<p>Sleep has become a major issue for over half the population of the world these days. Switching from demanding jobs to having responsibilities outside of it, people have started compromising the number of hours in bed and it&#39;s no surprise that the number of illnesses is rising because of it.</p>

<p>According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), insufficient sleep has now become a public health problem with over a quarter of global adult population suffering from symptoms of sleep deprivation. We&rsquo;ve all had nights when we lie awake in bed, unable to quiet our racing thoughts. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very common for people to report being physically tired, but not being able to shut their mind off, especially if they&rsquo;re very excited or worried about something,&rdquo; says James Findley, PhD, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/d502d38ba6504c95e44a85bad95aae92-20180311044514.jpg" />
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<p>Source: World Economic Forum (Others)</p>
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<p>Sleep irregularities may be tied to a variety of health problems, such as diabetes and obesity, that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as a variety of cardiovascular disorders, such as clogged or hardened arteries, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, a leading US doctors&#39; group says. The risk may go up when people get too little sleep, or too much, according to a statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).</p>

<p>Data from a recent study shows that an average Indian sleeps for just 6.5 hours a night and 46% of Indians get less than 6 hours of sleep a night! According to a research carried out by a consumer products giant, nearly 93% Indians are sleep-deprived. The switch in lifestyle and the invasion of gadgets have made the situation go out of hand. In Lucknow district alone, the number of sleep disorder-affected patients could be well over 40 lakh, say doctors at King George&#39;s Medical University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study further says that 72% of Indians are waking up one to three times per night and 87% of them say lack of sleep is affecting their health. On the impact on productivity, the study reveals that more than 58% of Indians believe their work suffers due to lack of adequate sleep whereas 38% have witnessed a colleague falling asleep at work.</p>

<p>The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recently advised that adults get at least seven hours of sleep every night to promote overall health. In general, melatonin makes us feel tired. Hormone levels rise a couple of hours before we sleep, and they fall right when we wake up.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/dx8rhwbx0aarxrx-20180311043234.jpg" />
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<p>Source: World Economic Forum (Twitter)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Excessive amounts of melatonin and imbalance in hormonal levels make us feel tired, moody, grubby; our immunity goes for a toss and we find it harder to revive ourselves. Just missing an hour of sleep each night can make you more prone to illness, says the National Institute of Health.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are some things one should be aware of while trying to improve their sleep cycle. Just in case you think you have everything possible but still can&#39;t sleep a wink, step this way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Try these simple tricks to get a sound sleep:&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>1. Avoid sleeping pills, switch to essential oils</strong></p>

<p>Sleeping pills can actually worsen the situation and lead to severe health issues like a low rate of breathing, asthma, digestive issues, headache, stomach pain and memory loss.&nbsp;Essential oils have long been known as natural healing aids. Oils infused with lavender promote&nbsp;relaxation; cedarwood helps in relieving stress and tension and frankincense helps in regulating body temperature as well as reducing anxiety and stress.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>2. Load up on magnesium&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Studies suggest close to 80% adults are deficient in magnesium. The key mineral is known to help in&nbsp;muscle&nbsp;relaxation when your mind is constantly running and induce sleep.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>3. Exercising helps</strong></p>

<p>Regular exercising has been proven to improve sleep. Pressed for time? Try incorporating shorter but more intense workouts in your regime - HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Just 30-40 minutes of hard-hitting exercise can help you reap many benefits, including faster fat loss!</p>

<p><strong>4. Nap&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Napping is the best way to keep your body regulated and recover. Power nap whenever possible, say for 20 minutes during the day. It will reduce fatigue and lethargy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>5. Leave your bedroom door open</strong></p>

<p>People who sleep with their doors and windows closed have a higher content of carbon dioxide in their bedrooms due to poor ventilation. According to experts, people are prone to disturbed sleep if they sleep with their windows and doors closed. Poor ventilation can lead to chemical build-up inside the room which may hinder the body&#39;s ability to relax.</p>

<p><strong>6. Try hot-water shower</strong></p>

<p>Our body temperature begins to drop as we fall asleep; the process can be induced by having a warm bath right before going to bed. A drop in your body&#39;s temperature right after taking a hot-water bath will induce sleep. Experts also say that taking a steamy, 20-minute shower would have similar effects. Just don&#39;t go to bed with wet hair.</p>

<p><strong>7. Get rid of that sleep tracker</strong></p>

<p>It may seem like a great idea but it has its potential risks. Professionals say that sleep issues are worsened if people become obsessed and get on to analyze every minor detail of their health. Also, they may not always be the most accurate. Sleep tracking devices may just give you a general idea of your sleeping and waking-up time or pattern, always remember that no machine is really equipped to tell the difference between laying in bed and when you are actually asleep. So, ditch the tracker and perhaps focus on your breathing instead of focusing on your tracker every 20 minutes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>8 Grab a light carbohydrate snack</strong></p>

<p>Having a large meal or a heavy snack right before bed can certainly affect your sleep and lead to weight gain as well. However, getting a light carbohydrate snack when you are having a hard time sleeping may actually help. A small tub of popcorn or whole grain/corn/rice crackers may help&nbsp;the cravings.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>9. Read, it helps</strong></p>

<p>Choosing to read a book in bed is known to be one of the standard ways to induce sleep. But, the catch is to choose that does not lead you to stay up all night in anticipation of &quot;what&#39;s going to happen next.&quot; Ideally, choose a book that isn&#39;t related to politics, murder mysteries, thrillers etc.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>10. Listen to podcasts/audiobooks</strong></p>

<p>Many people like to sleep with a little background noise. Instead of leaving your TV/Laptops on in your room on, switch to podcasts or audiobooks. They help in taking your mind off of the things you normally think about right before going to bed. Explore from a wide range of podcasts available online. Listening to music has always been known to promote sleep and relaxation.&nbsp;</p>


Quick tips that will breeze you through a good night's sleep

Sleep has become a major issue for over half the population of the world these days. Switching from demanding jobs to having responsibilities outside of it, people have started compromising the number of hours in bed and it's no surprise that the number of illnesses is rising because of it. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), insufficient sleep has now become a public health problem with over a quarter of global adult population suffering from symptoms of sleep deprivation. We’ve all had nights when we lie awake in bed, unable to quiet our racing thoughts. “It’s very common for people to report being physically tired, but not being able to shut their mind off, especially if they’re very excited or worried about something,” says James Findley, PhD, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Source: World Economic Forum (Others) × Sleep irregularities may be tied to a variety of health problems, such as diabetes and obesity, that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as a variety of cardiovascular disorders, such as clogged or hardened arteries, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, a leading US doctors' group says. The risk may go up when people get too little sleep, or too much, according to a statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). Data from a recent study shows that an average Indian sleeps for just 6.5 hours a night and 46% of Indians get less than 6 hours of sleep a night! According to a research carried out by a consumer products giant, nearly 93% Indians are sleep-deprived. The switch in lifestyle and the invasion of gadgets have made the situation go out of hand. In Lucknow district alone, the number of sleep disorder-affected patients could be well over 40 lakh, say doctors at King George's Medical University. The study further says that 72% of Indians are waking up one to three times per night and 87% of them say lack of sleep is affecting their health. On the impact on productivity, the study reveals that more than 58% of Indians believe their work suffers due to lack of adequate sleep whereas 38% have witnessed a colleague falling asleep at work. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recently advised that adults get at least seven hours of sleep every night to promote overall health. In general, melatonin makes us feel tired. Hormone levels rise a couple of hours before we sleep, and they fall right when we wake up. Source: World Economic Forum (Twitter) × Excessive amounts of melatonin and imbalance in hormonal levels make us feel tired, moody, grubby; our immunity goes for a toss and we find it harder to revive ourselves. Just missing an hour of sleep each night can make you more prone to illness, says the National Institute of Health. These are some things one should be aware of while trying to improve their sleep cycle. Just in case you think you have everything possible but still can't sleep a wink, step this way. Try these simple tricks to get a sound sleep: 1. Avoid sleeping pills, switch to essential oils Sleeping pills can actually worsen the situation and lead to severe health issues like a low rate of breathing, asthma, digestive issues, headache, stomach pain and memory loss. Essential oils have long been known as natural healing aids. Oils infused with lavender promote relaxation; cedarwood helps in relieving stress and tension and frankincense helps in regulating body temperature as well as reducing anxiety and stress. 2. Load up on magnesium Studies suggest close to 80% adults are deficient in magnesium. The key mineral is known to help in muscle relaxation when your mind is constantly running and induce sleep. 3. Exercising helps Regular exercising has been proven to improve sleep. Pressed for time? Try incorporating shorter but more intense workouts in your regime - HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Just 30-40 minutes of hard-hitting exercise can help you reap many benefits, including faster fat loss! 4. Nap Napping is the best way to keep your body regulated and recover. Power nap whenever possible, say for 20 minutes during the day. It will reduce fatigue and lethargy. 5. Leave your bedroom door open People who sleep with their doors and windows closed have a higher content of carbon dioxide in their bedrooms due to poor ventilation. According to experts, people are prone to disturbed sleep if they sleep with their windows and doors closed. Poor ventilation can lead to chemical build-up inside the room which may hinder the body's ability to relax. 6. Try hot-water shower Our body temperature begins to drop as we fall asleep; the process can be induced by having a warm bath right before going to bed. A drop in your body's temperature right after taking a hot-water bath will induce sleep. Experts also say that taking a steamy, 20-minute shower would have similar effects. Just don't go to bed with wet hair. 7. Get rid of that sleep tracker It may seem like a great idea but it has its potential risks. Professionals say that sleep issues are worsened if people become obsessed and get on to analyze every minor detail of their health. Also, they may not always be the most accurate. Sleep tracking devices may just give you a general idea of your sleeping and waking-up time or pattern, always remember that no machine is really equipped to tell the difference between laying in bed and when you are actually asleep. So, ditch the tracker and perhaps focus on your breathing instead of focusing on your tracker every 20 minutes. 8 Grab a light carbohydrate snack Having a large meal or a heavy snack right before bed can certainly affect your sleep and lead to weight gain as well. However, getting a light carbohydrate snack when you are having a hard time sleeping may actually help. A small tub of popcorn or whole grain/corn/rice crackers may help the cravings. 9. Read, it helps Choosing to read a book in bed is known to be one of the standard ways to induce sleep. But, the catch is to choose that does not lead you to stay up all night in anticipation of "what's going to happen next." Ideally, choose a book that isn't related to politics, murder mysteries, thrillers etc. 10. Listen to podcasts/audiobooks Many people like to sleep with a little background noise. Instead of leaving your TV/Laptops on in your room on, switch to podcasts or audiobooks. They help in taking your mind off of the things you normally think about right before going to bed. Explore from a wide range of podcasts available online. Listening to music has always been known to promote sleep and relaxation.

Not sleeping enough? Here's what may happen and how you can avoid it

<p>The festival of colours is upon us and its time to bring out your white kurtas, gujjias, gulaals and pichkaaris to go all out during this auspicious day. Although, several parts in India celebrate the festival with absolute rigour, people around the world equally go all out. From Bollywood dances to marathons to the age old water and colour fights, people in these countries are no strangers to the festivities.</p>

<p>This is how some countries celebrate Holi:</p>

<p><strong>Nepal</strong></p>

<p>Nepal holds a vast majority of Hindu population which is why Holi is a celebrated with much grandeur in the country. In Kathmandu, the streets of Thamel and Durbar Square hold the best celebrations. Children and adults, everyone dedicatedly play Holi to their heart&rsquo;s content. Durbar Square can be absolutely packed with people whereas the small streets of Thamel are filled with kids looking to sneak up with water-guns and balloons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Traditional natural dyes were used such as turmeric and sandlewood paste mixed with extracts of Neem, Haldi and Bilva to give the pasts colour.</p>

<p><strong>United Kingdom</strong></p>

<p>The presence of Indians in England is widespread, Indians are said to be the second largest ethnic majority in the UK. Major cities like Birmingham, Leicester and Newcastle see people stepping out with spray cans and tons of gulaal. There are Holi parades in the streets. Manchester usually puts up several food stalls and dance sessions, while Redaing will have singing and a Holika play.</p>

<p>One can get a taste of Holi in London, where &#39;The Colour Run&#39; festival takes place. Participants run in a five-kilometre street, wearing a white shirt and as the colours are sprayed at them they, get covered from head to toe with every kilometre of the course. The event takes place in the cities of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Colour Run festival (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>United States</strong></p>

<p>The United States also sees a vast majority of Indian population which is why Holi is celebrated across different states with full enthusiasm. A number of festivals are organised throughout the country - one of the biggest colour festivals, &quot;Life In Colour&quot; started out as a college festival in Florida in 2011, later progressing into a worldwide colour party, another famous event is &quot;Colour Music Festival&quot; in Texas.</p>

<p>Religious groups in Utah organise the festival on a big scale to provide a platform to the young to have fun, but in an untainted way. People from all walks of life are welcomed to play with colours to the tunes of music.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/thequint_2018-02_ecbf50ef-eb48-46d4-a329-2fe189aee40d_04.22.17-lic-xtour-philly-jauz-1569-20180301081118.jpg" />
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<p>Life in Color festival (Photo Courtesy: www.lifeincolor.com) (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Mauritius</strong></p>

<p>Just as the many other major Hindu festivals, the large Indian majority, (about 63 per cent) celebrate Holi with a lot of enthusiasm in the island of Mauritius. Hindus, here duly perform the tradition of Holika Dahan or lighting of bonfire on the eve of Holi and celebrate the victory of good over evil. Next day people revel and play with colours and drench everybody with water jets called pichkaris that are from Mauritian bamboo stalks.</p>

<p>The crowds sing and dance to music, which is accompanied by jhal (cymbals) and dholak (drums). In the evening, people greet each other with tilak and exchange sweet dumplings like gujjia.</p>

<p><strong>Australia</strong></p>

<p>This one day in the whole time span of 365 days has the power to leave behind memories to rejoice and fill colour in your life. Not only the those who are in India enjoy this festival of colours wholeheartedly but the Indian Diaspora residing in different parts of the world, equally take pleasure in celebrating this festival of colours in the similar manner.</p>

<p>One such country, where the people of India are present in a quite large numbers, is Australia. Melbourne specifically organizes for the Holi festival event which is the best way for the Indians to quench their desire to be drenched in multi colours. Holi is celebrated in the Victorian capital for it being kaleidoscopic in nature.</p>

<p><strong>Spain</strong></p>

<p>There is&nbsp; a town in Spain that has been celebrating Holi for the past seven years. Sadabell, a town located 20 kilometers north of Barcelona, receives almost 10,000 people from all ethnicities for the Holi festivities. The town doesn&rsquo;t have a large Indian population, but members from Indian communities in nearby cities like Barcelona, Olot and Llort de Mar stop by.</p>

<p>The most popular one being the &quot;Holi Garden Festival&quot; which termed the brightest festival in Ibiza and goes on throughout the summer, with events taking place as long as the warmth lasts. It stays true to its origins with colour, white outfits, music and food. A huge crowd participates in dances, where choreographed groups perform moves to bhangra and Bollywood beats.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>UAE</strong></p>

<p>Same as in many parts of the world, Holi is additionally celebrated by individuals having a place with the Hindu people group living in UAE. The festival there in UAE incorporates trading welcome by conveying blessings and desserts with each other, heaving different sorts of hues on each other both in fluid and powder shape. Individuals move on the colorful Bollywood numbers and numerous conventional Holi melodies. The Indian ostracizes here in UAE, turn out in a greater part, wearing conventional Indian garments; white Kurta Pajama for men and delightful Salwar kamij and sari for ladies.</p>

<p>Alongside the playing with hues individuals in UAE likewise appreciate flavorful Indian dishes which are renowned especially for Holi festivity which incorporate malpuas, gujiya, Puran, dahi vadas, and policy.</p>

<p><strong>Trindad and Tobago</strong></p>

<p>Holi is said to have come to Trinidad around 1845 by the Hindus who relocated from Bihar as authoritative workers on the sugarcane field. From that point forward it is being raised each year with incredible eagerness.Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago praise the celebration with hues, tunes, music, and move. An assortment of water hues are blended and splashed on each one of the individuals who take an interest in the festivals, till they end up noticeably unrecognizable. Individuals trade desserts and welcome with each other</p>

<p>A unique sort of people melody called Chowtal is sung throughout the celebration and the music is generally played with just two instruments. The dholak (a hand drum) and the jeera (cymbals or percussion instrument) are the main two instruments utilized. Chowtal tunes are sung rather uproariously and are piercing. Quick paced music welcomes individuals to shake their hips and influence the cadence.</p>

<p><strong>South Africa</strong></p>

<p>The energetic Gujarati&rsquo;s and other Indians settled in South Africa have made it a point to keep the custom of observing Holi alive in the nation. They play hues, light blazes called Holika, sing Holi melodies and make joyful.</p>

<p>It might be noticed that South Africa is situated at the southern tip of the landmass of Africa. It had the biggest worker Indian people group on the planet 10 years before the colonisation by the United States of America. Indians record of right around one million in the nation. The vast majority of them are packed in the eastern locales of Natal and Transvaal of the nation. Around 65% are Hindus, 15% Muslims and 20% of Christians live here.</p>

<p>The &ldquo;Holi Festival of Colors&rdquo; festival takes place in cape town each year. It is an international festival with dance, music and colours. This two-month festival happens every year at different locations across the world every week of its run. Every year has a different theme. The &ldquo;Holi One&rdquo; festival is also one of the famous events in the country.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/thequint_2018-02_f328cc40-88a1-4cd9-bb76-1dcc2d7194b5_mannheim_2015-20180301081240.jpg" />
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<p>Festival of Colours Tour (Photo Courtesy: www.holifestival.com) (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The festival of colours is upon us and its time to bring out your white kurtas, gujjias, gulaals and pichkaaris to go all out during this auspicious day. Although, several parts in India celebrate the festival with absolute rigour, people around the world equally go all out. From Bollywood dances to marathons to the age old water and colour fights, people in these countries are no strangers to the festivities. This is how some countries celebrate Holi: Nepal Nepal holds a vast majority of Hindu population which is why Holi is a celebrated with much grandeur in the country. In Kathmandu, the streets of Thamel and Durbar Square hold the best celebrations. Children and adults, everyone dedicatedly play Holi to their heart’s content. Durbar Square can be absolutely packed with people whereas the small streets of Thamel are filled with kids looking to sneak up with water-guns and balloons. Traditional natural dyes were used such as turmeric and sandlewood paste mixed with extracts of Neem, Haldi and Bilva to give the pasts colour. United Kingdom The presence of Indians in England is widespread, Indians are said to be the second largest ethnic majority in the UK. Major cities like Birmingham, Leicester and Newcastle see people stepping out with spray cans and tons of gulaal. There are Holi parades in the streets. Manchester usually puts up several food stalls and dance sessions, while Redaing will have singing and a Holika play. One can get a taste of Holi in London, where 'The Colour Run' festival takes place. Participants run in a five-kilometre street, wearing a white shirt and as the colours are sprayed at them they, get covered from head to toe with every kilometre of the course. The event takes place in the cities of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. The Colour Run festival (Others) × United States The United States also sees a vast majority of Indian population which is why Holi is celebrated across different states with full enthusiasm. A number of festivals are organised throughout the country - one of the biggest colour festivals, "Life In Colour" started out as a college festival in Florida in 2011, later progressing into a worldwide colour party, another famous event is "Colour Music Festival" in Texas. Religious groups in Utah organise the festival on a big scale to provide a platform to the young to have fun, but in an untainted way. People from all walks of life are welcomed to play with colours to the tunes of music. Life in Color festival (Photo Courtesy: www.lifeincolor.com) (Others) × Mauritius Just as the many other major Hindu festivals, the large Indian majority, (about 63 per cent) celebrate Holi with a lot of enthusiasm in the island of Mauritius. Hindus, here duly perform the tradition of Holika Dahan or lighting of bonfire on the eve of Holi and celebrate the victory of good over evil. Next day people revel and play with colours and drench everybody with water jets called pichkaris that are from Mauritian bamboo stalks. The crowds sing and dance to music, which is accompanied by jhal (cymbals) and dholak (drums). In the evening, people greet each other with tilak and exchange sweet dumplings like gujjia. Australia This one day in the whole time span of 365 days has the power to leave behind memories to rejoice and fill colour in your life. Not only the those who are in India enjoy this festival of colours wholeheartedly but the Indian Diaspora residing in different parts of the world, equally take pleasure in celebrating this festival of colours in the similar manner. One such country, where the people of India are present in a quite large numbers, is Australia. Melbourne specifically organizes for the Holi festival event which is the best way for the Indians to quench their desire to be drenched in multi colours. Holi is celebrated in the Victorian capital for it being kaleidoscopic in nature. Spain There is a town in Spain that has been celebrating Holi for the past seven years. Sadabell, a town located 20 kilometers north of Barcelona, receives almost 10,000 people from all ethnicities for the Holi festivities. The town doesn’t have a large Indian population, but members from Indian communities in nearby cities like Barcelona, Olot and Llort de Mar stop by. The most popular one being the "Holi Garden Festival" which termed the brightest festival in Ibiza and goes on throughout the summer, with events taking place as long as the warmth lasts. It stays true to its origins with colour, white outfits, music and food. A huge crowd participates in dances, where choreographed groups perform moves to bhangra and Bollywood beats. × × UAE Same as in many parts of the world, Holi is additionally celebrated by individuals having a place with the Hindu people group living in UAE. The festival there in UAE incorporates trading welcome by conveying blessings and desserts with each other, heaving different sorts of hues on each other both in fluid and powder shape. Individuals move on the colorful Bollywood numbers and numerous conventional Holi melodies. The Indian ostracizes here in UAE, turn out in a greater part, wearing conventional Indian garments; white Kurta Pajama for men and delightful Salwar kamij and sari for ladies. Alongside the playing with hues individuals in UAE likewise appreciate flavorful Indian dishes which are renowned especially for Holi festivity which incorporate malpuas, gujiya, Puran, dahi vadas, and policy. Trindad and Tobago Holi is said to have come to Trinidad around 1845 by the Hindus who relocated from Bihar as authoritative workers on the sugarcane field. From that point forward it is being raised each year with incredible eagerness.Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago praise the celebration with hues, tunes, music, and move. An assortment of water hues are blended and splashed on each one of the individuals who take an interest in the festivals, till they end up noticeably unrecognizable. Individuals trade desserts and welcome with each other A unique sort of people melody called Chowtal is sung throughout the celebration and the music is generally played with just two instruments. The dholak (a hand drum) and the jeera (cymbals or percussion instrument) are the main two instruments utilized. Chowtal tunes are sung rather uproariously and are piercing. Quick paced music welcomes individuals to shake their hips and influence the cadence. South Africa The energetic Gujarati’s and other Indians settled in South Africa have made it a point to keep the custom of observing Holi alive in the nation. They play hues, light blazes called Holika, sing Holi melodies and make joyful. It might be noticed that South Africa is situated at the southern tip of the landmass of Africa. It had the biggest worker Indian people group on the planet 10 years before the colonisation by the United States of America. Indians record of right around one million in the nation. The vast majority of them are packed in the eastern locales of Natal and Transvaal of the nation. Around 65% are Hindus, 15% Muslims and 20% of Christians live here. The “Holi Festival of Colors” festival takes place in cape town each year. It is an international festival with dance, music and colours. This two-month festival happens every year at different locations across the world every week of its run. Every year has a different theme. The “Holi One” festival is also one of the famous events in the country. Festival of Colours Tour (Photo Courtesy: www.holifestival.com) (Others) ×

This is how the world celebrates Holi!

<p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere now. From phones, Tv&#39;s to retail, e-commerce and even toilets!&nbsp; We are now in an era where anything that uses an algorithm can be called AI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facts say that with the upcoming use of AI, millions of people will be out of jobs in few years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Web Summit, the massive technology conference in Lisbon, Portugal, polled 224 investors in one of the sub-conferences within the Web Summit framework where 93% of them said that AI will &#39;destroy&#39; jobs. Tesla CEO Elton Musk claimed that the race to development of AI will lead to World War III, founder of venture capital firm &#39;Sinovation&#39;, Kai-Fu Lee has said that AI will replace 50% off all jobs in the next decade.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A survey conducted by Quartz - with 1,600 respondents from 84 countries, mostly in the US&nbsp; - stated that 90% respondents thought&nbsp;that up to half of the jobs would be lost to automation within five years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, AI may only be able to do about 50 to 60 per cent of the work, one will need humans to fill up the 50-40 per cent. Only using AI algorithms won&#39;t work. That&#39;s when skilled humans come into play. Its all about balance!&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Jobs related to AI will increase up to 2 million by 2025 (Others)</p>
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<p>Therefore, the myth that AI will lead to more job losses can be soundly debunked - that&#39;s what history tells us.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Industrial revolution spanned a technological revolution in the 19th century. It sparked major changes in virtually every sphere of human existence in Britain where it began. The British economy boomed as a result with new innovations in textile with the mechanised spinning, the advent of steam power to power engines and several other breakthrough designs.</p>

<p>The people adapted too, it did not mean employment fell, in fact, more and more people were added to the workforce as a result of &quot;mechanisation&quot;.&nbsp; It meant upgradation of skills which helped the British economy to expand and seize new markets in Asia and Africa.</p>

<p>The advent of computers in the workplace is another example of &quot;humans adapting to machines&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the 60s and 70s in the US, computers increasingly began to enter offices which allowed small business to compete with large corporations. The rise of Apple in the 70s and Microsoft in the 80s can be attributed to the introduction of PCs in that era, despite this today after over 40 years since Apple it has employed more and more people into its company and spawned a culture of start-ups.</p>

<p>In the 80s and 90s, PCs aka &quot;machines&quot; helped &quot;humans&quot; to do away several tedious jobs and eliminated manual labour helping small companies not only to become more efficient but also helped the workforce to become sharper. Today in the era of startups and apps, technology has helped to take humans into a new frontier which promises a new era of growth and prosperity.</p>

<p>In contrary to remarks that robots will replace human workers, research firms predicts that AI may actually create more jobs than expected.&nbsp;</p>

<p>By 2020, AI will generate about 2.3 million jobs - exceeding the 1.8 million that will be ticked off. Moreover, jobs related to AI will increase up to 2 million by 2025.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Humans throughout history have adapted and &quot;re-skilled&quot; themselves as new technologies have entered the cycle, despite rumblings and disruptions it has only meant the &quot;comfort level&quot; has increased for us humans. Artificial Intelligence, in this respect, should not be &quot;feared&quot; rather it should be &quot;adapted&quot;.</p>

<p>For instance, as chatbots, robots, automated kiosks come into existence - more people imagine that it will capture jobs, but all this technology is only creating a better user interface. Look at automated kiosks for instance. Now, Mcdonald&#39;s in New York welcomes customers with a &ldquo;Create Your Taste&rdquo; kiosk - an automated touch-screen system that allows customers to create their own burgers without interacting with another human being. Does this mean cashiers and waiters will go out of jobs? NO. This is just innovation in technology which will, in turn, lead to a shift in skill - not jobs.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Mcdonalds&#39; &ldquo;Create Your Taste&rdquo; kiosk (Others)</p>
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<p>Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple have invested millions in this field (smartbots, chatbots, AI algorithms etc) - why? because this will eventually generate better customer interaction, seamless user journeys, reduce search time, create quick and efficient responses. AI&#39;s role as a mediator between humans and technology has become the greatest triumph.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The jobs will be affected - yes - but that does not infer that jobs will be &quot;destroyed&quot;. The number of jobs that will be affected will vary for different industries, with public sector, education, healthcare booming. AI will &quot;replace&quot; jobs of low-skilled workers in IT sectors in India alone with more medium and high skilled jobs - which are expected to rise to about 1 million in the next five years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Let&#39;s take driverless cars, for example, though driver won&rsquo;t be entirely displaced by self-driving cars, the nature of their work will fundamentally change. While the percentage of human drivers giving trips may go down, the absolute number of humans may actually go up. The rise of autonomous cars will open new jobs like maintaining the car fleets, jobs that don&#39;t exist today because there has never been a need. Part of advancing technology has always meant that some professions become extinct in the process.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The rise of autonomous cars will open new jobs (Others)</p>
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<p>The fact is humans need to power the machines, it is a fantasy built by bloggers and science fiction enthusiasts who have, increasingly, through social media played the game of calling AI a barrier for mankind, but history teaches us that man has always &quot;upgraded&quot; himself since time in memorial.</p>

<p>So, once again, AI will eliminate a number of middle and low levels positions but it will give rise to more highly-skilled management and also entry-level and low-skilled jobs, it will accelerate innovation to a new level and fundamentally change the way businesses will run across the board. Focus should be more on augmenting people with AI, transforming culture to make it adaptable to AI-related job opportunities and threats.&nbsp;</p>


AI may only be able to do about 50 to 60 per cent of the work, one will need humans to fill up at 50-40 per cent. Only using AI algorithms won't work. That's when skilled humans come into play. Its all about balance!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere now. From phones, Tv's to retail, e-commerce and even toilets! We are now in an era where anything that uses an algorithm can be called AI. Facts say that with the upcoming use of AI, millions of people will be out of jobs in few years. Web Summit, the massive technology conference in Lisbon, Portugal, polled 224 investors in one of the sub-conferences within the Web Summit framework where 93% of them said that AI will 'destroy' jobs. Tesla CEO Elton Musk claimed that the race to development of AI will lead to World War III, founder of venture capital firm 'Sinovation', Kai-Fu Lee has said that AI will replace 50% off all jobs in the next decade. A survey conducted by Quartz - with 1,600 respondents from 84 countries, mostly in the US - stated that 90% respondents thought that up to half of the jobs would be lost to automation within five years. However, AI may only be able to do about 50 to 60 per cent of the work, one will need humans to fill up the 50-40 per cent. Only using AI algorithms won't work. That's when skilled humans come into play. Its all about balance! Jobs related to AI will increase up to 2 million by 2025 (Others) × Therefore, the myth that AI will lead to more job losses can be soundly debunked - that's what history tells us. The Industrial revolution spanned a technological revolution in the 19th century. It sparked major changes in virtually every sphere of human existence in Britain where it began. The British economy boomed as a result with new innovations in textile with the mechanised spinning, the advent of steam power to power engines and several other breakthrough designs. The people adapted too, it did not mean employment fell, in fact, more and more people were added to the workforce as a result of "mechanisation". It meant upgradation of skills which helped the British economy to expand and seize new markets in Asia and Africa. The advent of computers in the workplace is another example of "humans adapting to machines". During the 60s and 70s in the US, computers increasingly began to enter offices which allowed small business to compete with large corporations. The rise of Apple in the 70s and Microsoft in the 80s can be attributed to the introduction of PCs in that era, despite this today after over 40 years since Apple it has employed more and more people into its company and spawned a culture of start-ups. In the 80s and 90s, PCs aka "machines" helped "humans" to do away several tedious jobs and eliminated manual labour helping small companies not only to become more efficient but also helped the workforce to become sharper. Today in the era of startups and apps, technology has helped to take humans into a new frontier which promises a new era of growth and prosperity. In contrary to remarks that robots will replace human workers, research firms predicts that AI may actually create more jobs than expected. By 2020, AI will generate about 2.3 million jobs - exceeding the 1.8 million that will be ticked off. Moreover, jobs related to AI will increase up to 2 million by 2025. Humans throughout history have adapted and "re-skilled" themselves as new technologies have entered the cycle, despite rumblings and disruptions it has only meant the "comfort level" has increased for us humans. Artificial Intelligence, in this respect, should not be "feared" rather it should be "adapted". For instance, as chatbots, robots, automated kiosks come into existence - more people imagine that it will capture jobs, but all this technology is only creating a better user interface. Look at automated kiosks for instance. Now, Mcdonald's in New York welcomes customers with a “Create Your Taste” kiosk - an automated touch-screen system that allows customers to create their own burgers without interacting with another human being. Does this mean cashiers and waiters will go out of jobs? NO. This is just innovation in technology which will, in turn, lead to a shift in skill - not jobs. Mcdonalds' “Create Your Taste” kiosk (Others) × Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple have invested millions in this field (smartbots, chatbots, AI algorithms etc) - why? because this will eventually generate better customer interaction, seamless user journeys, reduce search time, create quick and efficient responses. AI's role as a mediator between humans and technology has become the greatest triumph. The jobs will be affected - yes - but that does not infer that jobs will be "destroyed". The number of jobs that will be affected will vary for different industries, with public sector, education, healthcare booming. AI will "replace" jobs of low-skilled workers in IT sectors in India alone with more medium and high skilled jobs - which are expected to rise to about 1 million in the next five years. Let's take driverless cars, for example, though driver won’t be entirely displaced by self-driving cars, the nature of their work will fundamentally change. While the percentage of human drivers giving trips may go down, the absolute number of humans may actually go up. The rise of autonomous cars will open new jobs like maintaining the car fleets, jobs that don't exist today because there has never been a need. Part of advancing technology has always meant that some professions become extinct in the process. The rise of autonomous cars will open new jobs (Others) × The fact is humans need to power the machines, it is a fantasy built by bloggers and science fiction enthusiasts who have, increasingly, through social media played the game of calling AI a barrier for mankind, but history teaches us that man has always "upgraded" himself since time in memorial. So, once again, AI will eliminate a number of middle and low levels positions but it will give rise to more highly-skilled management and also entry-level and low-skilled jobs, it will accelerate innovation to a new level and fundamentally change the way businesses will run across the board. Focus should be more on augmenting people with AI, transforming culture to make it adaptable to AI-related job opportunities and threats.

Don't believe the naysayers, Artificial Intelligence will create 2.3 million jobs by 2020

<p>Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the much-anticipated Union Budget 2018 on February 1st.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the major takeaways from his speech was his high-profile plan to create the &ldquo;world&#39;s largest health insurance programme&rdquo;. The Budget allocated maximum resources towards the agriculture and rural sector in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is also being seen as a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain fiscal discipline without stifling economic growth ahead of general elections next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But, another key pointer in the finance minister&rsquo;s speech was the allocation towards the defence sector.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An outlay of Rs 2.95 lakh crore was set aside for the defence budget for the next fiscal which is an increase of 7.81% over last year&#39;s Rs 2.74 lakh crore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the ever-increasing number of ceasefire violations along the LoC, the capital outlay for the three defence services &ndash; Army, Navy &amp; Air Force -&nbsp; for purchase of new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware has been pegged at Rs 99,947 crore making the total amount allotted towards defence at of Rs 2,95,511 crore from Rs 2,74,114 crore last year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the Indian Air Force capital budget was 46% lower than its requirements, the Indian Army&rsquo;s was 41% and the Indian Navy&rsquo;s was 32%, reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A measly revision in the defence sector, also considering the present situation with Pakistan and China, is a crushing reminder of the need for developing the military. Also, the defence outlay works out to just about 1.58% of the projected GDP for 2018-19 -&nbsp; the lowest figure since the 1962 war with China.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India is the fifth largest military spender in the world and also the largest importer of arms. About 13% of the world&#39;s total imports between 2012-2016 were by India, a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute stated.</p>

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<p>India fifth-largest military spender. Source: SIPRI (Twitter)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A throwback to 1961 - the year before the India-China war reveals India&rsquo;s defence expenditure was Rs 266.72 crores, however, in 1962 &ndash; the year of war - the defence services budget was only increased by Rs 1.7 crore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The year after the Sino-India war, the then Finance Minister Morarji R Desai decided to allocate a whopping amount of Rs 708.51 crore in defence out of the total revenue expenditure of Rs 1852.40 crores.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Low spending on defence has often been cited as the main reason for India&#39;s lack of defence preparedness, leading to its defeat against China in 1962.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Cut to 1964, the year before Indo-Pakistan war, of the total revenue expenditure of Rs 2,041 crores, an amount of Rs 718 crores was allocated for the defence services.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 1965, the year of the war, the increase in revenue was Rs 29 crores from 1964 figure, this was the year when the National Defence Remittance Scheme was also introduced.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Honourable Members will also appreciate that while it has always been our policy to restrict expenditure on defence to the maximum extent possible so as to conserve all possible sources for securing the well-being of our people, we cannot afford to take any chances with the security of the nation, devoted though we are to the cause of peace&quot; the FM Sachindra Chaudhuri was quoted saying in his speech in 1966.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 1970, the military budget stood at 2.9% of the total GDP which drastically rose to 3.417% in 1971, the year of India-Pakistan war.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the preceding year, the military budget was 3.4% (a miniscule revision). In 1974 though, the budget drastically dropped to 2.995% of the total GDP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Military expenditure (% of GDP). Source: World Bank (Others)</p>
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<p>See a pattern?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The usual thinking in the government is that only when there is a war the defence budget should be increased. Otherwise, no focus is laid in this sector, it is not given much priority.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, since the last three years, there has actually been a decline in budget allocation for capital investments against requirements, or &ldquo;projections&rdquo; in the official sense, a factor that could delay procurement and modernization of the armed forces, according to a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee On Defence 2017-18.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Funds allocated (each year) under the budget estimate have been reduced at the revised estimate stage by the ministry of finance, broadly on the pretext of trend of expenditure at that point of time,&quot; the defence ministry said in its response to questions by the Parliamentary committee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Though there has been under-utilisation of capital budget with regards to budget estimate (except in 2016-17), there has been either excess expenditure or more than 99 percent utilisation when compared to final grant,&quot; it said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>This even as India and China were close to a faceoff in Doklam. Moreover, deaths due to terrorist violence increased 30 per cent in Jammu &amp; Kashmir &mdash; from 267 in 2016 to 347 in 2017 (December).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>With just a 7.81% increase in the defence budget, the modernisation of the services cannot be supported. It also means that the policy and acquisition decisions which have been taken will not be executed.</p>
</div>

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<p>Source: SIPRI (Twitter)</p>
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<p>The major worry for the army during a war would be a shortage of ammunition. The army faces 40% shortage of ammunition &mdash; 61 of 152 types of ammunition was in critical level &mdash; to fight a 10-day long war, according to a CAG report.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Transformation in defence production requires higher allocation. If the government is keen on promoting &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo; in defence production then there has to be a proper infrastructure creation for that and that requires huge money. When you are operating under a low budget then all your mega acquisition plans become severely constrained,&rdquo; said Vikram Mahajan, Director (Defence and Aerospace), US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).</p>
</div>

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<p>Source: ChinaPower (Others)</p>
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<p>Experts added that what ultimately needs to be done is to ensure that India&#39;s military can face a high-tech Chinese Army, especially when China&#39;s 2017 defence budget stands at $152 billion (Rs 9.75 lakh crore).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>This would naturally call for stricter action towards defence expenditure through the years but historical facts and the timelines have also proven that there has not been enough inclination towards India&rsquo;s defense needs.&nbsp;</p>
</div>


An outlay of Rs 2.95 lakh crore was set aside for the defence budget for the next fiscal which is an increase of 7.81% over last year's Rs 2.74 lakh crore

Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the much-anticipated Union Budget 2018 on February 1st. One of the major takeaways from his speech was his high-profile plan to create the “world's largest health insurance programme”. The Budget allocated maximum resources towards the agriculture and rural sector in India. This is also being seen as a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain fiscal discipline without stifling economic growth ahead of general elections next year. But, another key pointer in the finance minister’s speech was the allocation towards the defence sector. An outlay of Rs 2.95 lakh crore was set aside for the defence budget for the next fiscal which is an increase of 7.81% over last year's Rs 2.74 lakh crore. With the ever-increasing number of ceasefire violations along the LoC, the capital outlay for the three defence services – Army, Navy & Air Force - for purchase of new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware has been pegged at Rs 99,947 crore making the total amount allotted towards defence at of Rs 2,95,511 crore from Rs 2,74,114 crore last year. However, the Indian Air Force capital budget was 46% lower than its requirements, the Indian Army’s was 41% and the Indian Navy’s was 32%, reports said. A measly revision in the defence sector, also considering the present situation with Pakistan and China, is a crushing reminder of the need for developing the military. Also, the defence outlay works out to just about 1.58% of the projected GDP for 2018-19 - the lowest figure since the 1962 war with China. India is the fifth largest military spender in the world and also the largest importer of arms. About 13% of the world's total imports between 2012-2016 were by India, a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute stated. India fifth-largest military spender. Source: SIPRI (Twitter) × A throwback to 1961 - the year before the India-China war reveals India’s defence expenditure was Rs 266.72 crores, however, in 1962 – the year of war - the defence services budget was only increased by Rs 1.7 crore. The year after the Sino-India war, the then Finance Minister Morarji R Desai decided to allocate a whopping amount of Rs 708.51 crore in defence out of the total revenue expenditure of Rs 1852.40 crores. Low spending on defence has often been cited as the main reason for India's lack of defence preparedness, leading to its defeat against China in 1962. Cut to 1964, the year before Indo-Pakistan war, of the total revenue expenditure of Rs 2,041 crores, an amount of Rs 718 crores was allocated for the defence services. In 1965, the year of the war, the increase in revenue was Rs 29 crores from 1964 figure, this was the year when the National Defence Remittance Scheme was also introduced. "Honourable Members will also appreciate that while it has always been our policy to restrict expenditure on defence to the maximum extent possible so as to conserve all possible sources for securing the well-being of our people, we cannot afford to take any chances with the security of the nation, devoted though we are to the cause of peace" the FM Sachindra Chaudhuri was quoted saying in his speech in 1966. In 1970, the military budget stood at 2.9% of the total GDP which drastically rose to 3.417% in 1971, the year of India-Pakistan war. In the preceding year, the military budget was 3.4% (a miniscule revision). In 1974 though, the budget drastically dropped to 2.995% of the total GDP. Military expenditure (% of GDP). Source: World Bank (Others) × See a pattern? The usual thinking in the government is that only when there is a war the defence budget should be increased. Otherwise, no focus is laid in this sector, it is not given much priority. Moreover, since the last three years, there has actually been a decline in budget allocation for capital investments against requirements, or “projections” in the official sense, a factor that could delay procurement and modernization of the armed forces, according to a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee On Defence 2017-18. "Funds allocated (each year) under the budget estimate have been reduced at the revised estimate stage by the ministry of finance, broadly on the pretext of trend of expenditure at that point of time," the defence ministry said in its response to questions by the Parliamentary committee. "Though there has been under-utilisation of capital budget with regards to budget estimate (except in 2016-17), there has been either excess expenditure or more than 99 percent utilisation when compared to final grant," it said. This even as India and China were close to a faceoff in Doklam. Moreover, deaths due to terrorist violence increased 30 per cent in Jammu & Kashmir — from 267 in 2016 to 347 in 2017 (December). With just a 7.81% increase in the defence budget, the modernisation of the services cannot be supported. It also means that the policy and acquisition decisions which have been taken will not be executed. Source: SIPRI (Twitter) × The major worry for the army during a war would be a shortage of ammunition. The army faces 40% shortage of ammunition — 61 of 152 types of ammunition was in critical level — to fight a 10-day long war, according to a CAG report. “Transformation in defence production requires higher allocation. If the government is keen on promoting ‘Make in India’ in defence production then there has to be a proper infrastructure creation for that and that requires huge money. When you are operating under a low budget then all your mega acquisition plans become severely constrained,” said Vikram Mahajan, Director (Defence and Aerospace), US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). Source: ChinaPower (Others) × Experts added that what ultimately needs to be done is to ensure that India's military can face a high-tech Chinese Army, especially when China's 2017 defence budget stands at $152 billion (Rs 9.75 lakh crore). This would naturally call for stricter action towards defence expenditure through the years but historical facts and the timelines have also proven that there has not been enough inclination towards India’s defense needs.

Jaitley's defence outlay in Union Budget is lowest since India-China 1962 war

<p>You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year? Do you want to explore the other side of things? Here are some strange, crazy traditions from around the world to celebrate the coming of a new year and a new beginning:</p>

<p><strong>Australia</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Australians have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>New Year party isn&#39;t the only think Australians do to welcome the year. They have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils, drums, trumpets, horns and other musicals to remove the bad &#39;juju&#39; like bad omen, evil spirits and negativity and welcoming the new ones.</p>

<p><strong>Colombia</strong></p>

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<p>Strange traditions in Colombia include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12 on the New Year&#39;s Eve (Agencies)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Colombians have their own traditions for New Year&#39;s Eve and New Year&#39;s Day - called ag&uuml;eros - the word ag&uuml;eros literally translates to &quot;omen&quot;. In terms of New Year it means bringing good things to everyone close to you. Some of these include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12, wearing a pair of new yellow underwear, carrying lentils in your pocket on 31st December and taking an empty suitcase around the block after 12 o&#39;clock.</p>

<p><strong>Switzerland</strong></p>

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<p>The Swiss throw ice creams on the floor on New Year&#39;s Eve (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The land of chocolates, watches and all good things believe in throwing ice cream on the floor on new year&rsquo;s eve as it is said to bring overflowing abundance in the New Year.</p>

<p><strong>Brazil</strong></p>

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<p>Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre but people claim that they still follow it to bring them good luck, peace and happiness. These include &ndash; wearing white clothes with colorful underwear to welcome the New Year and jump seven waves, one for each day of the week, to bring good luck in the next year.</p>

<p><strong>Thailand</strong></p>

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<p>Thousands of people come together in Thailand for a massive water fight (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thailand&rsquo;s New Year is called &ldquo;Songkran&rdquo; is celebrated in mid-April. It is celebrated in full swing over the course of three days including a national water festival that&rsquo;s grown to legendary proportions where thousands of people come together for a massive water fight. But that&rsquo;s not it, they also smear talcum powder all over each other&rsquo;s face.</p>

<p><strong>Chile</strong></p>

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<p>People in Chile celebrate New Year at a local cemetery (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>People in Chile aren&rsquo;t focused on drawing Lady Luck to their side, but celebrate it at a local cemetery with their deceased loved ones in a chance to remember them. This tradition started about 15-16 years ago and it is known to bring peace to the loved ones they have lost.</p>

<p><strong>Panama</strong></p>

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<p>In Panama, people burn effigies of everyone and anyone famous on New Year (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though the entire Panama celebrates New Year with great grandeur and vigor, they also celebrate the New Year by burning effigies of everyone and anyone famous. These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition.&nbsp; These &ldquo;stuffed people&rdquo; are called many names - Mu&ntilde;ecos, Dummies, Old Year Dolls, Judas Dolls. They are stuffed with firecrackers which at lit and beaten when the clock hits 12 o&rsquo;clock. This is done so that the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed, making way for good fortune in the New Year.</p>

<p><strong>South Africa</strong></p>

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<p>People throw furniture out of windows of tall buildings (Others)</p>
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<p>In the neighbourhood of Johannesburg, throwing furniture out of windows of tall buildings has been voted one of the strangest New Year traditions worldwide. The act symbolises casting away the old in favour of the new, letting go of past sorrows for a more hopeful time.</p>


You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year?

You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year? Do you want to explore the other side of things? Here are some strange, crazy traditions from around the world to celebrate the coming of a new year and a new beginning: Australia Australians have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils (Others) × New Year party isn't the only think Australians do to welcome the year. They have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils, drums, trumpets, horns and other musicals to remove the bad 'juju' like bad omen, evil spirits and negativity and welcoming the new ones. Colombia Strange traditions in Colombia include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12 on the New Year's Eve (Agencies) × Colombians have their own traditions for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - called agüeros - the word agüeros literally translates to "omen". In terms of New Year it means bringing good things to everyone close to you. Some of these include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12, wearing a pair of new yellow underwear, carrying lentils in your pocket on 31st December and taking an empty suitcase around the block after 12 o'clock. Switzerland The Swiss throw ice creams on the floor on New Year's Eve (Others) × The land of chocolates, watches and all good things believe in throwing ice cream on the floor on new year’s eve as it is said to bring overflowing abundance in the New Year. Brazil Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre (Others) × Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre but people claim that they still follow it to bring them good luck, peace and happiness. These include – wearing white clothes with colorful underwear to welcome the New Year and jump seven waves, one for each day of the week, to bring good luck in the next year. Thailand Thousands of people come together in Thailand for a massive water fight (Others) × Thailand’s New Year is called “Songkran” is celebrated in mid-April. It is celebrated in full swing over the course of three days including a national water festival that’s grown to legendary proportions where thousands of people come together for a massive water fight. But that’s not it, they also smear talcum powder all over each other’s face. Chile People in Chile celebrate New Year at a local cemetery (Others) × People in Chile aren’t focused on drawing Lady Luck to their side, but celebrate it at a local cemetery with their deceased loved ones in a chance to remember them. This tradition started about 15-16 years ago and it is known to bring peace to the loved ones they have lost. Panama In Panama, people burn effigies of everyone and anyone famous on New Year (Others) × Though the entire Panama celebrates New Year with great grandeur and vigor, they also celebrate the New Year by burning effigies of everyone and anyone famous. These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition. These “stuffed people” are called many names - Muñecos, Dummies, Old Year Dolls, Judas Dolls. They are stuffed with firecrackers which at lit and beaten when the clock hits 12 o’clock. This is done so that the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed, making way for good fortune in the New Year. South Africa People throw furniture out of windows of tall buildings (Others) × In the neighbourhood of Johannesburg, throwing furniture out of windows of tall buildings has been voted one of the strangest New Year traditions worldwide. The act symbolises casting away the old in favour of the new, letting go of past sorrows for a more hopeful time.

Strange New Year traditions around the world you didn't know about

<p>As artificial intelligence evolves, computers are now capable of creating music which can replicate a human band.</p>

<p>The newest example of this is Coditany of Timeness, a black metal album fully made using AI which has made rounds on the internet.</p>

<p>Coditany of Timeness was created using a New York-based black metal album &#39;Diotime&#39; by the band Krallice, released in 2011.</p>

<p>The music was first broken into small 3,200 eight-second segments of raw audio data which was then put into a type of network of AI created on a biological brain. It was then asked to guess the waveform of the next sample from the first segment.</p>

<p>If the sample sounded decent, the network would work towards strengthening the paths of the model i.e the biological brain to generate familiar sounds - like that of Diotime. It just like a human brain, the more you strengthen your skills the better is the outcome.</p>

<p>Initially the network generated more textured sounds, however, as it was strengthened and made more guesses - almost five million in three days - it started to sound more like the music album.</p>

<p>Coditany of Timeness is part of a side project by CJ Carr, a startup CTO, and Zack Zukowski, a music producer who met at University of Berklee. They were interested in exploring a system that could generate actual waveforms that could range from sounds of a guitar to percussion and even wailing vocals - even if it&rsquo;s imperfect but sounds like electronic music.</p>

<p>This project is one of the first that is developed in AI research in context to music. Academics in Birmingham City University in the UK are creating more such advanced neutral networks that could predict what the next sample of music would sound like by just putting in a segment - somewhat like Pink Floyd covering a Jay-Z tune.</p>

<p>Previously, the AI from Google&#39;s Magneta team created a 90-second music sample just by using machine learning. This has really come a long way!</p>

<p>Coditany of Timeness is Databots&#39; first album which can be listening to on &#39;Bandcamp&#39;.</p>

<p>If you thought that machine learning could only be useful for mechanical or engineering tasks, think again! AI could open doors to new ventures for creativity in art.</p>


As artificial intelligence evolves, computers are now capable of creating music which can replicate a human band. The newest example of this is Coditany of Timeness, a black metal album fully made using AI which has made rounds on the internet.

As artificial intelligence evolves, computers are now capable of creating music which can replicate a human band. The newest example of this is Coditany of Timeness, a black metal album fully made using AI which has made rounds on the internet. Coditany of Timeness was created using a New York-based black metal album 'Diotime' by the band Krallice, released in 2011. The music was first broken into small 3,200 eight-second segments of raw audio data which was then put into a type of network of AI created on a biological brain. It was then asked to guess the waveform of the next sample from the first segment. If the sample sounded decent, the network would work towards strengthening the paths of the model i.e the biological brain to generate familiar sounds - like that of Diotime. It just like a human brain, the more you strengthen your skills the better is the outcome. Initially the network generated more textured sounds, however, as it was strengthened and made more guesses - almost five million in three days - it started to sound more like the music album. Coditany of Timeness is part of a side project by CJ Carr, a startup CTO, and Zack Zukowski, a music producer who met at University of Berklee. They were interested in exploring a system that could generate actual waveforms that could range from sounds of a guitar to percussion and even wailing vocals - even if it’s imperfect but sounds like electronic music. This project is one of the first that is developed in AI research in context to music. Academics in Birmingham City University in the UK are creating more such advanced neutral networks that could predict what the next sample of music would sound like by just putting in a segment - somewhat like Pink Floyd covering a Jay-Z tune. Previously, the AI from Google's Magneta team created a 90-second music sample just by using machine learning. This has really come a long way! Coditany of Timeness is Databots' first album which can be listening to on 'Bandcamp'. If you thought that machine learning could only be useful for mechanical or engineering tasks, think again! AI could open doors to new ventures for creativity in art.

This black metal album was created using Artificial Intelligence and sounds just like a human band

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Anushka Dixit

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