Lockdown has been hard on teenagers, but they have shown remarkable adaptation

On:
In: News

GroovyPanda/Shutterstock The COVID-19 lockdown upturned the lives of teenagers at a time when they are usually becoming more independent and taking steps toward their future. Instead, they were confined to their homes, exams were cancelled, and their next steps looked suddenly less certain. Our research on the TELL Study – Teenagers’ Experiences of Life in Lockdown – explored how 109 UK-based 16 to 19-year-olds coped under coronavirus restrictions, with an emphasis on their wellbeing. Our findings show that lockdown was an intense, challenging experience, raising feelings of loss and fear about the future. However, participants also described considerable effort to adapt, actively working to counter the negative personal impact of the lockdown and trying to think positively. Coping with stressContinue Reading

On:
In: Sport

India vs Australia: Shikhar Dhawan sported a new Team India jersey.© Shikhar Dhawan/Twitter India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan posted a picture on social media where he is seen sporting a “new jersey” for the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia. “New jersey, renewed motivation. Ready to go,” wrote Dhawan in the caption as he posted a selfie. Dhawan is part of India’s One-day International and Twenty20 International squads for the tour of Australia that begins with the first ODI in Sydney on November 27. The limited-overs series, comprising of three ODIs and three T20Is, will be followed by four Tests starting December 17 in Adelaide. New jersey, renewed motivation. Ready to go. ???????? pic.twitter.com/gKG9gS78th — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) November 24, 2020Continue Reading

On:
In: Sport

Australia’s Steve Smith warned India on Tuesday that his game had finally “clicked” and he was ready to justify his ranking as the world’s top Test batsman. Smith admitted he was unhappy with his recent displays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying “I never really got into a good rhythm”. But he believed something changed this week as he prepared for the upcoming series against India, which starts with a one-day international in Sydney on Friday. “Over the last few days I’ve sort of found my hands, which I’m extremely excited about,” he told reporters on a conference call. “It’s taken me about three or four months to do it but I’ve found them now whichContinue Reading

On:
In: Sport

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj’s father died on Friday, November 20. Siraj, who is on tour with the Indian team in Australia, chose to stay back even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) offered the cricketer the option of flying back home to be with his family. Siraj, who is part of India’s Test squad, spoke to the BCCI on Monday, saying he wants to fulfil his father’s dream of watching Siraj play for India. “He was the person who supported me the most. It’s a great loss for me,” Siraj said. “He wished that I continue playing for India and make my country proud. I just want to fulfil my father’s dream.”  Want to fulfillContinue Reading

The Conversation

On:
In: COVID-19

In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim results of its candidate vaccine, showing it to be “more than 90% effective” in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in late-stage human trials. The news was greeted with joy. A couple of days later, the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that the candidate vaccine they are funding – dubbed Sputnik V – showed 92% efficacy in late-stage trials. Not to be outdone, Moderna then announced that its candidate vaccine showed 94.5% efficacy. The latest COVID-19 vaccine announcementContinue Reading

On:
In: Sport

The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) has been ordered to pay Rs 4 crore as compensation to Baseline Ventures for terminating its contract with the sports event management company for conducting the Pro Volleyball League. In an award delivered by sole arbitrator Justice (retd) K Kannan, the VFI has also been ordered to pay Rs 5 lakh legal fee and 12 percent interest from the date of commencement of arbitral proceedings, Baseline Ventures said in a release on Monday. The arbitrator was appointed on the orders of the Madras High Court. The first season of the PVL was held last year but the VFI and Baseline Ventures, who had signed a ten-year contract to conduct the league, got embroiled inContinue Reading

The Conversation

On:
In: COVID-19

In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim results of its candidate vaccine, showing it to be “more than 90% effective” in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in late-stage human trials. The news was greeted with joy. A couple of days later, the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that the candidate vaccine they are funding – dubbed Sputnik V – showed 92% efficacy in late-stage trials. Not to be outdone, Moderna then announced that its candidate vaccine showed 94.5% efficacy. The latest COVID-19 vaccine announcementContinue Reading

The Conversation

On:
In: Politics

The UK is to withdraw from the European Arrest Warrant after the end of the Brexit transition period – currently scheduled for the end of 2020. The European Arrest Warrant is a framework designed to make it easier for European Union nations to transfer people to either face prosecution or serve a prison sentence in another EU member state. It was used, for example, to arrest a Bosnian man in Germany for his role in the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, including those at the Bataclan concert hall. While it should not come as a surprise that the UK is leaving the scheme, since it is a tool available only to EU member states, the decision will have a significantContinue Reading

'I won the election' – how powerful people use lousy lies to twist reality

On:
In: Science

shutterstock When was the last time you told a lie? If you can’t remember, I’ll give you a clue. Chances are it was sometime today – based on the fact research shows the average person lies at least once a day. The point of most lies or false claims seems reasonably straightforward: to deceive others (or oneself) into believing what’s false is true. But there is one puzzling (and often misunderstood) type of lie that doesn’t seem to follow this logic. This is what I call the “lousy lie”. These are the types of lies or false truths that seem so obviously implausible that they don’t seem designed to deceive, but rather, to signal something else. Such examples would includeContinue Reading