English Premier League clubs owners urged the government to explore measures to protect the competition from being damaged by Britain's impending departure from the European Union.

With the British government insisting it must regain the right to control immigration and end free movement from the EU bloc, the ability of England's top soccer clubs to sign players from Europe could be impeded.

After a meeting of executives from the Premier League's 20 clubs, the owners of Stoke and West Ham called for immigration exemptions to preserve the flow of top footballers from the continent.

"We'd expect them to be included (in exemptions), but we have to wait and see," Stoke owner Peter Coates said. "In Europe, we can get free movement and that will change, or may change, I don't know. We don't know."

The English Football Association two years ago persuaded the government to adopt tougher visa requirements for players trying to sign from outside Europe. But Premier League clubs feel they could be put at a competitive disadvantage in Europe, where they can qualify for UEFA competitions, if they cannot easily trade in talent from the continent.

The uncertainty could exist as the terms for the dissolution of Britain's 44-year relationship with the EU are formalized before the exit deadline on March 29, 2019.

Giving its over 300 million users more room to reply to other people's tweets, Twitter has announced that it will not count usernames towards 140-character limit.

"Now, when you reply to someone or a group, those @usernames won't count toward your Tweet's 140 characters," Sasank Reddy, Product Manager at Twitter, said in a blog post late on March 30.

With this change, Twitter has simplified conversations.

"Who you are replying to will appear above the Tweet text rather than within the Tweet text itself, so you have more characters to have conversations," Reddy posted.

You can tap on "Replying to" to easily see and control who's part of your conversation.

"When reading a conversation, you'll actually see what people are saying, rather than seeing lots of @usernames at the start of a Tweet," the post further read.

Last year, media reports said that Twitter is building a new feature that will allow users to tweet longer – even in 10,000 characters — than its traditional 140-character limit.

The 140-character limit has been around as long as Twitter has and has become part of the product's personality.
 

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has unveiled the trailer of Hema Malini starrer “Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi”, which has been penned by the Governor of Goa Mridula Sinha.

The film is based on the book, “Rajpath Se Lok Path Par”, an autobiography of erstwhile Maharani of Gwalior Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, who also served as a Member of Parliament multiple times.

“I got an invitation for this on my phone and she asked me to come here. She is the governor of Goa but a great writer too. To honour that, I have come here. Thank you, all. I am privileged to be here,” Bachchan told reporters.

Bachchan posed for shutterbugs along with Sinha and filmmaker Prakash Jha, who was also present at the event.

The movie features Hema in the role of Vijaya Raje Scindia alongside Vinod Khanna.

Directed by Gul Bahar Singh, the film was completed and screened in 2008, but its theatrical release was put on hold.

It is set to release in April.

Social networking giant Facebook has unveiled a new tool that will help people raise funds for personal needs like tuition, medical treatment, pet care, personal emergency and even for burial expenses.

Personal fundraisers allow people to raise money for themselves, a friend or someone or something not on Facebook, like a pet.

"Personal fundraisers will launch in the US for people aged 18 years or older, and in beta over the next few weeks, as we hope to continue to learn and improve the product to make it even more useful," Naomi Gleit, Vice President, Social Good at Facebook wrote in a post late on Thursday.

"Our charitable giving tools have made it easy for people to raise millions of dollars for non profits to support those in need directly on Facebook. Today we are expanding those tools to include personal fundraisers, as well as more options for people to continue to fundraise for nonprofits," she added.

Personal fundraisers will have a 6.9 per cent + $.30 fee that will go to payment processing fees, fundraiser vetting, security and fraud protection.

People can raise money to cover costs related to education such as tuition, books or classroom supplies; medical such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries and pet medical such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries.

They can also solicit funds for crisis relief such as public crises or natural disasters, personal emergency such as a house fire, theft or car accident and funeral and loss such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one.

Friends can donate in a few taps with secure payments, without leaving Facebook.

"Since you can see real profiles on Facebook, donors will see how they are connected to the person who created the fundraiser, the person benefiting and others who are supporting the fundraiser," the post further read.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be sidelined for the next two encounters due to a foot injury, the Bavarian football giants announced on Thursday.

The Germany captain will be definitely ruled out until Tuesday, as he will miss the Bundesliga games against Augsburg and Hoffenheim, reports Xinhua news agency.

Neuer injured his left foot during the training session on Wednesday and underwent subsequently a minor surgery. The operation was successful but the 31-year-old will be unavailable for the next two matches.

"I had to underwent a minor surgery after suffering an injury on my left foot yesterday. Everything went well. Now I am working hard to return to the team," Neuer said.

Sven Ulreich will replace Neuer for the upcoming Bundesliga clashes. The substitute goalkeeper will make his first appearances this season.

Bayern sit atop the Bundesliga standings with 62 points, 13 ahead of second-placed and newly promoted, Leipzig with nine rounds to spare in the title race.

A new teaser of the forthcoming seventh season of hit TV series Game of Thrones is out, and gives out hints about the conflicts to come.

The teaser was released by HBO on Thursday, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Titled Long Walk, the teaser shows Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen advancing toward their respective thrones.

Actress Lena Headey's character Cersei Lannister, is seen in the Red Keep. Emilia Clarke can be seen walking around the throne room of a previously unseen castle as Daenerys Targaryen.

And Kit Harington as a grim Jon Snow is seen in Great Hall of Winterfell.

Their common enemy, the Night King of Whitewalkers, is seen at the end of the 92-second teaser.

Pop star James' track Sit down plays throughout with the lyrics flashed underneath.

The seventh season of the popular fantasy drama series Game of Thrones will premiere on July 16. It will be back in India on Star World, Star World HD and Star World Premiere HD. 

The final season will likely air in 2018.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asking him to provide 100 per cent tax exemption for ecofriendly and bio-degradable sanitary napkins, under GST.

This letter comes a day after Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev submitted her Change.org petition to Maneka Gandhi asking for abolition of tax on sanitary pads as per GST.

In her letter to Jaitley, Gandhi is believed to have communicated the overwhelming response the petition has received, over 2.1 lakh people have signed in on Change.org.

“With the implementation of the GST, a step needs be taken by the central government to make sanitary napkins tax free, like condoms and contraceptives, as it is an essential item which is a necessity for every woman,” Dev said while submitting the petition to Gandhi.

England's Test cricket team skipper Joe Root on Thursday asked all-rounder Ben Stokes, who will play under the captaincy of Steve Smith in the IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiants, to find the weakness of his new skipper so that they can beat Australia in the Ashes series later in the year.

Stokes, who was bought by Pune for a whopping Rs.14.50 crore during last month's auction, will be making his IPL debut this year.

"Smith has become one of the best players in the world. In fact, he is ranked as the best player in the world and is just racking up the runs for fun," Root was quoted as saying by Dailystar.co.uk.

"So the one thing Stokesy can do for us is make sure he finds a little weakness in Smith's armoury for us when we go down to Australia, if he can," he added.

Australia will host England in the Ashes series starting from November 23.

Root also said that this cash-rich league will help English cricketers to improve their game.

"It is great to see a number of English guys getting that exposure to fantastic ex-players and coaches as well as some of the best players in the world," Root said.

"Hopefully, they come back better for it and I'm sure they'll gain confidence from being out there and playing in front of some big crowds," he added.

More than 30 Naxals attacked Doikallu railway station in Odisha’s Rayagada district on Friday in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the state on April 15. Reports suggest that there were two explosions at the site of the attack.

The naxals are reported to have fled the place with two walkie-talkies and also left posters protesting Prime Minister Modi's Odisha visit on railway station walls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold its two-day national executive meeting in the state from April 15, which will be attended by Prime Minister Modi, party national president Amit Shah, senior leader LK Advani among other party members.

Earlier Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, had said that the prime minister will come to Odisha to thank the people for their unprecedented support to BJP in the recent panchayat polls. Pradhan said that chief ministers of all the BJP ruled states will attend the meet.

Singer-turned-designer Victoria Beckham, who became a sensation as part of girls group Spice Girls in the early 1990s, returned to her singing roots with the 'Carpool Karaoke' session of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Victoria, who parted ways from the music industry in 2008, on Wednesday gave a backstage peek into the shoot over Instagram in which she showed her hairdresser Ken Paves giving her a new style before she gets into the car with Corden, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"Carpool Karaoke" is a session where Corden is joined by singers and hums their popular songs alongside them.

Before Victoria, popular singers like Justin Bieber, Adele, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Elton John, have appeared in the 'Carpool Karaoke' session.
 

International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer Dave Richardson on Thursday confirmed that he and the majority of ICC members want the sport to be included in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Richardson said that the international governing body of cricket will this year submit an application for inclusion of the game in the 2024 Olympics.

Cricket last appeared at the 1900 Paris Olympics when only two teams — Great Britain and France — were involved. 

"We need to make a decision by July so we can make an application in time for September, when, as I understand it, the IOC will consider new sports for 2024," Richardson was quoted as saying by the guardian.com.

"I think the majority of the members — and certainly myself — think the time is right and we've come to the conclusion that the overall benefit to the game in terms of globalising and growing it outweigh any negatives, so I'm hoping," he added.

The former South African cricketer also revealed the format of the game. He said the a Twenty20 (T20) tournament between six to eight teams will be the most likely format for the Olympics.

"T20 is the ideal format and we'd say even better than rugby sevens as it's actually one of the mainstream formats of cricket," he said.

India and Afghanistan on March 30 held discussions on ways to facilitate transit of goods, business visas and trade in pharmaceutical products.

Both the sides also agreed for further cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, power, standards, agriculture, transportation and public health.

These issues were discussed in the second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment between India and Afghanistan, at the level of commerce secretary.

“The two sides had extensive discussions on a variety of issues concerning bilateral trade and economic relations,” the commerce ministry said in a statement.

The Indian delegation was led by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and the Afghan delegation was headed by Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Deputy Minister for Commerce.

Both the countries also deliberated upon ways to increase trade of rough gemstones, increasing customs cooperation, besides opportunities for investments.

Indian forward SV Sunil and drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh were named as the Asian Player of the Year 2016 and Asian Promising Player of the Year respectively by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) here on Thursday.

Sunil played a vital role in India's successful outing at the FIH Champions Trophy in London where the team earned a historic silver medal. Considered to be one of the fastest men on the pitch in the world, Sunil has also served as the team's vice-captain and is entrusted with the duty of leading by example.

The nominations for these awards were made by coaches across the national teams in Asia and the criteria of nomination was based on the performance for the year 2016. 

The Coorg player thanked the AHF for the award stating that it's a big boost to be named the Asian Player Of The Year. 

"This award is an icing on the cake. I believe Indian hockey is growing year by year and we have enjoyed some memorable victories in 2016. This award could not have been possible if not for our team work. 

"I would like to thank Hockey India for their efforts, our coaches and support staff too who work with us day in and day out as one big family. It is always a good feeling to be recognized with such awards as it only adds to the player's motivation to improve," stated Sunil.

Harmanpreet had a stupendous 2016 with India winning the Junior World Cup where he led the team's defence and was instrumental in converting penalty corners. He was also part of the Indian men's team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the FIH Champions Trophy in London. 

"I believe 2016 was a great year for Indian hockey and I would like to thank the AHF for honouring me with this prestigious award and Hockey India for their ongoing support," stated Harmanpreet, who is currently part of the Indian senior men's national camp that is preparing for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Hockey India President Mariamma Koshy congratulated the players for the coveted awards. "It is a special moment for Indian hockey. With (captain and goalkeeper) P.R. Sreejesh receiving the Padma Shri Award and Asian Hockey Federation announcing Harmanpreet Singh and Sunil as Asian Promising Player of the Year and Asian Player of the Year respectively is a big feat. 

"I would like to congratulate the players for their efforts and also the entire team management who have worked like a unit in bringing good results. Awards are always a big motivation for greater things to come and I wish the team many more such accolades in the future."
 

State owned Bank of India will raise Rs.204.42 crore by issuing shares to LIC on preferential basis.

The shareholders at the extra ordinary general meeting held on March 30 approved to allotment of 1.75 crore shares on preference basis to LIC at Rs 116.81 per share, the bank said in an exchange filing. Shares of the bank closed 11 per cent up at Rs.138.60 on BSE.

Justin Theroux bought his wife Jennifer Aniston a pinata for her birthday.

The Just Go With It actress turned 48 recently and her husband's gift was quite thoughtful as he did not put any sweets in it because she does not eat candy, reported E! News.

"I did a little night for her birthday where we went to a special dinner and had a pinata. Actually, we didn't put anything in the pinata.

"We had a pinata and didn't end up smashing it. What are you going to put in it? Kale? She doesn't eat candy!" the "Leftovers" actor said.

Theroux and Aniston took off for a getaway to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, along with their close friends Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid at the beginning of February for the actress' birthday celebrations.

"It's a great spot because it's close to LA You can dip over there and dip back. We do special things," Theroux, 45, said.

Cases of depression have ballooned almost 20 per cent in a decade, making the debilitating disorder linked to suicide the leading cause of disability worldwide, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
By 2015, the number of people globally living with depression, according to a revised definition, had reached 322 million, up 18.4 per cent since 2005, the UN agency said.
“These new figures are a wake-up call for all countries to rethink their approaches to mental health and to treat it with the urgency that it deserves,” WHO chief Margaret Chan said in a statement.
According to the agency's definition, depression is more than just a bout of the blues.
It is a “persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities for two weeks or more.”
Lack of energy, shifts in appetite or sleep patterns, substance abuse, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of self-harm or suicide are also common, and can wreak havoc on entire families.
The drop in productivity, and other medical conditions often linked to depression, also takes a financial toll, with the global cost estimated at USD 1 trillion annually, the WHO said.
Shekhar Saxena, head of the agency's mental health and substance abuse department, said today that both psycho-social and medical treatments could be highly effective, insisting on the importance of reaching more of those in need.
Even in the most developed countries, around half of people suffering from depression are not diagnosed or treated, and the percentage soars to between 80 and 90 per cent in less developed nations.
Treatment can be difficult to access, while a fear of stigma also prevents many people from seeking the help required to live healthy and productive lives, the agency said.
According to the WHO, every dollar invested in improving access to treatment leads to a return of USD 4 in better health and productivity.
And “early identification and treatment of depression is a very effective means of decreasing death by suicide,” Saxena told reporters.
About 800,000 people commit suicide worldwide every year, amounting to one suicide every four seconds.
And the link to depression is clear.
Saxena pointed to studies showing that 70 to 80 per cent of people who commit suicide in high-income countries, and around half of those who kill themselves in low-income countries, suffer from mental disorders, of which depression is the most common.

The husband of an Indian-origin woman killed along with her son last week in New Jersey is being allowed to go to India for the funeral, according to an official.

Hanumantha Rao Narra's "movements are not restricted in any way by the criminal justice system," according to Joel Bewley, the Burlington County Prosecutor's spokesperson, quoted by CBSPhilly TV. "He has not been charged with a crime."

The channel quoted a source involved in the investigation as saying that Narra had a strong alibi. The source was not identified.

The channel said that Narra is expected to attend the funeral in India of his wife, Sasikala,38, and son Anish,6, who were found stabbed to death on March 23 in their Maple Shade home.

Post-mortems were done on the bodies of the victims and the remains were sent to a funeral home, according to the channel.

Bewley told the channel he would not comment on whether Narra is a suspect because his office does not comment on past, present, or future suspects.

CBSPhilly said that the source confirmed that Hanumantha Narra "was involved in a relationship with another woman as of last week". The woman was not identified.