down by the authorities in LA where there have been 850 COVID-19 deaths
till date.

A few days ago, Maria had announced on Instagram that she was heading to a friend's beach house. "Last night, we took a sunset road trip along PCH, picked up lobster brioche rolls from @broadstreetoysterco drive thru and made our way to a friend's beach house," the 2004 Wimbledon champion wrote.

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Tennis stars like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, Kei Nishikori and others will participate in a virtual charity tennis tournament. IMG is the company coordinating the tournament titled "Stay at Home Slam" and it will be streamed on Sunday on Facebook Gaming and on the tennis Facebook page of IMG. Two-person teams will compete using the Mario Tennis Aces game on Nintendo Switch.

Competitors will play the video game from their homes across the country, and each will receive $25,000 donated to the charity of their choice, with the winner of the tournament receiving an additional $1 million in donation. "I am proud our IMG tennis clients came together so quickly to support a multitude of great causes," said Max Eisenbud, SVP of tennis clients at IMG as per the official website. "It is a testament to the people we work with across all our divisions that we were able to bring this to life in such a short amount of time."

"It's been incredible to see the creative ways athletes are using social media to support people during this difficult time," said Evan Shugerman, Facebook Athlete Partnerships Lead. "We're excited to be partnering with IMG to contribute to those efforts, which will bring some of the world's top athletes together on Facebook for an entertaining and impactful competition."

Legendary tennis player John McEnroe and popular YouTube personality iJustine (Justine Ezarik) will be commentating the matches.

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Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has revealed that fellow tennis star and World No.1 Novak Djokovic was once fanboying on her over dinner. During an Instagram Live chat with the Serbian ace, Sharapova, who called time on her illustrious career in February, said: "I remember we played this little exhibition. I was young, you were young, way before you had any Grand Slam titles. I don't know if you'd even won a tournament at that point," said Sharapova. This part of the chat was shared by ATP Tour on their official Twitter handle.

"We're not going to start hugging trees, right?"@MariaSharapova with the one-liners for @DjokerNole today. 🤣#tennisathome pic.twitter.com/bweyZMuJ2v

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 5, 2020

"You said that if you'd win (in a mixed doubles match), I would have to pay dinner. I was like, ‘Okay, whatever, who is this kid?'" Sharapova recalled. "You won and you were like, ‘We have dinner tonight. We're going to the Japanese place!' I was like, ‘Are you serious? You and me, going to dinner, tonight?' So we did. We ended up going to dinner and it was so funny because you pulled out I think it was an old Kodak camera and you asked the waiter to take a photo of us… and here we are," she further said.

"It's actually what happened. Maria is saying the truth," Djokovic said, laughing. "I think you were fanboying," Sharapova replied. Djokovic recently said that he was "mentally empty" and "confused" at the beginning of the ongoing freeze of the tennis calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The sport has been on a full stop for over a month due to the pandemic outbreak.

Novak Djokovic

Djkovic has enjoyed a revival in form after a slump in late 2017 and most of 2018. He was set to defend his Wimbledon title this year before the grass court Grand Slam was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War.

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Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep is a group of islands, 200–440 km off the southwest coast of India. These islands form the smallest union territory of the country. The Lakshadweep region has about 600 species of fish, 78 species of coral and over 100 species of other marine invertebrates. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the fascinating marine life underwater.

This year BNHS will be visiting the Tinnakara Island; The charming isolated Thinnakara Island is situated just opposite side of Bangaram island and share the same lagoon and are part of the Bangaram atoll. You need not worry if you do not know swimming; you can still enjoy the deep blue sea and move among the amazing corals, fishes, shells, shrimps and crabs. Most of the snorkeling will be in waist-deep coral lagoons.

Batch I: 3rd – 7th March, 2018
Batch II: 10th – 14th March, 2018
Batch Size: 15 participants only
Accommodation: Twin sharing in furnished Non Ac beach tents house on the Tinakara Island.
Camp fees: Rs. 47,500/- for members and Rs. 49,000/- for others (ex Aggati).
Cost Includes: Stay and food, Pick-up and drop from/to Aggati one snorkeling session per day on the island.
Cost excludes: Flight/rail tickets, all expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips beverages, camera fees, extra water activities, SCUBA, any cost not specified above.
Reporting: Participants to meet on Day One morning at Aggati Airport Lakshadweep 10.10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule) drop on last day at Aggati Airport at 10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule).

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After travelling for hours, people look forward to settle down in their hotel rooms, away from dirty transport and several air-borne diseases.

However, not many are aware that the sigh of relief is far from being true.

Hotel rooms are often filled with viral diseases and infections. In order to beat them, here are some tips to create a healthier environment in your hotel room.

1. Raid the bed bugs- Stripping down your bed of its linen and checking for bugs might do the trick. Travel and Leisure also suggests examining the upholstered furniture, curtains, and headboard for the little termites.

2. Ditch the bedspread- Just because bedspreads can be laundered does not mean they often are. Reneta McCarthy, a former housekeeping manager for a major American hotel chain, told CNN that hotels may not switch out the duvets when they are providing fresh top sheets. Your best bet is to play it safe and store the comforter or duvet in the closet

3. Disinfecting commonly used items- Carrying antibacterial wipes in your luggage can be your best bet. You can use them to disinfect most commonly used items such as door handles, light switches, toilet flushes, telephones, television remote, faucets, bedside tables and such.

4. Opening the window- Sometimes, hotel rooms are full of still air which is often full of air-borne bacteria - due to lack of proper ventilation and air circulation. Opening the window improves circulation and invites fresh air. Also, opening a window can help you adjust to the local time zone.

5. Avoid using in-room glassware- Try and use plastic wrapped cups or opt bottled water, if available. There are many times when proper cleaning and sanitisation of used glasses is not ensured in hotels.

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Meghan Markle

With the spectacular royal wedding drawing millions of viewers from around the world this weekend, it comes as no surprise to see that the bride and now Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle is on everybody’s mind right now. In the buildup to the wedding, much debate arose as to how the former suits star would wear her hair, and Saturday’s showing certainly didn’t disappoint.

Celebrity hairstylist to the stars Asgar Saboo provides his step by step How To Guide on how to recreate the hair Meghan Markle so beautifully pulled off, so we can all feel like royalty. And the best part? It takes no time at all, so why not incorporate it into your daily routine from time to time…

Step 1:
The secret to this look is to prep the hair to create the ultimate base with ultra gloss and shine. Commence by creating a centre parting in your hair using the end of a comb, ensuring the divide is strong and pulled back to the crown of the head. Blow dry your locks to get that glossy foundation which will hold and radiate all day long.

Step 2:
Add loose waves all over your hair with curling tongs, or rollers depending on your preference. Loosely wind the hair around the tongs to avoid any curls which are too tight or precise.

Step 3:
You then need to gather the hair into a low ponytail at the nape of your head. Secure it into place with bobby pins and make sure the ponytail is fixed and finished off with a frosting of hairspray.

Step 4:
Loosely twist locks of your hair around the tail to build this low bun, creating a voluminous 'undone' effect.

Also Read: Here's What Transpired At Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding

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In line with its efforts to help users identify original sources and authentic information on Twitter, the microblogging site plans to add new labels to the campaign accounts of political candidates, starting with those running in the 2018 US midterm general election.

The legitimate accounts of the candidates will be clearly identifiable with a small icon of a government building, Twitter said on Wednesday.

The label will appear on the Twitter Profile page of the candidate and alongside all tweets sent or retweeted by the account, Bridget Coyne, Senior Public Policy Manager at Twitter, said in a blog post.

Twitter is partnering with Ballotpedia, a non-profit, civic organisation that publishes nonpartisan information on federal, state and local politics to help identify the campaign Twitter accounts of candidates once they qualify for the general election ballot for an applicable office.

Labels will begin to appear after May 30 on the campaign Twitter accounts of candidates who have already qualified for the general election ballot for an applicable office, and provided Twitter with consent to apply the label, Twitter said.

Candidates running for state Governor or for the US Senate or US House of Representatives during the 2018 US midterm general election will qualify for the US election labels.

"This will continue on a rolling basis as states continue to hold primary elections and candidates officially qualify for the general election ballot," Coyne added.

"Providing the public with authentic, trustworthy information is crucial to the democratic process, and we are committed to furthering that goal through the tools we continue to build," Coyne said.

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Representational Image

Scientists have developed the first ultrasound-firewall that can prevent hackers from eavesdropping on hidden data transmission between smartphones and other mobile devices. The permanent networking of mobile devices can endanger the privacy of users and lead to new forms of monitoring.

New technologies such as Google Nearby and Silverpush use ultrasonic sounds to exchange information between devices via loudspeakers and microphones. More and more of our devices communicate via this inaudible communication channel. Ultrasonic communication allows devices to be paired and information to be exchanged.

It also makes it possible to track users and their behaviour over a number of devices, much like cookies on the Web. Almost every device with a microphone and a loudspeaker can send and receive ultrasonic sounds. Users are usually unaware of this inaudible and hidden data transmission.

Researchers from the St Polten University of Applied Sciences in Austria has developed a mobile application that detects acoustic cookies, brings them to the attention of users and if desired, blocks the tracking.

The app is, in a sense, the first available ultrasound-firewall for smartphones and tablets "The most challenging part of developing the app was to devise a method that can detect different existing ultrasound-transmission techniques reliably and in real time," said Matthias Zeppelzauer, who led the project.

Such ultrasonic signals can be used for so-called "cross-device tracking". This makes it possible to track the user's behaviour across multiple devices, and relevant user profiles can be merged with one other. In this way, more accurate user profiles can be created for targeted advertising and filtering of internet content.

Unlike their electronic counterparts when visiting web pages, up to now it has not been possible to block acoustic cookies.

"In order to accept voice commands, the mobile phone microphone is often permanently active. Every mobile application that has access to the microphone, as well as the operating system itself, can at any time without notice: activate the microphone of a mobile device, listen to it, detect acoustic cookies and synchronise it over the Internet," said Zeppelzauer.

Users are often not informed of this information transmission during ongoing operation. Only a permanent deactivation of the microphone would help, whereby the device as a telephone would become unusable. Researchers developed a procedure to expose the cookies and inform device users. For masking and blocking the ultrasonic data transfer, interference signals are transmitted via the loudspeaker of the mobile device.

Thus, acoustic cookies can be neutralised before operating systems or mobile applications can access them. Users can selectively block cookies without affecting the functionality of the smartphone. The masking of the cookies occurs by means of ultrasound, which is inaudible to humans.

"There is currently no technology on the market that can detect and block acoustic cookies. The application developed in this project represents the first approach that gives people control over this type of tracking," said Zeppelzauer.

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Denmark was found to have the heaviest burden of taxation as a percentage of the economy in a new study by accountancy firm UHY.

To the team of Equitymaster , I became a member in January 2016 and am very impressed by your website and the ideals you stand for. Making profit or loss is a different issue altogether. Taking calculated risks and playing Russian Roulette are two differe..

They insist for standing instruction facility for debiting annually.How safe is this ? Normally we are advised by bankers to authorize every time and giving this sort of standing instruction ...will it not amount to a blank cheque?..

Indian stock markets collapsed in early trade today...and while there was some recovery towards the end, we still ended deep in the red.

Here are 10 points to note...

1. The Sensex nosedived as much as 1,460 points in the first few minutes of trade. The Nifty dropped to a low of 10,827, down 442 points intra-day. The markets however trimmed some of the losses during the course of the day.

   There was a selloff across sectors along with panic selling in the smaller indices too. The BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices ended down 3.4% and 2.9% respectively.

2. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) decision to put Yes Bank under moratorium led to the biggest ever fall in share price of the private lender. Shares of Yes Bank fell as much as 85% to Rs 5.6 before recovering towards the end of the day to end at Rs 16.2, down 56%.

   The banking regulator has also put a cap on withdrawal at Rs 50,000 for Yes Bank customers.

   The RBI took over from the board of the Yes Bank for 30 days, saying it would work on a revival plan.

3. RBI's move had a ripple effect on other banking stocks, with some falling very sharply to begin with.

   Shares of RBL Bank fell as much as 15%, while IndusInd Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) dropped 7-8%.

4. The coronavirus cases outside of China have been increasing rapidly, making inroads into US, Europe and Middle East, which made investors more worried about global growth going ahead. And more recently, India too.

   Today, the number of cases breached the 100,000 mark.

   South Korea, Italy and Iran reported highest infected cases outside of China, while cases are increasing in United States and other parts of Europe as well.

   Note that market participants are seen taking a flight to safety as stock markets see a sharp fall post the coronavirus impact.

5. Overnight the US indices had recorded sharp losses. This was yet another negative cue awaiting Indian markets on open today.

   The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.6%, while the S&P 500 lost 3.4%. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.1%.

   During the day, as the Asian markets opened, there was further negative news... Japan's Nikkei fell more than 3%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200 and South Korea's Kospi dropped over 2%.

6. Foreign investors (FIIs) are on a selling spree. Reportedly, in the last 14 sessions, FIIs have withdrawn a net Rs 183.4 billion from Indian markets. That's a lot of money...a lot more than the domestic mutual funds have been able to pump in. The intense selling pressure from the FIIs could only have contributed to this sell off.

7. The Indian rupee today slid past 74 levels against the US dollar, increasing the risk-off sentiment.

   The rupee today traded in a range of 73.69 to 74.08 against the US dollar as compared to the previous close of 73.31. A falling currency is not great news at all.

8. Even as there was negative news all around, hope emerged from oil. Oil slid on Friday as worries about demand for fuel being reduced by the global coronavirus outbreak were heightened. The fact that there was concern over non-OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) crude producers not yet having agreed to cut output further to support prices helped in the sell off.
9. With today's fall the Index has lost 9% since the start of 2020.
10. While the day ended deep in the red, some stocks stood out. Bajaj Auto, Maruti Suzuki and Asian Paints were among the few gainers.

With stock prices gyrating every day to coronavirus related developments, the weekend must come as a relief.

Here's a look at how deep the impact has been felt in the global financial markets:

1. Stock markets worldwide saw sharp losses on Thursday, with the benchmark indices on Wall Street and London saw their steepest daily falls since the Black Monday in 1987.
2. In the US, stocks witnessed a sharp sell-off on Thursday.
   • Thursday's dive follows the intense fall on Wall Street seen throughout the week. The S&P 500 triggered the first circuit breaker of the week on Monday after falling 7%. This fall came after the crash in crude oil prices.
   • The markets bounced back Tuesday, only to retreat on Wednesday after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic.
   • At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down around 2,350 points (down 10%). The S&P 500 plunged 9.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 9.4%.
   • Stocks were deep in the red the entire session, which was paused for 15 minutes early in the day. Automatic suspension was triggered after the S&P 500's losses hit 7%.
   • On Thursday, equities erased their losses briefly after the US Federal Reserve announced measures to inject an additional US$ 1.5 trillion in cash into financial markets. The announcement, which came after European markets had closed, sent shares higher, but they dropped back by the end of the day.
3. Coming to the European markets now, the main UK index dropped more than 10% yesterday in its worst day crash since 1987. Losses on the UK's FTSE 100 wiped some 160.4 billion pounds in wealth from the market.
4. Frankfurt had its worst day since 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell, while Paris suffered its biggest one-day loss on record.
5. However, European stock markets rallied this morning. The signs of a US stimulus package helped soothe fears about an economic shock. At the time of writing, European indices were trading mixed. Shares in London were up 4.1%, while the Paris CAC gained 3.5%. However, the Frankfurt DAX crashed 9.3%.
6. Stocks in Asia also saw consistent sharp falls throughout the week. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed 6.1% lower today.
7. Shanghai was down around 1% as the number of new cases in China shrunk and people slowly returned to work in the worst-hit areas.
8. In Asia, circuit breakers were also triggered in many exchanges including India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines this week.
9. Indian share markets saw their biggest ever single day fall this week. The indices today hit their lower circuit limits within 15 minutes of the opening session. This was seen the first time in 12 years that trading in Indian markets had to be halted. The carnage didn't continue, however, as Indian indices recovered after major free-fall as trading resumed after 45-minute halt.
   
   From there on, it was an upward rally as markets went on to witness buying interest and saw their biggest intraday recovery ever.
10. On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, the worst fall has been witnessed by European markets. Here's a view on how the world markets have performed since January 2020.

US Markets			European Markets			Asian Markets
The Dow	Nasdaq	S&P 500	London	Paris	Germany	Hang Seng	Nikkei 225	Shanghai	Sensex
-27%	-21%	-24%	-31%	-33%	-32%	-16%	-25%	-6%	-17%

This worldwide crash has put March 2020 into the history books. Now, how markets perform in the coming days will be something to watch out.



This article (Worst Week for Global Stock Markets: Coronavirus Impact in 10 Points) is authored by Equitymaster.

Equitymaster is a leading 'independent' equity research initiative focused on providing well-researched and unbiased opinions on stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.


Full Article

Stock markets around the world witnessed one of the most painful correction phases in the month of March 2020.

Indian stock markets too mirrored the trend.

Here are six charts showing how Indian financial markets performed in March 2020.

1. Record Wealth Destruction
   
   

   In the month of March 2020, the Sensex fell as much as 23%.

   It is not the month where the market has fallen the most. That honor goes to October 2008 where markets tanked 23.9%, beating the 23.1% the market lost last month by a whisker.

   However, March 2020 wins hands down in wealth destruction.

   Wealth destruction of Rs 4.4 lakh crores back in 2008 pales in comparison to the Rs 14.6 lakh crores worth of wealth destroyed on the Sensex in the last month alone.

   March 2020 the Second Worst Month in History

2. Huge Selling Pressure for Individual Stocks
   
   

   Except two, all the stocks in the BSE Sensex plunged in March 2020.

   The decline was mainly led by banking stocks and financial stocks.

   Stocks such as IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, and Axis Bank fell as much as 40%-70%.

   Top BSE Gainers and Losers in March 2020

3. All Sectors in a Sea of Red
   
   

   Among sectors, all the BSE indices gave negative returns in March 2020.

   BSE Realty, BSE Bankex, BSE Finance, and BSE Auto Index fell more than 30%.

   It was a double whammy for banking and finance stocks that witnessed most of the brunt on the back of coronavirus outbreak and Yes bank crisis.

   Worst Hit Sectors in March 2020

4. Crude Oil Slumps Over 50%
   
   

   Crude oil crashed over 50% in March 2020.

   The fall was seen because of oversupply amid subdued demand.

   Oil prices crashed last month in what was the worst price dip since the 1991 Gulf War with Brent prices plunging to US$ 31 per barrel.

   Oil markets faced a double whammy from the coronavirus outbreak and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia after OPEC and other producers failed to agree on deeper cuts to support oil prices in early March.

   Shares of oil marketing companies such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), GAIL, ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Indraprastha Gas were in focus in March amid record low crude oil prices.

   They witnessed buying interest and capped most losses led by the stock market crash.

   In his latest video, Ajit Dayal shares his views on the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the oil price war on the Indian economy and the stock market. You can view the same here.

   Crude Oil Continues Free Fall

5. Gold Prices Shine
   
   

   Base metals also remained under pressure as lockdown imposed in several parts of the world curbed demand, pushing stockpiles higher.

   However, gold prices rose 3% in March 2020 as demand for the safe haven asset rose with market participants bracing prolonged uncertainty in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

   To know more about gold, you can check one of Vijay Bhambwani's recent articles here: Is the Price of Gold About to Go Higher?

   Gold Witnesses Buying

6. Rupee Hits Record Low in March 2020
   
   

   Massive sell-off in equities and bonds led to a huge fall in rupee against the dollar in the month of March.

   The rupee hit a record low of 76.32 against dollar earlier this week.

   Most of the selling pressure for rupee was seen on the back of slump in equities and currencies globally. Investors were concerned that support measures from governments and central banks may be insufficient to halt the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

   Rupee Continues Downtrend

So, that was a round-up on how Indian financial markets performed in the month of March 2020.

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Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday said someone must answer to the questions which are still unanswered in regards to the Sri Lanka Easter bombing last year.

"A year on we all share the pain of the families grieving lives lost, we stand with you and for you. We remember. So many questions still unanswered, but answer them someone must," Sangakkara tweeted as people across the world celebrated Easter on Sunday.

Sri Lanka celebrated a quiet Easter Sunday amid the coronavirus lockdown, while remembering the victims of the terror attacks that killed at least 270 people on the resurrection day last year. People largely stayed indoors and offered prayers from home with the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, leading an Easter mass from a TV studio because of the pandemic.

The attacks wounded over 500 and deepened communal tensions in Sri Lanka. The bombings, carried out by local Islamist extremists with suspected foreign ties, was claimed by the Islamic State. Police said that they have killed or arrested all suspects in various counter-terror operations carried out in the days after the mayhem.

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Temperamental Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was on Monday banned for three years by the PCB for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the country's premier T20 league this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended the 29-year-old in February pending an anti-corruption investigation by its disciplinary panel.

The PCB charged him for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of its Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents in February this year ahead of the Pakistan Super League -- a T20 event also featuring international cricketers. Akmal had decided against appealing against the charges last month. "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan," read a tweet from the official handle of the PCB's media department.

Akmal was suspended hours before his PSL team Quetta Gladiators was to take on Islamabad in the opening match of the 2020 edition. Reacting to the ban imposed on him, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said time has come to criminalise match-fixing. "So Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for 3 years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack asses belong! Otherwise brave for more!!"

Raja tweeted. Akmal is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 58 T20s, and 157 ODIs for Pakistan, and cousin of current captain Babar Azam. Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in October, has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20s, scoring 1003, 3194 and 1690 runs respectively. Akmal promised a lot after making a hundred in New Zealand on his Test debut, but failed to live up to the high expectations that came with some fine performances early in his career. Constant run-ins with the authorities also marred his stop-start career. Akmal had earlier escaped a PCB ban in February for allegedly making crude remarks to a trainer during a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has welcomed PCBs decision to ban Umar Akmal on corruption charges, saying the batsman has officially made it to the "list of idiots" and that people like him should be put in jail.

Umar has been banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board from all forms of cricket for three years after pleading guilty to failing to report match-fixing approaches.

"So, Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for three years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack a**** belong! Otherwise brave for more!!" Raza said in a tweet.

PCB informed about the ban imposed on Akmal on Monday on Twitter and said: "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan."

Umar, who has played 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is for Pakistan, had earlier stated in an interview that he was offered money to skip matches against India. He had also revealed that he was asked to leave two deliveries in a match by the bookies.

"I was once offered $200,000 for leaving two deliveries. I was also offered to skip matches against India," Akmal was quoted as saying by GeoTv.

Umar's brother Kamran reacted to the three-year ban, saying that he was shocked to hear the decision.

"We will reach out to every platform for justice and will definitely exercise our right to appeal," Kamran was quoted as saying by GeoTv, adding that there are instances when punishments of lower degrees were allotted for similar charges.

"It is incomprehensible that why Umar Akmal is penalised so severely," he objected, adding that a detailed decision is awaited in this regard.

Umar had not requested for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal after he was charged for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents.

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Australia batsman Chris Lynn feels that the T20 World Cup should not go ahead as planned this year in the country as it would be a logistical nightmare to arrange for the visiting teams amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to 'Fox Sports', the 30-year-old said that administrators would do well to accept the enormity of the crisis, which has claimed over 2 lakh lives the world over.

"My personal opinion is no," Lynn said. The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in October-November and there is intense speculation about the fate of the event given the current circumstances. "Obviously we're praying for it to go ahead but we've just got to play what's in front of us," he reasoned. Lynn then went on to list the many challenges that the organisers will be confronted with should they decide to move ahead.

"Having teams come from all over the world is going to be a logistical nightmare. "Hotels, travel, keeping the teams in the hotels for a number of weeks before the tournament is going to be tough work moving forward," he said. Lynn was also asked about the possibility of Australian players having to take pay cuts amid the financial crisis that is unfolding because of the virus.

"No-one likes to take pay cuts but I think for the longevity of the game you've got to be realistic," he responded.

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Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal could have a part of his three-year anti-corruption ban suspended when the judge heading the Cricket Board's disciplinary Panel gives out his detailed judgement soon, a source in the PCB has said.

After the hour-long hearing of the panel held on April Monday in Lahore, where Umar appeared himself to plead his case, Justice (retd) Miran Chohan announced a three-year ban on the batsman for failing to report corrupt approaches.

"People are jumping to conclusions about the three-year ban but the detailed order is yet to come out. Umar might eventually get a three-year ban with two years suspended or something like that," the source told PTI.

He said there are chances the judge will suspend most part of the three-year ban given the clauses under which Umar has been charged by the Anti-Corruption Unit and also given his past track record.
"Umar could get a suspended sentence in his three-year ban because this will also test him as an individual to see how he behaves and conducts himself in future," the source said.

"When majority part of a ban is suspended, the player has to be careful with his behaviour or he could end up being banned for the entire duration of the ban,¿ he explained.

Umar has the right to appeal against the panel decision 14 days after he gets a copy of the detailed judgement. His appeal will be heard by an independent adjudicator to be appointed by the board.

Two years ago, the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the PCB, headed by Lt. General (retd) Tauqir Zia, had also banned Sharjeel Khan for five years with half of the sentence suspended, which allowed him to make a comeback in the Pakistan Super League 5 in February.

Umar was suspended from playing in the PSL 5 on February 20 by the PCB in the spot-fixing approach case.

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Pakistan's discarded wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal is keen for his disgraced younger brother Umar Akmal to learn from the conduct of India's three superstars -- Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. Umar was banned by Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) panel for three years from all forms of cricket for his failure to report a corrupt approach. Over the years, Umar has had a number of issues which has left many following Pakistan cricket upset. "It has been a difficult time for us as a family with not just COVID-19, but with the situation around Umar. He can never be what the media says he did. He may have reported late, but PCB should deal with him like anyone else.

Cricket is our bread and butter. He has been dealt a very raw deal by the previous management (led by former coach Mickey Arthur). He needs a bit more support," Karman said on the Cow Corner Chronicles. The elder brother is therefore keen for his younger brother to learn and improve by observing India's superstars. "My advice for Umar is that he has to learn. If he has made a mistake, he must learn from others. We play together and our focus is only on cricket. He is still young. There are many distractions in life. But he must learn from say Virat Kohli. In the early days of IPL Virat was different and then he changed his attitude and approach. Look how he has turned into world's number one batsman. Then there is our own Babar Azam who is now in the top three in the world. "Then there are other examples like Dhoni. Look at the way he led his team.

Then Sachin paaji who was always away from controversies. These are fantastic examples before us. We should observe and learn from them. They only looked at the sport. Off the ground their behaviour was impeccable with their fans and they are fine ambassadors for the sport. We can only benefit from their examples. All this benefits our country as well just from looking at these guys, especially the current lot of Kohli, Babar Azam and Abid Ali," Kamran said. Kamran has played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is in his career that started in 2002. He last played for Pakistan in 2017 in the white ball format. During his career he has had a number of controversies both on and off the field. Most famously he had skirmishes with India's Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma. He clashed with Gambhir during the 2010 Asia Cup in Dambulla and later with Ishant during a Twenty20 International in Bengaluru in 2012-13. But Kamran says he has left all that behind and forgotten about it, as he referred to the Delhi pair as good friends. "It was all due to misunderstanding and happened due to the heat of the moment then. Gautam and I are good friends because we have played a lot in 'A' cricket. We meet regularly, have food together. It was all due to me not understanding what he said.

The same with Ishant in Bangalore. You know me I don't say much on the field. Both Gautam and Ishant are very good boys. We respect them and they respect us. What happens on the field, stays there," remarked Kamran. In recent times, Gambhir and Pakistan's retired former captain Shahid Afridi have had a number of social media tussles. Akmal believes Gambhir should forget all about the past. "Gautam should make a statement that brings the two teams and the two countries closer. I will never forget the warmth we got in 2005, 2007 and 2012 trips to India and vice versa. We should end this hostility and bring ourselves closer. We are drifting away from each other as teams and nations despite being similar in many ways. "We should be prepared to play in bilateral series. Either you come here or we come there. That is the only way to end this misunderstanding. Bringing up old topics will not solve any problems. Playing each other only in ICC events and Asia Cup is just not enough. We can build memories for a lifetime which everyon

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e can talk about for a long time to come and get the two countries closer," Kamran said.

England star all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his first ever half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder who admitted that the longest he had ever run was 8 km, will be running a half marathon near his home. "A half marathon is always been something that I've thought about doing a but never really got around to overdoing it. Obviously we have been in lockdown so I thought what a great option to go out and if I'm going to do it I might as well try and raise some funds for a good cause," Stokes said in an Instagram video.

Stokes got inspired by the efforts of three men who ran full marathons in their back gardens over the weekend. "I will be hopefully inspiring people to make some donations towards the Cricket Garden Marathon, I'm just trying to add some more funds to what they've managed to do for the great cause," said Stokes. "I've done absolutely no training, the longest distance that I've ever run is 8 kilometres. So, I don't even know I'm going to be able to complete it but hopefully, I can," he added.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year.

The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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England star all-rounder Ben Stokes on Tuesday ran his first half marathon to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder completed the run in the one hour 39 minutes and 41 seconds. Stokes who has played 63 Test and 95 ODIs for England completed the marathon near his home and made an appeal to fans to donate towards the foundation.

"Please donate! That was so hard! it's all for a great cause: the NHS Charities Together and Chance to Shine foundation if you can please go and donate," said Stokes in a video posted on Instagram. "Guys please check my story if you are able to help out and donate towards @NHSCharities and @Chance2Shine ..I've just competed a half marathon to support the 3 guys with their efforts to raise money who did a full marathon in their back gardens," wrote Stokes on Instagram.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year. The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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The oil market plunged further on Tuesday on concerns over a collapse in demand as the pandemic leaves factories, cars and airplanes idled around the world. The extreme volatility in energy markets highlights investors' worries about the duration of the Coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the economy.

That is in turn weighing on financial markets more broadly, including stocks. The benchmark US oil contract was down $4.78 at just $15.65 per barrel on Tuesday, having traded as low as $11.79 a barrel at one point. The drop comes a day after the price of oil fell below zero on Monday, partly due to technical factors as traders shifted from one futures contract to another. The US oil contract for delivery in May settled at -$37.63 per barrel on Monday, an indication that investors don't want to be left holding oil at a time when storage facilities are almost full and demand is at its lowest since the mid-1990s. The tumult in the oil market reflects uncertainty over where the world economy will head as governments begin to loosen controls imposed to contain the coronavirus.

"We could merely be in the eye of the hurricane as the epicenters of its rage remain centered around demand devastation and crude oil oversupply," Stephen Innes of AxiCorp. said in a commentary. "At a minimum, oil prices will be the last asset class to recover from lockdown" and only when travel restrictions are lifted, he said. Brent crude, the international standard, dropped $45.72 to $19.85. "The historic drop in WTI prices is an indication of the downward pressure which many other crude oil grades could face, given the oversupply situation," Sushant Gupta of Wood Mackenzie said. The volatility in energy markets unsettled stock markets as well. with Germany's DAX stock index losing 3.3% to 10,319 and the CAC 40 in France shedding 3.2% to 4,384. Britain's FTSE 100 declined 2.6% to 5,664.

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