Daily Archives: November 28, 2021

Russias Ground-Breaking MiG-31 Fighter Interceptor Aircraft To Be Heavily Modified Amid Tensions With NATO – EurAsian Times

Posted: November 28, 2021 at 10:03 pm

MiG-31: Russia has given a big boost to its combat capability by upgrading the Foxhound or MiG-31 fighter jet.This development comes shortly after Moscow unveiled a medium combat aircraft Checkmate while projecting it as a game-changer, and signed a deal with China to develop a heavy-lift helicopter.

Two Russian MiG-31 interceptors, early this year, flew over the North Pole, marking an important milestone for the countrys navy.

The MiG-31 Foxhound has made several world records. It reached an absolute maximum altitude of 37,650 meters in 1977, and set a time-to-height record of 35,000 meters in 4 minutes, 11.78 seconds, both of which were set by the famous MiG test pilot Alexander Fedotov.

Needless to say, Russia has been making consistent efforts to modernize its air power and the MiG-31 upgrade is the latest effort in that direction.

The country is now carrying out trials of the upgraded MiG-31 fighter-interceptor with a fly-by-wire control system, managers of the Sokol Aircraft Plant told Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko during his visit to the facility on November 25.

Krivoruchko inspected the units production capacities and checked the pace of work on repairing and upgrading MiG-31 fighters. He also held a meeting on completing the defense procurement plan, as part of his working trip to the Volga area.

There is an option of upgrading this aircraft where we switch from the mechanical to the fly-by-wire control system, which yields a host of computers mounted on the plane, said Sokol Aviation Enterprise.

The fighters onboard equipment will be totally replaced; the combat plane will also be examined for flaws in order to replace corrosion portions that could account for 15 to 50 percent of the total weight. The fighters canopy, as well as all of the wiring and rubber parts, will be entirely overhauled.

Sokols main duty now is to carry out substantial repairs on the MiG-31 fighter-interceptor, as well as a heavy upgrade to the MiG-31BM level, which has been a work in process since 2007.

The modification of MiG-31 high-altitude fighter-interceptors will improve the efficiency of their operations, particularly in protecting Russias northern borders in the backdrop of other countries growing interest in the Northern Sea Route, said Major-General Vladimir Popov, a top military pilot and defense expert.

With the tensions between Russia and NATO countries growing in the region and Moscow announcing that its radars intercepted about 40 spy planes and drones in about one week of tensions, this announcement comes at a very appropriate moment.

In March this year, two Russian MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic high altitude interceptor aircraft had flown over the North Pole marking a significant milestone for the countrys navy.

Introduced in 1981, the MiG-31 is a long-range, two-seater supersonic interceptor aircraft. Day or night, the MiG-31 can operate well in any weather situation while adhering to visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight regulations (IFR). The MiG-31 was the first Soviet fighter plane to be capable of genuine look-down and shoot-down.

In July 2020, Russias Defense Ministry revealed its intention to invest in a MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor modernization and life extension program. The MiG-31 features a streamlined and aerodynamic fuselage that allows it to fly at high speeds and low altitudes. The aircraft is designed to track several targets at high altitudes at the same time.

One of the most potent variants of the MiG-31 is the MiG-31BM. It is a multifunctional long-range fighter aircraft with high speed and the ability to kill both air and ground targets.

Upgraded avionics, hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls, liquid-crystal color multifunction displays (MFDs), a robust on-board computer system, digital data linkages, and phased array radar are all included in the variant. It has the capability of intercepting 24 targets at once.

The MiG-31 is equipped with four long-range Vympel R-33E air-to-air missiles. The R-33 can be launched in inertial navigation mode to shoot at the target from a long distance.

For initial acquisition and mid-course updates, it can be directed in semi-active radar homing (SARH) mode. The Cold War-era warplane was designed to take out huge, fast targets like the American SR-71 Blackbird, B-1 Lancer bomber, and B-52 Stratofortress.

The aircraft is also equipped with four short-range R-60MK missiles and two Bisnovat R-40TD1 medium-range missiles. A six-barrel 30mm internal cannon (Ghs-6-23M) is installed above the starboard main landing gear bay of the aircraft. The cannon contain 800 rounds of ammunition and can fire at a rate of over 10,000 rounds a minute.

MiG-31BM can accommodate the AA-12 Adder missile and various Russian air-to-ground missiles (AGMs) such as the AS-17 Krypton anti-radiation missile (ARM).

The N007 Zaslon phased array radar aboard the MiG-31 is the worlds first electronically scanned radar. Its also known as the SBI-16 Zaslon (Flash Dance), and its controlled by a weapons system officer (WSO) from the back cockpit. Early warning radar (EWR) and aerial warning and control systems can send signals to it (AWACS).

Zaslon can scan a distance of 200 kilometers. The radar can track 10 targets and engage four of them at once in the aircrafts immediate vicinity (behind and below the aircraft).

According to one count, there are 252 MiG-31s in the inventory of the Russian Air Force. Moscow began modernizing its Foxhound fleet to the MiG-31BM and BSM variant starting in 2010 with plans to have 100 upgraded by 2020.

The 35-year-old MiG-31 is expected to serve until 2030. Moscow says that the MiG-41 or PAK-DP, a dedicated Mach 4 interceptor, will be developed to replace the Foxhound in the air defense role.

This is puzzling, given that the Kremlin has only funded the manufacture of 10 advanced PAK-FA stealth aircraft thus far, raising the question of whether it can afford to deploy a significantly more specialized platform as well.

The combat efficiency of MiG-31 fighter-interceptors will increase threefold following substantial repairs and upgrades, claims Sokol.

Meanwhile, the upgrade, in which the onboard radio-electronic equipment is fully replaced with advanced technology envisages using the latest air-launched weapons, which will boost the planes combat efficiency by about three times, the Sokol management said.

The MiG-31 is one of Russias most widely deployed combat aircraft, with several hundred more in reserve.

New variants of the Foxhound, according to Aleksandr Osokin, head designer at the Sokol Aircraft Plant, where MiG-31s are repaired, are around 2.6 times as capable as the original Cold War-era planes.

The aircraft were meant to intercept not just all types of enemy aircraft, from bombers and observation planes to fighters and airborne early warning jets, but also missiles, with the aircraft being particularly capable of intercepting low-altitude cruise missiles.

Now with the latest upgrade, the capability is expected to rise manifold. The fly-by-wire systems are computer-controlled. The hands-on design allows pilots to get a clear, tactile sense of how the aircraft handles aerodynamic forces as it flies. This will enhance the combat power by restricting the number of manual controls that the pilot otherwise has to perform.

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Russias Ground-Breaking MiG-31 Fighter Interceptor Aircraft To Be Heavily Modified Amid Tensions With NATO - EurAsian Times

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Congress should reject H.R. 1619’s dangerous anywhere, any place casino precedent | TheHill – The Hill

Posted: at 10:02 pm

Who wants casinos placed squarely in their backyards ones that are still the subject of ongoing litigation and are looked upon unfavorably by their state and local governments?

While no one would answer yes to this question, the House of Representatives Nov. 1 passage ofH.R. 1619 the Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act, a bill that would have been more aptly titled The Anywhere, Any Place Casino Act could soon make this hypothetical a dangerous reality.

H.R. 1619, which the Senate recentlyaddedfor consideration to the National Defense Authorization Act as an amendment, is a special interests special interest bill. If passed, it would represent the first time Congress ever approved an off-reservation casino.

For the last 30 years since theIndian Gambling Regulatory Actwas passed, states, city governments, and the Department of Interior have been the bodies to make decisions around the siting of tribal casinos not Congress with the courts intervening to adjudicate disputes.

To the dismay of many casino moguls, most communities in the country strongly oppose casinos in their backyards. One key reason is that casinos inflict severe financial and social damage not only upon gamblers and their families but upon the community as a whole. Thats because casinos prey on desperation, not hope, and it metastasizes across a region.

A highly cited report by Georgia State University found that roughlyone-halfof problem gamblers commit a crime, while the Department of Justice has found thatone-thirdof addicted gamblers get arrested for crime. Other studies have found that families where a parent gambles compulsively are more likely to experiencedomestic violence.

Localities should have every political and legal right to challenge casinos that developers plan to put in their neighborhoods; however, the sponsors of H.R. 1619 have their own agenda. Their bill serves the powerful gambling interests behind a South Carolina Native American tribe to force a casino into a neighboring state in North Carolina,against the peoples will, before anongoing court battlesettles the legality of the move. And that is just the short-term implication of the legislation.

The more concerning effect of passing H.R. 1619 is that casino developers could ultimately dictate gambling policy to the rest of the country. Its like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank. All casino moguls would need to do to impose their will on localities throughout the nation is partner with an allied member of Congress to circumvent the courts and local governments. That would not take much effort because commercialized gambling companies are already some of the most well-connected to the legislative branch in the country, consistently feedingover $50 millionin annual federal campaign donations to Congress.

At a time when the American people are already losingmore than $225,000of personal wealth every minute to commercialized gambling, H.R. 1619 is a radical and dangerous proposal that would make the problem of wealth inequality dramatically worse. It would redistribute billions of dollars from low-income and middle-income families to the wealthy financial interests within the casino industry.

In a Nov. 2coalition letterorganized by the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles to Senate Indian Affairs Chairman Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzAlabama Republican touts provision in infrastructure bill he voted against Telehealth was a godsend during the pandemic; Congress should keep the innovation going Framing our future beyond the climate crisis MORE (D-Hawaii), Vice Chairwoman Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiGraham emerges as go-to ally for Biden's judicial picks Man charged with threatening Alaska senators pleads not guilty Two women could lead a powerful Senate spending panel for first time in history MORE (R-Alaska), and the rest of the U.S. Senate, Stop Predatory Gambling joined 20 other religious, family values, and states rights-minded advocacy organizations in making this point clear. The coalition wrote that the rule of law and the careful checks and balances that come with it should never be traded in for the conveniences of political expediency and asked that they stand for federalism, fairness, and the independent judiciary and put the welfare of localities and the families living within them first by dismissing this bill.

H.R. 1619 is a naked money grab. The U.S. Senate needs to shut it down because people are worth more than money.

Les Bernal is the National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling.

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Record $2.3b runs through WA TAB operator as spend on problem gambling drops – WAtoday

Posted: at 10:02 pm

The state grant money had since run out, and it was only now financial counsellors were starting to get more clients.

RWWA is the principal authority for thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing in WA, as well as the operator of the state-owned TAB which is marketed as TABtouch.

WA is the last state or territory to run its own TAB with most now operated by the privately owned Tabcorp.

While about half of the WA TABs revenue still comes through its more than 300 retail outlets, turnover from mobile devices increased in the past financial year by 40 per cent despite the number of phone users only going up 12 per cent.

The WA TAB recorded a $374 million margin from its wagering activities in 2020-21 which was $64 million higher than the previous reporting period and $35 million higher than the previous peak in 2013-14.

About $2.3 billion of cash passed through the hands of RWWA in 2020-21, which is mostly made up of bets, with $1.9 billion going back to customers. Overall wagering on WA racing across the country increased 17 per cent to $3.8 billion in the same period.

A RWWA spokeswoman said COVID had provided a significant uplift in the amount of national wagering turnover.

While its difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for this, it is presumed that the reduction in other discretionary spending opportunities, most notably due to travel restrictions, is a significant contributing factor to the increase, she said.

The increase in advertising and promotions during the period positively impacted the performance of the WA TAB in line with expectations.

RWWAs advertising and promotion spend increased by $6 million in the past financial year in a significant jump from the previous three years when an average of $28 million was spent.

Greens MLC Brad Pettitt said the increase in marketing dollars coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when people were vulnerable was appalling on several levels.

Encouraging gambling to support the racing industry self-perpetuate is not something a responsible state government should be doing, he said.

We all know gambling disproportionately impacts the less well-off sections of our community and this promotion just makes it worse.

But advertising the TAB is in RWWA and the racing industrys interest, with profits going back into the sport to keep the sector financially healthy.

About $175 million was distributed between the three racing codes in 2020-21 from RWWA.

The RWWA spokeswoman said profits from the TAB kept the industry sustainable.

The wagering market is highly competitive and it is important for the organisation to hold a prominent place in this environment to maintain funding for WA racing, she said.

All activities are in line with all relevant advertising laws and requirements.

We actively encourage our customers to ensure they stick to their entertainment budget and wager responsibly. Our support services are promoted to all customers at retail outlets and online.

About 13.5 per cent of the 109,000 TABtouch account holders used gambling help tools in 2021.

There was a 14 per cent increase from 2020 in the number of people who accessed gambling help tools compared to 12.6 per cent increase in the number of overall account holders.

Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby said the state government took responsible gambling seriously and he wanted to increase efforts around the initiative, but this came with a caveat.

We need to keep the TAB viable, we need to make sure that its an asset that we can get the best return possible, he said.

WA Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby.Credit:Facebook

RWWA makes those investment decisions in terms of advertising, its not something Im responsible for, but they want to make sure the TAB is as valuable an asset as possible so that we get the best return for racing.

The TAB is currently up for sale after negotiations to transfer the entity to Tabcorp fell apart last year as the latter had a $1 billion write-down.

Tabcorp is still the leading contender but several other companies have shown interest in the TAB, which could fetch upwards of $1 billion given the new owner will not have to underwrite WAs racing industry, which had previously been a condition of the sale.

The state government says it will find an alternative funding arrangement for the horseracing codes if the sale goes ahead.

Mr Whitby said he did not want to put a price tag on what the TAB would fetch but he wanted to see the sale go ahead with the best price possible for the racing industry and taxpayers.

Theres no doubt that over COVID that the betting has increased and the TAB is an attractive asset for many betting operators but we will only proceed with a sale if its in the best interest of WA racing, he said.

Although the percentage of Australians who gamble has been on the decline, WA still has the highest proportion of gamblers in all of the country with 62 per cent of the states population enjoying a flutter.

Even though the majority of West Australians will place a bet or buy a lotto ticket, the state has some of the lowest instances of problem or at-risk gamblers in the nation.

A report by CQUniversity gambling researchers, led by Professor Matthew Rockloff and prepared for the ongoing Perth Casino Royal Commission, noted there were fewer problem gamblers in WA compared to the rest of the country because not as many people played electronic gaming machines.

EGMs are only allowed to be used at Crowns Burswood casino and bear similarities to poker machines in the eastern states, which are associated with high levels of problem gambling and are banned in WA.

Ms Every said because there were not pokies in WA there was a perception the state did not have an issue with problem gambling.

But she said there was an issue with the easy online access to gambling and its glamorisation in advertising, which particularly targeted young men.

WAs gambling watchdog, the Gaming and Wagering Commission, manages the distribution of funds for the states main support services for problem gamblers.

The Problem Gambling Support Services Committee, which sits under the GWC, includes representatives from RWWA, Crown and several government departments and distributes funding for in-person and phone-in counselling.

About 55 per cent of the 316 clients who used face-to-face counselling services provided by Centrecare in 2019-20 preferred to gamble online compared to an estimated 5 per cent in 2012-13.

About 65 per cent of the clients were men aged 25 and older.

A national study released by Gambling Research Australia last month concluded there had been several notable sector trends including for interactive or online gamblers.

Rapidly growing participation, the emergence of new products, the rise of smartphone betting which has increased accessibility, prolific wagering advertising and inducements, substantial use of illegal offshore operators, limited use of consumer protection tools and help services, and increased rates of problem gambling amongst interactive gamblers, it said.

Funding distributed by the PGSSC for research and gambling support has decreased over the past three years based on reported spending by the GWC but more is set to go towards an awareness campaign which will run in 2022-23.

A Department of Local Government Sports and Cultural Industries spokeswoman also said members of the PGSSC had contributed $1.5 million to the committee in the past financial year.

The PGSSC has been around since the 1990s but has never conducted or paid for any of its own studies into the extent of problem gambling in WA.

The GWCs annual report, released on Wednesday, revealed the PGSSC now intends to conduct the local research with the first phase to be completed in May.

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‘The plug came out and PaddyPower.com crashed’ but gambling veteran Grant is betting the house on Flutter – Independent.ie

Posted: at 10:02 pm

From a tiny head office above a shoe shop in Tallaght to its recently refurbished seven-floor global headquarters in Clonskeagh, Conor Grant has seen it all with Paddy Power.

he UK and Ireland CEO for Flutter Entertainment, the global gambling giant formed by the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair, started his 22-year career in the betting industry at Paddy Power in 1998 on a graduate programme.

He recalls those early days fondly even if the technology wasnt what it is now.

It is a far cry from where we were,says Grant, pointing around the recently refurbished Dublin HQ. Paddy Power had no online business.

"There were 15 of us working in the telephone business and about seven or eight in the race room. The rest was the retail network. It was a very small head office above a shoe shop in Tallaght.

When PaddyPower.com started, we hadnt enough room in the head office, so we took a unit behind a nearby Spar shop, and we ran a cable across from the head office to behind the unit with an extension lead.

The lead came out, and PaddyPower.com was down, he adds with a laugh. This was back in 2001. It wasnt even live to the public, but it was just a completely different time.

Such technological challenges would be unthinkable now in the high-tech world of online gambling particularly at Flutter, which is now among the largest online betting businesses in the world with a valuation of around 19bn.

However, public scrutiny of the world of gambling has increased with growing demand to make it safer for punters. Could increased public scrutiny pull the plug on the sectors explosive growth in Ireland?

The betting industrysrecord on dealing with problem gambling has caught up with it. Regulation, which Flutter and Grant say they welcome, is on the way. There is also hope that a proposed gambling authority, an Irish betting regulator, can boost protections for punters.

With regulation coming in Ireland, Grant recognises the industry, including Flutter, has to embrace change.

I think the industry is at a hugely important juncture, and that is for a couple of reasons, he says.

We have got the regulatory and legislative process happening in the two key markets I operate in, and we think this is a fantastic opportunity to set this sector up for the next generation. The Government needs to get this right, and obviously, we want them to do too.

Is there stuff we did in the past that we cant do now? Yes, there will be, and that is the correct thing to do, he adds.

I think we have to acknowledge that what has happened in the past in some instances hasnt been right, and we have made mistakes but I think we have to move the discourse on. We have to be part of the solution.

Calls to update the regulations covering the gambling industry in Ireland have been knocking about for many years. Indeed, most of Irelands betting laws date back to 1931, barring some changes in 2015.

In October, junior justice minister James Browne published the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill.

The bill included prohibitions on the offer of inducements such as free bets, VIP or preferential treatment; spending limits where practicable; restricting payment methods (such as credit cards); requirements around warnings and messaging;and prohibiting children from gambling.

Grant says Flutter wholeheartedly welcomed the news that regulations, and a gambling regulator, were closer to being introduced in Ireland.

There is a serious misconception that bookmakers dont want regulation, he says. We want it. We want it in all of our markets. It levels the playing field.

While Grant says he welcomes news of regulation in Ireland, he does have some concerns.

It has to be evidence-based, he says. It cant be cosmetic. If it is cosmetic, it wont deal with the heart of what we want to do here. We all want to reduce customer harm.

Gambling companies do have some concerns about the Bill.

In September, Flutter joined the European Gaming and Betting Association. Following the announcement of the Gambling Regulation Bill in October, the EGBA was quick off the mark to note its concern over media reports of potential blanket bans on free bets.

We have seen instances where free bets caused some issues for some customers, and we definitely need to look at that but banning free bets seems an excessive measure, Grant says.

There will be different points where we agree and disagree. But fundamentally, we go back to the core points, are we moving forward here and are we reducing customer harm.

As the Government continues to press ahead with introducing regulations to ensuresafer gambling, an incident in the UK involving Flutter put insharp focus what can happen when the bookies get it wrong.

During the betting industrys annual Safer Gambling Week, Flutter-owned online casino Sky Vegas sent emails to recovering gambling addicts, offering free online spins.

According to The Guardian, one email carried the subject line: Take a peek at what your mystery bonus is.

It read: Here at Sky Vegas, we love the unexpected. Thats right. Simply opt-in, spend 5 and claim your 100 free spins. The best part? Whatever you win is yours to keep thats the fun in fair!

On the incident, Grant says Flutter identified it and contacted UK watchdog the Gambling Commission straight away.

It was a mistake. It shouldnt have happened, he says. It is something that personally I am very, very sorry about.

We will continue to make sure we invest in the systems to make sure these things never happen again.

Growing up in Newry, Co Down, Grant wasnt always interested in the world of gambling. Grant went to Queens University in Belfast to study history and politics. He joined the SDLP, where he worked with politician Seamus Mallon.

I thought I was going to save Northern Ireland, he says.

During that time, he was introduced to the head of Drury Communications in Northern Ireland. Then, following a short stint in the US playing Gaelic football, he joined the company while studying business at UCDs Smurfit Business School.

However, he soon discovered the world of PR wasnt for him.

I would go into Drury at 6am and do all the newspaper cuttings and have them all on the client director desks they used to get very excited by it, he says with a laugh. I thought, Nah, this career isnt for me.

Soon after graduating from UCD, a newspaper advert for a graduate programme caught his eye in 1998. The advert was for Paddy Power and eventually led Stewart Kenny, co-founder and former chairman of the betting company, to hire Grant.

Kenny was friends with Fintan Drury, founder of Drury Communications and former chairman of Paddy Power.

Grant stayed with Paddy Power until 2005, where he served several roles across its burgeoning online business. After that, his career took him across the betting industry, with positions at Blue Square in the UK, Boyle Sport and then Sky Betting and Gaming.

Im an operator, he says. I dread to think how many jobs I have done in this sector. I have seen entire phases, all the transitions.

In late 2019, while working with Sky Betting and Gaming, news of a merger between industry titans The Stars Group, which owned Sky Bet, and Flutter hit the headlines.

Flutter completed the transaction in May 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Grant was subsequently employed as Flutters UK and Ireland CEO, bringing him back full circle.

As CEO of the UK and Ireland, Grant is at the coalface as Flutter and its brands integrate. He says Flutter has already completed its first integration, pricing for greyhound racing in Dublin and then distributing it to SkyBet and Paddy Power Betfair.

From our perspective, the three brands will compete in their segments of the market, and we will complement behind the scenes, he says. We share technology, we share ideas, and thats the advantage of bringing these businesses together.

Grant is also focused on bolstering the UK and Ireland divisions performance.

In its recent Q3results for 2021, Flutter slashed its full-year adjusted Ebitda guidance to between 1.24bn and 1.28bn. Its UK and Ireland division also revealed a hit, with revenue down 5pc reflecting tough year-on-year comparisons

Flutters Group CEO Peter Jackson told analysts it would be difficult to imagine the online market in the UK would experience any real growth into next year. With the forecast cut, the share price tumbled.

Grant wasnt too concernedthough, believing Flutters position in the US, UK and Australia meant it would remain a robust long-term bet.

Flutters share price pain hasnt stopped it from going on the acquisition hunt either. Earlier this month, Flutter announced it is to buy online UK bingo operator Tombola for an enterprise value of 402m.

Grant says he has been a long admirer of the business, adding its appeal lies in the recreational nature of its customer base an area of the market we are targeting in the UK and Ireland.

As Flutter continues to grow, the importance of safer gambling remains a top priority,says Grant.

According to Grant, Flutter has been proactive on safer gambling in Ireland. This year it introduced new measures including a ban on customers using credit cards, a whistle-to-whistle advertising ban and it will also bring about a maximum monthly deposit limit of 500 for under 25s as part of its triple-step affordability checks.

Grant says Flutter will get more from its data to identify when customer behaviour becomes a concern.

For us, it is about how we get smarter, he says. How do we get our data to tell us more when we detect these patterns.

"We cant tell what is happening in peoples lives, but we can work through and identify a change in behaviour that is significant enough for us to act on. That is really crucial.

Given Flutters changes over the past year and moves by the Government toward introducing a regulator, the question is why the company and industry hadnt introduced more safety measures before.

It is a good question, Grant says. I think different business have been at different speeds on this.

"I think the sector has realised thatSorry, what has happened in the past cant [happen anymore]. There needs to be greater due diligence, the regulator has increased the standards in the UK, and that has driven higher standards.

Grant is among the believers that a regulator can benefit the industry and protect consumers in the long run.

As the industry moves toward its important juncture, Grant reflects on the considerable culture change he believes has taken place in the world of gambling.

He admits he is the only individual on the Flutter executive team with a background in the industry, with the rest newcomers eager to drive change and lead it.

If youd said to someone three years ago that a business like Flutter would introduce mandatory deposit limits for under 25s, the vast majority of people wouldve said no chance.

Thats where we are today, he adds. We did that.

Name:Conor Grant

Age:45

Position:Chief executive, Flutter UK & Ireland

Lives:York (originally from Newry, Co Down)

Family:Married to Elaine with three sons

Education:BA in history and politics from Queens University, Belfast; postgraduate diploma in business from UCD Business School.

Experience:Paddy Power graduate scheme and held several positions in Paddypower.com; head of product at Rank Interactive (BlueSquare) until 2008;head of online at Boylesports; held a variety of positions at Sky Betting & Gaming, including managing director of gaming, before becoming chief operating officer in October 2018.

Favourite pastime:Spending time with my family; avid sports watcher, particularly GAA.

Favourite film:The Usual Suspects

Favourite book:Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football's Lost Genius by Oliver Kay

What is the best piece of advice you have received during your career?"Invest in your self-development.You have spent the vast majority of you career in the gambling industry across a variety of roles and companies. But what is the one lesson you have learned in your career thats stood you best?Embrace change and be positive, as nothing stays the same for ever.

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'The plug came out and PaddyPower.com crashed' but gambling veteran Grant is betting the house on Flutter - Independent.ie

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POPULISM | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

Posted: at 10:02 pm

Perhaps the language of populism lying around the corner when once the linguistic turn has been made shows nothing more than that. Some political scientists labelled as ' neopopulism ' the newer variant of populism in the context of globalisation and widespread acceptance of neoliberal policies. The result was first ' caudillismo ', then - in the twentieth century - populism, revolution, or breakdown. He seems to envisage a better future emerging from subaltern populism, untainted by the impositions of the modern bureaucratic state. But the new media coverage also signalled a new populism. If neopopulism cannot claim a similar set of accomplishments, then it can hardly be assigned the same degree of importance as classical populism. In fact, one of the most striking elements of the book is how very infrequently the terms populism and neopopulism appear on its pages. If the populism of his earlier labor radicalism was gone, his suspicion of capitalist power in alliance with a centralized state remained. Unfortunately the case studies' treatment of the more contemporary cases of populism (or neopopulism) is rather meagre. Thus, a key question for a book on populism is whether it contributes to a better understanding of the term. Populism and egaliterianism had become rhetorical pillars of the post-independence state. As the executive tried to buy support in congress and the politicians tried to buy a new electorate, populism was reborn and corruption spread unimpeded. Not very surprisingly, perhaps, the means by which this revival of populism is to be effected remain somewhat unclear. There are, however, two reasons why populism is such a problematic concept. Both plans may have represented a welcome break with the previous culture of inflation, but they also contained a significant element of economic populism.

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

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Right-Wing Populism in Europe Is A "New Normal": An …

Posted: at 10:02 pm

L to R: Geert Wilders of The Netherlands, Italys Matteo Salvini, Germanys Jrg Meuthen, and Frances Marine Le Pen, May 2019 (Luca Bruno/AP)

Mainly because the world has changed around us. Many media outlets and some academics keep defining European right wing populist parties as challengers or outsiders. They appear to have taken no notice of what has happened in the last two decades in Europe well before one Donald Trump even started campaigning .

Lets leave aside for a moment whether you and I are convinced by their proposals and their communication.

Lets rather start with the facts: right wing populists have been very successful in electoral terms in many contexts, and it is now common for them to be invited to join government coalitions. See the Swiss, Italian, Austrian, Dutch, Norwegian and Finnish cases, to cite just a few. Not only that, but they are increasingly managing to capture the government on their own, like in Hungary and Poland.

And if this were not enough, in many countries they have had a substantial media presence for some time now and very much influence the public agenda. This has contributed to triggering processes of co-optation of their ideas by their non-populist competitors. Just think of the current primaries in France.

In other words, it is apparent that many right-wing populist parties should now be considered part of the mainstream, too. They are indeed the new normal.

We are not advocating this or that outcome, we are simply taking stock of what has happened in the last two decades. And, of course, as I have argued in a book co-edited with Davide Vampa, Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe, right-wing populists are still evolving at great speed, and it is important to recognise the many differences that there are between them, too.

This is also true when we think of the normalization of these parties.

The Swiss Peoples Party, the Austrian Freedom Party, and the Italian Lega were already established populists, taking part in government coalitions, before the financial crisis of 2007.

The Finns Party moved from the status of challenger to that of established by entering governments after the crisis.

See also Swiss Peoples Party Walks a Fine Coronavirus Line Between Government and OppositionThe Finns Party Risks Becoming a Corona Party

The Party for Freedom in the Netherlands and the Danish Peoples Party moved towards being established, thanks to their backing of minority governments

At the same time, the UK Independence Party, the German AfD, Flemish Interest in Belgium, and the RN in France have all gone on being ostracised by other parties at the national level. So, I am not saying that right-wing populists are the new normal everywhere in this sense the title was a little provocative. But this is the direction of travel, and it is important to analyse what is happening, like it or not.

See also Belgiums Right-Wing Populists Defy Expectations Over Coronavirus

You have hit the nail on the head. How do we assess the impact of a political party?

In some contexts, electoral success may be paramount, but we can also simply focus on their policies.

In this sense, one could argue that UKIP has been the most successful right-wing populist party in Western Europe, since it contributed to getting the UK out of the EU.

Equally, we see policies on immigration and asylum being tightened across the continent, not just by the populist right but also by the so-called mainstream parties, left and right, that are trying to prevent their populist competitors from accessing government. I always mention the case of the supposedly centre-left Italian Democratic Party, whose minister Marco Minniti was the first to sign agreements with the Libyan authorities to stop potential asylum seekers from crossing the Mediterranean sea. It led to thousands of them being incarcerated and tortured in Libyan prisons after being captured, thanks to Italian money and support.

Right-wing populists may not be the new normal everywhere, but their impact on others changes what is perceived as normal.

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Elitism is Not the Answer to Populism: On ‘Anti-Vaxxers’ and Mistrust in Government – Milli Gazette

Posted: at 10:02 pm

While anti-vaxxers continue to clash with police in various European cities, a whole media discourse has been formulated around the political leanings of these angry crowds, describing them in matter-of-fact terms as conspiracy theorists, populists and right-wing fanatics.

While it is true that populist, right-wing movements throughout Europe and elsewhere have actively exploited the anger, confusion and lack of trust in governments for years, it is still necessary to understand the roots of the mistrust, as opposed to readily contributing to the stifling division.

A Gallup poll, published in 2013, revealed the extent of mistrust that Americans, for example, have in their own government, and the decline of that trust when compared to the previous year. According to the poll, only 10% of Americans trusted their elected Congress, only 19% trusted the countrys health system, 22% had trust in big business and 23% in news media.

This crisis in democracy took place years before Donald Trump even considered running for presidency, years before the violent storming of the US Congress, and long before the COVID pandemic inspired resentment and conspiracies.

The trend of lack of trust in government continues unabated to this day, though Trump is no longer the president. In fact, it is a phenomenon that has afflicted most Western societies, though to varying degrees.

It may seem irrational that millions of people refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine, a potentially life-saving medicine required in order for collective immunity to be achieved. But the problem exceeds that of seemingly crazy, fanatic, conspiracy theorist and, for good measure, also racist multitudes, simply refusing to save their own lives or the lives of loved ones, out of sheer ignorance and mere stupidity.

There are other issues that deserve to be considered, too. Lack of trust in government is an accumulative process, resulting from long experience and a prevailing conclusion that governments represent the interests of the rich and powerful, not the poor and vulnerable. That cannot be wished away as a result of a supposedly scathing editorial written by establishment newspapers such as The New York Times or The Washington Post.

The inequality gap in the United States, for example, has been constantly widening in recent years. A 2017 study by the Boston Consulting Group concluded that, by 2021, nearly 70% of the USs wealth would be concentrated in the hands of millionaires and billionaires. Can we truly blame a poor, working-class American for mistrusting a government that has engendered this kind of inequality?

Liberal political parties, whether the Democrats in the US, or the Parti Socialiste in France, or the Partito Democratico in Italy have, in fact, orchestrated much of this inequality and the subsequent mistrust and resentment harbored by millions of their citizens. Their politicians and news media insist on a reductionist reading of the rise of populism in their societies, simply because they want to maintain the self-serving status quo.

The so-called moderates are the ones who are mostly articulating the political discourse of the time, simply because an authentic, grassroots-propelled political left is almost completely absent from the scene. The resultant vacuum has rendered entire communities, people with real grievances, vulnerable to far-right opportunists, the likes of Marine Le Pen in France, Trump in the US and Matteo Salvini in Italy.

The above are self-serving politicians with disturbing political ideas, often chauvinistic ideologies and, of course, personal ambitions. With no one else challenging mainstream politicians and corporate media, they are often welcomed as liberators, draining the swamps of Washington and wherever else political elitism exists.

Some of us may avoid this uncomfortable discussion altogether, probably out of fear of being branded as belonging to the wrong crowd or, possibly, as a result of our insistence on understanding the world from our own limited political and ideological vantage points. But, by doing so, we are failing at truly analyzing the roots of the current political mayhem.

True, there have been attempts in mainstream media to offer a third way of thinking on the subject, but most of these ideas remain limited in their scope and context, and often bashful in their language. For example, a recent New York Times article linked the anti-vaccination movement to the COVID cultural war in Europe, but hardly delved deep enough into the economic and class component of that division.

While the vaxxers and the anti-vaxxers may carry on to mobilize around whatever system of beliefs they hold dear, it is not the responsibility of the intellectual to follow the diktats of superficial identity politics. What is required is a true understanding of the roots behind these cultural and political phenomena, with the hope of engaging and fixing as opposed to simply condemning the other side.

The late Italian anti-fascist intellectual, Antonio Gramsci, had written about the intellectuals error of judging without truly understanding, feeling and being impassioned. According to him, no knowledge is possible without feeling the elementary passions of the people, understanding them and therefore explaining and justifying them in the particular historical situation.

There are hundreds of millions of people with real grievances, justifiable fears and understandable confusion. If we do not engage with all people on an equal footing for the betterment of humankind, they are left to seek answers from the prophets of doom - far-right chauvinists and conspiracy theorists. This cannot possibly be the only option.

Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons (Clarity Press). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) and also at the Afro-Middle East Center (AMEC). His website is http://www.ramzybaroud.net

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In Queensland, the federal election will be a matter of trust – The Sydney Morning Herald

Posted: at 10:02 pm

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How good is Queensland?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison may well have some reason to curse that immortal rhetorical question about the state that delivered his Coalition an unlikely election-night victory in 2019.

After a tumultuous parliamentary sitting week in Canberra, Sunshine State MPs have delivered Morrison a government beset by conflict and dysfunction.

The week has also brought into sharp focus how, once again, Queensland will play a critical role at the coming federal election.

Same as it ever was.

Politically, Queensland is an enigma. Those in the Canberra-Sydney-Melbourne triumvirate have a habit of looking down upon the state as a refuge of rednecks, a wild frontier of right-wing populism easy wins for the conservatives.

But it is the state that delivered The Lodge to Labor in 2007.

It has only countenanced a Coalition state government in six of the 32 years since Tony Fitzgerald handed down his landmark report into political and police corruption in 1989.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuks tough-handed approach to pandemic health measures have been widely popular in the state, but have served as a lightning rod for the right to coalesce around a common purpose: freedom.

Scott Morrison sung Queenslands praises on election night 2019.Credit:David Gray/Bloomberg

As a result, the federal election in Queensland is shaping up as a quasi-battle between the Commonwealth and state governments, helped in no small part by border restrictions that have kept federal leaders out of the state for months.

Labors been out of office since 2013. It will be nearly nine years its been out of office, and theyre not really landing too many blows on whats looking like a tight Coalition government, said Paul Williams, a Queensland political expert from Griffith University.

Thats certainly the case in Queensland, so that will play into Labors hands if its a fight between Palaszczuk and Morrison, more than a fight between Morrison and [federal Labor leader Anthony] Albanese, particularly among older provincial voters who voted Labor last year on their gratitude for COVID management in 2020.

The last time Labor won from opposition, it was largely thanks to Queensland. And it certainly didnt hurt that the partys leader at the time, Kevin Rudd, was a Queenslander.

We know that Albanese is no Kevin Rudd, hes not cutting through to a sort of range of demographic cohorts, Williams said.

And, particularly in Queensland hes a drag.

Hes obviously probably better than [predecessor Bill] Shorten, but hes not performing at the standard where Labor should be able to flip Queensland at this point of the electoral cycle.

Theres no doubt Queenslanders respond better to one of their own, hence the importance of Palaszczuk in the coming federal poll.

Indeed, the state governments pandemic response is shaping as the defining line of attack against Labor in Queensland.

Voters gave Palaszczuk a stunning endorsement last year, returning her government for a third term and consigning the accidental Anna label to history.

But to the right, her tough stance has been like a red rag to a bull, with several of the Coalitions federal Queensland MPs leading the charge.

That response will include vaccine requirements for many public activities from December 17.

On Monday, five government senators crossed the floor to support One Nations anti-vaccination mandate bill.

Among them were Queensland LNP senators Matt Canavan, who sits in the Nationals party room in Canberra, and Liberal Gerard Rennick.

What the hell happened to My body, my choice? Canavan, who headlined an anti-abortion rally in Brisbane in May, said in the Senate on Monday.

Matt Canavan giving his speech in the Senate on Monday, with Pauline Hanson looking on remotely.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Why are we making pregnant women undergo a medical procedure that they dont want to have? That is what these laws are doing.

Then, on Wednesday, Dawson MP George Christensen was widely condemned for appearing to condone, if not encourage, civil disobedience in response to state governments public health measures.

While an extreme example, it was part of a theme for the Morrison government, which has made a habit of taking the fight to Labor state governments since the start of the pandemic.

Mandates apply in every other state, but he will single out Queensland, said John Mickel, a political scientist at the Queensland University of Technology.

Mickel, a former Queensland parliamentary speaker and member of the Beattie state Labor ministry, said there were two reasons for this approach.

One is to try to show Queenslanders, or undermine Labors position in Queensland, or at least maintain [Morrisons] own position, he said.

And the second reason, and why you got that equivocal answer the other day when it came to violence and this whole anti-vaxxer movement, where he said its about time you could go into a coffee shop in Queensland.

He didnt say that about Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales, because that doesnt suit his purposes, but the purposes it does fit in Queensland are [Clive] Palmer, [Pauline] Hanson and [Campbell] Newman and they represent the attack on the Libs from the right.

As a result, Williams said, the likes of Christensen, Canavan and Rennick were signalling to the right-wing populists that they did not need to abandon the LNP.

The LNP would be far more worried by the right-wing populists than they are the Labor Party, Williams said.

And those right-wing populists are uniting.

Former foes Newman and Palmer announced a preference deal on Tuesday, an alliance that would have been unthinkable not that long ago.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman and billionaire Clive Palmer of the United Australia Party will trade party preferences at the next election.Credit:Zach Hope

Mickel said their success or otherwise would ultimately be if they could deliver the preferences to the LNP.

Palmer can deliver the money, but can he deliver the preferences? Now, certainly in 2019, they showed they could because the National Party vote didnt move much, he said.

What happened was Labor got drubbed when the minor parties added to their primary vote and then walked it straight across to the LNP.

Now, can they repeat that exercise? And thats what the winks and nods that are going on are all about.

But the flirtation with the fringes was not without its risks for the LNP.

Christensens vow to not be beholden to party room discipline when voting in the House of Representatives, for example, had the potential to destabilise the Morrison government.

With Christensens vote not assured, the Coalitions razor-thin majority comes into sharp focus. Including Christensen and the Speaker (another Queenslander, Andrew Wallace), the Coalition controls 76 of the House of Representatives 151 members.

If Christensen were to cross the floor, the Morrison government would require the support of Labor or a crossbencher to pass legislation.

Its damaging the government, because the government looks uneven, Mickel said.

Somebody said it looks like part of the days of the McMahon government.

Internal warfare, unable to pass legislation, lack of leadership to try to bring the disparate or the warring parties together. If it carries on, it presents an image of incompetence about the government.

But is that something Labor can capitalise on in Queensland?

They will if Albanese can capitalise on it, Mickel said.

What Albanese needs to do is sharpen up his line of attack. His line of attack at the moment is probably, according to some of the insiders, far too verbose.

Worse for Morrison, Mickel said, was the emerging narrative surrounding his trustworthiness.

That was turbocharged in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron outright accusing him of lying in the lead-up to the sinking of the countries submarine deal.

The Betoota Advocate had a political insiders thing of Scotty from Marketing and that was a bit of a giggle for those who know politics, he said.

When Rudd came back from [the 2009 UN climate change summit in] Copenhagen, he was gutted and it may be that when Morrison came back from Glasgow, he was gutted not from the climate experience, but from Macron giving him that character assessment.

Because from then on, that whole you cant trust this guy theme has really taken off.

French President Emmanuel Macrons comments to Australian journalists in Rome would define Scott Morrisons European trip.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Whether that would play out at the ballot box in Queensland was another matter.

It could do, but its always the starting for everybody that all politicians lie, Mickel said.

Its going to come down to a question of do they trust this character? And if they dont, thats when hes in trouble.

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How Technology Is Shaping the New Normal Learning Landscape – Scoop Empire

Posted: at 10:02 pm

By: Fatima Salahuddin

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced students, regardless of their educational level, to continue their studies at home.

What might have been an exhilarating new approach to improve learning and engagement in the classroom has, due to coronavirus crises, transformed and almost wholly replaced face-to-face interaction. Traditional group work and discussions that students were used to were gone Practically overnight, digital learning has become the new normal.

Technology has provided us with the opportunity to continue with education during the crisis. At the same time, it has enabled us to analyze the new learning landscape and identify its drawbacks and benefits so that we do our best to improve it.

Integrating technology into the learning process brings fundamental changes essential for achieving significant productivity improvements. Technology supports teaching and learning processes, introducing digital learning tools into the classrooms, such as computers and various handheld devices.

When applied in education, technology enables learning 24/7/365. It can be used to develop new course offerings, experiences, and learning materials.

Technology can transform the teaching process by introducing a new model of connected learning. This teaching model links teachers to their students and relevant resources, supporting them to personalize learning to match students interests and improve their instructions.

With a proper implementation in the educational process, technology builds 21st-century skills, increases student motivation and engagement, and accelerates learning.

Not so long ago, we couldnt imagine education without teachers and students sharing the exact geographical location. Nowadays, we can get an online degree without meeting our teachers live or ever setting foot in the university. If were interested in a particular program available in another city or even another continent, were now more likely to complete it without seismic changes in our lives.

However, even though technology has shown that it can obviously bring down the geographical barriers, societies must do their best to reduce other barriers that still make education a privilege of certain groups, such as the socioeconomic gap.

In the future, we can anticipate that thanks to technological advancement, many students will have a chance to learn from the best lecturers. They will be able to do so at an affordable price and at their own pace, regardless of where they live, making the learning process and education less elitist.

Apart from making the entire process easier to access, integrating technology in the learning landscape has made it more flexible.

With all course materials already waiting for them online, students can now attend classes, study and complete their assignments whenever it matches their schedule, as long as they are within the limits of a specified deadline.

Students can now use technology to collaborate and exchange notes and resources in the most helpful ways. A great example is a database consisting of relevant Griffith notes and study guides created by students who previously took the same degrees, courses, assessments, and exams.

Such flexibility and ease of access open up a world of possibilities for those who otherwise wouldnt attend traditional education. For example, full-time employees that dont want to jeopardize their jobs or parents who need to take care of their young children.

While traditional education had many challenges to address the needs of individual students, technology gives rise to personalized learning strategies for every individual student.

Every student benefits from such an approach, but this is particularly important for students with special needs, whether they have sight, speaking, hearing impairments, developmental, intellectual, or social disabilities.

Technology gives a chance to create a stimulating learning environment that can fit specific students needs rather than a one-size-fits-all learning experience.

Adaptive learning ensures that students have equal opportunities to succeed despite differences in their learning style, pace, and preferences.

The quality of communication between teachers and students is also changing due to advancements in technology. Even though they may no longer benefit from face-to-face conversations, they can use different interaction tools like email or instant messengers.

The time of interaction is now not limited to the classes only students can now ask for clarification or request information when they need help and expect the answer to come much quicker.

With all the technological advancements, the roles of students and teachers are developing too.

While teachers were the primary source of information in the traditional educational system, technology has enabled students to play a more active role. With all the information and resources, they now can find online, students can research new topics and learn about new concepts and ideas.

Time spent online with their teacher can now be more efficient, as they have more time to discuss ideas and their implications. The role of a teacher can now spread beyond lecturing, developing into a role of a mentor.

Technology has opened up a possibility for highly efficient online testing too. Since the tests can now be assessed and graded by a machine, the process can be unbiased and entirely fair.

In addition, this way of testing significantly lowers students anxiety. Instead of sitting in a room full of people, they can now take their exams in a familiar environment, using digital tools they are already accustomed to.

Not to mention that online tests reduce the wasting of resources while friendly with the environment, online tests also save time and money!

Educational possibilities are endless, both in and out of the formal education borders. There are various tools and excellent learning content available online that everyone can use to advance the skills they need.

For example, with apps such as Bussou or Duolingo, learners need just a phone, some free time, and enough determination to learn the basics, or more, of the language of their choice.

Furthermore, there are many open educational resources in the public domain that are freely available to anyone over the Web. Such resources are an important part of the learning infrastructure and include various content, such as digital libraries, podcasts, textbooks or games.

With further improvements in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality, the benefits of educational technology will only grow. With a strategic approach, societies can use technology and leverage these benefits, reducing all the barriers that make education a privilege.

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Co-existing with technology is the only way to exist in future – YourStory.com

Posted: at 10:02 pm

What do we do first thing in the morning, right after we wake up? Well, many of us pick up our phones and scroll through WhatsApp messages, read news, check Instagram updates, and emails.

And in case there is an important email that needs to be addressed on priority, we instantly switch from our smartphones to either the laptop or tab to initiate the work. We also keep checking our phones every 10 minutes or less, even if we have no alerts or notifications.

In fact, the outbreak of the pandemic simply accelerated our use of technology. With social distancing, norms imposed that restricted gathering or face-to-face meetings, technology has been the only safe medium to connect with the outside world.

A report by Cisco further highlights that mobile connectivity is expected to grow in the years to come - as over 70 percent of the global population will have mobile connectivity by 2023, and at the same time, the total number of global mobile subscribers will also reach 5.7 billion from 5.1 billion in 2018.

Besides mobile phones, we have laptops, tabs, smart TV, Wi-Fi routers, etc., that play an equally important role in our daily routine - helping us execute our work, play games, binge-watch series or movies as well as help students to study. In addition, the Wi-Fi router is always on as a day without the internet is hard to survive.

Simultaneously, rapidly growing new-age technologies such as industrial robots, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are gradually disrupting age-old business practices. Therefore, organisations today are heavily investing in leveraging the capabilities of these technologies to make business advancements. Hence, its no secret that we are already co-existing with technology and it will be the only way to exist even in the future.

However, there is a hard truth attached to it!

While technology is playing a miraculous role in our lives as well as in redefining or revolutionising businesses by helping them bring new innovations, it is also creating a danger zone for mankind.

These gadgets are emanating harmful emissions, also known as ElectroSmog or e-smog that are affecting our overall immunity and well-being, bit by bit. It is because we are constantly surrounded by these unseen and unfelt threats. And these immunity thieves are leaving an impact on each one of us.

Overuse of gadgets is directly exposing us to negative emissions, which is resulting in several physical as well as mental problems that may also cause permanent damage to our health and well-being in the long run. The river of negative impact includes fueling anxiety, stress, suffering from sleep disorders, headaches as well as behavioural changes among us.

By taking small but iconic steps, we can reduce gadget addiction in our daily lives, which will eventually minimise our exposure to the existing threats in the long run.

On a personal level, precautionary steps like maintaining an appropriate distance from these gadgets when using them can be helpful.

We tend to charge our battery even when our phone is almost fully charged. We take our smartphones with us everywhere we go, even into the washroom. Yes, we are in this habit of constantly checking our phones even when we have not received any notification.

And so its important to get rid of these habits. Having our phone with us all the time means we are perpetually exposed to negative emissions.

Either we are sitting idle or we take a break for five minutes, we randomly browse/scroll through social media apps on our mobile phones, tablets, and so on, which sometimes turns into 15 minutes or more.

But what we need to do is limit this usage time.

Self-awareness is the key to reducing slow damage done silently by ElectroSmog. This is necessary to know so that we can consciously implement precautionary measures, find credible solutions, and keep these negative energies at bay.

With the advancement of technology, there are already scientifically validated solutions available in the market. These non-intrusive, fix-and-forget solutions not just provide personal protection to us and our families but also create a 'zone of immunity' around our working or living spaces.

Technology and gadgets are undoubtedly making our lives easier than before. However, overuse of anything makes it worse. The best way is to use technology amicably to eliminate the silent threats brought by these man-made gadgets. So go ahead and take the step towards your well-being right now.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

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