As the world’s largest sports tournament is underway in Qatar this month, the Middle East country of 2.9 million[i] is expected to host over 1.5 million international visitors[ii]. The competition takes place across eight close proximity-built stadiums offering football fans an unprecedented opportunity of attending more than one game a day. Despite being a location which ranks low in terms of security and medical risk, Qatar has invested significant effort to further upgrade its medical, security and emergency response in preparation for the games. However, the scale of the event and the influx of people into Qatar require impacted organisations to plan for and mitigate, associated disruption and risks to ensure normal business operations. As the tournament is taking place across eight stadiums logistical demand is widespread, particularly with extremely high demand for accommodation, road transport, and public transport use. This is causing logistical challenges and leading to operational disruption for organisations. Additional considerations for organisations include cultural sensitivities, the potential for accidents and illnesses, risk of petty crime, cyber security concerns and other threats. Gulnaz Ukassova, Security Director, Information & Analysis at International SOS commented, “Organisations should remain up to date during the tournament on all government directives related to entry requirements, business operations, road closures, and other restrictions. Local employees and international assignees should be briefed on the logistical and business disruption they will likely experience during the event. Visitors to Qatar should remain aware of the logistical considerations, cultural sensitivities, and security-related concerns they may encounter during their stay.” Sebastien Bedu, International SOS General Manager, GCC adds, “Our previous experience in providing support to our clients during high profile world sports events in countries including Brazil, CIS countries, Tokyo, South Korea, Poland and the UK indicates that the situation may remain fluid during the course of the tournament. It’s likely that there might be unforeseen challenges. Therefore, having regular communication with security experts and health professionals is a must to mitigate those risks.”  To manage the safety and security of your international attendees and local workforce in Qatar International SOS recommends: Ensure business continuity, medical and security emergency plans are put in place and are supported by a robust network of local and international medical, logistics and security providers Account for reduced working hours and potential disruption due to increased traffic restrictions and congestion Ensure 24/7 access to medical and security advisors and specialists, who monitor in-country developments and advise organisations on the necessary steps, changes and adjustments to keep those plans agile In addition, for those on-the-ground we recommend: Regularly reconfirm restrictions including those around road closures and alcohol consumption, as these can be introduced at short notice. Avoid self-driving, and use alternative modes of transport instead, including official taxis and public transport Remain vigilant and adopt basic sensible precautions against the risk of petty and street crime Monitor international diplomatic affairs for issues that may impact you based on your personal profile Avoid discussing politics or sensitive issues in public settings and carefully consider anything you post on social media Adopt basic measures to safeguard information security. Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks and turn off your mobile phone’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions when not in use Minimise time spent in the vicinity of attractive militant targets, including government, security forces and religious sites. To exercise vigilance around ‘soft’ civilian targets, such as transport hubs and shopping centres  Delete all applications downloaded on your electronic devices while in Qatar and run a thorough check of all devices upon your return

Zoop, India’s most loved kids’ watch brand from Titan has revamped its brand identity with the essence of encouraging the kids to think beyond boundaries and at the same time, flaunt their  fashionable and cool avatar to the world. Drawing design inspiration from the world of ‘modern imagination’, the brand caters to the new age kids who love to think creatively and express themselves in fun and fascinating ways. To champion children with an innovative bent of mind, the brand launches ‘Zoop Ana-Digi’, the first analogue-digital watch collection from Zoop. Adding some fun elements to fuel the imagination of young curious minds, Ana-Digi presents a range of sporty watches with three solid colour combinations. The watches consist of quartz and digital calibres and come with fascinating features such as LCD display, alarm, date and time, selectable 12/24H format, backlight, 1/100th of a second Chronograph counter and many more. The watches have a round shaped dial in solid colors such as black and grey with contrasting accents on dial indices, central hour and minute hands and decorative ring on the watch face to give a distinctive appeal. There are four side keys, two on each side that enable kids to access multiple features such as setting the Daily Alarm, accessing Backlight, running Chronograph counter, and Time setting. Priced at INR 1,325/-, let kids explore their world of imagination with this trendy range of watches available across all Titan World stores or online at https://www.titan.co.in/. The collection is supported with a 6 months warranty period on the Movement and the Battery of the watch. About Titan Company Limited Titan Company Limited (“Titan”), a joint venture between the Tata Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), commenced its operations in 1987 under the name Titan Watches Limited. In 1994, Titan diversified into Jewellery (Tanishq) and subsequently into Eyewear. Over the last three decades, Titan has expanded into underpenetrated markets and created lifestyle brands across different product categories including fragrances (SKINN), accessories and Indian dress wear (Taneira). Titan is widely known for transforming the watch and jewellery industry in India and for shaping India’s retail market by pioneering experiential retail.  Titan recorded a standalone income of around INR 27,200 crore for the year ended 31st March 2022.

Authored by Dr. Vijay Agarwal, Lead & Sr. Consultant – Medical Oncology & Haematology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore Colorectal cancer is the 6th most common cause of cancer death in India and starts in the large intestine (colon) or rectum. It occurs when cells in the colon go out of control and mostly in older adults (above 45 years). This type of cancer usually begins as small benign clumps of cells called polyps which form inside the colon region and after some time these polyps become cancer cells. The healthy cells in the colon develop mutations in their DNA and accumulate together to form a tumour. Over time these cancer cells grow to invade and destroy the normal tissue nearby. While there is no specific cause behind the development of colorectal cancer and most are found among people without a family history of colorectal cancer. However, approximately 1 in 3 people who are affected by the condition have other family members (parent, sibling, or child) who have suffered from colorectal cancer. This puts people with a history of colorectal cancer at increased risk. The reasons for the increased risk are not clear in all cases but it is higher if their relative was diagnosed with cancer before 50 years or if more than one parent, sibling or child is affected. If you also have family members who have had adenomatous polyps or have a history of adenomatous polyps then you must speak to your doctor and check with them on the need to start screening before the age of 45. Screening helps in detecting this cancer early and therefore if you have had colorectal cancer then you must inform your close relative so they can start their screening at the right age. Colorectal cancer presents several symptoms and risk factors which can help in identifying it early. These include – Symptoms Constant changes in bowel habits diarrhoea or constipation and modifications in stool Blood or rectal bleeding stool Persistent discomfort in the abdomen such as cramps, gas or pain Fatigue or weight loss The symptoms of Colorectal cancer vary from patient to patient in terms of size, and location in the large intestine. Several people with colon cancer do not experience any symptoms in the early stages of the disease.   Risk Factors Old age – While colon cancer can be diagnosed at any age but it is mostly found in people above the age of 50 years. There is no specific cause behind the diagnosis as the number is also increasing among young people. Personal History – If you have already had colon cancer or non-cancerous polyps then you are at a greater risk of getting colon cancer in future. Inflammatory intestinal conditions – It includes diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis that can increase your risk of colon cancer. Inherited Syndromes – A very small percentage of colon cancers are caused due to inherited syndromes like Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), and Lynch syndrome, which is also known as Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC). Family History – The risk of Colorectal cancer increases if you have a blood relative who has had the disease. If more than one family member has colon cancer then the risk is even greater. Sedentary Lifestyle – People who are inactive or adopt a high-fat or low-fibre diet are at an increased risk of colon cancer. Alcohol consumption and heavy smoking put you at higher risk. Following a healthy lifestyle and getting regular physical activity can reduce your risk. Type 2 Diabetes – Patients with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Obesity – People who are obese are at increased risk and have less favourable outcomes compared to people with normal weight. Radiation therapy – This therapy when directed towards the abdomen to treat previous cancers increases the risk of colon cancer How can you prevent yourself from colon cancer? There are several precautionary measures that you can adopt to prevent yourself from colon cancer – Screening – Colon cancer screening through traditional colonoscopy every 10 years after the age of 45 is recommended before any signs or symptoms may develop. Doctors also include several other tests that include – Colonoscopy –  It is a type of screening where a colonoscope is used to gain images of the colon and rectum. This method is considered the “gold standard” in colon cancer screening because of its accuracy and the ability of your doctor to remove the growths at the same time.  Virtual/CT colonoscopy – In this method the doctors use computed tomography (CT) scans once the colon is slightly inflated to provide clearer images Flexible sigmoidoscopy – This uses a light and camera lens or a sigmoidoscope to view the colon Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) – This screening method uses a light and camera lens or a sigmoidoscope to examine the colon. With this test, the doctors can find microscopic traces of blood that may not be visible during a normal bowel movement at home. DNA stool test – This helps in analyzing a stool sample for any genetic changes that can indicate colorectal cancer. Lifestyle changes – Moderating your alcohol consumption, curbing smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise are some preventive measures through which you can reduce your risk of colon cancer.