Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31 2022
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Australia: a nation with impeccable democratic credentials
Election 2022: IndianAustralians a force to be reckoned with
Political Parties’ social media presence imperative
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk Azam khan get bails, to remain in jail after new case- Page 5
PM appreciates nurses for their vital role in keeping planet healthy - Page 16
Bommai invites global business leaders to invest in K’taka - Page 15
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk Australia is all geared up to elect members of its 47th Parliament on 21 May 2022. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the incumbent Liberal-National Coalition government is aspiring for a fourth consecutive term in office. For that to happen they have to thwart the challenge posed by the Anthony Albanese-led Labor Party. The Greens, United Australia, One Nation, other minor parties, and independent politicians are also in the fray. The election will
decide the representatives for 151 seats in the lower house, the House of Representatives, and 40 of the 76 seats in the upper house, the Senate. Scott Morrison has managed to serve his full term as the Prime Minister and remained the leader of the Liberal Party without facing any leadership challenge, a rarity since the days after the premiership of John Howard who was in office from 1996 to 2007. In the backdrop of Federal Election 2022 there is a sense of achievement among the Australian Continue on Page no. 4
Modi’s inspirational bonding with Indian diaspora Where to Tinder Passport to next? Let the stars decide! - Page 21
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk
Laughter help heart health - Page 23
The Fabulous House Wives of Bollywood- Page 19
Check out these eco-friendly beauty brands - Page 20
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Europe recently to meet leaders of Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland, the media were mainly talking about his tightly packed 65-hour-long schedule in Europe. India had irked the European countries after it resisted Western pressure to not buy Russian oil and condemn Russia for war in Ukraine. Of course India has made its stand clear regarding the war in Ukraine and countries across the world have begun to understand India is no longer a pushover that can be bullied into submission ignoring its national interest. However, even as Modi was meeting the leaders of Europe, he was not oblivious of the Indian diaspora and its contributions to the host countries and to India’s emergence as a world power. Modi has always had an equation with the Indian diaspora across the world that has made him very popular among the Indians living abroad. In Germany, the Indian Prime Minister was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Indians attired in traditional Indian clothes. Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate was all decked up with the colours
of India depicting the country’s cultural diversity. Modi realizes the significance of the Indian diaspora in spreading Indian culture abroad. Therefore he never loses the opportunity to address them when he is on a foreign tour. At the Madison Square Gardens in New York a few years ago, Modi established his rockstar-like image which exuded an unparalleled global appeal. Subsequently, The Howdy Modi event in Houston, Texas became a bigger hit as thousands of Indians and many American politicians, including former President Donald Trump attended the event. The Indian diaspora look upon these mega-events as a recognition of their significance in the host country for their contribution to its progress. Modi understands that the Indian diaspora, besides being the true ambassador of India’s culture abroad, are also a widely respected, powerful and influential community. While visiting Denmark recently, the Indian Prime Minister underscored the significant role played by Indians as a force of good that has contributed to the growth of host countries. This is not all. Since the India of today is embarking on a growth trajectory, the Indian diaspora now wants to participate in India’s growth story as well. Modi seems to have a way with the Indian diaspora wherever he goes and knows how to encourage them to participate in India’s burgeoning culture of progress and prosperity. The Opposition in India may criticize Modi’s rapport with the Indian diaspora as nothing but optics for the audience at home in India. But Modi wants to fully utilize the
The Indian -Australian population continues to be a critical mass that can have a sizeable impact on the outcome of forthcoming Federal Election 2022. The Australians will vote for a new Federal government on May 21, though early voting has already been initiated. Political analysts have begun to highlight the significance the Indian diaspora holds in these elections.Politician from various political parties have also woken up to this fact and have been trying to influence the IndianAustralians to cast their votes in their favour. In an abc.net.au article published recently, Dr Sukhmani Khorana from Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society said that there are a few factors that may explain the interest generated by the Indian diaspora in political circles in Australia. Politicians have realized that there is a sizeable Indian diaspora, especially in marginal seats with many undecided voters. These undecided voters can be influenced to win their support in terms of the voting. Moreover, Dr Khorana says that following the diplomatic fallout with China, Australia is trying to prioritize its relationship with India. However, she feels that the Indians have raised their political voice after
the kind of treatment they received during the pandemic. Dr Khorana was referring particularly to the Australian government’s decision to impose a travel ban on Indian origin Australians travelling during the height of the Covid pandemic. It is worth mentioning that the Indian diaspora has contributed immensely to the greatness of Australia in terms of culture, science and technology, economy and in many other diverse areas. Scientists like Chennupati Jagadish, an Indian-Australian physicist, who is a Distinguished Professor of Physics at the Australian National University Research School of Physics and Engineering and also the Convener of the Australian Nanotechnology Network and Director of Australian National Fabrication Facility ACT Node have added to the country’s leading role in science and Continue on Page no. 4
Outcome of elections unlikely to impact Aussie-India free trade deal
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk With Federal elections scheduled for May 21 there is a debate in some circles as to whether Australia India trade agreement signed by both countries recently will endure. To put to rest all doubts reliable sources have said that the outcome of the Australian federal elections is unlikely to impact the trade agreement. Since the Federal government in Australia is running on an interim mode, no effective steps towards its implementation can be taken before a new government comes to power. So the Australia-India free trade agreement, signed in a record time of about six months may not be ratified before the end of this year. Often doubts are cast in the light of a change of guard at the national level regarding the effectiveness of a deal signed by the previous dispensation. As to whether the Liberal-led Coalition of Scott Morrison will be returned to power or as the opinion polls suggest, Labor may do what it had not done in years, that is, form their government, is anybody’s
Continue on Page no. 4
guess now. But notwithstanding the outcome of this election, the free trade agreement between Australia and India will be implemented. This is owing to the fact that both the countries realize the immense potential the agreement offers to them. According to the official website of the Prime Minister of Australia, Australian households and businesses will benefit, with 96 per cent of Indian goods imports entering Australia duty-free on entry into force. India is the world’s largest democracy and the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with GDP projected to grow at nine per cent in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and 7.1 per cent in 2023-24. In 2020, India was Australia’s seventh largest trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $24.3 billion, and sixth largest goods and services export market, valued at $16.9 billion. Our Government’s goal is to lift India into our top three export markets by 2035, and to make India the third largest destination in Asia for outward Australian investment. Any party or coalition that forms the government in Australia will have every reason to support and effectively implement free trade between the two countries. Moreover, Australia is not at ease in its relationship with China; so this is all the more reason to have close all-round ties with India. Continue on Page no. 4
Modern elections anywhere are said to be impacted by social media and Australian elections are no exception. In fact people are interested to know what has been the role of social media in shaping the outcome of elections in the country. Candidates from various political parties view social media as a more fluid media milieu as compared to other media sources like the television, the print media, etc. The perception is that social media offers an opportunity to bypass mass media influence and talk directly to the voters. It is dynamic in nature and amenable to new communicative conventions that suits common man in the street. Moreover, social media are based on digital technology which is run by algorithms. This implies there is a wider scope for usage of social media in ways unthinkable through more conventional media like radio, television, and the print media. Many different experts emerge on social media platforms who add an entirely different perspective to the way people can participate during elections. The youth today reside more on social media; so the political parties frame a very comprehensive social media plan to communicate with them, especially during elections. One of the social media platforms, TikTok has grown dramatically since the last time voting took place on a national scale in Australia. The size of the social media audience has grown considerably and they have created new communicative norms and a culture that thrives on social media. Even among various social media, the youngsters continue to shun Facebook and prefer others like Instagram instead. Therefore social media are no longer regarded as fringe media but have evolved to become mainstream communication channel of parties and candidates in Australia In the 2019 election, political scientists discerned social media as an important segment of the campaigning strategy of political parties, candidates and advocacy organisations. One question that persists during this election more so than previous ones is if social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. will manage to swing votes in favour of a particular party. The generation comprising 18-25 years are easily amenable to persuasive tactics which could easily be undertaken on social media platforms. The TikTok generation in Australia is unpredictable and can impact outcome of this election. This is comparable to the situation in India where political parties take to social media in a big way to influence young voters. One of the conclusions of the University of Canberra’s study in 2021 was generations Z and Y are less likely to attune to local news issues than Xers and Baby Boomers.
The trailer of Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Prithviraj’ was unveiled - Page 32
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Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
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LEAD STORIES
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
New Sri Lankan PM assures end to country’s economic crisis
Colombo, May 12 (IANS) Setting several world records, Sri Lanka's veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the 26th Prime Minister of Indian Ocean island nation, which has been crippled with its worst-ever economic crisis. Holding the office for a record-breaking 6th occasion, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as PM by his rival party leader and President Gotabaya Rajapaska. He also becomes the world's first premier to run a government with just one seat in the Parliament. Amidst the ongoing crisis, President Rajapaksa invited the opposition parties to join to form an all-party government. The main opposition United People's Power, led by Sajith Premadasa and the Marxist party, National People's Power, led by Anura Kumara Disannayake, refused to form a government until President Rajapaksa resigned. The President's elder brother and
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa controversially resigned on Monday after violence erupted across the country when a group of his supporters carried out violent attacks on peaceful protesters demanding the government step down amidst the severe financial crisis. "(British PM Winston) Churchill had only four members backing him in 1939. How he became the Prime Minister because of the crisis, I have done the same," the newly-appointed PM Wickremesinghe reporters who questioned his moral right to become the PM without a majority in the parliament. "I will make a government with the participation of all the parties," Wickremesinghe assured as as he was leaving a Buddhist temple in Colombo after participating at religious ceremonies. "Do you want to suffer without fuel and gas while engaging in petty politics or find solutions to the current crisis?" he questioned the journalist and said that he would
work to overcome the current crisis. Ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa was one of the firsts to wish Wickremesighe. In a Twitter message, Rajapaksa said: "Congratulations to the newly appointed Prime Minister. I wish you all the best as you navigate these troubled times". Wishing the newly-appointed PM, the Indian High Commission in Colombo stated that it "hopes for political stability and looks forward to working with the Government of Sri Lanka formed in accordance with democratic processes pursuant to the swearing in of Hon'ble @ RW_UNP as the Prime Minister of #SriLanka. India's commitment to the people of #SriLanka will continue." US Ambassador Julie Chung, in a tweet, said: "Look forward to working w/ @RW_UNP. His appointment as PM, and the quick formation of an inclusive government, are first steps to addressing the crisis & promoting stability. We encourage meaningful progress at the IMF & long-term solutions that meet the needs of all Sri Lankans". Entering politics in 1970 and becoming the then youngest member of the Parliament in 1977, Wickremesinghe became the PM for the first time in 1993 under the then President D.B. Wijetunga, then he was elected the PM in 2001 under Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. Again in 2015 when Maithripala Sirisena formed a 100-day government, Wickremesinghe was appointed the PM. At the subsequent 2015 general election, his party won the election and he was elected the PM. But his alliance with President Sirisena came to an end when Sirisena replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaska for 52 days. But Wickremsinghe sworn in as the PM again after the Supreme Court removed Rajapaksa. However, Wickremesinghe had not ruled for a complete five year term in any of his previous tenures as PM. In the 2020 general election, his party divided over leadership dispute and deputy leader Premadasa broke away with a majority of the MPs. Wickermesinghe could not win a single seat at the election but he entered the parliament using the national list seat received based on the total votes his party scored.
Indian climber climbs two peaks within two weeks
Kathmandu, May 12 (IANS) Indian climber Baljeet Kaul has climbed her second 8000m mountain Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak on Thursday morning just within two weeks, according to a media report. Baljeet Kaur, from Himachal Pradesh summited Mt. Kanchenjunga at 04.20 a.m. with her guide Mingma Sherpa, said Pasang
Sherpa of Peak Promotion Pvt Ltd, according to Himalayan Times Daily. “She has arrived at Camp III and is now descending as she is expected to arrive at the base camp today evening,” Sherpa said. She has also climbed Mt. Annapurna I on April 28, 2022. This is her second 8000m+ mountain this season, according to Sherpa. “This season, she is attempting Everest
and Lhotse as well,” he added. Meanwhile, a climbing guide, who was suffering from severe high altitude sickness, died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu on Thursday morning. Dipak Mahat from, who fell ill at Camp II on Mt Everest on Monday, was evacuated to Kathmandu for treatment on Tuesday morning, according to the local hospital authorities in Kathmandu. Doctors attending Mahat at the Kathmandu-based HAMS hospital pronounced him dead on Thursday morning, according to the expedition organizer. This season, three climbers, including a foreigner, have already died in the Everest region. A woman climber scaled the world’s highest peak, becoming the first Nepali female doctor to successfully scale Mt Everest this season.
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Former President Medvedev warns of nuclear war between Russia and NATO
Moscow, May 12 (IANS) Military support for Ukraine risks sparking nuclear war with Russia, Putin ally and ex-President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, warned, media reports said. In a fiery post to nearly one million Telegram users on Thursday, Medvedev wrote: "NATO countries pumping weapons into Ukraine, training troops to use western
equipment, sending in mercenaries and the exercises of alliance countries near our borders increase the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia. Such a conflict always has the risk of turning into a full-fledged nuclear war," Daily Mail reported. Now serving as deputy chairman of the influential Kremlin Security Council, Medvedev was President
of Russia from 2008 to 2012 while Putin was term-limited, Daily Mail reported. Medvedev had appointed Putin as the Prime Minister during that period. When Putin was allowed to become President once again, Medvedev stepped aside. He took the premiership until 2020, at which point Putin nullified term limits and moved Medvedev to his current role. Medvedev accused NATO countries of "sending in mercenaries" to fight for Ukraine and intentionally playing up the prospect of nuclear war. His post continued: "The endless talk by foreign analysts about a war between NATO and Russia continues unabated. The cynicism of Western 'talking heads' is becoming more and more blatant. "The thesis that Russia frightens the world with a nuclear conflict is being pushed to the top of the agenda. Even [Donald] Trump recently came out with this, though, understandably, just to spite [President] Biden. And of course the Europeans are squeaking their little voices," Daily Mail reported.
Coordinated global response needed to combat future health emergency: Modi New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed the requirement of a coordinated global response to combat future health emergencies. In his remarks at the opening session of the Second Global Covid virtual summit he was attending on the invitation of US President Joe Biden, he said that the Covid pandemic continues to disrupt lives, supply chains, and tests the resilience of open societies and called for building "a resilient global supply chain and enable equitable access to vaccines and medicines". He also said that India adopted a people-centric strategy against the pandemic and his government made the highest-ever allocation to its annual healthcare budget. "Our vaccination programm is the largest in the world. We have fully vaccinated almost 90 per cent of the adult population, and more than 50 million children. India manufactures four WHO approved vaccines and has the capacity to produce five billion doses this year," Modi said. He also said that India supplied over 200 million doses to 98 countries, bilaterally and through COVAX, while also developing low-cost Covid mitigation technologies for testing, treating and data
management. "We have offered these capabilities to other countries." Referring to Genomics Consortium in India, Modi said that it has contributed significantly to the global database on the virus. "I am happy to share that we will extend this network to countries in our neighborhood," he added. "In India, we extensively used our traditional medicines to supplement our fight against Covid and to boost immunity, saving countless lives," the PM asserted. He also informed that last month, the Indian government laid the foundation of WHO Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, with an aim to make this age-old knowledge available to the World. The Indian Prime Minister also called for WTO rules, particularly Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), to be more flexible. "WHO must be reformed and strengthened to build a more resilient global health security architecture. "We also call for streamlining WHO's approval process for vaccines and therapeutics to keep supply chains stable and predictable. As a
responsible member of the global community, India is ready to play a key role in these efforts," he said. Other participants at the event were co-hosts of the event - Heads of State/Government of Belize in its capacity as Chair of CARICOM, Senegal as Chair of African Union, Indonesia as President of G20, and Germany as President of G7. The Secretary General of the United Nations, and Director General of World Health Organization and other dignitaries also participated. Modi had also participated in the first Global Covid virtual Summit hosted by President Biden on September 22, 2021.
UK-EU rift ‘deepens’ over N Ireland protocol
London, May 13 (IANS) The UK and the European Union (EU) disagreed on Thursday over how to fix Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol problem. London said it "will have no choice but to act" if the EU does not show the "requisite flexibility" over the protocol. In a telephone call with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said her country's overriding priority was to protect peace and stability in Northern Ireland and that the protocol had become the greatest obstacle to forming a Northern Ireland Executive, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a
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press release issued by the UK government. Truss also "outlined why EU proposals would take us backwards, by creating more checks and paperwork", the press release said. In a statement on Thursday, Sefcovic said it continues to be "of serious concern that the UK government intends to embark on the path of unilateral action". "This is despite a series of wide-ranging and impactful solutions proposed by the EU, based on our intensive engagement with all representatives in Northern Ireland. These proposals would substantially improve the way the protocol is
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implemented," he said. According to Sefcovic, “only joint solutions will work” and unilateral action is “simply not acceptable.” The UK-EU rift has recently deepened as rows continued over the protocol, under which Northern Ireland is part of the UK’s customs territory but is subject to the EU’s customs code, value-added tax (VAT) rules and single market rules for goods. Despite the two sides’ agreement in October 2019, the protocol has caused divisions over how some of the rules should be implemented, particularly for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, according to an official report. While British leaders have argued the protocol needs to be amended, the EU has said a renegotiation is off the table. The need to find a solution has been made even more urgent after Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party, was on Saturday declared winner in elections for the devolved assembly in Northern Ireland and a system of power-sharing was introduced. Coming second in the elections, the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party has indicated it would not sit in the assembly, citing its opposition to the protocol with a trade border down the Irish Sea.
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LEAD STORIES
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Climate change a top priority for Australian voters: Survey
Canberra, May 11 (IANS) Just over a week ahead of the May 21 general election, a new survey on Wednesday revealed that climate change remains a top priority for three out of four Australian voters who would support policies that limit its potential impacts. The Climate Action Survey conducted by the Griffith University, reports Xinhua news agency. Lead author, Associate Professor Sameer Deshpande said that the project was one of the "most
ambitious climate change surveys yet conducted in Australia," and showed that key attitudes had experienced a dramatic shift, reports Xinhua news agency. "Almost a quarter of respondents believed that climate change was an 'extremely serious' problem right now, and 45 percent believed it would be by 2050," said Deshpande. The survey showed that just 2 per cent of the surveyed population were climate change deniers, 5 per cent were sceptics, and 16 per cent
were unconvinced about climate change. Climate change concern was the highest among respondents under 35, students, urban residents, people who don't speak English as their main language, and people who reported as voters for Australia's left-leaning political parties. Women also reported stronger beliefs than men when it came to climate change. While Australia makes up just 0.33 per cent of the world's population, it is responsible for 3.6 per cent of the world's emissions, as it is a major global supplier of coal and other fossil fuels. Despite this, the Australian government only recently pledged to net zero emissions by 2050 as set out by the UN, and the government's pathway to net zero has been criticised as lacking substance and a clear plan to reach the target. However, amid searing heatwaves and bushfires, flooding on Australia's east coast and environmental degradation, 57 per cent of respondents believed they were already starting to feel the effects of climate change.
India invited to ministerial meeting on global food crisis: US Diplomat
United Nations, May 11 (IANS) India has been invited to a ministerial meeting on global food security convened by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to respond to the global crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Cindy McCain, Washington’s Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The meeting with the Foreign Ministers on May 18 will “review the urgent humanitarian needs and identify steps to build resilience for the future”, she told reporters in a Zoom news conference on Tuesday. “The US cooperates with all
grain-producing countries, and, of course, our purpose is to alleviate the shortage that’s going to happen” because of the Ukraine conflict, McCain said. “This upcoming food security ministerial in New York is a prime opportunity to talk about the immediate solutions and long-term strategies which are really important.” Because the world is facing the “most serious food crisis in over 70 years, the worst since World War II”, the US has called for two ‘Days of Action’ on the food crisis “to rally the world to take steps to bolster food supply chains and strengthen
food resilience”, she added. The ministerial meeting will be followed by a Security Council debate on “Conflict and Food Security” the following day. McCain said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, the fifth-largest exporter of wheat and the second-largest exporter of sunflower oil, has triggered a far-reaching humanitarian crisis for countries that were already vulnerable. It will have long-term effects because “Putin has upended spring planting, blocked ports, mined fields, destroyed infrastructure, and ultimately thrown our global food systems into chaos”, she said. Leaders of India, which has a wheat stockpile estimated at about 100 million tonnes, and the US last month discussed cooperation on averting a food crisis. Making some of this wheat available to the rest of the world came up at the virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, as well as in the 2+2 ministerial meeting of India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Blinken. “Our countries are working together to try to bring more food to world markets, as well as to the World Food Programme,” Blinken had said after their meeting.
Election 2022: Indian-Australians a force to be reckoned with technology internationally. Many Indian-Australian communities like various Sikh and Hindu community organizations and that of other communities have been at the forefront in saving lives of people by distributing free food during the peak of the pandemic. These organizations are still rendering humanitarian services. Culturally, Indian-Australians have been contributing significantly to enrich Australia’s cultural diversity and in showcasing Australia internationally as a country that welcomes all cultures in a truly democratic spirit. Organizations such as Federation of Indian Association of Victoria, Australian Indian Innovations Inc, Rajasthani Kutumb of Victoria Inc, Indo Australian Friendship Council Inc, Bihar Jharkhand Sabha of Australia & NZ, Australia India Society of Victoria, Celebrate India Inc, Indian Tamil Association of Victoria, Bengali Society of Melbourne Inc, Federation of Indian Communities www.indianabroad.news
of Queensland, Bengali Society of QLD are the names of just a few who have contributed immensely. The Indian ethos gels very well with Australian democratic credentials. In this respect talking to abc.net.au about the Indian diaspora, Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Technology Sydney said that Indians became Australian citizens at a much higher rate which no other nationality had done so far, and had a large middle class who spoke English on arrival. In other words the professor highlighted the language dividend Indians have when they arrive in Australia as this affords them the ability to adapt to Australian conditions easily. Therefore when Australia votes on May 21, the politicians will definitely have an eye on the Indian voters as to whom they are supporting and voting for. Meanwhile, politicians from across parties have been trying to win the
support of Indian Australians for this Federal election. On April 8, Liberals Dan Tehan, Jason Wood and Sharn Coombes posed in garlands outside a Victorian temple along with India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who was in Australia after the signing of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement. Then on April 20, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg paused for a photo-op in Sydney's Little India with fellow candidate Maria Kovacic. Labor initiated its bid to win IndianAustralians in early April with a $700,000 pledge towards a new community kitchen in Melbourne for Sikh Volunteers Australia. This organization is instrumental in cooking and delivering free meals to vulnerable Australians, and intensifies its endeavors during natural disasters. The Liberals have also matched Labor’s funding promise.
India exploring ways to aid Indian students affected by Ukraine war
United Nations, May 13 (IANS) India is exploring ways to help its students whose education in Ukraine has been interrupted by the war, according to India's Deputy Permanent Representative R. Ravindra. "We are exploring options to minimise the impact on our students' education," he said on Thursday during a debate in the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine centred on education and children. "We appreciate the relaxations made by the Ukrainian government for this academic year in respect of medical students," he added. According to the Ukrainian Education Ministry, there had been 18,095 Indian students studying there before the Russian invasion. They were among the 22,500 Indian citizens who, Ravindra said, were safely brought back to India.
The Ukrainian Education Ministry has said that the final year MBBS students at universities there would get their degrees without having to take the final licensing exams, according to media reports. Ravindra said that more than 900 educational institutions have been reported damaged or destroyed in Ukraine and called for "unequivocal" international support for the Kyiv government to protect them and continue educating children. In keeping with India’s neutral stance, which also takes into account Ukraine’s travails, he did not criticise Russia or even mention it while speaking about the destruction of educational institutions by Moscow’s invasion. Ravindra said: “Since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives,
especially those of women and children.” “It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both within the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict,” he added. US Deputy Permanent Representative Richard Mills said: “Many on this Council have just now called for diplomacy to resolve this crisis.” “We agree that diplomacy and dialogue are essential to resolve this crisis, and Russia should show its commitment to pursuing a peaceful resolution by silencing the guns and withdrawing its forces from Ukraine.” Ravindra drew attention to the food crisis developing from the war and said that it “requires us to respond by going beyond constraints that bind us presently” -- a reference to World Trade Organisation (WTO) restrictions. While India has a stockpile of wheat estimated at about 100 million tonnes, it faces problems in exporting from it because of the WTO restrictions on selling them because they have been acquired by the government from farmers -- which India does to support the price levels. Russia and Ukraine together account for about 30 per cent of the global wheat exports, which has been affected by the war. Ravindra also called for international cooperation to ensure energy security, which has been affected by disruption in supplies from Russia that have sent oil and gas prices soaring.
Australia: a nation with impeccable democratic credentials populace as liberal democracy in the country has emerged triumphant with each successful holding of free and fair elections, a sine qua non for democracy anywhere in the world. At a time when international politics is once again afflicted with cold-war-like tendencies thereby posing enormous threat to the very ideology of democracy in general, democratic practices need to be guarded with utmost caution. A democratic polity is especially vulnerable to what is being termed as “electoral autocracy” wherein elections take place but there is a great deal of systemic suppression to keep opponents disadvantaged. In other words, under electoral autocracy those in power manipulate their opponents to serve their own purpose of staying in power. What is heartening to realize from
an Australian perspective is that the country has firmly established its democratic credentials over the years. The latest Freedom House report about global governance and another study from more than 3,000 global scholars undertaken by the V-Dem Institute in Sweden recently have shown that liberal democracies like Australia are increasingly rare. In fact the studies have found that the numbers of liberal democracies declined from 42 countries in 2012 now down to the lowest levels in over 25 years, which are 34 nations and just 13 percent of the world population. Australia has consistently done remarkably well in terms of its democratic performance as compared to many other countries, the democracies included. Freedom House gave the country a score of
95 out of 100, and according to the ranking of V-Dem Institute, Australia is ranked 14th in the index of liberal democracy. This may be below New Zealand, which is at No. 5 but is above the US which is at 29th position. Many factors have taken Australia to a good 14th position as a liberal democracy, the way Australia runs elections has played a big role in that respect. A few of the steps taken by Australia have been the provision for compulsory voting which ensures high turnout, a prerequisite for a vibrant democracy. Then there is the provision for an independent Australian Electoral Commission that runs the election very professionally, impartially, freely & with fairness. This is the reason the Australian Electoral Commission is respected by political parties & the public alike.
Modi’s inspirational bonding with Indian diaspora
Polls unlikely to impact Aussie-India free trade deal
potential of the Indian diaspora in projecting India’s strong emerging image abroad. India’s stature abroad could well ride on the back of its diaspora and get international recognition as a country that is for international peace and stability. It is Modi’s aim to leverage the potential of the Indian diaspora in taking India to a position of strength vis-à-vis other influential countries in the world. The Indian diaspora has a major role to play in encouraging pro-India dialogues in their host countries. Let the people in other countries know what India is and what it aspires for in a highly volatile world. Through cultural activities such as celebrating Indian festivals, initiating government policy-related discussions regarding such policies that are likely to influence the Indians living outside India, and a host of other means the Indian diaspora tries to serve the interests of the country of its origin. In diplomatic initiatives in other countries, drawing upon the strength of the Indian diaspora is absolutely essential. More so, Modi’s highlighting of ‘ease of doing business’ in India has always been fine-tuned with the Indian diaspora in mind. The Indian Prime Minister is aware of the huge
Since India is already talking to the European Union, the UK, and a few other countries for initiating free trade with it, Australia will want to make the most of the first mover’s advantage which it has after signing the free trade agreement with India in a record time of six months ahead of other countries. Besides, India is the largest democracy in the world. Australia itself being a democratic country with impeccable credentials, finds in India a natural ally. Therefore the commitment of free trade with India as made by the Morrison government will endure and progress even if a new government other than the Liberal-led Coalition comes to power. European Union, the UK, and a few other countries for initiating free trade with it, Australia will want to make the most of the first mover’s advantage which it has after signing the free trade agreement with India in a record time of six months ahead of other countries.
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potential and the burning desire of the diaspora to carry forward and participate in Modi’s ‘Make in India’ and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Therefore, the Indian Prime Minister attracts huge Indian crowds wherever he travels outside India. The governments of other countries can ill-afford to ignore the leader of the largest democracy who has won so much support from his own people outside his country. India is a large market economically and it has geopolitical significance as well. In the context of a rising power in China, the world realizes it can balance the international power equation if India is empowered. The heartening thing is that the Indian diaspora is completely behind the Indian government and the Modi government is also leaving no stone unturned in its bid to serve the interests of the diaspora. The Modi government is all for reforms in all aspects of India as a nation and for its people. Its initiative to do away with archaic laws is an attempt to modernize the country making it suitable for the diaspora and even the members of the international community to deal with India economically and culturally.
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OPINION
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31 2022
No OPEC Or A New OPEC?
After working on devising methods to counter moves by OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), the largest consortium of oil producing nations across the globe, over the last two decades considered detrimental to the US interests and having failed several times, the US lawmakers have at last succeeded in bringing about a legislation, which could effectively counter the OPEC hegemony and any challenge to the American authority on global issues. The on-going Russia-Ukraine war, which has crossed seventy days, was the key element influencing the US lawmakers in coming together to formulate a piece of legislation, which could effectively handle any actions by the powerful OPEC lobby, both with and outside America. NOPEC Explained A US Senate committee on May 5 passed a bill, which could expose the OPEC member states to lawsuits for collusion on boosting crude oil prices internationally besides controlling the production levels by them. The latest bill was moved by senators, Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, and was passed 17-4 by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bipartisan bill, the "No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2021" or "NOPEC", may strip OPEC and its member states owned oil companies from sovereign immunity that has protected them from lawsuits for decades. This means that oil states would no longer be immune from the jurisdiction of the US courts if they breach terms of the bill, if it finally turns into a law. Now, the bill must pass the full Senate and House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law. If passed, the US attorney general would be able to sue OPEC or its members, such as Saudi Arabia, in US federal courts. Other producers like Russia, which works with OPEC
in wider group known as OPEC+ to withhold output, could also be sued. Overall, not every US politician seems to be in favour of the bill, and it may face hurdles in the Senate and House. Republican Senator John Cornyn, from Texas, the top oil producing state in the US, opposed the bill, saying it could prompt OPEC to restrict shipments to the US and urges the US companies to produce more oil and gas in America. This completely goes against the US policy of hoarding its reserves and restricting the extraction of petroleum in the US, keeping an eye on the long-term energy scenarios. American Petroleum Institute, the top US oil and gas lobbying group also opposes NOPEC. What led to NOPEC? Saudi Arabia and several other OPEC producers have recently rebuffed requests by the US and other European countries to boost oil production beyond gradual amounts, faced with falling Russian supply after its invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed against it. OPEC+, which cut production when oil prices crashed to historic lows during the Covid pandemic due to decreased oil demand, agreed on 5 May to stick to its existing plans to reverse the curbs with modest increases for another month. Basically, NOPEC is intended to protect US consumers and businesses from artificial spikes in the cost of petroleum, but some analysts warn that implementing it could also have some dangerous unintended consequences. In 2019, Saudi Arabia threatened to sell oil in currencies other than the dollar if Washington passed NOPEC, a move that could undermine the dollar's status as the world's main reserve currency, reducing Washington's clout in global trade and weaken its ability to enforce sanctions on nation states. Meanwhile, analysts caution that
NOPEC could ultimately harm domestic energy companies more. In reality Saudi and OPEC members produce oil much more cheaply than the US companies and if they are forced to flood global markets with more production, then the US oil companies may take a hit. OPEC is often labelled as a cartel, as its members account for around 40 per cent of the world's crude oil output, about 60 per cent of the internationally traded petroleum is from OPEC and they also possess over 80 per cent of the world's proven oil reserves. The NOPEC bill, if and when enacted, may immediately and dramatically inhibit actions or statements from OPEC specifically from its de facto leader Saudi Arabia. It would also straightaway leave Saudi Arabia and its oil entity ARAMCO open to being sued under the US anti-trust legislation, and may impact its future investments in the US. Why now? The bill it seems was rushed through the Senate Committee, as a poll conducted by CNN last week showed that a majority of Americans think Biden's policies have hurt the economy, while eight in 10 say the government is not doing enough to combat inflation. Biden faces midterm elections in coming November, thus the window to control inflation is getting narrower for him and if he losses the majority in the House then he might not be able to run for the next presidential elections. In addition the Saudi Crown Prince MbS and UAE's Crown Prince MbZ have snubbed the Biden administration repeatedly, after their refusal to take calls by the US President to help reduce the prices of oil at the international level. So NOPEC has been rushed through to get back at these two princes particularly and the manner in which the US moves, a much larger action against these middle-eastern countries may take place after the end of the RussiaUkraine war. Ultimately, it could be seen as a move by the US administration to strike back at its previous friends turned foes, who on their part are focussed on their internal affairs rather than being seen as being bowed down under the US pressure, thus losing their allegiance at home and status at the international level. (Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. The views expressed are personal)
Kerala bypoll: Star campaigner Vijayan’s return likely to be delayed Kochi, May 9 (IANS) CPI-M’s star campaigner for the May 31 Thrikkakara Assembly bypoll, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, currently undergoing treatment in a US hospital, might miss the first election convention of the party on May 12 as his return is likely to get delayed. The traditional rival candidates at the Thrikkakara Assembly constituency filed their nomination papers on Monday. Vijayan was expected to return on Tuesday, but according to sources, he might not make it for the convention, but will be present in the third and fourth week of the month to lead the campaign. On Monday, the CPI-M candidate Joe Joseph, an interventional cardiologist was the first to file the nomination papers followed by Uma Thomas, the widow of P.T.Thomas, the Congress legislator who won two times at Thrikkakara, but passed away in December last year. The third candidate in the fray is senior BJP leader A.N.Radhakrishnan, who is expected to file his papers on Tuesday. Earlier, Thrikkakara was being seen as tough multi-cornered fight till Sunday, when the AAP and Twenty20, which had planned to field a joint candidate, announced not to field any, leaving it a stiff battle between the principal rival
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parties the CPI-M and the Congress. When P.T.Thomas last year won with a margin of 13,813 votes, the Twenty20 candidate finished fourth but got 13,773. So with them no longer in the fray, it is to be seen which of the two traditional rivals will get the benefit. Also, all eyes are on the arrival of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, later this week, to announce their decision on what their supporters need to do on polling day May 31. Twenty20 in charge Sabu Thomas, who owns KITEX group of companies - which following a tiff with the Vijayan government moved its unit to Telangana last year - is very unlikely to support the Left candidate. Commenting on this, P.V.Srinijin, CPI-M legislator from the Kunnanathunadu (the constituency that borders Thrikkakara) took on the Congress and said: “Late P.T.Thomas would be really upset if the Congress seeks the support of Twenty20, as Sabu and P.T.Thomas were always at loggerheads.” V.D.Satheesan, Leader of Opposition and one who is leading the campaign of Uma, also welcomed the decision of the AAP and Twenty20 not to field their candidate. “It’s good that the two have decided not to field a joint candidate because if they did, then the anti-Pinarayi Vijayan votes would have been split.
We wish to make it clear that we have neither an overt nor a covert understanding with any. The CPI-M was hoping that these two field a joint candidate, so they will be the beneficiary as the anti government votes will be split and now they are making baseless things about an understanding. We have no understanding with anyone,” said Satheesan.
In dia’s t h r ust at the glo b a l st a ge
A nation's strategic approach is by definition meant to take care of the security and economic interests of the country and it is truly remarkable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy on international relations has stood its ground amid a festering Ukraine-Russia military conflict, deepening geopolitical alienation between US -led West and the Russia-China camp and the progressively hardening regime of economic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies against Russia. That India's foreign policy -- again a product of the nation's security and economic concerns and hence a strategic instrument -- has remained consistent through these turbulent times, speaks volumes of the wisdom of following bilateral relations that were mutually beneficial and consistent with world peace, the line of 'positive' non-alignment that the largest democracy of the world is able to put forth before the world and above all the rare political will that a strong leader like Prime Minister Modi has been able to demonstrate in the intrepid exercise of India's sovereignty, by him. Never before had India risen so fast on the global stage as an advocate of universal peace, a promotor of economic advancement of the world and a strong voice for renewable energy, environment and poverty elimination -- all in the interest of the larger good of the humanity. When the Ukraine-Russia conflict broke out in February-end with Russia launching what it called 'a military operation' to protect the interest of the Russian speaking population in the eastern part of Ukraine, India was the first country to show an understanding of Russia's security concerns in a situation where the US-backed NATO had been egging on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to confront Vladimir Putin, in an avoidable replay of the Cold War tussle. In reality, the sensible thing for the West was to work for peaceful coexistence of the East European neighbours with Russia after the USSR had been dismembered and a Unipolar world order had been established. Significantly, Prime Minister Modi became the first world leader whom the two warring sides favoured as the peacemaker and responding upfront to this situation, Modi called for immediate cessation of military offensive in Ukraine and return to exploration for a negotiated solution. The strength of Modi's political will was rooted in his belief in doing what was right and this led India to abstain from voting on resolutions moved in the UN Security Council -- first by the US and then by Russia -- on the Ukraine imbroglio. India has not condemned Russian military action in Ukraine but has also lost no time in demanding immediate stoppage of hostilities and resumption of talks for peace. On his three-nation tour of Europe last week, Modi underscored the Indian view that on the present going, there would be no winner in the Ukraine-Russia armed conflict and -- again without taking sides -warned that the entire world would suffer because of the impact of this confrontation on the people in the affected zone and the economic consequences that it would produce globally.
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To the extent the military conflict in Ukraine is becoming an unending phenomenon, among other things, because of supply of arms and ammunition to Ukraine by the US and its allies, India is counselling both Russia and the Western supporters of Ukraine -- the former to stop military action and the latter to abstain from adding fuel to the fire -- and implicitly calling for peace on a minimal give and take. Significantly there is no criticism of India by President Joe Biden of the US -- beyond the appeal from his administration for India's support for economic sanctions against Russia. There was in fact an expression of understanding for India's impartial stand on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, from Quad. Prime Minister Modi has kept up India's commitment to this multilateral forum that was meant to safeguard the Indo-Pacific against any aggressive moves by China and at the same time, maintained friendship with Russia for preserving India's enlightened self-interest -- all of this was broadly understood by the democratic world. It is a tribute to Prime Minister Modi's grasp of the current geopolitical situation that all through the turbulence created by UkraineRussia military confrontation over the last two months and the threat of escalation held out by both sides, India has steadily worked its way up in building mutual cooperation with other major powers, in the sphere of trade and economy. From free trade agreement with Australia to long-term economic pacts with UK and Japan and strategic partnership on energy and environment with Germany, all of this was facilitated by the personal cord of friendship struck by Prime Minister Modi with his counterparts in these countries, including Scott Morrison of Australia, Boris Johnson of UK, Fumio Kishida of Japan and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, not to forget Emmanuel Macron, the re-elected President of France. Prime Minister Modi made a short stoppage at Paris on his way back home to specially congratulate Macron in person and became the first world leader met by the French President on his fresh election. Modi has opened into Nordic region by striking a green alliance with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, at Copenhagen, besides participating in the summit of Nordic countries at the Danish capital. India has thus pushed ahead with consolidating economic ties with Europe -- steering clear of the sanctions US had placed on Russia in the wake of the military intrusion in Ukraine. India is somewhere giving a message to the world that the issues of economic development and betterment of the people should not be allowed to be drowned into the negative fall-out of military conflicts howsoever serious they might seem to be. In what will prove to be of far-reaching advantage for India in future, the Modi regime has succeeded in proving to the world that the Indian model of post-Covid economic recovery built on a bottom-up restoration of market and demand supported by the 'vocal for local' campaign, coordination from the top of all efforts to make India the global hub of production
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of vaccines and a sustained push towards making India the preferred destination for foreign investment, particularly in manufacture, has delivered. The political executive of the nation headed by Modi has produced a bench mark in integrity, dedication and macro-vision that is enabling the country to move towards becoming self-dependent in defence, security and economic growth. No narrative built against it by a desperate opposition would cut much ice. It is, however, extremely important that the nation remains totally alert against the concerted mischief the two prime adversaries of India on our borders -- Pakistan and China -- which might indulge to create internal destabilisation here for which they do have a potential as India's next-door neighbours. In recent times, India has reached out to Southeast Asia, countries of the Gulf and the Central Asian Republics to expand the areas of interest in both security and economic cooperation. Following the return of Taliban Emirate in Kabul with active collusion and support of Pakistan, the NSA of India invited his counterparts from Russia, CARs and even Iran to a conference in Delhi where a consensus was reached on the need to counter the danger of spread of radicalisation from Afghanistan. This was a timely initiative that has kept in check the doings of Sino-Pak axis in Afghanistan and thus helped to maintain the security of this region. Modi has brought the UK, Germany, France and the Nordic region on a grid of lasting economic relations with India -- notwithstanding the differential that existed on their approach to the current UkraineRussia conflict. If anything, Modi's initiatives have enhanced the stature of India as a counsel for global peace. This strengthens the claim of India on a permanent seat in UN Security Council and certainly establishes India's position as a star of the democratic world that deals with international situations on merit and leads the world towards multi-polarity to avert the return of Cold War. India lends a powerful voice to the collectively of democratic nations against the dictatorial and fundamentalist regimes. In all his interactions abroad, Modi has given a call for united action against terrorism and elicited endorsement of India's consistent policy towards Pakistan based on the principle that 'talks and terror did not go together'. India under Prime Minister Modi has universally established this country's civilisational wisdom of upholding what is right and opposing what is violative of political morality and human values. This honesty of purpose will carry India ahead on the mission of becoming the sane voice of the world. It is already creating a world consensus in favour of India getting actively involved in the mediation for restoring peace between Russia and Ukraine. (The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau. The views expressed are personal)
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INDIA
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Intel agencies suspect pro-Khalistani elements’ involvement in Mohali blast
New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The intelligence agencies are suspecting the involvement of pro-Khalistani elements in the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Police's intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali on Monday, the sources said. The sources, quoting intelligence inputs, said that Babbar Khalsa terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda could be the mastermind of the
attack. They also said that Rinda is believed to be hiding in Pakistan and trying to reactivate the the pro- Khalistani elements in Punjab for terrorist activities in the state. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been using these Khalistani elements in various countries such as the US, Germany and Canada, the sources said. According to the inputs provided
by the Punjab Police, the RPG was identical to the ones used by the US army, and the agencies are suspecting that this might have been procured by the terror outfits in Pakistan from the Taliban. "The US army had left RPGs in large numbers when they left Afghanistan last year and the Taliban sold them to Pakistan-supported terrorist organisations," the sources said. Officials in the security set up said that the use of RPG by terrorists is a matter of concern for the forces, adding that it needs to be ascertained how the RPG was smuggled into Punjab. Recently, four Khalistani terrorists were arrested by the Haryana Police from a toll plaza near Karnal, who had revealed that Rinda was dropping drugs and weapons in Punjab using drones from Pakistan. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered blocking of apps, websites and social media accounts linked to the proscribed terror organisation 'Sikhs for Justice', which is trying hard to revive militancy in Punjab.
Odisha: Most-wanted criminal injured in encounter, held Bhubaneswar, May 12 (IANS) A hardcore and most-wanted criminal was grievously injured in an encounter with BhubaneswarCuttack Commissionorate Police in Bhubaneswar city and was arrested. The encounter took place at Baramunda ground under Khandagiri police station on Wednesday midnight. Two cops were also injured in the encounter, police said on Thursday. Soon after receiving information that Chakara Barik and his associates were planning to conduct an armed robbery in Baramunda Housing Board Colony last midnight, Khanadagiri police along with a special squad reached the ground to catch the notorious criminal. Seeing the police party approaching them, the criminals threw hand bomb on the police team and also simultaneously opened fire, said Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh. "In retaliation, the police also opened controlled fire at them. In the exchange of fire, one of the criminals identified as Chakara Barik has been injured," he said. Barik was first admitted in the
New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Mother Teresa covered up for the worst excesses of the Catholic church and seemed more attracted to poverty and pain than actually helping people escape them, Daily Mail reported. That's the claim made in a compelling new three-part Sky documentary series -- 'Mother Teresa: For the Love of God' -- which talks to some of her closest friends and bitterest critics and serves as a thorough reappraisal of one of the most famous women of the last century, Daily Mail reported. The series shows there were issues
from the start when British doctor Jack Preger worked with her charity, and was shocked by what he saw. "The nuns weren't delivering proper care," he says. "Needles were used over and over unsterilised. One woman with burns was refused painkillers -- I smuggled some in for her. They had the money to run a decent hospital for poor people, but they never did. They said, 'we will pray for the alleviation of pain without providing treatment'. Pain was not just a by-product of her work, but an integral part of it. Nuns were instructed to whip themselves and
wear wire chains with spikes on," Preger says, Daily Mail reported. By the 1980s, her profile had never been higher. She demanded a ceasefire in Beirut in 1982 to save some orphans, and amazingly it happened. Three years later, she had prisoners dying of AIDS in a New York prison released. By now, around 100 million pounds a year was coming into her organisation, but most of it was being paid into the Vatican bank. The last decade of Mother Teresa's life was perhaps the most difficult. She was struggling with old age, but the church was calling on her to help save it from the growing scandals of child abuse by priests. "They would send her to towns where scandals were being unearthed. She could change the story," says Mary Johnson, who worked with Mother Teresa for 20 years. How much did she know? It's impossible to say but, as revealed in the show, when Reverend Donald McGuire was suspected of abuse, she wrote a letter to the authorities insisting on her "confidence and trust" in him, Daily Mail reported. It left him free to abuse hundreds of boys for another decade, the report added.
Indian Coast Guard airlifts 11 fishermen stranded in Bay of Bengal
Capital Hospital and later shifted to SCB Medical College, Cuttack. Two policemen have also suffered minor injuries in the encounter. The health condition of the criminal along with the policemen is stable, the DCP said. Singh further informed that Barik is a notorious criminal and more
than 20 criminal cases have been pending against him in different police stations. The police seized bombs, gun and a car from the encounter spot. However, the associates of Barik managed to escape from the spot.
Azam Khan gets bail, to remain in jail after new case Lucknow, May 10 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted bail to Samajwadi Party MLA Mohd Azam Khan after a period of 26 months. He was jailed in February 2020 in Sitapur jail. However, Azam Khan will not immediately be released as last week, a new case was lodged against him in connection with granting recognition to an institution on forged documents. Mohd Azam Khan has now obtained bail in 87 cases, including that of book theft, goat theft, buffalo theft, land encroachment, land grabbing, forgery and power theft. He will now have to get bail in the 88th case lodged against him last week before he finally walks free.
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Mother Teresa covered up worst excesses of church, new documentary claims
Bhubaneswar, May 9 (IANS) Indian Coast Guard has successfully airlifted 11 fishermen stranded in Bay of Bengal near Pati Sonapur beach of Odisha's Ganjam district amid rough weather conditions due to approaching cyclone Asani, officials said on Monday. The 11 fishermen, coming from Vizag of Andhra Pradesh in a boat, got stuck close to Pati Sonapur beach in Ganjam district. They couldn't negotiate the waves as their boat malfunctioned in the sea near the Pati Sonapur beach, said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P.K.
Jena. Soon after receiving information about the fishermen at 4.32 pm, Jena said he discussed with the Indian Coast Guard officers stationed at Bhubaneswar and Paradip. "Helicopter started flying at 4.55 pm and all 11 stranded persons were rescued through helicopter operations by 6.15 pm. A great operation. Outstanding achievement by @IndiaCoastGuard. Lightning fast response, absolute precision air rescue and so fast. Kudos to the team, the SRC tweeted. Berhampur sub-collector Keerthi
Vasan V, who was monitoring the operation at the field, said the 11 fishermen had gone to Andhra Pradesh to buy a fishing boat. While returning, as the sea condition became very rough, they were unable to return to the coast and got stuck around 4/5 km deep in the sea, he said. Mobile network was reaching there. So, the fishermen first informed their relatives about their condition. First the local fishermen tried to rescue them. However, they failed due to high tide in the sea, he said. After that, the locals reach the district administration. First, the Indian Coast Guard tried to conduct the rescue operation by sea. As the sea condition was very rough, they were unable to carry out the operation. Later, the Indian Coast Guard launched the operation through air and rescued all fishermen within an hour, informed the sub-collector. All the rescued fishermen have been sent to local hospitals for necessary health check-ups, he added.
Delhi riots conspiracy case: HC notice on student leader’s bail plea New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Delhi government on an appeal moved by student leader-activist Gulfisha Fatima, challenging the trial court order which refused her bail in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots. Issuing notice in the matter, a division bench comprising Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar slated it for further hearing on July 14. Gulfisha Fatima was arrested in connection with the riots that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020. During the course of the hearing, the appellant's counsel submitted that she has been in custody now for over two years now. According to the police FIR, Fatima had instigated an unlawful assembly which then indulged in riots in the Jafrabad area, which led to the death of one Amaan, who died of gunshot injuries. She has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. As per the police, in the disclosure statement, Gulfisha Fatima told police about the January 15 Seelampur
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demonstration and said, "The crowd had started growing according to the plan, big leaders and lawyers started coming in to provoke and mobilise this crowd, including Omar Khalid, Chander Shekhar Ravan, Yogendra Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, and lawyer Mahmood Pracha." According to the charge sheet, she added, "Pracha said that sitting in the demonstration is your democratic right and the rest of the leaders fuelled the feeling of discontent in the community by calling CAA and NRC anti-Muslim." The names of economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor, and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy
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also figured in the charge sheet. In the statement, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal said that they were asked by the three persons to protest against the CAA and NRC. Other main accused persons allegedly linked with the larger conspiracy case, including former JNU student Umar Khalid, United Against Hate activist Khalid Saifi, Congress former councillor Ishrat Jahan, AAP former councillor Tahir Hussain and RJD youth wing's Meeran Haider. Communal violence broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, after clashes between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment Act) and those opposed to it.
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AUSTRALIA
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Floods, heavy rain inundate Marine heatwave causes mass bleaching in Great Barrier Reef Aus state, 1 dead
Sydney, May 11 A woman was found dead on Wednesday after a car carrying three people was swept away by floodwaters, as torrential rain continued to lash the Australian state of Queensland. The search and rescue operation was launched at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The 31-year-old woman was found dead inside her vehicle, and the other two passengers were transported to a hospital where
they are now in a stable condition, reports Xinhua news agency. The Queensland police have warned the public to avoid unnecessary travel and not to risk travelling on flooded roads as long as the severe weather persists. The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Wednesday many areas of the state had received over 100 mm of rainfall in the preceding 24 hours.
The heaviest downpour was recorded at Mourilyan Mill on the Cassowary Coast, a region in far north Queensland, which experienced 244 mm of rain. The weather has caused heavy traffic congestion across western and northern Queensland, as around 200 roads were flooded, according to data from insurance and motoring services provider, the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland. Heavy rain has also hit the state's capital, Brisbane, and the nearby Sunshine Coast overnight. The latest forecast from BoM suggested Brisbane could receive 50 to 80 mm of rainfall on Wednesday and decrease below 50 mm by Thursday. In response to intense rainfall and flash flooding, the State Emergency Service (SES) received more than 90 requests for assistance in the north and far north Queensland. Local volunteers have been out in force across the state this week in preparation for more widespread heavy rainfall.
Research pact between IIT-BHU and Australian University Varanasi, May 11 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, will collaborate with Australian National University (ANU) for research. According to the IIT (BHU) spokesperson, a high-level delegation led by Prof. Jagadish Chennupati, who is currently a professor of physics at Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Physics and Engineering, visited IIT-BHU. He was accompanied by Prof. Alexander Mikheyev and Jay Poria. In a meeting chaired by IIT-BHU director Prof. Pramod Kumar Jain, various avenues of joint collaborations, student and faculty exchange between IIT(BHU) and ANU were discussed. A long-term goal in terms of joint Ph.D degree was also discussed between both the institutes. Prof. Jagadish spoke about the 'Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Endowment Fund', a scheme through which researchers from IIT-BHU can visit and access the research facilities through internships and project fellowships. A range of topics like the frontier areas of research in physics, including nanotechnology, photonics, healthcare and sustainable energy were discussed in great detail. Prof. Alexander Mikheyev talked
about the co-evolution of parasites/ diseases with their hosts using honeybees as model organisms. He stressed that such an investigation would be helpful in predicting the severity of any future pandemic and India has a great role to play in this regard as a plethora of genetically diverse honeybee species are found in India as compared to Australia where only few such species are found. Prof. Jain said that the longterm relationship and research
collaboration between IIT-BHU and ANU can be achieved through this programme. He also added that it would give students and researchers the opportunity to study at ANU and pursue collaborative research for up to 12 weeks at first stage. Prof. Jain also stressed that this is high time to engage in a bilateral academic relationship between India and Australia. He also showed interest in inviting researchers and students to visit IIT-BHU for their academic activities and research.
Record number of Australians cast ballots in early voting
Canberra, May 10 (IANS) A record number of Australians have cast their ballots on the first day of pre-polling for the general elections, the country's poll body announced on Tuesday. According to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), more than 300,000 people cast their votes on the first day of early voting on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
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It represents an almost three-fold increase from 120,000 on the first day in the 2019 election. More than 500 pre-poll voting booths opened on Monday in the lead-up to the election day on May 21. Voting in elections is mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and over who are enrolled with the AEC. About 17 million people in the
country, where the population is around 26 million, were enrolled to vote in the 2022 general elections. While the AEC encourages Australians to vote on the election day, those who cannot can either attend pre-polling locations or cast a postal ballot. People who are in isolation with Covid-19 can vote over the phone. Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said he was not surprised by the large turnout on day one of pre-polling. "We were expecting an increase in pre-poll and that's exactly what we're seeing at the moment," he told local media on Tuesday. "But the more in envelopes through pre-poll and postal, the harder it will be to determine a result on the night." Approximately 40 per cent of Australians voted either early or by post at the 2019 election. Rogers told the media on Monday that the AEC expects the figure to be even higher for the upcoming election. Almost 2 million Australians have already applied to vote by post compared to 1.5 million in 2019.
Canberra, May 11 Mass coral bleaching in Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef has been linked to a "marine heatwave", according to a report. In the report, government scientists found that coral bleaching affected 91 per cent of 719 reefs assessed along the Great Barrier Reef over the summer of 2021-22,
reports Xinhua news agency. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when coral become stressed due to changing conditions and expel the algae that live inside their tissue, causing the coral to become white. Bleached coral face a higher risk of starvation and disease. The summer of 2021-22 marked the
sixth mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef since 1998, four of which have occurred since 2016. The report from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority revealed the reef's mean sea surface temperature was 0.4 degrees Celsius above average in some parts. "Above-average water temperatures led to a mass coral bleaching event late in the summer," it said. "Compared to previous summers, cumulative impacts were limited this summer, with one major pressure, a marine heatwave, dominating." The bleaching occurred despite Australia experiencing a milder summer than usual due to a La Nina event. The report noted that climate change "remains the greatest threat to the reef". "The events that cause disturbances on the reef are becoming more frequent, leaving less time for coral recovery," it warned.
High Covid-19 caseload in Australia concern for healthcare system Sydney, May 12 (IANS) The state of Western Australia (WA) continues to see a spike in Covid-19 infections, which arouses concern for its healthcare system. WA Health recorded 16,670 new Covid-19 cases till 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, a slight drop from Wednesday's17,033 cases, a record peak for the state since the pandemic began in Australia in early 2020. There were 275 people hospitalised with eight in the intensive care unit recorded during the same period. The state also reported a further six deaths dating back to May 3, Xinhua news agency reported. WA Premier, Mark McGowan told the press on Wednesday that though the caseload is high, the cases being hospitalisation and intensive care are still below what was predicted. He also highlighted the rates at which unvaccinated residents were being hospitalised. "More than 50 per cent of the people in hospital haven't had their third vaccine dose, that's a large statistic, 27 per cent of people in hospital haven't had one vaccine dose, now what that says to me is if you're not vaccinated, you run the risk of adverse outcomes," McGowan said. However, the surge of Covid-19 infections still prompted calls for
a reintroduction of restrictions as there are concerns that the state's healthcare system may be impacted. Australian Medical Association WA President, Mark Duncan-Smith said the state's current infection rates were the equivalent of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, having more than 50,000 cases a day, according to local media SBS News. "There are already critical staff shortages, critical ramping and elective surgery being canceled because ICUs are full," he said.
Duncan-Smith also called for a return of some restrictions measures such as the mandatory indoor mask. "Just as it has taken a week for the numbers to go up significantly following the reduced restrictions and dropping the mask mandate, any new public health initiatives will take a week before they have any effect." "In that week there is a danger that our medical system may get smashed."
Opposition leader wins third, final Australian poll debate
Canberra, May 12 (IANS) Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has been declared the winner of the third leaders' debate ahead of the Australian election. Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday evening went head-to-head on key issues
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for the final time before the election on May 21, Xinhua news agency reported. The debate, which was hosted by Network Seven, was significantly calmer than Sunday evening's second contest and addressed the rising cost of living, climate change,
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anti-corruption commissions, child care and wage growth. Of 160 undecided voters asked to judge the leaders, 50 per cent said Albanese was the winner and 34 per cent Morrison. Sixteen per cent said they were still undecided. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday published the results of a survey of 135,053 voters. It found that voters' overall rating of Morrison has fallen from four out of 10 in the lead-up to the 2019 election to 3.3. By comparison, respondents rated Albanese 5.1 out of 10 on average. In order to form a government for the first time since 2013, Labor must have a net gain of at least seven seats in the lower house of Parliament -- the House of Representatives -- on May 21. According to a poll of 19,000 voters across the country published by News Corp Australia on Wednesday, the Opposition is set to win 12 seats. The poll found the Coalition is set to lose four seats in Victoria, two in Morrison and Albanese' home state of New South Wales, two in Western Australia and one each in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, with another six seats considered too close to call.
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Nepali female climber summits Mt. Myanmar to resume issuing tourist e-visas starting on May 15 Qomolangma for record 10th time
Yangon, May 12 (IANS) Myanmar will resume accepting tourist e-visa applications starting on Sunday,
more than two years after the country suspended all new e-visa applications due to the Covid-19
pandemic. "Our online e-visa service will resume with effect from May 15, 2022 for tourist visa applications," the Immigration and Population Ministry said on Thursday. The move came after the country's resumption of international commercial flight operations on April 17 and the reopening of its borders to international travellers, reported. The official data released by the Health Ministry also showed the country's Covid-19 daily positivity rate has been below one per cent for more than a month since April 4. The Southeast Asian country resumed accepting applications for business e-visas on April 1. Myanmar launched the online visa application platform in September 2014 and is accepting e-visa applications from this website.
New govt in Pakistan rules out resumption of trade with India
Islamabad, May 12 (IANS) With a change in the Pakistan federal government, the Pak Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has ruled out the possibility of a resumption of stalled bilateral trade with India, Dawn reported. The response came from the commerce ministry over the widespread speculation on social media that the new government led by Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is considering a proposal to resume trade with its arch rival India. "There is no change in Pakistan's policy on trade with India," an official announcement from the commerce ministry said.
An official source in the Pakistan Prime Minister's Secretariat told Dawn that the appointment of a trade officer in New Delhi is one of the routine postings, adding that the post of trade officer in the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi has been vacant for years. The prime minister has approved a senior officer of the Commerce and Trade Group, Qamar Zaman, for posting in New Delhi. He is one of the 15 officers appointed for posting in various countries. "The selection process for the appointment of all these trade officers was started by the previous government," the official in the Prime Minister's
Secretariat said. "We have not changed anything in the summary of the previous government," the source said, adding the selection process was found on merit, Dawn reported. According to a source in the commerce ministry, the appointment of a new trade officer in New Delhi, like the previous two before him, will not get a visa and his time will end. Therefore, it is unlikely that India will grant a visa to the new officer appointed by Islamabad for posting in New Delhi if India follows its previous policy. The source added that earlier, the government appointed two trade officers for posting in New Delhi but they were denied visas. According to the announcement, the MoC manages 57 trade missions in 46 countries, which includes the post of Minister (Trade and Investment) in New Delhi, India. The post of Minister (Trade and Investment) in New Delhi has existed for more than two decades and has no connection with the operationalisation of trade with India or otherwise in the current context, Dawn reported. The appointment of the Minister (Trade and Investment) in New Delhi, therefore, may not be seen in the context of any relaxation of trade restrictions with India, added the statement, Dawn reported. On August 19, 2019, Pakistan formally downgraded its trade relations with India to the level of Israel, with which Islamabad has no trade ties at all.
New Zealand reports 9,392 new community cases of Covid-19
Kathmandu, May 12 (IANS) A Nepali female climber scaled the world's tallest Mt. Qomolangma for the 10th time on Thursday, a record for a female mountaineer. Lhakpa Sherpa, 48, reached the top of the 8848.86-metre-high Mt. Qomolangma from the Nepali side at 6:30 a.m, Khim Lal Gautam, a Nepali government liaison officer, told
Xinhua news agency. It is her second summit of the peak that straddles Nepal and China from the Nepali side. She completed the other feats from the Chinese side, according to Mingma Gelu Sherpa, Chief of the Seven Summit Club, which organised the expedition, Xinhua news agency reported.
"It's a pleasure to see a Nepali woman making history," he told Xinhua. "It has conveyed the message of women's empowerment." Taking advantage of the good weather, nearly 150 climbers scaled Mt. Qomolangma on Thursday morning, according to Gautam.
10 killed in US supermarket shooting
New York, May 15 (IANS) At least ten people were killed by a gunman in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York state, local media reported. The gunman opened fire after entering the supermarket located at a neighborhood dominated by black people, Xinhua news agency reported. The shooter has been taken in custody, tweeted Buffalo Police Department. US President Joe Biden has been briefed on “the horrific shooting” in Buffalo, according to the White House.
Biden “will continue to receive updates throughout the evening and tomorrow as further information develops,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The gunman is a white man in late teens or early 20s wearing a black helmet, according to a report by the New York Post citing two witnesses of the carnage. An investigation is under way to check if the gunman posted a manifesto online and the shooting was believed to be live-streamed, said the report, citing a local enforcement official.
Investigators are also working to know if the shooting was racially motivated, the report added. Named Tops Friendly Market, the supermarket is located around 2 miles northeast of downtown Buffalo. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who was born in Buffalo, said she is on the way to Buffalo to assist with the response to the shooting. More than 28,000 people have died or been injured due to gun-related incidents in the US this year, according to a database run by the nonprofit research group Gun Violence Archive.
Ukraine has won the battle of Kharkiv, say analysts Lviv, May 14 (IANS) Ukrainian forces “appear to have won the battle of Kharkiv”, according to a US defence thinktank, in what appears to be their fastest advance since Russian troops pulled away from Kiev and the north-east over a month ago, The Guardian reported. In another apparent setback to Vladimir Putin’s war aims, analysts said on Saturday that Russian units had not attempted to hold their lines against counterattacking Ukrainian troops around the city. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city and only 31 miles (50 km) from the Russian border, has been under enemy bombardment since the war began in February. But the US-based Institute for the Study of War said in its latest
assessment of the conflict that the Russians appeared to be dropping back and aimed to replace their own troops with proxy forces or mercenaries, The Guardian reported. “Ukraine thus appears to have won the battle of Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces prevented Russian troops from encircling, let alone seizing Kharkiv, and then expelled them from around the city, as they did to Russian forces attempting to seize Kiev,” the institute said. Russian units had “generally not attempted to hold ground against counterattacking Ukrainian forces over the past several days, with a few exceptions”. “Reports from western officials and a video from an officer of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) indicate that Moscow is focused on
conducting an orderly withdrawal and prioritizing getting Russians back home before allowing proxy forces to enter Russia rather than trying to hold its positions near the city.”
Canada strengthens access to abortion services
Wellington, May 12 (IANS) New Zealand recorded 9,392 new community cases of Covid-19, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. Among the new community infections, 3,388 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the Ministry added in a statement. In addition, 84 new cases of Covid-19 were detected at the New Zealand border, Xinhua news
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agency reported. At present, 398 Covid-19 patients are being treated in New Zealand hospitals, including seven people in intensive care units or high dependency units. The Ministry also reported nine more deaths from Covid-19. New Zealand has reported 1,019,292 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
New Zealand's border will reopen to all tourists and visa holders on July 31, two months earlier than planned, in a move to address the immediate skill shortages and speed up the economic recovery from Covid-19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday. New Zealand is currently under the orange settings of its Covid-19 Protection Framework, where there is no limit for gatherings.
Ottawa, May 12 (IANS) Canadian federal government officials have said that new fund is provided for projects to improve access by removing barriers to vital abortion services and offer accurate reproductive health information. According to a news release, Canadian Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien announced more than 3.5 million Canadian dollars (2.8 million U.S. dollars) in funding for projects by Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Action Canada) and by the National Abortion Federation Canada (NAF Canada). Action Canada will expand its
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Access Line and Sexual Health Information Hub programs, which offer accurate and affirming sexual and reproductive health information and referrals, Xinhua news agency reported. This project will improve access to financial assistance to cover travel and accommodation costs, as well as offers logistical support to individuals accessing abortion care. NAF Canada will provide financial and logistical support to women seeking abortion services, train health care providers in providing abortion services, and ensure abortion facilities have the capacity to continue to provide services and related care. Although abortion has been legal
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in Canada for three decades, many continue to experience barriers to access. While barriers vary nationwide, they include a lack of availability, a lack of financial and logistical resources required to travel to access abortion care, and lack of culturally-safe, stigma-free sexual and reproductive health services. Previous experiences of discrimination within the health care system also create access barriers for minority and marginalized groups, such as Indigenous and racialized people, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and youth, the news release said.
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Greater Springfield festival celebrated The Queensland Government in collaboration with the Ipswich City Council and Varnam Cultural Society organised the Greater Springfield festival 2022 on 30th April.
The dazzling performances and the devoted work and contributions of all participants as well as all the volunteers played a key role in making the much-awaited event a grand success.
GOPIO Women’s Council organizes High Tea Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Queensland Chapter’s Women’s Council held a High Tea event on April 30
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TAG celebrates Ugadi and Rama Navami 2022 Telugu Association of Gold Coast (TAG) celebrated Ugadi and Ram Navami 2022 on May 1 at Robina Community Centre. Delicious food and entertaining performances especially the Kolatam dance by the talented Gold Coast ladies choreographed by Vahini Kamineni drew the community members to
the event. Ugadi is the New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar and it is observed in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka while Rama Navami commemorates the birth of Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
IABCA holds discussion on technology and innovation The India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA) Global Leaders Forum organised a panel discussion on ‘Technology and Innovation’ recently. The discussion highlighted how technology-driven innovation can lead to deeper collaboration between India and Australia. It was an interactive and insightful session in which distinguished panelists participated.
IABCA 2022 declares winners The 2022 India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA) Showcase kicked off on 29 April 2022 at The Star Events Centre, Sydney. Continuing the tradition of past years, the event once again comprised IABCA Global Leaders Forum and the IABCA Awards Ceremony, where winners for different categories were honoured internationally. The winners comprise Anil Wadhwa, former member of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and author of Australia Economic Strategy Report 2020 who received the Lifetime Achievement award, while Shailendra Kumar, Global AI Thought Leader & Practitioner was declared the Business Leader of the Year 2022. The Australia India Impact award was bagged by the Sannam S4 Group whereas Dr Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan of NITI Aayog got the Excellence in Trade and Investment award.
Shailendra Kumar
Anil Wadhwa
Volleyball tournament held The Gujarati Samaj of Western Australia (GSWA) organised a twoday long volleyball tournament from 22nd April to 23rd April. Brabham Bulls emerged as the winner while Dabangg Hariyana ended up as the runners up.
Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti celebrated The 161st Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti was celebrated recently at the Indian Consulate Perth in association with the Bengali Association of Western Australia.
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Australia India House to get $3.5 million if Liberals return to power close to fruition. The Project has also been supported by Indian organizations like the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ), Australia India Business Council Ltd (AIBC), Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin GOPIO Gold Coast Inc. and their past and current leaders. The AIHCF is seeking a tax-deductible donation of $10,000 or more from those seeking to become life members.
The Indian diaspora has now a good reason to cheer about as the “Australia India House Project”, which has been a dream project for the Indian diaspora for over a decade, got a shot in the arm recently as Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs and MP Jason Wood announced $3.5 million funding for ‘Australia India House’ in Brisbane, if the Liberal-led Morrison government is re-elected. In this regard Senator Paul Scarr has made a significant contribution to the project by taking the project to the federal level. Owing to the hard work of Australia India House Charitable Foundation Limited (AIHCF) President Prasad Kdv Yarlagadda, Secretary Robin Jaggessar, Treasurer Dr Ramana Panda, and the team, the project is
ICGC organises Mother’s Day celebration Bhagavad Ramanuja Tirunakshatra held The Indian Community of Gold Coast (ICGC) organised a special event at the Hellenic Function Centre, 31A Crombie Avenue to celebrate Mother’s Day on May 2. The event featured a fashion show, live music, dance performances and a three-course dinner. Leadership and Business Strategist Pushpa Vaghela was the guest speaker at the event and MP Sam O’Connor was also one of the special guests at the event.
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JET Australia Foundation Perth Chapter celebrated Bhagavad Ramanuja Tirunakshatram by chanting Sri Ramanuja Astothhara sata namavali and performing Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam parayanam on May 8 at Mandala hall, 1 Mandala Crescent, Bateman, Perth, Australia. JET Australia Foundation Perth Chapter was established by HH Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji during his visit to Perth in 2009.
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Seva Dharma Mission distributes free food
Fiji Senior Citizens celebrate Mother’s Day
Seva Dharma Mission distributed free food on 30th April at Adra Community Centre in Woodridge, Logan Brisbane. Fresh fruits, vegetables, varieties of bread and normal essentials were distributed. The supplies included apples, sweet potatoes, Zukini and bread spread. A greater number of needy people were served this time as compared to the community group’s previous initiatives.
A Mother’s Day function was organised by Fiji Senior Citizens of Brisbane. The highlights of the celebrations were performing of Indian classical dance, cake cutting by mothers, and gift distribution followed by refreshments.
Gujarat and Maharashtra Foundation Day celebrated
Yoga session organised
Gujarat and Maharashtra Foundation Day celebrations were organized at St. Lucia Queensland on May 1. It was a wonderful, fun-filled outdoor event, attended by the Gujarati and Maharashtrian community in Brisbane.
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Yoga for everyone – The first curtain raiser for the International Day of Yoga 2022 received a warm response from the Consular Corps, and community. The yoga session was conducted by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur, Australia.
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Indian Trade Fair on May 22, to showcase women’s talent, creativity Indian Trade Fair where women in small businesses from home come together under one roof, help each other and the community by bringing the best from their individual brands which will inspire a lot of women of any age to join the endeavour in future for business workshops, exhibitions and networking seminars. The Trade Fair offers a platform where women from every age and stage, who are keen to come out of their shell, can showcase their talent, creativity, and can exhibit, sell, and be an entrepreneur.
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Supporting women in small businesses from home and to give back to the community by empowering more women to grow and succeed, the organisers are aiming to have future events of networking and connecting with decision makers and CEO's. In the words of Tennis champion Serena Williams, “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.”
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Indian-Americans plan to distance themselves from Indian govt on Ukraine
Washington, May 10 (IANS) IndianAmericans plan to issue a forceful denouncement of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to shield themselves from the fallout of the Indian government's continued refusal to condemn the war, which has drawn widespread scrutiny and criticism from within and out of US policy circles. A bipartisan group of well-connected Indian-American political operatives are expecting to hold a seminar on Capital Hill on theme of "Indian Americans Against Genocide in Ukraine", one of the organisers said. June 22 is the tentative date being considered and the event is likely to be headlined by a leading yoga guru and attended by many US lawmakers. Indian-American speakers could include the four serving members of the US House of Representatives Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, all of whom have been extremely critical of the Russian invasion and both publicly and privately critical of
India's refusal to condemn it. Politically-active Indian-Americans have been a key driver of the IndiaUS relationship. They helped soften American backlash against India after the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests and, most significantly, rallied US lawmakers to pass a legislation that ended India's nuclear isolation in 2008. They have stood with the Indian government of the day in a notable display of bipartisan solidarity with their country of origin. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been popular with both Republican and Democratic Indian Americans. For the community to break so publicly with his government's position on Ukraine should cause concern at 7 Race Course Road. Like most Americans, IndianAmericans have been horrified by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February and have been appalled by images of death and destruction coming out of the battle-ravaged country.
India-born scientist elected to US National Academy of Sciences
They have also watched with growing disquiet the Modi government's refusal to condemn the invasion and bristle at having to "either defend it or face scorn for it". One Indian-American said he was asked by a Pennsylvania party official recently, "Why is India supporting the Russians?" India is not supporting the Russian invasion. While it has refused to condemn it outrightly, it has made clear its opposition to it. New Delhi has called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations must be respected. But all of that has been obscured by India abstaining in critical UN votes on the war. "What the Russian Army has been doing in Ukraine is downright genocide," said Shekhar Tiwari, a Republican operative who is also chairman of the American Hindu Coalition. He has been a close associate of several top BJP leaders. "Being a Hindu and a son of a Gandhian, it is hard for me to
stomach," he added. These Indian-Americans are careful not to criticize the Indian government and insist they only want to express their horror over situation in Ukraine, which they described as a "genocide", as has US President Joe Biden. They have been concerned about the blowback they are getting for India's position on the war and believe a public denouncement of Russia will, one, make clear the community feels as revolted as the rest of the country. And, two, that the community is "not in the pocket of the embassy", as one these Indian-Americans put it. Breaking with the Indian government over the Ukraine war will serve the twin purposes of signalling their own independence from the government of India and, two, convey their own feelings on the issue. Some Indian-Americans have also argued, since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, India needs to denounce Moscow and finally pick a side that will be strategically more meaningful. Ramesh Kapur, a Democratic strategist who worked closely with the presidential campaign of Biden, says India's refusal to condemn the Russian invasion could be problematic should it need US assistance in a conflict with China. "If India gets into a situation with China, it can expect support from the US, but if the US thinks it cannot count on India they will have a problem," he said, taking a tactical view of India's position, as has been put forth by many US lawmakers. Congressman Khanna told Fox News in March that he thinks India "ought to be condemning Putin" and "they need to realize, they have to pick sides". He had added: "We, the United States, were with them when China invaded India. Putin wasn't there. And it's time for them to buy weapons from the United States, not Russia. We've got to look at how we can facilitate that and make that easier. We need India as an ally ultimately to contain China."
Indian Consulate condemns Connecticut statement on ‘Sikh Independence’ as promoting hatred
Gujarat Hindus, Bangla Muslims voted on religious lines in UK local elections
London, May 9 (IANS) Religious consolidation, prevalent in the subcontinent, was clearly evident in British politics as testified by local election results in London. British Gujarati Hindus, who subscribe to the RSS, reportedly closed ranks in Harrow in the north-west segment of greater London to vote for the Conservative party, thereby replacing the Labour party's majority in the Council. The Conservatives are in power at the centre; but this was their only gain throughout Britain in the local elections. It may be recalled, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Gujarat a fortnight before the elections with UK media carrying colourful pictures of his movements there - in a bid to entice British Gujaratis. The ploy seems to have paid off. Meanwhile, in Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, a relatively new political party. Aspire - said to be guided by the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh, quite seismically edged out Labour. Gareth Thomas, Labour MP representing the constituency of Harrow West, which falls within the Council boundary, said to IANS: "It's going to take some time to properly analyse why we, disappointingly, lost the support of some in Harrow's Indian diaspora at last week's council elections. I will be listening to all communities across Harrow to win back every lost vote and more." Bob Blackman, Conservative MP from Harrow East, told a local paper: "Brilliant result for us gaining seven seats and control. A victory for the residents of Harrow." He is known to enthusiastically swim in the Hindu tide to keep his constituents happy. Neither made any reference to the view expressed by a BBC reporter
when the outcome was declared. He said the "Hindu vote" had been instrumental in securing victory for the Conservatives. As many as 11 of the 31 Conservatives councillors elected are of Gujarati Hindu descent. One of the RSS fronts in Britain known as the Overseas Friends of BJP campaigned hard in the last British general election in December 2019 to try and defeat Labour candidates in constituencies with large Hindu-origin voters. The claim was Labour is pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu and that its stand on the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir is pro-Pakistan. That failed, though, because all three seats in Leicester city in the midlands of England, which has the highest concentration of people of Gujarati Hindu extraction, retained Labour MPs. In Harrow, which too has a substantial population belonging to the same community, the situation remained unchanged, as both Thomas and Blackman were incumbent MPs. In Tower Hamlets, first Lutfur Rahman, who was banned from fighting polls in 2015 for electoral corruption, including religious intimidation, beat the sitting Labour mayor to clinch this position. Then his Aspire party gained control of the Council. Rahman remarked: "I was in the court of the people. And they said, in a loud voice, they wanted Lutfur Rahman and his team to serve them for the next four years." Rahman was congratulated by the Bangladeshi high commission in London. But a senior Bangladesh government source commented: "He is Jamaat." This right-wing organisation is an opponent of the Awami League government in Dhaka.
CIA names Nand Mulchandani as first Chief Technology Officer
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Kamal Bawa, a noted, Indian born, conservation biologist and president of the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research and Ecology and Environment (ATREE), was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences, ATREE said on Wednesday. The election to the 170-year-old Academy is recognition of his significant contributions to science by its members. Bawa, who is also an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society, was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences late last night India time. "The election is the reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology, conservation, and management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity's well-being," said Bawa. Biodiversity in tropical forests and other natural habitats is an important source of many ecosystem services and for the mitigation of climate change. ATREE is well recognised for its work on assessing
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and managing biodiversity, climate change, and water. A few years ago, Bawa brought together scientists from India's leading institutions to develop the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing under the banner of the Biodiversity Collaborative. The effort was supported by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Indian government and is currently funded by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, ATREE said in a statement. "Biodiversity is an integral part of our lives and the ways we can enhance and use it to secure food, nutrition, fight climate change, and restore our degraded landscapes, are some of the important goals of the mission in the making," said Rohini Nilekani, philanthropist. "Kamal Bawa's election underscores the importance of our biodiversity and ATREE's important work in this crucial area that is so important for our future," remarked P Balaram, former Director of the Indian Institute of Science, and co-chair of ATREE's Board of Trustees.
New York, May 2 (IANS) The Indian Consulate General in New York has condemned a statement by the Connecticut State General Assembly purporting to show support for what it called the "Declaration of Sikh Independence". Calling it an attempt to use the name of the Assembly to "promote bigotry and hatred", the consulate said in a statement on Sunday: "We condemn the so-called citation of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut in the USA regarding an illegal act". The Consulate said that the adoption of the General Assembly's statement "is an attempt by some mischievous elements to use the name of the Assembly for their nefarious purposes. These vested interests seek to divide communities and promote bigotry and hatred". Thomas Abraham, the Chairman of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). He deplored the statement calling it "terrible". Abraham, who is based in Connecticut, said that a "fringe group got it adopted at the tail-end of the Assembly session without the knowledge of most elected officials". "Connecticut General Assembly offers its sincerest congratulations to the World Sikh Parliament in recognition of the 36th anniversary of the declaration of Sikh Independence",
said the statement purportedly signed by Senate President Pro-tem Mark Looney, Speaker Matthew Ridder and Secretary of State Denise Merril, according the video. "We join with you and your friends and family in commemorating the historic resolution passed on April 29th 1986 by the collective Sikh nation," it added. The Day newspaper in New London said that Democrat Swaranjit Singh, who is a Norwich Alderman (the equivalent of council member), participated in the observances in Norwich. The newspaper said that World Sikh Parliament leaders hoisted what it called a "Punjab flag" in front of the City Hall. On April 18, Massachusetts Democrat member of the House Richard Neal made a statement wishing the World Sikh Parliament for Baisakhi and declared: "Despite their beliefs of good-will, Sikhs have been subjected to violence and have fought relentlessly to defend their faith, most notably in 1984 with Sikh genocide during the anti-Sikh riots in India". The statement is not clear if he actually made it on the House floor or if it was added to the record as many such statements are because of the tight schedule of Congress.
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Washington, May 1 (IANS) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J. Burns announced the appointment of Nand Mulchandani to serve as the US spy agency's first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With more than 25 years' experience working in Silicon Valley as well as the Department of Defense (DoD), Mulchandani brings substantial private sector, startup, and government expertise to CIA, CIA said in a statement.
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As the CTO, Mulchandani will ensure the Agency is leveraging cutting-edge innovations and scanning the horizon for tomorrow's innovations to further CIA's mission. "Since my confirmation, I have prioritised focusing on technology and the new CTO position is a very important part of that effort. I am delighted Nand has joined our team and will bring his extensive experience to this crucial new role," said Burns. Prior to joining CIA, Mulchandani most recently served as the CTO and Acting Director of DoD's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. He also co-founded and was CEO of several successful startups� Oblix (acquired by Oracle), Determina (acquired by VMWare), OpenDNS (acquired by Cisco), and ScaleXtreme (acquired by Citrix). He has a degree in Computer Science and Math from Cornell, a Master of Science degree in Management from Stanford, and a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard. "I am honoured to join CIA in this role and look forward to working with the Agency's incredible team of technologists and domain experts who already deliver world-class intelligence and capabilities to help build a comprehensive technology strategy that delivers exciting capabilities working closely with industry and partners," said Mulchandani.
14
BITCOIN UPDATE
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Mayhem in crypto market as Warren Buffett won’t pay even Bitcoin drops below $30,000-mark $25 for all Bitcoin in the world
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The global cryptocurrency market entered its worst phase ever on Tuesday, with Bitcoin dropping below $30,000 per coin and leaving millions of investors in a panic mode. The overall global cryptocurrency market dropped 13 per cent, and was hovering around $1.37 trillion market cap, which is its lowest this year. Bitcoin was more than 55 per cent down since its all-time high of $69,000 in November last year. Other digital coins also suffered
double-digit-percentage drops, led by Cardano (20 per cent), Solana (16 per cent), XRP (13 per cent), BNB (16 per cent), and Ethereum (10 per cent), Decrypt reported. Experts said that rising interest rates, along with weakening economic activity, has created a risk-off environment. Terraform Labs (TFL), the organisation behind UST, cryptocurrency LUNA, and Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) emptied its treasury wallet of all of its bitcoin (about 42,530
bitcoin) or $1.3 billion. The UST stablecoin lost its 1:1 dollar peg ratio for the second time in the past three days and dropped as much as 5.3 per cent to 95 cents on Monday, reports TechCrunch. The decline can be attributed to nervousness over the US Federal Reserve's determination to tackle inflation. The Fed last week announced an interest rate increase of 50 basis points. In what could further dampen the mood of crypto investors in the country, the goods and services tax (GST) council in India is also mulling a 28 per cent tax on cryptocurrencies, at par with the current GST on casinos, betting and lottery. Bitcoin accounts for about a third of the cryptocurrency market with nearly $650 billion in value. Bitcoin investors are likely to lose up to $545 million this year, owing to various reasons like forgetting passwords to their wallets or making a mistake in recording their "seed phrases", according to a new report. A seed phrase is a series of words generated by your cryptocurrency wallet that give you access to the crypto associated with that wallet.
Bitcoin value drops by 50% since November peak London, May 9 (IANS) The value of Bitcoin continued to fall over the weekend as it dropped below $34,000, according to the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange, BBC reported. The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value has now fallen by 50 per cent since its peak in November last year. The slide in the value of digital assets comes as stock markets around the world also dropped in recent days. On Monday, some Asian markets headed lower again with Japan's benchmark Nikkei index down by around 2 per cent. Bitcoin accounts for about a third of the cryptocurrency market with a total value of $650bn, BBC reported. Ethereum, the second biggest cryptocurrency in the world, has also fallen in value, down by more than 10 per cent in the last week. Although much of 2022 had been relatively quiet for the cryptocurrency market, volatile trading in digital assets has not been that unusual in previous years. Trading was dominated for years
by individual investors, but more recently the market has seen an influx of professional investors, such as hedge funds and money managers. With more traditional investors trading digital assets, cryptocurrencies have increasingly followed the movements of global stock markets. Many of the institutional investors that buy cryptocurrencies treat them as risk assets, similar to technology stocks.
In times of market uncertainty traditional investors will often sell what they see as riskier assets and move their money into safer investments. Last week, central banks around the world, including the US, the UK and Australia, raised interest rates as they attempted to tackle rising prices. The US Federal Reserve raised its key lending rate by half a percentage point, marking its biggest rate hike in more than 20 years.
2nd largest digital currency loses 20% of its value in 24 hours London, May 12 (IANS) The world’s second largest cryptocurrency Ethereum has joined the cryptocurrency crash - plummeting in value by 20 per cent over the last 24 hours - as the digital currency downturn hammers investors who bought during the Covid years, Daily Mail reported. Cryptocurrencies have sharply declined in value during the past few days as fears for the global economy spread and investors started to sell off risky assets. However, investors in more traditional stocks are also hurting, with the US tech stocks also plunging in recent weeks, including Amazon which has fallen 30 per cent in a month. Many amateur investors took to buying stocks and digital currencies during the Covid pandemic and made money because values were generally rising in a so-called bear market. Ethereum has now lost more than half of its value this year, Bitcoin has shed a third of its value since January and Luna with 98 per cent of its value wiped out overnight with suicide hotlines pinned to the currency’s Reddit page as a result, Daily Mail reported. Popular digital currency exchange Coinbase warned users could lose all of their money if the company www.indianabroad.news
goes bankrupt - after the downturn led to a 27 per cent fall in its share price, the report said. Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to the value of traditional assets, such as the US dollar which are supposed to be less volatile than other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Stablecoins like Luna are popular in times of turmoil in crypto markets and are often used by traders to move funds around and speculate on other cryptocurrencies.
Luna lost its pegging to the dollar this week, falling below $1 per coin, causing prices to drop dramatically as the industry panicked (similar to a run on a bank). “The Terra incident is causing an industry-based panic, as Terra is the world’s third-biggest stable coin,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, Daily Mail reported.
San Francisco, May 2 (IANS) As Bitcoin hovers in the range of $38,000-$40,000 per digital coin, billionaire Warren Buffett has said that he will not even pay $25 for all the Bitcoin in the world. Addressing Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting, the ace investor said Bitcoin is not a productive asset and doesn't produce anything tangible, reports CNBC. "If you told me you own all of the Bitcoin in the world and you offered
it to me for $25, I wouldn't take it because what would I do with it? I'd have to sell it back to you one way or another. It isn't going to do anything," he was quoted as saying in the report. "Whether it goes up or down in the next year, or five or 10 years, I don't know. But the one thing I'm pretty sure of is that it doesn't produce anything," Buffett added. "It's got a magic to it and people have attached magic to lots of things," said
Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway is back in the market as his conglomerate made roughly $41 billion of net purchases in the first quarter (Q1) this year. The purchases in the first quarter helped chip away at Berkshire's cash pile, which ended the quarter at $106 billion, the lowest since the third quarter of 2018. "If you said for a 1 per cent interest in all the farmland in the United States, pay our group $25 billion, I'll write you a cheque this afternoon," Buffett said. "If you offer me 1 per cent of all the apartment houses in the country and you want another $25 billion, I'll write you a cheque. The apartments are going to produce rent and the farms are going to produce food," said the billionaire, adding that Bitcoin will not produce anything. Bitcoin finished the month of April down by 17 per cent, making it the worst monthly performance this year. The global crypto market cap is $1.74 trillion and Bitcoin dominates it with a 42.15 per cent share, as per data from CoinMarketCap.
Wikimedia Foundation discontinues cryptocurrencies as donation
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) has announced to discontinue direct acceptance of cryptocurrency as donation. The WMF, the organisation behind Wikipedia, received around $130,000 in crypto donations last
year. "We are making this decision based on recent feedback from those same communities. Specifically, we will be closing our Bitpay account, which will remove our ability to directly accept cryptocurrency as a method of donating," the foundation said in an update.
The WMF began accepting Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum donations in 2014. The foundations aid that it will "continue to monitor this issue, and appreciate the feedback and consideration given to this evolving matter by people across the Wikimedia movement". "The Wikimedia Foundation has decided to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations. The decision was made based on a community request that the WMF no longer accept crypto donations, which came out of a three-month-long discussion that wrapped up earlier this month (April)," tweeted Molly White, a Wikipedia editor. White, also the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great', proposed the WMF stop taking cryptocurrency donations in January this year. Last month, Mozilla also decided that they will no longer accept proofof-work (PoW) cryptocurrencies but will continue to accept proof-ofstake (PoS) ones.
GST Council mulling 28% tax on Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies
New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) In what could further dampen the mood of crypto investors in the country, the goods and services tax (GST) council is mulling a 28 per cent tax on cryptocurrencies, at par with the current GST on casinos, betting and lottery, multiple media reports claimed on Monday. The services such as crypto mining along with sales and purchases are likely to attract the 28 per cent GST if the proposal goes through in the next GST meeting, according to reports. The date of the next GST meeting is yet to be finalised. The Ministry of Finance has already
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imposed a 30 per cent tax on profits made from the transfer of crypto assets and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). India distinguishes between cryptocurrencies and crypto assets, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget 2022-23 in February announced a 30 per cent tax on income from these transactions, which includes a 1 per cent deduction at source. Her proposal of levying a 30 per cent tax on crypto earnings came into effect on April 1. The 28 per cent GST will be in addition to the 30 per cent income
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tax on earnings from crypto asset transactions. There is also 1 per cent TDS (tax deducted at source) on transactions in such asset classes above a certain threshold. Gifts in crypto and digital assets are also taxed. A new section called '115BBH' has been added in the Income Tax Act, 1961, to tax digital assets. During a trip to the US last month, Sitharaman raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market worldwide and stressed the need for a regulatory mechanism acceptable to all countries to prevent its use to launder money and fund terrorism, which, she said, were big concerns for India. "I think the biggest risk for all countries across the board will be on the money laundering aspect and also on the aspect of currency being used for financing terror," Sitharaman said at a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The minister had earlier raised doubts about the size of the cryptocurrency market. "We are not sure about the veracity of the data, which says the volume is this much or that much. Those numbers are questionable." Meanwhile, Bitcoin dropped nearly 2.7 per cent on Monday and was trading at $33,531. The world's largest cryptocurrency by market value has now fallen by 50 per cent since its peak in November last year.
15
LEAD STORIES
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Australian household spending Bommai invites global business slumps amid inflation leaders to invest in K’taka
Canberra, May 10 (IANS) The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on Tuesday released data showing that residents are beginning to pull back on their spending amid rising inflation and interest rates. The CommBank Household Spending Intentions (HSI) Index, which measures consumer sentiment based on card spending data and publicly available loan application and search trends, showed a drop of 3.8 per cent in April after reaching a record high in March, reports Xinhua news agency. Australians were shown to be
spending less on homes, health and fitness, and transport spending, but were spending more on travel entertainment and retail. Commonwealth Bank of Australia senior economist, Belinda Allen, said despite the drop, the 2022 April index was still an improvement from April of 2021. "With an interest rate hiking cycle now underway the Australian economy is in a strong position." "We are seeing a post Covid normalisation of consumer spending patterns, with lower spending on categories that increased during
lockdowns," said Allen. In the last several weeks Australia's central bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), has been forced to lift interest rates for the first time in over a decade in response to headline inflation soaring past 5 per cent. The CBA immediately lifted their interest rates for customers following the RBA's 0.25 percentage points increase on the cash rate last week. Allen said the bank expects the cash rate to continue to be lifted through to February 2023, bringing the cash rate to 1.60 per cent.
New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) In a major international outreach to garner investments for the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday met with envoys of several countries and invited them to attend the three-day Global Investors Meet (GIM) in Bengaluru in November. The three-day Global Investor Meet - 'Invest Karnataka 2022' - a flagship investor event for the state of Karnataka would be held in Bengaluru from November 2-4. Addressing the audience, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi said, "India's ranking on the EODB index has jumped to 79th in 2020 from 142 in 2014, which is a testimony of the efforts of the Union Government to promote trade and investment in the country.
Karnataka has now become one of the most preferred business destinations due to its investor-friendly business policies, excellent infrastructure, and road connectivity, which will further boost investment and other commercial activities in the state. Talking about the business attractiveness of the state of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai said, "As the world is recovering from the pandemic, Karnataka has created the right kind of policies, atmosphere and infrastructure for the global companies to invest and prosper in the state. Karnataka has got a very rich heritage along with rare rich natural resources and 10 agro-climatic zones making it a land of opportunity and dreams." "I take this wonderful opportunity to invite all diplomats as well as
Patna, May 11 (IANS) With its demand being high during the summer season, incidences of power theft is frequent in Bihar these days. As per an official of South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL), power theft to the tune of more than Rs 9 crore in 17 districts across the state has taken place this summer season. "We have initiated random checking of 1,14,886 people having electricity meters and 2,076 of them were found guilty of electricity theft on Tuesday. Among 2,076 people, 1,300 have paid the fine and are availing the services without interruption while we have stopped the supply of 776 consumers, according to the data released on Tuesday," said the SBPDCL official. SBPDCL Managing Director Mahendra Kumar told IANS that they have set up a Special Task Force (STF) with the purpose of conducting random raids and penalising consumers, who are involved in power theft. "The STF is active in every circle, and Executive and Junior Engineers
are in-charges. In state headquarters, a Chief Engineer-rank officer is an incharge of STF," he said. "The primary objective of STF is to identify high-end consumers. We are especially focused on hotels, wedding gardens, banquet halls, malls, ice-cream factories and commercial establishments. They are, by and large, involved in power theft. The STF has a job at hand to conduct random raids and penalise them with fines," Kumar added.
the businessmen of all countries to come and do business in Karnataka," Bommai added. Murugesh R. Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, said "We are delighted to have so many diplomats and industry leaders at this platform today. Karnataka has taken many initiatives in the recent past to attract global investment to the state. I would like to urge everyone here to participate in the global investor meet with full force to make Karnataka a vibrant economic powerhouse of India." Karnataka has emerged as a top investment destination in the country for the last two years in a row. The state has attracted Rs 62,085 crore investments and is a top recipient with a 48 per cent share of total FDIs in India, he said. The State has emerged as a frontrunner in global manufacturing, and we are focusing on human resources, production of rich raw materials, manufacturing expertise, product design capabilities, and R and D to meet the demands of the global manufacturing segment, he explained. This edition of the GIM will be under the theme "Build for the World" reflecting on the role Karnataka aims to play in the global supply chain, he said. The event was attended by ambassadors, trade commissioners, and other officials from several countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Romania, Finland, South Korea, Sweden and the UK, among others.
Trade pacts with UAE, Australia will Power theft rampant in Bihar during fuel economic growth: FM summers, discom cracks down
Chennai, May 10 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday the country's trade pacts with the UAE and Australia will chart the way for economic growth. Speaking at the stakeholders' outreach programme on India-UAE CEPA and India-Australia ECTA here, Sitharaman said awareness events about these pacts are happening across the country. She also said the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has been asked to translate the details of the trade pacts in Tamil and share them with the media and stakeholders. Tamil Nadu has a long-time connection with the leather sector, and the industry has achieved modernisation, Sitharaman said, as she went on to add that Tamil Nadu has been a frontrunner in trade for a long time. She urged entrepreneurs to know the features of these agreements and make best use of them.
"If you want any support in connection with the agreements, feel free to convey it to us," she added. "The industry should equip itself to cater to the changing tastes and preferences of consumers post Covid. Access the available markets that are part of the agreements," she said. According to Sitharaman, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE some years back, the Royal family promised $75 billion worth investments in India. Sitharaman added that a formal agreement has also been signed, and entrepreneurs should scale up their businesses to get share from the investments. "We are now dependent on one country for APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). So enough investments need to be made after much thought. I request the state government to invite raw material makers to invest here. We should not depend on others for our raw materials. Backward and forward industries should be supported by the governments," she said. On the trade pact with Australia, Sitharaman said it is for the well-being of the Indo-Pacific economy. While there are many hurdles because of the Russia-Ukraine war, there are also opportunities since their exports are hit, she said. Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel, said all efforts are being made to reach out to the stakeholders all over the country to explain the details of the
trade agreements. "The India-UAE trade agreement was concluded in record time. India is the second largest trading partner of the UAE. Several benefits will flow out of the comprehensive agreement between the two countries. There is huge scope and there are so many employment opportunities to be created. Bilateral trade will double in the next five years," Patel said. "The India-Australia agreement is a clear signal to the other developed economies to partner with India," she added. Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, L.A Murugan, congratulated the Department of Commerce and Industry for organising the awareness event in Chennai. "We are making huge exports in the marine sector. For the first time in history, Rs 20,000 crore was announced for fisheries under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) by Nirmala Sitharaman," he said. Murugan also said that Rs 7,500 crore was allocated for fisheries infrastructure development by Sitharaman. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India's maritime sector registered growth, Murugan said, adding that seafood exports will touch Rs 1 lakh crore before 2025. Tamil Nadu Minister for MSME, T.M. Anbarasan, Consul General of Australia, Chennai, Sarah Kirlew, industry leaders from various sectors and other stakeholders took part in the event.
Americans avoid going to work but Chinese burn 3 a.m. oil: Musk
Maruti, Hyundai led domestic, export sales in April
Chennai, May 11 (IANS) Car makers Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd led the industry in terms of passenger vehicle exports last month, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association (SIAM) said on Wednesday. As per the export data released by SIAM, Maruti Suzuki had shipped out 18,216 units (17,131 units in www.indianabroad.news
April 2021) while Hyundai Motors exported 12,200 units last month (10,201 units). The other passenger vehicle exporters last month were: Honda Cars India Ltd 2,034 units, FCA India Automobiles 366 units, Kia Motors India 8,077 units, Mahindra & Mahindra 693 units, Nissan Motor India 1,229 units, Renault India 917 units, Toyota Kirloskar Motor 14 units and Volkswagen India 2,802 units. According to SIAM data, last month the manufacturers rolled out 307,506 units (305,952 units) and sold - domestic 251,581 units (261,633 units), and exports 46,548 units (42,017 units). "Sales of passenger vehicles is still below the April 2017 figures, while
"In a bid to prevent power theft, the state government has taken an initiative of smart pre-paid electricity meter concept in Bihar," he said. "As per the official data, SBPDCL has imposed a fine of Rs 4.28 crore in Patna circle, Rs 3.56 crore in Gaya, Rs 14.43 lakh in Jamui, Rs 58.24 lakh in Munger, Rs 13.92 lakh in Bhojpur, Rs 24.85 lakh in Aurangabad and Rs 5.82 lakh in Bhagalpur circle.
two-wheelers are even below the April 2012 figures. Three-wheelers are yet to reach normal levels, as sales are still less than 50 per cent of April 2016 figures. Manufacturers are working hard to manage the supplier ecosystem with agility and flexibility, as supply side challenges continues for the industry," SIAM Director General Rajesh Menon said. Further, manufacturers are also monitoring the likely impact on demand, due to the recent hike in repo-rates, as it would increase the lending rates to the customers, he added. According to SIAM, three-wheeler sales last month stood at 20,938 units and that of two-wheelers, it was 1,148,696 units.
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New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Slamming the US work culture, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that American people do not want to work while their Chinese counterparts are way better when it comes to finishing the job. The world's richest man, during the 'Financial Times Future of the Car' summit, said that China is a land of super-talented people. "I think there will be some very strong companies coming out of China, there are just a lot of super-talented hardworking people in China who strongly believe in manufacturing," he told the audience late on Tuesday. "They won't just be burning the midnight oil, they will be burning the 3 a.m. oil, they won't even leave the factory type of thing, whereas in America people are trying to avoid going to work at all," the Tesla CEO added. In 2018, Musk had tweeted: "There are easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world with 40 hours a week". Musk had said in an interview with
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Recode that he worked 120 hours per week while "everyone" at Tesla worked 100 hours per week. He also said that people need to work from around 80 to over 100 hours per week to "change the world". "Varies per person, but about 80 sustained, peaking above 100 at times. Pain level increases exponentially above 80," he had said. Tesla has one of its Gigafactory in Shanghai that is currently facing logistics issues due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Musk also said that the proposed $44 billion acquisition of Twitter would not impact its operation in China. Musk's comments came amid reports that workers at the Shanghai Tesla factory were sleeping on-site and working 12-hour shifts with just one day off per week.
16
BUSINESS
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
No business entity can escape data tech, AI adoption: Tata Chairman Chandrasekaran
New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) All businesses have to become AI and data solution-compliant and no one can escape this trend, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said on Wednesday. In his address at virtual event "Being Future Ready" organised by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he pointed out five mega trends that will give directions to future growth. First in his list was digital adoption -- in work to health to education to
shopping. "In the last two years, the internet has penetrated ever further into our daily lives. At the same time, advances in AI, cloud, and data technology have raised forward." Soon, all businesses have to become AI and data businesses and no one can escape this trend, he said. "This development is a huge opportunity for India because of its tech strengths. We are extremely well placed to reimagine the future to be a data and AI business," he said.
Second is the supply chain, which has to be redesigned for resiliency, but not only for efficiency. "From Indian perspective, it is a golden opportunity for us. India has an important role to fulfill the void that is getting created in the global supply chain by taking a leadership position and seeing it as a huge opportunity," he said. The next mega trend he sees is in sustainability. "On the one hand, the pressure on the climate is going to increase. Any plan that we have towards making this transition will come under pressure further the deadline gets advanced going forward." The global support for businesses that are based on new energy will receive huge acceptance from all stakeholders and investors, he added. The move towards electric vehicles, renewable energy, hydrogen, batteries, hydrogen, storage solutions, and circular economic solutions, so that the waste management can be effective, will need many technological breakthroughs,for which India must participate in it, he said, adding that the other two mega trends he sees are in overall health and wellness aspect and global talent pool.
‘Foul Cartel’ of airlines loots flyers, claims complaint to PM
Startup CEO salary hits $150K on average this year San Francisco/New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The average startup CEO salary increased by 2.7 per cent in 2022 to reach $150,000 per annum globally from last year, while the median increased to $140,000, according to a new report. According to startup accounting firm Kruze Consulting, in 2022, chief executives at early-stage companies that have raised over $10 million in financing were paid just $199,000. "Founder CEOs at companies that have raised under $2 millions were paid $106,000 on average -- a difference of over $90,000," the report mentioned. Startup CEO salaries vary by the amount of venture/seed funding that the companies have raised. The accounting firm looked at data from over 250 seed and VC-backed startups. It found that average represents a 7.9 per cent increase in pay from 2020, when CEO wages went down owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies that raised over $5 million and over $10 million in funding saw their CEO pay go up by 7.5 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. "However, startups with more limited funding saw their CEOs make less, by about 7 per cent, than in 2021," the report mentioned. The report found three primary drivers for this behaviour. "Firstly, and most obviously, companies with more funding are better
able to pay their CEOs. Secondly, the increased CEO salaries recognises that these CEOs are more effective at fundraising, much like how compensation increases for CEOs in mature companies that generate greater profits," said Healy Jones, VP of Financial Planning & Analysis for Kruze. "Finally, startup culture can generate pressure to not take salaries," Jones added. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies tend to have the highest CEO compensation, with seed funded companies paying their CEOs nearly
$161,000. Healthcare companies had lower founder/CEO pay. "We realised that this is because of the rise of D2C healthcare companies, which tend to seem more like SaaS businesses and less like a healthcare company with a CEO who has an advanced degree," the report mentioned. During Covid, the average startup CEO salary dipped 2 per cent to $139,000, but bounced back to $146,000 at the beginning of 2021.
Netflix set to stream ads this year amid slow user growth
Nagpur, May 11 (IANS) As the pandemic tapered off in February, lakhs of excited families planning domestic vacations to exotic locales by flights got a shock bigger than a Covid-19 positive test report. The airfares of all airlines to various destinations had suddenly shot up -- and drastically -- for seats on the trunk or non-trunk routes, irrespective of the flight timings, the particular carrier, the type of aircraft, direct or hopping services, the prevailing fuel prices, etc. "Welcome to ugly world of 'Cartelisation' - witnessed in India probably for the first time... The airlines have colluded to hike fares phenomenally and indulge in open loot of the passengers, under the very nose of the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre," accused a prominent consumer rights activist Barrister Vinod Tiwari. Tiwari is the President of Council for Protection of Rights of the NGO Grahak Bharti, Nagpur, which has red-flagged the alleged 'unofficial syndicate' involving most private airlines in India. He contended that until February 10, the passenger airfares of all airlines in the country were in the reasonable range of Rs 1,500-Rs 3,500 per sector in three slabs. If tickets were booked well in advance or at least 45 days before travel, the fares were very low, higher for 30 days slab, going up considerably as 'normal fare' for upfront bookings for less than 15
days travel dates. For instance, the Mumbai-Nagpur fare was in the range of Rs 1,8002,400-3,400, Nagpur-Delhi was Rs 2,400-Rs 3,400-Rs 4,500 in the three slabs, Mumbai-Delhi was Rs 2,000Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000, and so on, for various sectors, depending on the travel dates. "Now, past over two months, the scenario has changed and all airlines are charging fares -- presumably under a single slab, which in many instances, is double the usual 'normal fare', and this unholy nexus has hit hard lakhs of holiday flyers on tight budgets in the country," explained Tiwari. Surprisingly, the 'cartel' suspicions stem from the soaring fares offered by various airlines -- the rates charged are near-identical for most each sector, as seen on the major travel portals, where maximum bookings are known to take place. For instance, a Mumbai-Delhi ticket on any airline for this week will cost around Rs 8,042, whether full-service or frills-free, Tiwari pointed out. A cursory check of the tickets for entire May and mid-June reveals a similar trend for all airlines, whichever be the sector, leaving the poor flyers with no option but to prostrate and 'pay the painful price' for the post-pandemic sojourn. Perturbed by this and complaints from various quarters, the Grahak Bharti has written to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, drawing their attention to the purported 'evil nexus' of the airlines out to make hay while the summer sun shines. "This is a big, serious issue, of open loot of air passengers due to the unusual 'Cartelisation' of airlines operators under the control of Ministry of Civil Aviation and therefore, an immediate intervention is needed to stop such unfair practices," said the plea to Modi and Scindia. Tiwari warned that unless the Centre acts within 48 hours in the matter, the Grahak Bharti would move the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and take legal remedies if needed, and order the airlines to refund hundreds of crores of rupees they have jointly collected by fleecing the gullible flyers. He rued that in the absence of a government-run airlines to 'balance the scales', these monopolistic practices by private carriers are contravening the BJP's own aims of making air travel affordable to the middle-classes through various schemes like UDAAN, etc. "Unfortunately for the BJP, the current milieu is contrary to its lofty proclamations... Air travel has again become a luxury within the reach of the suited-booted and rich, while the masses are once more sweating it out trains or buses," slammed Tiwari.
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San Francisco, May 11 (IANS) Battered by slow growth and diminishing global user base, Netflix has fast forwarded its plans to bring ads right into its TV shows and movies. According to The New York Times, the streaming platform has shifted its plans to infuse advertisements into its content by the end of this year. "Netflix has told employees that ads may come by the end of 2022," the report said late on Tuesday. Executives were earlier planning to introduce ad-supported, lower-priced subscription tier in the "next year or two" but have now shifted the plans to an earlier launch date. According to the report, a recent note to employees said that Netflix executives are now aiming to introduce the ad tier at some point in the last three months of 2022. The company will also announce new measures to crack down on password sharing by the end of the year. The streaming giant Netflix saw
its stock tumbling by 20 per cent after it reported a loss of 2 lakh paid subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 -- its first subscriber loss in over a decade. Moreover, Netflix now forecasts a global paid subscriber loss of 20 lakh for the second quarter (Q2) this year. After posting disastrous results for its March quarter, Netflix
also laid off several experienced journalists and writers working for its entertainment site Tudum which it launched only in December last year. Earlier this month, a shareholder lawsuit in the US alleged that Netflix misled investors about declining subscriber growth over the course of six months leading to a massive drop in its stock price.
Adani Airports raises $250 mn for airports development Ahmedabad, May 9 (IANS) Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, has announced a successful closure of funding of $250 million senior secured threeyear ECB facility from consortium of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Barclays Bank PLC. The facility has an option to raise additional $200 million. The financing structure enables a scalable capital solution with flexibility to tap global capital markets in line with AAHL’s vision of providing a transformational airport infrastructure platform. AAHL is leading the Adani portfolio’s foray into B2C infrastructure assets. AAHL business is centred around convenience to consumer both via physical and digital channels. “We are focussed on delivering high quality infrastructure access to our consumers both through physical and digital channels,” said an AAHL spokesperson. “The first phase of our capital
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management plan is now set in motion with the funding of AAHL, MIAL and NMIAL, and we will now focus on scaling up the airports business into one of the largest airport platforms globally. We are grateful to our stakeholders and consumers for their continued support and their confidence in us.” This issuance by AAHL, marks the first milestone in its capital management plan. Earlier this week, MIAL placed $750 million private placement to Apollo, and $1.74 billion financial closure for NMIAL from the domestic banking system. With this, AAHL has tapped three different pools of capital cumulating to $2.74 billion. AAHL is now geared for the next phase of its capital management plan which includes tapping the public capital markets and further construction facilities to enable access to long term capital sources for infrastructure development. AAHL is an integrated airport network consisting of eight airports located around city centres
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controlling 50 per cent of top 10 domestic routes, 23 per cent of the total Indian air traffic, and 30 per cent of India’s air cargo. AAHL airports handle around 200 million consumers, including passengers and non-passengers. AAHL is fully committed to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) with a specific focus on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), demonstrated through initiatives that include solar energy installation projects, electric vehicle usage, green buildings, conversion to LED lamps, among others.
17
POLTICS
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31 2022
Punjab govt working to generate jobs, be patient, says Mann
Chandigarh, May 11 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday asked the protesting youths to bear with the state government as it was sincerely working to complete the modalities so as to ensure that the entire recruitment process may not be stalled due to legal technicalities. Addressing a gathering here to hand over appointment letters to 2,373 youths after launching a massive recruitment drive to fill 26,754 posts, he wished that such functions - to give appointment letters to the youths - should be held regularly, adding the protesters should at least
have patience and wait for some time to enable the government to complete the requisite formalities for issuing appointment letters. Any action taken in haste for handing over appointment letters to the job aspirants protesting now could be in tight spot in case somebody challenges it in the court, he noted. Taking a dig at the previous governments, Mann said: "What these governments had been doing in the last two months of their tenure is being done by our government in the initial two months, which amply clears our intentions to provide jobs to the eligible candidates, purely on the basis of merit and their educational qualifications." Congratulating all those for getting job letters, he asked the ministers concerned to post them near their place of residence so that they could conveniently focus on the new assignment with utmost dedication and sincerity. On the contrary, the previous governments deliberately posted government employees to far-flung places just to harass them, he claimed. He, however, asked the youth not to hesitate from joining even at far-off places of posting as
the great personalities like former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and top film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan had left their homes to realise their dreams of excelling in their career. Conveying a message to the youth, Mann said widespread unemployment in any society leads to anti-social activities and it is the firm commitment to provide enormous job opportunities to the youth so that they should not go astray as an "Idle man's brain is devil's workshop". Expressing satisfaction over girls outshining boys in getting appointment letters at Wednesday's function, Mann said this reflects the empowerment of women which would further go a long way in enhancing their dignity in society besides eradicating social evils like dowry, gender discrimination, female foeticide etc. Notably, 2,373 youth were given appointment letters for the posts of SDEs & pump operators in the Water Resources Department, besides as community health officers, staff nurses, ward attendants, etc., in the Health, Family Welfare & the Medical Education and Research Departments.
Jailed journalist Siddique Kappan’s wife hails CJI Ramana
Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 (IANS) The wife of jailed journalist Siddique Kappan hailed the Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, which, on Wednesday, directed the Centre and state governments to refrain from registering any FIRs invoking sedition provision till the review of the law by the Centre is
complete. "I am extremely happy to hear the verdict and I hail the Chief Justice Ramana for this directive. Even though Kappan has done no wrong, he is in a jail in Uttar Pradesh and he still has cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act... we wish the courts should look into this also and come out with
appropriate orders," said Raihanath who lives in Kerala's Malappuram district. According to the FIR filed by the UP Police on October 7, 2020, Kappan has been charged under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code, in addition to provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Information Technology Act. Kappan, a Delhi-based journalist, was arrested, along with three others on October 5 2020, while they were on their way to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras to report the brutal gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl. Kappan and the others were travelling in a car when they were stopped by the UP Police at the Hathras toll plaza and detained. They were accused of planning to 'foment trouble' and booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions. The UP Police claim that Kappan has links to the Popular Front of India (PFI).
PM appreciates nurses for their vital role in keeping planet healthy New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appreciated the nurses for their vital role in keeping our planet healthy. Taking to twitter on the occasion of International Nurses Day, the Prime Minister posted, "Nurses play a vital role in keeping our planet healthy. Their dedication and compassion is exemplary. "International Nurses Day is a day to reiterate our appreciation to all nursing staff for their exceptional work even in the most challenging of situations." Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted, "On #InternationalNursesDay, I express my deep gratitude to all the Nurses for their inspiring services and spirited fight against COVID-19."
2024 LS polls: Bengal to be epicentre of RSS’ expansion plans in NE
Understanding that having a formidable performance in West Bengal and the northeastern states will be key to ensuring the third term of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is planning to recruit 35,000 swayamsevaks (volunteers) in the northeast, making Bengal the epicentre of such activities. Keshav Bhawan, the RSS office in Kolkata, will be the nodal office for West Bengal and the northeastern
states in this recruitment drive. Meanwhile, the BJP central leadership is also focussing on West Bengal. Within a month of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to West Bengal, BJP President JP Nadda is expected to come to the state and hold meetings with the party’s state functionaries on how to go about for the state panchayat polls in 2023 and Lok Sabha polls in 2024. BJP’s Vice-president and party MP Dilip Ghosh confirmed that JP
Nadda will visit the state either by the end of May or in the first week of June. “His visit is confirmed. The final day of his visit will be informed to us shortly,” Ghosh said. A veteran RSS associate told IANS on the condition of anonymity that the recruitment of 35,000 swayamsevaks will be done in phases. “After the recruitment, these swayamsevaks will be trained and educated about the style and pattern of functioning of RSS, before being finally fielded for undertaking organisational activities. We expect the recruitment process to be over within the next six months,” he said. With regards to special focus on West Bengal, he said that the prime target is to identify and reopen RSS branches that have shut operations. “Many of our operating branches were closed down during the last few years first because of pressure from the ruling Trinamool Congress, and second because of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, besides recruitment of fresh swayamsevaks in the state, our target is to reopen as many closed branches as possible and as early as possible,” the RSS associate said.
EC holding conference to share experiences from recent Assembly polls
New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) With an aim to share experiences and learnings from recently-held five Assembly elections, the Election Commission on Thursday launched a conference of all Chief Electoral Officers of the states and Union Territories. During the two-day symposium, there will be thematic discussions on election planning, expenditure monitoring, electoral rolls, IT applications, data management, EVMs/VVPATs, timely resolution of grievances, SVEEP strategy and voter outreach, and media and communication. Addressing the gathering, CEC Sushil Chandra said that such conferences are an excellent platform for sharing experiences and learning from each other. While complimenting the Chief Electoral Officers, he further said that these five states’ elections conducted amidst the pandemic were exemplary and had no previous examples or references. The extraordinary circumstances demanded extraordinary solutions from banning physical rallies, promoting digital campaigning and weekly reviewing the situation with critical stakeholders, he said. The CEC stressed on the need to continuously upgrade the services for voters through the entire election
process, right from registration to voting. Noting that the CEOs are the face of the Commission in the states, he exhorted them to ensure that they are accessible and visible to all stakeholders. He also urged CEOs to strengthen their outreach and communication to showcase their best practices and innovations in election management to the world. Sushil Chandra also praised Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who has been appointed as new Chief Election Commissioner, and hoped that the poll panel, attains greater heights under his leadership. In his remarks, Rajiv Kumar said that with the mandate provided by the Constitution, the EC has developed extremely robust internal mechanisms and practices to ensure that elections are conducted in a free, fair, accessible and participative manner for each and every voter. Narrating his experiences of conducting elections for the first time amidst the pandemic in Bihar till the recent Assembly elections in five states, he said that the journey has been full of challenges and learnings in a most unprecedented situation demanded dynamic decision making and pre-empting the misinformed narratives.
He also said that the technology has been leveraged in a big way to enhance the accessibility and transparency of the election system. The EC has streamlined the entire IT infrastructure with focus on three critical stakeholders, namely voters, political parties and election management functionaries, he said, and urged CEOs to strengthen their IT systems including training of the IT personnel for adapting to the latest advancements. Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey highlighted the agenda for CEOs for next few months including arranging logistics in states for upcoming elections for the office of President. He said that CEOs should utilise this lean period to strengthen and upgrade the fundamental features of the election system including updating the electoral rolls, infrastructure upgradation at polling stations, EVM-VVPAT storage and maintenance and training and capacity building of officials. He also asked CEOs to implement innovative SVEEP strategies to better connect with the voter. The CEOs of the five states, where polls were held, gave a brief presentation about their experiences, learnings and innovative practices they adopted during these elections.
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18
FASHION
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Good old fashioned glamour ruled the Met Gala 2022 red carpet Our favourite red carpet looks
One of the most important nights in fashion, music, and the art world, The Met Gala, saw A-list celebrities bring their A-game to the red carpet. 'Gilded Glamour' was the theme of this edition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute's Gala in New York. For a change instead of the drama and over the top gowns and costumes, this year's turnout was sleek, glamorous and chic. Take a look: Kim Kardashian
The business mogul who juggles a variety of portfolios, including reality TV star, owner of SKIMS, and KKW beauty, walked the red carpet in a shimmery Balenciaga gown, was once worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962. Monroe wore the gown while singing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. She revealed in a recent Instagram post, "Met Gala — In America: An Anthology of Fashion. I am so
honoured to be wearing the iconic dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 1962 to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. It is a stunning skintight gown adorned with more than 6,000 hand-sewn crystals by costumier Jean Louis. Thank you Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for giving me the opportunity to debut this evocative piece of fashion history for the first time since the late Marilyn Monroe wore it. I am forever grateful for this moment." Katy Perry
Blake Lively Blake Lively arrived at the Met Gala red carpet with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, wearing an embellished gown with a large bow from Versace inspired by the architecture of the Empire State Building. She transformed her gown as she walked up the grand stairs of the MET from rose gold to Aqua,
Kylie Jenner Kylie Jenner, the beauty mogul, was supposed to attend the Met Gala with American designer Virgil Abloh before it was postponed in 2020. Dolled up in an Off-White gown to honour Virgil, who died in 2021 after a two-year battle with cancer. Kylie caption her behind the scene Met Gala Instagram post, “Virgil and I was supposed to go to the Met together before it got postponed in 2020. To celebrate V tonight and his incredible legacy truly means the world to me. I’m humbled to wear this dress and honor my talented beautiful friend. we felt you tonight Virgil and love you forever.”
Maude Apatow The ‘Euphoria’ walked her first Met Gala red carpet in a black seductive old style Hollywood ensemble by Miu Miu. She accessorised it with a Cartier diamond choker, crimson lipstick, and sleek hair waves.
Styled by Tatiana Waterford, singer and song writer Katy Perry captioned her Met Gala Instagram photo "Darling darkness." Dressed to the nines in an Oscar de la Renta gown, she completed her ensemble with Aquazzura stilettos and Briony Raymond jewellery.
Is social media based fashion sustainable?
With competition and brands creating the need to shop, social media is a hindrance to living a sustainable life
Social media has played a crucial role in bringing the world of fashion to your mobile screens. While fashion designers and brands are the creative heads behind the styling and creation of trends and styles, social media as a platform became the one-stop shop for all things fashion. Nilesh Parashar and Jagruti Bondre of Nautanky, a luxury contemporary clothing brand, share their views on how social media platforms have impacted the rise of fashion consciousness and why social media fashion is not sustainable. Excerpts from the interview: Has social media impacted the rise of fashion consciousness? Nilesh and Jagruti: Yes, it has. On social media everyone is being watched, which kind of creates pressure on an individual or a brand. This has resulted in fashion brands and designers constantly trying to upgrade as per seasonal changes, in order to attract more and more clients. Why do consumers engage with fashion brands via social media? Nilesh and Jagruti: I feel it’s because it’s an easier and quicker way to shop. Social media gives them access to all their favourite brands,
and great deals and also helps them compare and invest their money in the right product. Can social media impact the consumer’s style? Nilesh and Jagruti: In some way or the other, it does affect the consumer’s style, since there is so much content flowing through at all times. It is bound to influence one’s personal style. Especially, when it comes to trends, social media becomes a perfect reference board for consumers. What are the pros and cons of following fashion trends on social media? Nilesh and Jagruti: Pros: You’re up to date with everything that’s going on and you get to know incredible things that others are doing or creating. Cons: It can sometimes cause you to lose your sense of personal style and you can end up mimicking or blindly following trends. Is social media fashion sustainable? Nilesh and Jagruti: I don’t think so, because everything is available and accessible at all times. People tend to shop and spend more which can result in more wastage.
5 Minimalist Jewellery Trends The Fabulous House Wives of perfect for daytime corporate looks. Chevron rings are especially brilliant for those who don’t want to wear jewellery that is too prominent, but rather something that adds a little bit of sparkle to your outfit. Charm Rings
Bollywood at Phoenix Palladium
Earcuffs
To elevate your style quotient at the workplace
Offices across the country have begun opening their doors for employees, and this means that it’s time to bring out all our formal staples and accessories. While we may have been enjoying work from home culture and comfy home outfits for the past two years, there is always a charm involved with coming to the workplace and spending time with your co-workers and dressing up in chic, yet classy outfits once again. While office looks can sometimes be limited to shirts, trousers and suits, there are always simple pieces of jewellery that can truly transform your OOTD to something that looks extremely elegant and straight out of a Pinterest page. The right kind of accessories can augment your workwear style and is the perfect asset to help you put together an outfit that is both fabulous and professional at the same time. To help you pick out the right kind of jewellery for your wardrobe, Vipin Sharma, Chief Merchandising Officer at Bluestone has drawn up a list of trends that we are likely to see this season that is perfect to elevate your style quotient at the workplace. Chevron Rings
V-shaped rings, wishbone rings and stacking rings - the uniquely iconic Chevron Rings may go by many names, but the symbolic, and fashionist element of these rings has stayed the same since the 1800s. This quintessential design of the slight V-shaped curve, coupled with an elegant and dainty band is known to represent prosperity and hope and is often passed down as a heritage piece across generations. With a modern touch in elegant designs and diamonds, the Chevron Ring can truly stand as a dainty jewelled studded embellishment,
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2022 is the year, 2000’s fashion is making a comeback, and what better way to wear the iconic 2000s charms, than a ring. Charm rings are the newest trend this season, and can help you don the classic 2000s fashion, in a subtle and minimalist way. If you are looking to add this new ring trend to your jewellery trousseau, consider choosing ones with a simple gold or platinum band, with two or three charms in elegant, but fun shapes. Charm Rings in gold, rose gold or silver, pair well with structured blazers and classic shirts, and can add a subtle pop of metallic tones to an otherwise monochrome outfit. Plique-a-jour
Enamel jewellery may have been a big trend in 2021, but this year, enamel jewellery is taking on a new and upgraded facade with the Plique-a-jour trend. Plique-a-jour is a unique technique wherein a small amount of coloured enamel is applied in cells surrounded by metal, without a backing on the enamel portion of the product, which gives the enamel a unique stained glass effect as light shines through. The result? A unique piece of art that you can pair with daytime and nighttime looks. Plique-a-jour rings in feathery silhouettes are perfect for a new and fresh spring-summer look and can add a subtle amount of colour that is surely set to have your co-workers wondering about your new and upgraded jewellery collection.
For those who want their officewear jewellery to be dainty, but bold at the same time, ear cuffs are the answer. This unique trend recently gained recognition on social media after being worn by Kendall Jenner at the recent Oscars 2022 red carpet and is set to become one of the biggest trends in minimalist jewellery this season. Earcuffs are a perfect addition to a corporate look if you are someone who likes to wear your hair in a ponytail, or a slick back fashion, drawing attention to some of your most prominent and beautiful features. Earcuffs are also the go-to solution for those who want to wear a double earring but don’t want to go out and get a second piercing. Pair your ear cuffs with a set of smart casuals and coloured blazers, and you have got yourself a look that is ready to steal the (office) show. ID Bracelets
Celebrating spring with your favourite housewives and some luxury retail therapy
The gorgeous Bollywood wives from hit reality series 'The Fabulous House Wives of Bollywood', Neelam Kothari, Bhavana Pandey and Seema Khan dazzled as they paid a visit to their favourite luxury
shopping destination. Exploring the enchanting Sartorial Spring décor at Phoenix Palladium to celebrate the season and the newly arrived Spring Summer 2022 collection, they indulged their hearts out in a great
deal of retail therapy at the luxury brand stores like Michael Kors, Sephora India, Emporio Armani and Collective India followed by delectable treats from cafebycococart and poultindia.
ID Bracelets have emerged as one of the most unexpected, yet welcomed jewellery trends of the year. While ID Bracelets have traditionally been one of the few jewellery pieces men like to wear, many brands are increasingly becoming gender non-confirmative, and are making ID bracelets in delicate designs and elegant looks, for women as well. Bracelets with a soft and subtle chain coupled with a simple engravable plate made from gold, silver or platinum pair well with Indian, and western formal outfits. Right from a sari to formal dress, these classy bracelets can go with just about anything, and can even include words of affirmation, or names of loved ones to keep you motivated to achieve your goals and aim for the sky at your workplace.
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19
BEAUTY
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Summer Skincare
SkinZest Wellness an oasis for all things mind, body and soul
Founded in 2018, with a vision to deliver bespoke beauty enhancement treatments, SkinZest Wellness has since evolved into a holistic wellness brand. The established destination for dermatology, aesthetics, and cosmetic surgery, is now available with even more facilities in Delhi with a luxurious new address in the sprawling green complex of Sheesham Courtyard, near Lado Sarai, a rejuvenating space for mind, body and soul. The centre's interiors evoke tranquillity and vitality so one can experience the best of all treatments, physical, mental, and spiritual. “Our aim towards each program has been to get our clients freedom from stress and bring their minds to a state of absolute confidence. With our newest addition we are aiming to give the client an improved mental state”, concluded Dr. Ankit Jain, MS, MCh Plastic Surgery and co-founder at SkinZest Wellness. The brand has also added successful weight loss programs to the bouquet of services to make it a holistic and
complete destination for wellness. The boutique centre puts patient comfort at utmost priority, is ready to introduce US FDA approved treatments, therapeutic massages and personalized nutrition & lifestyle modification plans. Summers are hard on the skin every year. The scorching heat, pollution, humidity, and other factors remove its natural radiance and, in some cases, invite infections. Here are eight incredibly simple tips by Dr. Noopur Jain, MD Dermatology to keep your skin glowing. 1) Sunscreen is a must You've probably heard it before, but sunscreen is a must-have no matter the season. "As the final step in your daily skin care routine, start with a lotion or cream base for your SPF. " There are also inventive ways to reapply sunscreen, which you should do every two hours. Powders, sticks, and sprays are examples of this. Whatever formula you choose, always remember to use sunscreen, even if the weather
is cloudy or overcast. 2)Exfoliation is important Exfoliating once or twice a week, especially in the summer, is one of the simplest skincare treatments to overlook. It helps in removing dead skin cells lowers dullness and helps skin acquire that coveted summer glow. 3)Load up on antioxidants Antioxidants are beneficial to your skin since they help to slow down the ageing process and maintain the general health of your skin. Antioxidant-rich serums and moisturisers must be kept handy. Antioxidant-rich face products will protect your skin from environmental harm, moisturise it, and help it produce more collagen. Make antioxidants a part of your diet to up your antioxidant intake. Vitamin C and Vitamin E-rich foods are beneficial to your skin. 4) Clinical Treatments as opposed to salon treatments There are a plethora of treatments available these days to help you look your best and boost your self-esteem. Waxing and parlour facials are becoming obsolete as people prefer Laser hair reduction and "Our centre has been providing an extensive range of dermatology, cosmetology and plastic surgery treatments. Now we are excited to add weight-loss and nutrition programs and services provided by our trained staff of aestheticians and practitioners," said Dr. Noopur Jain, MD, Chief Dermatologist & Founder at SkinZest Wellness, and the inhouse specialist of Dermatology and Cosmetology.
Wet Hair Mistakes Might Be Damaging Your Hair Silently
Sleeping with wet hair can lead to extreme hair damage & give you a bad cold
We all take so much pain to take care of our tresses, from using organic, sulphate free shampoos, to getting hair spas every fortnight to doing DIY hair masks to get shiny and flowy hair. But there is one big mistake that we always look over and don’t realise which secretly might be damaging our hair. Most of the time we come out after washing our hair and start combing to detangle our hair. If you are one of those people then you are causing serious damage to your hair. Our hair follicles are the weakest when they are wet, combing them at this point will not only break them but lead to dry and dull hair. A few wet hair mistakes: Combing wet hair – that’s the first thing we do after dressing up, the hair is too weak and needs gentle care. Rather brush your hair before you hit the shower, if you feel that your hair gets tangled after wash, apply a serum or light hair oil and
Check out these eco-friendly beauty brands harm marine life. The entire product line is produced in a sustainable, ethical, and animal-free manner. Juice Beauty is Leaping Bunny certified; PETA compliant and the recipient of PETA’s Courage in Commerce Award; and Vegan certified by the American Vegetarian Association.
Brands taking sustainable measure to conserve the Mother Earth It's good for you, but is it good for Mother Earth? The next time you doll up, think about how your make-up affects the earth and environment. There are a host of brands to pick from who are committed to reducing waste, using Vegan Certified ingredients and sustainability. We may not realise it, but the products we reach for on a day-to-day basis - be it food, beauty products, or other daily essentials - can make a huge difference to how sustainably we choose to live. It all begins and ends with being mindful of the choices we make and the intentionality with which we make these choices. Megha Asher, COO & Co-Founder, of Juicy Chemistry shares a few beauty tips that can help you go green: Check the ingredients – Ingredients such as microplastics pose a huge risk to the environment. Microplastics can be found in certain cleansers and scrubs. Look for Certifications – Certifications bear the proof of whether a brand walks the talk or not. Moreover, certifications such as ECOCERT COSMOS have stringent ethical and environmental standards so you know your products are being made mindfully and ethically. Look for eco-friendly packaging - Product packaging makes a significant difference to waste production. Ask yourself - how minimally packaged is the product? What material is the outer packaging made of? Ditch the disposable wipes and cotton rounds - Buy reusable and washable pads such as cotton mitts and washcloths that can be washed and reused over and over again. It’s economical and sustainable. www.indianabroad.news
Use Eco-friendly Tools – Instead of using plastic combs and toothbrushes, opt for wood-based versions. Follow a Simple Routine - You don’t need to go overboard with several serums and creams. A simple cleanser, toner, serum and moisturizer routine is enough to maintain healthy skin. Less is more. Being mindful is key to avoiding wastage. Recycle/Upcycle your empties – Once you’re done using your products, don’t just throw the empties into the trash. Check for ways that you can re-cycle the products. You may also reach out to the brands that offer a recycling program. Similarly, there are so many ways to upcycle a container. Got an empty glass jar? Fill it up with some dry fruits/accessories, Make some decorative pieces etc. Check out our curation of clean beauty brands for your next makeup haul: Juice Beauty Eco-friendly beauty, which was once a niche category, is now having a major moment in the spotlight. And the fame will not be fleeting – it is no longer a buzzword, but a necessity of the hour. Following the elimination of animal testing, toxic chemicals, and unethical sourcing, a growing number of eco-warriors are implementing sustainable manufacturing practices that are safe not only for your skin but also for the environment. Juice Beauty, utilizes a Vegan Certified and the ingredients are kind to coral reefs and wildlife as the brand does not use synthetic dyes, fragrances or chemical sunscreens. Their no-nasties policy ensures that their products are free of sulphates, phthalates, parabens, and other ingredients that can irritate or harm your skin, as well as
Quench Botanics All Quench products are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates and alcohol, they are 100% vegetarian and cruelty-free. Their range of Path-breaking Korean Skincare products is powered by effective natural ingredients like Korean Ginseng, Cica, Lotus Root, Grapefruit, and Cherry Blossom Extract creating perfect recipes for happy, healthy and radiant skin. These intensely nourishing and refreshing formulas target, care and prevent skin concerns like acne, blemishes, oil control, open pores, dull and uneven skin and promise you only a smoother, hydrated and healthier-looking complexion. Big Little Things by L’Occitane India Big Little Things is L’Occitane, India’s 1st ever recycling programme aims to mobilise more people to make a big impact on the environment with the little things. As part of their effort toward reducing waste commitment, they believe that recycling will keep nature free from pollution & help achieve a circular economy where each material can have a second life. In partnership with a social enterprise, Saahas Zero Waste, you can now recycle your empties at select boutiques all across India! Forest Essentials For Forest Essentials, Sustainability is a mindset and an ongoing process instead of a single activity or event. Since the inception of the brand, Sustainability has been at the core of everything and the brand has continuously given thought to the entire product cycle – the sourcing of natural ingredients from responsible and local farmers, to green manufacturing facility design, to the handmade techniques and smallbatch making production processes, to the bottling of our formulations in eco-friendly, recyclable and reusable packaging and decreased use of single-use plastics throughout operations.
Sustainability in “Eco Packaging, labelling” - Outer packaging of biodegradable cartons made of FSC certified paper. Sustainability in “Manufacturing” Converted manufacturing facilities to advance sustainable practices in the Himalayan foothills. Electricity is generated through solar panels that are mounted on the roofs of the Lodsi workshop. Such a roof avoids potential land use and environmental concerns that may follow with ground installed solar panels. Sustainability in “Ethical sourcing” - From our organically grown Cold Pressed Oils, to raw and unprocessed Cane Sugar to steamed distilled pure Essential Oils, everything is made in the traditionally old fashioned way, according to Ayurvedic tenets, and wherever possible, by hand. Sustainability in “Certifications” Eco-labelling is a critical step in the regulation of the private sector, and third party labels are generally more trustworthy than the industry’s self-certified labels. The brand also follows sustainability practices for their ‘Product & Supply Chain’, ‘Work Culture’ and ‘Project Paathshala’. MAC Cosmetics MAC Cosmetics reinforces its commitment to the planet by building on its pioneer Back to MAC Program. Green is the new MAC black. MAC Cosmetics is reinforcing its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its cosmetics packaging by helping to give empties a new life through its Back-To MAC take-back program in India. MAC accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back to MAC Program in its commitment to the environment. By returning six MAC primary packaging containers to a MAC counter, you’ll receive a free MAC lipstick of your choice as our thanks to you. Sublime Life Discover soothing care for your body to melt your troubles away and help you relax and unwind in style. The Faith in Nature Grapefruit and Orange Body Wash is just the aromatic bliss you need at the end of a long day. A healthy concoction of zesty grapefruit and energizing orange essential oils, leaves the skin feeling soft and energized. The absolute cherry, it works as a bath gel as well as a bubble bath!
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then brush it with a wide-tooth comb. This will make detangling easy. Also, don’t wait for your hair to completely dry off and then comb your hair, that makes your hair dry and lose the lustre. Always start from the ends, and work your way up. Hold the section of the hair you are brushing/combing in your hand. Also, remember to use a leave-in conditioner. Vigorously towel drying – your hair follicles are the weakest when they are wet, they tend to break even at the gentlest stroke, imagine how much damage we cause when we vigorously dry them using a towel. Rather simply dab your hair with a towel and try to squeeze out excess water do not tie your wet hair with the towel it can cause dandruff. Tying your wet hair – I understand keeping your hair open in summers can be really challenging especially when they are wet, the urge to tie them up in a ponytail or in a bun is irresistible but your tresses are so vulnerable when wet, your hair
tie will be full of hair when you remove it and will form a dent in your hair. Avoid doing this at any cost, don’t even tie them when they are semi-dry, wait for your hair to be completely dry and you are then free to style them however you wish to. Using heat tools on wet hair – when we are in a hurry, we just blast the blow dryer to dry our hair quickly but that’s where we are causing damage to our hair. Wait for the water to drip out, put your dryer on medium heat, and then move on to a higher level to style your hair, just the way you like it. A simple step like this can go a long way. Also, the steam you see while ironing your hair should have major damage written all over it. Do not do this to your hair, this can burn your tresses and make your hair care journey really tough at times irrevocable. Let your hair be completely dry, apply a heat protectant and then use any heating tools. Sleeping with dripping hair – I can not stress enough the reason why you should completely avoid going to bed with wet hair. This can lead to extreme hair damage, give you a bad cold, hamper your immune system as sleeping with wet hair can lead to bacteria growth, give you severe acne and will take you to double the time to style them in the morning. Rather, make sure you wash your hair well before your bedtime and if you feel your hair is still wet, give them a cold hair blast. Also, it is better to have a silk pillowcase than a cotton one, it will reduce breakage and growth of bacteria. (Dr. Blossom Kochhar, is the Chairperson of Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies)
How to retain your glow during Ramadan
Add a few drops of Almond or Avocado Oil to your night routine for flawless, radiant skin in the morning
“Being in the beauty industry for a while now, I know one thing: No matter what the circumstances, you shouldn’t let your skin down. It’s the one thing that sticks with you, presents you to the world, and is something that must be perfectly healthy inside out”, says Nandeeta Manchanda, Founder, ENN Beauty. The Holy month of Ramadan is here, and while you’re fasting, it can automatically reflect on your skin. But not drinking any water doesn’t mean your skin can’t be hydrated! Nandeeta shares quick tips & tricks to get that evergreen look: Keeping the skin hydrated is the key to having a radiant glow during Ramadan. Use light, hydrating lotions, creams, and serums twice or thrice a day to maintain your skin’s water levels, preferably with ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Salicylic Acid. Hyaluronic acid is known to hold 1000 times its weight in water and thus is indispensable for glowing skin during Ramadan. Drink more water than usual between Iftaar in the evening and Sehri early morning to give you a boost of hydration for the entire day. Eating citrus and juicy foods and fruits that are rich in water and would ensure optimum hydration is a must.
Use mild, gentle cleansers to cleanse your skin every morning. Cleansing is the first important step towards restoring a radiant glow during Ramadan. Choose a cleanser that helps remove dirt and impurities clogging your pores as well as deeply hydrates to avoid skin dryness due to fasting. Exfoliate thoroughly. Scrubbing away dead skin cells and giving your skin a nourishing buff is an important step toward achieving glowing skin. Adding a natural, mild exfoliator or face scrub to your skincare routine, at least twice or thrice a week is the way to go. It makes your skin soft and plump in the nick of time. Using a sugary lip scrub to exfoliate your lips and make them fuller can be a pleasant addition to your exfoliation process. Do not forget sunscreen, if you’re going out in the sweltering sun this Ramadan. Fasting, too with summer at its peak can damage the skin beyond bounds. Opt for a sunblock that provides triple spectrum protection, to make a way out of the harmful UV rays without having to deal with pigmentation and sun damage. Make sure the sunscreen is at least SPF 50 and non-comedogenic because you don’t want your pores to be clogged. One last and final touch to a perfect glow: Add a few drops of Almond or Avocado Oil to your night routine for flawless, radiant skin in the morning. The oil works its magic while you’re asleep and also prevents the skin from getting dehydrated. Follow these tips, and no one can stop you from getting your fabulous, natural glow during Ramadan.
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20
TRAVEL
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31 2022
Portugal Welcomes Back Indian Visitors Carvoeiro Carvalho beach
Portugal welcomes all visitors, regardless of their country of origin or reason for visiting. With its mild climate, 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, and magnificent contrasting landscapes within its seven regions, as well as superb cuisine, fine wines, and hospitable people, Portugal is the ideal yearround vacation destination. Portugal is known for its mild, sunny climate and diverse landscapes, which range from the magnificent coastal beaches to the golden plains of the Alentejo, the verdant mountains of the interior, and the peaceful, lush nature of the Azores and Madeira islands.
Palacio da Pena, Sintra
It is also known for its long history and imposing heritage, for its dynamic culture, for its unique, comforting cuisine full of flavours and aromas, and for its relaxed, simple, and unrivalled setting, with open arms for those who visit and return. Portugal is home to the world’s oldest demarcated wine region – the Douro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Port Wine is produced – as well as one of Europe’s oldest universities, the magnificent University of Coimbra, which was founded in the 13th century and is also classified by UNESCO. The land of the Discoveries, Fado, and age-old
Trip planning has never been easier
traditions bound together by a vast sea. ‘‘India has always been a strong source market for us, and in the pre-covid period, we saw a significant increase in tourists from India. We can’t wait to welcome back Indian visitors to Portugal,” says Claudia Matias, Director, Visit Portugal India. With over eight centuries of history and a happy mix of cultures and traditions, we are one of Europe’s oldest nations. Portugal is a modern, cosmopolitan country with a plethora of leisure activities and places to visit and explore with your family,
partner, or on your own. Visitors arriving on the mainland Portugal from India, will be required to present the following documents as mandate & no quarantine will be obligatory upon arrival. The document includes A negative RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or a negative Laboratorial Rapid Antigen Test- 24h before boarding (according to the European Commission list) Exception, children under 12 do not need to present certificate or test.
Where to Tinder Passport to next? Let the stars decide!
Booking.com announces new and improved flights experience in India
Travellers in India can now browse and book flights from a global inventory of airlines to and from anywhere in the world for their upcoming summer holidays, on Booking.com’ new and improved all flights-booking services. As a part of its ongoing commitment to create a seamless and frictionless travel experience, the digital travel platform’s in-house branded flight service will create a whole new way to book and experience air travel that’s convenient, intuitive and ultimately more traveller-friendly. Through this travellers can search, book and pay for their flight without leaving the app or platform. Using the website and app, travellers can now book flights from every major airport in the world to over hundreds of destinations. The enhanced flight product offers an end-to-end booking experience, from search to booking and post-booking support. Travellers will be provided with the broad choice and easy experience of comparing flights from hundreds booking directly with the airline such as increased flexibility, customisation and control. What you see is what you pay: The platform is committed to complete price transparency and clarity, which means no hidden charges and no credit card fees. All associated flight costs and prices are clearly shown and communicated upfront. Full visibility and access: Travellers arranging their flights have full visibility and access to ticket and seat options on most flights. The service also shows upfront which bags are included in the ticket, so it’s easier for customers to compare and make a decision that’s right for them and the trip they are taking. Make your own selection: Customers arranging their flights with Booking.com can choose their seats, add their luggage requirements, select their meals, buy insurance and view the details of their flight reservation without ever leaving the Booking.com app. Book with confidence: It offers travellers flexi-ticket options for ultimate peace of mind. Multi-city itineraries: Along with single and return flight tickets,
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travellers can also arrange more complex and hyper-customised multi-city flight itineraries directly with Booking.com. Budget-savvy travellers: Budgetsavvy travellers can make use of split tickets, where they can combine one-way tickets from different airlines into unique itineraries (e.g. round trips, multi-city trips) to offer more choice, better prices and a simpler way to book the whole trip in one go. Complete peace of mind: Customers who are happy to ‘self-connect’ to reach their destination can choose the ‘virtual-interlining’ tickets. Virtual-interlining tickets offer more choice and often better prices for customers. Behind the scenes, Booking.com pieces together the best flight choices for a specified route, looking into all available airlines and their schedules. The virtual-interlining tickets come with a Self-Transfer guarantee for complete peace of mind. Compare flights with ease: For travellers who are undecided or open-minded about their destination, it allows customers to search for flights to and from multiple airports simultaneously to help inspire, save time and find great deals. Here to help you: Indian customers can call the customer services team 24/7 for help and assistance with any reservation related queries More for your trip: From the palm of their hand, travellers can arrange every element of their trip. From finding the right flight, arranging a car rental pick up or airport transfer, discovering new and exciting attractions, complemented with the perfect stay - all searched and booked from the same app. Ritu Mehrotra, Commercial Director, APAC, China & Oceania at Booking. com said, “With more and more travel restrictions being lifted and the world slowly opening up again, summer 2022 seems to mark the return of travel for Indian travellers who are ready to get back out there and make the most of their summer holidays. To make it easier for everyone to experience the world, directly on Booking.com.”
#MatchYourVibe
Has the travel #FOMO bug gotten you, and you've been itching to get away but haven't been able to? There is no denying that travel has been on everyone's mind and everyone wants the vacation to glow! It should come as no surprise that travel is one of the top 5 interests of dating App Tinder members, with over 43 percent stating in 2021 that they would love to travel any place on the globe without hesitation! Well, how fun and convenient it would be to meet people around the globe, with the click of your phone? Tinder Passport allows you to change your geographic location to any place on the globe. Just think of the next place you want to vibe at and jet set on a virtual adventure to find people who you can match with even if they're miles away! Serving you some more tea - Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune and Goa are the most popular destinations in India that Tinder members passport to. Globally, the top countries Indian members passports to are The USA, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Japan. Time for you to begin swiping and matching with people across the globe, maybe that will make you step out of our house (Finally! in case you aren’t already!) If you’re still not sure where to go, why not begin with what may be your go-to location (virtually)? For those who believe in the alignment of the stars or just scrolling through zodiac signs (we know you do!), check out the list below to see where you can passport to and meet individuals that #MatchYourVibe (iykyk)!
Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Always in the urge of trying something new, these homebodies are the epitome of work hard play harder! Calm, solid and intriguing is their number one game and they can fill their passport book, get their R&R in places like the zen magic of Italy, the beauty and serenity of Kerala or fill their metaphorical plates in the most popular place in India where Tinder members can passport to - Delhi!
Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) Spontaneous, ambitious, and traveller of the zodiac, these signs are always on the lookout for something new. The newer the experience the better they enjoy the whole moment Passporting to Shillong will keep these flamboyant souls enchanted while Manali will challenge their fiery side and passporting to New York City will fulfil their enthusiasm.
Armed with these Astro suggestions and the topmost city suggestions that one usually passports to, find your sense of adventure and rise to your elements to navigate between your current location and a new destination.
Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) An Old school, hardcore romantic, Bollywood geek! A destination near water is a bonus, but these Bollywood buffs would do anything to make every moment rich in history and hardcore romantic. Passporting to romantic destinations like Udaipur would definitely feed their imaginative spirits and Paris will suffice their epic Bollywood dream. Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) Passport destinations that catch an air sign’s attention have to be dank! They are particularly looking for an ideal combination of culture, quirk, and lovely things to do. With their heads literally in the clouds, they will be appeased by destinations such as the bustling Mumbai which is also the second most popular city to passport to in India along with the another in our top 10 list, the infamous state of Goa that is fab with its nightlife glamour, or even the steeped in historical Greece.
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It’s time for South Africa
The Norfolk gives Travelers Something to Smile About After a two-year closure, Nairobi’s iconic hotel, Fairmont The Norfolk, has reopened its doors to the public. “The hotel, Accor regional team and the owners have worked closely together to ensure they provide the guests with exceptional services and facilities in line with the luxe positioning of the Fairmont brand including a new Food & Beverage concept in order to meet with customers evolving needs,” said Mehdi Morad, Country General Manager at Accor Kenya. Dr Binod Chaudhary, Chairman & Founder of CG Corp Global, commented on the acquisition of Fairmont The Norfolk, “I believe each country is different, keep an open mind, and you will be able to find where the niche entry lies. With the re-opening of this iconic, 100-year-old asset, we are thrilled to welcome every keen traveler who wishes to experience the marvel of this secluded gem in Kenya, East Africa. To explore the magnificent hotel and the beauty of Kenya, the doors have opened to all guests across the globe. I am sure; everyone will be pleased by the historic beauty and the warm hospitality of the hotel staff under leadership of the Accor regional team. This is yet another momentous event for the historic Norfolk Hotel which has been operational for 116 years and was hit by the pandemic shut down during the first wave of 2020. This is a place that feels frozen in time, where signs of a more decadent era can be seen at every turn, Fairmont The Norfolk continues to play a role in Kenya’s history.”
This news comes as CG Hospitality Holdings, CG Corp Global’s hospitality arm, prepares to enter the rapidly growing East African market in 2020 with the acquisition of two iconic Fairmont properties in Kenya, Fairmont Mara Safari Club and Fairmont The Norfolk. Nepal-based CG Corp Global is a landlocked South Asian country’s first multinational billion-dollar conglomerate group, known for its global expansion across the most exquisite destinations. CG Corp Global currently operates 120 hotel properties in 10 countries, totaling 6,633 rooms. The company intends to add 29 properties with a total of 2,233 keys. There are 26 hotel properties in India, with all of them expected to be operational by 2023. The hotel has been described as a hidden gem with an elegant contemporary design and alluring charm that provides guests with a sense of relaxation, belonging, and ownership and is ideal for partying, meetings, chilling, and an exceptional culinary experience. This is also the hotel where Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, spent an evening in 1952. They were on a Commonwealth tour that she had embarked on with her husband in place of her father. It is commonly stated that Queen Elizabeth fell asleep as a princess and awoke as The Queen of the United Kingdom as a result of her ailing father’s sudden death.
The hotel anticipates a slew of visitors from around the world, particularly from India. According to the South African Tourism Board, arrivals from India are expected to increase by 64% year on year in the current fiscal year. India is one of the major markets for which they have also outlined a strategic road map. According to reports, the top source markets for South African tourism will be Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Chennai. The Tourism Board has also eased entry requirements into the country.
Demand for Summer Holidays Expected To Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels
Leisure Hotels Group sees a full recovery in business for the forthcoming summer quarter. This boost is attributed to the pent-up demand for summer travel from Northern India and first-time direct air connectivity of Kumaon (Uttarakhand) with major metropolitan cities across the country - Dehradun, Delhi, Bengaluru & Mumbai to Pantnagar Airport & Bareilly Airport and as well as the inter-connecting flights with Hyderabad, Goa, Varanasi Jaipur and Lucknow. With the largest number of resorts in Uttarakhand across popular naturally surrounded destinations like Corbett Park, Nainital, Naukuchiatal, Kausani & Bhimtal,the Group has hailed the enhanced connectivity to the state’s important tourist destinations. Vibhas Prasad, Director, Leisure
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Hotels Group added “The summer heat has set in early, and people are escaping to the hills to beat the summer heatwaves. We are seeing robust demand across all hill destinations and have advance bookings in record numbers for May & June. Furthermore, Pantnagar Airport is now well connected with daily flights of multiple airlines to important hubs like Delhi & Dehradun which has made travel easier for tourists coming to the Himalayan State. “We are witnessing a noteworthy 1.5x times growth in demand on a week-on-week basis across our entire portfolio since March onwards. The current spate of bookings is expected to last till the end of the summer holidays. Leisure Hotels Group (LHG), a leading experiential luxury resort chain in North India with 29 properties in its portfolio, is expecting a peak summer holiday season ahead of robust bookings this year that started pouring in after the decline of the third wave in February. The group is optimistic that the summer bookings (May-June) this year would even surpass pre-pandemic levels.
21
SPORTS
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Women’s World Boxing: India’s Anamika begins her campaign on winning note
Istanbul (Turkey), May 12 (IANS) Indian boxer Anamika showed her prowess and technical superiority in the 50kg weight class to advance to the pre-quarterfinals at the 12th IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, defeating Romania’s Eugenia Anghel by a unanimous decision, here on Thursday. The bout started on an aggressive note as both the boxers relentlessly attacked from the word go but Anamika used her sharp footwork and movement to land clear punches and evaded her opponent’s attempts.
The boxer from Rohtak continued her relentless attack in the second round and didn’t let her opponent settle down. She dictated terms throughout the bout and comfortably won by a 5-0 margin to move to the next round. Anamika will next face World Championships bronze medallist, Kristy Lee Harris of Australia, in the Round-of-16 bout on Sunday. Later tonight, two other Indian pugilists- Shiksha (54kg) and Jaismine (60kg) are set to begin their challenge at the prestigious tournament, which has been witnessing high voltage competition in
presence of record 310 boxers from 73 countries across the world. This year’s event, which marks the 20th anniversary of the IBA Women’s World Championships, will be played till May 20. Shiksha will be up against Argentina’s Herrera Milagros Rosario in the 54kg opening round match whereas Jaismine (60kg) will square off against two-time Youth Asian Champion Porntip Buapa of Thailand respectively. Two-time Asian Champion Pooja Rani (81kg) and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (70kg) will play their respective round-of-16 bouts on Friday. Pooja, who will begin her World Championships campaign, will take on Hungary’s Timea Nagy while Lovlina will fight against Cindy Ngamba of the Fair Chance Team. Lovlina had defeated former world champion Chen Nien-Chin in the first round on Monday. In the last edition of the tournament, held in Russia in 2019, Indian boxers secured one silver and three bronze medals.
Tim Paine’s career appears to over after omission from Tasmania squad
Melbourne, May 12 (IANS) Former Australia captain Tim Paine’s playing career may be over, with the wicketkeeper omitted from Tasmania’s list of contracted players and at the age of 37 it seems unlikely he will find a route back into the team. Both Tasmania and Queensland have strengthened their fast-bowling stocks for 2022-23 with both states this morning announcing their squads for next season. But Paine, who stepped down as Test captain when a sexting scandal broke before last summer’s Ashes series, was not included in the
Brendon McCullum appointed England men’s Test team head coach London, May 12 (IANS) Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been appointed as England’s men’s team head coach, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday. The 40-year-old McCullum will start his role with the Test side in the home series against New Zealand, starting on June 2 at Lord’s, subject to obtaining a necessary work visa. “We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England Men’s Test Head Coach. It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game. I believe his appointment will be good for England’s Test team,” Managing Director of England’s men’s cricket Rob Key said in an ECB statement. McCullum’s appointment comes after Chris Silverwood departed from the role, following the 4-0 drubbing in the Ashes away. It means the England men’s coaching duties have now been split, with
separate coaches for red and whiteball cricket. The former Kiwi cricketer has coaching experience in franchise cricket, currently serving as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. McCullum was also the head coach of the CPL franchise Trinbago Knight Riders. As the head coach of the England Test side, McCullum’s first order of business will be improving England’s position in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 table. England are currently languishing at the bottom after a string of poor results. “I’d like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England’s Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era,” said McCullum on his appointment. “In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to
help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on. I’ve enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious. I’m no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started,” he added. The new head coach was full of praise for England’s new Test captain Ben Stokes and stated that he was looking forward to working
with him. “Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us,” he said. England have a blockbuster summer of Test cricket ahead, with a home series against McCullum’s home country New Zealand, the conclusion of the five-match Test series against India and also a three-match series against South Africa.
IPL 2022: A change in approach helps Daniel Sams get into the groove Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) As the Australian media kept an eye on their cricketers playing overseas in the last month or so, the talk has all been about David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Handscomb, Michael Neser, and Marnus Labuschagne. Some of them are playing in the Indian Premier League while others were plying their trade in county cricket in England. Those conversations did not involve Daniel Sams initially as the Aussie allrounder struggled to find his rhythm. He went wicketless in his first two matches, making an inauspicious start with 0/57 in four overs. However, the 29-year-old Australian from New South Wales has now found his form and come up with some superb efforts -- like defending eight runs in the last over against Gujarat Titans at Brabourne and claiming 4/30 against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on April 21. Thursday's haul of 3/16 is his most economical performance, which helped Mumbai Indians bowl out CSK for 97, eventually going on to win by five wickets. Sams' performance earned him the Playerof-the-Match award. Sams on Thursday admitted that he had a poor start but said a change in his approach -- from focusing on the batters to bowling to his strengths www.indianabroad.news
-- did the trick for him. "The first few games didn't go to plan and I had a little bit of time to reflect on those performances and the performances in the past when I've played really well. I just figured out that I was focusing on the batter too much and not focusing on my strengths. That was something to work on at training and it was more
about the reflection of when I come out here, I'm going to do what I do really well," Sams said at the postmatch presentation. The Aussie allrounder picked the wicket of Moeen Ali as more satisfactory as it was a well-planned dismissal. "We always talk about each batter and have different plans for each
batter. Some batters have more specific plans than others. But with Moeen, he's obviously a really nice player. The short ball is something that he can either hit for six or he can get out to. That's one of the things we also spoke about a lot, using the bouncer more to all batters really so that the batter feels a little bit more uncomfortable and they can't just get on the front foot and smack us for sixes as we see in T20 a lot," Sams said. Sams said that though the whole IPL 2022 has been played on good wickets, he said it was good to see the bowlers dominate on the Wankhede pitch on Thursday as it offered both movement and bounce. "The whole T20/IPL this year has been beautiful wickets to bowl on. There are some (pitches) that have been flat, but there's been some that have some nice pace, nice bounce and a little bit more grass. So it's been really enjoyable. Obviously, today's pitch was bowler-friendly so it's good to see a T20 game where the bowlers dominate." Though Sams has not been so successful with the bat, despite being promoted to the No 3. position on Thursday, he will be hoping that his good performance in the IPL will count to something when it comes to selection matters in his native Australia.
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Tasmania’s squad. After taking time away from cricket following his captaincy resignation, Paine returned to the Tasmanian cricket fold in an unofficial coaching role late last season. His playing future remained uncertain until the release of Tasmania’s contract list today, with his on-field career appearing to have ended after 35 Tests and 147 first-class matches. Australia white-ball paceman Kane Richardson has signed with the Bulls after moving to the Gold Coast with his family, while former ODI and T20I quick Billy Stanlake has
switched from Queensland to the Tigers, reports cricket.co.uk. Evergreen seamer Peter Siddle, who is currently plying his trade with Somerset in the County Championship, has also signed a one-year extension with Tasmania, which will take him into his 16th summer of first-class cricket. Left-arm spinner Tom Andrews, left-arm quick Sam Rainbird, who took Tasmania’s best-ever first-class figures of 8-21 in the last match of the season, and batters Charlie Wakim and Mac Wright have also inked new deals with the Tigers, with opening batter Tim Ward signing a three-year extension. The other inclusion alongside Stanlake is young allrounder Nick Davis, who landed a rookie deal after impressing with Premier Cricket club Glenorchy and Tasmania Second XI. Tasmania narrowly missed the final in both the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup last season, finishing third in each competition, and new men’s head coach Jeff Vaughan said it was a positive there wasn’t much need for list movement.
Brazil, Argentina friendly in Australia called off
Rio (Brazil), May 12 (IANS) An international friendly between Brazil and Argentina scheduled to be played in Australia next month has been called off, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday. CBF coordinator Juninho Paulista said the match, slated for the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 11, was canceled at the request of the Argentine Football Association. “We were prepared, with all the necessary logistics for this game, because we understood that we had to fulfill this contract,” Juninho told a news conference. The Argentine Football Association was not immediately available for
comment. On Monday, FIFA said the South American rivals must replay a 2022 World Cup qualifier that was abandoned in Sao Paulo last September because of alleged COVID-19 rule breaches by Argentina, reports Xinhua. Juninho said the CBF is in talks to find another opponent during FIFA’s next international window. Brazil will also face South Korea in Seoul on June 2 and Japan in Tokyo four days later. “Conversations are still at an early stage,” he said. “We’re likely to play against an African team and our hope is that the match will be in Europe.”
IPL Turning Point: Pacers make it possible for Mumbai Indians against CSK
Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Pitches for T20 matches usually favour the batters as the organisers believe that the fans want to see the ball being smacked around for sixes. Mumbai Indians' Australian pacers Daniel Sams, Jasprit Bumrah, and Riley Meredith made good use of the swing and bounce offered by the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium for Match 59 of IPL 2022 to bowl out Chennai Super Kings for 97 and set up their five-wicket win. Sams claimed 3/16, Meredith bagged 2/27 and Bumrah took 1/12 off three overs as Mumbai Indians were reduced to 29/5 in the sixth over from where they never recovered, despite an unbeaten 36 by skipper MS Dhoni. Sams, the 29-year-old allrounder from New South Wales, Australia, bowled brilliantly, bowled hard length, moved the ball around, and kept the batters under pressure as he gave Mumbai Indians a good start. Sams struck two vital blows in the first over of the match, getting
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out Devon Conway -- a fortuitous wicket as the ball was going down the leg-side and there was no DRS available for the CSK batter to utilise. Chennai Super Kings were reduced to 2/2 at the end of the first over. Jasprit Bumrah compounded their troubles when he trapped Robin Uthappa lbw during a superb wicket maiden in which he beat the batter thrice with deliveries that left the batter, moving away. The fourth one went straight and trapped him in front of the wicket. Left-arm spinner Kumar Karthikeya claimed two wickets, including the vital one of Dwayne Bravo with Tilak Varma plucking out a brilliant one-handed catch which virtually ended CSK's fight bar barring a couple of big hits by Dhoni. CSK ended with a paltry score and though their bowlers, particularly Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh, raised hopes by reducing Mumbai Indians to 33/4, some sensible batting by Tilak Varma (34 not out) and Hrithik Shokeen (18) saw Mumbai Indians home as they added 49 runs for the fifth wicket partnership. Tim David (16 not out) blasted two sixes in an over as Mumbai reached 103/5 to win the match by five wickets.
22
HEALTH
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Laughter helps heart health 7 reasons why you need to meditate daily
When was the last time you laughed hard? Not just a little guffaw, but the kind of guffaw that makes your stomach hurt or even tears well up in your eyes? Laughter not only makes you feel good, but it has been shown to improve your mental health, immune system, and even vascular function. Laughter alleviates many of the negative symptoms of stress. When you laugh, your body produces endorphins, which are feel-good hormones. These hormones make you feel good and keep negative emotions at bay. It's no surprise that you feel better after laughing. Laughter is a simple way to care for your heart. It does not necessitate a drastic change in lifestyle, but it may inspire you to seek happiness in your life. Laughter is an easy way to take care of your heart. It doesn’t require a huge lifestyle change, but it may encourage you to find the happiness in your life each day. Here are a few ways that laughter might help your heart health: Increases the strength of your immune system. Laughing boosts the number of disease-fighting cells in your body, making you less likely to become ill or infected. If you do fall unwell, your body will be better prepared to deal with it. Reduces your chances of having a heart attack. Your heart rate rises and you take several deep breaths when you laugh. This improves
vascular function by allowing more oxygenated blood to circulate through your body. Prevents the onset of heart disease. Improved vascular function and circulation can also lower your chances of being diagnosed with heart disease. Your heart will continue to beat at a regular rhythm if blood flow is adequate. It aids with weight loss. Cortisol, a stress hormone, can rise and have severe consequences on your health if you stress out too much. A high cortisol level in the body might cause fast weight gain. Not only can laughing alleviate stress, but it also burns calories. When combined with a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise, you'll have a better chance of avoiding future heart problems! Blood pressure is reduced. Your body relaxes, decreasing your blood pressure, while endorphins are released to counteract the detrimental effects of stress chemicals. The combination of these "feel good" chemicals and reduced blood pressure enhances your mood, reduces anxiety, and relieves heart strain. Increase your happiness and improve your heart health by adding more laughing to your life. Don't know where to start? Try these suggestions for enhancing your chances of having a nice time: If you watch a lot of crime episodes or dramas on Netflix, or if you watch a lot of news or sports on TV, be
sure you watch a hilarious movie or stand-up comedy special every now and again. Find some local improv or stand-up comedy gigs and enjoy the experience firsthand. Spending time with good friends is one of the easiest methods to smile. Organize an entertaining game night, preferably one that does not include Monopoly. Choose games that encourage group engagement, such as charades or Pictionary, to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. "Do you recall that one occasion when..." Looking back on amusing recollections or reminiscing about former events may be a wonderful way to share special moments with others. Examine old photographs and try to recollect specific details from that time. What made you choose that particular hairstyle? What exactly was going on? What were you doing? When was the last time you all got together as a family? Make plans for a family outing or a quiet family meal. It's entirely up to you whether you want to spend time with your immediate or extended family. Focus on the present instead than bringing up old family conflicts. This is also a fantastic time to reminisce or convert the evening into a game night! Consider having a pet if you're not laughing as much as you used to because you're lonely.
Suffering from Respiratory Issues?
Breathing is necessary for survival. When you breathe properly, it reduces stress and boosts your immunity, allowing you to stay healthy. Regular and dedicated Pranayama and Yoga practise is one of the most important ways to improve your breathing capacity and prowess. These two holistic practises offer numerous techniques or asanas to increase one's lung capacity and that of the entire breathing system, lowering the chances of contracting respiratory problems and/or reducing their impact, if they exist. As a result, a thorough, long-term practise of the healing therapies of Pranayama and Yoga should be on everyone's to-do list if they want to stay healthy. How to know if you have a respiratory issue? Asthma, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis (TB), bronchitis, and lung cancer are the most common types of respiratory diseases. A majority of respiratory disease symptoms are also fairly common, including shortness of breath, a persistent nagging cough, chest pain, and blood in your sputum, also known as hemoptysis.
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It's important to remember that people with asthma typically exhibit symptoms such as coughing with sputum, general tiredness, and a reliance on seasonal changes. On the other hand, common TB patients exhibit symptoms such as cough with sputum, hemoptysis, and weight loss, whereas COPD patients exhibit cough with sputum and major fatigue, which worsens over time if not treated properly. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, please see a lung specialist right away. How Yoga & Pranayama can help? Yoga is based on five principles: positive thinking and meditation, relaxation, exercise, Pranayama, and a nutritious diet. Controlled breathing, also known as Pranayama, is a technique known to increase our lung capacity and overall bodily functions through regular practise by controlling inspiration and expiration. The technique makes use of diaphragmatic and abdominal muscles, which improves the human respiratory system. Regular practise of Pranayam techniques such as Kapalbhati, Nadisuddi, Bramhari, Bhastrika, and others has been shown to benefit practitioners.
And we must do them on a regular basis if we want healthy lungs that will last a lifetime. In addition to Pranayama, if one practices the yogic exercises known as Yogic Asanas, the benefits accrued are multi-fold. This form of exercise connects our body to our heart and soul, and puts us back in touch with our inner being. This way, we are the first to know if we are feeling out of balance and unwell, thus we can look at how to rectify the situation. Some of the yoga poses that can be practiced for respiratory issues like TB, asthma; COPD, bronchitis etc are Dhanurasna, Bhujangasana, Matsyasana and Trikonasana. These poses are very effective in lung cleansing and strengthening chest muscles. If one is practicing a layered asana such as Surya Namsakar, it has major detoxifying effects on our internal organs as well as brings about a sense of relaxation. All of these practises, however, must be combined with healthy eating as part of our daily routine. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and pulses should be consumed on a daily basis and cooked with the appropriate spices for your body dosha type and season. Consuming local seasonal fruits and vegetables also boosts our immunity and helps us fight disease more effectively. While all of this may sound like general advice, our lungs will not be strong on their own unless our overall health is good. Breathing is the first thing we do instinctively after birth, but when we are confronted with respiratory diseases, that instinct becomes a laborious task. (Dr. Deepak Mittal, Founder, Divine Soul Yoga)
Contrary to popular belief, Meditation is not about zoning out and emptying your thoughts or mind. It’s about zoning inwards, acknowledging your thoughts, and then detaching from them without judgment. The most common reactions I get when I talk about meditation are- “I cannot meditate”, “I cannot empty my mind”, “as soon as I empty my mind a thousand thoughts enter my mind”, “sitting for long hours hurts my back and hips” or “mediation makes me more anxious”. Well, all of this can be true if you throw yourself into the deep end of mediation without any experience. Start from the basics. Preferably start by preparing your body through basic simple asanas (yoga stretches) and breathe through pranayama (breathing techniques). Find a place that is comfortable for you to meditate. Some people use a quiet space at home or in the office. You can meditate outside in nature as well. Meditation reduces stress, anxiety, and negative emotions: Meditation is a gift that you should dedicate to yourself every day. Use your breath to help de-stress and become more aware and present at the moment. Stress, anxiety, and negative emotions are unpredictable, they come and go as they please but through meditation, you can control the power they have over you and your mind. Over time you will observe a transformation in the amount of stress/anxiety you accumulate within. Simply closing your eyes and steadily breathing has a tremendous effect, especially when you acknowledge stressful situations arising. Meditation is so powerful to reduce anxiety. One of the main reasons people meditate is to help quiet a loud, overactive mind. Daily meditation might be able to help support the treatment and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because meditation helps fight stress and anxiety, which are both major triggers for depression. It helps increase focus, creativity, and productivity: Want to feel more
creative and productive at work? Start meditating now! Meditation can encourage creative thinking and problem-solving. Meditation also helps us separate our emotions from our work, which helps us think more clearly and develop new ideas. Daily meditation can help you perform better at work! It helps increase your focus and attention and improves your ability to multitask. Meditation helps clear our minds and helps us focus on the present moment – which gives you a huge productivity boost. Boasts emotional intelligence: Unless you make the effort to observe your thoughts and attempt to understand what the mind is doing, you are never going to learn about your inner self. Many of us have trouble understanding our emotions. Meditation teaches us how to be more aware of our feelings and emotions and helps us process them better. Simply believing every thought that pops in your head and living under your mind’s umbrella is not constructive. Practising meditation changes how you think and helps you learn to understand your emotions without having to act upon them. Improves Sleep: A variety of meditation techniques can help you relax and control runaway thoughts that interfere with your sleep cycle. This can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the quality of your sleep. Helps fight addictions: Meditation
develops mental awareness and can help you manage triggers for unwanted impulses. This can help you recover from addiction, manage unhealthy eating habits, and redirect other unwanted habits. Boosts immunity: Regular meditation has been shown to help boost your immune system. It increases electrical activity in the left side of the brain – which is responsible for your immune system. It was also found that those who meditate have higher counts of antibodies in their blood, which helps fight illness. Get more out of your workout: Exercise, especially HIIT workouts (High-intensity interval training) and long hours of cardio can do a number on your muscles and your central nervous system. Such workouts could unintentionally cause stress on the body and the mind and cause an increase in your cortisol levels in the body. Meditation allows you to deeply rest your body and mind removing stress from your physiology. With meditation’s ability to reduce our stress levels, we’re able to perform our workouts at an optimal level and at the same time meditation might also help minimize sensitivity to pain. After reading all these amazing benefits, isn’t mediation worth a try? (Celebrity meditation expert Samiksha Shetty shares benefits of meditation)
Acute hepatitis among children spreads to 21 countries: WHO
New Delhi, May 11 The mysterious acute hepatitis condition among children has spread to 21 countries with 348 probable cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. The liver disease that was first reported in the UK in April, has reportedly seen five child deaths in the US, and three in Indonesia, while about 26 children had to undergo liver transplantation. "To date, 348 probable cases have been reported in 21 countries, with 26 children requiring liver transplantation," the WHO said in a statement. "Fifteen countries have reported 5 or fewer cases," it added. On April 5, the United Kingdom International Health Regulations (IHR) reported 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in previously healthy young children (ages ranging from 11 months to 5 years old) in Scotland.
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While so far there is no reason identified, adenovirus - a common family of infections responsible for illnesses from colds to eye infections - is suspected to be causing the condition. Adenovirus has been detected in blood or plasma samples for many of the cases, but in low viral loads. However, the global health body noted that since "adenovirus has not yet been identified in the liver tissue samples analysed and therefore, could be a coincidental rather than a causal factor". The UK currently leads in cases with around 163, and only six countries are reporting more than five cases. The US on Friday announced it was investigating 109 probable cases of "unknown origin". According to Dr. Philippa Easterbrook, a senior scientist in the WHO's hepatitis department, adenovirus type 41 was most
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common among the cases, which typically causes diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, as well as respiratory symptoms, Global.ca reported. Easterbrook said more data from the UK, expected this week, will reveal whether the adenovirus is a correlation or causal. Covid-19 was also detected in 18 per cent of the UK cases and the WHO is investigating how many of the total hepatitis cases previously had the virus. "An important consideration is the role of Covid, either as a co-infection or past infection," Easterbrook was quoted as saying. The WHO is currently working closely with all regions in its active investigation, and is co-ordinating with the UK Health Security Agency. Hepatitis impacts the liver and can be detected by the onset of jaundice (yellow eyes), dark urine and/or pale stools.
23
ART & CULTURE
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Woman and Art; an Inseparable Duo
By Dr Gunjan Shrivastava While women have been the subject of many a masterpiece, prized and adorned on the walls of prestigious museums and galleries across the world, the progress made in the representation, as well as the recognition of women as ‘the artist’ rather than ‘the muse’, has, to this day, been slow-paced. Although it may seem strange that the archetypal concept of gender disparity makes its presence felt in a community that is seemingly so liberal and open in its ethos, the reality is that it’s much the same as any other industry and widely prevalent. The origins of the lack of gender equity within the artistic community can be traced back to the fact that women weren’t allowed to enter artistic professions or receive training until 1870. However, with that said, it’s hard to understand why more than a century later women are still fighting against being type-casted as second fiddle to their male counterparts. Theories about the cause of this disparity within the artistic community have ranged from cultural biases in the interpretation of art, the disproportioned diversity of curators, collectors, and gallerists as well as the common ‘isms’ that plague women in any field they call their dominion. However today, with the foundation laid by women before us, women artists have begun to take the art world by storm, commanding
respect, recognition as well as a place of their own. Nigerian-born, visual artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby captured this sentiment beautifully when she said, “You don’t exist if you’re not represented. I felt a need to claim my own social existence by making the representation happen.” This bold new stance for women in art has created a wave of transformation with its effect echoing across the world. In India, women have been on the receiving end of countless persecutions, and stigmas for centuries, all in the name of culture and tradition. However, over time a brave few have taken up alms, with the paintbrush as their weapon of choice, to raise awareness and in that awareness incite change. To India’s women artists, art has served as a recluse and a megaphone; it provides an outlet to express their struggle as well as to draw attention to the plight of India’s women as well as the societal pressures that are placed on our shoulders. From paintings and sculptures to installations, these artists have made their presence felt and have done so since pre-independence. And while all may not have experienced commercial acclaim in their lifetime they certainly have attained critical acclaim. Perhaps one of the most prolific of these canvas matriarchs is Amrita Sher-Gill who, in her hauntingly soul-searching self-portraits highlighted the culture as well as
the despair of rural India; earning her the title of India‘s Frida Kahlo. Contemporary artist and Padma Shri recipient Anjolie Ela Menon is another, who, in one of her most renowned works ‘Shabnam’ explored the hidden emotions and sensuality of women. Rekha Rodwittiya is yet another contemporary artist who through her series of nude paintings depicted the female form in a resolute and powerful disposition, showcasing the strength of a woman. Knowingly or unknowingly all these incredible artists along with their collections and creations have helped pave the way for a generation of artists who are unabashed in their creations as well as their meaning. Take Goa-based visual illustrator Arunima Bose, who in her interactive installation titled ‘In Full Bloom: Playing with Pleasure’ wanted to normalize female sexuality. Illustrator and installation artist Shilo Shiv Suleman combines art and technology to create work that aims to drive social change. In fact, she’s even founded the Fearless Collective which is a coalition of 400 Indian artists who use art as a medium to protest against gender violence. American abstract expressionist painter, Grace Hartigan once said “A work of art is the trace of a magnificent struggle.” and as you browse through the pages of history, you will begin to understand that women have not just fought and persevered to be heard, but have triumphed against all odds. It is no wonder then that as you go deeper into the relationship women have had with art, you will notice that their endeavour isn’t merely to create aesthetic value, but to provoke change through every brushstroke. Whether, as a muse, subject, or creator; standing on the shoulders of exceptional women before us the duo of women and art is perhaps the most enigmatic relationship that has taken more than a century to evolve. And with current generations taking on the mantle of challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of our representation and our place in this world, the future holds a multitude of opportunities, exciting adventures, and gender as well as era-defining movements.
Masterworks from the Alana Collection
Christie's presents Old Masters, New Perspectives: Masterworks from the Alana Collection, a selection from one of the most important collections of Italian Old Master paintings, sculptures, and antiquities ever offered at auction in New York. The selection will make its London debut alongside Christie's 20/21 exhibition, which will present a new perspective on Old Masters by putting them in conversation with 20th and 21st century artworks, demonstrating an exceptional breadth of masterpieces throughout history. The Alana Collection's Gothic, Italian Renaissance, and Baroque paintings, assembled with great expertise and passion over decades, comprehensively tell the story of Italian art history, and have gained international renown following the acclaimed 2019-2020 exhibition at the Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris. The selection of works offered in this sale, led by masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Orazio Gentileschi, El Greco, and many other illustrious artists, is distinguished not only by their exceptional artistic quality, but also by the way they tell an important story, both about the culture that produced them and our own. The auction includes over 50 outstanding works that will be sold in a single-owner live auction on June 9, 2022, at Rockefeller Plaza, following a global tour that includes Impressionist, Modern, and PostWar highlights to London, Hong
India Art Fair 2022 concludes
The 2022 edition of the India Art Fair concluded on May 1 amid reports of robust sales. Presented by BMW India from 28 April to 1 May 2022 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in the Capital, the fair presented a contingent of 77 exhibitors, including 63 galleries and 14 institutional participants from 16 cities in India and beyond. Celebrating the return of its physical format in 2022, the fair unfolded a range of public programmes and tightly curated gallery presentations that championed new voices alongside established names. It featured over 500 modern and contemporary artists, an unrivalled representation of non-profits and institutions, an oversubscribed auditorium talks programme, colossal outdoor art projects, Artist www.indianabroad.news
in Residence workshops, performances and a reimagined ‘Platform’ section that showcased underrepresented traditional and folk Indian art forms. Tapping into the growing interest amongst millennials and a new generation of audiences, an expanded ‘Young Collectors Programme' with the aim of educating and empowering new collectors was also witnessed. A new section, ‘The Studio’ section dedicated to experimenting with new ideas in art and technology was also launched this time. Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair, commented: “As the first fair that I oversaw, I am immensely proud of the team and all our artists, galleries and partners for working
so seamlessly together and for pushing the boundaries of the region’s artistic language. The upbeat energy at the fair has demonstrated that audiences here are ready to dive back in and experience art in person again, a true embodiment of the strength and resilience of the region’s art scene. Since the pandemic has caused a paradigm shift in the global art market, the purpose of art fairs has taken on new relevance, which prompted us to reconsider our role within the art world. In a bid to sustain this cultural dialogue throughout the last two years, we transitioned from a seasonal 4-day event to a year-round presence through a refreshed website with newly commissioned artist films and stories, IAF Parallel exhibitions
most important and innovative of Caravaggio’s early followers, this work was last seen in 2017 in the Beyond Caravaggio exhibition at the National Gallery, London. François de Poortere, Christie’s Head of Old Master Paintings, comments, “We are honored to be entrusted with treasures from the Alana collection for auction this spring. These paintings, sculptures and works of art tell the history of Italian art from Antiquity, through the Renaissance to the Baroque era and counts among the greatest assembled in the last century. Passion and connoisseurship drove the creation of this extraordinary collection which has and will stand the test of history.” Bonnie Brennan, Christie’s President of Americas, comments, “It is an honor to partner with the Fine Art Group to present this once in a generation collection with some of the finest works of their kind to ever come on the public market. The profound quality and breadth of these works stand as a testament of the supreme care and vision that guided the formation of the Alana Collection. We are especially excited to debut these works alongside 20th and 21st century masterpieces, creating a dialogue across the entirety of history.”
The Art of Balancing Family and Entrepreneurship
and events, new pop-ups and public art projects, workshops and walkthroughs to grow our footprint within the region.” Leading figures across the cultural landscapes of India and the South Asia region attended the fair to explore and experience the diverse line-up of leading exhibitors and curated programmes. These include art patrons such as Feroze and Mohit Gujral, Radhika Chopra, Kiran and Shiv Nadar, Sunil Munjal, Tarini and Sangita Jindal, Tarana and Tarun Sawhney, Shalini Jindal, Lekha Poddar, Abhishek Poddar, Sunitha and Vijay Choraria, Sonal Ambani, Indira and Pradeep Burman, Vasudha Ruia, Vivek Nanda, Madhu Neotia, Alexandra Fain, Shalini Passi, Meha Patel, Arti Kirloskar, Miheeka Bajaj and V. Sunil. Additionally, the fair expanded its corporate outreach with first-time attendees from Grant Thorton, Vistara, Sotheby’s Realty, Ambit Capital and a special hour hosted by Julius Baer at the VIP Lounge. Members of BMW Excellence Club, Vistara, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO), Entrepreneur Organisations (EOs), Young Presidents Organisations (YPOs), Ladies Who Lead and The Aspen Institute also attended the fair. The 14th edition of the India Art Fair will run from 9 to 12 February 2023 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi.
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Kong, New York, and Los Angeles. The sale proceeds will go to a charitable organisation that promotes the arts and education. The sale of these works is expected to bring in between $30 and $50 million. The zeal, connoisseurship, and sophistication that drove the formation of the Alana Collection’s Old Master Paintings, Sculptures, and Antiquities recall the spirit of such notable collectors as Norton Simon, John G. Johnson, Robert Lehman, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, and Jayne Wrightsman in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A powerful yet touching depiction of The Madonna and Child by Orazio Gentileschi (estimate: $4,000,000-6,000,000) stands out from the collection. This work on panel is an exquisite example of Gentileschi’s refined style, painted with lapus lazuili and other expensive materials, indicating that it was created for one of the artist’s most important patrons. Although the mother and child were clearly painted from posed models, following Caravaggio’s innovative practises, Gentileschi imbued the painting with his own poetic idiom, grounded in the more formal, Baroque pictorial conventions of his day. Fra Angelico’s Saint Dominic and the Stigmatization of Saint Francis (estimate: $4,000,0006,000,000) is another highlight in the collection. This small panel by the early Florentine Renaissance artist was recently featured in an exhibition dedicated to the artist held at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Its second panel, originally part of a diptych, is the Madonna and Child with four angels in the Detroit Art Institute. El Greco’s Portrait of a Young Man, said to be Saint Luis Gonzaga (estimate $3,000,0005,000,000), is also noteworthy. It is one of the few portraits by the artist still in private hands. The sitter has been identified as Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), who worked as a page for the Infante Diego, who would have been around 14 at the time this was painted in 1582. In Bartolomeo Manfredi’s A drinking and musical party, a group of revellers gathered around a table provides an intriguing glimpse into daily life in early-seventeenth-century Rome. Painted by arguably the
Needless to say, being an entrepreneur is immensely fulfilling because of the complete freedom you get from pursuing what you truly believe in. But that also comes with long, erratic, and vigorous hours that can be taxing because you are the one making all the decisions. Lines between personal and professional lives start becoming blurry, and before you know it, non-existent, and the drive and motivation with which you first began. This is why it becomes very important to be able to differentiate life from work, successfully, because success means nothing without self-satisfaction and happiness. To me, the family has always been a source of my happiness and spending time with them always takes my stress away! My mom has always and will be my inspiration in life. Just growing up with her has made me look at the world with such a sanguine perspective, and I’ve tried imbibing all of her traits to the highest potential, though I’m sure I cannot achieve the level of perfection with which she has led her life. Now that I’m a mother myself, I realise the effort that goes into maintaining that balance can be quite tricky and can lead to slip-ups ever-so-often if you’re not extremely mindful. So, I too, am continuously trying to be the same mother to my kids, albeit not as nonchalantly! In my
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personal life, I practise a few lessons to maintain this balance. Like, when I’m on a trip with my family I ensure that I don’t let work-related stress or even work calls for that matter take me away from being present in that moment. I manage my time effectively and get the most done during work hours so I can just as effectively spend quality time with my husband and kids at home. Entrepreneurship comes with its own set of challenges. For example, as is the case when you’re starting anything from an idea’s incubation, building it up further requires a lot of your time. This means weekends usually look lonely, the hours in the day feel insufficient compared to the quantum of work, the inspiration tends to start running low when you’re not seeing adequate results in the short-term and this can lead to frustration to a point of sometimes even giving up. Having sailed in the same boat, I can vouch that a family’s encouragement and presence on a bad day make all the difference. If there is one thing I endorse, it is not losing yourself in the process of building something new because it would’ve been all for nought. A few tips to ensure striking the optimum balance would be to structure and plan the day better with the goal to achieve maximum output in between work hours so you can utilise the rest the way you’d like. For me, it would be my morning runs and workout time. Lastly, spend as much time with your loved ones as you possibly can. Nobody will have your back as they do! (Vineeta Singh is the Co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics)
24
LITERATURE BUSINESS
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 16-31 2022
Kovind to be first President to Kashmiri photojournalist address Bodo Sahitya Sabha meet wins Pulitzer award
Guwahati, May 3 (IANS) Ram Nath Kovind would be the first President to attend and address the 61st annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), a regional language literary meet, in western Assam's Tamulpur on Wednesday. The President accompanied by his wife arrived in Guwahati on
Tuesday. The President accompanied by Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other dignitaries would attend the mega event of the BSS. On Thursday, he would got to Aizawl to address the 16th Convocation of
the Mizoram University. The northeastern region, where tribals and non-tribals reside, preserve over 200 dialects. The three-day conference of BSS began on Monday. The Assam government has sanctioned special casual leave to the state government employees who are participating in the conference being held at Kachubari in Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region bordering Bhutan and West Bengal. BSS President Toren C. Boro said thousands of delegates attended the conference from different parts of the world so far. Apart from Assam, a large number of people speaking the Bodo language live in Bangladesh, Nepal, Tripura, Nagaland and West Bengal. Inspired by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, the BSS was formed in 1952 for the development of literature, culture, and language. It is playing a leading role in maintaining coordination among different ethnic groups. The Bodos (or Boros) were once a powerful and dominant race in the northeast. The Assam government recognised the Bodo language as an associate official language of the state in 2020 after the signing of the Bodo peace accord between the Centre, Assam government and four Bodo militant outfits in January 2020. According to the Census 2011, there are around 14.16 lakh Bodo speakers in Assam (4.53 per cent) of the total population of the state.
Mumbai varsity confers Doctorate on tabla maestro Zakir Hussain
Mumbai, May 12 (IANS) Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said that by honouring legendary tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain with a Doctor of Laws degree, the University of Mumbai is honouring itself and the award for the legendary musician would inspire young generations to excel in life. Governor Koshyari, who is also the Chancellor of Universities in the state - was speaking at a Special Convocation at the University of Mumbai to confer an honorary Degree on Hussain, 71, at the imposing Cawasji Jehangir Convocation Hall. He also presented a Doctor of Literature to the doyen of polyester industry Shashikant Garware and a Doctor of Science to renowned scientist Mukund Chorghade. Koshyari said that unlike politicians who do not like fellow politicians to go ahead of them, music Gurus are happy to see their disciples excelling and achieving greater glory in their chosen fields. Stating that the National Education Policy allows students to pursue Music along with Science, the Governor expressed hopes that if implemented properly, universities will produce more talented people like Hussain and Garware. Ustad Zakir Hussain termed the
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degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws as a blessing from the masters and dedicated the degree to his illustrious father and Tabla legend, the late Ustad Alla Rakha. On the occasion, Minister of Higher & Technical Education Uday Samant announced the opening of the Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar College of Music & Museum in the University of Mumbai on September 28 - which is the birth anniversary of the late singer who passed away here on February 6 aged 92. He said that the government of Maharashtra has already made a provision of Rs 100 crore for the
Srinagar, May 10 (IANS) Sanna Irshad Mattoo, a local freelance photojournalist has won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize award in feature photography category for 2022. Sanna has shared the award with the Reuters team, including late Danish Siddiqui, Amit Dave and Adnan Abidi for the coverage of Covid-19 crisis in India. "Congratulations to @adnanabidi, @ mattoosanna, @AmitDav46549614, the family and friends of the late,
@dansiddiqui, and @Reuters. #Pulitzer," Pulitzer announced on Twitter. For "images of COVID's toll in India that balanced intimacy and devastation, while offering viewers a heightened sense of place", Pulitzer Prizes website said while announcing the award. Their work was moved from the breaking news photography category by the judges", Pulitzer website said. Sanna, who holds Master's in
Convergent Journalism from the Central University of Kashmir, has her work published in international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, TIME and TRT World. She has also done a fellowship with the prestigious Magnum Foundation in 2021. This is what Sanna's Pulitzer introduction says, "Sanna Irshad Mattoo is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Kashmir. Ranging from groundbreaking news to in-depth storytelling, her work concentrates on depicting the tension between the seeming ordinariness of life and the stark symbols of a menacing militarised milieu of Kashmir. Her work has been published in newspapers and magazines around the world and has been screened and exhibited in various exhibitions and festivals. She presently contributes to Reuters as a Multimedia Journalist. It must be recalled that Danish Siddiqui was killed while covering the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. In 2020, three Kashmiri photojournalists Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan, and Channi Anand had won the prestigious Pulitzer award. The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature and musical composition within the US. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is administered by Columbia University.
Shireesh Khemariya’s ‘Who Am I’ is a philosophical drama on self-discovery
College. Samant sought the cooperation of Usha Mangeshkar, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and others in designing the curriculum of the programmes to be offered as courses by the College. Vice Chancellor Suhas Pednekar, Pro-Vice Chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni, renowned artists Vijay Ghate, Satyajit Talwalkar, Pt. Vibhav Nageshkar, Rakesh Chaurasia and Shankar Mahadevan were among those present at the solemn ceremony.
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) ‘Who Am I’ director Shireesh Khemariya talks about his film which is based on the novel ‘Ko Aham’ starring actor Shashie Vermaa, who is best known for ‘Panchayat’. Talking about the film, Shireesh says: “’Who Am I’ is a film that thematically categorizes itself in a philosophical drama genre. In my opinion, consideration of a film in its philosophical significance is a less touched idea especially when we talk about a river quite famous in India, the Narmada river.” “How circumambulating (Parikrama) the Narmada transpires the quest of existential perspective, has been the core idea that travels throughout the film, for it’s symbolic of the never-ending existential
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concerns that humans experience sooner or later.” Helmed by 22-year-old director Shireesh Khemariya and produced by Shirish Prakash, the story is set in a small town on the banks of river Narmada which also features ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’ fame Surendra Rajan and debutante actress Rishika Chandani. Writer Ashok Jamnani, author of the novel wrote the film’s initial draft as well. Sharing his working experience with the actors, he shares: “When the script was still nascent and we were still shaping characters, I had in mind Chetan Sharma for Bhavitavya, Shashie Varma for VLN sir and Surendra Rajan for Swami ji. I could only visualize them as characters.”
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“It was really fortunate that we could get them on board. It was really an enlightening process to work with such mature and veteran actors. Surendra ji , Chetan and Shashie ji made it easy for me and shooting for ‘Who Am I’ was more of a journey of enlightenment for us.” Producer Shirish Prakash speaks about the message this film conveys and what prompted him to back the film. He says: “This film seeks to address all of the questions by showing how the main character Bhavitva goes on a journey of self-discovery and realises his answers. The story will leave the audience with a new perspective on life.”
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LEADSCI-TECH STORIES
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Sundar Pichai brings key tech Google to lift ban on FDA-approved breakthroughs to countries like India stem cell therapy ads
New Delhi, May 12 Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, has doubled down on making new breakthroughs in some of the most technically challenging areas of computer science to countries like India that need them the most. Addressing the company's flagship Google I/O 2020 conference, Pichai said that Google's flood forecasting technology sent flood alerts to 23 million people in India and Bangladesh last year. "During last year's monsoon season, our flood alerts notified more than
23 million people in India and Bangladesh. And we estimate this supported the timely evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people," he said late on Wednesday. He also announced that the company is adding 24 new languages to Google Translate. "Together, these languages are spoken by more than 300 million people," he added. On Google Maps, the company has mapped around 1.6 billion buildings and over 60 million km of roads to date.
"We've also doubled the number of buildings mapped in India and Indonesia this year. Globally, over 20 per cent of the buildings on Google Maps have been detected using these new techniques," said Pichai. On YouTube, the company launched auto-generated chapters to make it easier to jump to the part people are most interested in. "We now have a goal to 10X the number of videos with auto-generated chapters, from eight million today, to 80 million over the next year," said Pichai, adding that the company is bringing auto-translated captions on YouTube to mobile. "Viewers can now auto-translate video captions in 16 languages, and creators can grow their global audience," he noted. The company also introduced automated summarisation for Google Docs. "Using one of our machine learning models for text summarization, Google Docs will automatically parse the words and pull out the main points. This marks a big leap forward for natural language processing," said Pichai. "We're launching summarisation for other products in Workspace. It will come to Google Chat in the next few months," he added.
Disney+ adds 7.9 mn subscribers as Netflix bleeds New Delhi, May 12 As Netflix loses paid subscribers amid slow growth, the Walt Disney Company has announced an increase of 7.9 million subscribers for Disney+, taking the total to 137.9 million, in the JanuaryMarch period. Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company said that the company is on track to reach 230 to 260 million subscribers by fiscal 2024. "Adding 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers in the quarter and total subscriptions across all our DTC offerings exceeding 205 million once again proved that we are in a league of our own," Chapek said in a statement late on Wednesday. Across all of Disney's streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+), total subscriptions exceeded 205 million. Hulu contributed 45.6 million subscriptions this quarter and ESPN+ added 1 million to reach 22.3 million subscribers. The Walt Disney Company reported earnings for its second fiscal quarter that ended April 2.
Revenues for the quarter grew 23 per cent to $19.25 billion and earnings of 25 cents per share. However, the company took a $1 billion hit for the amount due to a customer to early terminate license agreements for film and television content delivered in previous years in order for the company to use the content primarily on our
direct-to-consumer services. "As we look ahead to Disney's second century, I am confident we will continue to transform entertainment by combining extraordinary storytelling with innovative technology to create an even larger, more connected, and magical Disney universe for families and fans around the world," said Chapek.
San Francisco, May 11 Tech giant Google is set to remove the ban imposed on FDA-approved stem cell therapy ads from July. The move, which is to update its healthcare and medicine policy, will be effective from July 11. "The update will permit the promotion of FDA-licensed or approved cell or gene therapies in the US by entities that hold the relevant FDAissued licence or approval to market that product. "We will begin rolling out the policy update on July 11, 2022 with full enforcement ramping up over
approximately 4 weeks," the company said in a statement. However, companies that do not have an FDA-issued licence or approval will still be unable to promote cell therapies and gene therapies on Google Ads. In 2019, Google had announced a policy to prohibit advertising for unproven or experimental medical techniques such as most stem cell therapy, cellular (non-stem) therapy, and gene therapy owing to "rise in bad actors". "Rise in bad actors attempting to take advantage of individuals by
offering untested, deceptive treatments," the company had said. "Oftentimes, these treatments can lead to dangerous health outcomes and we feel they have no place on our platforms," it added. The policy prohibited ads selling treatments that have no established biomedical or scientific basis. It also included treatments that are rooted in basic scientific findings and preliminary clinical experience, but currently have insufficient formal clinical testing to justify widespread clinical use. In the 2022 update, Google also clarified "policy language to allow ads for cell or gene therapies, globally, that are exclusively educational or informational in nature, regardless of regulatory approval status." Stem cell therapy is a broad term for medical treatments that use stem cells, which can develop into any cell type. There are some evidence-based applications for the cells, like to treat some cancers, and there are around two dozen FDAapproved cell-and gene-therapy products. But most uses for stem cells are unproven, experimental, and can be dangerous.
Guide to report extreme weather events New Delhi, May 12 A guide for journalists, written by climate scientists, sets out what reporters can say about the link between climate change and extreme weather events like heatwaves, storms and floods. The guide, by researchers from Oxford University and Imperial College London and published by World Weather Attribution, an international group of climate scientists, explains how attribution science makes it possible to connect particular extreme events with climate change and why and where some events cannot always be linked with human-caused warming. Until recently, scientists avoided connecting individual events with climate change, instead limiting themselves to saying that an event might reflect the sort of thing we can expect to see more of in the future if emissions and warming continue. But scientists have developed methods that allow them to work out the link between climate change and an individual extreme weather event, calculating how much more or less likely, and how much more or less intense, an event has become because of global warming. These attribution studies allow scientists to make statements like "this heatwave was three degrees
hotter than it would have been in a world without global warming", or even that an event would have been effectively impossible without climate change. Even in the absence of a specific attribution study, journalists can often still make links between climate change and particular events. The guide sets out what journalists can say in these cases, covering heatwaves, floods, cyclones, snow, droughts and wildfires. Among its conclusions are that every heatwave can now be linked with climate change and that both
heavy rain and in some parts of the world -- but not all -- droughts are more common and more severe because of greenhouse gas emissions. With some other types of extreme weather, there are other important factors journalists should be aware of when they describe the climate change. "Reporting extreme weather and climate change: A guide for journalists" by Ben Clarke and Friederike Otto is available in nine languages at www.worldweatherattribution.org
Apple iPhones to shun Lightning Google announces 1st Pixel Watch, showcases Android tablet port and get USB-C in 2023: Analyst
New Delhi, May 12 Google has finally announced a Pixel Watch that will arrive along with Pixel 7 smartphone later this fall. The company also showcased its first Android tablet. The Pixel Watch will come with a circular, domed design and features a "tactile" crown and side button.
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Made of recycled stainless steel, the watch will run Wear OS 3 that features a "refreshed UI" with better navigation and smart notifications, the company announced late on Wednesday. "It has customizable bands that easily attach. With this watch,
you'll get the new Wear OS by Google experience and Fitbit's industry-leading health and fitness tools right on your wrist," said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices and Services . Google had bought Fitbit for $2.1 billion. The Fitbit integration will go beyond customising watch faces and be "imbued throughout" the Pixel Watch experience. Google also introduced the new Pixel 6a, which has the same Tensor processor and industry-leading security from our Titan M2 chip. "Our Pixel Buds are designed to perfectly complement your Pixel phone, and we're excited to expand the earbuds offerings with Pixel Buds Pro," said the company. These premium earbuds include a new, custom 6-core audio chip that runs Google-developed algorithms. The company also shared an early look at its Android tablet, powered by Google Tensor. "Built to be the perfect companion for your Pixel phone, our tablet will blend into your day-to-day routine and help connect the moments you're on the go with the moments you're at home. We hope to have more to share in 2023," said Osterloh.
New Delhi, May 11 Apple is set to abandon iPhone Lightning port in favour of the universally accepted USB-C smartphone port in 2023, a top Apple analyst claimed on
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Wednesday. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet that new iPhones next year will come with the all-popular USB-C port.
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"My latest survey indicates that 2H23 (second half of 2023) new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support," Kuo said in a tweet. Apple introduced the Lightning port standard in September 2012. Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow who is responsible for leading App Store and Apple Events, had called it "a modern connector for the next decade". According to Kuo, it is expected to see existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple's ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market's focus in the next 1-2 years, "thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories' adoption of USB-C ports." The smartphone industry at large has adopted the reversible USB-C standard. Apple recently added USB-C to its most recent iPads and using USBC-compatible Thunderbolt ports on many Macs. The European Union is also considering a proposal that would make USB-C ports mandatory on smartphones and other electronics
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FOOD & BUSINESS CUISINE
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Say Hello to tempeh 2022. Currently, the Bengaluru, Karnataka manufacturing facility serves all markets in the southern region. Hello Tempayy is available in six flavours right now: Natural, Spicy Peri Peri, Simply Sriracha, Peppery Szechuan Chilli, Roasted Chettinad,
Exodus and that cup of tea: Chef Sandeep Pandit
Hello Tempayy launches its versatile ready-to-cook plant-protein products in Mumbai Hello Tempayy, a Bengaluru-based food start-up, launches in Mumbai as it completes its first year of operations. For the first time in Mumbai, consumers will be able to purchase tempeh, a new and versatile ingredient, in a variety of ready-to-cook formats that are nutritious, wholesome, and completely vegetarian. Hello Tempayy offers easy-to-cook products made from non-GMO soybeans that can be adapted across cuisines, meal occasions, and cooking styles. It is a welcome change for vegetarians and fitness enthusiasts looking for new, healthy protein alternatives and variety in their diets. Hello Tempayy products are made with no preservatives or additives and have a clean label. Mumbai is India's largest consumer market, making it the ideal location for Hello Tempayy's first year of operations, following Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mysuru.
The product, which comes in six flavours, will be available on www. hellotempayy.com, Big Basket, Amazon Fresh, Urban Platter, and Nature's Basket by the end of 2022, followed by other modern and
general trade stores, cloud kitchens, and restaurants. Hello Tempayy also announced that all of their western products will be manufactured in a new facility in Pune, Maharashtra, with a capacity of 24 tonnes of tempayy by late
and Spiced Tawa Masala. Hello Tempayy is available in 200 gm. packs for between Rs. 145 and Rs. 165. Siddharth Ramasubramanian, Founder & CEO, Vegolution India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Mumbai is the largest consumer market in India with a large vegetarian population that is keen to discover new and contemporary products that fit their lifestyle. Mumbai’s unique blend of tradition and modernity makes it an exciting market for the launch of Hello Tempayy. Moreover, the city’s love for good food as well as fitness, makes the launch of a protein-rich ready-to-cook brand like Hello Tempayy both ideally suited and much needed.”
There is a peculiar link between his family’s exodus from Kashmir and his getting into cooking. When they moved to Bangalore from the Valley in face of growing threats to the Pandit community, things were bleak and food was hard to come by. Chef Sandeep Pandit recalls that his parents would often overtime. “I clearly remember making a cup of tea for my mother when I was nine years old. She was quiet and moved to tears. That was a very powerful moment in my life and I started believing in the power of food to change moods and influence them. Kitchen has since then become my happy place and I have never looked back,” recalls Pandit, an ex
MasterChef Australia contestant. When Gary Mehigan tasted his 'Smoked Masala Lonster' in one of the episodes, he had said, "The angels are singing somewhere." The Australian media christened him 'The Spice Angel', and now he has launched the brand of spices ‘The Spice Angel’ in India too. “My vision is to preserve traditional foods, dishes, cuisines across the world. Through this brand, we wish to bring chemical and preservative-free food that is based on traditional flavours or their inspirations.” Stressing that the ability of food to influence someone's mood and feelings continues to fascinate him, he considers food spiritual. “I believe what you eat is what you become,” says Pandit who studied Chemical Engineering and followed it up with an MBA degree. Recalling his experience as a MasterChef Australia participant, Pandit says that while one hand it was humbling, it also helped him become a household name in many parts of the world. “I realised that there’s so much more that I needed to learn about Indian and global cuisines. It also opened my eyes to the magnificent Australian local and native produce. I was sharing the
kitchen with some of the finest chefs on the planet.” Talking about changing food trends and eating habits post the Pandemic, the chef says that more people have taken up cooking and many are now suddenly conscious of what they are consuming. “Having said that, I do not think a vast majority is moving towards healthy eating. With the majority of the world (me included) working from home, managing a healthy lifestyle has become harder than before. I just hope that we all get used to this idea of hybrid working soon and modify our eating habits accordingly.” Stressing that chefs and the government can take several measures to make Kashmiri cuisine more popular, he feels that those in the kitchen must ensure that traditional food and techniques (Kashmiri and others) find a place in the food curriculum at various culinary schools. “I think many institutions are obsessed with everything French, Continental or Tandoori. The government must work towards getting GI (Geographical Indication) tags for Kashmiri produce like Kashmiri Chillies,” says the chef who is hoping to start a cloud kitchen and his own restaurant in the near future.
5 healthy breakfast products to start on a happy note
Keep your immunity in check with 6 flavourful ice teas
As summer approaches, get your sunglasses and sunscreen ready because National Iced Tea Month is quickly approaching. When it comes to chilled beverages, iced tea has always been at the top of our list! Tall glasses brimming with natural goodness, a dash of sweetness, and oodles of ice - that's something we can all relate to! From being an important part of Southern hospitality to unsweetened black iced tea being served all over the country, iced teas have taken over most restaurants, food trucks, and bars, and are now sold in a variety of forms by major tea brands. To say the least, the rise of cool teas or iced teas has been meteoric! Between 2017 and 2022, global Cool tea consumption increased from 37 billion litres to 45 billion litres. An increasing number of consumers want easy-to-brew, quick, and delicious iced teas that not only provide a sigh of relief in the hot summers but are also increasingly offering more as a healthier beverage in comparison to carbonated drinks. With a conscious shift in consumer preferences, home-grown tea brands are seeing an increase in demand for healthier cool teas that contain natural sugars like stevia, are made from real loose-leaf teas, and can provide a variety of health benefits. So, let's take a look at the Top Iced Teas that you can enjoy this summer! Herbal Iced Teas Herbal iced teas are a great option because they are caffeine-free and contain no "tea" at all. It's a delectable blend of herbs, spices, flowers, and other botanicals. Iced Hibiscus tea, blended with spices and flowers such as chamomile and blue pea cornflower, is a personal favourite.
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These teas have delectable tart-like flavours and are high in antioxidants. Other Turmeric iced blends to consider include the Turmeric Ginger Iced Tea, which combines the anti-inflammatory properties of Turmeric with the soothing properties of Ginger to help settle indigestion. Floral Iced Teas Who doesn't enjoy flowers? Flowerpower is popular in the tea world, where it is used to create delectable concoctions with ambrosial aromas, delectable taste, and a world of good health. Chamomile tea, for example, has excellent calming properties and can also be brewed as an iced tea. To make a flavorful cool tea with flowers, however, you'll need green tea or black tea in the mix to accentuate the flavours. Instant Iced Tea Premixes Most of us want an easy way out, which is where Instant Iced Teas come in! Nestle first introduced instant iced teas in the 1950s, and they have been selling like hot cakes ever since! Instant iced teas are basically ready-made iced tea premixes that are water soluble (usually in powder form). Although traditional instant iced tea premixes were and continue to be popular, people are becoming more aware of the high sugar content that they contain. Some brands have created healthier alternatives that are lower in calories and contain natural sweeteners such as Stevia.
magic home with you with fruit iced teas? Any tropical fruit will work wonders for you. Simply select fruits that complement one another. Such as pineapple and orange, lemon and orange, green apple with kiwi, and others. To bring out the flavours in these blends, we recommend brewing them with a tea base that is bold and flavorful, such as black teas. If this seems like too much work, you can opt for ready-made iced tea blends with real fruits and loose-leaf teas. The alluring Tangy Tamarind Iced Tea, which contains a vibrant blend of tamarind, tropical berries, fruit bits, and lemongrass with roasted coconuts, is one of our go-to blends. For those looking for a sprightly punch, try the Mint Passionfruit Iced Tea! Loose-leaf Iced Teas It's all about the experience with tea - steep, brew, and sip! Getting a sense of this is only possible if you use loose-leaf teas rather than premixes. These iced teas, which are usually a blend of various fruits, flowers, tart-like or sweet ingredients, are nothing like the premixed ones. When the looseleaves are steeped, you can smell each ingredient brewing, and this aroma eventually translates into the flavours when you sip this tea. Apart from lowering cholesterol, loose-leaf teas are much more comforting and are considered by tea connoisseurs to be the purest forms of tea. Vitamin C-enriched Summertime fruits such as oranges, peaches, lemons, and others will satisfy your body's thirst. This is due to the fact that vitamin-C-rich foods keep you energised and hydrated during the hot weather. As a result, iced teas such as Mint Passion-fruit, Citrus Cooler, and Lemon Basil - all of which help to combat the scorching heat while also promoting a variety of health benefits - have become popular.
A nutritious breakfast in the morning can provide the fuel you need to keep going until your next meal. A healthy bowl of muesli or flakes can serve as a mental pick-me-up as well as a sensory treat. Cereal foods have numerous nutritional benefits and can also aid in weight loss. It is high in vitamins and minerals and can help you feel more energised. Healthy Crunch Muesli
True Elements recreates the mouthwatering flavours of Italian cuisine, but with a True twist! True Elements Oatmeal Italiano is a one-of-a-kind savoury oatmeal made of fiber-rich oats with a creamy cheese flavour, the crunch of almonds, and the earthy flavour of oregano. This bowl of savoury oatmeal will be your new favourite breakfast for all cheese lovers! It's creamy, cheesy, and incredibly tasty! A filling and delicious meal that is ideal when you want something savoury and cheesy! There is no added sugar, so it is suitable for diabetics. It is also high in protein and fibre, making it a healthier alternative to pasta. Grain Free & Vegan Granola - Salted Peanut Butter
Contains British oats, golden wheat flakes, Californian almonds, delicious raisins, and natural honey. There are no artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives – just the goodness of all-natural ingredients. Bagrry’s Healthy Crunch Muesli is high in fibre, low in saturated fat, and contains no trans fat. It contains more than 40 percent + oats with added bran. An extra crunchy breakfast cereal for a delicious start to your mornings! Oatmeal Italiano
(Bala Sarda, Founder & CEO, VAHDAM India)
Fruit Iced Teas Don't they make you think of hot nights in Copacabana? Or do they whisk you away to the beaches of Hawaii? Then why not bring the
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Our grain-free granola is loaded with nutritious ingredients like nuts, seeds, amaranth puffs, and quinoa flakes, making it a perfect breakfast or on-the-go snack. This healthy home-styled granola is high in protein, healthy fats, and dietary fibre, making it an excellent source of energy at any time. Combine it with a serving of cold milk, yoghurt, or smoothie while baking, or enjoy it on its own for a tasty, yet healthy snack. Veggie Masala Oats
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A tasty combination of vegetables, seeds, and premium golden rolled oats that makes for a super-healthy meal. Each bite contains beta-glucan, which helps to lower cholesterol. This is extremely beneficial for weight loss and should be taken to heart. It's great for weight loss, and it's naturally delicious, with the added benefit of vegetables. Corn Flakes Plus - Real Honey
The flavour of Corn Flakes with the added benefit of prebiotic fibre! Bagrry's excels at innovation; using food processing technology, they have infused fibre back into corn flakes. Bagrry's Corn Flakes Plus have twice the fibre of regular flakes. The added fibre slows sugar absorption and thus lowers the Glycemic Index (GI). A bowl of these light and crispy golden flakes with the natural flavour of raw Himalayan honey will keep you going until lunch.
27
SPIRITUALITY
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Radha’s rise to prominence in Vaishnavism The different styles of Bhakti towards Krishna are a part of the Vaishnava tradition. This included the Pushti (motherly love), Viraha (longing because of separation), and Virodha (devotion that manifests in anger) types of Bhakti. These types of Bhakti focused only on Krishna and did not consider Radha, who is now popular in a variety of traditions. In this article I will focus on the worship of Radha, culminating in her being the supreme being. The Vedic style of worship was very much focused on having a good long life covering music, dance, being wealthy and ultimately happy. This worship included asking blessings for erotic love. But puritanical elements crept in. Erotic love was dropped and being an ascetic was emphasised in Vedic worship. Tantra was an attempt to combine asceticism with material and physical nature of happiness including erotic love. It was also instrumental in popularizing the worship of the Goddess with a focus on Shiva and Parvati or Shakti. Although Tantra is associated with the Shaivites, the Vaishnava's adopted ideas from Shaivite Tantra. Instead of Parvati and Shiva, they focussed on Radha and Krishna. Initially, Radha was a great devotee of Krishna. This devotion then evolved to divine love between Radha and Krishna. As part of this evolution, Radha was treated as an incarnation of Lakshmi. So, Radha may not have been married to Krishna, but she was his divine consort. Hence it was okay for Radha and Krishna to be shown and worshipped together. When they are separated, both Krishna and Radha miss each other. Many interpreted such worship as demonstrating a person's love and devotion towards a god or goddess which was not bound by social limitations. The Goddess (in this case Radha) was said to be more accessible than the associated God (in this Krishna). So worshipping Radha was a way to reach Krishna. This was because, in general, a male God was harder to please than his consort. That is why many schools of Bhakti have Lakshmi acting as an intermediary.
In general, Shiva and Vishnu were always shown to be muscular, with sharp features that emphasized their masculinity. Even Goddesses like Durga have been shown to have some masculine features. This was to show that they were to be feared and hence not always approachable. The followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believe that Radha is equal to Krishna and she is Krishna's feminine form. Thus they worship both Radha and Krishna together. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, himself, did not worship Radha and Krishna together. He interpreted stories about their love from a spiritual perspective. Their love transcended this material world and it was more about union with God. The Radhavallabha sampradaya, founded by Hith Harivansh in the 17th century CE makes central what is at the periphery of Jayadeva's writings. He does not provide philosophical justifications. He justifies Radha status as the only ultimate deity with Krishna as her most intimate subordinate on the basis of Bhakti based on divine love. Hith Harivansh's Krishna is just one step below Radha as he is the ideal devotee or servant. The argument is that because Krishna suffers when Radha is absent and he chants Radha's name, Krishna is not the ultimate. He is dependent on Radha. But he ignores the fact that Radha
also misses Krishna. In this note I have summarised some of the key ideas from some Vaishnava philosophies which show how Radha came to be worshipped. Some of them place Radha higher than Krishna because her love controls him. All this shows that general acceptance of different types of worship. The main-stream Vaishnavites did not try to shut down the Radhavallabha sampradaya nor did they declare them apostate or charge them for being blasphemous for not worshipping Krishna as the supreme. Neither did they censor Jayadeva's writings about Radha being the centre of the universe. They all accepted that, ultimately, Radha and Krishna are one and different people may have different interpretations of this oneness. References: B. Das: Development of RadhaKrishna Cult in Orissa, 1978 Narayana Goswami Maharaja: Sri Gita Govinda by Sir Jayadeva Goswami, 2005 G. Beck: Radhavallabha Sampradaya, 2011 S. Bohlert: Universalist RadhaKrishnaism: A Theological Perspective, 2017
What is numerology? By Ridhi Mehta Numerology is the study of numbers, which means understanding certain specific traits of a number. It is about knowing the vibration of numbers. It is said that everything in the world has vibrations and a person attracts things that are in synchronisation with his vibrations. The analysis of these vibrations comes under the subject of numerology. In Numerology, we study the traits of numbers. Numerological analysis can help you in: > Knowing your strengths and weaknesses. > Can help you to decide on the correct profession. > Helps you to deal better with people by knowing their personality. > Can help you to decide on your life partner who understands you. > To take correct decisions in life > To choose your lucky day and lucky number > Even to choose a lucky ticket number for your lottery By applying the principles of numerology to your date of birth and name, a numerologist can see a lot of possibilities coming your way and can guide you accordingly. Also, they can guide on personality and character of a person. How to do basic numerology calculation There are two main numbers that a numerologist pulls out from your date of birth i.e.: personality or birth number (BN) and destiny number (DN). How to calculate The date in your date of birth is called your birth number or personality number. For e.g. 3 May, 1979. So 3 becomes your birth or personality number. If it’s double-digit, you would bring it to a single digit. Let’s look at one more example to understand this. 23rd May 1979. No in this we will add 2+3=5. So our birth number becomes 5. Let’s see the calculation for the
destiny number. For this, you will have to add all the numbers of your date of birth. e.g. 23rd May, 1979 2+3(date) +5 (Month)+ 1+9+7+9(Year)= 36 .Now further bring it to single digit 3+6 =9 Personality becomes 9 Now in this particular case, we got the following numbers BN as 5 DN as 9 Every number has its own positive and negative traits. If I have to summarise the qualities of all numbers in a single line, it would be somewhat as under. Number 1: Leadership, governing, authoritative, self-Identity, independent, goal-oriented, egoistic, rigid Number 2: Sensitive (sometimes hypersensitive), soft, intuitive, artistic, confused, flexible, feminine, self-conscious, depression tendencies Number 3: Social, team player, storyteller, guide, optimistic, full of life, sometimes exaggerate things, self-centeredness Number 4: Disciplined, eye for detail, practical, wonderful organisational skills, stubborn, suddenness is linked to them. Number 5: Curious, explorers, ever-changing, freedom lovers, restless, impatience and hasty decision-makers sometimes, temperamental Number 6: Family-oriented, artistic, Love for a good lifestyle, good aesthetic sense, sometimes can overthink about family, good host, spendthrifts Number 7: Researchers, analytical, knowledge seekers, suspicious, pleasing personality Number 8: Hardworking, disciplined, powerful authoritative, can give good judgement, materialistic, workaholic Number 9: Humanitarian, selfless service, nature or animal lovers, friendly and good at writing skills In my subsequent articles, I will
Ridhi Mehta Ridhi Mehta is a practicing numerologist,healer,tarot card reader, crystal expert and hypnotherapist. She entered the field of occult around 5years back.She has her Youtubechannel by the name Insights by Ridhii. Ridhi comes from a corporate background having an experience of more than 10 years.However, she has always inclined towards the world of divination. So, she followed her heart and after taking professional qualifications she started practicing the science. She also taught over two hundred students in the above fields. She has many success stories and believes that if we understand to work with energies then there are many things that we can alter in our lives. She can be contacted on ridhi22_mehta@yahoo.co.in / +918054317326 for any queries/ consultations/ classes.
Spirituality: The dire need of Kushinagar: The city the Great Master human society chose for his mahaparinirvana
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) As the inaugural flight from Sri Lanka carrying a delegation of over 100 Buddhist monks and a 12-member holy relic entourage bringing holy Buddhist relics landed at Kushinagar International Airport, Uttar Pradesh on October 20, 2021, history was made. It was an acknowledgement of the rightful place that the city deserves in the ambitious scheme of Buddhist Circuit and in any attempt to rediscover the Buddhist legacy of the country, for the city has many tales to tell. This is an attempt to understand the significance of rediscovering and celebrating India’s Buddhist heritage, by focusing on the city of Kushinagar. The Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which is one of the major Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism, mentions that the Buddha made his journey to Kushinagar, died and this is the place where he was cremated. Sarnath, where Lord Buddha gave the first sermon, is within a radius of around 150 km from Kushinagar. Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained enlightenment, and Lumbini, where Buddha was born, are also not very far away from Kushinagar. In this sense, the city is at the centre of the Buddhist Circuit. The Buddhist Circuit is an attempt
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to tap the potential of developing tourism and development around Buddhist heritage by linking important sites associated with the life of Buddha. Buddhism, a religion that continues to capture the imagination of masses worldwide, is believed to have originated in the late 6th century BCE around the teachings of Mahatma Buddha or Shakya Muni. Born as Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini in present-day Nepal, he became ‘Buddha’ or the enlightened one after he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, in present day Bihar and it was at Sarnath that he delivered his first sermon. There are around 50 crore Buddhists across the globe, out of which, around 90 per cent of live in East and Southeast Asia. It was Mauryan Emperor Ashoka who played a key role in the spread of Buddhism across the region; he spread the message of peace and harmony by erecting stupas, pillars and rock edicts across his empire, now scattered over India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The region, thus boasts of a shared heritage that should be nourished and developed to evolve an inclusive model of tourism. The new airport will aid direct aviation connectivity with South Asian
countries, thus making it easier for tourists arriving from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore to visit Kushinagara, Lumbini, Sarnath and other key places like Ujjain, Nalanda, Rajgir, Sravasti and Gaya. Such efforts at showcasing the Buddhist heritage that India, as the land of Buddha, proudly owns are essential to counter the increasing attempts by countries like China to sinicise Buddhism. China, officially an atheist nation, has begun to describe Buddhism as an “ancient Chinese religion” and is using Buddhism as a tool to extend its influence in other countries. Central to this are the debates regarding the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, the religious head of Tibetan Buddhists, who is currently living in exile in India after China unlawfully occupied his homeland in 1959. China is trying to interfere in the reincarnation process and will install their own Dalai Lama in China, just like it abducted Tibet’s Panchen Lama to install its own Panchen in China. Pakistan is also trying to project itself as a cradle of Buddhist heritage by Gandharan Buddhist heritage and is hosting Buddhist Conclaves too. China’s Belt and Road Initiative in itself uses Buddhism as a link between the countries to establish connections. Under these circumstances, India has to be more vocal about its Buddhist connections and it remains a key pillar of its soft power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to birthplace of Gautam Buddha (Lumbini) in Nepal on May 16 has come as a ray of hope.
By Dr Devashish Chakraborty Spirituality is all about human evolution at a more subtle level than the gross physical body. The ultimate goal of human life is to attain to the realization of the self-effulgent soul. The real wisdom, therefore, lies in striving for self-realization. Once realized a human life attains a new dimension of being and becoming altogether. These are not mere words; saints and seers of yore have lived these words in their lives. A true yogi leads a life of austerity and simplicity. They strive to reach purity of thought and action. As they move ahead while engrossed in intense meditation, they reach a stage of complete tranquility and peace. In science humans study biological evolution; in spirituality humans experience the evolution of the soul that inhabits them. It is all experiential in the form psychological
metamorphosis. As the soul evolves, the human being it inhabits experiences many different emotions which may be construed as near a state of mental derangement initially till it stabilizes. Spiritual practices are, therefore, not to be taken lightly. Only a person strong enough physically and mentally should undertake intense spiritual practices. Moreover advance spiritual practices are not meant for ordinary folk. A state of desirelessness, egolessness, and same-sightedness is sine qua non for spiritual evolution. It is also to be understood, what is the meaning of bliss that saints have talked about. Bliss is a higher state than happiness which is associated with worldly attainments only. Bliss comes when one is beyond mundane experiences afforded to an ordinary man. Bliss is the highest attainment beyond materialistic pursuits.
When one talks about spirituality, one often confuses it with religion. Religion and Spirituality are distinct. A religion may be more spiritual in its outlook or it may be purely worldly. While a religion may need to be spiritual to attain to a higher level of being, spirituality does not need religion per se. A person may not subscribe to any of the organized religions, yet may be spiritual in outlook. In science the closest one comes to spirituality is to be conscious of the ecology. The Hindu scriptures teach the worshipping of objects of nature, be they trees or animals. Once humans start worshipping nature and her objects, a sense of being a part and parcel of the ecology comes unbidden. This feeling of sacredness for all living beings is the beginning of the spiritual experience. Even certain astronauts have had spiritual experiences when they travel to space. There is then the feeling that the entire universe is one with all living and non-living things. This is the real dharma of a human being to strive for the experience of oneness of all living and non-living things. The modern world is beginning to rediscover what it had known in the past. Human life can reach to sublime levels of existence only if it overcomes the constraints of selfishness. Selfless living opens up the human organism to the experience of the highest order. In fact, looking at the happenings of the world today characterized by wars and diseases, a realization is dawning upon many that the time has come for encouraging spirituality.
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NEWBUSINESS RELEASE
Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 16-31 2022
PR PR New Punjabi Movie is Releasing on 27th May 2022 Punjabi Movie New Punjabi New Movie Film Name: P.R. Producers : Harvinder Saran, Darshan S Rangi, Gurvinder Singh Directed By : Manmohan Singh Written By : Manmohan Singh Star Cast : Harbhajan Mann, Delbar Arya, Kanwaljit Singh, Late Sardool Sikander, Amar Noori, Karamjit Anmol, Mannu Sandhu, Kanwaljit Neeru, Gursharan Mann, Gurpreet Grewal, Gurnaam Singh, Seema Kaushel, Bhupinder Barnala, Gaurav Shah Sound Engineer: Narinder Singh Art Director: Vijay Giri, Costume Designer: Harman Mann, Manpreet Kaur Music: Gurmeet Singh, Laddi Gill, Music Empire, Bilal Wajid, Sarang
KOKKA Neeru Bajwa Entertainment & Topnotch Studios UK proudly presents the official trailer of the upcoming Punjabi movie “Kokka” Releasing in Theaters on 20th May 2022. Watch the official trailer right now! Starring Gurnam Bhullar and Neeru Bajwa. Directed by Santosh Subhash Thite & Bhanu Thakur.Written by Rupinder Inderjit. Music by Raj Ranjodh,V Rakx Music,Sandeep Saxena & Sync. Produced by Santosh Subhash Thite,Raman Aggarwal,Vishal Johal,Nitin Talwar. Stay tuned. The film is set to release worldwide on 20th May, 2022, in cinemas near you! Movie: Kokka Directed by: Santosh Subhash Thite & Bhanu Thakur Produced by: Santosh Subhash Thite, Raman Aggarwal, Vishal
Sikander, Simba Sing,Jerry Singh, Jesse Christopher Lyrics: Babu Singh Maan, Sonu Kambo Singers: Harbhajan Mann, Sardool Sikander, Jasbir Jassi, Mannat Noor, Sonu Kambo, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Firozpur Wale Choreographer: Bhupi Sayan, Navraj Raja, Gopika Arora Assitant Director: Gurvinder Singh, Aneet Sekhon Empire VFX: Babbu Rogla Studio Line Producer: Jaswinder Singh ( Punjab ),Rupy Bains, Harry Chahal ( Canada ) Publicity Design: Sardaar Saab Designs, Thirsty Fish Online Promotions: Being Digital All India Distribution: Inderjit Gill (I Gill Studios) Music On : HM Records Subscribe to HM Records
Johal, Nitin Talwar Written: Rupinder Inderjit Starring: Gurnam Bhullar, Neeru Bajwa, Gurpreet Bhangu, Rupinder Rupi & Baljinder Kaur DOP: Lalit Sahoo Editor: Manish More Associate Director: Rajinder Singh Visual Promotions: Mov-E-Wale Lyrics: Raj Ranjodh, Bhinder Dabwali, Rabb Sukh Rakhey, Dakssh Ajit Singh Music: Raj Ranjodh,V Rakx Music, Sandeep Saxena & Sync Singers: Gurnam Bhullar, Raj Ranjodh, Malkit Singh, Afsana Khan & The Landers Music Label: Gem Tunes Choreographer: Arvind Thakur & Prince Costume Designer: Nitasha Bhateja Sound Designing: Joe Online Promotion: Soul Digital Worldwide Release by Omjee Star Studios
PRITHVIRAJ RELEASE DATE: 3 June 2022 LANGUAGE: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: Yash Raj Films DIRECTOR: Chandraprakash Dwivedi CAST: Akshay Kumar, introducing debutant Manushi Chhillar, Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood SYNOPSIS: Yash Raj Films is making its first historical with Prithviraj, which is based on the life and valour of the fearless and mighty Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. Superstar Akshay Kumar is essaying the role of the legendary warrior who fought valiantly against the merciless invader Muhammad of Ghor. Akshay unveiled the teaser of the film via social media and saluted the daredevilry of the braveheart. Akshay says, "The teaser of Prithviraj captures the soul of the film, the essence of the life of the legendary warrior Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 RELEASE DATE: 20 May 2022 LANGUAGE: Hindi, (With English Subtitles) PRODUCER: T-Series; Cine1 Studio DIRECTOR: Anees Bazmee CAST: Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Tabu SYNOPSIS: An accidental, yet destined meet up between two strangers Ruhaan and Reet forms into camaraderie. Ruhaan decides to break Reet’ shackles of fear and attend a music festival before she leaves for her hometown. Reet lies to her family about boarding a bus and meanwhile enjoys the festival with Ruhaan and then tries to catch the next bus back home. But fate has its own plans. They discover their bus has crashed and all the passengers are dead. The news does seem like a relief but Reet is devastated as she can’t tell her family the truth about
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who knew no fear. This is our tribute to his heroism and his life. The more I read about him, the more I was awed by how he lived and breathed every single second of his glorious life for his country and his values." The superstar adds, "He is a legend, he is one of the bravest warriors and he is one of the most upright kings that our country has ever seen. We hope that Indians worldwide love our salute to this mighty braveheart. We have tried to present his life story in the most authentic way possible and the film is a homage to his unmatched bravery and courage." The gorgeous Manushi plays the role of his beloved Sanyogita and her launch is definitely one of the most awaited debuts of 2022. Produced by Yash Raj Films, Prithviraj is being directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi who directed the biggest television epic Chanakya - based on the life and times of the most influential political strategist of India and the multiple award-winning Pinjar.
being alive and lying earlier. But she still travels back with Ruhaan to see her grieving family. As they reach the haunted haveli left behind by the Thakur family many years ago because of Manjulika’s ghost, Ruhaan is confronted with Thakur Saha’s gun pointed at him followed by an endless trail of questions while Reet hides away, Ruhaan comes with a ridiculous cover up by telling them that he has the power to talk to ghosts, and Reet brought him here to say a final goodbye to her family. Ruhaan starts to gain a certain popularity amongst the villagers as they start calling him Rooh baba which he enjoys. But the short lived fame has transformed into a problem which eventually grows to be uncontrollable. Ruhaan no more has to deal with fake ghosts, its Manjulika’s actual ghost that is out there and might even attack Reet. Now Ruhaan has to hide Reet from the family and save the family from Manjulika’s ghost!
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APARAJITO - THE UNDEFEATED RELEASE DATE: 27 May 2022 LANGUAGE: Bengali (With English Subtitles) DIRECTOR: Anik Dutta CAST: Jeetu Kamal, Saayoni Ghosh, Debashis Roy SYNOPSIS: The year is 1955. Aparajito Ray, a young filmmaker is being interviewed on All India Radio, Calcutta. He has just arrived on the global scene with his debut film Pother Podaboli that has created a sensation in World Cinema and has bagged a prestigious international award. Through the length of this film, relevant sections of his life, from his formative years as a young cineaste to the huge success of his very first film is interspersed with the interview. He formed the first Film Society in Calcutta with fellow
Chennai, May 12 (IANS) Ex-India captain M.S. Dhoni is now venturing into film production, sources in the Tamil film industry said. According to information available, Dhoni who has set his eyes on the film industry is picking his first movie in Tamil with Nayanthara in the lead. Dhoni, according to sources, has already roped in Sanjay, one of the closest aides of megastar Rajinikanth. Sources said that Sanjay has given the tip-off to Dhoni that roping in Nayanthara for his debut movie will augur well for him in the Tamil film industry. Nayanthara’s would-be husband and director Vignesh Sivan is an ardent fan of Dhoni and the possibility of the former Indian captain playing a cameo role in the movie is not ruled out. The movie ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ was
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cinephiles while working as a visualiser at a British advertising agency. Along with his stint in advertising, he started to moonlight as an illustrator and a book cover designer. It was during this process that he comes across a novel with immense cinematic possibilities. Soon after he was sent for a six month long training at the London office of his company. During the course of his stay, he gets to see nearly 100 films from all over the world. The film that inspired him the most was an Italian film, ‘The Bicycle Rider’ by Vittorio Rossi. This film became the template on which he designed the making of Pother Podaboli. Our film is all about how Aparajito overcomes all odds to finally achieve his seemingly impossible dream. This film is not a biopic on Satyajit Ray but the protagonist is modelled on the great filmmaker and the story is based on the making of the masterpiece, Pather Panchali.
a super hit and did extremely well in Tamil Nadu as Dhoni is a hit among the Tamil fans ever since he has been leading the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and sources said that his confidence of producing a Tamil movie has come from this fan following he has in Tamil Nadu. Nayanthara is currently shooting for a Shahrukh Khan movie directed by Atlee. She has already committed for ‘Paatu’ by Malayalam director Alphonse Puthran and ‘Connect’ directed by Ashwin Saravanan, the shoots of which are to commence after the conclusion of her Shahrukh Khan starrer. Former Indian cricketer Harbajan Singh has debuted in a Tamil movie ‘Dikkilona’, and played a lead role in another movie, ‘Friendship’.
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CarryMinati: Told Ajay Devgn he should get a copyright on his eyes
Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) CarryMinati, whose real name is Ajey Nagar, made a brief appearance in the latest released thriller-drama 'Runway34'. The celebrated YouTuber has heaped praises on actor and filmmaker Ajay Devgn.
CarryMinati shares, "I loved being part of Runway34 and so grateful for all the fan love. This cameo appearance has helped me to discover a newer facet to my persona. I loved working with Ajay Devgn the most. In fact I've told him he should get
a copyright on his eyes because he has a bird's eye view. He added: "If it wasn't for his outstanding directional skills and his aptitude for precision and detailing, I wouldn't have been able to execute this brief appearance in the film." The film stars Ajay, Rakul Preet Singh and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles. In other news, CarryMinati along with Triggered Insaan, Mortal and Scout are coming together in the first gaming entertainment show titled 'Playground' by Rusk Media. 'Playground' is a unique eSport gaming championship, featuring multiple casual and pro games, between four teams, each owned and mentored by Asia's leading gaming superstars.
Aamir Khan to launch ‘Laal Singh Chaddha Ki Kahaniyaan’ podcast
Mumbai, May 3 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who is known for his creative bent of mind when it comes to film marketing and promotions, this time has another idea up his sleeve for his upcoming film 'Laal Singh Chaddha' where
he stars opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan. The actor is all set to release his own podcast, 'Laal Singh Chaddha Ki Kahaniyaan'. The move will allow Aamir to communicate and connect with the
audience as he will discuss 'Laal Singh Chaddha', behind-the-scenes action, anecdotes from the making of the film, the music, interesting incidents from the set and other such intriguing 'Laal Singh Chaddha' stories. The first Aamir Khan podcast is expected to be out on May 5 and will be available on T-Series' YouTube channel, Saavn and RedFM. 'Laal Singh Chaddha', produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and Viacom18 Studios, has been directed by Advait Chandan from a screenplay written by Eric Roth and Atul Kulkarni. The film is a remake of the Tom Hanks-starrer 'Forrest Gump' which debuted in theatres in 1994. 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is all set to release on August 11 in theatres worldwide.
Akshay completes 30 years in cinema, YRF celebrates through special ‘Prithviraj’ poster
Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Actor Akshay Kumar has completed 30 years in the Hindi film industry and Yash Raj Films celebrated his special milestone by creating a new ‘Prithviraj’ poster, which features every single
film that the actor has been a part of.Akshay in a video shared by the production house is heard saying: “It didn’t even cross my mind that this activity is happening to celebrate my 30 years in cinema! It’s fascinating
that 30 years have passed since my first film Saugandh! “The first shot of my film career was at Ooty and it was an action shot! Thank you very much for this gesture. This is really special.” Akshay’s next ‘Prithviraj’ is based on the life and valour of the fearless and mighty Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. He is essaying the role of the legendary warrior who fought valiantly against the merciless invader Muhammad of Ghor. The film has been directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who is best known for directing the television epic ‘Chanakya’ and the critically acclaimed film ‘Pinjar’. Manushi Chhillar plays the role of King Prithviraj’s beloved Sanyogita. The film is set to release on June 3 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Dharmendra shares ‘most beautiful memory’ to ‘feel better’
Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Veteran star Dharmendra, who was admitted to the hospital after he strained his back, shared a fond memory put up by his fan on social media to feel better. Dharmendra took to Twitter to share a video of the song 'Duniya Mein
Aisa Kaha Sab Ka' from the 1966 film 'Devar' featuring him and actress Sharmila Tagore. Alongside the video he wrote: "Just to feel better, I started seeing the posts of my well wishers and i found this most beautiful memory." According to reports, Dharmendra
went to the Breach Candy Hospital earlier this week in Mumbai for a routine check-up but was not admitted to the ICU. He returned home and then shared a video talking about his "big muscle pull". The star said: "Friends, don't do anything over. I did it and I suffered. A big muscle pull at the back. So I had to visit the hospital. Had great difficulty these past four days. Anyway, I am back with your good wishes and blessings. So, don't worry. Now I will be very careful." Dharmendra will next be seen in Karan Johar-directed 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', alongside Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. He will also be seen in the sequel to 2007 release 'Apne', which will reunite him with his sons -- Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
Tiger Shroff gives a sneak peak into prep for his upcoming films
Mumbai, May 3 (IANS) Bollywood action star Tiger Shroff is going full steam with preparation for three action films that require him
to achieve peak fitness and the physique to match his roles. Speaking about his prep, Tiger confides, "I'm currently preparing
for a very challenging and interesting schedule planned for 'Ganapath'. It needs me to get into a certain kind of physicality, for which I'm currently training." He further adds, "Post that, we get into the prep for 'Rambo', which is very different from what is being done in 'Ganapath'. And then, I will get into 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' with Akshay sir, and I'm really looking forward to it." With three movie projects in the pipeline, Tiger Shroff is all set to charm the audience. Known for his charming smile and amazing dance moves, Tiger has a great fan following.
Sanjay Dutt remembers mom Nargis on her death anniversary Mumbai, May 3 (IANS) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt took to social media to remember his mother and veteran actress Nargis on her 41st death anniversary. The actor shared a heartfelt note about his mother the late Nargis Dutt on her death anniversary. He wrote a heart-touching caption: "Not a single moment goes by when I don't remember you. Ma, you were the basis of my life and the strength of my soul." "I wish my wife and kids would have met you for you to give them all your love and blessings. I miss you today and every day!" Sanjay's recently released 'KGF: Chapter 2' is breaking records
globally and his character of 'Adheera' is also garnering immense love from the audience.
Sanjay Dutt has some exciting projects coming up like 'Shamshera', 'Ghudchadi', and 'Prithiviraj'.
Bobby Simha’s next titled Nora Fatehi roped in for Pawan’s ‘Thadai Udai’ ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ Hyderabad, May 4 (IANS) Actress Nora Fatehi has reportedly been cast in an important role in Pawan Kalyan's next, 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu'. In the upcoming period drama directed by Krish, Nora will essay the role of Roshanara Begum, Shah Jahan's third daughter and (Aurangazeb's sister), according to reports. The role was supposed to be played by Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, but she has now been replaced by Nora. Nora, who has previously appeared in special numbers for Telugu films such as 'Kick 2', 'Baahubali', 'Temper,' and others, will soon join the cast of 'HHVM.' "Because Nora is a good dancer and has impressive facial expressions, she is considered suitable for the role," a source said. Pawan Kalyan will play the titular character, a warrior, in the film, which is set in the Deccan Sultanate.
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Chennai, May 4 (IANS) Debut director N S Rakesh's film, featuring National Award winning actor Bobby Simha in the lead, has been titled 'Thadai Udai'. The film was launched on Tuesday with a simple puja that was attended by its entire cast and crew. Also present on the occasion were
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seven-time National Award winning lyricist Vairamuthu and film producer Shibu Thameens. Produced by P Rajasekhar and Reshmi Simha, the film will feature Misha Narang as the female lead. Apart from Bobby Simha and Misha, the film will also feature actors Prabhu, Senthil, Robin, Sarath
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Ravi and Deepak Paramesh among others. Sources close to the unit of the film say that it will be an out and out action thriller and that actual work on the movie will start from Thursday. Cinematography for the film will be by Demel Xavier Edwards and music will be by Aathif.
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Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
Tiger Shroff to give 4-5 months for Madhavan’s ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ world premiere at Cannes Film Fest ‘Rambo’ prep, action sequences
Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Action star Tiger Shroff, who was most recently seen in 'Heropanti 2', will invest four to five months to prepare for 'Rambo', for which he will start
shooting by the end of 2022. As per a media report, Rohit Dhawan, the director will start working on the film after he wraps
up 'Shehzada' with Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon. Both Rohit and Tiger will work concurrently on the prep. While Tiger will train for the action sequences, Rohit will work on the pre-production of the film which entails locking the supporting cast and finalising the shoot locations. Producer Siddharth Anand, who directed Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan in the 2019 action film 'War', doesn't want to leave any stone unturned for this project and that's the reason he is going all out in terms of preparations. Meanwhile, Tiger also has Vikas Bahl's 'Ganapath', Ali Abbas Zafar's 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' in the pipeline.
‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’ set for censor scrutiny
Hyderabad, May 5 (IANS) The stage is set for Mahesh Babu's upcoming commercial drama 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata' to be scrutinised by the Censor Board. The film directed by Parasuram
Petla will be screened for censorship on Thursday, so as to make necessary arrangements for its big theatrical release on May 12. With only a few days left prior to its
release, the makers of ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’ are attempting to promote the movie as much as possible. In the coming days, the Mahesh Babu and Keerthy Suresh-starrer will be aggressively promoted, reports say. Mahesh will be back in India from his vacation in the coming days and begin promoting the film. The theatrical trailer, however, fetched much hype for the movie already, as the audience awaits to see the movie at the theaters. S. Thaman has composed the music for ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’, as a couple of songs from the movie have become chartbusters already. The makers have grand plans for the pre-release event for ‘Sarkaru Vaari Paata’.
First glimpse of Samantha’s sci-fi thriller ‘Yashoda’ out Hyderabad, May 5 (IANS) On Thursday, the makers of Samantha Ruth Prabhu's upcoming sci-fi thriller 'Yashoda' released an intriguing first look. By introducing Samantha's role, the creators have piqued everyone's interest by building anticipation for 'Yashoda's story. Samantha, who is seen waking up to see a new world in the first scene of 'Yashoda,' is actually trapped in a maze. She is discovered in a luxurious room, with all of her needs met, except that she is the only one in
that large room, with no connection to the rest of the world. The first trailer for 'Yashoda,' starring Samantha, has generated a
lot of buzz despite the fact that the 'Majili' actress hasn't said a single dialogue. Samantha Ruth Prabhu's first pan-Indian film, 'Yashoda,' also stars Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and others. 'Yashoda' directed by Hareesh Narayan and Hari Shankar, will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam. 'Yashoda' which is set to be released on August 12, is classified as a sci-fi thriller.
Florian Hurel on styling Kangana Ranaut for ‘Dhaakad’
Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist Florian Hurel is a renowned name in the industry. Whether it's personal styling of celebrities, editorial photoshoots or designing specific looks for a film, Florian has done it all. And his latest is styling Kangana Ranaut for her next video for the film 'Dhaakad'. Speaking about that Hurel says: "We have worked on 7 different looks for the entire video. These looks are very fashionable in nature and have pushed my creative thinking limits significantly. "The first look, which was a black pants suit with a hat, needed to be backed up by a strong look. Accordingly I created a very strong black graphic liner with sharp contouring and muted lips. For the
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second outfit which was a golden dress, I used a golden foil over the eyelids in an abstract manner creating a very impactful strong eye and coupled the same with nude lips." "Third one was a purple dress, for that I created a double liner look with Swarovski stones. It was Different from usual. The fourth outfit was a bed look for which she wore a very sensual black gown with hot pink lace bodysuit. "Glossy black lids and nude lips was the look I created to complement the bed look. The fifth outfit was a black and golden kimono. The inspiration for this was a Japanese warrior look for which I created smudged black and golden strokes over the lids in order to give her the fierce look of a warrior. Sixth look, a hot
pink leather corset dress for which I shifted the focus to cheeks along with the eyes to make her appearance stronger than usual." "Last but not the least, one of my favourite looks was the holographic saree for which I used a cutout from the same saree over the lids creating a look unique to my past work as well. It was the most amusing work amongst all the looks. All of these looks were different and creatively intense and these were made possible mainly due to team work and coordination," he adds. Florian recently also worked with Kangana for her reality show 'Lock Upp'. Speaking about the working experience with the Diva he says: "Working with an actor with the versatility that Kangana possesses is always interestingly different. She makes me push my limits while doing absolute justice to the passion I have towards my work. "With my experience in the industry I can say that she's one of the very few artists who possesses the courage to experiment and then own each of those not so common looks. She encourages you to express your talent as a creative artist." Lastly I'd like to say that Kangana has raised the bar very high for creative looks and am very glad to have been a part of this challenging but absolute fun task," he concludes.
Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) R. Madhavan's directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' is set to have its world premiere during the 75th Cannes Film Festival. The film, a biographical drama, is based on ISRO space scientist Nambi Narayanan, who introduced the liquid fuel rocket technology in India in the early 1970s. India's Ministry of Culture has officially selected the film for its Red Carpet World Premiere. Actor-turned-filmmaker Madhavan plays the role of the eponymous
Indian scientist, Nambi Narayanan, and has also directed, produced and written the film. Speaking on the occasion, Madhavan said, "I'm in a daze! I just started by wanting to tell the story of Nambi Narayanan and I'm unable to believe all that's happening. With God's grace, we've waited long and I'm grateful and thrilled to watch all good things happening for the film. As a debut director, my nervousness is making it difficult for me to breathe and all I hope is to make India proud."
The Palais des Festival premiere will take place during a prime-time slot at 9 pm on Thursday, May 19 as part of the celebration of India as the official country of honour at the Cannes Film Market this year - an inaugural tradition that will be continued at future editions. The launch of the festival tradition is particularly significant during its 75th year, coinciding with 75 years of Indian independence. The film, which also stars Phyllis Logan, Vincent Riotta and Ron Donachie, and special appearances by superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya, has been shot simultaneously in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil and English across India, France, Canada, Georgia and Serbia. Produced by TriColour films, Varghese Moolan Pictures and 27th Investments, distributed by UFO Moviez and Red Giant Movies in India, and internationally distributed by Yash Raj Films and Phars Film Co, ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 1, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English, Malayalam and Kannada.
‘Prithviraj’ trailer: Akshay Kumar shines in the role of legendary warrior
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) The trailer of Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Prithviraj' was unveiled on Monday at YRF Studios in Andheri in Mumbai. The period film has been helmed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who has a penchant for historical stories and whose notable works include titles like the 2003 period drama 'Pinjar' and epic Indian TV historical drama 'Chanakya'. The trailer launch was attended by Akshay Kumar, who plays the titular character, former Miss World Manushi Chillar, who plays the
character of princess Sanyogita and the film's director Dwivedi. While Akshay and Dwivedi sported and twinned in black Indian ethnic attire, Manushi wore a pink lehenga with heavy embellishments. Dwivedi mentioned that he has been working on the film for the past 18 years and to see his labour of love come to fruition has been a special moment for him. He also shared that the germ of his film finds its place in 'Prithviraj Raso', a Braj Bhasha epic poem about the life of Prithviraj Chauhan.
The film sees former Miss World Manushi Chillar making her foray in Hindi cinema. The trailer depicts the heroism and righteousness of Rajput warrior Prithviraj Chauhan amidst the expansive war sequences and the background score, whose percussion eerily remind of A.R. Rahman's 'Azeemo Shan Shahenshaah' from the Ashutosh Gowariker directorial 'Jodha Akbar'. The point of attraction at the event was the projection mapping of the 'Prithviraj' title with a special light show. The film, produced by one of India's premier studios YRF (Yash Raj Films), also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood, Ashutosh Rana and Manav Vij, who essays the antagonist Muhammad Ghori. Manav is known for his work as the police officer and the murder accomplice of Tabu's character in Sriram Raghavan's 'Andhadhun'. 'Prithviraj', which is gearing up for a theatrical release on June 3, will be a trilingual release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ writer Aakash Kaushik looks at life through prism of humour
Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Writers are the only community of artistes who create something from absolute nothingness. So when Aakash Kaushik got the opportunity to pen the dialogues of the upcoming horror comedy 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', the task though a bit easier, was still daunting as he had to keep up with the first instalment of the franchise for the impact of its dialogues still reigns supreme after almost 15 years of its release. The film, which stars Tabu, Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Rajpal Yadav, takes a different route from its first part which was a psychological horror comedy. What were the key factors that influenced the dialogues, the casting of the film, his ability to infuse humour with the scariest of situations; Aakash spoke about all of these in a recent conversation. The process of working on the
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sequel entailed a natural pressure to be in line with the success of the first part as Aakash says, “The pressure has been there. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is a cult film, it had a great concept which was filmed in multiple languages. So there was an added pressure on me as this is my original concept. But I used that pressure to my advantage.” He gave three years of his life to this script and did everything in his capacity to ensure that the team behind ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ could match up to the level of the first part. “As far as the cast is concerned, we got whoever we wanted. Kartik, Kiara and Tabu maam were our first choices. And they have done a magnificent job. Hopefully we won’t disappoint anyone”, he adds. For him, the genre of comedy is quite comforting as comedy comes naturally to him, “I look at life through the prism of humour.
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However, I am more into situational comedy. I enjoy writing situations which are funny yet realistic. I enjoy dark humour too. You shall be seeing the same in my future projects.” With the Internet emerging as an unstoppable force, it has changed the rules of the content game considerably and Aakash looks at it as a tool that an artiste can use to hone their skills and to render a definitive edge to their artwork. He mentions, “The Internet plays a massive role. It’s a huge help while researching on any subject. If you follow the right sources, then you can find credible information about anything under the sun. It really helps in understanding things and places which otherwise might have been difficult. That helps in shaping the script in an authentic way. Also, the Internet brings you closer to the audience. It makes it easier to understand their pulse.” Ask him if he would like to challenge himself and move on to a different line of cinema like middle-of-theroad or parallel cinema, and he responds, I don’t really understand this differentiation between commercial and parallel cinema.“Having said that, I do want to write in different genres. I don’t want to get stuck in any particular type of movies”, he concluded. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ helmed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Bhushan Kumar, is set to arrive in theaters on May 20.
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Vol 2, Issue 7 May 16-31, 2022
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