panaloko free 99 no deposit bonus NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”

FY2025 EPS Estimates for Salesforce Decreased by DA DavidsonHyderabad: The GHMC , in collaboration with NIT Warangal , is planning to establish a state-of-the-art technology centre to address critical urban challenges such as traffic congestion and drainage management . This initiative aims to deliver modern, practical, and sustainable solutions, incorporating them at the planning stage itself. The traffic and transportation division of the centre will conduct in-depth analyses of the city's traffic patterns and transportation systems. It will develop innovative and up-to-date solutions for traffic management , infrastructure optimisation, and transportation planning to meet Hyderabad's growing urban needs. The drainage information centre will undertake a comprehensive study of Hyderabad's entire drainage network, including nalas and stormwater. Detailed mapping, measurements, and assessments will be conducted, enabling the centre to propose professional and technical solutions to mitigate flooding and enhance drainage efficiency. The proposed centre will operate within the NIT campus, leveraging expertise of it's faculty and students. This initiative builds on NIT Warangal's previous contributions, such as providing project reports on traffic and urban infrastructure issues. TNN Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss the yearly horoscope 2025 and Chinese horoscope 2025 for Rat , Ox , Tiger , Rabbit , Dragon , Snake , Horse , Goat , Monkey , Rooster , Dog , and Pig zodiac signs. Spread love this holiday season with these New Year wishes and messages .

Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024Wells Fargo has reportedly initiated coverage of energy equipment manufacturer GE Vernova Inc ($GEV) with an ‘Overweight’ rating and a price target of $385. The target implies nearly 10% upside potential from the current levels. Shares of the firm were trading over 2% higher on Thursday afternoon, following the announcement. Notably, GE Vernova was spun-off from General Electric earlier this year. Wells Fargo analyst Michael Blum believes strong AI-related power demand could make GE Vernova a key beneficiary, according to a CNBC report. The analyst noted that gas will be the most in-demand form of energy in the coming times and this could lead to an 8% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the company in the next eight years. “As power demand grows and more distributed generation is added to the mix, aging grids will require significant investment to manage the increasingly complex and dynamic environment,” Blum stated, according to the report. “GEV’s transformers, HVDC [High-voltage direct current], and grid software offerings are well positioned to benefit from this growing demand,” he added. According to the analyst, power demand is set to grow at a 3% CAGR from 2024 to 2032. “We project high levels of demand for its suite of generation and grid products, and believe the company has strong potential to accrete margin through price raises and lean manufacturing,” Blum stated. Meanwhile, retail sentiment on Stocktwits continued to trend in the ‘bullish’ territory (60/100), accompanied by ‘high’ message volumes. Some Stocktwits users expressed optimism on the stock’s potential going ahead. Since March 2024, the stock has gained a whopping 167%, significantly outperforming the benchmark indices.The Nigerian stock market closed the trading week ending December 27, 2024, on a bullish note, as the All-Share Index (ASI) surged by 1,004.21 points to reach 102,133.30. This marks a 0.99% week-on-week increase, pushing the index past the significant 102,000-point threshold, up from its previous close of 101,129.09 points. Despite the market’s positive momentum, trading volume dropped sharply by 46.7%, falling to 1.3 billion shares from 2.5 billion the previous week. Related Stories Weekly Market Wrap: Nigerian stock market soars 1.76% as All-Share surpasses N61 trillion, MRS Oil and ETERNA PLC lead gains CBN Requirements: Jaiz Bank announces conclusion of N10.04 billion private placement Market breadth remained strong, with 64 stocks recording price gains, an improvement from the 61 gainers in the prior week. Conversely, only 20 stocks declined, fewer than the 26 laggards observed previously. This performance reflects investor optimism as the year-end approaches, underscoring resilience in key market sectors. The Nigerian stock market exhibited a largely bullish trend throughout the week, with market capitalization briefly surpassing the N62 trillion mark before settling at N61.9 trillion on Friday. The All-Share Index (ASI) began the week on a strong note, sustaining gains up to Christmas Eve, December 24. However, after the market holiday on December 25 and 26, the index shed 52 points, closing slightly in the red. The NGX Premium Index advanced by 2.29%, driven by positive performances from stocks like FBN Holdings (FBNH), United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Zenith Bank (ZENITHBANK). The NGX 30 Index also posted a 1.36% increase. NGX Main Board Index closed the week at 0.33%, maintaining its positive momentum. NGX Insurance Index led sectoral gains, soaring by 7.87%, fueled by over 20% increases in UNIVERSAL INSURANCE PLC, PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC, and SUNU ASSURANCES NIGERIA PLC. The NGX Consumer Index climbed by 3.13%, supported by an impressive 26% surge in PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. The NGX Banking Index registered a modest rise of 1.97%, while the NGX Industrial Goods Index increased by 0.09%. Conversely, the NGX Oil and Gas Index bucked the bullish trend, declining by 0.12%. Leading the pack of gainers, IKEJA HOTEL PLC surged by 32.79%, followed by MULTIVERSE MINING AND EXPLORATION PLC, which rose by 32.61%. Other notable gainers included: PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC: up 26.09% to N29.00 UNIVERSAL INSURANCE PLC: up 25.00% to N0.55 ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC: up 24.66% to N0.91 PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC: up 23.46% to N1.00 MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC: up 21.00% to N217.80 SKYWAY AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC: up 20.75% to N33.75 JOHN HOLT PLC: up 20.58% to N7.09 SUNU ASSURANCES NIGERIA PLC: up 20.03% to N8.99 On the losing side, THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC led the decline, falling by 10.00%, followed by ARADEL HOLDINGS PLC and AUSTIN LAZ & COMPANY PLC, which fell by 9.64% and 9.29%. Other significant decliners included: DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC: down 6.45% to N0.58 NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC: down 5.00% to N1.90 LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC: down 4.88% to N3.90 HALDANE MCCALL PLC: down 4.40% to N4.78 NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC: down 4.32% to N31.00 ETERNA PLC: down 3.23% to N28.50 OANDO PLC: down 3.09% to N67.35 This week, several corporate developments captured investor attention: Transnational Corporation Plc announced a proposed mandatory tender offer, signaling strategic moves to consolidate its holdings. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc revealed plans to expand regionally with the establishment of Julius Berger operations in Benin Republic. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc unveiled its intent to issue up to N50 billion in Series 15 and 16 Commercial Paper Notes. Vitafoam Nigeria Plc released its audited financial statement for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, showcasing its latest performance metrics. MTN Nigeria Communications Plc also disclosed the renewal of its spectrum lease agreement with Ntel. Access Holdings Plc made headlines with its Rights Issue allotment announcement, providing updates on its equity expansion efforts. Tantalizers Plc ventured into the blue economy, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire a fish trawling company, marking its diversification into a new sector. These announcements underscore key strategic initiatives across various sectors, showcasing the dynamism of the Nigerian corporate landscape. The All-Share Index continues to ride a wave of bullish momentum, surpassing the 102,000 milestone and setting its sights on the 104,000 level. If the recent rally above 102,000 is not viewed by investors as overbought, the index has the potential to advance further, testing the 103,000 and eventually the 104,000 thresholds. This upward trajectory is expected to be fueled by consistent daily gains in mid- and large-cap stocks, reflecting sustained investor optimism.

Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15MILWAUKEE (AP) — Themus Fulks' 26 points helped Milwaukee defeat IU Indianapolis 88-81 on Sunday. Fulks also contributed five rebounds and five assists for the Panthers (10-4, 3-0 Horizon League). Kentrell Pullian scored 20 points while going 5 of 9 from the floor, including 4 for 7 from 3-point range, and 6 for 8 from the line. Erik Pratt shot 5 for 9, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points. Sean Craig led the way for the Jaguars (5-10, 1-3) with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Paul Zilinskas added 21 points and three steals for IU Indianapolis. Jarvis Walker finished with 12 points and four assists. Milwaukee's next game is Thursday against Oakland on the road. IU Indianapolis hosts Youngstown State on Wednesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Data Skrive.

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Longwood secures 89-81 win over UAB‘Miracle’ mother who survived traumatic birth meets crucial blood donor team

Adele Darlington suffered a massive bleed while giving birth to her daughter Jasmine just before Christmas last year. Mrs Darlington, 41, of Stockton Heath in Warrington, needed blood, plasma, cryoprecipitate and platelets during emergency surgery including a hysterectomy to save her life at the end of November 2023. “My husband was told to call in family to prepare to say goodbye, but thanks to everyone’s work I got to spend Christmas with my family and new daughter,” the mother-of-five said during an NHS appeal for Christmas and New Year blood donors. Mrs Darlington, who had placenta previa, a condition where the placenta partly or completely blocks the cervix, started bleeding during a planned C-section and lost 15 litres of blood in total. An average woman’s body contains just under five litres. After a four-hour operation during the C-section, she underwent another nine hours of surgery for a hysterectomy, tube and ovary removal and partial cervix and bladder removal. During surgery, Mrs Darlington received 28 units of red blood cells, 20 units of fresh frozen plasma, nine units of cryoprecipitate, and eight units of platelets – the biggest transfusion at the hospital since 2000. NHS Blood and Transplant’s Liverpool team had to send nine emergency orders overnight to Warrington Hospital for Mrs Darlington and other patients, as a huge team of nurses and doctors, including four surgeons operating at once, worked to save her life. To thank staff and support the Christmas appeal for blood donors, Mrs Darlington visited the regional centre which sent most of the blood for her care. Staff laid out the exact number of units of blood products she received to illustrate how much help she needed. Mrs Darlington said: “It’s been a really humbling experience to meet some of the people who sent blood when I had my transfusion, it’s been a really special day. “It was unbelievable to see the same quantity of blood that I received laid out, knowing that it took so many people to save me. I’m forever indebted to the more than 65 people who gave me the gift of life. “I never thought in a million years that this would happen to me, but trauma and the need for a lot of blood can happen to anyone at any time, including at Christmas, so I would urge anyone who is able to donate to please do so.” Mrs Darlington said she vaguely remember Jasmine being born during the C-section before she passed out. “By this point I’d already lost six litres of blood and it was thought that I’d stabilised, but in the recovery room it become evident that I was still internally bleeding so I was urgently rushed back into theatre,” she said. “They told me I needed a hysterectomy to save my life. “I had this sense of doom that I would not make it. “My blood pressure and heart rate were at dangerous levels. “I remember crying and saying: ‘I think I’m dying’, and telling the theatre staff that I was scared to go to sleep because I didn’t think I would wake up.” Mrs Darlington’s condition was so severe she developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a blood-clotting problem in trauma patients so severe it is sometimes informally referred to as ‘death is coming’. “I was told it’s a medical miracle that I’m still here,” Mrs Darlington said. She added: “I’m still on a road to recovery I am just forever grateful that I am here. I am very aware that I shouldn’t be. “All of these amazing people worked together to save me. “Blood donors might think it’s not a big thing to donate – they donate and they have a hot drink and a biscuit – but I can’t thank them enough. “I will be eternally grateful to these selfless donors who took time to voluntarily donate and ultimately save my life.” Her husband Ian, who owns a media business, has signed up as a blood donor, along with many friends and family members. Julie Riley from NHSBT Liverpool Hospital Services, said: “I was on shift issuing the blood, and meeting Adele was absolutely beautiful. “We don’t normally get to meet anyone – we work in labs for eight hours a day. I am glad she got home for her little kiddies.” Michael Kay, NHSBT blood delivery driver, said: “It was the end of my shift but I stayed on to do a blue-light delivery and it’s just amazing to find out it went to Adele”. Chris Philips, NHSBT head of hospital customer service, said: “It was incredibly moving to see Adele visit our teams because that night is very clear in their memories – they won’t forget it any time soon. “This is an amazing example of NHS teams working together but without donors none of this would have happened.” England remains in amber alert for low blood stocks. To register or book an appointment to give blood, visit /, use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.

Opinion: Growing up in the crossfire of America’s bitter politics took a heavy tollRaiders’ report card: Team earns stellar marks for 2nd straight winPakistan was haunted by political uncertainty, economic instability, a deteriorating security situation and troubled relations with neighbours in 2024. But what defined the year were not just these perennial ills but the country’s inability to tackle incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. Amid political turbulence, Pakistan hosted a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave, which was also attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar — the first high-ranking Indian minister in nearly a decade to visit Islamabad amid frosty ties between the two neighbours. The last Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She had travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan in December 2015. In his address at the SCO event, Jaishankar said, "If friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address." He also said if activities across borders are "characterised" by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows and connectivity in parallel. His remarks were seen as directed towards Pakistan, which has troubled relations with all its neighbours. If the year began with Iran conducting missile strikes within Pakistan in January, targeting Baloch militants, it ended with Pakistan carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan, killing at least 46 people, including women and children, according to Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Pakistan says the target was militants. Pakistan witnessed a series of terror attacks, particularly in troubled Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces in 2024, among the toughest years for its security forces. According to the details shared with Parliament by the interior ministry, 924 people were killed and 2,121 injured in 1,566 terrorism incidents in the first 10 months of the year. At least 573 dead and 1,353 injured belonged to law enforcement agencies, including the army. On the economic front, Pakistan was on the verge of default in 2022 and only averted it due to the timely intervention by the International Monetary Fund. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif takes credit for pulling the country back from the brink of bankruptcy and turning around the economy. In 2024 inflation came down to single digits, policy rates reduced from 22.5 to 15 per cent, foreign exchange reserves improved, and the stock market made record gains. But it was jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who often hogged the headlines. In the elections in February, independent candidates backed by Khan's party surprised everyone by winning more than 100 out of the 226 seats in a hung parliament. And then the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz threw in a surprise, nominating Shehbaz Sharif as the prime ministerial candidate instead of the party supremo and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif. As the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party struck a power-sharing deal to form a coalition government led by Shehbaz, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: decided to sit in the Opposition. Khan was arrested in August 2023 after his conviction in a case of corruption and has remained behind bars since then. Contrary to expectations, his popularity swelled in 2024, proving right his words — uttered before he was ousted as PM in 2022 after losing a trust vote in Parliament — that he would be “more dangerous when out of power.” Recently, after his party workers staged a march to Islamabad – triggering a crackdown on them by the authorities — the former cricketer threatened mass ‘civil disobedience’ by his supporters if his major demands were not met. These include the “restoration” of the “mandate” he believes he got in the February parliamentary elections to run the country. His supporters see 2024 as a disaster for electoral politics and democracy, pointing at the “blatant disregard” of popular opinion reflected on the ballots. Some in power also concede this. In a recent interview with Dunya News, senior PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif accepted that “we had lost the elections”. Talks began recently between PTI and the government, but few believe that Khan’s demand to restore his “stolen mandate” will be met. Consequently, the country could continue to face strong political headwinds in 2025. With the traditional challenges still intact, the government now faces another: how to tame a ‘cornered tiger’.Napoli moved level on points with Serie A leaders Atalanta as substitute Giacomo Raspadori's goal earned Antonio Conte's side a 1-0 home win against strugglers Venezia. Raspadori struck in the 79th minute after Romelu Lukaku had seen a penalty saved by Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic late in the first half. Atalanta and Napoli finish the calendar year a point clear of third-placed champions Inter Milan, who have a game in hand over them, while Venezia remain second-bottom. Fiorentina and Juventus, fifth and sixth respectively, played out a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Stadium, where Riccardo Sottil scored a second equaliser for the visitors late on, Kephren Thuram earlier notching a brace either side of a Moise Kean goal. Play was briefly halted early on due to Viola fans chanting at Juve's former Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports. A Juve statement said: "In terms of the chants coming from the away sector, Juventus can announce that the images of those responsible will be acquired by the authorities and the club will apply the Code of Regulation to them." AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Roma courtesy of Paulo Dybala's first-half volley at San Siro. Dybala crashed the ball past Mike Maignan in the 23rd minute to cancel out Tijjani Reijnders' 16th-minute opener. Milan - who had boss Paulo Fonseca red-carded just before the break - stay eighth, while Claudio Ranieri's Roma are 10th. Also on Sunday, Torino fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Udinese. Isaak Toure and Lorenzo Lucca scored either side of the interval before the away side replied through Che Adams and Samuele Ricci. PA

UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insuranceSrinagar, Dec 29: The technological revolution has transformed every aspect of human life. From food to pharmaceuticals, everything is now available at your fingertips. While the internet has made life easier, it has notably reduced the earning prospects of local shopkeepers in Kashmir. “The Internet took away 70 percent of our customers,” says Mehraj-ud-din, a cosmetic shop owner in downtown Kashmir. E-commerce portals provide various benefits like home delivery, easy returns, festive discounts, and seasonal sales. For many, the comfort of shopping from home outweighs the hassle of visiting a local market. “How can our small shops compete with giants like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra!” laments Manzoor Qadri, a Lalchowk electronic shop owner. Although companies like Zepto and Blinkit have yet to dominate the market for daily essentials in Kashmir, other online business giants have created loyal customer bases in both urban and rural areas. “The best service provided by online businesses is their return and refund policy. Local shops don’t give us any such service,” says Mehjabeena, a local online shopper. While digital business models have created favourable avenues for aspiring entrepreneurs, older shopkeepers often struggle to adapt. “I don’t know how to use computers and social media. I have never been to school,” says Muhammad Ismail, a 60-year-old textile shop owner. To address this digital divide, the Government of India has launched schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) and National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) to promote digital literacy. The lack of digital education is more prevalent in rural areas. According to national data, 67 percent of the urban population uses the internet, while the percentage drops to 31 percent in rural areas. Beyond digital literacy, the lack of resources to build digital infrastructure remains an obstacle. “I have a small hosiery shop. How will I spend thousands of rupees for computer and internet services?” asks Bilal Ahmed Reshi, a local shopkeeper from uptown. Meanwhile, younger entrepreneurs in Kashmir are flourishing. “My whole business runs through Instagram,” says Aisha, a small boutique owner from uptown. In many cases, younger generations operate their enterprises solely through smartphones. The reluctance to embrace digital tools has become a primary factor in the declining sales of various age-old businesses. While digital media has undoubtedly helped businesses grow by leaps and bounds, necessary steps need to be taken to reduce the digital divide created by various factors on the ground.