GoanTimes July 05, 2019 Issue

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Friday, July 05, 2019 | www.goantimes.titosgoa.com | 12 Pages 

Government sends back 

“UNSATISFACTORY” CZMP 

Cabral said “In the interest of Goa and Goans, we have decided that as Environment Minister of the 

state of Goa I will write to Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) that the plan which is 

uploaded is not satisfactory and please submit back to the NCSCM and restudy and bring it back to 

us. So the public hearing fixed on July 7 will be postponed.” 

Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral 

has rejected the draft Coastal Zone 

Management Plan (CZMP) prepared 

by the National Centre for Sustainable 

Coastal Management (NCSCM). 

The public hearing scheduled 

to discuss the plan has also been 

postponed indefinitely. 

Speaking to the media after the draft 

CZMP was presented to the MLAs in 

the Assembly complex, Cabral said “In 

the interest of Goa and Goans, we have 

decided that as Environment Minister 

of the state of Goa I will write to Goa 

Coastal Zone Management Authority 

(GCZMA) that the plan which is uploaded 

is not satisfactory and please submit 

back to the NCSCM and restudy and 

bring it back to us. So the public hearing 

fixed on July 7 will be postponed.” 

Stating that the state is suffering 

due to governments in 1996 and 2011, 

he said “The Parliament passed the 

environment protection law was passed 

in 1991 and subsequently the Goa 

government approved a plan in 1996 

which had a scale of 1:10000. That plan 

did not have anything, neither survey 

numbers nor anything else. However, 

this has become the base map for the 

state for all purposes. The map was to be 

redrawn in 2011 which was not done.” 

He further said that the way they 

(NCSCM) have interpreted the law 

is different from the government. 

“I have come to understand that 

despite informing them on numerous 

occasions they have not paid heed to it. 

Their interpretation is that wherever 

there is saline water there are 

mangroves and therefore they should 

be considered as High Tide Line (HTL). 

But they have to understand that we 

Goans have for generations had sluice 

gates through which two activities 

have been carried out, one was farming 

and second has been fishing. But they 

seem not to understand it”, he added. 

Reaching out to the NGOs he 

said that the hazard line need not 

be demarcated in 2019 as it is not 

implementation and it's only for 

making disaster management effective 

in case of tsunami or something. 

“The GCZMA will write to the NCSCM 

that the draft is being sent back to 

incorporate all the suggestion made 

in the first hearing of the MLAs and 

then get it back for discussions before 

putting it into the public domain. We 

will come up with the plan of 2011 and 

the plan of 2019 as soon as possible. If 

needed we will meet the Union Minister 

for Environment to get our issues sorted 

out. Request everyone to see the online 

maps and then register your complaints 

with the GCZMA or with the Chief 

Minister or with me”, Cabral stated. 

Continued on Pg. 9... 

FREE TOURIST 

MAP INSIDE 

"Even Messi Can't...": 

Cow Leaves Twitter 

Impressed With 

Football Skills 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are 

widely touted as the greatest footballers 

in the world. But the two deadly 

attackers may have met their match in 

a muddy field in Goa, where a cow took 

a football and refused to give it away. 

In a video that has been shared 

widely on social media, a cow is seen 

standing over a football in a field 

where a group of boys are playing. As 

one of the boys tries to go around the 

cow and take the ball from behind it, 

the cow turns around and protects it. 

He then keenly observes the players 

on the field, before dribbling towards 

the camera. He stops after a few steps, 

before placing its hoof on the ball with 

the grace and authority of a footballer. 

Continued on Pg. 9... 

PANJIM 

1st Floor Panjim Residency, 

Panjim Goa-403001

02 World 


Australian PM Scott Morrison takes selfie 

with Indian PM, says kitna accha hai Modi! 

You know that selfie you take when 

you meet your friend after a long time 

and post on social media to tell the 

world about your friendship? 

Heads of states do the same. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott 

Morrison met Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi at the sidelines of the 

G20 Summit in Japan and took a selfie 

to mark the meeting. 

What followed the photo of the two 

beaming Prime Ministers was a sweet 

caption by the Australian state head 

-- "Kithana acha he Modi!" (How nice 

is Modi!) 

Adorable right? 

Morrison's Hindi tweet prompted 

Modi to reply in his mate's tongue. 

"Mate, I’m stoked about the energy of 

our bilateral relationship!" wrote PM 

Modi on Twitter. 

On Saturday, PM Modi met the 

presidents of Indonesia and Brazil 

separately on the sidelines of the G-20 

Summit in Osaka and discussed ways 

to boost bilateral ties and enhance 

cooperation in trade and investment. 

Govt rolls out plan 

to save water, says 

it will be a mass 

movement 

During his meeting with Indonesian 

president Joko Widodo, the PM Modi 

discussed ways to deepen bilateral 

cooperation in trade and investment, 

defence and maritime fronts. 

This was Modi's first official 

engagement on the second day of the 

June 28-29 summit. 

Soon after, PM Modi met Brazil 

president Jair Bolsonaro. 

Later in the day, the PM met leaders 

of Turkey and Australia among others. 

On Friday, PM Modi held bilateral 

and plurilateral meetings with many 

leaders, including US President Donald 

Trump, Russian president Vladimir 

Putin and China's Xi Jinping. 

The three countries, in a joint 

communique of the 16th Meeting of the 

Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and 

China, strongly condemned terrorism 

in all its forms and manifestations. 

In his opening remarks, PM Modi said 

that the trilateral meeting in Osaka 

is a useful medium of discussion and 

coordination on major global issues. 

After a long time, the three leaders 

met in Argentina at the summit level 

last year. 

"As the world's leading economies, 

the exchange of views between us, on 

the economic, political and security 

situation of the world, is important. 

Our trilateral meeting today is a useful 

medium of discussion and coordination 

on major global issues. 

Indian Railways 

speeds up 261 trains 

under 'Mission 

Raftaar' 

New Delhi: The Indian Railways on 

Monday said that it has speeded up 

261 trains, by up to 110 minutes, over 

different zones as part of its Mission 

Raftaar to provide faster travel to 

passengers and this will be reflected in 

the new time table in effect from July 1. 

A senior railway ministry official said 

that 'Mission Raftaar' was announced 

in the Railway Budget 2016-17 and 

envisages a target of doubling average 

speed of freight trains and increasing 

the average speed of all non-suburban 

passenger trains by 25 kmph in the next 

five years. 

"49 new trains, which have already 

been introduced, have been added in the 

new time table. These are one Vande 

Bharat Express train, 34 Humsafar 

Express trains, 11 Antyodaya Express 

trains, two Tejas Express trains and one 

Uday Express train," the official said. 

The Indian Railways has also 

maximised the use of rolling stock. 

The transporter has replaced 141 short 

distance passenger trains, especially 

having reversal en route, by Mainline 

Electric Multiple Units (MEMUs) and 

Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) 

in 2018-2019, thereby increasing the 

overall mobility of the system. 

The movement of 27 pairs of trains 

has been rationalized through 

adjacent/satellite terminals to obviate 

the need for reversal of locomotives. 

Rolling out its water conservation 

plan under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan on 

Monday, the Centre said it would focus 

its time-bound, mission-mode campaign 

on 1,592 “water-stressed” blocks in 257 

districts. 

Launching the “Sanchay Jal, Behtar 

Kal” campaign for rainwater harvesting 

and water conservation, Jal Shakti 

Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat 

said the plan would rely largely on mass 

awareness programmes. 

Jal Shakti Ministry officials said it will 

also involve focused implementation 

and convergence of existing water 

conservation schemes under the National 

Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 

Integrated Watershed Management 

Programme, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi 

Sinchayee Yojana’s per-drop-more-crop 

(micro-irrigation) programme. 

Pointing out that at the existing 

pace, India’s water availability is 

estimated to decline to 1,341 cubic 

meter per capita per year by 2025 

(from 5,177 cubic meter per capita per 

year in 1951), Shekhawat said: “We 

are staring at a water crisis. But there 

are also examples of states such as 

Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and 

others that have undertaken efforts 

to resolve it. Like the Swachh Bharat 

Abhiyan where the success had much 

to do with how it became a jan andolan, 

this too will be implemented through 

community-based programmes.” 

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03 Technology 


How casinos are using AI 

to spot big losers 

The house always wins — and now it has artificial 

intelligence on its side. 

Some of the world’s biggest casino 

operators in Macau, the Chinese 

territory that’s the epicenter of global 

gaming, are starting to deploy hidden 

cameras, facial recognition technology, 

digitally-enabled poker chips and 

baccarat tables to track which of their 

millions of customers are likely to lose 

the most money. 

The new technology uses algorithms 

that process the way customers behave 

at the betting table to determine their 

appetite for risk. In general, the higher 

the risk appetite, the more a gambler 

stands to lose and the more profit a 

casino tends to make, sometimes up to 

10 times more. 

This embrace of high-tech surveillance 

comes as casino operators jostle for 

growth in a slowing industry that’s 

under pressure from economic 

headwinds and regulatory scrutiny. 

In the world’s biggest gaming hub, 

where expansion is reaching its limits, 

two casino operators — the Macau 

units of Las Vegas Sands Corp. and 

MGM Resorts International — have 

already started to deploy some of these 

technologies on hundreds of their tables. 

Macau junket operator Suncity Group 

Holdings Ltd., which is building a casino 

in Vietnam, said it is planning to deploy 

a system where RFID technology — 

which uses radio frequencies to attach 

tags to objects — is installed on chips 

and tables, storing data on players. 

It’s not unusual for casinos to have 

surveillance cameras for security and 

to detect cheating, with Las Vegas 

operators utilising RFID-enabled 

chips that they can disable if they’re 

stolen out of the casino. But these 

new technologies go a step further in 

tracking and rating every customer, 

building up a treasure trove of data. 

“Those who can afford to lose, those 

who play even more when losing 

money, we can for sure offer them 

a free meal,” Andrew Lo, executive 

director of junket operator Suncity’s 

listed arm, said. 

There are three major companies 

supplying casino operators with 

the A.I.-enabled technology: Walker 

Digital, Dallmeier, and Japanbased 

Angel Playing Cards. 

While the companies differ somewhat 

in the technology that they offer, 

the general setup is this: gamblers’ 

betting behaviour is tracked through 

high-resolution cameras and RFIDenabled 

poker chips and tables, with 

the intelligence gleaned flowing back 

into a centralised database where a 

risk profile of the individual is then 

created. 

DeepNude app, 

which created 

fake nude pics of 

women, pulled 

down by its makers 

The creators of the deepfake app 

DeepNude that uses Artificial 

Intelligence-powered technology to 

create fake nude pictures of women 

closed down the app fearing "misuse" 

hours after it went viral. 

"We never though it would become 

viral and we would not be able to control 

the traffic. We greatly underestimated 

the request," the creators said. 

The app reported a number of crash 

alerts on Thursday. 

"Despite the safety measures adopted 

(watermarks), if 500,000 people use it, 

the probability that people will misuse 

it is too high. We don't want to make 

money this way," the creators added. 

"Surely some copies of DeepNude will 

be shared on the web, but we don't want 

to be the ones who sell it. Downloading 

the software from other sources or 

sharing it by any other means would be 

against the terms of our website." 

"The world is not yet ready for 

DeepNude," they added. 

The app had been on sale for a few 

months but its popularity skyrocketed 

on June 26 after several media reports 

drew attention to the app. 

The team did not expect such traffic 

and initially tried to catch up with 

the demand, before deciding to shut it 

down completely. 

The Twitter bio of the app describes is 

as "the superpower you always wanted". 

The software that the team created took 

photoshopping to the next level. 

DeepNude made that the ability 

to quickly digitally manipulate 

photographs of women, or in other 

words, "undress" them, easily available 

to everyone. 

The team made the app available in 

two versions. The free version would 

have a large watermark across the 

images. But people could upgrade 

to the premium version with $50 

to get images with a much smaller 

watermark on them. 

"We created this project for user's [sic] 

entertainment a few months ago. We 

thought we were selling a few sales every 

month in a controlled manner. Honestly 

the app is not that great, it only works 

with particular photos," the creators said 

in a statement late on Thursday. 

India reportedly 

wants to build its 

own WhatsApp 

for government 

communications 

India may have plans to follow France’s 

footsteps in building a chat app and 

requiring government employees to 

use it for official communications. 

The New Delhi government is said to 

be pondering about the need to have 

homegrown email and chat apps, local 

news outlet Economic Times reported 

on Thursday. 

The rationale behind the move is 

to cut reliance on foreign entities, 

the report said, a concern that has 

somehow manifested amid U.S.’s 

ongoing tussle with Huawei and China. 

“We need to make our 

communication insular,” an unnamed 

top government official was quoted 

as saying by the paper. The person 

suggested that by putting Chinese giant 

Huawei on the entity list, the U.S. has 

“set alarm bells ringing in New Delhi.” 

India has its own ongoing trade tension 

with the U.S. Donald Trump earlier 

this month removed the South Asian 

nation from a special trade program 

after India did not assure him that it 

will “provide equitable and reasonable 

access to its markets.” India called the 

move “unfortunate”, and weeks later, 

increased tariffs on some U.S. exports. 

The move to step away from foreign 

communication apps, if it comes to 

fruition, won’t be the first time a nation 

has attempted to cautiously restrict 

usage of popular messaging apps run by 

foreign players in government offices. 

France launched an encrypted chat 

app — called Tchap — for use in 

government offices earlier this year. 

Only those employed by the French 

government offices can sign up to use 

the service, though the nation has open 

sourced the app’s code for the world to 

see and audit. 

Google's next 

undersea internet 

cable will link 

Africa and Europe 

Google has announced its third private 

undersea internet cable will run 

between Europe and Africa. One end 

will make landfall in Portgual. While 

you might expect the cable would 

connect to Morocco, it'll run all the way 

down the African coast to South Africa, 

with pit stops in other nations. 

The Portugal-South Africa portion 

of the Equiano cable should be up and 

running in 2021. It's named after writer 

and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, who 

was born in Nigeria -- a likely port of 

call for an extension of the cable. 

Google says it has invested $47 billion 

over the last three years to bolster its 

tech infrastructure. Equiano is the 

14th cable it has a stake in overall, and 

Google's third private international cable 

project. The first, Curie, was completed 

in April and runs between Chile and Los 

Angeles. The other cable, Dunant, will 

link France and the US and should be 

online next year. Such cables are vital for 

connectivity, as they shuttle around 99 

percent of the planet's data traffic. 

The Equiano cable, which will 

be installed by Alcatel Submarine 

Networks, is a little different from 

the others, according to Google. 

"Equiano will be the first subsea cable 

to incorporate optical switching at 

the fiber-pair level, rather than the 

traditional approach of wavelengthlevel 

switching," it wrote in a blog post.

04 

Touristic 


Centre plans to establish a ‘cow circuit’ 

to promote bovine tourism: Report 

The board has identified the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, 

Kerala and Goa for the cow circuit. 

The Centre has planned to establish a 

cow circuit to encourage cow tourism 

in the country, The Times of India 

reported on Monday. 

The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog has 

decided that the tourist route will pass 

through places in the country that breed 

indigenous cows. The board has identified 

the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, 

Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, 

Kerala and Goa for the cow circuit. 

“We have so far focused on religious, 

recreational and adventurous tourism, 

but if we can link our cow tourism 

with tourism hotspots, we will be able 

to promote our indigenous breeds like 

Gir from Gujarat, Gangatiri from UP or 

Ongole from Andhra Pradesh,” Rashtriya 

Kamdhenu Aayog Chairperson Vallabh 

Kathiria told The Times of India. 

Kathiria said that products made 

from cow ghee, cow urine and cow 

dung will be sold at tourist places, thus 

promoting tourism. 

“We can run such centres at Somnath 

temple, Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma 

Gandhi, jails like Sabarmati Central 

Jail, Yerwada in Pune, and Tihar Jail 

in Delhi, along with spas and Ayurvedic 

healing centres in Kerala and tourist 

places in Goa,” Kathiria added. “We 

will establish over 400 such cow tourism 

centres across the country, which 

will begin with an initial investment 

of around Rs 2 crore per centre with 

public-private partnership.” 

The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog was 

established by an order of the central 

government in February. “The setting 

up of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog will 

lead to conservation, protection and 

development of cattle population in the 

country including development and 

conservation of indigenous breeds,” 

the Centre had said in a press release. 

In the jungle and 

on the hills 

Hostel stays @Rs. 1000 

* 

Kerala Tourism 

department 

launches mobile 

app to find a toilet 

Kerala Tourism has listed 750 toilets for 

travellers in the State Searching for a 

toilet need not be a worrisome experience 

in God’s Own Country any more. 

All that one has to do is to search 

it online on the website of Kerala 

Tourism or downloaded a mobile app 

and the details of toilets near your 

location will be available. 

Not just the location, the picture of 

commode, whether Indian or western, 

photograph of the institution, working 

hours and holidays, access to the 

public if it is attached to the hotel or 

restaurant, whether woman-friendly 

or not will be made available. The user 

can rate the facility. Some 750 toilets 

mapped on the basis of a field visit and 

survey have been grouped into hotel, 

homestay, restaurant, petrol pump, 

public toilets, wayside amenities, 

SIGHT SEEING SPOTS IN GOA 

RELIGIOUS PLACES: Basilica 

of Bom Jesus Church at Old Goa, 

Immaculate Conception Church Panjim, 

Mangueshi Temple, ShantaDurga 

Temple, Bodgeshwar Temple 

FORTS: Aguada, Chapora, Reis 

Magos, Corjuem, Tiracol, Cabo de 

Rama, Alorna, Nanus, Rivona 

BEACHES: Baga, Calangute, 

Candolim, Sinquerim, Coco, Anjuna, 

Vagator, Ashvem, Mandrem, 

Arambol, Morjim, Miramar, Dona 

Paula, Bogmalo, Varca, Benaulim, 

Need Help? 

Ambulance: 108 

Police: 100 

Fire Brigade : 101 

GMC Hospital 0832-2458727, 2458049 

shopping mall, museum/gallery, 

railway station and restaurants. 

The link will be incorporated to the 

official website of Kerala Tourism 

https://www.keralatourism.org and 

mobile app and the facility is to be 

launched in July, Director of Tourism, 

P. BalKiran told The Hindu. 

Modelled on the lines of the mobile 

apps widely used in the U. S, U.K and 

Australia to locate toilets, the intention 

is to provide precise information to the 

travellers, especially women, and the 

timings, and to make travel hassle-free. 

‘Toilet Finder’, ‘Where to Pee’, ‘Sit or 

Squat’ are some of the mobile apps 

available on both Android and IOS 

platforms. 

Availability of good public toilets is 

one of the most important conditions for 

tourism development and information 

on them is lacking in the State. 

The online tagging of the 750 toilets, 

including the ones available in 

public places, with geocodes has been 

executed by Invis Multimedia, the IT 

solution provider of Kerala Tourism 

for R33.04 lakh. The Working Group 

on Tourism that met on January has 

cleared the proposal. 

Colva , Rajbag, Palolem 

BACKWATERS: Mayem Lake 

WILDLIFE: Mhadei, Bondla, 

Cotigao, Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary 

Ribandar 

WATERFALLS: Dudhsagar, 

Harvalem, Kuskem 

SPRINGS: Kesarval, Pomburfa 

MARKETS: Mapusa (Friday is 

special), Panjim 

SPICE PLANTATION TRIP: 

Tropical Spice Plantation Ponda, 

Sahakari Spice Plantation Ponda 

District Hospital: 0832-2225540 

Women Police Helpline : 1091 

Senior Citizen Helpline: 1090 

Child Helpline: 1098 

Electricity Helpline: 1912 

Railway Helpline : 139 

Airport : 0832-2540796 

Bus (Kadamba) : 0832-2438034 

Vienna Tourism does 

not want you to read 

online travel reviews 

Vienna Tourism has a piece of advice 

for its guests - quit reading reviews on 

the internet (except ours, ‘cause we 

are awesome). So basically, you should 

not read any online reviews regarding 

cities and their experiences, which 

probably includes us too. But now that 

you are here, please do. 

According to reports, Vienna city 

has launched a travel campaign called, 

Unrating Viennais, which asks tourists 

to avoid reading online reviews. 

This also includes listicles on city 

experiences (ahem). 

The campaign website makes its 

point by saying that modern people 

rate everything these days, and we 

tend to trust someone else’s opinion 

and ratings when travelling. This, 

in turn, makes it difficult for us to 

experience the new. It says that this 

results in fewer chance encounters. So 

basically, a modern-day Before Sunrise 

is impossible if you go on reading these 

reviews. The campaign tagline says, 

“Who decides what you like?” 

However, the campaign does not 

completely refute the importance of 

reviews. According to Vienna Tourism, 

there are certain reviews that can be 

helpful and thoughtful (like our city 

guides), but often times some reviewers 

award one or two stars based on trivial 

problems. This creates an issue when 

others get influenced. So, a review is 

very much subjective to the person, and 

it would be better if travellers had their 

own personal experiences. 

Tito's White House, 

Opp Indian Oil Petrol Pump, 

Anjuna, Goa 403509 

Reservations: 

8938009000 

* T&C applies 

India holds road 

shows in US to 

attract tourists 

Aimed at attracting more Americans to 

explore the various facets of ‘Incredible 

India’, road shows are being held in 

different US cities to showcase the 

country’s various facets ranging from 

rich cultural and historical heritage to 

adventure and medical tourism. 

The four-day road show, organised by 

the government of India in association 

with industry stakeholders, received 

enthusiastic response from the US tour 

operators, officials said here. “The 

road show has reflected that there 

is a lot of interest among Americans 

to visit India and explore its various 

facets ranging from rich cultural and 

historical heritage to adventure and 

medical tourism,” Meenakshi Sharma, 

Director General (Tourism), told PTI. 

As part of its efforts to promote 

tourism, India has extended e-visa 

facility to 167 countries. In 2018, 274,000 

Americans visited India through e-visa 

facility. While single entry has been 

converted to multiple entries, she 

said existing restriction of allowing 

foreigner for visiting India for a 

maximum of three times in a year has 

been removed. The government has 

also extended e-visa facility for tourist, 

business, medical and cruise, she said.

05 Fashion & Lifestyle 


‘Stranger Things’ star 

Millie Brown wishes she 

grew up in the 80’s 

London: ‘Stranger Things’ star Millie 

Bobby Brown says she has always 

been jealous of people who grew up 

in the 1980s. “I’m always very jealous 

of everyone that was born in the 80s. 

They had so much freedom. They 

could ride their bikes around the 

neighbourhood. Nowadays I can’t even 

go out of the house too far, but even 

before ‘Stranger Things’ I couldn’t do 

that because it’s dangerous,” Brown, 

15, told HELLO! magazine. 

She said she also very fond of the 

fashion and music of the era. 

“The ’80s had some great fabrics 

too! The bright colours and the big 

hairstyles and fun and I love the old 

Coca-Cola cans. And this show got me 

into David Bowie,” Brown said. 

The actor also said that despite of 

being a public figure, she leads a life 

like a regular teenager. 

“I’m not in to diamonds and pearls. I 

go more for sneakers. I wore sneakers 

on the SAG Awards red carpet last 

year. I’m not trying to act like a 25 year 

old. I’m going to act like a 15 year old,” 

said Brown. 

“People don’t seem to think I have a 

childhood but my life at home is full 

of baking and burning cakes, going 

to the park with my little sister Ava 

and swimming. I have three dogs and 

a cat, so I’m also very into animals. 

I’m dedicated to my school work too,” 

Brown added. 

Monsoon dressing 

How to step out in style 

Relaxed outfits, jazzy trainers, transparent bubble umbrellas — 

make dull days of monsoon bright with your look 

Outfits: Pick fabrics that are relaxed 

and breathable. “Avoid fitted clothes, 

as they’ll only create discomfort if 

wet,” says fashion designer Nitin Bal 

Chauhan. Shivan Bhatia of designer 

duo Shivan & Narresh echoes this 

sentiment, “Free and breezy silhouettes 

not only complement the season, but 

also give one a sense of functionality.” 

Opt for comfy jumpsuits and pantsuits, 

short breezy A-line dresses, capris 

and shorts for women; and smart polo 

t-shirts, cropped 

trousers and capri 

pants for men. 

Fabrics: Give heavy 

denims a miss—they 

take ages to dry and will 

drag you down with 

their weight when 

wet. Polyester 

and nylon with 

their water-repelling properties may 

seem like viable options, but these 

synthetic fabrics are bad for your skin 

and the environment. Choose from 

natural alternatives that are soft on 

your skin and quick to dry. Designer 

Nitin Bal Chauhan suggests finecombed 

cotton, linen, cotton silk and 

jersey fabrics. “Modal, made from beech 

trees, is another great fabric for the 

rains as it’s super soft and breathable.” 

Raincoats: Ever since international 

fashion giants such as Fendi and 

1 in 3 LGBTQ 

Indians finding 

love through dating 

apps: Survey 

With securing equal rights and 

acquiring social acceptance being 

the biggest issue for the lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgender and queer 

(LGBTQ) community in India, one third 

of them are meeting people for dating 

or friendship digitally, either through 

dating apps or through community 

specific dating apps, says a new survey. 

While 18 per cent said they use dating 

apps like Tinder and OKCupid, 16 per 

cent said they use community specific 

dating and networking apps like 

Grindr, showed the survey by YouGov, 

an Internet-based market research and 

data analytics firm. 

The research showed that though 

the community is in pursuit of love, 

they are battling the problem of loving, 

marrying or parenting a child with 

the person they love with 31 per cent 

saying this is an issue. 

For 39 per cent of those surveyed, 

the biggest issue was acquiring social 

acceptance with those in the northern 

parts of the country struggling the 

most. At present, close to half of these 

people (47 per cent) admitted to being 

in a relationship and one in seven (14 

per cent) are looking to be in one. 

Surprisingly, the married LGBTQ 

members are more likely to use dating 

apps than the single ones, the survey 

said. In fact, the most active users of 

community specific dating apps are 

married and identify as bisexuals, with 

a quarter of them (25 per cent) saying 

they use these apps to meet people. 

“Social networks and dating apps 

are great avenues for the LGBTQ+ 

community looking for love. These 

platforms provide acceptance and the 

option of anonymity, especially for the 

ones who have not come out of the closet 

yet,” Deepa Bhatia, General Manager, 

YouGov India, said in a statement. 

Younger people are more likely to use 

these apps to connect with people as 

compared to the millennials, the study said. 

Moschino took the humble (read dull 

and gross) raincoat, gave it a design 

upgrade and got it runway-approved 

last year, it has become more than just 

a rainy-day accessory. Raincoats come 

in all kinds of styles now—transparent, 

see-through, with oversized pockets, 

scribbled-on prints, glossy and matte, 

and in all lengths, from short jackets to 

long trench coats. 

Accessories: Water-resistant Crocs 

are still the best bet for your feet when 

it comes to avoiding a splash of muddy 

water. Rubber muck boots are another 

cool footwear option, but designers 

swear by shimmery sneakers and 

spunky trainers to jazz up your attire, 

even on a rainy day. 

Casa Tito- by Ricardo is the story of an 

intrepid business traveller and designer. 

The brand deals with luxury goods with 

an international feel that have been 

carefully curated, and in most cases 

manufactured under Ricardos personal 

supervision. 

Ricardo- who is also Director of Titos 

Resorts and Hospitalities Pvt Ltd. now 

brings to you a beautiful Portuguese era 

Goan heritage house with contemporary 

world street cuisine and a cosy romantic 

Bar replete with Titos own Sparkling 

Wines and Spirits as well as some of 

the world s finest Alcohol. Also indulge 

in some sensual head and foot massage 

whilst sunbathing on our very private 

pool side Cabanas. 

Book our venue for Wedding/ Birthday/ 

Anniversary/ Corporate or private party 

Xim Vaddo Arpora, Near Hilton Double 

Tree. Mobile: 99235 86659 

Email : casatito@titosgoa.com 

Add a touch of funk to your monsoon 

look with transparent bubble 

umbrellas, cute waterproof phone 

pouches and hoodie caps. 

Take your 

pick from 

a range of 

handbags and 

backpacks 

made of 

polyester 

or PVC, 

with a plain 

transparent, 

bright neon 

or colourful 

printed 

finish. These 

bags can 

range in style 

from totes, clutches and slings to very 

stylish box bags and handy backpacks. 

Fragrance: And if you want 

to imbibe the true essence of the 

monsoon, then spray on some perfume 

inspired by that sweet lingering aroma 

of wet earth. Un Jardin Après La 

Mousson by Hermès and Mitti Attar 

by Aromazeia are two such rainy-day 

fragrances. 

Source: hindustantimes.com

06 Music 


LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift is 

not staying silent over the sale of her 

masters to Scooter Braun. 

In a scathing Tumblr post Sunday, 

the pop superstar writes she is sad and 

grossed out that her music catalog now 

belongs to Braun whom she accuses of 

subjecting her to years of incessant and 

manipulative bullying, referencing clashes 

with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. 

‘‘This is my worst case scenario,’’ 

Swift writes. 

Braun’s Ithaca Holdings announced 

Sunday that it is acquiring Big 

Machine Label Group which released 

all of Swift’s studio albums and owns 

her masters. Swift says she learned of 

the sale Sunday. 

Swift left Big Machine and signed with 

Universal Music Group in November 

because she says she knew that resigning 

with the group that had managed 

her since she was 15 would only result 

in her not owning her future work. 

‘‘When I left my masters in (Big Machine 

Label Group founder Scott Borchetta’s) 

hands, I made peace with the fact that 

eventually he would sell them,’’ she writes. 

‘‘Never in my worst nightmares did I 

imagine the buyer would be Scooter.’’ 

Braun, she alleges, got two clients, 

including Justin Bieber, to bully her 

online about a leaked and illegally 

recorded snippet of a phone call 

she had with Kardashian. She also 

references when West, a Braun client, 

Mohan sisters to team up again 

MUMBAI: After enthralling fans with 

their song, Kanha Re, Mohan sisters i.e. 

Neeti, Mukti and Shakti are gearing to 

collaborate again. 

Confirming the same, Neeti Mohan 

said, “Yes, we will be coming together 

for our next project, whose song we are 

currently finalising. My father wants 

us to do something like Kanha Re, but 

we don’t want to repeat the same kind 

of music, visuals.” 

“We don’t want to do a song of an 

Indian genre, but opt for something 

new age, we are still exploring,” the 

Kudiye Ni singer further added. 

Kanha Re, which showed Neeti and 

her dancer sisters, Shakti and Mukti 

dolled up in a traditional attire as they 

hummed and danced to the classical 

beats of Kanha Re. The song is a 

celebration of Lord Krishna. 

We will have to wait until the 

talented sister trio drops further details 

of their future collaboration. 

Creative Artist Agency 

Taylor Swift pens scathing 

post about sale of music 

rights to Scooter Braun 

Entertainment from A to Z. 

Russian and Belly Dancers, Jugglers, 

Fire and LED Performances. Aerial 

Gymnasts, Hostesses, Welcome Acts, 

Coyote, Musicians & Much More. 

BOOK OUR ARTISTS! 

We do Special Creative Acts! 

Fb: charizma.india | YouTube: Charizmaindia | Instagram: @charizma_india 

Email: charizmaindia@gmail.com | Call: +91 988 117 2149 

organized a ‘‘revenge porn music video 

which strips my body naked.’’ 

She writes that now Braun has 

‘‘stripped her’’ of her life’s work that 

she ‘‘wasn’t given an opportunity to 

buy.’’ 

‘‘My musical legacy is about to lie 

in the hands of someone who tried to 

dismantle it,’’ she writes. 

Representatives for Braun and 

Borchetta did not immediately respond 

to request for comment. 

Swift ended her post looking to the 

future and says she thankfully ‘‘signed 

to a label that believes I should own 

anything I create.’’ 

She also advocates for artist 

ownership of songs and hopes that 

the next generation will ‘‘read this 

and learn about how to better protect 

themselves in a negotiation.’’ 

‘‘I will always be proud of my past 

work,’’ she added, making sure to also 

plug her new album, ‘‘Lover’’ which 

will be released on Aug. 23. 

Music on the Move: Sony’s 

Walkman Turns 40 

A favorite playlist is one way to take the edge off a packed commute or liven up a 

training session at the gym. Today, many music fans listen to songs downloaded to 

their smartphones, but the original Walkman was the first device to make music truly 

portable. Sony launched the personal cassette player 40 years ago, on July 1, 1979. 

Classic cassette players: from left, the original 1979 Walkman, second-generation 1981 devices, 

and lighter 1985 versions using slim, rechargeable batteries. 

A Walkman Timeline 

1979 - The original Walkman goes on 

sale on July 1 at a price of ¥33,000. 

Explosive popularity from autumn to 

the end of the year results in repeated 

shortages. The first device has no 

Walkman logo. 

1980 - Renowned conductor Herbert 

von Karajan makes headlines when he 

says he is a Walkman fan. 

Aiwa launches its Cassetteboy device, 

the first Walkman rival in a soon-to-becrowded 

personal music player market. 

1981 - The second-generation Walkman 

goes on sale. 

The authoritative French dictionary 

Petit Larousse becomes one of the first 

global lexicons to add an entry for 

“Walkman.” 

1982 - The first compact discs available 

worldwide—developed by Sony and 

Philips—go on sale in Japan. 

1983 - Sony achieves one of its initial 

development targets by reducing the 

Walkman to the size of a cassette box. 

1984 - The Discman portable CD player 

goes on sale. 

Compact disc sales overtake those of 

LP records. 

Tripura to set up 

museum to showcase 

R.D. Burman’s work 

The Tripura government on Saturday 

announced that a museum to showcase 

the work of celebrated music composer 

R.D. Burman would be built. Chief 

Minister Biplab Kumar Deb conveyed 

the decision to singing icon Asha 

Bhosle, wife of the maestro. 

He requested her to inaugurate the 

museum after its completion. “I have 

also invited her to Tripura, land of 

Pancham da (as late R.D. Buram was 

popularly known) on behalf of the 37 

lakhs people of the State,” Mr. Deb 

said.“Ashaji accepted the invitation.” 

Commitment to arts 

The Chief Minister said his government 

was committed to promote the art and 

culture in every possible way. 

Members of the Tripura royal family, R.D. 

Burman and his celebrated music composer 

father S.D. Burman paid only a few visits to 

the State in their lifetime owing to the busy 

engagements in Bollywood. 

1986 - The Oxford English Dictionary 

adds an entry for “Walkman.” 

1987 - Sony develops the first Walkman 

smaller than a cassette box. 

Sony airs a celebrated TV commercial 

showing a monkey listening to a 

Walkman. (Choromatsu, the monkey 

appearing in the ad, passes away two 

decades later, in 2007, at the age of 29.) 

A Walkman goes on permanent 

display in the Smithsonian Museum. 

1992 - The MiniDisc Walkman goes on 

sale. 

1993 - Walkman products reach total 

sales of 100 million. 

1999 - The Memory Stick Walkman 

goes on sale. 

2001 - Apple launches its iPod digital 

music player. 

2007 - Apple launches its firstgeneration 

iPhone. 

2010 - Sony withdraws its cassette 

Walkman products from the market. 

2011 - Sony withdraws its MiniDisc 

Walkman products from the market. 

2016 - The high-end Signature 

Walkman series goes on sale, with the 

most expensive device selling for more 

than ¥300,000.

07 Clubbing 


Happy hours at Cafe Mambo 

| Mon | Tue | Thu - 6 PM to 11 PM 

(Buy 1 Get 1 Free on selected brands) 

Café Mambo’s Tagline “where the world 

comes together” is apt, as this is the 

place where locals, weekender visitors and 

international tourists all come together 

to enjoy a fun night out. It’s a chilled out 

zone to meet up with friends & catch up 

for a drink over some great house music. 

Café Mambo is within walking distance 

from Calangute. The café started as 

another run of the mill joint, gained 

immense popularity immediately. 

Club Tito’s offers an unforgettable 

Nightlife Experience in Goa. It is 

difficult to imagine a more idyllic 

setting for a nightclub than Club 

Tito’s which is situated on Tito’s Lane, 

a hop skip and jump away from Baga 

Beach. 

While the sun is still out you can’t 

take your eyes away from the lovely 

beach, the calm village life and the 

breezy ocean air. When it’s dark the 

lane comes to life and takes on a 

different form with loud music, people 

dancing and clubs and restaurants 

bustling with visitors both of Indian 

and foreign origin.

08 Cinema 


Soundarya Rajinikanth 

deletes her swimming 

pool photos with son 

Ved; Here’s why 

Director Soundarya Rajinikanth makes 

sure to take some time out from her 

busy schedule to spend time with son, 

Ved. Superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter 

recently went on a holiday with Ved 

and husband Vishagan Vanangamudi. 

However, Soundarya decided to share a 

few pictures from the holiday only now. 

She took to Twitter and shared a couple 

of throwback photos that see her enjoying 

in the pool with son Ved. Soundarya 

captioned it, “Teach them early ... and 

they learn to shine by themselves !!! 

#Swimming is an essential activity !! 

#TeachThemYoung #KeepThemActive 

#WaterFun #EnsureSafetyAlways 

#NeverLeaveThemAlone #Motherhood 

#Bliss.” 

However, Soundarya Rajinikanth 

had to delete the photos after she 

faced backlash for enjoying in the 

pool while Chennai is going through 

severe water scarcity. She immediately 

deleted the photos from Twitter and 

wrote “Removed the pictures shared 

in good spirit from my #TravelDiaries 

considering the sensitivity around the 

current #WaterScarcity we are facing . 

The throwback pics were to emphasise 

the importance for physical activities 

for children from a young age only 

#LetsSaveWater.” While some are lashing 

out at her for not deleting the same photos 

from Facebook, a section of Twitter users 

feel bad about how she has to deal with 

people for being superstar’s daughter. 

I’m clinically depressed, feel 

paralysed: Tanmay Bhat 

In a series of Instagram videos shared on 

Saturday, the comedian-writer said he 

sometimes gets ‘super worried’ thinking 

that his state of ‘paralysis is permanent’ 

Comedian-writer Tanmay Bhat has 

revealed he is suffering from clinical 

depression and is worried he might 

never get back to being who he was or 

“operating to my potential”. 

Bhat was under attack for his 

inaction in the complaints against 

comic Utsav Chakraborty during the 

#MeToo movement in October 2018. 

Last month, comedy group AIB 

announced that Bhat will step 

down from the post of CEO and the 

company’s YouTube channel is “dead 

for the foreseeable future”. 

In a series of Instagram videos shared 

on Saturday, the comedian said he 

sometimes gets “super worried” thinking 

that his state of “paralysis is permanent”. 

“After everything that happened in 

October, I’m mentally checked out. I 

Malaika Arora on Arjun Kapoor: You have a 

problem that I've found love in a younger man? 

Your problem! 

After divorcing Arbaaz Khan in 2017, 

Malaika Arora found love again in 

Arjun Kapoor, who is nine years 

younger than her. While the couple is 

happy and often seen spending time 

together, they received huge trolling 

online for their relationship. 

But this doesn't deter Malaika, 

who believes it is not her problem 

if people cannot accept an older 

woman dating a younger man. 

In an interview with Hindustan 

Times, apart from talking about her 

relationship with Arjun Kapoor, 

she talked about fitness, growing up 

and stretch marks. She said that her 

40s are her teens and she loves her 

stretch marks as they remind her of 

her "beautiful baby boy". 

She added, "But it is not just stretch 

marks. I am often told on social media 

that I should dress according to my 

age. What does that mean? You wear 

what you feel comfortable in and it 

Dangal Actor Zaira Wasim quits 

Bollywood, says relationship 

with religion was threatened 

Actor Zaira Wasim who gained 

national recognition with her debut 

role as a young Geeta Phogat in 

the 2016 sports drama Dangal has 

decided to quit acting. In a statement 

on Facebook and Instagram, the 

national award winning actor said 

she was unhappy with her line of 

work, and that she felt like she did 

not belong in the industry. “This 

field indeed brought a lot of love, 

support, and applause my way, but 

what it also did was to lead me to a 

path of ignorance, as I silently and 

unconsciously transitioned out of 

imaan (faith),” she wrote. 

In a long post shared on her social 

feel almost paralysed and unable to 

participate socially, online or even 

offline. A big part of my self worth 

growing up as someone who looked like 

me became my work. 

“For most of my adult I life I worked at a 

company that I was trying to build. Letting 

the office go, all the people who worked 

with us, having to say goodbye to that 

took a toll on me mentally and physically. 

Which finally came to a headway 

around the end of last year,” he said. 

The comedian said doctors diagnosed 

him with clinical depression and told him 

to “consider doing something about it”. 

is your personal choice! You have 

a problem if I wear something that 

doesn’t suit your taste, you have a 

problem that I am divorced, you have 

a problem that I have found love 

again, you have a problem that my 

media pages, Zaira said, “Five years 

ago, I made a decision that changed 

my life forever. As I stepped my foot in 

Bollywood, it opened doors of massive 

popularity for me. I started to become 

the prime candidate of public attention, 

I was projected as the gospel of the idea 

of success and was often identified as 

a role model for the youth. However, 

that's never something that I set out to 

do or become, especially with regards 

to my ideas of success and failure, 

which I had just started to explore 

and understand. As I complete 5 years 

today, I want to confess that I am not 

truly happy with this identity i.e my 

line of work.” 

The 18-year-old who was born in 

Kashmir said that because of her 

work, her relationship with her 

religion felt threatened leading to her 

“loosing all the Barakah (spiritual 

presence) in life”. 

partner happens to be younger than 

me. It might not have crossed your 

mind, but I don’t really care about 

your problems. I am not here to please 

anybody, let alone nameless and 

faceless people on social media." 

Kangana Ranaut 

and Rajkummar 

Rao's Mental Hai 

Kya renamed to 

Judgementall Hai Kya 

Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao's 

Mental Hai Kya has been in the news 

for quite some time now. Ever since the 

posters were released, there has been 

opposition to its name owing to the 

sensitivity that the title holds. A day 

back, Kangana met for a censor board 

meeting and post that, she confirmed 

that the movie will be getting a new 

name, and they are happy to comply 

with it, however, the movie has been 

passed without any cuts and they were 

thrilled to watch it. 

Now, according to the latest 

development, the movie has gotten 

its new name after all. The movie has 

gotten a green light from the board in 

the presence of Ekta Kapoor's father 

Jeetendra and Kangana. The movie has 

now been renamed to Judgementall Hai 

Kya and the trailer will be releasing in 

the week to come. A source told Mid- 

Day that the meeting went on for six 

hours despite Prasoon Joshi's absence 

and while the name has been changed, it 

has also been decided the several places 

with the usage of 'mental' will be muted. 

Balaji spokesperson confirmed the 

reports to Mid-Day and further added 

how considering the sensitivity attached 

to the issue of mental health and their 

intention to not offend anyone, the 

decision to change the movie has been 

taken and the film has gotten a U/A 

certificate with minor changes. Now 

that all is set, the movie will be releasing 

on July 26, 2019, as scheduled.

09 Goa! 


EDM festival to rock Goa in 

December after year’s gap 

PANAJI: After a gap of a year, the North 

Goa coastal belt will likely once again 

host an electronic dance music festival 

in December, at Vagator. Tourism 

minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Monday 

said the state government is in the 

process of granting inprincipal approval 

to Sunburn Klassique “so that they can 

start with the initial preparations”. 

“Later the state-level committee will 

decide,” Ajgaonkar said, adding that the 

state government will, however, not grant 

Sunburn permission as its organisers 

have failed to clear pending dues. 

“Till they (Sunburn) clear their 

dues, we will not grant them any 

permission,” he said. 

Sunburn resumed its journey in Goa 

after three years earlier this year, in 

February, under the name Sunburn 

Klassique after Percept Live, the 

wholly owned subsidiary of Percept Ltd, 

entered into a long-term collaboration 

with Goa-based Klassique to copromote 

all Sunburn events in Goa. The February 

festival was held on a smaller scale. 

Sunburn organisers have already 

announced that the festival will be held 

at Vagator from Dec 27 to 29 and even 

commenced early bird sale of tickets. 

When questioned about Sunburn 

organisers beginning promotions, 

Ajgaonkar said, “I am not aware about 

this. We are granting permission to 

increase tourism, and music is part of 

Goa’s culture.” 

The tourism department has received 

an application from the organiser of an 

EDM festival seeking permission from 

December 27 to 29, sources said. 

The tourism minister added that if 

the government wanted to promote 

Goa tourism at the national and 

international level, then EDMs were 

definitely required. 

Since 2015, the police department 

has been urging the state government 

not to allow EDM festivals during the 

last week of December, as it coincides 

with the peak tourist season. The 

influx of visitors adds to the burden of 

enhancing security arrangements. 

Percept Live, which conducted music 

festivals in Goa for a decade, shifted 

its event to Pune in 2016 due to its 

dispute with the state government over 

pending dues. 

Subsequently, Viacom18, which 

held its own EDM festival for three 

years, also withdrew. A new party that 

entered the scene in 2017 also turned its 

back on Goa in 2018. 

CZMP 

... Continued from Pg. 1 

Assuring that all the objections and 

suggestions will be considered before 

finalising the plan, Chief Minister 

Dr Pramod Sawant said “We will 

incorporate all the suggestions which the 

MLAs have provided and the plan will be 

redrafted and presented again. I assure 

that all the objections and suggestions 

will be considered. It is time that we 

prepare a comprehensive plan since here 

has not been a plan for such a long time.” 

Footballer Cow 

... Continued from Pg. 1 

The boys keep trying to get the ball away 

from the cow, but the cow manages to keep 

hold of the ball for a full minute and a 

half, which would put most international 

footballers to shame. One of the boys 

finally manages to distract it successfully 

as another takes the ball away. But the 

cow does not give up even then, as it 

expertly tracks the ball while the players 

pass it around among themselves. 

The video left Twitter in splits. "This 

is the funniest thing you will see 

today!" cricket commentator Harsha 

Bhogle tweeted, amongst many others. 

Baga - Calangute Road, 

Charlston Hotel Road - Ph. 9822176808 

Celebrate the essence of Goan food at Mirabai's 

Goan Village Restaurant & Bar and take home some 

wonderful memories. Founded in the year 2000, 

Mirabai's Goan Village is located on Hotel Chalston 

Road, Calangute. This place is one of the popular 

restaurants known for its warm hospitality and 

authentic Goan and Seafood delicacies.The simple 

menu features a wide range of Goan, Seafood, 

Indian, Chinese, Continental, Italian and Tandoor 

dishes. Lip smacking momos and sizzlers are a 

favourite among all the guests. 

If you really wish to taste simple yet tasty food, 

Mirabai's Goan Village is the place to visit. 

FB: MIRABAI'S GOAN VILLAGE 

Almost 50% 

fatal accidents 

in Goa involve 

tourists: CM 

Almost 50 per cent fatal accidents on 

Goan roads involved tourists, Chief 

Minister Pramod Sawant said Monday. 

Sawant cited tourists opting for 

rent-a-bike services in absence of 

unavailability of affordable taxi 

services as a cause behind accidents. 

"Hiring a taxi in Goa is an expensive 

proposition due to which tourists opt for 

rent-a-bike service. They are not wellversed 

with roads in the state and meet 

with accidents many a times. Almost 50 

per cent of the fatal accidents in the state 

involved tourists, who would have saved 

their lives if an affordable taxi service 

was available," Sawant reasoned. 

The chief minister was talking to 

reporters after chairing a meeting 

between operators of tourist taxis, taxi 

aggregator services and MLAs. 

Tourist taxi operators are opposing 

promoters of 'Goa Miles', an app-based 

taxi service supported by the Goa 

Tourism Development Corporation. 

"Goa Miles was started to provide 

affordable taxi service to the people. It 

is in the interest of Goan tourists and 

tourism," the CM said. 

While Sawant attempted to broker 

peace between tourist taxi operators 

and Goa Miles, the attempts seem to 

have come unstuck. 

"We want 'Goa Miles' to be scrapped 

permanently. The meeting which 

was called today by CM was mere an 

eyewash. The government should 

listen to our demands before we take to 

streets," said Chetan Kamat, president, 

All Goa Taxi Owners Association. 

According to Sawant, several tourist 

taxi operators in Goa also own a fleet of 

vehicles under Rent-a-Cab scheme and 

also have their bikes on rent. 

"There are some people who own 

as many as 50 cabs. Some people are 

taking undue benefit of the scheme 

which was introduced to provide 

employment to youths. There are 18,000 

bikes on rent which are owned by just 

3000 owners," the CM said.

10 Leisure 


Kombucha - the tea of health 

A 2,000-year-old fermented tea is now the favoured drink for health-conscious Indians 

The year was 221 BCE. Qin Shi Huang 

had already established the Qin 

Dynasty and was successfully reigning 

as the first emperor of a unified China. 

Lately however, he found himself 

gripped by an intense fear of death. Qin 

desperately sought the fabled ‘elixir 

of life’ and is known to have launched 

quests in its search. Legend has it that 

it was during this time a fermented 

tea was concocted and served to the 

emperor. It may not have been the 

magic potion he sought, but it came 

close enough. Over two millennia later, 

that fermented tea has captured the 

imagination of mindful, young Indians 

for the many benefits it bestows on 

one’s health and wellbeing. Kombucha 

is the go-to health drink this summer, 

and a number of homegrown 

initiatives are brewing their own 

artisanal batches for you. 

Brewed With Love 

Named after a certain Dr Kombu, 

a Korean who first brought this 

ocha (Japanese for tea) to Japanese 

emperor Inyoko in 414 CE, kombucha 

has since been consumed in Japan, 

Eastern Europe and Russia for several 

centuries. It was only after World War 

II that the West was introduced to it 

by a German doctor named Rudolf 

Sklenar, who revived the recipe to 

treat metabolic diseases and other 

chronic ailments. Over the last few 

decades, kombucha has enjoyed a 

revival in Europe and become popular 

as a beverage in the United States, 

Canada and Australia. 

Then, a couple of years ago, the 

fermented tea found its way back 

closer to its original home. Globetrotting 

Indians, who’ve had a taste 

Man cancels 

Amazon Prime 

subscription, 

Alexa calls him 

'shithead' 

In a strange albeit hilarious case, 

Amazon's voice assistant Alexa called a 

man "shithead". 

The AI blurted out the swear word 

to 29-year-old Michael Slade just a 

day after he chose to cancel his Prime 

Subscription. Naturally, Alexa's reply 

came as a rude shock to Slade. 

After this strange incident, one 

wonders if the assistants we rely on are 

really that smart. 

According to The Sun, Slade canceled 

his Amazon Prime subscription and 

asked his Alexa-powered Echo Dot 

Speaker to play some music a day later. 

When called, the AI responded by 

calling him 'Shithead'. 

Here's what it said: "Sure, here's your 

playlist Shithead on Amazon music. 

Sorry, something went wrong." 

The word 'shithead' was bleeped out 

but that was good enough to annoy 

Slade. When Slade contacted Amazon 

about this issue, the company's 

representative claimed they didn't 

of kombucha abroad and benefited 

from its nutritious qualities, began 

brewing it at home and serving it to 

family and friends. Word spread fast 

and kombucha soon became the trendy 

hipster drink in Goa and Mumbai, with 

several brands coming up to make it 

accessible to more people. 

One such early initiative is the 

Mumbai-based Bombucha, run by the 

husband-wife duo of Nitin Gandhi and 

Monika Powlowska. A practitioner of 

holistic living for 12 years, Powlowska 

first tried kombucha in Bali to recover 

from a parasitic infection. On her 

return to India, she decided to give 

making it a go. Thus, the concept of 

Bombucha was born in their home 

kitchen. “We would experiment with 

flavours and test them on our friends 

and families,” says Gandhi. “Their 

positive response encouraged us to 

showcase our products at the Farmers’ 

Market held in Bandra every Sunday.” 

Bombucha now retails an extensive 

range of flavoured kombuchas online 

and through supermarkets and cafes 

in Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, 

Pune, Ahmedabad and Udaipur. Their 

best-selling flavours include the light 

and fruity Beet Pomegranate, Hibiscus 

Lime and Mango Turmeric, as well as 

the delicate floral Smokey Oolong and 

Elderflower White Tea kombucha. 

In Delhi too, homegrown brands 

such as Atmosphere and Khukrain’s 

Kombucha are popularizing the drink 

as a healthy alternative. “Many people 

are increasingly tiring of the heavily 

sweetened artificial drinks and are on 

the lookout for refreshing beverages 

that can help them live a healthier 

life,” says Rebekah Blank, who founded 

Atmosphere along with her sister, 

know what had happened. 

"They kept saying sorry but they 

didn't know what had happened," 

he said, noting that the company 

apologized for the incident and paid 

him £5 as compensation. 

"I was a bit annoyed - five pounds is 

hardly enough for being called a s*** 

head," he said. 

Though the exact reason behind 

Alexa's rude response remains unclear, 

there could be two possibilities: a bug 

or playlist customization. 

Most likely, it must be latter as 

Amazon's spokesperson told The Sun 

that someone might have fiddled with 

the playlist name in Alexa's settings. 

However, Slade claims he didn't even 

make a playlist. Seems like someone 

else did it, perhaps for fun. 

Ariella, in the spring of 2018. Having 

started with two flavours—raspberry 

and lime, Atmosphere now has five 

different flavours that change seasonally 

for freshness of ingredients, and are sold 

through 25 retails stores in Delhi as well 

as online through their website. 

Khukrain’s Kombucha too makes 

seasonal variants by infusing various 

extracts from farm-fresh vegetables, 

fruits and flowers to their kombucha, 

thus upping the benefits of the tea 

with the added nutrients of the plants. 

“We don’t offer kombucha as a trendy 

beverage but as a health-giving food 

that can help cure various ailments,” 

says founder Achintya Anand, who 

has personally been privy to its many 

benefits. “We brew small batches to 

have more control over the process and 

our basic kombucha takes one to three 

weeks to make.” 

A Taste of Health 

The recipe for kombucha may be 

fairly simple—tea, sugar, water and 

SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria 

and yeast), but its workings are what 

Gandhi describes as “very elegant”. 

The SCOBY acts on the sugar in the tea 

to convert it to alcohol, which in turn 

is turned to acetic acid that produces 

the fizzy, tangy flavour so unique to the 

original, unflavoured kombucha. What 

this process also does is it packs the 

fermented tea with a host of nutrients, 

probiotics and enzymes that work 

wonders for your body. 

Wellness consultant Jia Singh says 

that kombucha can help protect the 

liver, reduce inflammation and bolster 

immunity. She says, “It’s a rich source 

of probiotics and is touted to be great 

for gut support. Today, most medical 

practitioners advocate that a healthy 

body begins with a healthy gut.” Anand 

adds that kombucha helps boost the 

immune system with its microflora. “It 

also contains Vitamin B complex that 

augments metabolism and Glucuronic 

acid that helps in detoxification.” He 

however, recommends that a first 

timer begin with 150 ml of kombucha 

a day and then gradually increase the 

consumption as your body adjusts to it. 

Singh, who has been drinking 

kombucha regularly for the past 4-5 

years, finds it particularly refreshing 

in the hot summer. She however, 

suggests caution in consuming it. 

“People with diabetes should watch 

their consumption to avoid added 

sugars in their diet. The caffeine 

content may be lower than in coffee 

or tea but it also has a low amount of 

alcohol, so pregnant women and those 

who are breastfeeding should avoid it.” 

It may not be the miracle cure-all 

that emperor Qin was looking for, but 

for those who drink kombucha as a 

refreshing health booster, it truly is a 

powerhouse of nourishment and care. 

As Blank likes to say, “Kombucha is a 

vacation for your body.” 

Source: hindustantimes.com 

Anand Mahindra salutes "Unsung 

Heroes" who brave Mumbai rains 

Heavy rains brought the city of 

Mumbai to a virtual standstill on 

Monday. Mumbai received the heaviest 

rain over a 24-hour period in a decade, 

which flooded the airport and paralysed 

local trains. In the midst of this, when 

business tycoon Anand Mahindra 

received his newspaper at his Mumbai 

home this morning - dry and on time - 

he took to Twitter to salute the "unsung 

heroes" who brave the city's torrential 

downpour to do their duty. 

Mr Mahindra, who is known for giving 

shout-outs on Twitter to people, deeds 

and innovations that catch his eye, 

wrote on the microblogging website: 

"Mumbai Airport runway shut, schools 

closed, train stations flooded, but the 

newspapers arrived in my house on 

time & dry! I have to salute those quiet, 

unsung heroes who brave torrential 

rain just so we can experience a 'normal 

day,'" he said while sharing a picture of 

his newspaper. 

His tweet has received over 6,000 'likes' 

in a matter of hours, along with hundreds 

of 'retweets'. Many have commented on 

the tweet to praise him for recognising 

the people who do their bit to keep 

Mumbai going during monsoons. Others 

also took it an example of Mumbai's spirit 

- unstoppable even in heavy rains.

11 Trending 


India is going global 

on Spotify 

New Delhi: Swedish audio streaming 

platform Spotify that launched in 

India this February is fast making its 

presence felt among the youth that 

is tuning in to artistes from across 

the globe. American singer Normani, 

Scottish band CHVRCHES and South 

Korean band Tomorrow X Together 

that are among the top 10 most 

discovered artistes on Spotify globally 

also figure in the top 10 list for India. 

Local flavours, however, continue to 

dominate the Swedish music app. As 

per latest data shared by the company, 

‘Top Hits Hindi’ is the most popular 

category on the service followed by 

‘Punjabi 101’, ‘Bollywood Butter,’ ‘Top 

Hits Punjabi’ and ‘New Music Hindi.’ 

Spotify had earlier announced that it 

is focusing on Hindi and English music 

in India, as well as Punjabi, Tamil 

and Telugu. The Swedish firm has a 

deal with Bhushan Kumar’s music 

label, T-Series, that gives it access to 

the latter’s enormous Bollywood and 

regional music catalogue, as well as its 

pool of independent music. 

Spotify has clocked in two million 

users in India. 

Dutch startup's R94-lakh 

solar car prototype has a 

725-km range 

Dutch carmaker Lightyear presented 

on Tuesday the prototype of its longrange 

solar electric vehicle (EV) 

dubbed Lightyear One. 

Lightyear One has 5 square metres 

(53.82 sq ft) of solar panels covering 

its roof and hood. The solar cells are 

capable of charging the car in the 

12-kilometre (7.5 miles) range within 

one hour. For as long as there is 

daylight, the solar cells can extend 

the drive, according to the company’s 

website. This allows drivers to 

continue on their trip without roadside 

assistance when the battery runs 

out. Lightyear says its solar cells are 

20% more efficient compared to the 

traditional model. The solar cells 

function independently and can power 

the car even when it is parked in part 

shade. 

The solar roof is paired with a 

charging port to get a maximum of 570 

km/h at a fast charging station. The 

car has a range of 725 kilometres. 

The Lightyear One is priced at EUR 

149,000 (R94-lakh) including valueadded 

tax (VAT). The reservation 

deposit for the first 100 owners stands 

at EUR 119,000. Lightyears says that 

future models it plans to develop will 

come at a lower price. 

Customers can expect first deliveries 

in early 2021. 

Amazon Prime Day 

kicks off on 15 July 

Amazon India's third Prime Day will be 

held between 15 and 16 July. During the 

48-hour long festival, Amazon will offer 

deals and discounts on its e-commerce 

platform and will also release a bunch 

of new movies and songs on Prime 

Video and Prime Music apps. 

The sale will go live at midnight (12 

am) on 15 July till 11:59 pm on 16 July. 

During the event, Amazon Prime 

members will receive a 10% instant 

discount on purchase made using HDFC 

Bank debit and credit cards, unlimited 

reward points with Amazon Pay ICICI 

Bank Credit Card plus, no Cost EMI 

opition on credit cards, debit cards and 

Bajaj Finserv EMI cards. 

Amazon Prime members would 

also have a chance to get up to R2,500 

cashback from Amazon Pay on domestic 

flight bookings made via Amazon.in. 

In addition to this, Amazon is offering 

cashbacks of up to R850 on using 

Amazon Pay with popular apps such as 

Yatra, Box8, EazyDiner and Medlife. 

A host of Smartphones, laptops, 

smartwatches and electronic products 

would be available on offers during the 

sale.

Estd. 1971 

12 Tourist Map 


FREE 

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ght seeing in Goa 

MAP NOT TO SCALE 

CAFE | MOTORCYCLES | RENTALS 

| 

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LIVE MUSIC EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY 

7 PM ONWARD 

CAFE - 9370918155 SHOWROOM / RENTALS - 9370918151 SERVICE - 9370918156

GoanTimes July 05, 2019 Issue

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