India News - August 1-15, 2022; Vol 3 Issue 2

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Australia extends military support Droupadi Murmu to Covid-hit aged care sector takes oath as 15th Richard Marles announced that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) deployment into aged care facilities has been extended until the end of September, reports Xinhua news agency.

It comes as more than 900 aged care centres are combating Covid-19 outbreaks, with more than 6,000 residents and 3,000 staff currently infected.

Canberra, July 25 (IANS): The Australian government has extended military support for the Covid-hit aged care sector.

On July 25, Defence Minister

“It’s important that we need to be doing everything we can to meet the challenge,” Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.

“It’s not just extending the military support to aged care, it’s actually increasing it up to 250 personnel through until the end of September.”

The decision reflects the seriousness of the Omicron variant’s high community transmission rates and the

Australian PM rules out reducing isolation period amid battle against Covid in winter

Albanese on July 18 said it is “not the time” to consider winding back the isolation period amid surging case numbers in the current winter months.

Dominic Perrottet, Premier of the country’s most populous state of New South Wales (NSW), has called for the federal government to consider cutting that period, Xinhua news agency reported.

Kovind and Murmu arrived in Parliament in a ceremonial procession shortly before the swearing in commenced.

According to the Aged and Community Care Providers Association, more than 2,000 aged care residents have died with Covid-19 in 2022 alone, accounting for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s total deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Continued on Page 3

Canberra, July 18 (IANS): Australia’s Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese has ruled out cutting the coronavirus isolation period from seven days.

President of India

In response, Albanese said no change was imminent.

“The advice that is there from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Kelly, was that now is certainly not the time for that to be reconsidered,” he told South Australian radio station FIVEaa. “That’s something health officials will continue to look at. But given the increased spread of the Covid virus in recent times that we’ll see continuing, it’s expected to peak over coming weeks, now’s not the time to change those provisions which are there.”

Continued on Page 3

She was scheduled to deliver an address later.

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Droupadi Murmu on July 25 took oath as the 15th President of India.

Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana administered the oath of office to Murmu in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Outgoing President Ram Nath

Before leaving for the swearing-in ceremony, Murmu reached the Rashtrapati Bhavan, her home and office for the next five years, where she was welcomed by Kovind and his wife Savita.

The outgoing President had then escorted Murmu to the Presidential study for a brief meeting.

Earlier in the morning, Murmu paid tributes to the Father of Continued on Page 3

PM Modi wishes President Droupadi Murmu a fruitful presidential tenure Murmu a fruitful tenure and said that her assumption of office is a watershed moment for India, especially for the poor, marginalised and downtrodden.

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 25 wished President Droupadi

In a series of tweets, Modi said: "The entire nation watched with pride as Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji took oath as the President of India. Her assuming the Presidency is a watershed moment for India especially for the poor, marginalised and Continued on Page 3

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EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India

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Those deprived for centuries are seeing their reflection in me: Prez Murmu

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

COVER STORIES

Australia extends military support Droupadi Murmu to Covid-hit aged care sector takes oath as 15th Continued from Page 1

challenges faced by aged care homes as a result, said Marles.

said the sector was struggling to find enough staff.

The ADF has provided clinical and non-clinical support to aged care homes hit by Covid-19 related staffing shortages since February this year.

“We simply cannot find the staff,” she said on July 25.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells

“People are doing double shifts.

People are working every single day without breaking, which is an incredibly stressful environment.”

Australia on July 25 reported more than 30,000 new Covid-19 cases and over 10 deaths.

The country’s total pandemic death toll surpassed 11,000 over the weekend, only about three weeks after hitting 10,000.

Australian PM rules out reducing isolation period amid battle against Covid in winter Continued from Page 1

Coronavirus case numbers in Australia are expected to spike in the coming weeks, with authorities warning that “it’s likely” some millions of Australians will catch Covid.

cases continue to soar.

More than 35,000 new Covid cases and over 20 deaths were reported across Australia on July 25.

Of those cases, 36,719 were reported in the two weeks leading up to July 3.

It comes at a time when influenza

According to the latest Australian Influenza Surveillance Report, there had been 187,431 confirmed flu cases in Australia as of July 3 and 113 deaths.

“From mid-April 2022, the

weekly number of notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza reported in Australia has exceeded the five-year average,” the report said.

More than 1,300 cases have required hospitalisation for treatment, 6.5 per cent of which were admitted directly to intensive care.

Many Australian businesses face challenges in finding workers Sydney, July 21 (IANS): Almost 40 per cent of Australian small and medium business owners are facing labour shortages, according to one of the nation’s largest banks. New research by the National Australia Bank (NAB) revealed on July 20 that hundreds of small and medium enterprises say their staffing shortfalls were having a “very significant” impact on their ability to operate. The survey, based on the responses of about 800 small and medium enterprises, which are businesses with less than 200 employees, showed that about one in three bosses expected the impact to continue over the next 12 months. NAB Business and Private Banking Group Executive Andrew Irvine said the findings aligned with comments he had been hearing from business owners throughout the year. “When I’m out talking with customers, the number one

issue they continue to raise is labour shortages -- and this is across all sectors, and all parts of the country,” Xinhua news agency quoted Irvine as saying.

“Business owners are crying out for more workers -- people on the shop floor, labourers to finish off jobs, drivers, pharmacy workers -- you’d be hard pressed to find a business owner who hasn’t had trouble finding people to do the job.” If the figures are considered state-wise, 43 per cent of small and medium enterprises in Western Australia reported significant labour shortages, followed by 37 percent in Victoria, 35 percent in Queensland and 33 percent in New South Wales.

Businesses in the health and construction sectors reported the greatest concern, with around half labelling labour shortages as being a key issue.

For businesses in agriculture, hospitality and tourism, the

Continued from Page 1

the nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Members of the Council of

Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, MPs and principal civil and military officers of the government were in attendance at the swearing in ceremony.

PM Modi wishes President Droupadi Murmu a fruitful presidential tenure Continued from Page 1

downtrodden. I wish her the very best for a fruitful Presidential tenure.

"In her address after taking oath, President Droupadi Murmu Ji gave a message of hope and compassion. She emphasised

on India's accomplishments and presented a futuristic vision of the path ahead at a time when India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav."

Murmu took oath earlier in the day as the 15th President of India.

Adani Enterprises stock hits new record high

data was more promising. In the last quarter, labour shortages in accommodation fell by 32 percent, likely due to state and international borders reopening.

Almost half of the small and medium enterprises believed the shortages could be solved by increasing traineeships and apprenticeships and increasing migrant intake. “As borders have opened, there have been some improvements -- but there’s much more to do,” Irvine said. “We need to look at our migration settings, how we can get more people into the labour force and our skills and training systems.” Irvine also said further government investment in training and upskilling the Indigenous workforce was important. “Finding skilled Indigenous workers is a challenge, so we want to see more skilled Indigenous people in the workforce,” he said.

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Chennai, July 25 (IANS): The share price of Adani Enterprises Ltd hit 52-week high mark of Rs 2,561.35 on the BSE on July 25.

The stock, which has been on the uptrend for the past several days, opened at Rs 2,500 after closing at Rs 2,499 on July 22 and went up to Rs 2,561.35 before ending the day at Rs 2,549.85.

It is said that the stock of the Adani Group's flagship company is on the rise owing to increased demand for power.

The other listed companies of the group in the power sector are Adani Power, Adani Transmissions, and Adani Green.

According to Adani Enterprises it is presently focused on businesses related to airports, roads, water management, data centres, solar manufacturing, defence and aerospace, edible oils and foods,

mining, integrated resource solutions, and integrated agri products.

In June, Care Ratings in a report listed the key strengths of the company as strengthened financial flexibility of the Adani Group and continuation of need-based support to the company, completion of capex and commencement of trial runs of coal dispatch in Australia, and significant recovery in the air passenger traffic.

The strengths also included completion of expansion projects in solar module manufacturing albeit with decline in profitability during FY22, ramp-up in domestic mining services business during FY21 and FY22, and substantial reduction in exposure to thermal power vertical of the Adani group.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

ADVERTORIAL

“Feeding the community through our Soup Kitchen and Café” Our Motto: Service to Beings is Service to God. The Vedanta Centre in Springfield Lakes is a non-profit spiritual organization and branch of the Ramakrishna Order founded in the late 19th century India.

The Vedanta Centre strives to facilitate individual spiritual growth and service to the society through benevolent activities like free food relief, activities for children & youth, yoga, meditation, workshops and volunteer opportunities. The Centre in Springfield Lakes has a café &soup kitchen, community garden, bookshop & function hall.

Monk in Charge of the Vedanta Centre Brisbane, Swami Atmeshananda reflects, “In 2013, I had seen news reports about lack of proper food experienced by elderly and needy. The first food relief in the Ramakrishna order was organized by Sri Ramakrishna himself on his way to pilgrimage when he saw starving people by the roadside.

He sat amongst their midst and vowed not to leave them until food and clothing was organized for them.

Swami Vivekananda says “So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every person a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them!”

When this building in Springfeld Lakes was designed, we kept a provision for a commercial kitchen. We started the food relief programme here in July 2020 which coincided with the Covid

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pandemic.”

Stage 1 of the commercial kitchen was completed in June 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cafeteria/kiosk kitchen with commercial license enabled volunteers of the Centre to start the Vedanta Soup Kitchen which would provide free meals to the community.

Stage 2 of the commercial kitchen, which is the fit-out of a larger internal kitchen,was inaugurated on Saturday 30th July 2022.This purpose-built facility together with the existing cafeteria kitchen will enable us to expand our food assistance programmes.

Vedanta Soup Kitchen The Vedanta Soup Kitchen prepares wholesome vegetarian meals. Volunteers plan, cook and pack the meals. Approximately 450 free meals are distributed every month. Since we started the Vedanta Soup Kitchen in July 2020, more than 10,000 free meals have been provided to people in need.

We have worked with a number of other organizations by supplying them frozen meals: Westside Community Care (Camira), Goodna Street Life, The Base Youth Services, Youth Justie Ipswich, QLD Youth and Families Support Services, The Breakfast Club Redcliffe and SOP Gold Coast.

The Vedanta Centre established a relationship with Foodbank QLD from where we are able to access subsidized groceries. We have been providing grocery hampers

to local people in need as well as the frozen meals.

From the beginning our belief is that anyone who comes to us for help is in need. There is no eligibility criteria and we don’t ask about their financial situation.

People may need help due to other reasons like mental health or loneliness.

Emergency Meals Service During the hailstorm in 2020, Cr Yonic helped us to distribute food to the frontline workers in Springfield Lakes.

When the first COVID outbreak hit Brisbane earlier this year, our volunteers cooked after work and delivered about 600 meals to people who were isolating in their homes.

Maa Sarada’s Kitchen Café Maa Sarada’s Kitchen cafe at the Vedanta Centre opened in March 2020.The Café is run by volunteers with operating hours every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. Delicious food is served at reasonable rates. All proceeds go to support the charitable activities of the Vedanta Centre. Patrons of the café are encouraged to donate $5 which will sponsor a free frozen meal to someone in need via our Vedanta Soup Kitchen.

café! We especially encourage people in our community who are experiencing social isolation and unemployment. Volunteering at the Cafe provides the opportunity to make new friendships and gain new skills and confidence.

New Kitchen Operating from the small kiosk has become difficult due to space constraint. The new kitchen will enable us to operate more efficiently and expand the services.

The fit out of the new kitchen was completed at a cost of $145,000. We would like to thank the following donors for their generous contributions:- Shayne Neumann, MP for $15000 grant under Stronger community programme by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources in 2021 for the kitchen exhaust and ventilation.

Ipswich council’s grant of $15000 under the ICC Major Funding towards supply and installation of coldroom. Honda Foundation $26000 towards equipment purchase. Sisters of charity

also supported with a generous donation of $10,000. Annie Danks Trust made a grant of $17000 for three years of running the kitchen.

We thank all the volunteers, supporters, local government, state government, federal government and the general public for their help in carrying out this service.

From the beginning our belief is that anyone who comes to us for help is in need. There is no eligibility criteria and we don’t ask about their financial situation.

People may need help due to other reasons like mental health or loneliness.Sustaining this service is even more important with the rising cost of food & housing that is affecting many families in the greater Springfield area.

If you would like to sponsor meals for the needy via the Vedanta Soup Kitchen, please contact at info@vedantabrisbane.org. Full sponsor for one day cooking costs $450 (150 meals), and part sponsor $250.

About 60 active volunteers participate in running the Café, some weekly and others intermittently. On average the Café takes 100 orders and sees at least 200 people come through the space every Saturday. People from all backgrounds come to eat and volunteer. Everyone is welcome at Maa Sarada’s Kitchen

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

ADVERTORIAL

Bravus boosts regional mental health services for new mums

(L-R) Townsville Hospital and Health Service Social Worker Chloe Bail, White Cloud Foundation Chair Professor Adam Scott, and Bravus Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe at the launch of the partnership in Townsville.

Bravus Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe with daughters (L-R Ashlan, Maelin and Emerson) and White Cloud Foundation Chair Professor Adam Scott with his son Tom – officially launching the partnership in Townsville.

Bravus Mining and Resources has joined forces with White Cloud Foundation’s ‘Meals for Mums’ service to help new mums across north and central Queensland who are at risk of, or experiencing, perinatal depression.

With latest census results revealing approximately one in 10 Australians have been diagnosed with a mental illness, demand for professional help is at an all-time high.

Bravus Mining and Resources Chief Operating Officer Mick Crowe said providing practical support through the delivery of two weeks’ worth of nutritious meals was a small gesture which was making a big difference.

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“As a father of four daughters myself I can clearly remember how amazing, yet difficult the early days and weeks of parenthood were,” Mr Crowe said.

“I think it’s easy to underestimate the difference something as simple as providing a few meals really can make in those early days and Bravus is proud to be supporting ‘Meals for Mums’.

“The program is designed to complement professional support and best of all, it’s free.”

The ‘Meals for Mums’ north and central Queensland service has so far: - Supported 110 families - Received 137 referrals - Delivered 1,613 meals

- Assisted 20 First Nations mums.

As part of its broader services, White Cloud Foundation has also created a free tele-mental health service. Since launching in August 2021, they have conducted more than 500 appointments, with over 50% of these for regional Queenslanders.

“Anyone who has tried to make an appointment with a psychologist or counsellor in the past 12 months will tell you that locking in a session with a specialist within a reasonable time frame is about as likely as the Wests Tigers winning this year’s NRL premiership,” Mr Crowe said.

“This service is free, there is no need to travel, and you don’t need a mental health plan so it really is

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accessible to anyone who needs it.”

While the White Cloud TeleMental Health Service has removed many of the barriers for seeking treatment and support, there is still a stigma attached to mental health.

White Cloud Foundation Founder Professor Adam Scott said that we all need to start thinking of our mental health in the same way we do our physical health.

“If we break a bone or feel crook, we go to the doctor. If we’re not feeling mentally well, we should also get help,” Professor Scott said.

“There is nothing to feel ashamed about, we all go through it at some point.

“Speaking to someone neutral can really help and we have a great team of psychologists, social

workers, counsellors, dietitians, and exercise physiologists who will support you from multiple angles.

“All you need to do is pick up the phone from wherever you are in Queensland and call 07 3155 3456.”

Bravus is proud to support White Cloud Foundation’s Townsville and Rockhampton services through its Community Partnership Program.

Since construction commenced on the Carmichael Mine and Rail Project, Bravus has contributed more than $2 million to not-forprofit, charities, school groups and other organisations across the project footprint.

Applications for Round 3 are now open. For more information, visit our website here.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Those deprived for centuries are seeing their reflection in me: Prez Murmu

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said that it is a matter of great satisfaction that those who have been deprived for centuries and those who have been denied the benefits of development, poor, downtrodden, backwards and tribals are seeing their reflection in her.

In her address after taking oath as the 15th president of India, Murmu said that she started her journey of life from a small tribal village in Odisha in the eastern part of the country. From the background that she came from, it was like a dream for her to get elementary education, she said.

“Despite many obstacles, my determination remained strong and I became the first daughter of my village to go to college. I belong to the tribal society. I have got the opportunity to rise from serving as a ward councillor to becoming the President of India.

This is the greatness of India, the mother of democracy,” she said.

She noted that it is a tribute to the power of Indian democracy that a daughter born in a poor house in a remote tribal area can reach the highest constitutional position in the country.

Murmu said that attaining the

post of President was not her personal achievement, it was the achievement of every poor person in India. “My election is a proof of the fact that the poor in India can have dreams and fulfil them too. And it is a matter of great satisfaction for me that those who have been deprived for centuries and those who have been denied the benefits of development, those poor, downtrodden, backwards and tribals are seeing their reflection in me,” she said.

President Murmu mentioned that this election was a blessing to the poor of the country and it reflected the dreams and potential of crores of women and daughters of the country. “This election of mine also shows the courage of today’s youth of India who are ready to walk on new paths and shun the beaten tracks.

Today I feel proud to lead such a progressive India. Today, I assure all fellow citizens, especially youth of India and the women of India that their interests will be paramount for me while working in this position,” the President said.

She wished the armed forces and citizens in advance on Kargil Vijay Diwas on Tuesday.

She further noted that the country’s freedom struggle had prepared the roadmap for India’s new journey as a nation.

“Our freedom struggle was a continuous stream of those struggles and sacrifices which had nurtured so many ideals and possibilities for independent India. This Amrit kaal, which commences with the 75th year

of our Independence, is a period of new resolutions for India.

Today I see my country inspired and ready to welcome this new era with new thinking. Today India is adding a new chapter of development in every field,” she said. Talking about Covid pandemic, President Murmur said, “The kind of capability that India has shown in combating the global crisis of Corona pandemic has enhanced India’s credibility all over the world. Just a few days ago, India set a record of administering 200 crore doses of corona vaccine. India not only took care of itself in these difficult situations but also helped the world.

“Pointing towards G-20 country hosting,” she said, “In the coming months, India is also going to host the G-20 Group under its chairmanship. In this grouping, 20 big countries of the world will brainstorm on global issues under the chairmanship of India.

I am sure that the conclusions and policies that will emerge from this brainstorming in India will determine the direction of the coming decades.”

She stated that in the past few years, a new energy has been infused in the country due to the decisions taken and policies formulated for women empowerment.

“I want all our sisters and daughters to be empowered more and more so that they continue to increase their contribution in every field of nation building,” she added.

I will not spare my own minister if found guilty: Mamata is neither my passion nor my habit. I cannot say that everyone is innocent. I want to clearly say that the money recovered from the residence of a woman (Arpita Mukherjee in this case) has no connection either with the Trinamool or the state government.

“If anyone is found guilty, let him be imprisoned for life. But I am saddened by the way my name is being dragged into the issue of recovery of cash. I will not tolerate such false propaganda any more.”

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) After the top leaders of Trinamool Congress distanced themselseves from state minister Partha Chatterjee following the latter’s arrest by the ED in connection with the teacher recruitment scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday made it clear that the onus of the scam lies with Chatterjee and his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.

Breaking her silence on the issue during a state government event to felicitate acclaimed persons from different fields, Banerjee said, “Supporting corruption

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The Chief Minister also referred to a viral video, where she could be seen sharing the dais with Arpita Mukherjee during the inauguration ceremony of a Durga Puja.

“I go for inauguration of many pujas. How am I supposed to know whom the organisers have invited? How could I know that she was Partha’s friend? I do not spare even my partymen if they are at fault. I do not and will not spare my own minister if found guilty,” Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister’s attempts to disown Chatterjee became evident when she blamed a

NEWS FROM INDIA

Court extends Partha Chatterjee’s ED custody till August 3 to the tune of Rs 120 crore, out of which only a small proportion has been recovered from Arpita Mukherjee's residence.

Hence, argued the ED counsel, there is the necessity of extension of custody of Chatterjee and Mukherjee for further interrogation.

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) A special PMLA court on Monday evening extended West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee's ED custody till August 3 in connection with his alleged involvement in the multicrore teacher recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

The court also extended the ED custody of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of Chatterjee, till August 3.

Chatterjee's counsels said that they will study the order of the PMLA court and then decide whether to approach any higher court against the decision.

The PMLA court also ordered that both Chatterjee and Mukherjee will have to be presented at any hospital at an interval of 48 hours during the period up to August 3 for medical check-up.

While arguing in favour of the extension of custody, ED's counsel, Additional Solicitor General M.V. Raju, claimed that as per ED estimates, the financial involvement in the WBSSC recruitment irregularities was

Meanwhile, ED sources said that two executive diaries have been recovered from the residence of Mukherjee during the raids at her place. In one of the diaries, it is written, "Department of Education, Government of West Bengal".

Sources said that both the diaries have a number of coded scribblings and ED sleuths believe that they are related to some statements of accounts regarding collections made from the multicrore WBSSC recruitment scam.

Meanwhile, while presenting his case at the PMLA court, the ED counsel informed that since his arrest, Chatterjee has been constantly threatening the agency officials.

Raju claimed that the ED sleuths have video-recorded the threats given by Chatterjee, especially when he was taken to the staterun SSKM Medical College & Hospital on Sunday.

Chatterjee, who was taken to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday morning for medical check-up, will be brought to Kolkata on Tuesday.

Sonia Gandhi to join ED probe, security heightened

section of the media for allegedly linking her and Trinamool Congress with the cash recovery from Mukherjee’s residence.

“Why are you all dragging me and the Trinamool Congress in this issue? You should write against the person who is responsible for these irregularities. Stop dragging me into the matter,” Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, party insiders said the Chief Minister is miffed about the entire incident, especially after it was revealed that ED’s arrest memo for Chatterjee had her name and phone number in it as the contact person.

Reacting to Banerjee’s comments, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said the Chief Minister is trying to save her own skin by putting the entire onus on Chatterjee.

“She (Banerjee) is claiming that she was not aware that Arpita Mukherjee was Partha Chatterjee’s friend. But in that same programme, she could be heard praising Mukherjee and even referring to her fluency in Odia language. What is the Chief Minister trying to prove,” Adhikari asked.

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New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) The Delhi Police made major security arrangements in the entire Lutyens Zone of the national capital ahead of the questioning of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case.

Paramilitary forces have been deployed in and around the probe agency's headquarters, as well as additional police teams.

The police is also checking every vehicle and inquiring everyone heading towards the APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

The Delhi Traffic Police has said that due to special arrangements, there will be heavy traffic movement till 2 p.m. on Gol Methi junction, Tughlak Road Junction,

Claridges Junction, Q-point Junction, Sunehri Masjid Junction, Maulana Azad Road Junction and Man Singh Road Junction.

On July 21, Sonia Gandhi was questioned for hours by the ED. She was initially summoned to appear again on July 25 but it was changed to July 26 at her request.

On Tuesday, the Congress President will be questioned by a team led by Additional Director Monika Sharma.

On July 21, she was accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Sources have suggested that Sonia Gandhi was grilled over the same set of questions which were asked to Rahul Gandhi during his fiveday interrogation.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Arrest is not meant to be and must not be used as a punitive tool: SC 41 of the CrPC as well as the safeguards in criminal law exist in recognition of the reality that any criminal proceeding almost inevitably involves the might of the state, with unlimited resources at its disposal, against a lone individual," it said.

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court said when power of arrest is exercised without application of mind and without due regard to the law, it amounts to an abuse of power and noted that machinery of criminal justice has been relentlessly employed against the petitioner.

The top court made several more observations in its order, which was uploaded on Monday, while granting bail to Alt news cofounder Mohammed Zubair last week.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna said arrest is not meant to be and must not be used as a punitive tool because it results in one of the gravest possible consequences emanating from criminal law: the loss of personal liberty.

"Individuals must not be punished solely on the basis of allegations, and without a fair trial. When the power to arrest is exercised without application of mind and without due regard to the law, it amounts to an abuse of power," it noted.

The bench added that the criminal law and its processes ought not to be instrumentalised as a tool of harassment. "Section

The bench said police officers are vested with the power to arrest individuals at various stages of the criminal justice process, including during the course of investigation.

However, this power is not unbridled, it pointed out.

As counsel for Uttar Pradesh attempted to persuade the top court that the petitioner must be barred from tweeting when he is on bail, the bench said a blanket order directing the petitioner to not express his opinion - an opinion that he is rightfully entitled to hold as an active participating citizen - would be disproportionate to the purpose of imposing conditions on bail.

"The imposition of such a condition would tantamount to a gag order against the petitioner.

Gag orders have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech," said the bench.

The top court noted that bail conditions imposed by it must not only have a nexus to the purpose that they seek to serve but must also be proportional to the purpose of imposing them.

"The courts while imposing bail conditions must balance the liberty of the accused and the necessity of a fair trial. While doing so, conditions that would

result in the deprivation of rights and liberties must be eschewed," said Justice Chandrachud, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench.

The top court had last week granted bail to Zubair in all the 6 FIRs registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police in different districts over his tweets and clubbed these FIRs with the Delhi FIR. The bench said: "The machinery of criminal justice has been relentlessly employed against the petitioner. Despite the fact that the same tweets allegedly gave rise to similar offences in the diverse FIRs mentioned above, the petitioner was subjected to multiple investigations across the country."

The bench said Zubair will be trapped in a vicious cycle of the criminal process where the process has itself become the punishment. "It also appears that certain dormant FIRs from 2021 were activated as certain new FIRs were registered, thereby compounding the difficulties faced by the petitioner," it added.

The top court disposed of Zubair's plea by granting him bail in all the UP Police cases and also gave him liberty to move the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of the cases. The top court clarified that its directions will apply to future cases, registered on the basis of tweets which were part of the previous FIRs.

PM Modi hosts farewell dinner for President Kovind New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hosted a farewell dinner for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind.

President-elect Droupadi Murmu also attended the dinner along with members of the Union Cabinet, Chief Ministers of various states and other dignitaries.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were also present.

4 Cong Lok Sabha MPs suspended for entire Monsoon Session

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Four Congress Lok Sabha MPs were suspended for the entire Monsoon session on Monday over unruly behaviour. The four Congress MPs -- Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, Jothimani and T.N. Prathapan -- have been suspended for the

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entire Monsoon Session ending August 12 for holding protests with placards inside the House.

Speaker Om Birla had earlier warned them to behave and not to hold the placards inside the house if they wanted to protest.

As the proceedings began in the Lok Sabha at 2 p.m. Monday after the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu, the opposition members started sloganeering on the issue of price rise and hiked GST rates.

Some MPs were seen holding placards and banners and some

Opposition MPs reached the well of the House. The Speaker said the government was ready to discuss the issues. He warned them against waving placards as it violated the rules of the House.

"Any member who brings placard into the House will not be allowed to take part in House proceedings. This is a temple of democracy, it is the responsibility of the members to maintain the dignity of the House," said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as the opposition MPs continued sloganeering.

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NEWS FROM INDIA

Amid disruptions, Rajya Sabha discusses WMD amendment bill New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Amid disruptions and continuous sloganeering from opposition members, the Rajya Sabha on Monday discussed The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022.

The house was later adjourned for the day after scheduling the consideration and passing of the Bill and the minister’s statement on Tuesday.

As members of the BJP continued to participate in discussion on the bill amid sloganeering from opposition members, the Chair announced that the minister’s statement on the bill and its consideration and passing will take place tomorrow.

Rajya Sabha proceedings on Monday were adjourned thrice before being adjourned for the day. Opposition members continued to protest demanding a discussion on price rise, inflation by shouting slogans and displaying placards. Amid the protests, BJP’s Sikander Kumar, and Ajay Pratap Singh and Tamil

Maanila Congress-M’s G.K. Vasan spoke in favour of the bill.

Participating in the discussion, BJP’s G.V.L. Narsimha Rao said the bill is an important tool in controlling financing of terrorist activities and Mahesh Jethmalani said that the genesis of the bill lies in global apprehensions that nuclear weapons could fall into unwanted hands. The latter also hit out at the opposition members for disrupting the House during the discussion of such an important bill.

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 3 p.m. as opposition members continued protest demanding discussion on price rise and inflation.

Proceeding for the day started at 2 p.m. instead of usual 11 a.m. due to swearing in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu. As opposition members continued to protest when the House resumed, Rajya Sabha once again adjourned till 4 p.m. Later Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the third time for 10 minutes till 5 p.m. before being adjourned till Tuesday.

Moosewala’s shooters, gunned down by Punjab Police, called Goldy Brar during encounter New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's two assailants, who were recently gunned down by the Punjab Police in an abandoned house close to India-Pakistan border, had one last time contacted Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar during the time of gunfight.

Notably it was Brar, a member of the Bishnoi gang, who had first claimed responsibility for Moosewala's murder.

In a Facebook post, that is going viral on social media, gangster Brar called both slain shooters Jagroop Roopa and Manpreet Mannu as deadly lions who fought valiantly with the police force for over six hours. "During the encounter, Jagroop Roopa called and told me that police had surrounded them from all sides. I told him to surrender and gave him assurance that I will get you freed but he said that they wished to show me their last performance," Brar wrote in Punjabi. He further wrote that those people who say that Sidhu Moosewala was killed by six men, "I wish to tell them there were six during Moosewala's killing and there were a 1000 policemen against two." Sharpshooters Manpreet Manu and Jagdeep Rupa, believed to be members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, which had allegedly provided sharpshooters to Bishnoi for Moosewala's killing, were shot dead in an encounter with the Punjab Police near the IndiaPakistan border in Amritsar

district on July 21. Brar, through a social media post, further said that he will help the families of both the deceased sharpshooters.

"They have done a lot for me and I will always be ready to help them," he wrote. Moosewala, 28, one of the most famous Punjabi language singers of the current times, was shot dead on May 29 by six assailants who fired over 30 shots at him near Jawaharke village of the Mansa district in Punjab. Sidhu was found soaked in his own blood on the driving seat of a Mahindra Thar SUV while two more occupants in the car, Sidhu's friends, Gurwinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh also received bullet injuries, but they survived.

Of the six shooters, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested three -- Priyavrat, Kashish and Ankit alias Chhota while the Punjab Police have gunned down two -- Manpreet Manu and Jagdeep Rupa. One sharpshooter is still at large and sources in the Special Cell say that stringent efforts are on to nab him.

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Millions of Australians could catch COVID-19 over coming weeks: health minister Canberra, July 14 (IANS) Australia's Health Minister Mark Butler has warned that "millions" of people could get infected with coronavirus in the coming weeks amid a winter surge.

Butler recently asked the Australians to wear masks and work from home when needed to mitigate the impact of a wave of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariant infections. There were 316,574 active COVID-19 cases in Australia

by Wednesday -- a figure Butler said could increase within weeks.

"I think this is a very concerning wave. This is the third wave just this year that Omicron has thrown at Australia," he said on the TV programme Sunrise on Wednesday. "It's likely over coming weeks that some

millions of Australians will catch COVID-19, some of them catching it again after perhaps having caught it earlier this year."

Butler said employers had been asked by chief health officers to think about whether their business can deal with a short period of working from home arrangements."People are strongly encouraged in indoor crowded spaces to wear a mask because we know it will cut transmission and cut the number of cases," Xinhua news agency reported quoting Butler.

On Thursday, Australia reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 infections and more than 70 deaths. According to government data published by the Guardian Australia on Thursday, 91 deaths

were reported by aged care providers in the week ending July 8, up from 58 the week prior, and well above the weekly average of 69 since the beginning of March, when the last Omicron wave ended. More than 2,000 aged care residents have died with COVID-19 in 2022 -- more than twice as many as the 917 in 2020 and 2021 combined.

As of Wednesday afternoon, a total of 8,596,145 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,437 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 4,477 coronavirus patients being treated in Australian hospitals on Wednesday, up from 3,781 a week earlier.

Australian unemployment falls but working hours reduced due to Covid, influenza

Canberra, July 14 (IANS) Australia's unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level in almost 50 years.

According to labour force data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday, the official unemployment rate in June was 3.5 per cent, down from the 3.9 per cent recorded for the previous three months. "This is the lowest unemployment rate since August

1974, when it was 2.7 percent and the survey was quarterly," Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said in a media release.

Jarvis said the large fall in the unemployment rate this month reflects more people than usual entering employment and also lower than usual numbers of employed people becoming unemployed.

"Together these flows reflect an increasingly tight labor market, with high demand for engaging and retaining workers, as well as ongoing labour shortages," Xinhua news agency reported quoting Jarvis. An estimated 88,400 jobs were added to the economy in June, which marks the eighth consecutive monthly increase, following the easing

of restrictions after the Covid lockdowns in late 2021.

However, the total number of hours worked by Australians fell slightly between May and June. The drop was attributed to a surge in coronavirus cases forcing more workers to isolate.

"In line with large numbers of Covid cases in June, the number of people working reduced hours due to illness continued to be high. This reflected ongoing disruption associated with the Omicron variant and cases of influenza," Jarvis said. He said there were around 780,000 people working fewer hours than usual due to own illness in June 2022, almost double the usual number seen at the start of winter in the country.

Australia’s largest music festival forges ahead despite extreme weather repairs overnight including pumping out water from flooded campsites and repairing stages and walkways.

Organisers have advised patrons to wear gumboots and warm clothing over the weekend.

Sydney, July 23 (IANS) After a last-minute cancellation on day one, Australia’s largest music festival, Splendor in the Grass, has decided to reopen over the weekend despite concerns over extreme weather, flooding and poor conditions on the grounds.

After being met with a barrage of criticism over the cancellation of day one, the event organisers cautiously announced on Saturday that the final two days of the three-day festival would go ahead. reports Xinhua news agency.

“Expect delays, please work with us when entering the festival...

You’re going to have to allow for extra travel time,” said a spokesperson for Splendor in the Grass on Saturday.

They added that most programming is expected to go ahead with partial refunds being issued due to the disruption, organisers had been conducting

It comes after Albanese faced criticism for not extending the scheme beyond its June 30 end date amid a new wave of Covid infections in the current winter months, Xinhua news agency reported.

Canberra, July 16 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has bowed to pressure to reinstate the emergency pandemic leave payments for workers infected with the coronavirus.

Following an emergency meeting with state and territory leaders, Albanese on Saturday announced that up to 750 Australian dollars (509.6 million US dollars) of payment for workers forced to

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Health Minister Mark Butler has warned "it's likely" over coming weeks that some millions of Australians will catch the virus, with some of them catching it again after perhaps having caught it earlier this year.

unenviable choice of not being able to isolate properly without losing an income and without being put in a situation that is difficult," he told reporters.

Extending the scheme will cost an estimated 780 million Australian dollars (530 million U.S. dollars), with the federal government sharing the funding 50-50 with the states and territories.

Australia on Saturday reported more than 35,000 new Covid cases and more than 70 deaths.

On Saturday, Albanese said the changed health circumstance in the new wave meant the payment would remain in place.

As of Friday afternoon, a total of 8,687,125 cases of Covid have been reported in Australia, with 10,582 deaths and 328,080 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

"I want to make sure that people aren't left behind -- that vulnerable people are looked after and that no one is faced with the

There were 4,602 cases being treated in Australian hospitals on Friday including 144 in intensive care units.

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The three-day event, held in Byron Bay, a town along the coast of New South Wales (NSW), was due to begin on Friday.

However, festival-goers were met with an eight-hour-long car queue and flooded campgrounds.

Festival organisers made the decision to cancel the main acts early on Friday afternoon, citing warnings from the state’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

Responding to the disruptions, ticket holders have complained that the site festival is floodprone and unsuitable for such an event and that there was a lack of communication ahead of the lastminute cancellation.

Many took to social media to vent their frustrations and call for greater financial reimbursement.

The sudden weather has led to an anticlimactic end to a three-year wait for the annual festival which normally attracts between 40,000 and 50,000 people, and was cancelled for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Australian Covid hospitalisations hit recent high amid surging cases in winter agency quoted Butler as saying.

Australia on Tuesday reported more than 50,000 new Covid cases and more than 70 deaths.

According to Department of Health data, there were 5,001 cases being treated in Australian hospitals on Monday, including 155 in intensive care.

It marks the first time in recent months the figure has surpassed 5,000.

Australia reinstates emergency pandemic payment for workers amid battle against Covid in winter isolate due to Covid will remain in place until September 30.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Canberra, July 19 (IANS) Australia’s health minister has said that the “real number” of Covid cases in the country is likely to double that which is being reported daily.

Mark Butler on Tuesday warned the third wave of Omicron variant infections that Australia is currently experiencing is “very significant,” with hospitalisations soaring.

“There were 300,000 cases or thereabouts reported over the last seven days, and I think the chief medical officer and I are pretty confident that the real number is likely to be more than double that,” he told reporters.

“We are seeing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Australians infected every single week in this wave,” Xinhua news

“The other difference obviously between the situation we confront today and in January is that hospitals are also grappling with flu, a range of other respiratory illnesses and the usual surge in hospital activity that we see during winter,” Butler said.

Medical regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Tuesday announced it has provisionally approved a pediatric dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to less than six years.

Currently, this mRNA vaccine is provisionally approved for immunisation to prevent Covid in individuals aged six years and older, said TGA. It recommended the use of this vaccine in children from six months be administered as two doses at least 28 days apart.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation must approve the vaccine before it can be rolled out to the age group.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Aussie state calls for tag system to safeguard livestock from foot-and-mouth disease

Sydney, July 20 (IANS) Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) are calling for stricter and more extensive biosecurity measures to protect its livestock industry from the

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imminent threat of foot-andmouth disease (FMD).

NSW minister for agriculture Dugald Saunders said he would propose the urgent development of mandatory electronic

identification tags for sheep and goats during a meeting with all Australian agriculture ministers on Wednesday afternoon.

and goats will be crucial during an emergency disease outbreak and deliver benefits across the supply chain," he said.

FMD, which attacks clovenhoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, goats and sheep, is now in the neighbouring nation of Indonesia, raising the likelihood of the infectious virus entering Australia for the first time in more than 130 years, Xinhua news agency reported.

All Australian cattle already have ear tags, but millions of sheep and goats do not, which means that a quickly spreading outbreak among those animals would be harder to trace.

Saunders estimated an outbreak of the crippling disease could potentially cost the national economy 80 billion Australian dollars (about 55.2 billion US dollars) and "send shockwaves through regional communities for years to come."

"Individual traceability for sheep

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Saunders warned that a national tagging system for sheep and goats would take time to implement, so it is important to start the conversation.

NSW has the nation's largest number of sheep with more than 21 million, while Victoria has 17 million and Western Australia (WA) has 14 million, according to a report on Tuesday from the national broadcaster ABC.

Describing the tagging proposal, Saunders said the NSW government would work with farmers and livestock industry representatives to develop a practical system that works for them.

The scheme has already been endorsed by Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Patrick Hutchinson who said the agricultural industry needed to support such a national program to prevent the spread of exotic livestock diseases.

"To make sure the entire country is prepared for an outbreak like FMD, we need to act now to start the process of developing a national electronic identification system for sheep and goats," Hutchinson said.

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NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Palaszczuk Government funding QPS Dog Squad celebrates 50th anniversary to continue great Qld lifestyle allow for a range of improvements to significantly enhance more than a dozen recreation areas across the state.

“Our dams, weirs and lakes aren’t just to provide water supply, they’re centrepieces of tourism in many of these wonderful Queensland communities,” he said. “The upgrades will ensure recreation areas meet community expectations, safety standards and accessibility requirements.

Brisbane, July 27: Popular community recreation facilities at several dams and weirs in regional Queensland are in line for a makeover as part of a five-year, $24.5 million upgrade program. Water Minister Glenn Butcher said the funding will

“They will also help to generate long-lasting economic and tourism benefits for local businesses. “The Palaszczuk Government worked hard to ensure this year’s budget will provide good jobs, better services and a great lifestyle to people across the state and

tragically killed on duty by a gunman on July 21, 2000.

this announcement is just more evidence of that.

“Whether camping or caravanning, boating or fishing, or having a family picnic, we want to make sure these facilities are in top condition for Queenslanders as well as a drawcard for travellers.”

The program of work will involve upgrading and maintaining lookouts, camping and toilet facilities, boat ramps for public use, playgrounds, barbeques, picnic shelters, sprinkler systems and access roads.

Upgrades will be undertaken at dams and weirs owned and operated by Sunwater, from St George in the state’s south, to Atherton in the far north.

One of the first QPS Dog Squad handlers, former Constable First Class Charlie Degnan, was among the speakers to address the attendees at the function.

Brisbane, July 22: Minister for Police Mark Ryan and Deputy Commissioner Paul Taylor joined past and present Queensland Police Service dog handlers last night to mark 50 years of police dogs’ service to the Queensland community. The event was attended by past and present QPS dog handlers, representatives of Australian and New Zealand law enforcement dog agencies, and the family of dog handler Senior Constable Norm Watt, who was

The QPS Dog Squad was established in December 1972, after he and fellow officer David Laird and their German Shepherds Lobo and Rolf participated in a guard dog training course at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Toowoomba. Since that time, 472 police dogs have served the community, handled by 179 police dog handlers, with the QPS Dog Squad providing frontline operational support in all major residential areas in Queensland.

Deloitte Report estimates $7.7 billion Queenslanders appointed to Brisbane 2032 Legacy Committee cost from the floods Stirling Hinchliffe as the Committee Chair - Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport and Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement

Georgina Richters as the Committee Deputy Chair - First Nations consultant Sharon Boyce – educator, author and disability advocate

Twelve Queenslanders have been appointed to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy Committee.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that, while 2032 will be the biggest single transformational event in Queensland’s history, the Legacy Committee will focus on the years that follow.

“This is Queensland’s time to shine,” the Premier said.

“We are not just looking at 2032 but the decades after that.

“I will be asking these Committee members to be the voice for their street, their community, their school, workplace and for all Queenslanders, and to think big in imagining the positive legacy these Games can have in transforming our State.

“The Games will be the biggest single transformational event Queensland is likely to see and we are not going to waste this golden opportunity.”

Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement, and Chair of the Legacy Committee Stirling Hinchliffe announced First Nations leader Georgina Richters as the Deputy Chair of the Committee.

“Each of the Queenslanders announced today will play a key role in shaping Queensland’s Brisbane 2032 legacy,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

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“Queensland’s Brisbane 2032 Legacy Committee has a diversity of backgrounds and life experience from the circular economy and infrastructure to innovation, community sport, events and education.”

Mr Hinchliffe said more than 400 applications were received for the committee.

“Members will provide expertise and advice on legacy and seek the views of other Queenslanders on priorities for opportunities in their communities,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“In developing the Brisbane 2032 legacy plan, the Committee will be looking for partnership opportunities and strategies to inspire community involvement.

“We want to see the 2032 Games’ legacy benefits come to life in communities wherever they are in Queensland.

“This is a unique opportunity to prioritise what we want from Brisbane 2032.

“The biggest show on Earth is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Queensland for decades to come.”

The Legacy Committee will meet up to four times per year with committee members appointed for 12-month terms that can be renewed.

The Brisbane 2032 Legacy Committee members include:

Cameron Costello – Quandamooka traditional owner and passionate advocate for reconciliation Wayne Gerard – Company Director, CEO, Founder and innovation advocate Danya Hodgetts – sporting advocate and sport and physical activity researcher Diaswati Mardiasmo – economist in the housing and property sector, researcher, diversity and inclusion advocate Ashleigh Morris – internationally recognised expert in circular economy Cameron Pegg – communications consultant and inclusive sport advocate Ingrid Proud – experienced major event professional Imogen Ruyg – 17-year-old Normanton resident and Youth Parliament Member for Gladstone John Wagner – business leader and founder, advocate for regional Queensland Siwei (Samuel) Zhu – 17-year-old student representative and school council member from South Brisbane.

4500 affected and total damage of approximately $324 million.

Brisbane, July 27: An independent Deloitte Report into this year’s South East Queensland floods has revealed an estimated total cost of $7.7 billion to Queensland.

Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Steven Miles said the Deloitte Report considered the social, financial and economic costs of the 2022 South East Queensland Rainfall and Flooding Event that hit 23 local government areas.

“The key findings of this report highlight the sheer extent of the damage caused by these floods,” Mr Miles said. “Deloitte has taken a broad range of factors into consideration including human and social impacts; damage to residential, commercial and public infrastructure as well as industry disruption; emergency response and clean-up and environmental factors. “The report estimates more than 500,000 people were affected by the floods in some way with an estimated human and social cost of $4.5 billion. “The impact to homes and commercial businesses has been estimated at $2 billion with approximately 18,000 homes or businesses impacted. “The economic impact on Queensland small businesses was significant with more than

“The floods also had a major impact on Queensland’s agricultural sector with more than 2250 primary producers affected across 17 local government areas at the time of the report with losses estimated to be more than $250 million.

“You only need to look at the price of lettuce in our supermarkets to understand the impact this far-reaching, long-lasting event had on our farmers with many of them either losing their crops or losing the capacity to manage their crops.” The Queensland Government commissioned this report which builds on the prior body of knowledge and experience following a similar report commissioned after the 2019 North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough event. Mr Miles said the report used information collected from government agencies in the first two months following the disaster in conjunction with data from agencies like the ICA and Australian Bureau of Statistics.

“The South East Queensland rainfall and flooding event caused heavy rainfall and major flooding from Gladstone to the Gold Coast and west to Balonne,” he said.

“Gympie had its worst flooding event since 1893 with the Mary River peaking at 23 metres and the subsequent flooding forcing more than 460 residents staying in evacuation centres.

The Deloitte Report can be found at http://www.qra.qld. gov.au/2021-22-SouthernQueensland-Floods

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

Grants to kick-start active kids at active schools Victoria tops nation: CommSec Melbourne, July 21: The Andrews Labor Government is helping more kids get active and fostering the talents of Victoria’s future sports stars, with more support for schools to offer exciting sports programs and encourage physical activity. Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins and AFLW Carlton star Darcy Vescio on July 21 visited Ardeer South Primary School, one of 96 schools to receive an Active Schools grant this year – part of the Labor Government’s $45.4 million initiative to give Victorian kids the skills, confidence and motivation to be active for life. The grant

has transformed Ardeer South PS into a hive of football activity – using its grant to completely resurface the school oval and install new goal posts so kids can get into footy both during and after school, and allowing the school to compete in interschool AFL competitions. The school has also partnered with the Western Bulldogs Friendly Schools program and built a strong link with the Sunshine Heights Football Club, helping to flood the club’s junior ranks with new players. One student, Hope, has taken up footy both at school and Sunshine Heights

and has progressed from having confidence issues to winning the Western Bulldogs Heartland Award for her achievements in the team – and now aspires to play AFLW one day. On top of their Active Schools grant, in the past year Ardeer South Primary School also received two Physical Education and sports funding boosts to increase their school’s physical education budget. The Victorian Budget 2022/23 invested more than $20.8 million to boost the Active Schools program and promote long-term health and wellbeing in generations of young Victorians to come.

30k casual workers better off thanks to sick pay guarantee contract workers without sick leave entitlements.

Melbourne, July 29: The Andrews Labor Government is helping to make life easier for casual and

Minister for Employment Jaala Pulford on July 29 announced that more than 30,000 people have now signed up to the Labor Government’s Sick Pay Guarantee program. Only four months after the Australian-first initiative was launched, more than $6 million has been paid to thousands of workers in frontline jobs like hospitality, retail and aged care.

One of those to have benefited from the program is casual retail

assistant Ava Grimshaw-Hall who recently had to take time off work following a mishap in the kitchen. While cooking one day Ms Grimshaw-Hall came off second best against a casserole dish – with a piece of the dish severing two tendons in her hand – she needed surgery and time off work. Having registered to the Sick Pay Guarantee program, Ms Grimshaw-Hall was able to take the time off she needed without worrying how to pay the rent and other bills.

Kids to go free to the Melbourne Royal Show Melbourne, July 28: Kids will be able to go to the Melbourne Royal Show for free this year thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney made the announcement at the Melbourne Showgrounds on July 28 morning with the Labor Government investing $3.5 million to support free entry for kids.

The funding will be provided directly to Agricultural and Pastoral Societies hosting shows this year to defray the cost of free entry for kids under the age of 14, at more than 100 rural and regional shows across Victoria.

As the Melbourne Royal Show returns for the first time in two years, kids 14 years and younger will receive free entry,

so more families can enjoy all the quintessential favourites including the wood-chop, arts and crafts, showbags and carnival rides - plus the new Show After Dark featuring 11 nights of live music. Presented by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, the Show remains one of the state’s largest and most iconic annual community events and is a tradition among families and friends, contributing $244 million annually to Victoria’s economy and in previous years has attracted up to 460,000 visitors.

Agricultural shows are the cornerstones of Victoria’s agriculture sector, building community spirit by celebrating agriculture in a fun, entertaining, educational and inclusive

environment. Agriculture Victoria is also working closely with the Melbourne Royal Show organisers to ensure biosecurity measures are in place, including livestock movement ahead of this year’s event which opens on 22 September. The Government is working hand-in-glove with state and federal counterparts to monitor the threat of footand-mouth disease and other biosecurity concerns. There are over 300 dedicated biosecurity staff within the 1200 strong team currently undertaking FMD-specific training, scenario planning, and participating in emergency exercises to ensure they’re ready to respond quickly and effectively.

Torquay set to welcome Great Ocean Road Volleyfest Melbourne, July 29: Torquay will be a hive of activity drawing visitors to the region for 12 days of competition backed by the Andrews Labor Government.

The Great Ocean Road Beach Volleyfest 2022 will run from 23 November to 4 December. It comprises the Volleyball World Pro Beach Tour and Australian Beach Volleyball Tour, offering spectators a variety of formats to enjoy. The men’s and women’s events will attract approximately 450 competitors and support crew from around the world, with thousands of spectators expected to revel in the court-side fun.

The international Beach Pro Tour features the world’s top elite teams, with the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour event one of six

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premier elite domestic events staged around the country.

The competition will attract thousands of visitors to regional Victoria before the summer peak, supporting jobs and filling hotels, cafes and restaurants along the Surf Coast. The events will be delivered by Volleyball Australia at a temporary event village on Elephant Walk, featuring competition courts, training courts, grandstands, entertainment, and sport development opportunities.

Torquay and the Surf Coast will be showcased throughout the event’s broadcast into more than 70 countries around the world, promoting regional Victoria as a spectacular tourism destination.

With beach volleyball due

to feature in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Great Ocean Road Beach Volleyfest will help build interest in the sport and show regional Victoria’s ability to host significant sporting events. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said: “The Great Ocean Road Beach Volleyfest will attract thousands of visitors to Torquay for 12 days of spectacular competition and entertainment down on the foreshore, supporting more local business and delivering more jobs. We’re backing a jam-packed calendar of major events in 2022 that showcase Victoria as the ultimate tourism destination, while cementing our title as the sporting and events capital of Australia.”

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State Of The States report Melbourne, July 25: Victoria’s economy is the best performing in the nation overall, leading all states and territories on relative unemployment and retail trade, according to the CommSec State of the States Report released on July 25.

Victoria has the strongest jobs market, the quarterly report found, following recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures revealing the state’s unemployment rate is at a near 50-year low of 3.2 per cent.

The report reinforces the excellent ABS jobs results of July which confirmed Victoria delivered the biggest jobs growth of all the states in June, with more than 28,000 new jobs, boosting the total number of Victorians in work to a record high of more than 3.54 million.

Victoria has led the nation in new jobs since September 2020 with nearly 350,000 jobs created – outstripping all other Australian states. Retail spending in Victoria was up by more than any other state in the March quarter relative to decade-average levels, the CommSec report found, driven by a solid job market, low interest rates and strong building activity.

Victoria also led the nation for annual growth of retail trade – up 6.9 per cent. The finding is consistent with ABS figures released in June that showed Victorian State Final

Demand soared by 2.4 per cent in the March quarter – the best performance of all the states on the key measure of economic activity and twice the level of New South Wales.

Victoria scored highly in the CommSec report on construction work done and was the only state to record an increase in construction activity in the first three months of the year, with other states and territories posting falls in work done during this period.

Victoria’s unprecedented infrastructure program under the Labor Government has supported more than 190,000 jobs and is forecast to average more than $21 billion annually over the next four years.

The Government has fast-tracked shovel ready construction projects across the state, delivering investment and supporting continued economic growth. More than $9.2 billion in development investment was approved over the past two years to keep Victoria growing, with the Development Facilitation Program targeting priority projects.

The Labor Government invested more than $44 billion to protect the health and wellbeing of Victorians during the pandemic, including an unprecedented $13 billion in business support.

Commonwealth Games fever builds in Victoria

Melbourne, July 29: The excitement has begun with Australian athletes set to show their stuff in Birmingham as the Commonwealth Games begins. Victoria has more than 80 members joining the Australian contingent, with 15 athletes coming from regional Victoria, which will be the home of the games in 2026. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held from March 17-29 and will deliver a unique model of Games – not centred around one city.

Instead, four regional hubs will be established in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, each with their own athletes’ village and sports program.

It is estimated the Games will contribute more than $3 billion to Victoria’s economy, creating more than 600 full-time equivalent jobs before the Games, 3,900 jobs

during the Games and a further 3,000 jobs beyond the Closing Ceremony. Victoria 2026 will also invest significantly in community infrastructure, including housing and world-class sports facilities.

This will leave a legacy of affordable housing for the regions and modern sports infrastructure to encourage Victorians to get active and attract future major events. Victoria will be on show to the world during the handover ceremony at the end of the games.

Regional communities are also encouraged to submit their ideas on how their local town could be showcased during the games.

The process is open to local residents and businesses, Traditional Owner groups, creative and cultural organisations and local councils and closes on August 12.

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Amount of attention on me has gone supernova: Musk has gone supernova, which super sucks. Unfortunately, even trivial articles about me generate a lot of clicks,” Musk tweeted with a sad emoji.

“Will try my best to be heads down focused on doing useful things for civilisation,” he added.

San Francisco, July 26 (IANS): Amid several media reports appearing on Elon Musk’s activities, the tech billionaire on July 26 said that the attention which he is getting currently “super sucks”, and he will continue to focus on doing useful things.

On the microblogging site, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO expressed his displeasure of the unwanted media attention that he is getting these days.

“The amount of attention on me

Recently, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report claimed that “Musk engaged in a brief affair last fall with the wife of Sergey Brin, prompting the Google Cofounder to file for divorce earlier this year and ending the tech billionaires’ long friendship”.

Musk later hit out at the WSJ for linking him with Brin’s wife Nicole Shanahan, asking his more than 102 million social media followers to slam the publication for going ahead with a false story.

Musk told his followers to “call them out on it”.

“WSJ is supposed to have a high standard for journalism and, right now, they are way sub-tabloid.

WSJ should be running stories

that actually matter to their readers and have a solid factual basis, not third-party random hearsay,” Musk had tweeted.

Musk said that character assassination attacks have reached a new level this year, but “the articles are all nothingburgers”.

“I work crazy hours, so there just isn’t much time for shenanigans.

None of the key people involved in these alleged wrongdoings were even interviewed,” he posted on another report about Amber Heard’s threesome with Musk and Cara Delevingne at actor Johnny Depp’s house in 2016, which he has denied.

According to the report, the Musk-Shanahan affair allegedly occurred at the ‘Art Basel’ event in Miami following the Tesla CEO’s split with then girlfriend Claire Boucher, famously known as Grimes.

Brin and Shanahan were separated but still living together at the time.

UN chief appoints Li Junhua of China as next UnderSecretary General for Economic, Social Affairs General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service to the world body, according to a statement issued by the Secretary-General's office.

United Nations, July 26 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Li Junhua of China as the next UnderSecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The new Under-Secretary-

General was appointed on July 25, Xinhua news agency reported.

Li, who is currently Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of China to Italy and San Marino, will succeed Liu Zhenmin of China, to whom the Secretary-

Born in 1962, Li began his career at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985, and has served in various capacities, including as the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, and as Director General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He has a master's degree in international public policy obtained from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, the statement said.

Sea ports is due to start soon.

The demining process will be carried out exclusively in the corridor for the passage of cargo ships, and all ship caravans will be accompanied by Ukrainian rescue vessels, Kubrakov added.

Speaking at a media briefing aired on the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry's Facebook page, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on July 25 that the movement of ships from the Black

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Ukrainian Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yurii Vaskov, who also participated in the briefing, said the first grain deliveries will be made from the port of Chornomorsk, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We expect the first shipment to be made this week," Vaskov added.

Within two weeks, Ukraine also plans to start exporting grain through the ports of Odesa and Pivdenny, he said.

According to him, the

Amid international flak, SL President reaffirms right to peaceful protest Colombo, July 24 (IANS): Amid international condemnation of violent attacks on antigovernment protesters, newlyelected Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he reaffirms the country's commitment to upholding the right of peaceful, non-violent assembly, adding that there are reserved locations around Colombo for public protests.

He gave the assurance to Colombo-based diplomats while detailing the removal of the protesters who had illegally occupied the Presidential Secretariat. He stated that both Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 14 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, which governs the rights of peaceful assembly, would be upheld by the government.

Wickremesinghe, who was voted in as President with majority of the former Rajapaksa party, said that the instructions given by the American Civil Liberties Union stated that protesters were not permitted to block government buildings and interfere with other purposes the property was designed for. Soon after Sri Lanka military and police carried out violent attacks injuring nearly 50 including protesters, lawyers and journalists, US Ambassador to Colombo, Julie Chung strongly criticised the state-sponsored attack.

"This is not the time to crack down on citizens, but instead to look ahead at the immediate and tangible steps the government can take to regain the trust of the people, restore stability and rebuild the economy," she tweeted. On July 22, she met Wickremesinghe and referred to the brutal attacks as "unnecessary and deeply troubling escalation of violence against protesters".

coordination centre tasked with supervising and coordinating the functioning of the humanitarian corridor will start its work on July 27.

Wickremesinghe has told diplomats that non-violent protests were allowed to proceed within the city without endangering property or lives and four venues including an openair theatre at a public park, two playgrounds and a public building have been allocated for nonviolent protests.

The supplies of Ukrainian grain to the global market have been affected in recent months due to the blockade of the Ukrainian sea ports by the Russian military.

Several foreign nations and the United Nations, the European Union, Amnesty International condemned the attack carried out within less than 24 hours of

Ukraine plans to start grain exports via seaports soon

Kiev, July 26 (IANS): Ukraine is preparing to start grain exports through the Black Sea ports under the grain deal signed recently in Turkiye, Ukrainian officials said.

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On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Turkiye and the UN in Istanbul to resume grain shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets through the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deal will enable Ukraine to export 20 million ton of last year's grain harvest and part of this year's harvest.

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Wickremesinghe being sworn in as President.

Amid the unprecedented economic crisis, people launched massive anti-government protests against the Rajapaksa regime, forcing PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.

The UN Human Rights Office condemned the attack, stating: "We have concerns that the raid on the camp sends a chilling message to peaceful protesters, including elsewhere in the country." It stated that it was alarmed by the unnecessary use of force allegedly exerted by Sri Lanka military attacking the protesters with clubs, and wires despite the fact that they had planned to hand over the area to the security on July 22 afternoon.

Meanwhile the European Union -- the country's major trading partner which has helped to win trade concession GSP plus to export garments to earn over $5 billion annually - stressed the need of upholding freedom of opinion and expression and individual rights of Sri Lankan citizens in the process of a democratic, peaceful and orderly transition.

Sri Lanka police had justified the removal of protesters with force, claiming that it could not trust the word of protesters who promised to vacate it on July 22 afternoon.

"But we were at a position where we couldn't trust them anymore.

That is why the forces and the STF removed these members of an illegal gathering from the place," police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa told media. Country's main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, led by Sajith Premadasa, whose candidate was defeated to Wickremesinghe in the July 21 election, urged the government to summon Parliament on July 25 to discuss the brutal attacks, which the opposition described as a blow to democracy. Wickremesinghe has appointed pro-Rajapaksa strongman, Dinesh Gunawardena as new PM and a 18-member cabinet most who were loyal to Rajapaksas and people have condemned Wickremesinghe's allegiance to the former regime and protests have already started

by Sri Lankan communities in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

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Cambodian King, Queen Mother donate $1.5 mn to govt for mine clearance work "I would like to add to the government's efforts by donating $500,000 to help deal with the landmine issue in Cambodia," the king wrote in a letter.

In another letter, Queen Mother Monineath wrote she contributed $1 million to support the government's efforts to address the landmine issue in the kingdom, Xinhua news agency reported.

Phnom Penh, July 26 (IANS): Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk have donated a total of $1.5 million to support the government's mine clearance activity.

In two separate letters to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen dated July 23 and released to the media on July 25, King Sihamoni and Queen Mother Monineath decided to donate $500,000 and $1 million, respectively to the "Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action".

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Prime Minister Hun Sen established the "Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action" fundraising drive on July 4. So far, the campaign has raised more than $20 million from local donors, according to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authorities (CMAA).

Cambodia is one of the countries worst affected by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions have been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

According to Yale University, between 1965 and 1973, the US had

dropped some 230,516 bombs on 113,716 sites in Cambodia.

310 killed, 300 injured as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Pakistan

CMAA's first Vice-President Ly Thuch said from 1992 to date, the country had cleared 2,410 square km of landmine/ERW contaminated land, destroying more than 1.1 million antipersonnel mines, more than 26,000 anti-tank mines and nearly 3 million ERWs.

shops across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Most of the damages and casualties were reported from the country's southwestern Balochistan province, where 100 people died and 57 others sustained injuries due to monsoon rains that triggered flash floods, followed by the southern Sindh province, which has reported 70 deaths and 27 injured people, according to the NDMA.

However, the Southeast Asian country still needs to clear the remaining 716 square km of land contaminated by mines and ERWs, he added.

Thuch said throughout Cambodia, around 1 million people still live in fear and work in areas contaminated by mines and ERWs and that the kingdom is committed to getting rid of landmines and ERWs by 2025.

"To achieve this mine-free goal, we need a budget of at least $90 million," he added in a press conference earlier in July.

According to the CMAA, from 1979 to June 2022, landmine and ERW explosions claimed 19,818 lives and either injured or amputated 45,186 others.

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WORLD NEWS

Islamabad, July 26 (IANS): Nearly 310 people have been killed and 295 others injured in separate rain-related incidents in Pakistan since June 14 as heavy downpours continued to lash the country, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

A total of 175 women and children are among the deceased, the NDMA said in a situation report released on July 24, adding that the rains have partially or fully damaged nearly 8,979 houses along with 48 bridges and several

Almost 64 people were killed in the east Punjab province, 62 in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and 14 people in other parts of the country, said the NDMA. The NDMA added that rescue and relief activities are underway.

The agency has been providing food packs, tents, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, blankets and tarpaulins to victims of rains and floods across the country.

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WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by A publication of the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Compiled by Akriti Sharma, Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh, Ankit Singh, Avishka Ashok, Abigail Miriam Fernandes, Apoorva Sudhakar, Padmashree Anandhan, Rishma Banerjee and Arshiya Banu

The Middle East: Biden’s visit to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and West Bank What happened?

On 13 July, US President Joe Biden landed at the Tel Aviv airport on his historic tour of the Middle East. On 14 July, Biden held highlevel diplomatic talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid to form the Jerusalem US-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration.

Investments in Israel’s security, Iran’s nuclear threat, the I2U2 summit, reaffirming the two-state solution and broadening Abraham accords were the key tenets of the declaration.

He also stated: ‘the connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep’. To conclude Israel’s visit, Biden inaugurated the Meccabiah games or the ‘Jewish Olympics’, one of the world’s largest sporting events.

On 15 July, Biden traveled to the West Bank and visited a hospital.

Later, in a meeting with the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, Biden approved a total aid of USD 316 million going to hospital networks in Gaza and West Bank, Palestine’s refugees, and coping with grain shortage due to the Ukraine war.

Addressing the killing of Palestine-American reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh Biden stated: ‘The United States will continue to insist on a full and transparent accounting of her death and will continue to stand up for media

freedom everywhere in the world’.

However, Palestine’s authorities are angry with the tour, calling it a ‘mere lip service’ since Biden failed to mention Israel’s attacks on Palestine and involvement in the killing of Abu Akleh.

Protesters gathered in Gaza asking Biden to go home, and journalists showed up to the press conference wearing Abu Akleh t-shirts in solidarity.

opening up of airspace by Saudi Arabia to Israel hints at the first step in normalizing ties between the two rival states. However, a possible Israel- Saudi relationship could prove volatile and unstable, given that Saudi does not recognize Israel. American presence and mediation remain necessary to foster any possible re-construction of diplomatic ties between the two states.

On 15 July, Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia, the most tense part of the tour. Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia went cold after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was a Saudi dissident. Eighteen Joint agreements were signed with King Mohammed Bin Salman in oil, clean energy, healthcare, and space. Biden discussed opening Saudi’s airspace to all states, including Israel. He also attended the Jeddah Security summit, which involved the GCC+3 grouping.

The Joint Declaration signed by the US and Israel presents statements aimed at Iran’s nuclear program. Biden has utilized this tour as a pressure tactic to force Iran into an agreement since the ongoing JCPoA talks have resulted in a stalemate. However, since Israel does not believe diplomatic talks alone are necessary, Biden may now push for stronger sanctions in the deal. A growing anti-Iran sentiment has angered Iran and it has accused the US of spreading ‘Iranophobia’ in the region.

However, this is likely to impact Iran’s relations since states like the UAE are clear in their stance: ‘open to cooperation but not against any one nation’.

What does it mean?

The US has firmly declared its Israel-friendly positioning in the Middle East, with warm ties and Biden being described as a ‘Zionist’ by Lapid. Biden has reaffirmed his commitment to the region and has pushed for new agreements that will change the pattern of relations between states in the Middle East. The

To conclude, a short tour of the Middle East will not change power balances in the region in the short term. However, it does open up possibilities for a potential shift in relations in the long term.

Twitter announces legal battle against Musk reasons. They also claim that he broke the US Securities rules when he failed to disclose his nine per cent holding in Twitter.

In April 2022, Musk announced his interest in buying Twitter at a share price of $54, by 25 April, the value remained at $52. However, on 13 July, following the lawsuit news, the value stood at $37.

What happened?

On 12 July 2022, Twitter Inc announced the initiation of a legal battle with Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, after he announced on 8 July, his intention to backtrack on the deal to buy twitter at $44 billion. Musk claims that the company violated the agreement by not responding to requests for information on the spam/fake accounts, citing it as a material breach. In their lawsuit, Twitter declares that Musk broke the terms of the deal, and was really backing out due to financial

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What does it mean?

Elon Musk’s tweets are slated to be used as evidence in the case. Twitter mentioned that the losses faced by Elon Musk's Tesla in the past months is the real reason for backtracking on the deal alone. They claim that Musk is faltering on the deal simply because he does not want to buy Twitter anymore. The value drop of Twitter is an unfortunate collateral that is the outcome of Musk using Twitter for altering the value. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has been observing the proceedings of the

Twitter deal, one could expect their intervention in the case. The SEC has been critical of Elon’s similar behaviour in the past.

Since the deal has already been signed, the case may be extremely difficult one for Elon Musk. Many of the cases of this kind, usually end up in parties re-negotiating the terms of the deal or with one party paying the settlement to walk away. The lawsuit is expected to be a showdown on Wall Street.

ALSO IN NEWS China: President Xi Jinping visits Xinjiang On 15 July, the Asahi Shimbun reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to the northwest province of Xinjiang amid worries over the country’s incarceration of one million or more people from predominantly Muslim ethnic local minorities.

Xi described Xinjiang as a “core

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area and a hub” in China’s plan to create ports, trains, and power plants linking it to economies spanning from Central Asia to Eastern Europe. The Uighur and Kazakh communities living in the region have been subject to a broad crackdown by the government of Xi after a spate of violent separatist activity.

Solomon Islands: Manasseh Sogavare meets the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand at the Pacific Islands Forum

WORLD THIS WEEK Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister was sworn in as the Acting Prime Minister.

According to the BBC, Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives in a military airplane and then reached Singapore. On 14 July, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore. It said that he is on a private visit and has not asked for asylum and has not been granted asylum.

India: I2U2 Summit

On 13 July, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the first time since signing a security agreement with China that alarmed US allies due to the country’s military interests in the Pacific islands. The leaders met in separate bilateral meetings that took place on the side-lines of the four-day Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji, to discuss China’s ambition for stronger security ties in the region as well as how to raise more international financing and support to combat the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.

On 14 July, I2U2 members the US, UAE, India, and Israel held a summit. India agreed to provide land for food parks across the country that will be jointly developed by the US, UAE, and Israel. The members agreed to bring in private investments in different sectors including water, energy, transportation, health, space, and food security. A joint statement issued said: “U.S. and Israeli private sectors will be invited to lend their expertise and offer innovative solutions that contribute to the overall sustainability of the project. These investments will help maximise crop yields which, in turn, will help tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East.”

The Pacific Islands: Naval exercises conducted in the South China Sea

United Nations: Global population expected to reach eight billion in November 2022

On 16 July, the US Navy stated that the USS Benfold, a US Navy destroyer, conducted a second “freedom of navigation” exercise in a week close to the disputed Spratly islands. The ship was “driven away” earlier on July 13 from the disputed Paracel Islands by China’s military. The US regularly engages in such operations in the South China Sea to protest what it claims are obstruction to lawful passage set up by China and other claimants.

The US Navy said: "On July 16, USS Benfold (DDG 65) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”

On 11 July, the United Nations released the World Population Prospect report which predicts that world population would reach eight billion on 15 November 2022, 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and peak at 10.4 billion in the 2080s. The report noted that the population growth rate had been the slowest since the 1950s, after dropping to less than one per cent in 2020.

According to the report, eight countries namely, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania would lead the increase in global population until 2050.

About the Authors

Sri Lanka: Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns and Acting President appointed On 15 July, the speaker of the parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana announced that President Rajapaksa had officially resigned. He said: “I have accepted the resignation,” “I hope to complete the process of electing a new President within seven days,” After the President’s resignation, Ranil

Lavanya R is a Postgraduate scholar at Christ (Deemed to be University). Akriti Sharma, Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh and Ankit Singh are PhD Scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.

Avishka Ashok, Abigail Miriam Fernandes, Apoorva Sudhakar, Padmashree Anandhan, Rishma Banerjee and Emmanuel are Research Associates at NIAS. Arshiya Banu is a research intern at NIAS.

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EDUCATION

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

STUDENT MENTORING AND RESEARCH TRAINING (SMART)

PROGRAM June-August 2022

Bennett University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Australia-based Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE) to create opportunities for students to undertake internships in Australia. As a part of the MoU students are inducted into the Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMART) program which provides research and leadership training and mentoring and an opportunity to design, edit and publish commentaries on Australia-India relationship, for the INDIA NEWS and IAIE’s SMART Newsletter.

Program Coordinator: Ms. Anushka Saxena, IAIE Adjunct Fellow, and post-graduate student, O.P. Jindal Global University Page Editor: Ms. Pooja Lakshmi, student, BBA LLB Hons., Bennett University Commentators: Ms. Pooja Lakshmi, Ms. Yashi Sharma, Ms. Sreejoni Baruah, Ms. Maitreyi Upadhyay, Mr. Yuvraj Singh, Ms. Isha Raje, and Mr. Siddhant Nagar (students, Bennett University, India)

Kautilya in contemporary Indian security policy Photo Courtesy: IANS

By Pooja Lakshmi, BBA LLB Hons. Student, Bennett University With China and Pakistan as the two major neighbors, India often has to promote its strategic and military posture from a largely

continental perspective over the course of many decades since Independence. For India to benefit from the changing geopolitical situation, it must overcome its maritime challenges.

A “return to history” in the Indo-Pacific and re-emerging multipolarity necessitate a shift in strategic thinking away from competition and toward the benefits of cooperation and coordination. To accomplish this, we have to incorporate and focus on the concepts from the ancient Indian books like Arthashastra which outlines strategies for India for maintaining security and economic prosperity that are recognizably Kautilyan strategy that promotes cooperation, strengthen partnerships, and reinforce domestic capability.

Land served as the main source

of Kautilya’s riches, with agricultural land constituting the largest and most significant economic zone. The ancient world exhibited trans-regional trade and what is now referred to as “globalization.”

The Kautilyan phrase, which states that pacts and partnerships between a stronger and weaker power inevitably involve the latter surrendering control to the former, should be used with caution when selecting allies as it also serves as a reminder of the ancient roots of modern India’s emphasis on strategic autonomy. India’s drive for peace and prosperity cannot stop at its land borders with its two largest neighbors. The world’s third largest ocean should be the cornerstone of India’s IndoPacific strategy.

India-Australia ties: Intermingling sports and tourism Photo Courtesy: IANS

By Sreejoni Baruah, BA LLB student, Bennett University India and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism cooperation on 11th February 2022 in New Delhi. The MoU on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, was signed by Shri Piyush

Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, and it was signed by The Hon Dan Tehan MP, on behalf of Government of Australia Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment.

Cooperation between tourism stakeholders, especially hotels and tour operators, interest in major artistic, cultural and sporting events. During the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Australia saw 10,000 people travel to the country from India. For the 2022 edition, it is expected that around 18,000-20,000 Indians would travel. It’s because it coincides with the school holiday and Diwali period. Also because the country will be opening its borders for quarantine-free travel. Australian tourism is banking on the cricket clash between India and Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup in

Melbourne to draw visitors from India. The World Cup will be played in the months of October and November in Australia. A sports travel firm owned by Dream11, called Dream Set Go said it aims to send about 5,000 Indians to Australia over the next 12 months to attend the T20 World Cup. India and Australia enjoy outstanding bilateral relations.

There is a special partnership characterized by shared values of parliamentary democracies, commonwealth traditions, pluralistic, long-standing people-to-people ties, expanding economic engagement, and increasing high-level interaction.

The relationship has now expanded to different spheres like tourism, with sports tourism being a very important one, and different tournaments being played there and enjoyed by Indians.

India-Australia invest in space and satellite tech Photo Courtesy: IANS

By Isha Raje, BBA LLB Hons.

Student, Bennett University To assist Australian companies and researchers in growing and creating jobs, the Morrison government is investing more than $42 million in several spaces, scientific, and technological projects with India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Scott Morisson discussed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with IndiaAustralia during their Virtual Annual Leaders’ Meeting. The International Space Investment (ISI) project’s expansion builds on the already-existing space cooperation between our two nations, including Australia’s support of India’s awe-inspiring Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. To work on projects with the Indian Space Research Organization and the greater Indian space sector, Australian firms, and research institutions will get funding from the ISI expansion. This will open up international opportunities for Australia’s domestic space sector.

India Innovation and Technology Challenge, which the CSIRO will lead. It is Australia’s largest bilateral science cooperation fund, assisting in establishing relationships between Australia and India’s leading universities, research institutes, and end consumers of scientific innovation. It would provide further assurance to Australia’s and India’s research industries, allowing them to continue their critical work and cutting-edge research. Australia has benefited from the collaboration with India in the areas like space, science, and technology stated by Melissa Price, Australian Minster for Science and Technology “Collaborating with our Indian friends generates the incredible potential for our Australian firms and researchers, which will benefit all Australians,” Minister Price said. “India is already an important economic partner for Australia, and these investments will cement partnerships that will better the daily lives of people in our countries while also providing economic possibilities for us here at home.” “India is an essential regional partner, and this financing will help our countries to continue collaborating to advance rules and standards, especially via initiatives like the Quad.” Minister Price stated that Australia will profit enormously from collaboration with India in space, as well as in science and technology more broadly.

The 20 innovations in the food system, waste reduction, and water security resilience will be scaled up thanks to the Australia-

“It is anticipated to increase

by US$43 billion by 2025, and we want Australian space companies to be a part of it, so they can develop and generate employment here.”

barriers, a lack of education, inborn biases, and sociocultural norms all prevent women and girls from taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital transformation. The cost of digital technology continues to be a major barrier to women's access to the Internet, therefore closing the digital gender gap requires both infrastructure investments and price reductions. In some low-income households, using the Internet necessitates forgoing

essential items like food, medical treatment, and clothing.One of the most effective instruments that policymakers may use to address the gender gap in the digital world is education. In order to combat socio-cultural norms that discriminate against women and their use of digital tools, it is crucial to provide women and girls with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in and prosper in the digital transformation.

Bridging the digital gender divide through the G20

By Yashi Sharma, BA LLB Hons. student, Bennett University New digital tools can promote a new source of inclusive global economic growth and are empowering. Stepping up efforts to guarantee that the digital transformation represents a leapfrog opportunity for women and a chance to create a more inclusive digital world is crucial if we are to fully take advantage of this potential. The G20 initiatives represent a significant and

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timely move in the direction of better laws to address the gender gap in the digital sphere. More needs to be done in view of the numerous alarming signals of a developing digital gender disparity and the compounding effect that its various components may have in the future, even though the G20 economies have already implemented a number of significant steps aimed at closing the gender gap. Accessibility barriers, cost

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Australia-China trade war and its implications

By Maitreyi Upadhyay, BA LLB Hons. student, Bennett University The current trade spat between China and Australia in reality, is just a verbal battle with trade restrictions. China is putting up hurdles, and Australia doesn't seem to be doing much about it. The rationale is that crossborder trade between the two countries is extremely important to Australia. Since Australia backed a call for an international investigation into China's

handling of the coronavirus when the pandemic became a global problem, ties between the two nations have deteriorated. At the end of 2020, Australian news organizations claimed that the Chinese embassy had handed over a list of purported objections to Canberra and threatened the Australian government with further action. In the markets, the AUD remains well-supported as risk demand, long-term US dollar weakness, and commodity prices underpin AUD strength.

After initial weakness caused by the tensions in early 2020 and, also by the global trade downturn caused by the pandemic, China has taken several selective measures that impede Australian trade, ranging from levying tariffs to imposing bans and restrictions.

China's unilateral trade war has overshadowed its negative repercussions, but if it were to be settled, it would provide the Australian dollar (AUD) a boost.

Given that Australian-Chinese commerce is less significant to Australia than it is to China, Australia must surely exercise

caution. They will therefore probably look for official, noninflammatory means to handle the ongoing argument, wishing to improve relations rather than acting in a Trump-like manner. Additionally, if current circumstances continue, they may disregard domestic unrest and call for more aggressive measures against China because Australia is doing well economically and in comparison to other countries.

As a result, it has the time and resources to deploy diplomacy.

China will be aware of this, although it will essentially be able to act as it pleases for domestic political goals without worrying about Australian intervention.

Expect more disputes to rage on for a while, with little impact on economies and trade overall, unless other factors on a global scale make the trade issue more significant to both parties.

However, any news to this effect would probably be very favourable for the AUD and the Australian economy if global conditions remained the same and trade frictions came to an end.

India-Australia G20 partnership

By Yuvraj Singh Varya, BA LLB Hons. student, Bennett University The G20 was recognized as a one-of-a-kind meeting that brought together leading and advanced economies on the same forum. In the post-pandemic period, there is a greater expectation from multilateral

organizations such as the G20 to mobilize collective action toward global recovery. The two countries can work together to emphasize the importance of reforming multilateral institutions like the UN, WHO, and WTO in order to support a global emergency action plan that ensures institutions have enough resources to provide immediate liquidity relief and social security nets, as well as increased quotas and shareholding arrangements.

The two countries shared the goal of establishing a rules-based global framework that will allow them to collaborate closely at the G20. India and Australia should collaborate with the G20 Energy Group. Transitions Working Group to increase market viability favourable environment for the implementation of novel technologies and infrastructure Over the years, Australia has

also acknowledged the need of leveling up and job development at various G20 conferences. The G20 collaboration can highlight the necessity of engaging in the education system to tackle the learning problem. The implementation of sustainable finance is a G20 priority for India.

India and Australia can lobby G20 countries to convene central banks to integrate environmental sustainability goals into capital management. The G20 framework allows Australia and India to collaborate closely on urgent global concerns, where their approaches may differ but are fundamentally similar. As India assumes the G20 leadership in 2023, the India-Australia collaboration will be critical in driving development and economic growth strategy for not only India, but the entire Global South.

EDUCATION

Illiteracy and population: The relation of the retrograde?

By Siddhant Nagar, BA LLB Hons. Student, Bennett University India has a literacy rate of 77.7% (National Statistical Commission, Government of India) and a population of 1.4 billion (World Population Prospectus 2022 UN).

India holds a higher population growth rate, and lower literacy rate as compared to other nations. There is a negative correlation between literacy and population. But are illiteracy and population-related?

According to studies, literacy rates among counties were highest for Finland (100%), followed by Norway (100%), Japan (99%) and Kuwait (96%), and these countries are sparsely populated. Literacy rates for highly populated countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh stood at 55% and 60%. Concluding, the natural population tends to increase in a country due to widespread illiteracy and viceversa. The literacy rate of the population inversely affects the fertility rate, as higher literacy rates advance for late marriages and this shortens the span of fertility and hence, resulting in a lower number of children.

The literacy rate is directly

proportional to the sex ratio.

In places where the literacy rate is higher, there is a perfect balance of sex ratio between both genders. Not only this, but a higher literacy rate is also associated with the positive social and economic development of the nation. The government of India introduced several initiatives such as Family Welfare Planning, birth control measures (traditional & modern), promotion of family welfare through social media, female education, etc. However, on the ground reality of these initiatives is not as promising.

Though female education was promoted, still there is a vast gap between the literacy rate of both genders which stands at 84.6% for males and 70.3% for females. The government should work on these issues on an advanced footing.

The literacy rates between the genders should be reduced, family planning should be taught to people via the hospital or government departments on a regular basis, and educational institutions should be regularly inspected by the education ministry. Also, Education should be promoted on all levels i.e., elementary, secondary and graduation because only around 5% of India’s population is educated till the graduation level.

For any nation to prosper, develop and advance, be it in military, science, or technology, it should have a well-educated population.

With education comes wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to make a better life. Education is the sole means by which one could control population growth and illiteracy as an increase in both, could be fatal for a nation.

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17

INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

EDITORIAL

From the editor's desk Colonialism’s Counterblast: Rishi Droupadi Murmu’s Victory Silences Critics of India’s Democracy and attained graduation in arts from Rama Devi College, based in Bhubaneswar. She also experienced unimaginable personal losses when her husband Shyam Charan Murmu, a banker passed away in 2014 followed by her two sons in 2016. She has a daughter who is a banker and married to rugby player Ganesh Hembram.

Sunak’s rise mirrors New Britain’s growing diversity

By Vikas Datta

College, where he was head boy and editor of the school paper; during vacations, he worked at the local curry restaurant.

Oxford was the next stop and he graduated in 2001. The same year, he was interviewed along with his parents for the BBC documentary "Middle Classes: Their Rise and Sprawl". He was an analyst at investment bank Goldman Sachs till 2004, and then a hedge fund management firm till 2009, when he left to join former colleagues at a new hedge fund launched in October 2010.

Not many are aware that Droupadi is not her real name.

She shared that her Santhali name is ‘Puti’ which got changed to ‘Droupadi’ by a teacher ‘for good’.

Droupadi Murmu

President of India As India celebrates its 75th year of Independence, the country added another proud chapter to its illustrious democratic history on 25th July. A woman from the Santhal tribe broke the glass ceiling to become the 15th President of the Republic of India.

First a “Chaiwala” becoming the prime minister in 2014, and now a tribal woman rising to occupy the highest constitutional post in the country, India’s vibrant democracy continues to silence its critics by scaling greater heights and establishing new traditions. Truly upholding the concept of Antyodaya propounded by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya which means “welfare of the people in the bottom of the pyramid”, or benefitting even those standing at the end of the queue. She had created history in 2015 as well when she became the first tribal woman to become the Governor of a state ( Jharkhand).

Droupadi Murmu, a candidate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, only the second woman to occupy this post after Pratibha Patil secured a majority in 21 out of 28 states and defeated her rival candidate Yashwant Sinha with 676,803 electoral votes. She even secured votes in cross-voting in her favour as scores of MPs and MLAs from the opposition benches voted for her. Such was her appeal and significate of her candidature. She thus becomes the Head of the State, Constitutional Head and Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces and will have a wide range of legislative, executive, judicial, financial, diplomatic and military powers vested in her.

She has become a shining symbol of overcoming struggles and extreme adversities that India’s marginalized communities, particularly the tribals have been subjected to for centuries.

Born in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha in 1958 in the Santhal tribal Draupadi Murmu attended schooling at Unit II high school

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“Droupadi was not my original name. It was given by my teacher who hailed from another district, not from my native Mayurbhanj,” she said in an interview.

Droupadi Murmu began her professional career as a primary school teacher and later got appointed as the junior assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to 1983.

She was later made professor at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur where she stayed untill 1997 , when she won as a BJP councillor in the Rairangpur Notified Area Council, kickstarting her political journey began. She would soon be elected as an MLA from this constituency, before being sworn in as the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015-2021.

She has handled several portfolios in the cabinet of the Government of Odisha between 2000 and 2004 during the BJP- Biju Janata Dal coalition government, including Minister of State with Independent Charge for Commerce and Transportation and Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development.

In 2007, Nilkanth Award was bestowed upon her recognizing her as the best MLA of the year by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

Just like Narendra Modi’s journey from a chaiwala to the post of prime minister, Droupadi Murmu’s ascendancy to the highest constitutional position in India gives hope to millions who experience severe adversities in their daily existence. During her oath taking ceremony she remarked, “My election is the greatness of India, mother of democracy… [a]watershed moment for India, especially for the poor, marginalized and downtrodden…Reaching the Presidential post is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor in India. My election is evidence that the poor in India cannot just dream but also fulfil those dreams.” Indeed, India’s democracy has silenced its critics who have been writing its obituary for long.

It could be called democracy's diversity, or even colonialism's counterblast. The race to succeed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson by becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party, which espoused the Empire, imperialism and British national identity, has been swamped with contenders from former colonies in Asia and Africa. And at the end of the preliminary rounds, the son of immigrants from British East Africa was on top.

till there are only two contenders left in the race, at which point the decision will be left to the rank-and-file Conservative Party members across the cities, shires, hills and dales across the British Isles.

Rishi Sunak, UK's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, or Finance Minister, whose sudden resignation set in motion the circumstances that forced an intransigent Johnson to finally bow out, has emerged the main contender at the end of two rounds of voting by the 358 Conservative MPs.

This, though, will not be entirely unusual -- for such staunch British PMs as Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan happened to be half-American (on their mothers' side) and Johnson was born in the US, becoming the first non-UK-born Prime Minister since Andrew Bonar Law nearly a century ago (Bonar Law, however, was born in Canada, which was a part of the Empire.)

Picking up a quarter of the votes in the first round, he became the only one to get over three digits in the second round -- and is followed by three women present and former ministers.

The initial race had a ethnically diverse list of candidates -British Pakistani ministers Sajid Javid and Rehman Chishti, Sunak's Iraqi Kurd-born successor Nadhim Zahawi, Attorney General Suella Braverman, whose family's roots are in Goa, and Nigerian-origin former minister Kemi Badenoch.

Sunak and Braverman's fellow Indian-origin Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, chose to sit it out.

Javid and Chishti failed to get enough traction to even figure in the race, Zahawi bowed out after the first round, and Braverman after the second, leaving Sunak and Badenoch to contend against Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Tom Tugendhat, the backbench MP, who happens to be halfFrench.

It's early days for Sunak, who has emphasised that the identity of a person born in the UK but with origins elsewhere matters to him.

He has to remain in the reckoning

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Suave, efficient, but also controversy-ridden, the former US-based investment banker, hedge fund operator, and threetime MP still has a chance to become the first non-ethnic Briton to become Prime Minister.

Born in Southampton on May 12, 1980, Sunak is the son of (the then British) Kenya-born Yashvir Sunak and his wife, Tanganyikaborn Usha, who grandparents were born in the Punjab Province of British India, and migrated to East Africa, and from there to the UK in the 1960s.

"My parents emigrated here, so you've got this generation of people who were born here, their parents were not born here, and they've come to this country to make a life," he said in an interview with the BBC in 2019.

"In terms of cultural upbringing, I'd be at the temple at the weekend -- I'm a Hindu -- but I'd also be at (Southampton Football Club) the Saints game as well on a Saturday -- you do everything, you do both," he said, also revealing that he was fortunate not to have endured a lot of racism growing up, save for one incident, when he was with his younger siblings.

With his father a general practitioner, and his mother, a pharmacist, he had an easy childhood. He studied at a prep school in Hampshire, and then he was at the prestigious Winchester

In 2009, he married Akshata, daughter of Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and writer Sudha Murthy, who's also the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. Sunak and Akshata have two daughters.

Engaged with the Conservative Party since his Oxford days, Sunak got into politics full-time in 2014 when was selected for the Richmond seat in north Yorkshire -- one of the safest Conservative seats, which has been held by the party for more than a century -and won it in the 2015 elections by nearly 20,000 votes.

He retained it in the 2017, and 2019 elections, with increased majorities. His predecessor as Richmond MP was William Hague, now Baron Hague of Richmond, who held important cabinet position, Including Foreign Secretary, and was Leader of the House of Commons, A staunch proponent of "Leave" in the Brexit referendum of 2016 and subsequent parliamentary votes, Sunak's first government job was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government (2018-19) in the Theresa May government and then as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (201920) in the government of Johnson, whose leadership bid he had supported.

He replaced his boss Javid as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020, and while he mostly earned plaudits for steering the government's economic response to the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, he also became the first Chancellor to be found to have broken the law while in office by breaching lockdown norms.

His wife's non-domicile status, which let her save huge amounts of taxes in the country, also became a major controversy for him.

It is Sunak's "treachery", which set off the spate of resignations that forced Johnson's resignation, that may just queer his chances to become Prime Minister.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

SPECIAL FEATURES

Is China a threat or an opportunity to Russia?

By Dmitry Kosyrev

That was just another political talk show on Russian TV, and, to make things lively, the editors rolled out a question list to all the attendees: Is China a sincere and powerful friend to Moscow in the current crisis, or is it a very fickle friend not to be trusted?

War, sanctions and a global crisis made such shows an intermittent fixture on all the main channels of Russian TV. Basically, they are all alike. Experts on foreign policy, on military questions and economy are standing or sitting in a circle and exchanging opinions.

Not every channel had such shows in the past, but now things are different. For the audiences, some of these have replaced even the news programs. After all, your country is at war, so you need not only facts, but their assessment -- constantly.

The problem is, the channels have to compete, so the shows need to be emotional, and your experts

ordinary Russians. The things is, with China, a #1 economy in the world at our side, we may rest assured that our military will easily finish the task of putting an end to that endless Ukrainian civil war -- that, incidentally, is the real meaning of events unfolding in Ukraine these days.

With China's help, the Western sanctions against Russia's economy will go on failing, while hurting the West, as they do now.

have to clash with each other. And what can be better for tickling the nerves of the audience, than debating on how reliable is China, Russia's #1 trading partner and a "strategic competitor" of the West.

At the show I've just attended as an expert on China, we were presented with a very familiar set of questions. We'll talk later about why it's familiar; let's see some of these questions right now.

Is China just using Russia in its own clash with the West? Is China really eager to replace the Western consumer goods and technologies, denied to Russia due to Western sanctions, or is it abandoning the Russian market?

Does Russia feel comfortable with China's economic activities in Central Asia and every other area of the world? Will Russia, one day, become only a junior partner of its huge neighbour?

This set of questions is vital to millions and millions of very

The Russian TV show I was attending evolved along predictable lines. These lines were dividing the experts who knew how "Xi Jinping" sounds in Russian, and the ones who could not really pronounce it. Meaning that the people who are just generally dabbling into foreign affairs have no idea about the exact facts. And facts do matter.

The anchors at the show have presented information coming from an obscure American research centre, claiming that the Russo-Chinese trade has plummeted 40 per cent in the first half of 2022. The experts on China, after an initial shock, have retorted that in fact that trade had jumped up between 30 and 40 per cent this year, and that's not just oil. The Chinese media, after all, is following the subject very closely. And that media knows its facts well. The share of Chinamade gadgets in Russian shops (as in smartphones, printers and all kinds of such things) used to be like 36 per cent, now it's close to 70 per cent. The Chinese factories have received Russian

orders on these items that they cannot fulfil in time. And that's not to mention funny things, like a sharp rise in China's export of wooden logs to the US, while China could never produce such an amount of these by itself, only Russia can, and does.

And, no, nobody in Moscow (the people in the know, that is) is worried about the growing Chinese economic activities in Central Asia or anywhere else in the world. There are two reasons for that, one is that Russia is not producing what China does, so we are not competing. The other is, Chinese presence is welcome anywhere if it squeezes out Western presence in all forms.

And so it went on, point by point in the mentioned list of question marks about the essence of the Russo-Chinese alliance. So, where have we seen that list before?

Here you have to look at expert publications in several American magazines, from The National Interest to The American Conservative to the Foreign Affairs. One and the same idea is being discussed by many authors.

Namely, our (American, Western) war against Russia in Ukraine has failed, our sanctions have hurt ourselves more than anybody else and have alienated about two thirds of the world.

So it's time to stop posturing and making angry speeches, time to do the only thing that may yet work -- namely, look for splits that could, if we are lucky, crack the Russo-Chinese alliance, sow

distrust and suspicions in the two societies.

But how exactly do you create that distrust? You introduce the proper ideas into these societies, which are of course not isolated from the global media space. The only thing you need is to make a kind of a list of questions that may shake folks in a serious way.

Which questions are these? Why, we have already listed them. Is China just using Russia in its own clash with the West? Will Russia, one day, become only a junior partner of its huge neighbour?

And so on.

I've seen all these ideas all over the Western media, from where they spill into Russia over the non-existing information borders. In fact, I've seen similar lists in 2014, when the Western sanctions began in earnest after a referendum in formerly Ukrainian Crimea, that led to its incorporation into Russia. The very same ideas about China, the unreliable ally, were circulating then with dull regularity.

And if you are not Russian, but some other China's partner, the list will be slightly different. There you'll read about the "predatory nature" of Chinese business and a "debt trap".

These primitive ideas are unlikely to impress the real experts, but then there are always the TV shows to promote them.

(Dmitry Kosyrev is a columnist for the Russian State agency website ria.ru, as well is for other publications)

Despite the recent losses, trend to remain positive

By Arun Kejriwal

The recent times gone by were volatile and contrary to expectations ended with losses.

It did show positive signs and despite losing on the first four days of the week, registered gains on July 22, leaving a lot of hope and expectations for the coming week. BSESENSEX lost 721.06 points or 1.32 per cent to close at 53,760.78 points while NIFTY lost 171.40 points or 1.06 per cent to close at 16,049.20 points. The broader indices saw BSE100, BSE200 and BSE500 lose 0.66 percent, 0.37 percent and 0.26 percent respectively.

BSEMIDCAP gained 0.88 percent while BSESMALLCAP was up 0.54 percent. This makes one believe that the breadth of the market

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was good. The Indian Rupee continued to be under pressure and lost 63 paisa or 0.79 per cent to close at Rs 79.88 to the US Dollar. This is the lowest closing of the Rupee against the dollar on a weekly basis. Dow Jones lost on the first four days of the week and gained on July 22. At the end of the week, the closing was flattish with Dow Jones losing 49.89 points or 0.16 per cent to close at 31,288.26 points. The gains on July 22 were 658 points.

In what could be termed as an important news, RBI has permitted settlement of international trade in Indian Rupees. This will go a long way in mitigating operational risks

of importers and exporters. It will also help in a big way of making the rupee convertible in the longer run. Results from technology and IT companies highlighted the rising costs associated with substantially higher attrition and therefore rising employee costs. After TCS, it was the turn of HCL Tech which faced the same issue. Post results, the share of HCL was under pressure and lost Rs 101 or 10.26 per cent to close at Rs 883. The BSETECK and BSEIT were the biggest sectoral losers of the week losing 5.87 per cent and 5.82 per cent respectively.

EV or electric vehicles seem to have a strange set of problems. It all began with the infrastructure required for the charging of EV's.

Then it was the issue of some of the electric scooters catching fire.

Now it is the financing of vehicles by banks and NBFCs. The cost of an EV vehicle is roughly 2/3rd for the battery and 1/3rd for the car.

For example, a vehicle costing Rs 12 lakh would be broken up as Rs 8 lakh approximately for the battery and Rs 4 lakh for the car. How the battery behaves or is maintained by the user will decide the residual value of the car for the

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lender. Herein lies the problem and the conflict area. One would be sure that going forward the issue would get resolved, but for the time being, people looking to finance an EV need to reassess their requirements.

Markets seem to be showing signs of resilience even though they were down for the week gone by.

The week was choppy and FPI selling continued even though it was lower than the Rs 2,600 crore average per trading day of June 22. The net sales for the five-day week were at Rs 5,914 crore or a daily average of Rs 1,182 crore.

For the first fortnight of July, FPIs have net sold Rs 10,459 crore or Rs 1,045 crore as a daily average. This is not to suggest that FPI selling would stop, but just that probably they could start buying sooner than later. The attractive value of the Rupee is another positive factor from an FPI perspective.

The fact that there would be another rate hike of most likely 75 basis points in the US has also been discounted by the markets.

July 22 saw a decent level and gave hope for the immediate week. On resistances, the first level would be top of the gap which we had

crossed recently at 54,205 and 16,172 points. Once this is done, we have another resistance in the form of an upward gap made on 30th May to take care of. The levels to be countered are 54,93655,466 on BSE and 16,370-16,506 on NSE. On the support side, we have immediate support at 53,450-53,550 and 15,800-15,850 respectively. This would be followed by levels of 52,700-52,850 and 15,500 and 15,550 levels. The market would need solid strength to surmount the gap which was crossed and then failed the first time. While we are almost there, two days of sustaining at these levels would be enough.

The strategy for the week would be to avoid overnight short positions as markets have the uncanny habit of opening with sharp gaps. Trade long and it might be a good strategy to look at midcap stocks which have results coming up. Pick those stocks which have shown improved performance over the last couple of quarters as we return to normalcy post-Covid.

(Arun Kejriwal is the founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services. The views expressed are personal)

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

MAKE IN INDIA

MAKE IN INDIA

As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc in general, among others.

India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destinations in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Facilitating Ease of Living through digital innovations

By Ishita Sirsikar and Srijata Deb, Strategic Investment Research Unit (SIRU)

Uber brings mobility fintech Moove to India to boost driver ecosystem Business Development, Uber India South Asia.

“The addition of new cars will help provide superior customer experience to riders while creating sustainable earning opportunities for drivers on the Uber platform,” Kumar added.

The startup recently raised $105 million to expand across new markets in Asia and Europe.

With over 600,000 drivers on Uber in India, the launch will unlock an opportunity for Moove to provide accessible financing to thousands of drivers.

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Ridehailing major Uber on July 25 announced to bring Moove, its largest vehicle supply partner in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market, to India to help people buy new vehicles using a percentage of their weekly revenue, first in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and become its driver-partners.

Founded in 2020, mobility fintech Moove embeds its alternative credit scoring technology onto ride-hailing platforms and leverages proprietary performance and revenue

analytics to underwrite loans to drivers who have previously been excluded from financial services.

Moove aims to launch 5,000 CNG and electric vehicles within the first year and plans to scale to 30,000 over the next five years in India.

“Moove has created an innovative rent to own’’ model that provides a flexible option for drivers who want to get into the business of ride hailing without having to borrow from car owners or take bank loans to finance cars brought from dealerships,” said Abhilekh Kumar, Director,

“We’re excited to be expanding our revenue-based vehicle financing model to enable the sustainable creation of jobs across the country, where there are some of the lowest vehicle ownership rates in the world, in part because of the lack of access to credit,” said Ladi Delano, cofounder and co-CEO at Moove.

Moove aims to be a global leader in the electrification of ridehailing and mobility with a commitment to ensuring that 60 percent of the vehicles it finances globally are hybrid or electric.

Smartphone brand Honor makes claims about ‘maintaining’ business operations in India

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): As reports surfaced that Shenzhenbased Honor, formerly under Huawei, has pulled out its team from India, the company said on July 25 that the company is 'maintaining business operation' in the country. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the company's business in India will remain in operation, managed by local partners, but the brand will adopt a "very safe approach."

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Honor CEO Zhao Ming told staterun newspaper Securities Times that Honor formed the India team a few years ago but chose to leave for "obvious reasons", the report said. In a statement to IANS, a company spokesperson said it "is maintaining business operations in India and will continue its development". "Honor officially announces its exit from the Indian market" is not correct, the spokesperson added. The development came as Indian authorities like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have conducted raids and investigations of major Chinese smartphone players like Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi.

Honor once held a 3 per cent market share in India during its peak in 2018 but fell out after the

US put sanctions against Huawei.

Struggling to keep its consumer business afloat in the wake of the US sanctions, Chinese conglomerate Huawei in November sold off its Honor smartphone business assets to China-based Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co Ltd. Honor smartphones were hit by US sanctions that prevent Huawei from doing business with the US companies. Since its creation in 2013, the Honor brand has focused on the youth market by offering phones in the low- to mid-end price range. In the next seven years, Honor developed into a smartphone brand that shipped over 70 million units annually. In India, Honor had entered the laptop market and expanded its wearables portfolio in the country.

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The global health pandemic has positioned technological interventions at the core of socio-economic development.

As economies recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, digital solutions are allowing economic change and putting economies on a path toward green, resilient, and inclusive growth. Such digital innovations and interventions have contributed in driving down costs, producing higher efficiency, enabling smoother service delivery and increasing transparency and accountability in the global market. In addition to this, investment from both the private and governmental sectors in digital solutions is helping the most vulnerable people access essential services, support small and medium-sized businesses, enable trade and services, and increase shock resilience.

In the context of India, the flagship Digital India campaign has gained severe traction under the context. The schemes and efforts under this have catalysed growth, bridged the gap of inaccessibility and maintained socio-economic balance. In the Digital India Week, 2022, held in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted “India is leading the world in the digital revolution as the government’s commitment to the use of digital technology in welfare programmes and services delivery is changing the lives of the people of the country”. This has been evident in how the potential with which the Digital India programme has built in the country in the last eight years has immensely helped the country to combat, cope and initiate recovery from the pandemic.

We were able to run the world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccination and relief programmes owing

to these measures. It has been reiterated that the Digital India programme helped CoWin and Aarogya Setu, were two major mobile applications that contributed extensively in channelising the significant vaccine doses. Additionally, such digital interventions facilitated relief provisions to the underserved and volatile sections of the society during the pandemic. Crores of rupees were transferred in the bank accounts of women, farmers, labourers as a form of relief funds and financial assistance under this initiative.

Moreover, the ‘one nation one ration card’, free supply of essential goods was distributed to 80 crore people of the country.

The technological boom has also resulted in the massive decline of the digital divide between rural and urban India. The Common Service Centers in the country, especially in the rural and semi-urban parts of the country have been pivotal in bringing e-commerce and government services to the people at the grassroots level, thus bridging the gap between development and amenities in rural and urban India. These have also led to a major contribution in the ease of living in the country. Through Direct Benefit Transfers, or DBT, more than INR 23 lakh crores have been distributed to beneficiaries since 2014. Furthermore, the use of digital platforms has enabled citizens to access public services without visiting government offices or approaching middlemen. For instance, collecting birth certificates, payment of bills, collection of ration, claiming admission, accessing exam results, getting certificates or availing banking facilities have been rendered hassle-free, time saving and seamless.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Facilitating Ease of Living through digital innovations Particularly for financial transactions and payments, India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has been appreciated by the World Bank and others. The country completed 1.3 lakh UPI transactions every minute in just May 2022. India’s digital product, UPI, is the centre of attention, regardless of whether developed nations or those unable to invest in such technology are interested.

These digital solutions have scale.

The Digital India Week 2022 also witnessed the launch of several digital portals. These include single sign-in portal Meri Pehchaan, Digital India Bhashini, Digital India Genesis and Chips to Startup (C2S). These programmes would further augment the country’s resilient recovery

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India’s domestic demand to sustain growth steady and unemployment levels lower than in the previous month.

Credit growth continues to rise -- it has reached its highest level since April 2019.

with the development goals, in addition to contributing to the ease of living for the citizens.

Furthermore, for the businesses and MSMEs, such interventions will provide sustainable and unique solutions and also provide a fillip to the country’s startup ecosystem.

Therefore, It is imperative for the country to adopt new innovations and adapt to the existing and emerging interventions in the digital space. India can proudly claim that it’s not just part of the industry 4.0 revolution but is actually leading it,” Mr. Modi reiterates.

Source: Invest India, Government of India

MAKE IN INDIA

Mumbai, July 25 (IANS): Domestic demand will help sustain India's growth momentum as highfrequency data for June remained strong, with gains concentrated in services-led consumption, whilst data for industrial activity exhibited a mixed trend and external demand moderated further, Morgan Stanley said.

Early trends for July indicate data holding across sectors with mobility (ex-residential) fairly

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CPI remained stable at 7 per cent YoY in June, similar to May's levels, in line with our estimate.

Global commodity prices have moderated and high-frequency food prices have increased at a softer-than-expected pace. The moderation in commodity prices has brought a respite to rising WPI inflation, which moderated a tad in June, to 15.2 percent YoY, with monthly sequential rise being the slowest in six months.

Trade deficit made another high but is likely to moderate gradually: The trade deficit widened to an all-time high of US$25.6 billion in June, averaging

US$20.7 billion in CYTD2022. On a three-month annualised basis, the trade deficit has widened to 8.7 percent of GDP, while the trade deficit ex oil is tracking at 4.3 percent of GDP in June, Morgan Stanley said.

Global growth is expected to slow to 1.5 per cent YoY in QE December 2022 from 4.7 per cent in QE December 2021. "We see three channels of transmission: 1) slower trade growth, 2) tighter financial conditions, and 3) changes in commodity prices.

We thus lower our expectations of export growth, which is already showing some signs of moderation, with some followthrough to domestic capex demand, given the correlation between exports and capex," Morgan Stanley said.

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Grounded for three years, Jet Airways all set to soar under new management its choice of aircraft and fleet plans -- a critical decision for any airline -- though officials remained tight-lipped.

Mumbai, July 25 (IANS): Virtually written off following massive financial problems, Jet Airways is now ready for its reincarnation -- this time under a new management -- come September.

Paving the way for the private carrier's revival, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the revalidated Air Operator Certificate to the new owners, Jalan Kalrock Consortium ( JKC), on May 20.

The JKC fulfilled all the conditions laid down in the NCLT-approved resolution plan for the revival of the airline, founded in April 1992 and launched in 1993 by businessman Naresh Goyal, and shut after 27 years in April 2019.

Jet Airways now hopes to launch commercial operations in September with fresh funding of more than Rs 1,300 crore over the next couple of years, changed ownership with a new management, and a few other changes to re-capture its market.

Though starting with a fleet of 11 aircraft of the Jet Airways that got transferred as assets to the kitty of the new entity, these planes are unlikely to be deployed for commercial operations, said official sources.

However, the company is at an advanced stage of discussions with lessors and aircraft manufacturers before finalising

"Jet Airways shall be a 'smart' fullservice carrier, with a two-class cabin configuration, including a world-class business class and an evolved economy class in tune with the demands of the digital age' customers," explained an official spokesperson.

A high-level source made it clear that Jet Airways will not be "a small or marginal airline, but will grow-to-scale", though he kept all plans secret for the carrier that once strutted with a fleet strength of 124 big and small, wide-body and narrow-body aircraft.

Prior to suspension of operations over three years ago, Jet Airways had grabbed more than one-fifth of the country's aviation market, with 65-plus destinations in India and globally, as many others like Air India, Indian Airlines, or private competitors like East West, Modi Luft, Sahara, NEPC and more crash landed by the wayside. This time, the scenario is much different considering rising operational costs, wary customers just stirring out after a two-year Covid pandemic halt, the once floundering Air India now in the safe arms of Tata Group, and other airlines going determinedly for their share, etc.

The revived Jet Airways has taken the first baby-steps of its historic revival with over 250 staffers, including nearly 75 percent former employees, onboard, and now sifting through thousands of applications at various levels,

New Delhi, July 26 (IANS): With the mega 5G spectrum auction (worth Rs 1.9 lakh crore) having begun from July 26 amid the tussle over captive private 5G networks, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are set to boost their market share as India prepares for a 5G era. The four big players in the race -- Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Adani group -- having submitted a combined Rs 21,400 core in earnest money deposit (EMD), are ready with their war chests and strategies for the mega bid, that is likely to be around Rs 1.5 lakh crore if the last two auctions are kept in mind.

Reliance Jio Infocomm has submitted an EMD of Rs 14,000 while Bharti Airtel has put in Rs 5,500 crore. In the 2021 auctions for 4G spectrum, Reliance Jio used 77.9 percent of their earnest money deposit while Airtel used

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The 5G auction -- entailing 72 GHz of the spectrum - will conclude by July-end and the rollout is expected by September this year. The Department of Telecom has released a notice inviting applications (NIA) for the auction of spectrum in 600, 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz and 26GHz bands.

The NIA provides explicit clarity on the subject of Captive NonPublic Networks (CNPN).

The telcos are allowed to surrender spectrum that will be auctioned after a minimum period of 10 years from the date of acquisition. In June, in a big relief to telecom companies, the DoT scrapped the 3 per cent floor rate on spectrum usage charge (SUC). 5G in India will empower tech companies, enterprises and ecosystem players to build private networks and bring nextgeneration digital transformation which is critical for the country to achieve the goal of becoming a $1 trillion digital economy,

Chinese digital loan sharks spreading tentacles in India

with hiring of pilots, engineers, technicians, etc. to happen soon.

The changes will continue with certain things undisturbed -like the Jet Brand, its globally recognizable Flying Sun logo, the familiar aircraft livery, the eyecatching cabin crew uniforms, etc., but the airline logo has been slightly tweaked "to reflect an evolved, modern Jet Airways that is prepared to win in the Digital Age". Officials concede that it will be a challenge as there are high expectations from the Jet Airways brand, and the airline would try to exceed the customer's hopes by attempting to excel in all departments.

As Murari Lal Jalan, the new owner of Jet Airways and Lead Member of the JKC, remarked recently: "We are now at the brink of creating history by bringing India's most-loved airline back to the skies. We are committed to making this an extraordinary success story in Indian aviation."

Recalling the tagline of Jet Airways- ‘The Joy of Flying' - the new CEO Sanjiv Kapoor declared that in its new avatar, it will not be a mere clone of other airlines, but actually offer something meaningfully different to lure, delight and win the customers.

"All of us are deeply committed and passionate about building the new Jet Airways into a modern, differentiated, peoplefocused airline for the digital age, combining the best of what it was known for with new ideas to set the bar even higher," assured Kapoor.

India set for 5G spectrum auction, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel lead the race 87.7 per cent. The 5G era will open 10 times faster than 4G and 30 times faster than 3G, allowing millions to have an experience never seen before.

BUSINESS & TRADE

according to industry leaders and experts. According to Broadband India Forum (BIF), this will lead to better efficiencies, productivity and output for the enterprises, accelerate digitisation, boost capabilities, propel indigenous manufacturing and eventually garner greater economic gains for the country. “As we look to cement India’s position as a global hub for manufacturing, supply chain and R&D, as well as one of the leading digital economies across the world, the advancement of enterprises through dedicated captive private 5G networks will help gain efficiencies in all vital industry verticals,” BIF President T.V. Ramachandran said.

Private 5G networks are about the deployment of high speed, enhanced data capacity, and ultra-low latency applications inside a closed manufacturing unit, hospital, airport, shipping port, etc. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry’s apex body representing telcos, has urged the government not to allow Big Tech companies to enter the 5G spectrum auction via back door channels.

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New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Chinese criminal syndicates and gangs are running scam operations illegally in India.

Several such digital loan shark cases have been detected in the recent past and it is suspected that the scale of such illegal activities has increased over a period of time.

Recently, a case of a so-called 'Chinese loan app' racket came to light in Delhi's Dwarka area.

The racket was being run by some Chinese handlers in the garb of a local consulting BPO firm, Fly High Global Services and Technology. The modus operandi started with the simple advertisement for 'On Stream' online loan app in social media to attract customers who wished to avail hassle-free loans in minutes.

It was targeting mostly local youth who suffered most during the recent pandemic and are in dire need of money to meet urgent family expenses. Once downloaded, the app sought permissions to access the victims' contacts which were utilised later by the company to blackmail its clients.

The Chinese racket charged exorbitant interests and the victims were threatened, abused and even blackmailed. They sent derogatory messages to the victim's contacts on his or her behalf. The telecallers also used victim's photographs from Aadhaar and PAN cards to blackmail in order to extort money from them.

Over the last four months, the gang had allegedly extorted around $12 million, of which 30 per cent was the commission of the Indian local firm. The local police, who raided the three-storey building in Dwarka and arrested the kingpin, were surprised to find around 150 staff working in the firm along with around 300 SIM cards in the name of a different local company.

Chinese entities have penetrated into the Indian credit market and are exploiting Indian borrowers making use of some loopholes in the legal system. Since the pandemic-induced lockdown, scores of Chinese-owned microlending apps started operating in India under very shady terms.

They are attracting customers who are under duress. The borrowers were charged exorbitant processing fees and interest rates, pushing many lower-middle-class people into

the debt trap and forcing them to even commit suicide.

Claiming to play fair, Chinese instant-loan apps Momo, CashBus, Timely Cash, Y Cash, Kissht, Robo Cash, Fast Rupee, Cash Mama, and Loan Time were also offering payday loans to Indians, targeting borrowers on the lower end of the economic strata. Many of these apps show more than a million installs.

Indian investigating agencies informed that various fintech companies in collusion with Indian non-banking financial companies (NBFC) had indulged in predatory lending, violating the guidelines of Reserve Bank of India. Fintech companies backed

by China had a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NBFCs for providing instant personal loans for terms ranging from seven to 30 days, by-passing the regulatory system.

Since fintech companies were unlikely to get a fresh NBFC license from RBI to provide loans, they devised the MoU route with the already defunct Indian NBFCs to indulge in large-scale lending activities.

Indian tax authorities disclosed that decisions on fixing interest rates/platform fees etc. were taken by the fintech companies and they were operating on instructions from handlers in China and Hong Kong.

Many such cases were reported in India during the last 8-10 months.

Observers pointed out that the undetected cases could be even more. There is mounting evidence that these are regionally wellcoordinated, and linked to other nodes of illicit activities.

Chinese scammers are exploiting the loopholes in the legal system in the host countries, often hooking the unemployed youth and financially stressed lower strata of the society, who become easy prey for such gangs.

These instances are common in South East Asia too. Media reports from across the region allege that hundreds of Malaysians, Philippians and Indonesians have also been lured to Cambodia by organised crime groups based in and around Sihanoukville.

The city is notorious for lawlessness, casinos and Chinese criminal gangs. Investigators found that most of the kingpins are operating from China but they employ locals in neighbouring countries to run their wider transnational criminal activities.

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ENERGY & RESOURCES

Wind power: Missing nuts and bolts Australia’s first gas-to-grid project kicks off in Sydney in India’s RE transition journey integration problems go hand in hand when it comes to new installations and repowering the old one. Especially the old ones, so far, in the case of Tamil Nadu.

A visit to multiple windmill parks in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts, including Ramco’s at Muppandal with 235 machine units and Suzlon’s at Radhapuram with 519 machine units, and various villages that have standalone windmill units as part of a media workshop on Renewable Energy by Earth Journalism Network brought forth the problems faced by the wind power companies, problems that can hamper India’s leap into RE dependent future to bring down emissions as part of its action plan to combat climate change.

Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu), July 23 (IANS): Seven months after India embarked on a path of ambitious renewable energy (RE) targets, questions about how equipped the power infrastructure is for the transition are hanging fire, especially in case of wind power.

As announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Glasgow COP in November last year, India has set an ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2040 and 50 per cent of its requirement through renewable energy by 2030. As a step towards that, by the end of 2022, India has to achieve 175 GW of RE, of which 100 GW is to come from solar and 60 from wind power.

Media reports on July 23 said that states would now need to meet a quarter of their energy demands from RE sources under the new Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and increase it to 43 per cent by 2030. In simple terms, this means that there is going to be an increasing share of RE among India’s total energy mix.

The moot question, therefore, is whether India’s power sector infrastructure is ready to adapt to this increasing share? Are the nuts and bolts in place for ensuring a smooth integration?

According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India’s RE installed capacity increased 286 per cent in the last 7.5 years but it had a share of just 26.53 per cent in the total generation capacity.

One of the major reasons is lack of proper integration, not just in view of the upcoming, new installations but also for reviving the existing older infra, especially that of wind power. Majority of India’s renewable capacity additions come from solar and wind.

As against solar that is getting a large push currently, India has had wind power for over three decades now, that too majority by players. Therefore, the

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When the first windmill parks came about in the 80s and 90s, the turbines were of 250 KV or 800 KV and the tower on which those were installed were 30 metres or 50 metres tall and were erected in a grid pattern. The land required was calculated using the 5D X 7D formula, i.e. the distance between two units in a row and column depended on the height of the tower and length of the turbine blade.

By the turn of the century and then year by year towards 2022, the turbines’ availability increased to 1 MW, 2.5 MW, 3 MW, and 4 MW too. The tower height now can be 100 metres or 120 metres. For the wind power companies to migrate to higher technology, it is not just a question of money to replace turbines or increase the height of the tower, but a whole gamut of infrastructure overhauling is required.

“It starts with land required per unit. Farmers are willing to sell but demand much higher prices than existing. The larger the turbine, the larger the area per unit needed. Cost of replacing the existing units into newer, better efficient units includes the cost of civil work for the tower’s foundation, cost for increasing the tower height and replacing the turbine. Then, the transformer and transmission lines need to be upgraded to have the carrying capacity of higher power generation for power evacuation. Every single step in the process is costly and involves multiple authorities and stakeholders,” an official from one of the private companies told IANS during the field visit.

“The state government comes into picture where the power evacuation infrastructure needs an upgrade. It needs to be upgraded in sync with our end of upgrade. Else, it is a waste of time and resources,” said another official from another private company.

It is not that the Centre is not aware of the problems. In 2016 it came out with a repowering

policy. “But it had a lot of issues.

The micro-siting norms kept changing. The land availability is another major problem. The policy was such that bigger private companies can manage but not feasible for smaller units,” said Ajay Devraj, general secretary of Indian Wind Power Association (IWPA), a representative body from the wind power sector that has 1,400 members all over India, including 900 in Tamil Nadu alone. Its members generate as much as 26,000 MW of wind power, which is almost 62 per cent of the total.

“Government intervention is imminent to work out the land consolidation issues,” Devraj said.

Another problem is the power purchase agreements (PPAs) that these power companies have with the electricity boards (transmission companies) of respective states. States such as Gujarat and Maharashtra, which too have had wind power for over three decades now, have had shorter duration of PPAs. The companies there got higher incentives every time the PPAs were renewed. Unfortunately, in Tamil Nadu, the PPAs signed in early 1990s were ended.

That means, the companies are working at older rates. There are large pending dues from the state too.

“Selling to the electricity board must be the last option. There is a policy proposed that the private companies should sell only to the state, which would mean a much lower price compared to what companies would get if we sold directly to private industry as captive power. All that they would need to pay would be the wheeling charges,” said the first private company official.

However, there was no response from Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) to queries sent on phone, calls and even text messages by IANS. A senior official from MNRE, who is not authorised to speak with the media said: “The government is still fine tuning a lot of things, nothing is final as such.”

Industry experts also point out that the cost of replacing the older wind power unit with a new one comes close to Rs 1 crore per MW, an amount equivalent to get a new one. So the private power companies will not upgrade unless there are any incentives.

Francis Jayakumar, India director at the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), a non-profit trade association and an authoritative voice for the global wind energy industry, suggested that the Tamil Nadu government should come up with a clear policy about PPAs with existing private companies that have open ended arrangement from three decades ago.

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recovery facility will create approximately 95,000 gigajoules of biomethane from organic material in wastewater to supply gas to around 6,300 homes by the end of the year, with the capacity to double production by 2030," said NSW Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson.

Sydney, July 19 (IANS): Australia has started its first trial of generating gigajoules of biomethane from wastewater, which will see renewable biomethane support the energy demands of up to 13,000 homes.

The government of the New South Wales (NSW) state announced the trial on July 19, which commenced at Sydney Water's Malabar Wastewater Resource Recovery Plant. It will deliver reliable and cleaner gas to Sydneysiders and help to reduce the carbon footprint of households, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The wastewater resource

"This five-year pilot will put gas directly into the supply network and will also help industries across NSW meet their net-zero emissions targets, with the facility able to turn waste material into a new clean energy source."

Sydney Water's General Manager for Asset Lifecycle Paul Plowman said this project is expected to remove 5,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, the equivalent of almost 2,000 cars off the road.

The first renewable gas products are due to be completed by the end of this year. They will be supplied to Sydney's network soon after.

Level playing field for alternative fuel mobility: Indian Auto LPG Coalition The cost of fitting with conversion kits for vehicle owners would be a fraction of purchasing a completely new electrical vehicle.

Chennai, July 25 (IANS): The Indian government should provide a level playing field for alternative fuel like auto-liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for carbon free mobility, the Indian Auto LPG Coalition said.

"In principle, we whole-heartedly welcome the government's initiatives on promoting EVs (electric vehicles). What we have been merely asking is that the government should also extend equal opportunity to another hugely feasible alternative fuel which could also contribute to an emission-free mobility system in our country," the association's Director General Suyash Gupta said.

He said that the mass adoption of EVs is several years away in the country. "And here, we are not even pointing out the challenges in the EV roll-out related to faulty battery management systems, lack of proper testing and validation systems, shortage of lithium and of course, the dependence on China, a politically and commercially unreliable partner by all means," Gupta said.

Stressing the advantage of auto LPG, he said it not only has zero global warming potential (GWP), it involves far lesser transitional costs.

The government urgently needs to make the type approval norms pragmatic and extend the validity period for type approvals to perpetuity as is the case elsewhere in the world, and, of course, slash the GST on auto LPG and conversion kits, Gupta said.

According to him, the all out focus on electrical vehicles while overlooking the merits of alternative fuels such as auto LPG has somewhat been perceived as preferential and overly inclined towards one technology and against another fuel technology option. Few months back, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a draft notification for the conversion of BS-VI vehicles to auto LPG and compressed natural gas (CNG) mandating several untenable requirements. This had been widely perceived as a policy bias, he said.

"When MoRTH issued the draft notification for conversion of BS-VI vehicles to auto LPG and CNG, we had expressed our concerns in no uncertain terms.

The stipulations for a crash test for a retrofitted vehicle, the limited period of validity for type approval, need for the kit manufacturer/suppliers to submit kits fitted in vehicles of different makes for each engine capacity thereby escalating the cost of homologation were all majorly excessive in nature, effectively deterring the sustenance of the domestic retro fitment industry.

At the same time, the OEMs were clearly in an advantageous position," Gupta added.

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SPORTS

44th Chess Olympiad begins: Team Women’s hockey team player Sangita Kumari braves all odds to represent India in CWG 2022 US top seed, India second after facing insurmountable roadblocks and with help of rigorous training and hard work, they have cemented their position in the Indian women's hockey team squad.

Of these three sportswomen, Nikki Pradhan and Salima Tete have also been a part of the Indian women's hockey team that performed brilliantly on the hockey field at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in Japan.

Ranchi, July 29 (IANS) Fighting against all odds to fulfil her dreams of playing for the Indian women's Hockey team, Sangita Kumari, is all set to don blue jersey as she represents the country at the inaugural Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham, London.

Due to a frail financial condition of her family, she does even have a television set at her house till date. She originally hails from Karangagudi village in Jharkhand's Simdega district.

After the Hockey Jharkhand President Bholanath Singh came to know about Sangita's financial condition, he sent a new LED TV from Ranchi on Thursday at her house in Jharkhand so that Sangita's family and the people in her village can see her play live on television at the CWG 2022.

For this Indian women's hockey team, three players belong to Jharkhand -- Nikki Pradhan, Salima Tete and Sangita Kumari.

All three sportswomen belong to extremely poor families but

Sangita has been given the opportunity to play for the Indian women's hockey team at various international-level competitions, but it is for the first time that she is representing the country at the inaugural CWG 2022.

The family of Sangita Kumari, a resident of Karangagudi village of Kersai block, located nearly 35 km from the insurgency-affected Simdega district headquarters of Jharkhand, still lives in a 'kutcha' house. Besides her parents, she lives with five sisters and one brother. Sangita's parents sustain their family by doing labour work or farming.

A few months back, Sangita got a job in the Indian Railways as a class third employee with help of which she takes care of her family's expenses along with the education of her sisters.

When she received her first salary as an Indian Railways empoyee, Sangita gifted hockey balls to the children living in her village.

Sangita's father Ranjit Manjhi says that she always had passion for hockey since childhood.

Seeing large number of girls

living in her village as well as her elder sisters playing hockey, she too insisted and started playing hockey for the first time with a stick made of bamboo.

A few months later, when she got a chance to play in a hockey competition in Simdega, she actually lifted a real hockey stick for the first time.

She caught everyone's attention with her brilliant performance during this match and in 2012, she got selected in the state government's residential Women's Hockey Training Centre. Since then she has not looked back at all and achieved new records on the hockey field.

Sangita was selected for the first time in Indian women's Hockey team in 2016 and in the same year she performed brilliantly in five Nation Junior Women's Hockey Tournament held in Spain. Then again in 2016, the Indian women's Hockey team won the bronze medal in the Under-18 Asia Cup held in Thailand.

A total of 14 goals were scored by India in the Under-18 Asia Cup, out of which eight were scored by Sangita alone.

Apart from this, due to her excellent performance in many other tournaments, she got selected in the Indian women's Hockey team for the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Bholanath Singh, who sent TVs to Sangita's house on Thursday, says he hopes that her parents and siblings will now be able to watch her live playing for India in Birmingham.

India cruise to ODI series sweep over West Indies the job by picking up four scalps of his own during an impressive spell. West Indies' form in 50-over cricket has been surprisingly poor of late, with the Caribbean side now sitting on a nine-match losing streak after consecutive series losses against Pakistan, Bangladesh and now India.

Port of Spain, July 28 (IANS) Openers Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan hit half centuries as India completed a series sweep over West Indies with an emphatic 119-run victory in a rain-affected clash in Port of Spain.

There were plenty of delays during India's innings, with the visitors forced to hit out late after a weather break saw the match initially reduced to 40 overs per side.

Another rain delay at the end of the 36th over saw India's innings completed even earlier, with the visitors posting a decent total of 225/3 from their allotted overs.

Opener Shubman Gill was the standout with a career best 98*,

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while stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan (58) hit his second halfcentury for the series.

Gill was deservedly named Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his heroics during the tour, with the young right-hander scoring two half centuries and a total of 205 runs from three hits.

It goes to show that India are compiling some good depth in their white-ball squads, with Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal also showing good signs during the three-match series.

Experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj chipped in with two wickets early in West Indies' run chase on Wednesday, while Chahal finished

Chennai, July 28 (IANS) With a good mix of experienced elite players, debutants and promising prodigies, six Indian teams, comprising 30 players, are all set to begin their challenge at the 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad, which kick-started in Mamallapuram on Thursday.

The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Governor RN Ravi also attended the opening ceremony along with Union Sports minister Anurag Thakur.

The star-studded US team-led by World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana is numbers ahead in terms of average rating with Elo 2771 while India seeded second with Elo 2696.

World Champion Magnus Carlsen's Team Norway is third seeded at Elo 2692 followed by Spain (Elo 2687), Poland (Elo 2683) and Azerbaijan (Elo 2680).

The Team India 2 boast of teenage prodigies Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani and also has 30-yearold B Adhiban as the oldest player.

It has caught the imagination and fancy of most enthusiasts, not just in India but abroad too. The

Skipper Nicholas Pooran and right-hander Brandon King each scored 42 in this match, but there were plenty of failures as a disappointing series came to an end for Phil Simmons' side.

Brief Scores: India 225/3 in 36 overs (Gill 98 not out, Dhawan 58; Walsh 2-57) beat West Indies 137 in 26 overs (Pooran 42, King 42; Chahal 4-17, Siraj 2-14) by 119 runs (DLS)

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The top Indian team, comprising Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, Arjun Erigaisi, SL Narayanan and Krishnan Saiskiran, has experience and strength combined. Arjun and Narayanan are making their debut. Arjun has been hovering tantalisingly close to the Elo 2700 mark and Narayanan exhibits an enviable positional and solid style. Harikrishna and Sasikiran are old warhorses with proven credentials while Vidit, too, has made a mark amongst the elites.

The women's team with Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Vaishali, Tania Sachdev and Bhakti Kulkarni are given top billing with an average Elo of 2487 and are firm favourites. Ukraine (2478) and Georgia (2475), on the other hand, are too close for comfort and India need good performances each day to gun for gold.

The other Indian teams, too, have the potential to notch upsets and with no pressure, they have the ability to snatch a medal.

Asia Cup 2022 officially shifted from Sri Lanka to UAE

While there were plenty of positive signs in the first two matches of the series against India, the third and final game was completely one-sided as the hosts struggled to match it with their opponents.

Spinner Hayden Walsh picked up two wickets - but conceded 57 runs from his 10 overs - while West Indies' top-order failed to come to grips with India's newball bowling attack.

average Elo of this team is 2649 but their ability to score over fancied opponents in the past six months place them as strong contenders for the medal.

Dubai, July 27 (IANS) The 2022 edition of the Asia Cup was on Wednesday officially shifted from Sri Lanka to the UAE. However, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will remain the hosts of the marquee multi-nation tournament, which will be played in middle-east Asia between August 27 and September 11. The decision to move the tournament out of Sri Lanka was taken due to the ongoing political turmoil in the island nation.

"The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is eagerly looking forward to conducting its much-awaited Asia Cup tournament from August 27 th to September 11 th , 2022, as scheduled," a Asian Cricket

Council statement said. "However, considering the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the ACC after extensive deliberation has unanimously concluded that it would be appropriate to relocate the tournament from Sri Lanka to the UAE," it added.

Sri Lanka is going through one of its worst crisis with supplies of food and fuel drying up. The country has still been able to host bilateral cricket, with Australia and Pakistan making the trip over, but with the Asia Cup being a multi-team tournament, the challenges of hosting it in the midst of economic turmoil were considered a tough task.

"Every effort was made to host the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken after much deliberation. The UAE will be the new venue while Sri Lanka will continue to retain hosting rights.

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

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SPORTS

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

We will be going for gold in Commonwealth Games, asserts cricketer Yastika Bhatia

In 75th year of Independence, Chess Olympiad has come to its home country: Modi Modi said Tamil Nadu has strong historical connection with chess and there is a Lord Shiva temple called Chathuranga Vallabha Nathar Temple at Poovanur village in the state's Tiruvarur district.

asserted the 21-year-old left-hand batter.

"So, we are looking for gold and our practice and preparation is according to that only. Any match that you play in a tournament like the Commonwealth Games is important for us. We are not looking at what the opposition is (doing). We are focused on our strengths and how we can do better," added Yastika Bhatia.

Following their opening match against Australia, Harmanpreet Kaur's side will play Pakistan on July 31 and round off it's Group A assignment against Barbados on August 3.

"We will be playing our first match at Edgbaston. We have not played there (before)... we have to look at it as a new ground, new challenge and just go according to that," said Bhatia in a video posted by BCCI on social media.

Birmingham, July 29 (IANS) Young India women's cricket team batter Yastika Bhatia has said the side's preparations for the Commonwealth Games here have been focused entirely on winning gold, adding the girls will concentrate mainly on their strengths and not on how strong the rivals are.

India will begin their campaign at the quadrennial games against Australia at Edgbaston later on Friday and hope to make a winning start against the strong

gold-medal contenders led by the charismatic Meg Lanning.

India went through a rigorous practice drill on Thursday where coach Ramesh Powar was seen giving throwdowns and bowlers going full tilt in the nets.

"We are very grateful for this opportunity that has been provided to us. Any matches in which we represent our country, it's a matter of pride and we are very excited. We are going for gold, not just any podium finish,"

Whenever India and Australia have met previously in group stages of Women's T20 World Cup, the ladies in blue jersey have ended up on the winning side. In the 2018 edition in West Indies, India had beaten Australia by 48 runs. In the 2020 edition, India again defeated Australia by 17 runs, leaving them on the brink of an early exit from the tournament at home. Though Australia won the tournament by defeating India in the final in front of 86,174 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, fans from both sides will be itching to see how an India-Australia clash in the Commonwealth Games 2022 pans out. With all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar yet to join the team due to Covid-19 infection and batter Sabbhineni Meghana on her way to join the team, India effectively have 13 members to choose from for their playing eleven against Australia.

CWG 2022, cricket: Nothing but gold will do, says Australian allrounder Tahlia McGrath cricket is in the Commonwealth Games so everyone wants it that bit more," McGrath was quoted as saying by the organising committee.

Birmingham, July 28 (IANS) Winner of the women's T20 World Cup in 2020, Australia start as firm favourites to win the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games cricket competition.

All-rounder Tahlia McGrath says nothing but a yellow metal will do for the team Australia that they won the 50-over cricket World Cup in April. "We play at that level now -- every game you play you want to win, and every tournament you want to win," McGrath said. "We certainly have that hunger and that desire and it's the first time women's

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As far as challengers go, McGrath identifies England as "high on the watch-list". "We've been keeping an eye on them -- they've got some really exciting young talent coming through and they've been performing really well. They're a huge threat in this tournament."

McGrath only made her T20 international debut in October last year but will be vital if Australia are to win gold. She smashed 91 not out from 49 balls during the women's Ashes in January, and currently averages 247 in the 20-over format.

"If you go back three years, I had a bit of work to do in that format," McGrath said. "I've worked pretty hard at my game, trying to increase my strike rate, trying to

create a few more deliveries with the ball." Women's cricket makes its Games debut at Birmingham 2022, and McGrath says Australia are keen to make the most of the experience. One on everyone's list is (swimmer) Ariarne Titmus, so we've been keeping our eyes peeled for her. "We've been getting into swapping badges with other non-cricketing nations.

Every tournament we do is just cricket, cricket, cricket, so this is something different and we're really enjoying it."

Australia are ranked No.1 in the world in 20-over cricket. They open the tournament against India on Friday ( July 29).

"Twenty20 is a format that can go either way, so it's going to be a really hard tournament, and India first up is going to be a real challenge, but we're feeling good," McGrath said.

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SPORTS

He also said that sports have the power to unite people and there are no losers. "There are winners and future winners," Modi said.

He also drew the colours for the top seeded teams in the Open and Women's section.

Chennai, July 28 (IANS) In the year when India is going to celebrate the 75th year of Independence, it is apt that the Chess Olympiad has come to the country - the home of chess, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Inaugurating the Chess Olympiad, Modi, who wearing a white shirt, white dhoti, and a white shawl with black and white check border, told the chess players and officials that it was an honour to have them here on such an important occasion.

He also declared open the 44th Chess Olympiad, saying: "May the Games begin."

Quoting Thirukural, Modi said the whole purpose of earning and living is to be hospitable and India believes in 'Athithi Devo Bhava' - a guest is akin to the God. Listing out the several firsts of the 44th Chess Olympiad - the first time the event is held in the game's place of origin, the first time it is Asia in three decades, having highest number of countries, teams participating and first time having the torch relay, he said the location of the event is more fitting.

In the women's section, the topseeded Indian team will play with black pieces while in the Open category, the US team will also play with the same colour pieces.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the state government has sanctioned Rs 102 crore for hosting the Olympiad.

He also thanked Modi for agreeing to inaugurate the event though the invite was made over phone from the hospital for Covid-19.

Earlier colourful cultural programmes showcasing India's traditional arts were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here that entertained the audience that included the chess players from various countries, Union and Tamil Nadu Ministers, law makers, movie actors and others.

Young boy Lydian Nadhaswaram kept the audience spellbound playing the piano. And so was sand artist Sarvam Patel with his art. Indian Grandmaster and one of the world's top women chess players K.Humpy administered the player's pledge. A total of about 350 teams from over 180 countries are participating in the 11 round event that will begin on July 29 at 3 p.m. The final round will be on August 9. The FIDE has banned Russia and Belarus from participating in the event following Russia's military action in Ukraine.

Indian flag hoisted at CWG village in Birmingham

Birmingham, July 28 (IANS) Several athletes, including the hockey men's and women's teams of India, took part in the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Commonwealth Games Village, Birmingham, on the eve of the Opening Ceremony of the Games.

In the presence of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Acting President Anil Khanna, IOA Treasurer Anandeshwar Panday, Anil Dhupar, the Deputy Chef de Mission for the Games, and other IOA officials, Team India's Chef de Mission, Rajesh Bhandari, hoisted the flag in a ceremony filled with music and dance.

Indian fans may have to keep their hopes in check this time as the country's overall medals tally takes a hit because of the non-inclusion of shooting and archery. India had bagged 66 medals in the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games held at Gold Coast in Australia and shooting contributed 16 of them including seven of the 26 gold medals that India won. The Indians will be participating in 15 sports disciplines in Birmingham.

Though the Indians are expecting to bag a few medals in parasports and athletics to make up for the shortfall, it may still not be enough. However, if they manage to equal their Gold Coast haul of 66 medals, it would mark a huge uptick for the contingent that has already lost a sure-shot medal winner in javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who will not be defending the gold medal he won in Gold Coast.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Explained: What is monkeypox, how does it spread, how to avoid Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics and clothing that have infectious skin particles.

Touching objects that have been contaminated by monkeypox lesions or fluids may also increase the risk of spreading.

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Monkeypox virus, that has crossed over 16,000 cases worldwide, is now a declared public health emergency of international concern like Covid and polio.

Four cases of the infectious disease have also been confirmed in India, including New Delhi.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, related to smallpox and cowpox.

The virus generally causes pimples or blister-like lesions and flu-like symptoms such as fever.

The lesions typically concentrate on the arms and legs, but in the latest outbreak, they’re showing up more frequently on the genital and perianal area.

It is transmitted from infected animals to humans via indirect or direct contact.

Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions, including face-to-face, skin-toskin, and respiratory droplets.

“We should all know about the transmission root of this virus.

It spreads by close contact, skin to skin contact and droplet infection. So, we have to be careful about all these factors,” Dr Satish Koul, Director of Internal Medicine at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said.

The disease has also been reported among three children -- two in the US and one in the Netherlands.

Monkeypox, even though is not a sexually transmitted disease, in the latest outbreak, it has mostly been spreading among men who have sex with men, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

“We do have seen now two cases that have occurred in children.

Both of those children are traced back to individuals who come from the men who have sex with men community, the gay men community,” Walensky was

Sydney, July 22 (IANS) Sexual closeness is the most likely route of transmission in 95 per cent of monkeypox cases, according to a global case study series from across 16 countries.

However, the virus can be transmitted by any close physical contact through large respiratory droplets and potentially through clothing and other surfaces, said researchers at Queen Mary University of London.

In the study, the team reported 528 infections diagnosed between April 27 and June 24, 2022, at 43 sites in 16 countries.

The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed 95 per cent of the persons presented with a rash (with 64 per cent having less than 10 lesions), 73 per cent had anogenital lesions, and 41 per cent had mucosal lesions (with 54 having a single genital lesion).

Overall, 98 per cent of the persons with infection were gay

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Common systemic features preceding the rash included fever (62 per cent), lethargy (41 per cent), myalgia (31 per cent), and headache (27 per cent); lymphadenopathy -- swelling of lymph nodes -- was also common (reported in 56 per cent).

Concomitant sexually transmitted infections were reported in 109 of 377 persons (29 per cent) who were tested.

Among the 23 persons with a clear exposure history, the median incubation period was 7 days. Monkeypox virus DNA was detected in 29 of the 32 persons in whom seminal fluid was analysed.

In addition, the study also identified new clinical presentations in people with monkeypox, not recognised in current medical definitions of monkeypox. These symptoms include single genital lesions and sores on the mouth or anus. The clinical symptoms are similar to those of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis or herpes and can easily lead to misdiagnosis. In some people, anal and oral symptoms have led to people being admitted to hospital for management of pain and difficulties swallowing.

It's important that these new clinical symptoms be recognised

contamination also plays a major role in the evolution of antibioticresistant bacterial strains, said Professor David Nisbet, from Melbourne University's Graeme Clark Institute.

Monkeypox is usually considered mild and most people recover within four weeks without treatment.

If one has “fever after travelling recently, or you have come in contact with somebody who has manifested symptoms of monkeypox, you should immediately seek consultations from your physician. As of now, prevention is the cure,” Koul said.

According to Dr Manisha Arora, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, avoid coming in contact with an ill person.

The primary measures to control the outbreak are contact tracing and isolation.

It is also important that people confirmed with monkeypox disclose their contacts so they can be alerted to monitor for symptoms.

“Always wash hands properly and use an effective alcohol-based sanitiser. Never avoid using masks,” Arora said.

Monkeypox: 95% spread occurred via sexual activity, says study or bisexual men, 75 per cent were white, and 41 per cent had human immunodeficiency virus infection.

New spray coating may shield surfaces from Covid viruses, bacteria

quoted as saying in an interview with the Washington Post.

However, the disease is frequently uncomfortable or painful, and can sometimes lead to complications that require close medical followup.

and healthcare professionals be educated on how to identify and manage the disease misdiagnosis can slow detection and thus hinder efforts to control the spread of the virus, the team said.

"We have shown that the current international case definitions need to be expanded to add symptoms that are not currently included, such as sores in the mouth, on the anal mucosa and single ulcers. These particular symptoms can be severe and have led to hospital admissions so it is important to make a diagnosis," said Chloe Orkin, Professor of HIV Medicine at QMUL. "We have also found monkeypox virus in a large proportion of the semen samples tested from people with monkeypox. However, this may be incidental as we do not know that it is present at a high enough levels to facilitate sexual transmission. More work is needed to understand this better," added Dr John Thornhill, Consultant Physician in Sexual Health.

These findings will improve future diagnosis, help to slow the spread of infection and help the international community prioritise the limited global supply of monkeypox vaccines and treatments to communities most at risk, the researchers said.

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HEALTH

Sydney, July 22 (IANS) A first-ofits-kind sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses -- including Covid-19 -over a sustained period has been developed by a team of Australian researchers.

The coating provides a reliable alternative to standard disinfectants, which are becoming less effective and require regular reapplication, and is the only permanent surface layer proven to protect surfaces from contamination by viruses.

It is safer than existing alternatives to disinfectant, with no harmful side effects and more stable potency, said the team from the universities of Sydney and Melbourne.

It could be applied to surfaces in public settings such as lift buttons, stair rails, surfaces in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and restaurants, to prevent the spread of common viruses and bacteria. Described in the journal Advanced Science, the spray works two ways: repelling viruses and bacteria through an air-filled barrier, and killing pathogens through microscopic materials if the layer becomes damaged or submerged for extended periods.

The spray uses a combination of plastics strong enough to be considered an alternative to bullet-proof glass.

The spread of viral and bacterial pathogens through contact with surfaces is a leading cause of infection worldwide. Surface

"Without a barrier, viruses such as coronaviruses can stay on surfaces and remain infectious for up to a week. Other viruses such as reoviruses, which can cause colds or diarrhoea, for instance, can remain on surfaces for several weeks, causing large outbreaks in health and aged care facilities," added Sydney University's School of Biomedical Engineering Professor Antonio Tricoli. "Like a lotus leaf, the surface spray creates a coating that repels water. Because the pathogens like to be in water, they remain trapped in the droplets and the surface is protected from contamination. If this mechanism fails, a secondary burst of ions is triggered by carefully designed nanomaterials dispersed in the coating," Tricoli said.

The team tested the mechanical stability and surface energy of the coating. They also tested its ability to resist contamination from bacteria and viruses by subjecting it to high concentrations of both.

The samples were submerged for extended periods of time and the sprayed surfaces were deliberately damaged to test the spray's resilience against their contamination.

For the study, the team tested metal surfaces. In the past, the spray was successfully applied to any surface, for example, blotting paper, plastic, bricks, tiles, glass and metal. "The coating successfully prevented up to 99.85 per cent and 99.94 per cent of the bacteria strain growth. We also saw an 11-fold reduction in virus contamination," the researchers said.

Centre sends animal experts team to Gujarat to control lumpy virus spread Gandhinagar, July 25 (IANS) The Central government has deputed a team of animal experts team to Gujarat to study and control the Lumpy Skin disease in the state and it has already started working in the affected area, state Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said on Monday.

Till Monday evening, 1,021 heads of cattle had died because of disease, some 40,222 are affected and under treatment in 15 districts and 2,94,000 animals have been vaccinated, he said at a press conference here.

He said that the worst-affected districts are Kutch and Jamnagar, while in the rest 13, the impact is limited. The state government has deputed 267 animal ambulances with veterinary doctors, while another 151 doctors and 400 animal inspectors are working round the clock to treat animals

and control the spread, Patel added.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress alleged that the state government is underplaying death figures and sharing inflated vaccination figures.

Gujarat Congress Kisan Morcha president Pal Ambaliya alleged that the Kutch district has just 14 veterinary doctors and within few days, the district administration claims to have vaccinated 80,000 heads of cattle, which is next to impossible.

According Ambaliya, in this month, a video clip from Mundra taluka in Kutch was in circulation, showing dead cattle on streets of the villages, and only after this, had the district administration woken up.

The minister, however, dismissed these allegations.

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Big and bold ideas to help make Brisbane even better

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Me s s a ge f ro m A d r i a n

Street Green Spine, Queens Wharf and our Green Bridge program have all come from similar public processes in the past.”

The ideas were submitted under seven guiding themes, including “connected”, “future-focussed” and “green”.

Big and bold ideas to revitalise and reimagine popular innercity precincts ahead of the Brisbane2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been unveiled.

From removing the Riverside Expressway to creating a mobile Olympic-sized pool in the Brisbane River, more than 600 ideas have been generated during the initial stage of Brisbane City Council’s Inner Spark engagement process.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner thanked the hundreds of Brisbane planners, designers, architects and students who have contributed ideas and encouraged residents to have their say on the many daring, audacious and innovative concepts.

“We asked some of Brisbane’s best and brightest to come forward with big and bold ideas that can transform those areas of our city that are popular with residents

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and visitors alike,” Cr Schrinner said.

“What we wanted were concepts of all shapes and sizes that can enhance the experience of visitors during the Brisbane2032 Games and remain as legacy infrastructure and experiences for residents into the future.

“Like Expo88 transformed the industrial site we now know as South Bank, we wanted to start a conversation on how Brisbane2032 can revolutionise other parts of our city, particularly those areas in and around Games venues.

“I’ve been blown away by what we received back. While I love some of the ideas that have come forward, I’ll admit there are others that I’m not so keen on.

The important thing now is that we get feedback from Brisbane residents.

“Howard Smith Wharves, Albert

Deputy Mayor and Civic Cabinet Chair for Economic Development and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Krista Adams said a series of workshops, pop-up engagement events and activations will now occur so residents can get involved.

“I’m sure these ideas will be the subject of much debate around the barbeques of Brisbane over coming weekends,” Cr Adams said.

“There will be lots of opinions about whether a sub-tropical garden on Victoria Bridge is a good idea or if it’s possible to widen the river edge to create water-side parklands and community spaces.

“However, we now need to hear people’s opinions directly as well as any further ideas.

“This is about the next phase of making Brisbane even better, ensuring Games spectators tell all their friends and family about the fantastic sub-tropical city that they discovered in Australia and, most importantly, leaving a lasting legacy for our residents.”

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A huge focus on delivering our clean and green agenda has seen Brisbane recently recognised nationally as Australia’s greenest city.

I’m proud of this achievement, but not surprised, given our significant investment in Brisbane’s network of more than 2100 parks, bushland reserves and our tree-lined suburban streets.

Residents also play a huge part ensuring Brisbane remains Australia’s cleanest and greenest city with more than one million of our free waste vouchers used in the past 12 months.

Last year we started providing them to renters so everyone can take advantage of our free tip trips and all residents should have received their latest waste vouchers recently in the mail.

If you’re planning a clean-up at home over the next few weeks, a good tip to remember is that last year’s vouchers can still be used up until August 31.

Over the last three weekends of September, our four resource recovery centres will be offering free green waste recycling days for those garden spring cleans.

The centres also offer free household hazardous waste drop off days throughout the year for waste that can’t go in our bins, like pool and cleaning chemicals, paint and engine oil.

And finally, you can now also get a bigger yellow-top recycling bin or one of our green bins for no upfront cost.

Thanks for your efforts in helping to ensure Brisbane is Australia’s cleanest and greenest city.

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

COMMUNITY NEWS

Chinmaya Mission Brisbane youth wing organises fundraising event for CORD

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n 24th July, Junior Chinmaya Yuva Kendra ( JC) teenagers of Chinmaya Mission Brisbane (CMB) organised a community fundraising event for Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD) that brought the community members closer. CORD is the service wing of Chinmaya Mission with the aim to facilitate integrated and sustainable development in rural India through selfempowerment processes. For over 2 decades, CORD has been helping rural communities in India. It facilitates integrated, participatory and sustainable rural development in villages in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh through guidance, funding and monitoring. CORD plans to adopt practices for holistic welfare for underprivileged communities in over 700 villages and remote areas across India.

To support this initiative, the JCs from the Holland Park branch organised this event with lots of outdoor family fun activities along with a bake sale, face paint and henna. The funds raised were sent to India to support the rural communities through CORD. The JCs demonstrated their leadership skills in planning and conducting this fundraising event and showed their care and connection with the community.

Their youthful enthusiasm

brightened all the activities.

Families took away memories of fun, laughter and happiness, and a spiritual experience that will stay with them for a long time.

chinmaya.com.au/brisbane/ or https://www.facebook.com/ ChinmayaBrisbane/

Since its inception in 2008, Chinmaya Mission Brisbane have been regularly conducting Sunday family programs which include classes for all age groups. These classes are now offered in three locations in Brisbane: Holland Park, Heathwood & Northside (Fitzgibbon). In addition to these classes, it also conducts Adult Retreats, Children's Holiday Program (for children 4-12 years), Family Camps, Youth workshops and retreats during the holidays to enrich everyone.

As part of the Sunday family program, JC classes are offered to teenagers who seek to learn and evolve together.

Close engagement with Hindu scriptures and relevant discussions of their philosophy and how it can be applied to daily life are the focus of these classes.

Chinmaya Mission Brisbane has recently bought a property in Ellen Grove for their upcoming Ashram. Swami Shrikarananda-ji conducted the first Lord Ganesha pooja and Gurudev Paduka pooja on the 8th of May. For more details about the Sunday Family program, events and the Chinmaya Mission Brisbane ashram please visit https://www.

Mesmerising Tamil music live concert held in Brisbane

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he dream of many Tamils in Brisbane came true on July 17 when they witnessed a stunning musical treat by Sanjana Kalmanje, an Indian playback singer along with Australia’s Tamil music talents, hosted by Cultural Entertainment Group.

Cultural Entertainment Group founder Sri Jeyanthirakumar said that this event served as a platform to bring in overseas and local talents closer. It was a three-and--half-hour, non-stop music extravaganza beautifully hosted by two wonderful emcees, Jasmine Subashini and Subra Chandra.

Jasmine, who started her hosting back in Singapore at the age of 18, has hosted more than 500 stage shows, 25 live and recorded TV programmes and has acted in the lead role for over 15 Tamil longseries dramas. Along with her, Subra Chandra also mesmerised everyone with his beautiful singing. The “keladi kanmani“ song that Subra sang got etched in everyone‘s minds.

The event was inaugurated by the traditional custom of lighting of lamps by the Cultural Entertainment Group’s supporters followed by a magnificent dance performance by students of Nadananjali School of Dance – Amrutha Murali and Vellantina Ravirajah.

A team of ten Australian music talents - Arasi Ravi Chandran,

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Dr. Rajayogan, Subra Chandra, Dr Ravichandran, Sharujan Mahendraraj, Arunanagiri, Shivani Suresh, Archana, Keshika and Aaramuthan along with Sanjana - kept the audience foot tapping all through the concert.

Dr. Rajayogan with his stylish costume for each song and his powerful voice teleported everyone to the golden 60’s and 70’s era of Tamil music. The magical medley by Arasi, Dr. Ravi and Subra was powerful and had a lot of surprise elements.

Aaramuthan and Keshika beautifully sang some of the evergreen songs. Arunagiri’s dedication song for the legend late SPB moved many hearts. This stage not only gave opportunities for seasoned singers but also served as a springboard for the debut performance of 10-year old Shivani Suresh who captivated the audience with her beautiful voice.

include producing songs for Kollywood films and working with many well-known artists from India, including Sathiyaprakash, Mukesh Haricharan and more.

Towards the end of the show, as a tribute to each artist, Sri felicitated all the artists with a shawl and gifts on stage. The show concluded with the vote of thanks followed by an upbeat song.

A special interview of the Indian playback singer Sanjana was conducted by Jasmine which will be telecasted by this show’s media supporter 3Tamil TV. In this interview, Sanjana shares her music career journey.

For more details about the cultural entertainment group, visit https://www.facebook.com/ culturalentgroup/ or contact Sri on 0432 168 310.

Sharujan, a multi-talented youth who could play over 20 music instruments, sang hit songs beautifully, including his rendition of the irresistible melody of “pudhu vellai mazhai”, a song shot with a bright snowy backdrop. Sharujan, fondly known as Isai Tsunami, is the founder of BrisRaga Inc. and has been successfully directing music in Australia and India over the past four years and have participated in several carnatic and Hindustani music concerts.

Some of his major achievements

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INDIA NEWS

COMMUNITY NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Annual Tabla school concert held in Queensland

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he 15th Annual Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert was held at Queensland Multicultural Centre on 16th July. The event was graced by chief guests Dr Archana Singh and Mr Umesh Chandra. The concert featured 33 tabla students in 15 different items, including tabla group performances and raga performances with tabla accompaniment by senior tabla students.

Dr Indranil Chatterjee (sitar)

Full cast photo of 15th Annual Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert

Murali Ramakrishnan (bansuri) with Arun Pillai (tabla)

Darshil Shah (bansuri)

Aarav Vaidya and Rishab Jawajiwar in advanced tabla group with Nikhil Deo (harmonium)

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Keshav Siraparapu (tabla)

Ananya Murali (vocal) with Shainthra Birabaharan (tabla) and Nikhil Deo (harmonium)

Nikhil Deo (harmonium)

Darshil Shah (bansuri), Anvi Vaidya (vocal), Nikhil Deo (harmonium)

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Sharujan Mahendrarajan (Carnatic vocal), Binny Jaradi (Hindustani vocal), Jesinthan Ketheeswaran (tabla)

Armaan Ameer and Yohann Naidu in beginners tabla group

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

COMMUNITY NEWS

Sorrento Surf club holds election MLA Paul Lilburne for executive board tours RDA facilities

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n 1st of July, Paul Lilburne MLA had the pleasure of attending the Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club WA AGM, joined by President Ron Morris and Joondalup Deputy Mayor Christine Hamilton-Prime.

As a patron for the organisation, he was required to administer the election of the executive board of directors. Ron Morris was reelected as president, alongside most of last year’s committee while Peter Watkins and Christine Cougan were farewelled from the board of directors having

P

committed many years of service to their club.

aul Robert Lilburne, a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Carine for the Australian Labor Party was recently provided the opportunity to tour the facilities of Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) of Western Australia - Carine Group Inc., meet volunteers and observe the delivery of this remarkable program in action.

He was very impressed by the depth of knowledge and level of commitment of those who are committed to this program.

So far, 2022 has been a very successful year for Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club. In June, they took home the 2022 Lavan Club of the Year Award, in recognition of their focus on youth participation and promotion of healthy living and inclusion. And on the horizon, they have their upcoming redevelopment project.

This development will be a crucial upgrade, providing an enhanced experience for the club members and the local community.

The RDA enables children and adults living with a range of physical and mental disabilities to experience enjoyment and a sense of achievement through therapeutic, recreational and educational horse riding.

The program also fosters a supportive community and social hub for everyone involved - from

FICQ organises special tea event for Multicultural Affairs minister

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ederation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) organised a special tea event with Jason Wood MP, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs. The minister, representatives of Queensland Indian Community Organizations, including Tamil Forum, spoke with the Shadow Minister for Australian Social Security, Immigrant Services and Multiple Affairs.

Cannington Punjabi Club organises special fair

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he Cannington Punjabi Club organised a fair namely, Mela Trinjana Da 2022 which turned out to be a huge success due to immense support from the sponsors, media partners and all the participants.

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

JET Australia Foundation celebrates Guru Purnima

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ith the blessings of Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, JET Australia Foudation Perth Chapter Celebrated Guru Purnima on 17th July, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Corinthian Park Hall, Beatrice Avenue, Leach Hwy, Shelley WA

COMMUNITY NEWS

Seva Dharma Mission distributes essentials in Brisbane Seva Dharma Mission distributed free food on 10th July 2022 at 7am at the Adra Community Centre in Woodridge (near train station) Logan Brisbane .

Fresh fruits ,vegetables, varieties of breads and normal essentials were distributed and as compared to the past initiatives, more needy people like the poor, disabled and low income people came to get food. The community group has also been serving lunch in Loganlea Community Centre on 2nd Saturday of every month at 11.00 am. The next one is on the 13th of August .

Hindu Council of Australia organises Rath Yatra

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he Annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra (from 2 July to 9 July 2022) was jointly organised by the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre (HTCC) in association with the Hindu Council of Australia and ORIOZ.

Despite windy weather and 8090% rain forecast, everything went well as was planned. When Rath was going around, people came out of their homes and greeted the Yatra by chanting, singing and clapping.

On 2 July 2022, Lord Jagannath, Subhadra, Balram and Sudarshan Chakra were taken in a chariot around in the streets of Florey from 10.30 am to 12 pm followed

by Arati, Bhajan and Mahaprasad at the HTCC, Florey.

Bahuda Yatra (with Havan, Bhajan, Arati and Mahaprasad) was conducted on 9 July in association with the Vishnu-Shiva Mandir, and Lords were taken to the Vishnu-Shiva Mandir, Mawson, from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm.

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BSK Cricket Club hosts inauguration ceremony

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risbane Super Kings (BSK) proudly hosted the inauguration ceremony of Matthew Conwell Sporting Fields Amenities Building which was officially opened by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Cr Angela Owen - Councillor for Calamvale Ward on the 16th of July 2022 at Heathwood park. The event was an extraordinary extravaganza, featuring an amazing spirit of togetherness from the local community.

exhibits its culture, history, and achievements. This facility includes separate changing rooms for girls and boys, showers, a storage room, a parents’ room, extended toilets and much more.

Indian minister hosts dinner for WA Deputy Premier

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ndian Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines of India Pralhad Joshi recently hosted a dinner

This club was created to make a difference, among the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse participants, in the community, in the eyes of the public, and in history.

COMMUNITY NEWS

reception for the Deputy Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook and the Australian delegation at New Delhi.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Cr Angela Owen - Councillor for Calamvale Ward, Milton Dick MP, Queensland Cricket Delegates Sam Curtis, John Butterworth, and Nathan Spencer, Heritage Bank - Belinda Killey, Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) Australia - Krishnan Menon, Brisbane Indian Times - Umesh Chandra , Mathew Conwell's Family, Rotary Club of Forest Lake, FinTax Partner - Anjaneya Reddy, Jeremy Crighton (former MSW Cricket Manager - QLD Cricket), Bala Rajan Century 21 Performance, and other stakeholders joined the inauguration ceremony.

The ceremony was honoured with hundreds of delighted and enthralled spectators attending the Grand event in the memories of Late Matt Conwell, who was one of the avid supporters of BSK and played a vital role in promoting junior and girls cricket initiatives in the region.

The celebration is also – first and foremost – a majestic show, through which each community

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National Census reveals rise in Indian migration into culturally diverse Australia

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ccording to newly disclosed data from the national census, immigration from India to Australia has increased and surpassed that from China.

The poll, which is conducted once every five years, also showed that more Australians are identifying as indigenous people.

The demographics and cultural makeup of Australia are changing quickly, according to the most recent census data. Moreover, over half of its citizens were either born abroad or are descended from immigrants.

Indian immigrants have surpassed New Zealanders and Chinese immigrants to become the second-largest immigrant group after those from Britain.

Since the 2016 census, over a million people have relocated to Australia. The vast majority— roughly 850,000—arrived before the end of 2019 before the epidemic began and Australia's external borders were closed.

According to the study, since 2016, there have been an additional 5.5 million people who speak a language other than English at home. Of those, 850,000 claimed to speak either very little or no English. At a news

Australia-based Indian right-wing gang brutally attacking other Indians

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conference held recently, Teresa Dickinson, a deputy statistician with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, noted that Australia is becoming more and more diverse.

First-generation Australians, or those who were born abroad, and second-generation Australians, or those who had one or both parents who were born abroad, have increased and currently make up more than half of the population of Australia. With 220,000 more persons having been added, India has had the biggest rise in foreign-born residents outside of Australia, surpassing China and New

Zealand to become the country with the second-highest foreignborn population after England.

For the first time, the percentage of Australians who identify as Christians has dipped below 50%. As a result of the influx of immigrants from India and Nepal over the previous five years, the number of persons who identified as Hindu increased by 55 percent.

According to the survey, there are more indigenous Australians now.

They all speak 167 different ethnic languages at home. The option to report a person's gender as "nonbinary" was also made available for the first time.

COMMUNITY NEWS

ahul Kumar, an Indianorigin man from Sydney, was attacked by an armed mob in what is believed to be a hate crime. It is believed that the Western Sydney hate group, which last year terrorised the entire city by threatening those who oppose the Modi regime in India, is to blame. Investigations into the identity of the attackers are ongoing, and the primary fact known so far is that the Indian Western Sydney gang is armed and deadly.

On July 23 afternoon as Rahul Kumar, 30, walked to his car outside Plus Fitness Westmead, he was accosted by a gang of six individuals. In an interview with 7NEWS, Rahul claimed, "I was making my way to the car when some random people—there were six or seven people—just attacked me with the things they had.

A group of individuals armed with bats and metal poles attacked the student nurse in what was likely a hate crime. The attackers recorded the assault and boasted

about it online. The group can be seen running at the victim from all sides in the video.

Rahul, 30, suffered bruising, a fractured arm, and stitches for his head wounds after the incident, which left him paralysed with fear and unable to leave his house.

It has rekindled concerns about the potential reappearance of a hate group from Western Sydney that terrorised residents of the city last year by frightening those who do not support the Indian government.

Amar Singh, a spokesman for Turbans 4 Australia, said, "I've seen it all too often in this neighbourhood. It appears to be a related gang. I believe that this gang needs to be subdued."

According to Kumar, his assailants were wearing hoodies and balaclavas, making it impossible for him to recognise them. The police stated that the attack's motivation is still being looked into.

Indian-language film “Maasa” Contender for 2022 AACTA Awards

hope. “Phulawa is a gifted dance choreographer, who brings a natural understanding of the rhythm of a film to her directorial debut.”

Sydney, July 13: “Maasa” has been nominated as a contender for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) 2022 Award for Best Short Film, produced by Australian Indian producer Pradnya Dugal of Jhumka Films, and directed by veteran Bollywood choreographer Phulawa Khamkar.

accident, starts serving lunch boxes with her daughter-in-law, Ketaki, to make ends meet. Both women bury their grief in work but it hovers around them like a ghost, until their life's monotony is rocked by the entry of a new customer, Sumedh, who takes a liking to Ketaki and her son Aniket.

The Indian community is the fastest growing community in Australia, and we need to hear more stories from these communities. “Maasa” is one such story about a tough elderly widow Rakhmabai, who after her son's untimely death in a road

The film celebrates the Indian culture showing traditional emblems such as the lunchbox tiffin, aromatic spices and curries, multigenerational households, deep emotion and family.

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Speaking about the special

significance of this film, Pradnya says “Maasa has been filmed in India in a Konkan village south of Mumbai where my grandfather’s family came from, so it is a personal tribute to my ancestral roots. ‘Maasa’ means ‘Fish’ in Marathi language, my mother tongue.”

In her belief to support more female filmmakers and her belief in Director, Phulawa Khamkar’s talent, “Maasa” is a lyrical and soulful short film where the unspoken words say everything of a family shrouded in grief, and the challenging journey of transitioning from grief to

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Societal norms for an Indian widow have been explored in this touching story written by actor and writer Sandesh Kulkarni (Sacred Games, Mumbai Diaries 26/11, Sense8). “Maasa portrays the delicate relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-inlaw” says Phulawa. Lead actress Amruta Subhash (Gully Boy, Bombay Begums, Sacred Games) says, “Mother-in-law subjects her daughter-in-law to the same hardships she experienced in her youth. Like a vicious cycle, it creates tension in their relationship.”

“I believe this film has global appeal. Yes, it is set in a small Indian village, but the themes are universal, the characters genuine, the story heartfelt and human.”

Pradnya says.

“Maasa premiered at the Mumbai

International Film Festival on June 3rd, 2022 and we have been delighted at the positive reception. I’m especially excited that the film is an official contender in the 2022 AACTA Awards Short Film category. I’m passionate about creating films to tell authentic stories and explore cross-cultural themes that are representational of Australia’s modern diverse demographics.”

Pradnya has dedicated the film to her late grandfather, a staunch freedom fighter who fought for Indian independence alongside Mahatma Gandhi. In light of the Census 2021 results that Australia is now a majority migrant nation where 1 in 2 come from an immigrant family, and India is one of the top three countries of birth for Australian residents, it is very encouraging that AACTA is embracing cultural and linguistic diversity in its line-up of Award contenders. Voting is open to the AACTA Academy members between 15th July and 1st August.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Iskcon Brisbane’s Janmastami is back in 2022

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risbane’s largest Janmastami festival is set to attract devotees and guests from all around the city at The Croatian Club, Rocklea to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.

On Friday, August 19, the Croatian Club Brisbane will be transformed into a spectacular arena enabling festival goers to experience the magic of Janmastami. From 5pm onwards, visitors can look forward to an enthralling stage program with dramas, live music and dance; experience the cuisine of India; shop from the bazaar; and keep children entertained with fun and engaging activities.

“Due to covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021, Janmastami was mainly celebrated at people’s homes; however since the restrictions have eased compared to last year, we can hold the event at The Croatian Club. Devotees can stay until the midnight arati ceremony, celebrating the exact time of Lord Krishna’s birth,” explains festival organiser Rohan Sheth.

“With a bigger venue, and years of experience, we’ve started working earlier to make this festival even bigger and better than previous years,” Mr Sheth said.

For more than 5 years, the Janmastami organised by the Hare Krishna community has been headed and organised by the youth of the society. They bring innovation and dynamism to the traditional event - making it fun and appealing for people of all ages. From the decor, to the stage

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program, and even the different engaging activities - all aspects of the festival have a unique flavour.

The festival will begin at 5pm and go on until midnight, which is the exact time of the birth of Lord Krishna in whose honour this festival is celebrated. The stage program will consist of live music, arati ceremonies, the abhishek (ceremonious bathing of the Lords), dramas and spiritual discourses. For those that want something more interactive - they can check out the many stalls on offer, grab a sumptuous bite to eat or watch as their children engage in various fun activities at the kids stall.

“We’ve really tried hard to keep making the festival better than previous years - we want it to be an event that everyone looks forward to - not something that people are dragged along to come because of cultural obligations,” explains Jalaj Guwalani who has co-organised the festival for more than 5 years in a row.

“And we’ve begun to see that over the past few years - with increasing numbers, and more people attending the festival for longer periods of time. Guests are engaged with each aspect of the festival - and it’s great to see their enthusiasm and appreciation for the whole event,” comments Mr Guwalani.

Several dignitaries and prominent personalities have confirmed their attendance for this year’s Janmastami, lending their support to the Hare Krishna community and all its initiatives.

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250 Lots of exquisite antique and vintage decorative collectibles on auction

CULTURE

Noted artist Achuthan Kudallur passes away in Chennai the past couple of days and was admitted to a private hospital in the city. Hospital sources told IANS that he had developed some complications on Sunday night and passed away early in the morning on Monday.

Chennai, July 18 (IANS) Noted artist Achuthan Kudallur passed away in Chennai on Monday morning. He was 77.

The artist was keeping ill for July 22, 2022 (IANSlife) AstaGuru Auction House will mark its 75th anniversary this August with a spectacular vintage and antique "Opulent Collectibles" auction on July 30-31, 2022.

In order to reach this milestone, AstaGuru has consistently featured some of the finest examples of art and craftsmanship in a variety of categories. The third edition of the 'Opulent Collectibles' category since its inception in January 2021 exemplifies the houses's consistent growth in presenting collectors with unique and diverse offerings.

It held its first auction in 2008 and has since held auctions for Modern Indian Art, Contemporary Art, Vintage Jewellery and Timepieces, Collectibles, and Vintage Cars.

Textiles, numismatics, interiors, furniture, and international memorabilia are all available.

Since its inception, it has grown exponentially and has become a pioneer in the auction market space, achieving many milestones, including selling several artworks at record-breaking prices, leading to world records for artists.

The upcoming auction will feature over 250 lots of exquisite antique and vintage decorative collectibles, mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries. Chinese and Japanese ceramics, Anglo-Indian furniture, fine crystal, Persian carpets, vintage clocks, silver items, and other collectibles are among the items in the collection.

“It gives us immense pleasure to reach the landmark of 75 auctions.

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It is special to us as we look back and reflect on our journey, which has been an enriching exploration of varied aesthetics.

On this special occasion, we are extremely happy to present this incredible collection which is replete with antique and vintage offerings, several of which are over a hundred years old. Our clients have shown a keen interest in the antique segment, and as difficult as the curation may be, we are committed and enthused to present collectibles that are rare and of a great vintage. We wish to cater to their diverse preferences by offering the best to our collectors,” says Radhika Kerkar, Auction Specialist AstaGuru Auction House.

The collection is highlighted by an extremely unique Chaise Lounge

by F & C Osler (Lot no. 169).

F& C Osler, synonymous with creating the purest quality crystal decorative items, was highly patronised by royalties all over the world due to its reputation as the finest crystal-making firm in the world. The offered chaise lounge is a hallmark of their deftly created masterpieces, with four original emerald green crystal Osler legs (signed) on casters, an Osler armrest, and an Osler backrest. The base piping / frame's crystal lining has been replaced.

The upcoming auction will also feature a large collection of Asian ceramics from Japan and China, both of which were instrumental in introducing the art and culture of the far east to the western world in the past. One of these is a rare Japanese Imari jar with a lid, made around 1880. (Lot no. 83). The spherical body is richly decorated in brick red and underglaze blue. The jar's panels depict ladies in courtly attire sitting in a garden landscape. An Imari jar of this size, dimension, and vintage is extremely rare.

The auction highlights the AngloIndian furniture legacy, which is a hallmark of a rich artistic fusion between Indian craftsmanship and European aesthetics. It comes with a lovely Edwardian fourdoor teak wood wardrobe (Lot no. 212). The two central doors have oval mirrors enclosing them, and the two doors on either side have finely carved rosewood panels inset with oval Wedgwood plaques. Furniture of this type was frequently made in Bombay by a well-known award-winning firm, E. Wimbridge & Company.

The auction will also feature a selection of Persian rugs known for their exceptional beauty.

Several of these are from the Kerman region of Iran, which is located in the country's southeast.

The region's weaver community's craftsmanship has been lauded for centuries and has drawn admiration from all over the world.

The auction also includes some classic examples of silver items, both decorative and functional. A lovely pair of silver candelabras will be available. The candelabras, which were designed in London in 1874, were later electrified and feature putti on black marble bases. Water House, Dublin, Ireland, later retailed it as well.

The auction will also feature a wide range of Czechoslovak cut glass items, post-war Lalique glass pieces, and lapis lazuli console tables, among other prized collectibles.

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Achuthan Kudallur hails from Kerala and had been staying in Chennai for the past decades. His works were exhibited in all the noted galleries in the country. He also conducted solo exhibitions in many parts of the world including in the famous Paris Art gallery.

A civil engineer by training, Achuthan Kudallur was an abstract artist and is a highly respected name in contemporary art circles of south India.

The collection of Romi Lamba

July 23, 2022 (IANSlife) A live auction of 85 lots carefully selected by a pioneering collector who helped to advance the field of modern and contemporary South Asian art in Asia, has been announced by Christie's.

Centering The Figure: South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art From The Collection Of Romi Lamba, auction will be held on September 21 at Christie's Rockefeller Center in New York.

Highlights from the collection will travel to Christie's Mumbai in August, followed by viewings in London before returning to New York in September for Christie's annual Asian Art Week preview and auctions. Nishad Avari, Head of Sale, South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art, Christie’s, said: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs of modern and contemporary South Asian art to admire and acquire works chosen by one of the important early collectors in the field. Romi Lamba began collecting thirty years ago, a time when the best of the best was still available.

The depth, breadth and quality of the objects in this collection are a testament to Romi Lamba’s discerning eye, and prescience in seeing the brilliance of this art before the market fully took notice.” From the South Asian subcontinent over the last century, with a particular emphasis on narrative figuration.

Important paintings by Arpita Singh, Manjit Bawa, Anjolie Ela Menon, and Jogen Chowdhury, largely unseen in public and appearing at auction for the first

time, are among the highlights of the selection. During a life that has taken the Indian born Romi Lamba from university in Philadelphia to his longtime home in Hong Kong, he has always been a collector. His journey started with antiques, before moving on to Japanese ceramics, South Asian textiles, and in the mid1990s, modern and contemporary South Asian art. Lamba recalls, “In 1994 we moved to Hong Kong and began to collect Indian contemporary art. Certain behaviours were now ingrained. A connection to my home country: a diaspora’s magnet. Research, focus and discipline. The paintings we hung on our wall would only be Indian. This was a nascent market; new books on Indian art were being published every month, augmenting my collection on rugs and shawls.

We found ourselves buying bigger bookshelves.We chose from photographs mailed by Indian galleries before the shows opened, sometimes nabbing a sought-after artist sight unseen over the phone.”

The works in this auction were intended to be lived with, and they adorned every corner of his home, which he described as "a home masquerading as an art gallery." As the collector begins to downsize in preparation for the next stage of his life and the latest turn in his collecting journey, a group of these works, assembled with care and brilliance, is now available to a new generation of collectors who can learn from Romi Lamba's passion and precision.

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WHATS ON

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Hilton makes highly anticipated flagship brand debut in The Maldives

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he Maldives is one of the most desired vacation destinations for travellers around the world - seeing a continued pace of bookings even throughout the last two years when it was the first country to open its borders to international travellers during the pandemic.

"The expansion of our flagship brand here underscores our commitment to bringing our world-class brands to key locations, and we are confident Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa will build on our legacy of delivering an exceptional stay to delight and inspire our guests," said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton about the launch of Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa in the holiday island of Maldives.

The Hilton Maldives Amingiri, located on Amingiri Island in the North Male Atoll, is just a breathtaking 20-minute premium speedboat ride away from Velana International Airport. The hotel offers 109 roomy beach and overwater villas, each with a private pool and alluring views of the blue lagoon nearby.

The villas, which embody a harmony of modern and traditional Maldivian elements, invite an abundance of natural light via their floor-to-ceiling windows, emphasising a bright colour scheme that reflects the warm tones of the sea and sky.

The all-villa resort introduces a number of smart amenities to the archipelago and sets a new standard for hospitality that will enthral future tourists.

In addition to Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, and Saii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Maldives Amingiri is the fourth resort in the nation under the company's portfolio of brands.

This strengthens Hilton's ability to cater to various travellers and their specific needs in one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Hilton is in charge of managing the hotel, which is owned by Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd.

"Today's milestone launch is a celebration of our shared vision

with Hilton to deliver the most exceptional levels of service and hospitality in the Maldives.

At Amingiri Holdings, we are committed to continuously contribute to the Maldivian economy and further strengthen its tourism industry, and Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa will enable us to continue with this mission," said Daniel Welk, Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd. The overwater pool villas are equipped with stairs that lead directly to the island's lagoon and a hammock by the pool to enjoy the sound of waves; whereas beach villas have direct access to sparkling white sand, a deck swing, and a gazebo on the shore. All villas feature spacious bathrooms with bathtubs facing the ocean and both indoor and outdoor rain showers that promote relaxation.

The six-bedroom Amingiri Residence, the ideal retreat for bigger groups of tourists seeking absolute privacy, is a standout feature of Hilton Maldives Amingiri. When it opens in November 2022, which is set away on a manicured cove, will welcome visitors with its own arrival pier and a dedicated sundeck with unbroken 360-degree views of the Maldivian horizon. "Hilton Maldives Amingiri represents what we continually strive for in our brand portfolio - innovative offerings and exceptional stays complemented by our signature hospitality. Introducing several new concepts to the Maldives, such as a rooftop lounge exclusive to teenage guests, a cocktail lab and the six-bedroom residence, Hilton Maldives Amingiri is set to capture guests of all ages looking to reconnect during their stay with their selves, nature or close ones," said Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, Brand Management, Asia Pacific, Hilton.

In-flight wellness

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istara has added over 17 hours of ‘wellness-focused content’ to its in-flight entertainment (IFE) system across its fleet. This includes tracks for guided meditations, soothing music, sleep-inducing stories, and more to help reduce common in-flight discomforts.

Powered by Shyft, renowned health and wellness app, the exclusive content has been created and curated by certified professionals to help passengers ‘Feel the Pause’ and fight fatigue, lack of sleep, stiffness of muscles, fear of heights and turbulence,

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

anxiety, etc. Deepak Rajawat, Chief Commercial Officer, Vistara, said “We are excited to bring more elements of delight to our customers, and enhance their journeys. We are sure that our customers will appreciate these enhancements, and these will become yet another reason for them to enjoy traveling with India’s finest full-service carrier.”

The ‘wellness-based’ content will be available across Vistara’s In-Flight Entertainment systems including Vistara World. The amenity kits will be offered on all flights to and from London Heathrow, Paris, and Frankfurt, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Each amenity kit will comprise the following in travel sizes: > Nidra Tranquil Sleep Spray – made with pure essential oils of

geranium, lavender, nutmeg, and sandalwood for restful sleep with calming and soothing notes > Luscious Lip Balm – a unique Ayurvedic preparation of kokum butter, organic beeswax, and cocoa butter, with extraordinary moisturizing and hydrating properties > Facial Tonic Mist – a steamdistilled hydrating facial toner made with pure essential oils > Ultra-rich Body Milk – infused with burnt cane sugar, beeswax, cream of milk, and apricot oil to seal the moisture in for a supple and plump finish.

In 2020, Vistara became the first airline to introduce a unique, yoga-inspired in-flight safety video that demonstrates safety instructions through various yoga asanas or postures.

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Six properties around Mumbai to soak in the best of monsoons

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he arrival of the monsoon season in the country serves as an annual reminder to take a fun vacation with your loved ones and enjoy the greenery and cold windy weather.

Following the scorching summer heat, the cool monsoons are ideal for recreation and exploring some exotic travel destinations.

The Mumbai rains and the serenity of the surrounding areas are inextricably linked to the Indian monsoons. The tranquillity of Lonavala, the splendour of Mahabaleshwar, or the inherent historical culture of Nashik, the city associated with the Mahabharata, are truly beyond measure.

However, before you decide to visit these lush green monsoon locations around Mumbai, you should book a comfortable and rejuvenating stay. To ensure that you have a home away from home while travelling, here is a list of six properties in and around Mumbai from which to enjoy the rainy season to the fullest.

Radisson Resort and Spa, Lonavala If you find the hills to be peaceful and serene, this could be the ideal monsoon travel accommodation for you. Radisson Resort and Spa, located in the lush green city of Lonavala, ensures that its guests get a breath of fresh air away from the hectic city life. The resort, nestled in the hills with a direct view of Tungarli Village, has a beautiful wooden facade and an open airy atrium from which guests can see the magical clouds from the comfort of their room. The resort, inspired by the old Maratha civilization, provides a cosy setting for monsoon vacations.

Shyama Bungalow by the Odd Gumnut, Panchgani Panchgani provides visitors with an ideal blend of historic and scenic locations. Shyama Bungalow, located in the heart of Bhilar, is a tranquil and beautiful Bali-style retreat. It's perfect for large groups of friends or family, business retreats, or customised getaways. The property is 15 minutes from Mahabaleshwar and is surrounded by greenery, fresh air, and chirping birds, with

terraces ideal for stargazing.

The Mango Villa, Ratnagiri Do you enjoy spending time relaxing near beaches and waterfalls? Ratnagiri's Mango Villa is the place for you. A homestay with an ideal balance of modern conveniences and old-world charm, guests here experience the calm, quiet, and joy that city life can take away. Mango Villa is an ideal homestay for those who want to enjoy the scenic beauty of Ratnagiri this monsoon, as it is close to Guhagar beach, Bhatye beach, and Ratnagiri Fort.

Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Nashik What if we recommended a hotel with modern amenities that is also in the heart of the city? Nashik, an ancient holy city? The combination does sound intriguing! Located in the foothills of this avant-garde 5-star urban hotel offers unrivalled views of the famous Pandav caves. Mountains and pristine countryside surrounded by lush greenery The temperaturecontrolled pool perfectly relieves guests of the hot, humid summer season and provides them with a rejuvenating monsoon experience.

Vacation on wheels Have you ever considered a hotel on wheels? Caravan travel is ideal for those who are adventurous and ready to hit the road at any time. Vacation On Wheels (WOW), founded in November 2016, provides caravan vacations throughout Central, Western, and Northern India. From the comfort of your caravan bed, you can now enjoy soothing rainfall alongside a hill.

Bombay Backpackers, Mumbai Last but not least, this one is for those who want to experience life as a nomad at least once in their lives. If you want to experience the Mumbai rains but don't want to break the bank, Bombay Backpackers is the place to stay.

The hostel not only allows you to witness the most cherished Mumbai rains by being located in the prime city, but it also immerses you in the alwaysawake city of Mumbai with its vibrant and colourful rooms.

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A magical monsoon getaway In Nainital, the charming 90-year-old strikingly beautiful palatial building that once served as the residence of Maharaja of Pilibhit – ‘The Naini Retreat’ offers a special package for a couple that includes Lavish Buffet Meals, Guided Nature Walk/ Heritage walk, Complimentary Ride in Stella Yacht and many more.

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or your next trip think about picking the picturesque and serene destinations of North India including Corbett, Nainital, Naukuchiatal, Bhimtal, Rishikesh, Haridwar & Kausani in Uttarakhand and Dharamshala & Kasauli in Himachal.

Leisure Hotels Group (LHG), an experiential resort chain in Northern India has announced its Magical Monsoon Retreats with attractive offers and immersive travel experiences for its properties spanning across The group anticipates this Monsoon season to be big on holiday adventures as travelers are continuing to go big on discretionary travel after summer and opting for savoring the beauty of rain-soaked destinations with cool weather. The hospitality chain offers a bouquet of boutique resorts amidst nature be it riverfronts, lake-sides, top of the hills, verdant estates, lush forests, or Himalayan perches.

Shahzad Aslam, Head of Sales at Leisure Hotels Group said

“We are extending special offers at our select properties during monsoons, with up to 25% off on summer packages. Guests staying in our resorts can revel in adventures such as River Rafting & Jungle Safaris in Corbett, Adventure drives & Nature treks in Rishikesh, and Lake tours in Nainital & Bhimtal, etc., besides nature excursions and other indoor games for the Guests’ entertainment. The lush green magnificence of the hills can be enjoyed with mouth-watering monsoon delicacies like Chai with Pakoras, Samosa, Bhutta, Kachoris, and more.”

In Corbett, try the luxury wildlife resort by the river Kosi ‘The Riverview Retreat’ with a special package inclusive of meals depending on the meal plans and leisure activities such as Live Entertainment, Kids Activities, Fun Activities & Live songs, Wildlife Conservationist’s Slideshow, various Games & Activities for families, and much more.

7 Pines, a quintessential English Retreat in Kasauli is offering a special rate with all-inclusive meals at a multi-cuisine restaurant, Guided Nature walks, Live Music Evenings, and more.

‘Haveli Hari Ganga’ & ‘Ganga Lahari’ in Haridwar offer a MultiCuisine Garhwal Cuisine Dinner, Ganga Aarti at Private Ghat and many more. Guests can enjoy Safaris in Rajaji National Park at select zones.

In Rishikesh ‘Aloha on the Ganges’, features live Indian flute music playing and Holistic Yoga & meditation sessions.

‘Atman’, Dharamshala a sustainable resort, built in the local Himachali Kath-Kuni style of architecture offers a special monsoon rate for couples.

An epic railway adventure across Europe Europe that offer the best choice of historical homes available on Airbnb.

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the way: an English mansion, a French chateau, a Catalan manor, an Italian villa, and a German castle.

Airbnb is partnering with Interrail, an all-in-one European train Pass, on its 50th anniversary to offer six friends* the opportunity to embark on an epic slow travel journey connecting remarkable historic homes across the continent.

From a retired naval officer to a hotelier-turned-Host, the owners of the historic homes on the Airbnb Heritage Tour have made it their mission to breathe life back into these heritage buildings - all bookable under Airbnb’s new historical homes category which now offers travelers an easier way to search for almost 20,000 heritage buildings in the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.

Over 19 days, up to six friends or family members will be whisked away on the ultimate bucket list adventure, a bespoke Interrail journey with overnight stays in magnificent historic homes along

This new category combined with a brand new Itinerary curated by Interrail makes it easy to create your own heritage tour of Europe by train. The bespoke itinerary connects different areas of

f you've been keeping up to speed with news reports, you'd know that ariports in Europe and the UK are the worst to travel through. Long delays, ques, cancellations and lost luggage are just some of the many problems passengers are facing.

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Emmanuel Marill, Airbnb Regional Director, EMEA said, “We are excited to be offering this epic adventure which celebrates the golden age of 19th-century travel when there was more time to appreciate adventures with friends and family for longer. By combining the very best of train travel with the best of heritage in Europe, we hope travelers will reconnect with history and culture and enjoy travel as it once was.”

“Timed to coincide with Interrail’s 50th anniversary, the Airbnb Heritage Tour shines a spotlight, not only on the freedom and flexibility offered by traveling with Interrail but also on the rich heritage that these rail lines provide access to and the chance to go one step further in connecting with Europe. We clearly see a rising demand for this kind of travel - this year alone, we’ve seen the number of travelers exceed that of 2019 prepandemic levels. We’re thrilled to partner with Airbnb and to advocate for the positive impact rail travel can have in the world.” add Nadine Koszler, Eurail B.V. Head of Marketing.

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TRAVEL

10 interesting things I have learnt as a homestay founder

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illenials, also known as generation Y, are a group of people born between 1980 and 1999. They are demanding, daring, and eager to explore the world. Following the pandemic, millenials have embraced local travel, driving down demand for homestays. So, let’s take a look at my learning and adaptability strategies as a homestay founder.

Communicate: Communication is the key right from sharing perfect GPS locations, checking on guests for any special food requirements or informing them if your homestay is in a network-challenged area. It is always a good idea to provide your guests with emergency contact information as well as contact information for local tour operators.

Providing a memorable experience: Millenials have altered the travel landscape by willing to forego branded clothing, an expensive coffee, or even Netflix in order to save money on travel. To meet these expectations, it is critical to provide an authentic experience that makes people feel at ease while enjoying the luxury of a well-designed homestay.

Maintain a strong social media presence and prioritise online reviews: When it comes to millenials and Gen Z, social media engagement drives your business.

Every tour is planned on their smartphones by millenials based on recommendations from a blogger or an Instagram story of a friend or follower.

Understanding a customer’s need: Why does a traveller visit your hotel is critical to understanding. Is it the interiors, the local cuisine, the balcony view, or the 24*7 Wi-Fi with an indoor Jacuzzi? Since travellers craved private accommodations with zero intervention, which a luxury villa or homestay provides, demand for homestays and luxury villas has plummeted postpandemic.

There are no time or space constraints, no shared pools, and the freedom to use the property at the discretion of the traveller.

The idea is to tailor offerings to the traveller’s reason for visiting your location.

Communicate with your peers: Working with local homestays, their owners, and travel operators is a great idea. Making beneficial connections will almost certainly lead to better opportunities.

International and domestic travellers are always looking for great safety, hygiene, and cleanliness when visiting a new homestay. Getting the fundamentals right, such as a warm welcome, clean bed sheets, sparkly napkins, and excellent room service, can do wonders for the business.

Curating unforgettable experiences: There is a reason why a traveller chooses a homestay over a hotel; they want to connect with the local culture, experience the local people’s traditions, cuisine, and life stories. Curating a homestay that includes lunch at a local’s home, hosting local activities, performance with high tea will set your homestay apart.

Involving travel bloggers, live streaming your property, and mandatory check-ins will undoubtedly get you trending.

Maintain a positive online hotel reputation in order to increase bookings. Respond politely and provide solutions to negative social media reviews.

Be approachable: Millenials are impulsive and impatient when it comes to services. They would prefer to speak with a person when making a reservation, checking in, or dealing with any other property-related issues. A mobile app can help to simplify the process and ensure a pleasant experience.

Create loyalty programmes: Whether it's millenials or other travellers, everyone is looking for appealing packages and memberships to help them save money. Creating loyalty programmes, happy hour discounts, and free/add-on services can help your business significantly.

Set boundaries: If you feel the need to separate private and public areas in your homestay, go ahead and do so. Make it clear and polite to guests which areas are accessible to them. Setting boundaries is essential for avoiding future misunderstandings and ensuring smooth operation.

At Ekostay, we truly believe that millennial travellers will have a greater impact on the travel and tourism industry than any other group. Homestay travel experiences, adventures, and urban destinations are expected to expand and dominate the tourism industry.

(Varun Arora, CEO and Cofounder of Ekostay)

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Footwear and our overall health are inextricably linked

FASHION

The Eid fashion edit

Block Heel: Besides being incredibly chic and trendy, the chunky block heel is also great for ensuring your foot health.

It distributes your body weight differently than thinner heels.

They take a little pressure off the front of your foot, allowing you to stand more comfortably.

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hat you wear on your feet can make or break your look. A flattering overall appearance can only be achieved with the right pair of shoes. It gives you the confidence to walk, move, and feel very differently! If your toes feel stifled or your heels protrude with each step, or you have a toe hang, you're wearing the wrong size shoes.

The wrong shoe size/footwear can negatively impact your health, with ill effects on your body that can persist for years.

For women, it is essential to choose the right size when it comes to their footwear, taking into consideration their weight, height, and required comfort levels.

Veena Ashiya, Founder & CEO, of Monrow Shoes - Homegrown D2C Shoe Brand says, "You might feel that one is exaggerating, but the wrong footwear which does not provide sufficient support, compresses the feet, or does

not complement the natural arch of your feet, can lead to serious side affects. A severe back pain, posture degradation and excruciating hip and lower back pain, in rare instances, is a possibility" He further adds, "A woman’s pelvic and menstrual health is highly related to how meticulous they are when choosing the right footwear for themselves.

Wearing the wrong size and type of footwear, such as heels, tends to push the pelvis region forward and the hips behind, triggering irregular menstruation and infertility in women."

Veena shares some footwear options to try out: Kitten Heel: If you find it difficult to walk in higher heels or if you are on the taller side but don’t want to avoid wearing attractive heels because of it, kitten heels are the best option. This heel is often thin and short (under three inches).

Wedge heels: Wedges are ideal for women looking for additional height but without the additional pain. Despite being elevated, they differ from conventional heels as the weight is equally distributed throughout, making walking comfortable. Additionally, they are great for new mothers who want to appear stylish but find it difficult to walk in pointed heels.

Hourglass heels: For those who have recently begun wearing heels, hourglass heels are a blessing in disguise. They are wide at the top and bottom and somewhat narrow in the middle, which makes it easier to create a balance. Consequently, these heels are ideal for women who wish to blend comfort and fashion. Footwear and our overall health are inextricably linked.

Understanding this, footwear brands are providing varied options of heel types, heights, and footwear styles to make sure that consumers have an ocean of options to choose from without ever compromising on comfort.

So, it is on us to select footwear that hugs our feet like a natural footprint!

A special fashion shoot in Israel celebrates 30 years of Israel-India ties extreme sports from across the country.

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o commemorate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and India, the Israeli Embassy in India collaborated with designer Sahil Kochhar to present a special collection for both men and women inspired by Israeli landscapes.

On this occasion, H.E. Ambassador Naor Gilon, Embassy of Israel said: “This is another important project that the Israeli Embassy in India is leading this year to further strengthen the growing partnership and strong friendship between our two nations. The designer came up with the concept of involving local talent from Israel for the shoot.

The idea was to have inclusion and local faces telling their stories. It was very important for us to involve as many Israelis as possible in this project.”

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Sharara: This look has a timeless appeal. Shararas are synonymous with Eid. Consider wearing an embroidered sharara or one that is encrusted with stones and team it with minimal jewellery.

The Eid fashion trend for this year is high fashion claims fashion influencer Unnati Malharkar.

Wear your heart on your sleeve and try these suggestions by Unnati...

Choose Chanderi or Chikankari: The sweltering Indian summer is on its way out, leaving us with a few fashion ideas. Pick a lightcolored Chanderi or Chikankari outfit with a coordinating dupatta.

Use the fabrics to make a kurta if you want to maintain tradition.

Aim to pair your pencil-fit pants or jeans with a light Chanderi or Chikankari top if you want to keep it even lighter. With a dupatta to go, you can up the glam.

Silk Dhoti Pants: If you are going to spend Eid visiting friends or family, consider wearing something comfortable. Dhoti pants are not only hasslefree to wear but are also very fashionable. For the festive season consider wearing dhoti pants in silk fabric with a contrasting Kurti or top. Since the outfit itself is minimalistic, consider teaming it up with silver jewellery. The look is not just minimalistic but also very nouveau and trending.

Embroidered Velvet: Another tip from current fashion trends is embroidered velvet outfits. Whether it is a heavilyembroidered kurta or a lightly embroidered blouse, a velvet skirt is definitely in. Consider teaming this with a skirt or pants, and just add a beautiful stole, and you are good to go.

Designer Sahil Kochhar said: “I look at this as a great opportunity to take forward our narrative of making sure we involve talents not only belonging to the fashion industry. To have a team from Israel and India working together on this project will ensure there is an exchange of culture, experiences and will have a bigger impact in building up the Israel and India relationship.”

The project's team is a mix of Indians and Israelis who collaborate on all aspects of the fashion shoot. This project is part of the 'Yachad' campaign, which is a Hebrew word that means 'together.' The designer and his team spent several months scouting Israeli talents who are the best at their craft for this campaign. The models chosen are not only professional models, but also local talent from various

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ith the celebration of Eid, it's time share this happy occasion with loved ones. One should choose to dress elegantly and glamorously in traditional silhouettes or accessorise with desi elements.

Fusion Lehengas: Festivals are a time to really showcase your sense of fashion. Consider teaming a heavily embroidered skirt or lehenga with a contrasting blouse and dupatta.

Wear gold-plated or silver jewellery, or pearls to make your ensemble stand out.

Embroidered Sari: If you still want to go uber traditional, consider draping yourself in a heavily embroidered sari that speaks of haute couture. An embroidered sari is a staple in every Indian woman’s ethnic fashion collection. Team this with minimalistic jewellery.

Make-up: In keeping with the seasonal trends, keep your makeup subtle and minimalistic.

The fashion shoot is currently taking place in Israel. The Embassy will be able to show an Israel that the Indian public may be unfamiliar with through this project. It is a one-of-a-kind project that we hope will pave the way for future opportunities and collaborations between Israel and India in the fields of culture, fashion, and lifestyle.

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“So, scour through your closet and pick your trendy Eid outfit.

Let your imagination loose as you try various combinations.

Consider embroideries of beads, metal, pearls, mirrors, sequins or trendy threads in various colours.

Match your accessories with your outfit and truly enjoy yourself this Eid,” concludes fashion influencer Unnati Malharkar

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

BEAUTY

Beginners guide to eye makeup brushes Seven common blunders while curling your hair

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astering the art of eye makeup is not an easy task. For makeup lovers, knowing how to use makeup tools to bring that magic to your face is important at first. It's important to understand the basics to focus on the sparkling look.

Once you know what kind of brush to use and how to use it, you can use your makeup skills to be creative and look good.

There are a variety of eye makeup brushes on the market, figuring out which one is used for what is a fairly difficult task. To play with good makeup products, you require to have the ideal brushes too! To play with good cosmetics, you also need the perfect brush!

Rayed Merchant, spokesperson, Proarte shares popular eye brushes that beginners need to perfect eye makeup.

1. Blending brush: Blending is the key to a perfect makeup look. There are several eye makeup brushes of different sizes and shapes, each of which works differently. However, as a beginner, you don't need each one. Blending brushes help you mix and match different eyeshadow colors when you apply.

The best eyeshadow brushes for blending are: 2. Dense and small blending brush: This eye makeup brush is perfect for applying an eye shadow base to your entire eye.

Whether it's a powder product or a cream product, a small, dense brush is perfect for blending products. As a novice, it will help you apply it quickly.

3. Fluffy blending brush: Use a

fluffy blender eye makeup brush for natural gradations. After applying eyeshadow and eyeliner, use this eye makeup brush for a natural finish as it skilfully blends the colors. This is great for creating smoky eyes and a dramatic look. You will receive a tapered or rounded fluffy brush for blending. Fluffy eye makeup brushes can be used for blending with or without products. The tapered brush lets you apply more concentrated colors to the crease. For a cut crease look, go with a small tapered blending eye makeup brush.

4. Large, domed blending brush: This brush is great for beginners to seamlessly get the perfect blend look. This eye makeup brush allows you to instantly bluff, blend and highlight colors.

This eye makeup brush gracefully blends and completes a look without any harsh lines.

5. Crease line brush: Crease line eye brushes can enhance the depth of your eye makeup.

You can add sharpness to your eyes by adding shadows to the crease of your eyelids. This eye makeup brush is very easy to use. Select the product you like, push the brush into the crease of the eyelids, and swipe left or right to get the color you like. It's small enough to help you draw accurately, so it's perfect for use with the inner corners.

6. Winged eyeliner brush: It looks like an angled brush, but the corners are a little longer.

The perfect brush for drawing dramatic wings with liquid or gel eyeliner. You can also use it to experiment with the look and style of different eyeliners.

Winged eyeliner, however, requires practice to master the arts!

7. Precision concealer brush: With this eye makeup brush, you can gently blend the concealer

and apply it to your eyes. You can use this brush to cover hard-toreach areas and specific areas of the eye.

8. Pencil brush: Pencil brushes are used for softening and smudging the outlines. It's so sharp that it adds highlights and details to the eyes. It works like a pencil for eye makeup. You can draw accurate lines on the eyelids, eyelash lines, and creases.

It helps you make up in style.

9. Smudge brush: As the name implies, smudge brushes are used to create smudging effects.

But they are also multipurpose brushes! If the shadow is more pigmented, you can easily spread it using a smudge brush. You can efficiently mix different shades.

10. Flat shader brush: Basically, use a flat shader brush to apply eyeshadow. This is to pick up the product well. It helps to cast shadows evenly on the eyelids. If you like to try out the dramatic smokey eye looks, this is a must. Larger shader brushes will quickly help cover more areas. They are great for basic eyeshadow applications.

11. Angled brush: An angled brush is used to emphasize the eyebrows and create a natural look. It picks up the product cleanly. It can be the ideal brush for applying liners to give a cat-eye look. With an angled brush, you can effortlessly apply eyeshadows all over the eyelid, in the corner, and in the crease line.

Using the right brush is just as important as using the right cosmetics. Having different brush sets can only complete the art if you know how to use them properly. Use the right tools to create a great look and shine! You can make your eyes look even more beautiful and appealing with the right eye makeup brushes.

Which is better - Eye creams, gel, or masks?

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here words are few, it is said that the eyes can convey a lot. And this is especially true in these Covid times when we wear masks that allow our eyes to express themselves more freely because our faces are covered. We tend to overlook the most important part of the skin-the eyes-while exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen to maintain healthy skin. Additionally, under-eye bags and dark circles are the first signs of aging to appear on this area of the body.

The reasons are wide and varied.

This is mostly brought about by a lack of proper care. It may come as a surprise, but the eyes do a lot of work all along the day

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from blinking to expressing your emotions which contributes to premature aging. Also, the skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate than other areas.

The other contributing factors include genetics, exposure to ultraviolet rays, and most importantly, lifestyle choices.

But it is not always that those can be effective immediately. So, Anjula Masurkar, Clinical Director ENTOD Pharmaceuticals decodes Which is better, eye creams, gel, or masks?

Under-eye creams: From reducing dark circles to keeping the skin hydrated and supple, under-eye creams are gaining prominence for a reason. They help reduce dark circles and keep the skin hydrated and graceful.

In this day and age of stress and inconsistent lifestyle, under-eye creams are a must for anybody's skincare regime.

Eye gels:Another widely used eye-care product is gel. The

main difference between an under-eye cream and a gel is the texture. While under-eye creams are thicker and richer, gels are light, refreshing, and silky. Both contain nearly the same antiaging elements such as antioxidants, skin-restoring, and skin-replenishing ingredients.

So, how to choose between the two? Eye gels work wonders in the morning refreshing the skin around the eyes and helping reduce morning puffiness. It also works well under makeup.

Eye masks: Yet another solution for puffy eyes is a mask. Not to be confused with the piece of cloth that we wear to ward off Covid.

This mask helps reduce tiredness in the eyes and dark circles. This again has to be chosen depending on the skin type. So, If you want a dramatic difference, then you have to visit a skin doctor and find out which treatment suits best for you such as laser lightening and mesotherapy, etc.

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tyling your own hair is not as simple as it appears.

When using hot tools, it's easy to get into the habit of doing something that could be damaging your strands without even realizing it. Heat styling can be difficult even for professionals because it can easily result in breakage and damage. If you've ever curled your hair with a curling wand or iron, you've probably made some mistakes.

While the mistakes listed below aren't the end of the world (or your hair), they're not ones you want to make again.

If you curl your own hair frequently, you'll want to avoid these blunders as much as possible shared by Rayed Merchant, Spokesperson, Ikonic Professional.

If you don't use a heat protectant beforehand, you'll burn yourself You should use a heat protectant on your hair before you use your hot tool of choice. A heat protectant adds a barrier between the tool and your strands to lock in moisture and battle frizz, reducing the damage caused by hot tools. They come in a variety of compositions, but sprays are the easiest to deal with and get the work done.

Increasing the heat setting to an unacceptably high level It's tempting to set a curling wand's temperature to the maximum setting. After all, the higher the temperature, the quicker your hair curls, right?

Sure, but you'll be causing damage to your locks as a result.

Extreme damage can be caused by too much heat in a short period of time. Experts advise against using a heat tool with a temperature of 400 degrees, regardless of how thin or thick your hair is (the maximum on most tools).

It's best if you practice patience and give yourself more time. This is why you should always choose the best curling iron or wand with temperature control. A simple tip to remember is that if your hair starts to smoke, your tool is too hot.

Allowing the curls to fall naturally as soon as they are removed from the tool Consider what you'll do with the portion of hair you just curled when you remove it from the wand. Most of the time, you just let it fall to your shoulders and

move on to the next area.

That's nice, but there's a more efficient method. It will last better and come out stronger if you hold the curl up in the palm of your hand and let it cool that way.

Depending on the effect you're going for, you can hold it in your hand or gently pin it up until you're finished.

Using the incorrect tool size for the desired look Curling wands come in a variety of shapes and sizes for a reason: different shapes generate varied results. If you desire loose curls but usually end up with tight curls after curling your hair, you're definitely using the wrong size barrel.

Choose a barrel with a diameter of one or two inches if you want loose curls. A.75-inch or one-inch barrel will give you tighter curls.

Curling in the incorrect direction is a common occurrence It's possible that you're curling your hair in the wrong way if you never get the precise result you want. Curl your hair away from your face rather than towards it if you want a more beautiful, wavy look.

Curl each part in the same way unless you want your curls to seem elegant and tight. Curl different areas of your curls in different ways to make them look natural.

Hairspray is only used at the end When curling hair, many wait until they're done before they use a spritz. They then spritz a torrent of hairspray all over the head.

That will work, but if you want your curls to last, you'll need to use hairspray all the way through the curling process.

This is particularly true if you have fine hair that struggles to hold a curl or if your hair is very soft after washing. Spray lightly with hair spray each time you put a segment around the barrel, then let it down.

Too much time spent with the hair styling tool Many individuals believe that the tighter the curl, the longer it will last. That may be true, but wrapping your hair around a hot hair curling iron for an extended period of time is tantamount to begging for it to burn off. If you leave your hair on the barrel for more than eight to ten seconds, your strands will be significantly damaged.

41

INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

At ‘Liger’ trailer release, Vijay Deverakonda seeks end to B’wood-South divide

ENTERTAINMENT

Farhan says Hindi film industry needs to pull up its socks

industry, and rather call ourselves one Indian film industry and we are Indian actors, instead of a south Indian actor working in Bollywood."

"In the past, there were so many technicians from the south who also worked in Hindi cinema. We have had talent from the south, say, for instance, Anil Kapoor sir started his career with a South film, and we have Sridevi ji who also started from the south and went on to become a superstar in Hindi cinema.

Mumbai, July 21 (IANS) As the trailer of his debut pan-Indian film "Liger" released here on Thursday, Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda said that it is high time we should stop differentiating between south Indian films and Bollywood.

Interacting with the media, Vijay said: "Acting in a Hindi film is a dream come true for me because I love telling stories. Nothing is more exciting than telling a story on a huge canvas to a huge audience that we have in Hindi. I look at it as a personal dream that is coming into reality."

The actor was present alongside the makers of the film Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Anil Thadani, Ananya Pandey, Charmy Kaur among others.

Asked about the concept of a crossbreed that his character in the film is between a tiger and lion, is similar to the crosscollaborative energy and support between Bollywood and South Indian film industry, Vijay shared his thoughts on the matter.

"Honestly, I am waiting for the day when we will stop calling and differentiating between south Indian and North Indian film

"It has always been an industry where people are working and exchange has happened. Now, it is loud, we project more... the whole country watches in theatre because of the way we release a film now."

"And yes, I would like to also take a moment to thank Ranveer Singh for supporting our film, coming here and showing his love."

Produced by Karan Johar, and directed by Tollywood hitmaker Puri Jagannath, "Liger" also features Ananya Pandey, Ramya Krishnan and Ronit Roy. It will be released in theatres on August 25.

‘Whirlwind 48 hrs of pure celebration’: Parineeti on PC’s 40th b’day in Mexico Parineeti sported a short white strappy dress. For the evening bash, Priyanka chose a royal blue thigh-high slit gown and Parineeti slayed in a shimmery short dress.

Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) Farhan Akhtar has said that while working in the superhero OTT series 'Ms. Marvel' was an amazing experience for him and people enjoy superhero movies, but Hindi film heroes have been doing what superheroes do -that too a long time.

"Our heroes have been beating up an array of bad guys and sending them flying in the air since time immemorial," pointed out Farhan, who is well-known for cult hits such as 'Dil Chaahta Hai', 'Lakshya' and 'Don', and now for web series.

Farhand was speaking during a conversation with The Russo Brothers, who were in Mumbai to promote their action film for Netflix, 'The Gray Man'.

Parineeti took to Instagram, where she shared pictures from

the birthday celebration, which included Priyanka's husband Nick Jonas and mother Madhu Chopra among friends in Mexico.

audience and to those who watch the programme.

In the spirit of being at the beachside, Priyanka dazzled in a yellow co-ordinated set while

Sunny Deol explains why he missed prez poll: Getting back treated in US Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) Bollywood star and action hero Sunny Deol injured his back while shooting a few weeks ago and is currently getting treated for his back injury in the United States.

"Sunny Deol sustained a back injury a few weeks ago at shoot, he was undergoing back treatment first in mumbai and then he flew to USA for his back treatment two weeks back."

He underwent treatment in Mumbai for a week and then had to fly to the US for the treatment.

Due to his condition the actor had to miss the Indian Presidential Election as he is also a Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur, Punjab.

"The presidential elections happened during this time and he was not in the country as his treatment is still not over. He should be returning to India post his recovery." On the acting front, Sunny will be seen in 'Baap', 'Sooriya', 'Gadar 2' and 'Apne 2'.

To explain his absence, his spokesperson issued a statement:

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The thespian also wrote about the contestants and their stories.

"There have been some amazing contestants so far, and their lives and their stories have been most inspiring emotional and filled with immense admiration.

She also shared a string of more pictures from her Mimi didi's luxurious birthday bash and gave the same caption.

On the work front, Parineeti, who was last seen in the sports biopic 'Saina', will next appear in Ribhu Dasgupta's untitled film and the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 'Uunchai'.

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"We as India's film fraternity may not have huge spending power on VFX or budgets like the films in the west, but we need to up our game as the audience now has access to content from all over the world," tje actor-directorproducer concluded.

Big B talks about ‘KBC’, contestants’ ‘inspiring’ stories

Parineeti captioned the image: "It was a whirlwind 48 hours of pure celebration, jet lag, tacos, hugs, laughs and the ocean! Will take a week to recover from, and a lifetime to forget! Happy bday to the world's desi girl, but my mimi didi. I love you."

Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra shared a sneak-peek from her sister Priyanka Chopra Jonas's 40th birthday party.

Bollywood has taken a beating of late as it faces stiff competition at the box office from superhero films and content coming from South India. Farhan, who also runs the production company Excel Entertainment with Ritesh Sidhwani, said that while Hindi films may not have big budgets to compete with content from Hollywood, the industry as a whole needs to pull up its socks.

Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has started shooting for the new season of the popular quiz-based reality show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. He shared that there have been some "amazing contestants" and that their lives have been inspiring and filled with immense admiration.

Big B took to his blog where he talked about working on the new season of the show.

He wrote: "'KBC' has begun and so has the love and affection of the audience that has been now allowed due to the restrictions of the virus being, well, slightly liberal .. and to witness that has been a huge gift .. giving impetus and love and the required energy to carry the work forward, with the grace that has been with the show for the past, well, almost 22 years .."

He added: "The interaction with them is a learning each moment for me .. their expressions their expectations, their confidence in the responses that they give, all go into the making of every episode each day .. day after day ."

"So .. thank you audience .. and thank you for your belief and love."

On the film front, Amitabh will be seen in Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra'. The film also stars Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna.

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He expressed gratitude to the

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INDIA NEWS

August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

Javed Ali shares an interesting anecdote about his song ‘Kun faya kun’ fame will be joining as the special guest.

In the upcoming episode, this little wonder will leave everybody awestruck with his soulful voice on the song 'Kun faya kun' from 'Rockstar', which is directed by Imtiaz Ali and released in 2011.

Mesmerised by contestant Mani's singing, all the judges and Anand will be seen giving him a standing ovation for giving an outstanding performance on such a difficult song.

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Singer and 'Superstar Singer 2' judge Javed Ali in an upcoming episode of the singing based reality show will be seen sharing an interesting anecdote for the song 'Kun faya kun' picturised on Ranbir Kapoor.

On Sunday, the show will be having the "Evergreen songs special" episode. Renowned music maestro, Anand ji of the legendary composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji

On the song, Javed shared, "Mani's performance was excellent despite the difficulty of the song.

This performance reminds me of the making of the song. When Rahman Sir called me for the song, I immediately took the last flight and arrived around 8 p.m. to work on this song.

"Honestly, the lyrics or the music was not even ready, Rahman sir just had a basic structure for it. Irshaad Sahab was writing

this song, Rahman sir was composing, and on the other side, I was singing this song. It was a continuous process where Rahman sir was making changes to it."

The makers of the film 'Brahmastra' had only given out a glimpse of the number on social media, which instantaneously became a hit on Instagram.

'Superstar Singer 2' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

However, on Saturday night, Arijit sang the entire number in front of a pool of people in Sydney.

The videos from the concert have found their way on the Internet and have gone viral.

marks an important milestone as a romantic song in the Indian Film Industry.

"Pritam da's tunes and Amitabh's lyrics have been ethereal to begin with. I just did my part and I see Ranbir and Alia create absolute magic with the song on screen.

Kesariya will stay in people's hearts for sure."

A glimpse was also shared on Arjit's fan page on Twitter and was captioned: "Kesariya | Arijit Singh Live Sydney #ArijitSingh #Kesariya KESARIYA SONG TMRW." On Sunday, when the song was released, Arijit said that Kesariya

Ranbir and Sanjay, along with Vaani and Karan will also be doing several large scale crowd activities to promote the film.

The story of 'Shamshera' is set in the fictitious city of Kaza, where a warrior tribe is imprisoned, enslaved and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shuddh Singh, played by Sanjay Dutt.

"It took around 11 hours to record the complete song. I vividly remember I was asked to do wuzu before singing the song which made the experience very wholesome. So, all three of us were at the studio and started recording the song till the next morning."

Video of Arijit singing ‘Kesariya’ ahead of its release in Sydney live concert goes viral Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Popular singer Arijit Singh treated his fans in Sydney with the complete 'Kesariya' in a concert ahead of its release. The track, which is picturised on Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, was unveiled by the makers on Sunday morning.

Ranbir, Sanjay, Vaani and Karan Malhotra set to have a roast session in Delhi

Javed revealed that the song was done on the spot.

He added: "Rahman sir was improvising on it through the process and that's how the song was created. And, I am sure if Rahman sir watches this performance he will be really impressed because you sang so well. Truly beautiful."

ENTERTAINMENT

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) 'Shamshera' stars Ranbir Kapoor, Vaani Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and director Karan Malhotra will be having an interesting chat session where the entire team of the film will be roasted in front of the media and fans in the capital.

Yash Raj Films has designed an interesting chat session. Ranbir, Sanjay, Vaani and director Karan will be asked some pointed things about their life, career and 'Shamshera'; and how they negotiate these hilarious questions will certainly be the highlight of this event.

This is the story of a man who became a slave, a slave who became a leader and then a legend for his tribe. He relentlessly fights for his tribe's freedom and dignity. His name is 'Shamshera'.

The high-octane, adrenalinepumping entertainer is set in the 1800s in the heartland of India.

It has the big promise of a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Shamshera in the film!

Sanjay Dutt plays Ranbir's archenemy in this huge casting coup and his showdown with Ranbir will be something to watch out for as they will ferociously go after each other with no mercy.

Directed by Karan Malhotra, this action extravaganza has been produced by Aditya Chopra and is set to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on July 22.

John Abraham for Genelia Deshmukh’s fitness journey

Produced by Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus and Starlight Pictures aBrahmastra' will release theatrically on September 9, in five Indian languages -- Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

Udhayanidhi Stalin to present Aamir’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ in Tamil Nadu Chaddha' all over Tamil Nadu.

The announcement coincided with the one by Chiranjeevi saying that the 'Mega Star' would present the film in the two Telugu-speaking states.

Red Giant Movies took to Twitter to make the announcement.

The production house, still basking in the success of Kamal Haasan's 'Vikram', said: "Proud and honoured to present the extraordinary journey of 'Laal Singh Chaddha'. Tamil Nadu theatrical release by Red Giant Movies."

Chennai, July 17 (IANS) Actor, producer and politician Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies is to present and distribute the much-awaited Aamir Khan-starrer 'Laal Singh

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The company has been handpicking movies that are relevant and important to Tamil cinema and industry insiders have already declared that 'Laal Singh Chaddha' will be another feather in Red Giant's cap.

'Laal Singh Chaddha', produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kiran Rao, and Viacom18 Studios, also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, and Chaitanya Akkineni.

It is an official remake of the Hollywood superhit 'Forrest Gump'. The film is scheduled to hit screens on August 11 this year.

Red Giant has had a dream run this year. Apart from distributing the blockbuster 'Vikram', its portfolio has superhits such as Sivakarthikeyan's 'Don'. Besides 'Laal Singh Chaddha', Red Giant Movies will be presenting some of the most eagerly awaited Tamil films, including Vikram-starrer 'Cobra' and Santhanam-starrer 'Gulu Gulu'.

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Bollywood action star John Abraham has cheered for Genelia Deshmukh as she is on a six week fitness journey.

Genelia is in her fourth week and has put out a vlog. But there's a twist in the new week, she's stepping out of her city and comfort zone.

inclined but since I had to leave town for work, that has slightly bummed me," the actress.

She added: "Missing family and my trainers and my gym back home. Had for a moment slowed my momentum but a quick chat from loved ones made me bounce back. After all, where there's a will there's a way."

"As days are passing I'm of course feeling better, stronger and more

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August 1-15, 2022 - Vol 3, Issue 2

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