Latest news with #Vaishali
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Can mobile phone use cause brain tumour? Doctor debunks 5 myths and shares facts
Brain tumours can be frightening, but addressing them effectively starts with separating facts from myths. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Manish Vaish, principal director, neuro and spine surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, said, 'Brain tumours are often surrounded by fear, confusion, and misinformation. Early diagnosis, the right treatment, and a supportive environment can significantly improve outcomes.' Also read | How to detect brain tumours in children early: Watch out for these warning signs The doctor further debunks myths about brain tumours: Fact: Not every brain tumour is malignant. In fact, many brain tumours are benign (non-cancerous), meaning they do not spread to other parts of the body. However, even benign tumours can cause serious issues due to their location in the brain and the pressure they may exert on surrounding tissues. That's why timely diagnosis and monitoring are important, regardless of the tumour type. Fact: While headaches can be a symptom, not all individuals with a brain tumour will experience them. Other early signs might include seizures, personality changes, memory problems, vision disturbances, or speech difficulties. Often, these symptoms are subtle and may be mistaken for stress, ageing, or other common conditions. Persistent or unusual symptoms should not be ignored. Also read | Brain tumours: Causes, treatment, prognosis, 8 new alternatives for patients Fact: There is no conclusive scientific evidence that everyday use of mobile phones or exposure to microwave ovens causes brain tumours. Numerous international studies have dismissed a clear link. That said, more long-term research is still ongoing to further understand potential environmental factors. Fact: Modern medical advancements have revolutionised the way brain tumours are diagnosed and treated. In many cases, minimally invasive procedures, stereotactic radiosurgery (like Gamma Knife), or targeted therapies are now available. Treatments are individualised based on the tumour's type, size, and location, as well as the patient's overall health. Fact: This is perhaps the most dangerous myth. Thanks to advances in neurosurgery, neuro-navigation, radiotherapy, and personalised medicine, many patients with brain tumours go on to live full and meaningful lives. Outcomes depend on early detection, tumour type, and access to specialised care. Hope, combined with science, goes a long way in improving quality of life. Also read | World Brain Tumour Day 2024: 12 surprising signs of brain tumour that people usually ignore Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Norway Chess Women: Vaishali Rameshbabu takes down women's world champion; Koneru Humpy surges into lead
It was on the first rest day of the Norway Chess tournament that Koneru Humpy couldn't stop grinning. She had tried her hand at rifle shooting among other things at a ranch during the Norway Chess Games, and had managed to hit a bullseye. Humpy was so chuffed at that shot that she had asked for the paper target as a keepsake. In two days, Humpy just might leave Norway's Stavanger with something more precious: the women's title at the super-elite championship. The 38-year-old surged into the lead on the second rest day of the Norway Chess women's tournament, staying one full point ahead of women's world champion Ju Wenjun and Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk. Humpy took down Spain's Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (better known as Sara Khadem) in the classical portion for the second time in the tournament to get three points in round 8 on Wednesday. And she had compatriot Vaishali Rameshbabu to thank for giving her the one point cushion, as India's latest woman to become a grandmaster had held on for a draw against the women's world champion from China, Ju Wenjun, before defeating her in the Armageddon. The format of Armageddon is such that the player with white pieces needs to win with 10 minutes on their clock while the player with black pieces has seven minutes to hold on to a draw. Humpy took a slender edge from the 22nd move (22. Bd3 Nc5) and never relinquished her grip on the game against the only International Master in the field of six women. Sara erred on move 35 (playing 35. Rd2 when engines showed that 35. e5 was the best move available). That move had given Humpy a significant edge and India's first woman to become a grandmaster wasn't going to miss. She remained a pawn up until the 58th move when the resignation arrived from Sara. Humpy now has Ju and another former world champion Lei Tingjie standing in her path to winning the title at Norway Chess. Vaishali held women's world champion Ju Wenjun to a draw with white pieces, which was a significant result considering the two players have a gulf of 99 rating points separating them. A game that saw the Berlin Defense in Ruy Lopez being employed never really heated up. For 37 moves from both players, the eval bar had its quietest night, never really needing to go this way or that. Then, in the Armageddon, with Vaishali needing to win with white pieces, both players played out the exact same 12 moves that they had played in the classical section. But on her 13th move, Ju opted to push forward her c pawn instead of putting pressure on Vaishali's ambitious knight with her bishop. The game ambled along without any player having an edge till the 32nd move, when Vaishali allowed Ju to pick off a pawn without any compensation. But on the next move, Vaishali pushed her own pawn on the f5 square (33.f5) which was her first significant breakthrough. Four moves later, Vaishali's pawn was bearing down on her king while two rooks and Vaishali's queen were standing as sentries on the three files at the end of the board to cut off escape lines. Ju resigned to give Vaishali a morale-boosting win. Vaishali is fifth in the six-women standings, just half a point behind Lei, with two rounds remaining. (The writer is in Stavanger at the invitation of Norway Chess. Matches are live-streamed on Sony LIV.) Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
India Today
02-06-2025
- India Today
Goa woman slams IndiGo for no response over her damaged luggage
A Goa-based woman called out IndiGo after her checked-in baggage allegedly arrived damaged, and the airline, she claimed, barely responded despite repeated a now-viral post on LinkedIn, Vaishali Sharma said her experience on IndiGo flight 6E-2195 from Goa to Delhi on May 25 ended with more than just a her strongly worded post that has since gone viral, she accused the airline of poor grievance handling after receiving her luggage in a damaged According to her, she immediately raised the issue upon arrival in Delhi, submitted photos, and followed up over calls and emails. She said she was assured of a resolution within three days. But nothing came of it.'What followed was a string of calls from various numbers, each assuring me, 'We'll resolve it, don't worry.' It's now well past that, and I've received no written response, no compensation, and no accountability,' she the airline out for its silence, she added, 'This is no longer about a damaged bag. It's about respect—for passengers, and for the trust we place in a brand long after landing.'In her post, she also tagged IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers, DGCA India and other aviation authorities, hoping her complaint would reach someone who could uphold the values IndiGo claimed to stand still waiting for a resolution, and more importantly, a response that reflects the integrity passengers deserve,' Vaishali said as she concluded her a look at the post here:Reacting to the post, IndiGo said, 'Ms Sharma, we sincerely regret to know this. Kindly allow us some time, while we are getting this checked. ~Team IndiGo.'Vaishali, meanwhile, said in response to IndiGo's comment that she is still waiting for some resolution.
New Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Biryani to podi dosa, Kerala eatery serves Indian chess stars in Norway
STAVANGER (NORWAY): After obliging the vast array of autograph hunters outside the playing hall at the venue, Arjun Erigaisi got into a car and made his way to an eatery that has become the rage among Indian chess players here. It's a trip all four Indian players — R Vaishali, D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy the others — have already made at the ongoing edition of Norway Chess. Erigaisi, featuring in Stavanger for the first time, was told about the place by R Praggnanandhaa, who tasted their food last year. The players' favourites include lamb masala, chicken biryani and, in Vaishali's case, podi dosa. 'A few of the players ordered south Indian style lamb masala,' says Nitish Kamath, one of the five owners of Spisoh. 'Humpy doesn't have a set template and we have noticed that Vaishali has picked up podi dosa on a few occasions.'
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Nagalakshmi living her dreams through journeys of her children, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali
As the tense form of Vaishali sits on the board, blitzing out moves against elite opponents at the Norway Chess tournament, her mother Nagalakshmi makes herself comfortable on the last seat of the playing hall in a spot that's out of Vaishali's eyeline. Walk into the playing hall on any given day of the Norway Chess tournament, and Nagalakshmi will likely be there in that exact seat for an hour after 5 pm when the games start. Her face is usually impassive. Her eyes are trained on the facsimiles of the chessboards being projected up on the walls of the playing hall at the Finansparken Bjergsted for the audience to follow the action. She admits she doesn't understand the nuances of the sport — or even wants to understand them — but as Praggnanandhaa had said during the Tata Steel Kolkata Chess tournament in 2023, she can gauge what's going on on the board simply by the expressions on her kids' faces. 'But these days it's getting harder to do that,' she had told The Indian Express with a chuckle last year during the Norway Chess tournament, when again, you could find her on the same seat in the playing hall during each game of Norway Chess when both of her kids, Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali, were playing. 'Both my kids usually have the same expression during games these days. It's hard for me to read it now. I don't know the game. And I don't ever want to learn the game. It's a conscious decision. If I learn the sport, then every move will be a source of tension. Because I don't know the sport well, I'm okay.' Thanks to her two children, Nagalakshmi has lived some of the dreams she had when she was younger. 'I'm on my sixth passport now. Four of them are completely stamped out,' Nagalakshmi beamed. She wasn't boasting, but you could sense the pride in her voice at what the passports had come to represent. When she was young, she had dreamt of a life abroad. 'I got my first passport when I was young and studying. I had a BSc degree in mathematics. Before I got married, I wanted to go abroad and work at a hospital in whichever country I could. But that passport expired without it getting any use. I wanted to pursue this further abroad. I also worked as a lab technician in Chennai. Twice in my younger days, I had a government job. But on one of those occasions, I was pregnant (with Vaishali), so I had to forgo the opportunity,' Nagalakshmi had told The Indian Express. If chess players are bound by game-time routines, players' parents such as Nagalakshmi find their own rhythms too for the five-hour-plus windows when they're just hanging about at the arena while their kids play. For the second straight year, Nagalakshmi tiptoes out of the playing hall as soon as the clash meanders into the middle game. She will be back during the endgame, usually carrying a fruit or a bar of chocolate in her handbag for Vaishali. This has been one of the routines that she follows at tournaments where she accompanies her kids around the world. She is also present within listening distance every time Vaishali does a media interview. Nagalakshmi is not the only family member of a player in the playing hall at Norway Chess. This year, Magnus Carlsen's father, Henrik, and his wife, Ella, besides Gukesh's father, Rajini Kanth, have been constants in the playing arena during every game. While Gukesh's father sits in the playing hall itself with barely any movement from the start to the end of a game, Carlsen's dad has a self-imposed prohibition about entering playing halls. So he withdraws to a backroom, out of sight from the rest of the world. Last year, the then world champion Ding Liren's mother would also make it a point to be in the playing hall for games, ensuring she sat at a spot where her son was in her eye line. Last year, at the official players' hotel, since the breakfast would end early, it was not unusual to see Nagalakshmi carrying plates of food for both Pragg and Vaishali back to their rooms. She would then get busy cooking lunch for both kids in their room, with the utensils she had brought along with her. Though the kids eat non-vegetarian fare, and there are a few Indian restaurants in Stavanger, they're always wary of what they might accidentally eat, so Nagalakshmi ensured they have a warm home-cooked meal for lunch before games. 'For breakfast, Pragg and I don't leave the room because we're usually sleeping. So our mother gets us plates of food with fruits and croissants in the morning. For lunch, she makes it all by herself. We don't contribute anything or help her prepare in any way. She makes sure that other things are set for us during tournaments, and we can fully focus on chess. She has done the same for us for about 15 years now,' Vaishali had told The Indian Express during Norway Chess 2024. The grandmaster sibling duo is so used to having Nagalakshmi in their corner at events that when they're both playing in different countries, things get tricky for whoever has to travel alone. 'I'm so used to travelling to tournaments with her that I feel the absence when she has to travel with Pragg. Last year, I went to Turkey to play in the Turkish league, when I was staying alone. My mother had travelled with Pragg because he had a more important tournament at the time. I had to cook for myself because I didn't like the food. I had to make my own lunch, so I had to prepare before games and then I had to wash the dishes myself. I really felt every day at that time that I wish my mother was here,' Vaishali had said. Ask her if she has any advice for parents of youngsters who dream of their kids becoming the next grandmasters, and Nagalakshmi said: 'Don't put pressure on kids. It's the kids who have to want to work hard (to be good chess players). The motivation has to come from within, not from you.' The writer is in Stavanger at the invitation of Norway Chess Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
