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Indian cricket chief Sourav Ganguly left hospital on Thursday as a cooking oil company withdrew adverts featuring him because of the heart attack he suffered.

Hundreds of youths gathered outside the hospital as the 48-year-old walked out accompanied by his wife Dona.

"I am absolutely fine and hope that I will resume my work soon," the Board of Control for Cricket in India president and former national captain told reporters.

"I also hope to fly soon," he added.

Ganguly suffered a heart attack while working out in a gym on Saturday and was rushed to hospital where he underwent an angioplasty operation.

"His heart today is as strong as it was when Sourav was 20 years old," cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty told reporters.

"Sourav can participate in a marathon, fly a plane, or even get back to cricket if he wants without this event being any setback."

But a series of cooking oil adverts featuring the cricket icon have been pulled off the air because of the incident. Ganguly says in the adverts that the oils are "heart healthy".

Social media users accused the oil brand Adani Wilmar, co-owned by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, of making false claims through a cricket hero.

The company said it was "a very unfortunate incident and can happen with anyone" as they confirmed a halt in the commercials.

"The ricebran oil is not a medicine but only a cooking oil. There are several factors which affect heart ailments including dietary and hereditary issues," Angshu Mallick, Adani Wilmar chief executive, said in statement.

"We shall continue to work with Sourav and he will continue to be our brand ambassador. We have only taken a temporary break in our TV commercial until we again sit with Sourav and take things forward."

Ganguly retired from Test cricket in 2008 having scored 7,212 runs including 16 centuries. He also scored 11,363 runs in 311 one-day internationals.

fk-str/tw/dh

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Ganguly leaves hospital as oil brand's 'heart healthy' ads pulled - Yahoo Sport Australia

Mitchell Pearce will step down as captain of the Newcastle Knights, after reports his wedding was called off because he'd been messaging a member of staff at the club emerged. Picture: Instagram/mitchpearce_7

Mitchell Pearce will reportedly relinquish the captaincy of the Newcastle Knights as the fallout from the NRL stars texting scandal continues.

The 31-year-old called off his wedding to fiancee Kristin Scott late in December after it was reported that he had been caught sending flirty messages to a female member of the Knights staff.

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Pearce has denied that this was the reason why the wedding was postponed, citing the coronavirus as cause for the delay.

However, both the Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald have reported it was due to his messages with the staff member.

The situation has reportedly led to some tension within the Newcastle playing group, with the club issuing a statement on Wednesday confirming that Pearce would step down from the captaincy.

Earlier this week, Pearce met with Head Coach Adam OBrien, CEO Philip Gardner and General Manager of Football Danny Buderus, to address recent events and to apologise for the distraction and inconvenience they have caused during the Christmas leave period, the statement read.

Immediately following this meeting, Pearce met with his teammates and football department staff, to advise the group of his decision to relinquish the captaincy.

Pearces decision followed a lengthy review of current issues, last seasons performance and reflection upon the added pressure the captaincy brings to both his on field performance and personal life.

The club is fully supportive of his decision.

The Knights will continue work to develop a new club leadership model, with a decision on new club leaders including who will ultimately perform the role of captain yet to be made.

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The Newcastle Knights are committed to respecting the privacy of their employees, including any discussion of private matters in the public domain. At the conclusion of tomorrows media opportunity, no further comment will be made on this matter.

The situation is made even more complicated with Knights second-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon a close friend of the partner of the staff member who exchanged texts with Pearce.

On day one of the 2021 pre-season, general manager of football Danny Buderus said Pearce's conduct was unacceptable and confirmed the leadership of the team was under review.

"At this stage for several months we've been addressing and looking at our leadership model within the club," Buderus said on Monday.

"Adam O'Brien is a big believer of strong leadership, group leadership, and we really need to hone down into that and work it out and we're still to finalise those decisions into which way we're going to go.

"We're going to take our time and roll it out.

"We have got some good candidates for leadership within that group but that will be for Adam and his team to work out which way the captaincy will go."

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Mitchell Pearce rocked by latest twist in texting scandal - Yahoo Sport Australia

Less than a year into his Test career, Kyle Jamieson is already the toast of New Zealand and being compared to the country's cricketing greats, but despite stunning figures he considers himself still a work in progress.

The towering fast bowler made his debut last February against India on a grey Wellington day when regular firebrand Neil Wagner was on paternity leave.

Eleven overs into the Test he was called up to bowl and 15 deliveries later had the first of his four wickets in the innings with Cheteshwar Pujara caught behind.

Six Tests on, all on New Zealand's green, bowl-first wickets, Jamieson has taken 36 wickets at a stunning 13.27 average and has four five-wicket bags.

His 11-wicket, man-of-the-match performance in this week's innings defeat of Pakistan helped put New Zealand on top of the world rankings for the first time.

"Brilliant figures," purred the International Cricket Council on Twitter, while cricketing authority Wisden called Jamieson "a special find for New Zealand" with his "brutal" bowling.

The most talked-about feature is the 26-year-old's height at 2.3 metres (6ft 8in) and the extraordinary bounce he generates when he bangs the ball into the wicket.

But he is no one-trick pony, with a repertoire that includes full and short deliveries as well as swing and seam movement which were all on display in his 11 for 117 against Pakistan in Christchurch.

Only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori have produced better figures for New Zealand.

"It's kind of weird when you say it. Those two guys are legends of New Zealand cricket and I've just played my sixth Test," Jamieson said.

"It's nice to be in and around those names but I'm just happy to be part of this group and to help in some small way in us winning games."

- 'Impressive' attitude -

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said Jamieson's height was his most obvious attribute, but there was much more to the modest 26-year-old.

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"The most noticeable thing is height. Coming from that trajectory and getting that extra bounce is a real asset, but the most impressive thing is his attitude," Williamson said.

"He's swinging the ball both ways as well. He's a really special talent but the way he's come in (and) just tried to add to the group, whether that's on the field or off the field, has been the most impressive thing.

"In a lot of ways he's leading as well."

Although Williamson's 238 set up New Zealand's win by an innings and 176 runs, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan singled out Jamieson as "the only difference" between the two sides saying "he took too many wickets".

Jamieson bowled Rizwan in the second innings with a ball heading outside off stump until it swung in late and stormed between bat and pad.

It was a special delivery Jamieson had worked on during the year and he said there was still a lot more he needed to do to improve his game.

"I'm a long way off the cricketer I want to be. I'm 12 months into my international career and it's a long process and hopefully I've got another nine-10 years in this group and if that happens there could be a wee bit more to come.

"There's always things you're trying to work on. It's nice to be able to move the ball both ways and in different conditions that won't necessarily always be helpful. In terms of different deliveries and different formats you've got white-ball cricket and there's different variations there.

"There's nothing specific but you're always trying to improve your game and those things kind of pop up from time to time."

While the focus has been on Jamieson's bowling he has also proven himself an efficient number eight batsman, with an average of 56.50 from six innings including two not outs.

cf/th

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Jamieson, modest but 'brutal' bowler who put New Zealand on top of the world - Yahoo Sport Australia

Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders.

Every year 150,000 trucks use the "UK landbridge" to transport three million tonnes of freight between the Republic and the European mainland.

Trucks sail by roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries from Irish ports and mainland Britain, driving onwards to shipping hubs in southeast England, then on to continental Europe.

Britain left the EU in January last year, but remained bound by the bloc's rules until December 31 as it sought to define the terms of its new relationship with Brussels.

Even though tariff- and quota-free trade was secured in a last-minute deal, Britain's exit from Europe's single market and customs union meant an end to frictionless freight transit through UK-EU port borders.

"Declarations, regulatory checks, controls... will now be a factor because the UK has left the EU," warned Tom Talbot, of Irish Revenue, at Dublin Port on Monday.

"Because of that there will be delays."

Many Irish hauliers are already charting new routes guaranteeing freight remains inside the single market and customs union, and outside the scope of delay.

- Rosslare -

Rosslare Europort -- Ireland's second busiest freight hub -- is already running 28 weekly services to or from mainland Europe, up from 10 before the end of the Brexit transition.

In December, Swedish firm Stenaline brought forward plans to double sailings between the southeastern town and Cherbourg in northern France, as coronavirus restrictions blocked lorries entering the country from Britain.

And on Saturday, Danish shipping firm DFDS opened a new route to the French port of Dunkirk, sailing six times weekly in each direction.

All three ro-ro ships departing direct to France on Saturday were fully booked.

Port manager Glenn Carr said on that day alone, Rosslare "more than doubled" the freight moved to mainland Europe throughout the whole first week of 2020.

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"Demand for those services has been extremely strong", he told AFP.

A further weekly sailing to and from the continent is planned for later in 2021 and Carr said "potential extra services" are already being considered.

- Dublin -

At Dublin Port -- Ireland's busiest hub -- new services to continental Europe have been phased in since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016.

In 2018 and 2019 Luxembourg firm CLdN brought "Brexit-busting" ro-ro ships the MV Celine and MV Laureline to the capital's harbour.

They are the largest freight ferries sailing from the port and travel to and from Zeebrugge in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In 2018, Dublin Port said it was already seeing a shift as "fast-moving consumer goods" and "temperature-controlled foodstuffs" vulnerable to delays moved onto these routes.

Government agency the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) told AFP that at ports across the nation "there were four new continental ro-ro services introduced in 2020".

The IMDO and Irish government have urged logistics operators to "prepare to switch to direct routes to the continent" in case of post-Brexit disruption.

- Time at sea -

Because these new paths circumnavigate the UK they naturally take longer.

The new Rosslare to Dunkirk route spends 24 hours at sea while a Dublin to Dunkirk trip via the UK landbridge theoretically takes around 13 hours.

In practice, however, drivers have mandated rest periods, face unpredictable road traffic and spend additional blocks of time boarding and disembarking two ferry services.

The margin is thin enough that the prospect of further delays at checks in Irish and French ports sandwiching Britain may be off-putting.

The chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association Simon McKeever said direct routing to Europe "provides more assurance".

Lorry drivers also arrive on the continent fully rested, with a large chunk of driving time open to them to make a speedy arrival at their final destination.

- Post-transition -

The initial days of the new post Brexit transition period were quiet in Dublin Port -- a result of festive period closures and heightened coronavirus restrictions.

Ireland's department of transport said there was also evidence of businesses stockpiling in December, anticipating post-Brexit port disruption which has not yet materialised.

However the capital hub is expecting a steady return to normal traffic in the coming days and weeks, with the first large-scale test of checks on goods transiting the new EU-UK border.

Only then will the scale of delays become fully apparent -- and Irish hauliers can decide whether to cut out the middleman of post-Brexit Britain for good.

jts/phz

Originally posted here:

Ireland seeks post-Brexit plain sailing with direct shipping to EU - Yahoo News Australia

Deng and several participants crouch to avoid being caught by a surveillance camera

On a busy Monday afternoon in late October, a line of people in reflective vests stood on Happiness Avenue, in downtown Beijing.

Moving slowly and carefully along the pavement, some crouched, others tilted their heads towards the ground, as curious onlookers snapped photos.

It was a performance staged by the artist Deng Yufeng, who was trying to demonstrate how difficult it was to dodge CCTV cameras in the Chinese capital.

As governments and companies around the world boost their investments in security networks, hundreds of millions more surveillance cameras are expected to be installed in 2021 - and most of them will be in China, according to industry analysts IHS Markit.

By 2018, there were already about 200 million surveillance cameras in China.

And by 2021 this number is expected to reach 560 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, roughly one for every 2.4 citizens.

China says the cameras prevent crime.

And in 2018, the number of victims of intentional homicide per head of population in China was 10 times lower than in the US, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

But a growing number of Chinese citizens are questioning the effect on their privacy.

They also wonder what would happen if their personal data was compromised.

It is rare for Chinese citizens to stage protests against government surveillance.

And it is not without risk.

But creative types such as Deng are coming up with innovative ways to bring the issue out into the open.

Before the performance, he measured the length and width of Happiness Avenue with a ruler.

He then recorded the brands of the 89 CCTV cameras alongside it and mapped out their distributions and ranges.

And finally, he recruited volunteers online.

It took them more than two hours to walk 1.1km (0.7 miles) along Happiness Avenue.

They managed to avoid their faces being caught on camera, but Deng said it would have been "almost impossible" to have avoided being filmed completely.

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"It was harder than I had expected," volunteer Joyce Ge, 19, told BBC News.

"I thought there were just a few cameras and I could easily duck and cover. But it turned out not to be the case at all. The cameras were really all over the place, and it was impossible to evade them."

It is not the first time Deng has tried to raise public awareness about privacy and digital security.

Two years ago, the former sculptor bought the personal data of more than 300,000 residents throughout the country from an online black market and put it on public display at a museum in Wuhan.

The police shut down the exhibition two days after it opened.

After relocating to Beijing earlier this year, Deng noticed the growing number of cameras in front of his apartment building and across the city.

"[These cameras represent] government power - and their 'intrusion' into the lives of private citizens," he said.

"Most people are probably used to cameras on the street.

"But I still pay attention unconsciously.

"When a lot of cameras are looking at me, I always try to avoid them.

"It's a subconscious reaction - a sense of conflict in me, even if I'm not doing anything bad."

Deng divided the road into five levels:

"One of the most difficult areas was a car-park entrance, which was next to a big company, so there were five cameras pointing at one spot at the same time," Deng said.

"It's also very difficult to deal with a rotating camera.

"So I sometimes had to stay in one place for two or three hours to record how often the camera rotated."

Deng created a set of "tactical steps" as a part of the instructions to volunteers.

When there was a camera on one side, they were told to walk sideways, like a crab.

To avoid a camera installed high up, they had to cling to a wall and traverse its lower edge.

And in areas with a high concentration of cameras, additional props were required - foliage, billboards and even temporarily parked police cars.

But despite his careful planning, there was still shock when he and his volunteers finally stood on Happiness Avenue for the experiment.

"Halfway down the road, we noticed that a few more cameras had been added," Deng said.

"I was confused as I'd only been away for less than a fortnight.

"But we managed to improvise.

"And we adjusted our route a little."

Chinese media says most of the CCTV cameras are part of the government's Sky Net project.

Last year, the New York Times reported Facial-recognition data allowed Chinese police to match a face on camera with a number of profiles, including:

car number plates

phone numbers

social-media accounts

Critics say the authorities are making full use of the surveillance network to monitor dissidents and stop protests.

In 2018, Chinese police used facial recognition to catch more than 60 suspects at Hong Kong pop singer Jacky Cheung's concerts in mainland China.

But not all Chinese citizens are critical of government surveillance.

Joyce Ge said some of her classmates were unimpressed by her involvement in the experiment.

"They say it's natural for the public to relinquish some of their freedoms and rights to the government, because they are ultimately responsible for the safety of the public," she said.

Another participant in Deng's project, Kaka - not her real name - was concerned about data security.

Kaka, 32, who works in the advertising industry, said she believed her identity information had been compromised, leading to extortion demands.

Kaka had brought along her daughter, five and a half, the youngest participant in the project.

She said: "When we finished, my daughter said to me with a sense of triumph, 'Mummy, we finally defeated the cameras.'"

Originally posted here:

How to 'disappear' on Happiness Avenue in Beijing - Yahoo News

TipRanks

Expectations of good news on the near horizon are buoying markets right now. Over the past month, both the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are up 11% to new record highs.Investors are excited at the prospect of a COVID vaccine coming before the winter is out. And the electoral results, that Democrat Joe Biden will ascend to the Presidency while the Republicans will emerge strengthened in Congress, promise the avoidance of extremes typical of divided government. In short, investors are looking forward to return to normal environment over the next several months. And that has them seeking stocks that are primed for gains. Against this backdrop, Goldman Sachs analysts are pounding the table on three stocks in particular, noting that each could surge over 40% in the year ahead. After running both tickers through TipRanks database, we found out that the rest of the Street is also standing squarely in the bull camp.Codiack BioSciences (CDAK)As we have all learned from coronavirus pandemic, some new thing in medical science can make huge impact on our world. Codiack aims to turn that principle to good. This research-oriented pharmaceutical aims to turn exosome therapeutics into a whole new class of medicines. Exosomes are the degradation mechanism RNA, and can transfer genetic material around a body.And therein lies the potential. Codiack has developed a design platform for the engineering of exosome proteins capable of carrying and protecting drug molecules through cell walls. In effect, the proteins will mimic the pathways used by viruses but are non-viral, and are designed to carry a payload of therapeutic agents. If successful, exosome therapy offers doctors the ability to design a drug that will deliver specific agents to specific cells to fight specific disease.Codiack is involved in all aspects of exosome therapeutics, from design to manufacturing, and currently has an active pipeline of agents seven, in all in various stages of discovery, preclinical testing, and the beginnings of Phase 1 trials.In the biosciences, success or failure is all about that pipeline, and in its diverse, active pipeline of agents in a new sector of biotechnological pharmaceuticals, Codiack has a fine resource to attract investors. To get those investors, the company went public this past October, selling 5.5 million shares at an opening price of $14.10 per share.Among the healthcare name's fans is Goldman Sachs analyst Graig Suvannavejh. The analyst wrote, Biopharma industry interest in exosomes has long been high, but engineering them for a specific function and manufacturing at scale have both proven challenging. Among a field of multiple competitors, CDAK has made the most significant progress on both fronts, and as such we view their technology platform as best-in-class."Given share underperformance (-37%) since the IPO, we find risk/reward highly compelling at current levels, and with key 2021 data sets to provide potential de-risking and positive share inflection," the analyst concluded.Suvannavejh rates CDAK a Buy, and his $29 price target shows the extent of his confidence it implies a 222% upside for the coming year. (To watch Suvannavejhs track record, click here)Overall, Codiack has a Strong Buy from the analyst consensus 3 reviewers have put up Buy ratings in recent weeks. The stock is selling for $8.90, and its $24 average price target implies a 166% one-year upside potential. (See CDAK stock analysis on TipRanks)Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT)Acrutis is a pioneering researcher in the treatment of dermatological disease. Arcutis is involved in discovering the next generation of dermatological treatments an important niche, especially when one realizes that one common ailment, psoriasis, has not seen an FDA approval for a novel treatment in over two decades.The company is leveraging recent advances in immunology and inflammation to find new approaches to skin treatment. The goal is to make it easier for patients and doctors together to manage conditions like psoriasis, alopecia, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and vitiligo, to name just a few.The company's lead candidate, ARQ-151 (roflumilast cream), is about to enter a phase 3 trial for atopic dermatitis, and is in an advanced phase 3 stage in Plaque Psoriasis. Arcutis has recently issued an update on positive data from the Phase 2 trials of ARQ-151 in atopic dermatitis. The drug is a once-daily treatment, and has demonstrated significant patient relief from symptoms, especially itching and itching-related sleep problems. This is another stock in Suvannavejhs coverage universe. The Goldman analyst is impressed by developments in the companys pipeline work, noting: ARQT provided an update on the outcome of its end-of-Phase 2 meetings with the FDA, following their Phase 2a trial of ARQ-151 in atopic dermatitis (AtD). Feedback from regulators was broadly encouraging, in particular, acknowledging the robust long-term safety data being generated by ARQT for ARQ-151 in plaque psoriasisAccordingly, Suvannavejh rates ARQT a Buy, and sets a $36 price target that indicates room for 40% upside growth in 2021. (To watch Suvannavejhs track record, click here)Arcutis has 2 recent Buy reviews, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. The stocks average price target is $37, suggesting a 44% upside from current levels. (See ARQT stock analysis on TipRanks)Oak Street Health (OSH)With the last stock, we move from medical research to medical care. Specifically, Oak Street Health is a primary care clinic operator, and part of the Medicare Network. The company has operations and clinics in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, along with New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. It has been in operation for eight years, and went public this past summer, holding the IPO in August.In the third quarter, the companys first as a publicly traded entity, OSH brought in $217.9 million in revenue. The revenue number was up 56% from the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share matched expectations, at 15 cents.The companys expansion proceeds apace, and in October, Oak Street entered New York by opening, in Brooklyn, its 70th location. A planned expansion in Texas, involving a partnership with Walmart, is also proceeding as planned, and Oak Street has opened its first Walmart Community Clinic the Dallas-Fort Worth area city of Carrollton.Robert Jones, covering this stock for Goldman, set a $74 price target to back his Buy rating. At currently levels, this target implies an upside of ~58% in the next 12 months. (To watch Jones track record, click here)Results suggest operations are still on track, with few incremental updates since the 2Q call, where management noted a resumption of center openings, (pivoted) marketing efforts, and in-person visits despite COVID. In 3Q, OSH opened 13 new centers and is on track for 73-75 by end of year The company maintained that it is continuing to operate at a high level in places with elevated COVID case counts like Chicago and Detroit, Jones noted.All in all, the Strong Buy analyst consensus rating OSH is based on 8 reviews, breaking down to 7 Buys and just a single Hold. The stock is selling for $46.94, and its $61.29 average price target suggests it has a ~31% upside for the coming year. (See OSH stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for healthcare stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Black Friday online shopping surged over 21 percent amid the pandemic - Yahoo Tech

Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart in 1982. (Photo: David Mcgough/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

Heart will be the next big rock band to get the biopic treatment, frontwoman Ann Wilson has exclusively revealed and while such films can be hit-or-miss, we know that Hearts story will be in the capable hands of a fellow female Northwest rock pioneer.

Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment/SiriusXM Volume on the SiriusXM show Volume West this week, the Heart singer, who founded the group 50 years ago with her younger sister Nancy Wilson, announced that Sleater-Kinneys Seattle-born Carrie Brownstein, also known as the star of IFCs Portlandia, is writing the script, and will also direct. Lynda Obst, renowned for her work on Flashdance, Adventures in Babysitting, Sleepless in Seattle, and many other box-office smashes, will produce the project for Amazon.

As for who will play Ann and Nancy and whether those actresses will actually sing, as Taron Egerton did in the Elton John film Rocketman, or lip-sync, as Oscar-winner Rami Malek did in Queens Bohemian Rhapsody thats still being figured out. A few actresses have come forward, but no one that's right, Ann said. A certain Oscar-winner was actually passed over: Anne Hathaway came forward, but I don't think she's exactly right for it, Ann explained. As for which actresses Ann would like to see take on the iconic Wilson roles, she said, I just don't have any idea. I'm too close to it. But it's known that the role of Nancy and the role of me is being cast. I'm just as excited about finding out as you are.

I can't tell you all about it, because it's still being written right now.. I saw the first draft of [Brownsteins] script, and it's really cool, Ann continued, revealing that the movie, which is definitely coming along but is still in development right now because of COVID slowed everything down, will begin with the Wilsons childhood and end in the 90s. That means it will dive into the bittersweet 1980s, which was Hearts most commercially fruitful period, but a time when they felt they had surrendered too much artistic control. Ann told Yahoo Entertainment in 2014, For us, that was a devil's bargain, because we'd always written our own stuff except for the '80s, when we had our biggest hits. Our creative selves took a seat behind our showbiz selves.

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We have gone through times [since then] when we didnt play those 80 songs, because they are pretty vacuous, Ann chuckled during this weeks interview, though she clarified that she and Nancy are now willing to revisit those hits in concert, albeit in a new and more authentic way. They can be made cool, but you have to stay true to what made people like them back in the 80s, Ann said. Like Never, which has absolutely nothing to it at all, except the word Never! You have to figure out a way to frame this word never and make it bounce along and be compelling. It's kind of a tightrope to walk, because you don't want to take the song Never and turn it into reggae or something like that.

Of course, the whole point of the 80s was to be not authentic, was to be a sort of light and poppy, with all that weird makeup and strange hair and all that. I mean, it was all about being theatrical and unreal, Ann continued echoing a statement from a 2017 Yahoo Entertainment interview, when she said of that era, I've never known another time where there's been a lower premium set on female naturalness. It was just so completely fake and phony, and that was the whole point of it. It was stilettos, shiny stretchy pants, corsets, fake nails, fake hair, fake lashes, everything fake. I remember what a pain it was to get into those outfits, especially when you took them away from the video set and out onto the live stage in the heat and stuff! Incredible costuming challenges.

The Heart biopic, 80s costuming challenges and all, is obviously still in development, but Ann has been keeping busy in 2020, despite not being able to tour either solo or with Heart. She just released her first solo song since 2018, a timely cover of Steve Earles The Revolution Starts Now, and while she is working on original music as well, her next release will be a studio version of her cover of Rooster, a 90s classic by fellow Seattle rock legends Alice in Chains. After I recorded the song, I thought, God, this sounds really good. This is a good song for me. I ran it by [Alice in Chains guitarist/co-vocalist] Jerry [Cantrell], and he thought it was a great idea, so I'm going to put it out, she said.

Ann also shared her memories of late Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley (a man whose tragic story definitely warrants its own biopic), saying, He was a great person. He was complicated, you know? But I found that he was kind of like an elf, really. All the drugs and craziness aside, I found that his spirit was really pretty illuminated. Ann will perform Rooster on the Museum of Pop Culture's Dec. 1 live-stream event, when Alice in Chains receive the museums 2020 Founders Award; other performers will include Metallica, Billy Corgan, Nirvanas Krist Novoselic, the Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins, and Hearts own Nancy Wilson.

As for the possibility of new Heart music after the Wilson sisters became estranged in 2016, but repaired relations and resumed touring in 2019 Ann said, I've got a bunch of songs that I'm going to be really releasing but there's all kinds of writing going on. And who knows where they're going to end up? We don't write and earmark a song, really; we just write songs. If the song really tells us that belongs with a certain entity, then that's where it goes.

The above interview is taken from Ann Wilsons appearance on the SiriusXM show Volume West on Nov. 25, 2020. Full audio of that conversation is available on the SiriusXM app. Watch Yahoo Entertainments extended interview with Ann Wilson from 2017 below:

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Ann Wilson reveals details of Carrie Brownstein-penned Heart biopic: It's really cool - Yahoo Entertainment

Texas 23-20 home loss to No. 13 Iowa State on Friday can also double as a Rorschach test on how you view the tenure of Texas coach Tom Herman. Is he close, so achingly close, to the top of the Big 12? Or is Texas emerging as this seasons definitive drama major a symptom of a program stuck in neutral?

The loss dropped Texas to 5-3 and officially nudged Herman onto the hot seat, as hes 30-18 in his fourth season in Austin. And how you view this white-knuckle Texas season just like the latest white-knuckle loss can also double for how you view Herman.

Theres plenty of evidence that the Longhorns are on the cusp of contention in the Big 12, as the game-tying 57-yard field goal barely missing the uprights as time expired on Saturday shows. If that had gone through and Texas figured out a way to win in overtime, Texas still could have advanced to the conference title game and won the league. And Herman likely would have been safe.

But the optimists who see things that way have not been vocal.

The flip side of Rorschach test is that this Texas season can also be viewed through the prism of persistent missed opportunity. The Longhorns have been beset by chronic special teams mistakes and entered the Iowa State game ranked No. 120 in the nation in penalties per game. From an ill-advised fake punt to a failure to kick a field goal to go up seven with eight minutes remaining to baffling play-calling when trying to end the game on its second-to-last possession, Herman left himself wide open to game management second-guessers.

Ultimately, the case against Herman at Texas is that there has been little from the program the past two seasons that has appeared to be elite. Just because Texas has been close like in the LSU game last year doesnt mean it is close to the national title contention its fan base demands. And turning the momentum when things go wrong at Texas is akin to attempting to bench press using only your pinkies, as every decommitment becomes deafening and every negative moment delivered through a megaphone.

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Texas went 8-5 last year and is on its way to another middling season. And, ultimately, it will be up to athletic director Chris Del Conte, who did not hire Herman, to make a decision on his coachs future. Del Conte is feeling the pressure, said a high-ranking Texas source.

A decision on Hermans future will not come without consternation. Hes owed more than $15 million if hes fired, and the total potential payout to the staff is nearly $24 million. Thats a big number during a pandemic, especially for a team that had a legitimate shot for the league title on Thanksgiving weekend.

Herman won the Sugar Bowl over Georgia after the 2018 season (10-4) and has done a lot to upgrade and modernize the program after Mack Browns tenure wheezed to the finish and Charlie Strongs never really got going. The recruiting department has been upgraded and the ancillary parts of the program analysts, social media, graphics, video feel like a high-end Power Five program. The football, for whatever reason, has yet to catch up.

So how does Del Conte view Herman? He has been relatively silent on the topic, and if any moment cried out for vocal support it would have been in the buildup to this game. Smoke about Texas attempting to hire Urban Meyer has been floating through Austin for weeks. There was an easy way to clear the smoke.

Del Conte, who did not return a phone call Friday night, also didnt vocally back the Texas players during the Eyes of Texas controversy earlier this year. He chose the preference of the boosters that the song, which has racist origins, still be played after games. In other words, he sided with the money over the team. Perhaps he knew which hed need more come December.

Its clear that Meyer would be Texas target it it moved on from Herman. Its not nearly as clear if Meyer would have interest in returning to the sideline, as he has thrived in his new role as an analyst for Fox and still would have to make a health decision. Remember, it was an enlarged congenital arachnoid cyst in Meyers head that helped lead to his retirement, and whether he wants to take the health risk that accompanies coaching would weigh large on any decision.

If Meyer doesnt want the job, theres no easy answer as to whom Texas would hire. And this is Del Contes biggest problem. This is an institution that covets big names, as it long lusted after Nick Saban. But Saban never went, in part because of the lack of alignment in leadership that has undercut Texas football the past decade. Theres no promise things line up the next decade, either.

People remember Mack Brown made it to two BCS title games, winning in 2005, but forget he won the Big 12 just twice in 16 years. Bob Stoops won it 10 times in 18 years.

If theres one thing weve learned from the tenures of Strong and Herman, its that Texas demands so much from its coach that this isnt a job that offers training wheels. And that means if Texas wants to upgrade from Herman, the Longhorns have to lure a sitting Power Five head coach. (The only coach comparable to Meyer who is currently sitting out is Bob Stoops, and its unlikely the man who built the modern Oklahoma juggernaut would attempt to dedicate the next decade to taking it down.)

Do you try and back up the Brinks truck for an established Power Five coach like Oregons Mario Cristobal, Notre Dames Brian Kelly, Penn States James Franklin, Minnesotas P.J. Fleck or Northwesterns Pat Fitzgerald? This is a particularly fraught year to hire one of those coaches, as all but Franklin and Fleck will be playing meaningful games on the weekend of Dec. 18, which is two days after Signing Day.

If Texas decides to move on from Herman, would it do it before Signing Day on Dec. 16? Itd be almost impossible to have a coach in place by then, which means with a change you are essentially giving up on having a competitive recruiting class. (Texas is currently No. 17.) Or you have to either ignore or mislead recruits by letting them know Herman will be there. The clock is ticking for clarity.

There are other options. Would Matt Campbell jump down from Iowa State? Its uncertain, as he has always been projected as more of a Midwestern fit. What about Luke Fickell, who has brought Cincinnati to historic highs? Could Texas hire three straight former Urban Meyer assistants? Could it inquire about Alabama OC Steve Sarkisian? If the Meyer model hasnt worked, perhaps the Saban model would? Could an NFL name like Bill OBrien or Dan Quinn be an option? After Meyer, theres really no obvious answer.

To say Texas is definitely going to fire Herman is hyperbole. But its much easier to envision that scenario than to draw up one with Herman returning, tip-toeing on thin ice for all of 2021 as the face of the sports hot seat. Thats not for me to decide, Herman said postgame when he was asked whether he was the right person to lead Texas. Where we have the program compared to where it was when we took over the future is very bright. I feel great about the trajectory of our program.

Whether Del Conte feels that way or not remains a mystery. And until theres clarity from him, Herman will remain squarely on the hot seat.

Texas is back, right where we remember it. Its back where it has been most of the past decade in flux and with everyone in the sport speculating on wholl be the next coach.

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With Tom Herman on the hot seat, whats Texas next move? - Yahoo Sports

An Austrian town, famed for its name, will be renamed come January 1 next year, after locals reportedly got sick of English-speakers sniggering and stealing signs.

F**king, a village of some 100 people located 350km from Vienna will change its name in the new year to Fugging the local council has revealed.

The municipal council revealed the name change will take effect on January 1.

As it turns out the locals were growing tired of English-speaking tourists stopping off to take photos of the signpost to share on social media.

Theres also been reports of people stealing the signposts, so local authorities were forced to make it theft-resistant.

Andrea Holzner, the mayor of Tarsdorf, the municipality to which the village belongs, confirmed the name change, after majority of residents, known as F**kingers, decided they had enough of visitors and bad jokes.

I really don't want to say anything more - we've had enough media frenzy about this in the past," Ms Holzner told regional daily Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten (OOeN).

In 2018 the pornographic website Pornhub said it was offering free premium access to residents of F**king and towns with names such as Titz in Germany or Big Beaver in Pennsylvania, US Reuters reported.

While the village may have gained quite a bit of attention in recent years, experts believe the name dates back to the 11th century, AFP reported.

The village was first officially inhabited from around 1070, but local lore suggests that a sixth century Bavarian nobleman called Focko actually founded the settlement.

A map dating from 1825 used the spelling Fuking.

In light of the name change, people are mourning on social media with many saying the change is sad.

Today is a sad day. The Austrian village F**king is changing its name to Fugging, one person tweeted.

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You will be missed, F**king, you will be missed...

One person replied saying thankfully there was still F**kersberg, sharing a screenshot of a map of the municipality in Austria.

With AFP and Reuters

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'Enough of the jokes': Why this town was forced to change its name - Yahoo News Australia

A Saturday night at Staples Center resulted in YouTube star Jake Paul standing in the corner, former NBA dunk champion Nate Robinson out cold on the floor and millions of pay-per-viewers wondering what on Gods green earth they had just watched.

Officially, the boxing match ended midway through the second round as a Paul KO, but calling it a boxing match might be generous.

It did end with a punch, but what came before was a preposterous rinse-and-repeat of Robinson charging his opponent, taking a counterpunch or two, then clinching until any more action was impossible. Robinson became an NBA fan favorite through his lack of height in a league of giants, but in this sport, he was unable to find a distance where he could evenly trade blows with the 6-foot-1 Paul.

Perhaps the most ridiculous moment came when Paul knocked Robinson down the first time. After a generous count for Robinson to get back to his feet, the ex-guard rushed toward Paul yet again, then fell to the floor in a move befitting a wrestling match.

Two more knockdowns awaited Robinson in the second round, the latter putting him down for good:

The lack of skill on display was already making waves on social media, but Robinsons body hitting the floor triggered a tsunami of mockery and disbelief. Did people really pay money for this fight? Why wasnt it stopped sooner? Did anyone involved in the event even see Robinson box before booking him?

Even Nick Young, arguably the NBAs meme king, was joining the laughter. Along with the rest of the NBA.

Robinsons biggest defender might have been Paul, who said he was somehow expecting even less than what Robinson showed.

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He was better than expected, hes athletic, super-strong obviously, Paul said. His basketball career has been amazing and I dont want to take anything away from him. It takes a lot of balls to step in the ring, not a lot of people can do that.

That was the best a reserved Paul could say about his opponent before calling out the likes of Conor McGregor and Dillon Danis, revealing he broke his nose meditating weeks before the fight, then saying it was now time to focus on his music.

The best we can say about the fight is it was at least entertaining, just in all the wrong ways.

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Jake Paul knocks Nate Robinson out cold in one of the most farcical matches in boxing history - Yahoo Sports