Opinion

A growing number of youngsters aspire to be social media influencers for fame and fortune. But experts warn about a narcissitic trend that can be devastating for youths. Wang Yuke reports from Hong Kong. If Hong Kong's big-time fortune tellers can strike gold by amassing a huge following over time, there's a group of young go-getters trying to take a leaf out of their book — social media influencers. But the luck and instinct that may guarantee one's success in any field of endeavor simply don't fall from the sky. It could be a make-it-or-break-it move. Kenson, 10, is nothing short of a toy influencer in Hong Kong despite his tender age. "I often come across strangers recognizing me on the street. They would leap at me, excitedly shout out my name and ask for selfies," says Kenson shyly. "I was happy about it but it, somehow, set me on edge." While many young YouTubers wallow in stardom and the glee of being lionized, being a household name is not on Kenson's priority list. ... » Learn More about Wallowing in stardom or a minefield?

(This story was first published in the Times of India on March 5, 2021) Mumbai: Indian universities put up a poor show in the latest QS global universities subject-wise ranking. From Maharashtra , only Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay figured in the rankings for several subjects. Neither Savitribai Phule Pune University nor Mumbai University made it to subject-wise lists. READ: Mumbai City Latest Updates For civil engineering, it ranked in 51-100 range and stood 41st for mineral engineering. Subject-wise rankings take into consideration H-index citations, citations per paper, academic and employer reputation. IIT-B director Subhasis Chaudhuri said, “We are happy to know that IIT-B has done well. We value the opinion put forward by the agency and appreciate that they have reposed faith in the quality of education and research at IIT-B. Nonetheless, any effort to singularly quantify quality of education provided by a higher education institute ... » Learn More about Mumbai: Only IIT-Bombay from Maharashtra in global ranking

There is nothing unusual in the proposed requirement that positions of authority in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region only be occupied by patriots. Yet the move to initiate reform in the SAR's electoral system to ensure that is the case has undeniably ruffled the feathers of some politicians and media outlets in the West. Their response to the proposed move to provide a firm guarantee for the implementation of the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong", which was first mooted a few weeks ago, has been the same as it was when the national security law for Hong Kong was in the works. Mired in either ideological bigotry or with an eye on geopolitics, these Western politicians and media outlets have been assailing Beijing and decrying the patriotism requirement as an erosion of Hong Kong's "freedoms" even before the legislative process began on Thursday. Their handwringing is because the reform will close the clear loopholes and shortcomings in the electoral system ... » Learn More about HK’s electoral system reform to safeguard prosperity, stability: China Daily editorial

Video Player Close BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday unveiled a draft blueprint for economic and social development over the next five years and clarified the long-range objectives through the year 2035, setting policy priorities for a new development stage that is crucial for the country to achieve socialist modernization. The document, which is being reviewed by the ongoing annual session of the country's top legislature, listed major social and economic goals for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period. The five-year plans are an important mechanism initiated in the 1950s, which has navigated the country through economic ups and downs, as well as changes in the external environment, helping China secure a major increase in the strength of the nation and its social and economic development. Last year, the country's gross domestic product exceeded the threshold of 100 trillion yuan (15.4 trillion U.S. dollars) to reach 101.5986 trillion yuan. The figure ... » Learn More about News Analysis: How China’s five-year plans catalyze its rejuvenation

Actress Pratiksha Jadhav, who rose to fame as Manjula in the show Devmanus, is now playing the role of Pammi in Tuza Maza Jamtay . Apurva Nemlekar left the show midway and Pratiksha Jadhav stepped into her shoes. Pratiksha always wanted to work on a television show because, according to her, an actor could reach the masses more through the television medium.The actress spoke about her show, character, why her parents objected to her acting aspirations and more. Talking about playing Pammi, Pratiksha said, "Playing Pammi is a big responsibility, and I am working hard for it. Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee inspire me to play Pammi on-screen. I am happy to have got yet another popular role after Manjula. I am trying to do full justice to this role of Pammi. Once again, I am very excited to be in front of the audience in a new role." She further shared that her parents once objected to her acting plans. She said, "We actors get the chance to ... » Learn More about Tuza Maza Jamtay actress Pratiksha Jadhav: My family initially objected to my acting aspirations fearing the glamour industry

'The police had cautioned me that there could be some 'trouble' in Dhaka by the end of June.' "I t's time Sheikh Hasina accepts that the militants who attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka had connections with Islamic State," Anizzujaman , Professor Emeritus of Bengali at Dhaka University, tells Rediff.com 's Indrani Roy over the telephone from Dhaka. A resident of Gulshan, the area where the attack took place, Professor Anizzujaman, who has actively supported the cause of atheist bloggers in Bangladesh, received a death threat on his mobile in November after which the government provided him with a bodyguard. Professor Anizzujaman, below, left , believes the Bangladesh government should not waste time debating if the terrorists had connections with IS and instead track down the terror trail without delay. Gulshan is a high security area. Do you think an attack of this magnitude means there was a serious lapse on the administration's part? I ... » Learn More about ‘Time to accept that Dhaka attackers had an IS link’

#Haryana Haryana Civil Service exam dates: Apply online for 156 vacancies #Haryana 75% reservation in pvt sector jobs: Haryana Governor accords assent #Haryana Haryana to reserve 75% quota for locals in private sector jobs #Haryana Farmers' Protest: Congress to bring no-confidence motion against Haryana govt #Haryana Robbery at Haryana BJP leader's house, jewellery, cash, gun stolen #Haryana Haryana govt gets HC notice in labour rights activist case For Quick Alerts Subscribe Now Actor Mithun Chakraborty may join BJP at PM Modi's Kolkata rally on Mar 7 View Sample For Quick Alerts ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS For Daily Alerts Just In 10 min ago Maharashtra records over 10,000 Covid cases first time since Oct 32 min ago 114 new faces in TMC candidate list; party looking to beat anti-incumbency 36 min ago Samyukta Kisan Morcha seeks judicial ... » Learn More about Cong to move no-confidence against Haryana govt on March 10

Next O ver six decades after his death, freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose remains one of the most intriguing figures of India's Independence struggle. In his recently released book His Majesty's Opponent , Harvard historian and Netaji's grand nephew Sugata Bose chronicles his fascinating life, revealing some little known facts about the great leader and revisiting some of the most landmark events of his life. Here's the chat transcript: V asks: Why did Netaji resign from the Congress presidentship even after he won against Jawaharlal Nehru. Wasn't it an emotion decision and a bad one at that? Sugata Bose says: Netaji resigned because Mahatma Gandhi would not suggest names for the Congress Working Committee as required by a resolution passed at the Tripuri Congress. As he put it, he resigned in a helpful spirit. It may have been partly an emotional decision, but it paved the way for him becoming Netaji by raising the Indian National ... » Learn More about ‘Netaji would have done his best to stop partition’

'If the State does want to come after you, in India, it can do pretty much anything. And often it isn't as though the orders are coming from the President or prime minister, no, the systems have been built in a way -- or we have allowed them to be built in a way -- that almost encourages crushing of liberties.' 'Ekta Kapoor understands things a lot better than anybody else. Absolutely a genius... She tapped into this quite early: That post liberalisation there is a relatively moneyed and large middle class which actually thinks in a very kind of saas-bahu way.' Avirook Sen speaks to Vaihayasi P Daniel/ Rediff.com about his book Aarushi , and the murder trial that transfixed India. F our people -- including a 13-year-old child with a shining face and glowing eyes that shall never sparkle again -- paid with their lives for a repugnant crime that took place in a middle-class locality in Noida, outside New Delhi, in 2008. As a nation, we firmly believed ... » Learn More about Aarushi’s murder trial and a tale about India

A sharply divided U.S. Senate will begin a contentious debate on Friday on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill that is President Joe Biden 's first major legislative initiative, with Democrats pressing ahead without any Republican support. The Senate voted on Thursday to take up the bill in a party-line 51-50 vote, with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. But Republicans delayed the start of the debate by forcing the hours-long reading of the full text of the 628-page measure. The Senate is expected to debate the bill three hours on Friday before considering a multitude of amendments, which could require a marathon voting session, before taking a vote on final passage in a process that could extend into the weekend. Republicans are expected to use procedural maneuvers to slow the process. If the Senate approves the bill, it will have to be sent back to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for final passage. Democrats hope Biden can ... » Learn More about Debate to begin in US Senate on Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill