log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SUNDAY JANUARY 1, 2023 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) 16 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 194 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SPORTS »PAGE 8 Manifesting Magic in the New Year! Holistic Wellness for kids THE NUMBER GAME Ronaldo Saudi move signals likely end of elite club career VISUAL DELIGHTS: Top six films in 2022 whose VFX was the talking point Do you meet people by coincidence or for a reason? Five travel technology trends for 2023 Vidya Malavade opens up about her goals HAPPY NEW YEAR THE GOAN wishes its readers, advertisers and well-wishers a Happy New Year. May 2023 bring peace and joy in your lives. Children are leaders of tomorrow and it is important they get all-round development Wondering what the year head looks like for you? Here are predictions for the year 2023 based on numerology Man City title bid rocked by Everton draw New Year cheer! Buzz in the air as Goa ushers in 2023  ROADS CHOCK-A-BLOCK WITH TOURIST CARS  HOTELS PACKED THE GOAN I NETWORK MAGAZINE MAGAZ 9 Celebrations around the world as millions usher in New Year App autonomy & Information Technology Act, 2000 10 Taking extra care of your chipping nails in winter All you need to know about thyroid disorders Global Family Day: Importance of saving institution of family 11 Car Review Mercedes EQB Electric: Till the road runs out... saving institution of family >> SEE PG 2 BRIDGING THE HIGHS & LOWS OF ZUARI IN SHORT >> Taxi driver killed in Nuvem mishap MARGAO: In a tragic accident, a 52-year old taxi operator Furkan Shah died in a accident at Arlem-Nuvem bypass on Saturday. Maina Curtorim PI Ravi Desai informed the deceased was heading towards Utorda to pick up guests when the mishap occurred. Ex-sub registrar held in land grab PANAJI: On the last day of the year which also marked his last day in government service, ex-Sub Registrar of Canacona Premanand Dessai found himself in police net for his alleged involvement in a land scam.  >> See pg 3 PANAJI Known party zones were buzzing with activity in the closing hours of 2022 as locals and tourists alike got into the mode of ushering in the New Year in the inimitable Goa style -- partying. Arrivals continued to soar on Saturday and hotels have reported peak occupancies, even as there were reports of tourists staying put in their SUVs as they were unable to secure accommodation. Most of Goa’s hotels, clubs and party venues had events lined up for the night, which in many parts of the northern coast served as a welcome option for EDM fans who were down for the Sunburn event. A section of locals, meanwhile, headed to church, where midnight masses were held to usher in the New Year on a spiritual note. Almost every starred hotel in Goa, meanwhile, had a New Year’s Eve party which Tourists camp in vehicles along coast in Canacona; caravans come calling THE GOAN I NETWORK Tourists enjoying the last hours of 2022 at Miramar beach on Saturday.   Narayan Pissurlenkar went on into the wee morning hours. Several of them also have ‘brunches’ lined up for the New Year’s day. Goa’s DGP Jaspal Singh, IPS, has appealed for caution and responsible behaviour from revelers. “Adequate personnel deployment has been made,” Singh said, even as he warned of stern action against drunken and rash driving. CANACONA With thousands of tourists thronging the various beaches in Canacona, hotels and shacks in the coastal areas have been overbooked and tourists are now camping in their vehicles and caravans to usher in the New Year. Many domestic tourists began arriving in the taluka in the last few days and were seen moving all over the coastal areas in search of rooms. According to shacks and hut owners, there has been an unusual rush of domestic tourists arriving in the taluka in a desperate search of rooms/accommodation Domestic tourists camp outside their vehicle at Agonda beach on New Year’s eve. since the last three days. With all rooms fully booked along Canacona’s coast, many tourists were found making temporary PANAJI Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, Waterways and Tourism Shripad Naik has taken the lead to put in his papers if the Centre refuses to withdraw the approval granted to DPR for the Kalasa-Bhandura project in Karnataka even as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant called for meeting of all MLAs at Assembly complex on Monday at 4 pm. arrangements and even converting their own vehicles as makeshift rooms. >Continued on P7 As the controversy around the Centre’s abrupt decision touched its third day on Saturday, a visibly upset Naik, also representing the North Goa Lok Sabha constituency, slammed the government for ‘going ahead with a single engine decision in the matter.’ “I will resign if the Centre does not listen to Goa’s grievances on the issue and revoke TOUGH TALK „„I will resign if the Centre does not listen to Goa’s grievances and revoke the order „„Centre has taken a one-sided decision… the double engine government has gone away with a single engine on the issue „„CM should take an all-party delegation to meet PM to protect State’s lifeline „„We are in constant touch with the Centre and the relevant authorities over Mhadei but at the time of taking this decision, Goa was not informed the order. The Centre has taken a one-sided decision. The double engine government has gone away with a single engine on the issue,” Naik said. The Union Minister further urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take an all-party delegation to meet Prime >Continued on P7 Ex-Pope Benedict XVI passes away Goan named Bishop for Baroda Diocese PTI THE GOAN I NETWORK VATICAN CITY Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularised Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday. He was 95. Pope Francis will celebrate his funeral Mass in St Peter’s Square on Thursday, an unprecedented event in which a current pope will celebrate the funeral of a former one. A statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni on Saturday said: With sorrow I inform you that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be released as soon as possible. The Vatican said Benedict’s remains would be on public display in St Peter’s Basilica starting Monday for the faithful to pay their final respects. Benedict’s request was that PANAJI Pope Francis on Saturday appointed Fr Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, former Superior General of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Pilar Fathers), as Bishop of Baroda. Incidentally, Bishop-elect Sebastiäo Mascarenhas is the second bishop in the Mascarenhas family from Camurlim-Salcete, as his brother is  Bishop Theodore  Mascarenhas, SFX  is the  Auxiliary  Bishop of Ranchi  and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Daltonganj in Jharkhand. In a statement, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Secretary General Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado said the appointment was made public in Rome on Saturday at noon, corresponding to 4.30 pm (IST). Rev Fr Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, was born on July 29, 1959 in Camurlim-Salcete PM, CM, Cardinal offer condolences PANAJI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão and other leaders have expressed their condolences on the demise of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.  >> See pg 4 his funeral would be celebrated solemnly but with simplicity, Bruni told reporters. He added that Benedict, whose health had deteriorated, had received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick on Wednesday. SEBASTIÄO MASCARENHAS IS FROM CAMURLIM AND BROTHER OF BISHOP THEODORE  Family overjoyed as second  brother elevated as Bishop PANAJI: While the appointment of a bishop is always a momentous occasion and cause for jubilation in the family, the Mascarenhas family from Camurlim-Salcete has been given the rare privilege of having a second brother elevated as bishop. All three siblings in the family were overjoyed on receiving news. >> See pg 4 (File photo) Bishop-elect Sebastiäo Mascarenhas interacting with Pope Francis. and he studied at Fr Agnel High School, Pilar, Goa, before completing his BA in English Literature and Economics from St Francis de Sales College, Nagpur. He studied philosophy at St Charles Seminary, Nagpur (1976-1979) and theology at All AGENCIES W THE GOAN I NETWORK CWC’s order on Mhadei diversion finds K’taka’s proposal ‘within award notified by Tribunal’ >> See pg 4 India Mission Seminary, Pilar, Goa (1980-1984). He obtained a Licentiate in Missiology in 1994 from Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule, Sankt Augustin, Germany, and a Doctorate in Systematic Theology from the University of Freiburg, Germany (2000). China’s Covid peak in Jan, may see 25,000 deaths daily: Report LONDON ith China opening up and removing Covid-19 restrictions, there has been a surge in infections in the Asian nation though no clear data has come out. UK based health experts estimate that China is most likely to register 9,000 deaths a day -- double of what it had estimated last week. Since 1 December, the cumulative Covid-related deaths in China likely reached 100,000, however infections totaled 18.6 million, UK-based health data firm Airfinity said in a statement. Also, the health firm further estimated that China’s Covid-19 infections will reach their first peak on January 13 as 3.7 million cases will be registered in a day. Apart from this, the Shripad slams Centre over Mhadei decision, says ready to resign WHO asks China to share data GENEVA: The World Health Organization has again urged China to regularly share specific and real-time data on the Covid-19 situation in the country, amid a surge in coronavirus cases after Beijing relaxed its strict “zero-Covid” policy. The global health agency has asked Chinese health officials to share data on genetic sequencing, hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations. A high-level meeting took place between officials from WHO and China on the current surge in cases to seek further information on the situation, and to offer WHO’’s expertise and further support, a WHO said in a statement. daily death toll will peak on January 23 with about 25,000 a day and cumulative deaths could reach 584,000, the firm warned. Health officials recently said they define a Covid death to be an individual who dies from respiratory failure caused by Covid-19, excluding deaths from other diseases and conditions even if the deceased had tested positive for the virus. Airfinity expects 1.7 million deaths across China by the end of April, according to its statement. UK puts curbs on travellers from China LONDON: The UK has joined a growing list of countries, including India, to introduce curbs on travellers from China amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country after Chinese authorities relaxed the strict “zero-Covid” rules. Passengers arriving from China to England from January 5, 2023, will need to show a negative Covid-19 pre-departure test (PDT) taken no more than two days prior to departure. Although there are no direct flights from China to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the government said it was working with the devolved regions to ensure this is implemented. According to its website, in 2020 it built “the world’s first dedicated Covid-19 health analytics and intelligence platform”. China’s chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou said that a team at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention plans to assess fatalities differently. The team will measure the difference between the number of deaths in the current wave of infections and the number of deaths expected had the epidemic never happened, Wu told reporters at a briefing. By calculating the socalled “excess mortality”, China would be able to work out what could have been potentially underestimated, Wu said. China has insisted that the data it is publishing has always been transparent and release of all virus information was done “in the spirit of openness”. “China has always been publishing info on Covid deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency,” said Jiao Yahui from the National Health Commission. It added that people who died of respiratory failure induced by Covid are the only deaths counted. “China has always been committed to the scientific criteria for judging Covid deaths, from beginning to end, which are in line with the international criteria,” the expert said. He did his first profession in the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Pilar) on July 20, 1976, and was ordained priest on May 6, 1984 in Pilar. He served as Assistant Parish Priest at Our Lady of Velankani Church, Vapi and Principal, Mother of Hope School, Vapi, Gujarat (19841988) and Assistant Parish Priest at Our Lady of Piety 3rd Bishop from Society of Pilar PANAJI: The appointment of Fr Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, as Bishop of Baroda makes him the third bishop from the Society of Pilar. His brother, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi, and Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias are the two other bishops from the religious congregation, which was formed in 1887. >> See pg 4 Church, Silvassa and Principal, Fr Agnel High School, Silvassa (1988-1990), Chaplain in Shelti, Nagar Haveli (19901992). Bishop-elect Mascarenhas went for higher studies in Germany (1992-1994). On his return, he was appointed Chaplain in Dudhni, Nagar Haveli and Principal, >Continued on P7