Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has announced that he has no plans of changing his playing style or adding "fancy shots" to his arsenal for the Indian Premier League (IPL), ahead of the World Test Championship final. Scoring 538 runs from 13 matches, Kohli has a modest strike rate of 135.85 for a top-order batter, hitting 15 sixes compared with Faf du Plessis's 36 and teammate Glenn Maxwell's 30. Some have criticized his playing style and lack of sixes, but Kohli stated that his strategy was to win games for his team for an all-around performance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led people to use a variety of body parts to press buttons at pedestrian crossings, including elbows, knees, feet, and even a dog's paw. This has arisen due to people's fear of the buttons being a source of infection. Some councils are installing contactless buttons to eliminate this risk. However, people should only comment if the alternative is more disgusting than using the button with a finger.
Musician Tom Speight has discussed the impact of Crohn's disease on his life, as World Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Day was marked this week. The artist was diagnosed with the condition, which causes severe inflammation in the gut, 15 years ago and underwent surgery and stoma connection to remove affected tissue. For World Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Day, Speight de-bunked ten misconceptions around living with a stoma, which many people require after surgery to remove pelvic area cancers or for inflammatory bowel diseases. These include that sexual function is affected, that swimming is impossible, that the operation is restricted to elderly people and that physical exercise is dangerous.
James Anderson, bowler for the England cricket team, has expressed confidence that the squad can perform at a level that's "nobody in the world can cope with" ahead of this year's Ashes. Anderson singled out England captain, Ben Stokes, for praise, calling him a "born leader" that is "completely different from any captain I've ever played with before." With the series just around the corner, Anderson's bullish mood and the squad's ten wins in their past twelve tests will put them in good stead to secure their fifth series win in Australia.
Martha Stewart who became the oldest person ever to grace the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine cover has said she has had a few inquires from potential love interests. Speaking at SI's party in New York City earlier this week, the 81-year-old acknowledged the attention but said she was not really looking for a relationship as she was focused on other priorities. Dennouncing the claims that the images were "over-touching", Stewart said she had "absolutely no plastic surgery whatsoever".
Wales flanker Justin Tipuric has retired from international rugby with immediate effect, less than four months before Wales' World Cup opener against Fiji. Tipuric made his international debut in 2011 and played an integral role in Wales' teams for more than a decade, helping the country win four Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams. Tipuric was recently named in a 54-player preliminary training squad for the tournament by head coach Warren Gatland.
Brianna Bell, author of The Globe and Mail, discusses her frustration growing up with her father’s surname instead of her mother’s maiden name, which was Maltese. Bell describes the influence of Maltese culture on her life and the importance of passing on that heritage, saying that she wishes she had taken the opportunity to legally adopt both her husband’s name and the name she had always wanted. While she feels her Maltese roots are fading away, she considers referring to herself as Brianna Zerafa Bell in recognition of her late mother's name.
Gareth Southgate believes it is vital not to stifle his players from celebrating their ties to other countries, as the England boss not only wants to ensure his squad is proud to play for England, but also of their heritage. Southgate’s embrace of multiculturalism extends to team mealtimes centred around cuisines from different cultures and countries. Southgate has actively involved himself in conversations about racism following racist abuse aimed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after they missed penalties in England’s Euro 2020 final shoot-out to Italy.
The popularity of interactive chatbot, ChatGPT, raises questions about how the way we treat machines may influence our behaviour towards humans, according to Derek Ruths, a professor in computer science. Ruths questions the impact of AI-powered technology that increasingly blurs the line between human and machine and may be indistinguishable from human companions in the future. Ruths believes our conduct with AI should be kind and appreciative, fearing a lack of civility towards machines could filter into our behaviour toward fellow humans, while understanding the "profoundly confusing" effect their increasing use may have on human communication patterns.
Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc has questioned whether England's aggressive batting will hold up in the forthcoming Ashes series. Speaking ahead of the contest, which begins on 1 December, Starc suggested the ambitious swing-for-the-fences approach adopted by the likes of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow might prove ineffective if England got off to a bad start. He also rejected suggestions that England curators could spur on home batsmen with flat pitches, saying that "fast wickets" are rare in England. The Australians are unwilling to alter their own style of play to counter England's game, said Starc.
A key reason is that the Australians feel they have a solid team that matches up well with England. Captain Pat Cummins insists he wants his side to play to their strengths rather than adapting to England’s firepower. Complicating things further for England is the fact that the Australians are not easily spooked by anyone, least of all the idea of conceding runs to England’s aggressive style. Nathan Lyon - the Australian record-breaking spinner - has been hit for six on close to 300 occasions, yet refuses to be distracted by it.
England, meanwhile, have had three defeats from three against Australia in 2021, but are keen to adopt an aggressive approach. The current side, with newcomers Ian Bell and Jason Roy included, is not the same team that lost heavily 4-0 the last time the two sides met in Australia. Nevertheless, Australian players do not seem to think England has changed this much. Paceman Josh Hazelwood, for example, alludes to the fact that England are “basically the same team” that were massacred in the 2017/18 tour.
The Australian cricket team believes England may not be able to continue with their current batting style in the Ashes series, suggesting England's success may be partly due to playing on slower wickets. The Australian team is confident of a win in the Ashes, with the likes of Mitchell Starc commenting that he doubts England will still continue to play their attacking style when they are five wickets down because it requires a lot of confidence and ability.engl It will be interesting to see how the two teams play come the first of five Tests in Brisbane, Australia on 23 November.
Blur bassist Alex James has announced the band are preparing to release their ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren, on 21 July, eight years after the previous record. The first single from the album, The Narcissist, is already available, and James said his experience recording the album had been "emotional". Blur will play a series of UK and European shows over the summer, culminating in two major performances at London's Wembley Stadium.
Club professional, Michael Block, has claimed he can contend for victory in the US PGA Championship after carding a second consecutive 70 to sit level par at Oak Hill. The American is one shot behind early clubhouse leader, Justin Rose and playing partner Taylor Pendrith. The 46-year-old, who is head pro at California's Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, is one of 20 PGA professionals in the field in Rochester. Although world number two Scottie Scheffler had started his second round strongly with birdies on the first and second holes to move top of the leaderboard on five under.
Tottenham’s Ryan Mason has defended forward Richarlison against ridicule by Premier League players Michail Antonio and Callum Wilson on their podcast. The Brazilian striker has managed only three goals in his debut season at Spurs, but Mason said his lack of confidence could be due to fitness issues and called his commitment to the team “his own pride and his own determination”. Mason said he disapproved of mockery between professionals, criticised both players for their behaviour and said he had hope that Richarlison could make an impact on his debut season before pre-season begins.
Mr & Mrs Smith, the boutique hotel booking platform, has been sold to US hotel firm Hyatt for £53m ($70m). The UK-based business was founded 17 years ago by Tamara and James Lohan and began life as a guidebook, featuring hotels with a focus on romance and sensuality. The company now has more than 1.5 million members and some 1,200 partner hotels. The Lohans will stay on as CEO and chief creative officer respectively.
Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce has described Sunday's fixture against West Ham United as "do or die" for his relegation-troubled side. The Yorkshire club are third from bottom, one point from safety, with only two fixtures remaining to avoid being relegated from the Premier League. Beat-the-drop rivals Nottingham Forest and Everton will be piling on the pressure on Saturday, ahead of Leeds' game, by attempting to collect points from their fixtures. Allardyce urged his players to fight, but to keep their temperament under control.
Ryan Carr, new St George Illawarra coach, admits to the “roller coaster” that was his first game with the clipboard. On Thursday night, Carr will play against the last man to take the side to premiership glory, Wayne Bennett, for his 902nd game in charge, whilst Carr is known for being one of the youngest coaches in NRL history at 34. The former halfback, who just missed out on NRL honours during his playing career, has held several coach posts in Australia, as well as the head coaching role at Featherstone Rovers in England.
Drew Pritchard, the star of Salvage Hunters, has slimmed down his dealer's business model to only having three employees and the warehouse. His famously beautiful shop on Conwy High Street is gone. Pritchard is sharing everything he has learnt from being in business for nearly 30 years, in his book How Not to Be an Antiques Dealer, which covers an overview of what the business is all about. He advises new antiques dealers to focus on the nuts and bolts of how money is made in the trade, saying: “A shop is a very expensive gilded anchor”. The world of antiques is not as romantic as one might imagine. It is a world of early starts, long journeys and no-nonsense deals. Pritchard's remarkable success, and the televisual fame that has accompanied it, have inspired many to try their hand at what he does. “I have a lot of imitators – and some of them are now doing Drew Pritchard better than me.”
A year on from her cancer diagnosis, Paralympic champion Erin Kennedy is competing again
CNN
23-05-20 11:12
Erin Kennedy, the coxswain for Team GB, said her skills as an athlete helped her to recover from breast cancer over the last year. The 30-year-old was diagnosed in May 2020 but fought her way back to represent the country at the European Rowing Championships in Slovenia. Kennedy, who won her gold medal in the same event two years ago, described the journey as "very real" and "humbling", but she also spoke of the benefits of positivity and gratitude for those around her. She underwent a double mastectomy in January after 15 rounds of chemotherapy.
Lauren Chan, former fashion editor at Glamour and now head of brand partnerships at Universal Standard, has discussed her views on vulnerability, feedback on coming out as a lesbian, and the importance of self-care in an interview with The Globe and Mail. Chan said that her recent experiences have made her "more vulnerable and candid", and said that being an LGBTQ individual made her expect hate and unfollowing on Instagram, although she didn't think it would be as high a number as 1,200 followers lost. Chan has also started therapy once a week and tries to make time for mediation and bodywork.
