Secret to long marriage is 'hot meal': UK's longest-wed couple

March 29, 2017

London, Mar 28: The key to a lasting marriage is a hot meal every night and 'looking in your purse' while shopping, say couple, believed to be Britain's longest-wed, ahead of their 77th anniversary.

marriageGeorge Loftus, 100, and wife Phyllis, 94, have seen 16 prime ministers take office since they married.

They met in the 1930s and married at a register office on August 10, 1940, when she was just 17.

Phyllis revealed the secret of her long marriage to George was a "good meal and a chat".

"Couples are not the same these days. If people loved each other like we do, it would be a better world. My mother gave me these guidelines 75 years ago and we have kept to them," Phyllis was quoted as saying by the Walsall Advertiser.

"When shopping and you see something, look in your purse and if you can afford it and need it, ok. If not then shut your purse," she said.

"Always keep your husband well fed. We always have a good hot meal every night and a chat...We've done that every night of our marriage and it's kept us strong," Phyllis said.

They first started dating before World War-II, when Phyllis was a trainee nurse at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

In the 76 years since, George has worked as a fireman, a pit worker and a metal labourer until he retired in 1981 at the age of 64.

Meanwhile, Phyllis became a bus conductor, before working as a councillor for Chadsmoor on Cannock Urban District Council in the 1950s.

She then moved on to become a judicial official in 1963 and was a magistrate for 30 years before retiring at the age of 70.

Despite reaching such high office, Phyllis has always seen feeding her loving husband as her main priority.

"I was a housewife. I have always cooked. We don't have any convenience food in this house. It's all done by me," Phyllis said.

"When the pension comes in we have always sat either side of the table and worked out what we can spend. We have never owned a house, owned a car, never drank of smoked, because we have always had what we can afford. But we have never owned a penny," she said.

"I have always said as long as there is good food on the table that's all that matters. The way to a man's heart is through the stomach," she added.

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News Network
March 18,2020

San Francisco, Mar 18: Facebook said a bug in its anti-spam system temporarily blocked the publication of links to news stories about the coronavirus. Guy Rosen, Facebook's vice president of integrity, said on Twitter Tuesday that the company was working on a fix for the problem.

Users complained that links to news stories about school closings and other information related to the virus outbreak were blocked by the company's automated system.

Later on Tuesday, Rosen tweeted that Facebook had restored all the incorrectly deleted posts, which also covered topics beyond the coronavirus.

Rosen said the problems were unrelated to any changes in Facebook's content-moderator workforce. The company reportedly sent its human moderators home this week because of the coronavirus outbreak.

A representative for Facebook did not immediately respond to questions on the status of Facebook's content moderators, many of whom do not work directly for the company and are not always able to work from home.

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Agencies
July 24,2020

Pune, Jul 24: Agile and dexterous, 85-year-old Shantabai Pawar wields sticks with absolute ease as she displays 'lathi-kathi' on the streets of Pune.

A video of her, displaying her skills in the Indian martial art form for livelihood, has gone viral on social media.

Pawar told media persons that she learnt the art form when she was only eight and has been practising it since then. The ancient martial art s believed to be linked to Dombari community, a nomadic tribe in Maharashtra.

"I have been pursuing the art of lathi-kathi since I was eight. I have never left it. It is part of me and it is an honour to practice it. My father taught me this. He taught me to work hard," Pawar told media persons.

In the video, the sari-clad octogenarian takes a warrior-like stride and effortlessly rotates a stick several times in a second in her hand and around her head and then does it with two sticks together with a smile on her face. She also tosses a stick in the air and catches it with ease.

The assembled gathering is impressed and enthused.

"People come and say, 'Well done Daadi!' I practice it to earn money for my children and grandchildren," she said.

Pawar leaves her home in the morning in the conditions created by coronavirus and performs the art form on roads and streets.

"I go to various areas to perform the art form and people give money," she said.

The artiste also uses thali and stick to gather the attention of people as most of them are indoors due to conditions created by COVID-19.

Senior citizens have been advised against venturing out due to their greater susceptibility to coronavirus but Pawar said she is not afraid to step out.

"People do advise me to not go out due to fear of COVID-19 but I am not scared. Whenever I step out, I pray to my God and he has kept me safe so far," she said.

Aishwarya Kale, a dancer and the person who uploaded the video on social media, said that it is "only an artist who can understand what help another artist needs".

"I was in that area shopping for some items and it was then I saw her performing and thought that I should film her and upload her video on social media. But I never thought that the video would go viral and she would receive financial help not just from people in the country but overseas as well," Kale told media persons.

"She is now getting honour for her craft that she couldn't get in the last 85 years. I feel good that through my small video, her art form has become viral," she added. 

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Agencies
July 11,2020

Citing the current dismal aviation scenario, Air India is terminating the services of trainee cabin crew and cabin crew by withdrawing the offer of employment of those who were under training.

As per sources, the new crew and trainee pilots might reduce contracts from five years to one year. Sources said Air India is terminating 1,200 crew and employees who are more than 55-yr-old including 190 trainee pilots.

In a letter reviewed by IANS, Air India has informed an applicant who had been selected as cabin crew in August 2019 subject to successful completion of training.

"On behalf of Air India we would like to thank you for the interest shown by you in joining our organization. However, in view of the current aviation scenario, it would not be possible for Air India to impart any further training to you for engaging your services," the company said.

"In view of the above reasons, which are beyond the control of the company, it has been decided to discontinue your training arrangements and dispense with the offer of engagement with immediate effect. The bank guarantee furnished by you at the time of joining is returned herewith," Air India told the cabin crew.

"Once again on behalf of Air India we thank you for your cooperation and trust that you will appreciate the circumstances under which we are constrained to discontinue the training arrangements," the carrier said.

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