India News - Jan 16-31, 2023

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7: On New Year's Day, it was a dream come true for US-settled Keralite Surendran K. Pattel as he was sworn in as the judge of 240th Judicial District Court in Texas' Fort Bend county.

District judges are chosen through elections in the US and Pattel, 51, defeated the sitting judge in the first round of the election to become the first Malayalee to be a district judge in the US.

Pattel's path to the post was far from easy and was due to his determination, hard work, and the willingness to fight his way upwards, as he was not born with

a silver spoon in his mouth. As his parents were daily wage earners, he, to make both ends meet, had to work as 'bidi' roller and soon became an expert. Life was tough for him when he took a break for a year after his Class 10.

He completed his further education and bachelor's degree, while engaging in part time work including as a daily labourer so as to earn his livelihood, but never let it affect his studies.

After enrolling for LLB at a college in Kozhikode, he worked in a hotel and in 1995, he passed law and straight away entered into practising law.

Then came his marriage to Shubha, a nurse by profession and he moved base to Delhi and was practising at the Supreme Court.

In 2007, his wife got an opportunity to work in the US and he too joined her and since his passion was law, he, after working in a supermarket for a while, appeared for the Texas bar exam and cleared it.

He then got admission for the LL.M programme at the University of Houston Law Center, passed it with flying colours, and began work as a lawyer again. This New Year's Day, he wrote himself into the record books.

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) has issued a recovery notice of Rs 164 crore to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The amount has to be paid within 10 days.

political advertisements which it published as government ads.

Addressing

"For our G20 Presidency, we have chosen the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'. This is in line with our civilizational ethos.

We believe the path to realising aoneness' is through humancentric development. People of Global South should no longer be excluded from the fruits of development.

"Together we must attempt to redesign global political and financial governance. This can remove inequities, enlarge opportunities, support growth

and spread progress and prosperity."

The Prime Minister further said that the Global South has the largest stakes in the future, as three-fourths of humanity lives in these countries.

"We should also have equivalent voice. Hence, as the eight-decade old model of global governance slowly changes, we should try to shape the emerging order," he emphasised.

Modi also said that despite

The notice comes after Lt. Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena on December 20, 2022, had directed the Chief Secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for

The L-G in its order had directed the Chief Secretary to implement the order dated September 16, 2016 of the Supreme Courtappointed Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) and the pursuant order of Directorate of Information & Publicity (DIP), GNCTD, directing the AAP to pay Rs 97,14,69,137 plus interest, to the state exchequer, for political advertisements that got published/telecast in the garb of government advertisements.

The three-member CCRGA vide its order directed, "the main purpose and objective of the guidelines framed by the

Citing life threats, Nupur Sharma gets gun licence

her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed had led to violence and criticism. The BJP later suspended her from the post of party spokesperson.

New

17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

organized on 8th - 10th January 2023 in Indore , Madhya Pradesh was a mixed bag of knowledge sharing, enhancing learning, and experiencing a city with its vast culture, heritage, art and business.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas now in its 17th year was first celebrated in 2002 when Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the celebration of the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on the recommendation of the High

The source added that she has been given the licence to carry a firearm for her protection.

During a TV debate last year,

Sharma recently moved a plea before the licensing unit of the Delhi Police requesting that her life was in danger and she needed a gun to carry round the clock for self-defence. The police unit after taking opinions and understanding the gravity of the matter allowed her plea.

In her application, she told the police that she was receiving death threats and needed a pistol to carry.

New Delhi, Jan 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India's aim as holder of the G20 presidency is to amplify the "voice of the Global South".

the opening session of the two-day "Voice of the Global South" virtual summit, Modi said:

Delhi, Jan 12: Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose controversial comments during a TV debate triggered protests and violence last year, now has a gun licence, said sources in Delhi Police on Thursday.

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India to amplify voice of Global South: PM

the challenges being faced by the developing world, he was optimistic that Global South's time is coming.

"The need of the hour is to identify simple, scalable and sustainable solutions that can transform our societies and economies. With such an approach, we shall overcome the difficult challenges- whether it is poverty, universal healthcare or

building human capacities.

"In the last century, we supported each other in our fight against foreign rule. We can do it again in this century, to create a new World Order that will ensure the welfare of our citizens. As far as India is concerned, your Voice is India's Voice. Your Priorities are India's Priorities," he emphasised.

The Prime Minister told the gathering that during the

conference, "this Voice of Global South Summit will have discussions on eight priority areas.

"I am confident that together the Global South can produce new and creative ideas. These ideas can form the basis of our gaining noble ideas for a global future."

The summit, where more than 120 nations are participating, will conclude on Friday.

Cryptocurrencies equivalent to gambling: RBI Governor

saying there is no underlying value in it. Those supporting it call it an asset or a financial product, but there is no underlying value in it, he added.

To counter the growth of cryptocurrencies, the central bank recently launched in pilot mode, its own e-rupee or central bank digital currency (CBDC).

dependent entirely on makebelieve, is nothing but 100 per cent speculation or to put it very bluntly, it is gambling," he said.

DIP issues recovery notice of Rs 164 cr to Kejriwal

Supreme Court of India was to prevent misuse of Government funds for the projection of image of the politician or the political party in power".

"Since the same has happened even after the judgement, the only way it could be reminded is to make the political party. the main beneficiary in the process of violation to pay for the expenditure incurred by the government.

Continued from Page 1

value is only make believe.

Addressing a media event here, Das called for a ban on cryptos,

"Every asset, every financial product has to have some underlying (value) but in the case of crypto, there is no underlying value. So anything without any underlying, whose value is

"Since we don't allow gambling in our country, and if you want to allow gambling, treat it as gambling and lay down the rules for gambling. But crypto is not a financial product," Das added. He said that CBDCs are the future of money and its adoption can help save on logistic and printing costs.

"The Committee directs the government of NCT of Delhi to assess the expenditure incurred by it in issuing advertisements outside the territory of Delhi on the occasion of various anniversaries, on those advertisements/ advertorials in which the name of AAP is mentioned, on those advertisements which publicised the views of the Chief Minister on the incidents that took place in other States, and on those advertisements which targeted the opposition.

"After reassessment in

financial year 2022-2023, an updated amount comes to be Rs 106,42,26,121 (an amount of Rs 99,31,10,053, paid plus 7,11,16,068 unpaid). The amount to be reimbursed to the State exchequer including an amount of Rs 99,31,10,053 (amount already paid by DIP) plus penal interest of Rs 64,30,78,2121 (up to December 28, 2022) comes to be of Rs 163,61,88,265 as conveyed vide DIP's demand notice No. F.3(16)/D1P/Estt/ Vig/2022/I0683 dated December 28, 2022 is required to be reimbursed by AAP in pursuance to the said notices dated December 26 and December 28, respectively within 10 days from the date of issue of the said notices. However, the DIP has not yet received the said amount in the account details given in the said notices," the notice added.

It further added that "a payment of an amount of Rs 7,11,16,068 is to be made by AAP directly to the concerned advertising agencies as per list attached".

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023, The Amrit Kaal begins…

Continued from Page 1 Continued from Page 1

Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora under the leadership of L.M Singhvi. It marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915.

Since 2003, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every two years. Non- resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin are recognised for their valuable contributions to India’s economy, arts , and culture. The convention provides all attendees of the convention the platform to meet and greet with other fellow diaspora from other countries fostering new connections, support and community building.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention also invites speakers for plenary sessions on various pressing topics regarding Diaspora issues and economic development of India through business and investments.

This year at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Australian Member of Parliament Ms Zaneta Mascarenhas was honored to address NRI’s as keynote speaker for the plenary on Youth Diaspora. Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas said, “ She was honored for the opportunity to be in India and contribute in fostering the bilateral relation between India and Australia”

Ms. Sheba Nandkeolyar, Chair for Women in Business Chapter of Australia India Business Council was one of the speakers at the plenary Enabling Global Mobility of Indian Workforce- Role of Indian Diaspora.

The most interesting plenary session of all was where Hon. Minister of Finance, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the plenary on Harnessing the potential of women diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building. At this session one of the speakers was our very own Australian Ms. Mitu Bhowmick Lange Director of Mind Blowing Films and

Director of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and all other speakers not only shared their stories of success but also inspired a lot of women present in the Grand Hall that they can be entrepreneurs despite all the domestic hurdles they face in their everyday lives.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in her speech, highlighted that Indians are spreading valuable know-how to the world, be it as teachers, manufacturers, or engineers. Along with getting nobel prizes for the achievements in mathematics, science and technology, and social work she said,'' India is becoming the

knowledge hub for the world and that is how it will be for 25 years from now.” Talking about industrial development and components being manufactured in India she said that “14 of 15 diamonds cut and polished in the world are now cut and polished in India…any car that is bought abroad there is at least one component of the car that is made in India… Global capacity centers are all being established in India… air bus, aircrafts are being manufactured in Gujarat…2000 chips are designed in India. Semiconductor chips are being designed in India, and the Semiconductor design engineers

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday reiterated that crypto currencies are equivalent to gambling, as their perceived

are designing these chips in Karnataka’s ring road area which has become the highest employing sector in Karnataka. So not just low key products but high value specialized components are now being designed and produced in India.” Highlighting about health care she said, “ Medical tourism is increasing in India, there are people from 78 countries visiting India just for medical purposes.” Our Hospitals, Doctors, and Pharmacies are well equipped with highly sophisticated equipment, with skilled doctors and cheaper medicines. This has made people around the globe visit India for specialized surgeries and cosmetic care. At the end of her speech, She appealed to all the diaspora, especially the women entrepreneurs present that as a member of parliament, she would like to get help from the diaspora in making India the plus one country for all economic aspects. Currently the world is looking at China and the European Unions as leaders but that is not enough and there has to be the China plus one or European Union plus one. That plus one should and must be India and the diaspora can definitely help in making that possible.

Another inspiring and interesting plenary session was the one chaired by Minister of External Affairs, Ms Meenakshi Lekhi, on Leveraging the soft power of India-Goodwill through Craft, Cuisine, and Creativity. Arts, Craft, and Cuisine of India are the highest grossing soft power. Proper branding and promotion is necessary by all NRI’s to build this soft power. Meenakshi Lekhi highlighted the adage, the way to the heart is through the stomach, and said that “ India’s arts and crafts as well as Indian cuisine should and must be branded, marketed and spread in foreign countries to foreigners, giving it the best value for its aesthetic appeal. She also said that the Indian diaspora are the “Rashtra Dhoot” hence the responsibility to spread the arts, buy the crafts, and make the Indian cuisine the soft-power that will generate economic growth and leadership for India. 2023 being the year of the millets, with more than 2500 recipes of millets such as Bajra, Jowhar, we need to market this abroad as it is healthy and nutritious and must be eaten to be disease free. This no doubt will also help the farmers and their family in India to make a living that they rightly deserve.

Another highlight of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Samman Award. The Award is the highest honor given to Individuals, organizations, and businesses for their contributions to India and the adopted country, to create a better understanding of India abroad, support Indian causes, work for welfare of the local Indian Community or for achievements in their respective fields. Till date 269 diaspora individuals, organizations, and businesses combined have been conferred with this Award. Each time around 30 individuals, organizations, or businesses are recognised for their valuable contributions. This year 27 Individuals were recognised for their contributions and achievements. Honorable President of India Mrs. Draupadi Murmu conferred the awardees with the prestigious award. Our very own Australian Dr. Jagdish Chenupati was conferred with this Award for his esteem contributions in the NanoTechnology field. He said, “I am humbled by the honor given to me and inviting me to Indore for this Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Through my work and research in Nanotechnology, I have and

will be continuing to develop technical knowhow and pathways for both the countries, thereby improving the much needed technical systems.”

Honorable Prime Minister of India, graced the occasion and addressed the diaspora present at the convention. Despite the mayhem that occurred because of the popularity of India’s Prime Minister, the convention was well received and enjoyed by all members of the diaspora attending the convention.

Hon. Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan apologized to the NRI’s for the mishap that occurred because of lack of capacity of the hall to hold 4000 members of the Indian diaspora invited and registered for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023. With a heavy heart he said that the convention felt like a marriage procession where his government was giving away the bride and she was now leaving them to lead her life in her own lands. As the father, if there was anything that went wrong in the hospitality of the esteemed guests he apologized for it and begged for forgiveness, he also added that they will always be waiting for the daughter to come back to her homeland.

The convention was no doubt a political strategy to engage the Indian diaspora living abroad who are the significant catalysts in the equation of improving the economic growth of India making it the global leader. Right from the Chief Minister to the External Affairs Minister to the President and Prime Minister of India, the one thing that was constantly highlighted was the gratitude for the immense contributions the Indian diaspora contribute to both the adopted country as well as the country of origin. With the promise of improving the issues pertaining to the Indian Diaspora regarding visas, trade and commerce, Hon. Prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi thanked the Indian Diaspora for branding India Abroad. He also appeals to the Indian Diaspora to participate in the Amrit Kaal to make India the Global Leader not only in science and technology but also in Folk Arts, Crafts, and Cuisine of India.

The article is written by Mrs. Amrita Deshpande, Community New Editor for India News who represented India News as a Media Delegate at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023.

Prof. Jagadish Chenupati of Australia receives the highest Award for NRIs at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Professor Jagadish Chenupati, professor of Physics and Nanotechnology at National University of Australia and President of Australian Academy of Science received the highest honor given to Non-Resident Indians living abroad for his contribution in science and technology to both Australia as well as India.

The award recognises the Individual’s contributions to India and the adopted country, to create a better understanding of India abroad, support Indian causes, work for welfare of

the local Indian Community or for achievements in their respective fields. About 269 Indian diaspora individuals, organizations, and businesses combined have received this Award. Every two years, 30 individuals, organizations, or businesses are recognised for their valuable contributions.

This year 27 Individuals were recognised for their contributions and achievements. Honorable President of India Mrs. Draupadi Murmu gave the awards to all esteemed awardees.

Dr. Jagadish Chenupati, was

humbled by the honor bestowed upon him. He said. “I am humbled and honored to receive this award from the Government of India and I am thankful to both India as well as Australia for this honor...I am receiving this award for my contributions in science and technology in the field of physics and nanotechnology, but also enhancing the linkages between australia and India in the field of science and technology and education” Prof. Jagadish Chenupati has been awarded with the Order of Companion of Australia Award in 2016. He is

currently working on developing Solar systems to enhance the energy efficiency for both India and Australia.

Dr. Jagdish Chenupati born and raised in India, said he studied in front of the light of a kerosene lamp in his village where technology was rare to find. He is grateful to his two teachers, mathematics and physics who made a vast difference in his academic life. Coming a long way to Australia and working in the field of science and technology he has developed systems and trained many students in the

field of nanotechnology creating significant linkages in the field of education. He is also happy to see that both the Australian and Indian government have now realized the potential of the linkages between Australia and India and signed the much needed Trade Agreement between the two countries.

He hopes that the ECTA will definitely help professors like him in the field of education as well as businesses looking for the linkages in India.

Fifteen 5-HP Solar Pumps are installed and irrigating agriculture land of the villagesaving money, time, and reducing CO2 emissions

Surat, 30 October: Bhandut is a small village in Olpad block of Surat district, Gujarat. It has become 100% solar pump powered. The village’s 688 bigha agriculture land is now totally irrigated using fifteen 5-HP pumps facilitated by Adani Foundation. The initiative is perfectly executed to demonstrate a Public-Private-Partnership Model. The gram panchayat and Adani Foundation with the guidance of government’s irrigation department came together to successfully execute the transfer from diesel to

solar-powered pumps, in two years. The Adani Foundation generously aided the solarpumps and installations, the state government’s irrigation related schemes ensured that irrigation pipelineswere installed to take water to farms; and the Gram Panchayat helped in the implementation.

The Solar Pump installations have brought an abundance of benefits in the lives of beneficiary farmers. Adani Foundation is always in the process of creating opportunities for the farming community to help them benefit from the latest knowledge and technology. Through this initiative, the farmers are not only saving precious wealth by not buying diesel but also saving

in the form of labour cost and time. A total of 401 farmers are reaping benefits of the initiative. Looking at the average annual savings on diesel, the farmers will collectively save approximately Rs. 9.13 Lakhs monthly and Rs. 1.10 Crore annually. Similarly, the farmers will be saving Rs. 20 lakhs in labour and many hours of time. In addition to this, 3000 working hours are saved per month and 36000 hours annually. One of the major indirect benefits of the initiative has been the utility of those few farmlands as well which were not productive due to lack of access to irrigation.

The transition from diesel to solar has a positive impact on the environment as well; as per the calculation, the total CO2 emission avoided in the village by eliminating diesel pump is 269916 KG per year.

Shri. Mukesh Patel, Hon. State Minister, Agriculture, Energy and Petrochemicals, Govt. of Gujarat today inaugurated and witness the completion of the last phase of the Clean Energy (Solar Water Pump) initiative at Bhandut village.

Shri Mukeshbhai Patel, Minister of State for Energy, Petrochemicals and Agriculture, Government of Gujarat, said, "Bhandut village becoming diesel pump free has benefited 400

farmers cultivating in 688 Bigha of agricultural land of the village. The land has been irrigated with fifteen 5-hp pumps facilitated by the Adani Foundation. The implementation of the scheme, featuring a Public-PrivatePartnership model, has increased farmers' incomes with cost and time savings."

But to reach this stage was no easy feat. It was challenging for the villagers earlier as the main source of water for irrigation were three ponds and to direct water to their respective farmlands, farmers would use diesel-run motor pumps. The disadvantages to this were plentifulabour-inducing diesel meant that the farmers ended up spending a lot more, the diesel motor contributed to noise and air pollution, it was a hard labour inducing job as well as time consuming.

And then there was another catch - not all farmers were able to afford to buy these pumps and hence they would have to take these pumps for rent from those who owned them, which would further add to the cost.

Soon, they realized that farming, when done on a large scale, is an expensive endeavor that consumes lots of electricity. Hence, if they incorporate solar-powered irrigation into

farming, it will reduce overhead costs comprehensively. That is when they sought help from Adani Foundation, Hazira, which stepped in and installed solar water pumps each of 5HP as an eco-friendly alternate.

The benefits of solar water pumps are many. It makes irrigation possible in remote areas; it is environmentallyfriendly;there is no requirement of fuel; and it needs minimal maintenance.

Today, Bandut has become a glowing example of successful sustainable agriculture ecosystem, and a model village for many villages in India to followits path.

Adani Foundation

Established in 1996, Adani Foundation today has widespread operations in 16 states that include 2,409 villages and towns across the country with a team of professionals who work with an approach that embodies innovation, people participation and collaboration.

Touching the lives of over 3.70 million people and passionately working towards creating social capital with focus on four core areas – Education, Community Health, Sustainable Livelihood Development and Infrastructure Development, Adani Foundation acts towards inclusive growth and sustainable development of the rural and urban communities, in turn contributing towards nationbuilding.

Adani Foundation facilitates Bhandut (Surat District) to become a 100 percent solar-pump powered village

World Hindi Divas celebrated

Indian High Commission organized World Hindi Day celebrations in Brisbane in collaboration with FICQ. Children of different age groups enthusiastically participated in poetry reading, essay competitions. World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is an annual celebration that takes place on January 10th.

Indian fighter jets welcomed in Japan with water cannon salute

includes Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi who is the first IAF woman fighter pilot to participate in an air exercise abroad.

New Delhi, Jan 11: The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent was given a grand welcome as it landed at the Hyakuri Air Base, about 80 km northeast of Tokyo, on Tuesday for the inaugural joint Air Exercise between India and Japan that kicks off on January 12.

A traditional water cannon salute was given to the IAF's frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, four of which are participating, along with two C-17s and one IL-78, in Exercise 'Veer Guardian-2023' to be held till January 26.

The Indian contingent also

Home

Hyakuri Air Base Commander Major General Ishimura Takahisa, who welcomed the IAF contingent along with India's Ambassador to Japan Sibi George, affirmed that both countries will continue to promote defence cooperation in order to maintain and strengthen Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) region.

The Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) will be represented by four Mitsubishi F-2 multirole fighters and four F-15 aircraft in the joint exercise.

The Hyakuri Air Base, located in Omitama City of Ibaraki Prefecture, is the only base in the Tokyo metropolitan area that has a combat air wing.

It was home to the former Navy

Hyakurigahara Air Corps, which was established in 1938. In 2010, Hyakuri Airport was shared and the Ibaraki Airport terminal building was completed.

In 2019, Japan Air Force's 302nd Squadron (F-4) was moved to Misawa Air Base and upgraded to the F-35A. One year later, the reconnaissance squadron was abolished and the 3rd Squadron (F-2) moved from Misawa Air Base to Hyakuri Air Base.

As India and Japan celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Chief of Air Staff Vivek Ram Chaudhari visited the key JASDF base in May last year at the invitation of JASDF chief Shunji Izutsu.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Amaravati, Jan 11: The Telugu flag is flying high, said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in his reaction to blockbuster movie 'RRR' winning Golden Globes award.

On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, he congratulated music director M.M. Keeravani, director S.S. Rajamouli, actors Junior NTR

and Ram Charan and the entire team of 'RRR' on bagging the award for the best original song for 'Naatu Naatu'.

"We are incredibly proud of you," reads a tweet from the chief minister's official Twitter handle.

Union minister for tourism and culture G. Kishan Reddy also congratulated Keeravani, Rajamouli and the entire team of 'RRR'. He called it a tribute to our native music and ethnic beats.

Kishan Reddy conveyed best wishes to the 'RRR' team for more such international accolades.

New Delhi, Jan 10: As the crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath continues, the Union Home Ministry is keeping close tabs on the situation every moment, sources said on Tuesday. Officials of the Border Management Department and the NDMA under the Ministry of

Home Affairs have also reached Joshimath and will review the situation and submit their report to the Central government. The survey work of the buildings is also being done continuously.

According to information, a team of the NDRF and four teams of SDRF have reached Joshimath. People are also being shifted. An officer said that if needed, some areas will also be sealed.

The work of razing the dilapidated buildings, which have been declared unsafe to live in, has also started.

The land subsidence happening

in Joshimath in Uttarakhand has become a matter of concern in the whole country.

So far 678 houses have developed cracks due to land subsidence in the town. Not only this, even the roads have caved in at many places. Water is continuously gushing from under the ground.

On Monday, State Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha said, "The situation at Joshimath, where over 600 houses, several pathways and structures have developed cracks, was triggered by loosening of soil and its low-bearing capacity."

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protected through measures such as food transfers. Bhalla et all, IMF WP 2022 concluded that pandemic support measures by government of India were critical in preventing extreme poverty in India and thereby prevented rise in inequality, with food transfers."

Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) The Covid-19 pandemic is a leveller with the poor being protected through food transfers and other support measures while there was a decline in the income of the rich, said a top economist of State Bank of India (SBI).

In a research report, Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI, citing a study (Gupta et.all, NBER, Dec 2021) said in India innequality declined during the pandemic.

"In fact, the NBER study concludes that there was decline in income of the rich attributable to the high sensitivity of business income to aggregate fluctuations," Ghosh said. "Thus, in hindsight, the pandemic may have been a leveller in terms of inequality with the poor getting

Taking a cue from wealth distribution, Ghosh tested the hypothesis of how the free food grain distribution is impacting the distribution of wealth on population quintiles for the poorest of the poor.According to Ghosh, the rice/wheat procurement in relatively laggard states in terms of in equal wealth distribution had significant impact on reducing the inequality.

"These states were Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The impact of Rice and Wheat Procurement on percentage population for Lowest and Second quantiles of wealth, revealed a sharp decline in the percentage population in such quantiles of the population. "We also find that

several Government transfer payments for the poor are adding Rs 75,000 to a household per annum. Our results clearly substantiate that in the Indian context, it is an incorrect conjecture to assume that inequality has worsened during pandemic. With a progressive growth in output across states as proxied by GSDP, it is clear that the fruits of such a growth have clearly reverberated and dovetailed into an inclusive growth. India has thus done quite well during pandemic in terms of navigating income shocks across deciles of population," Ghosh

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Procurement and free distribution of rice/wheat reduced wealth inequality during Covid in India’

Ministry monitoring situation in Joshimath

Telugu flag is flying high: Andhra CM on ‘RRR’ Golden Globes win

Affordable

NIA arrests two IS operatives in K’taka

The accused were identified as Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed K.A. both are residents of Karnataka.

New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested two IS operatives in a case relating to a conspiracy hatched by the accused persons to further terror activities of Islamic State in India.

Jaipur, Jan 11 (IANS) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday reiterated that the power of Parliament to amend the constitution and deal with legislation is not subject to any other authority and all constitutional institutions -the judiciary, the executive and the legislature -- are required to confine to their respective domains and conform to the highest standard of propriety and decorum.

He was addressing the 83rd All India Presiding Officers' Conference at Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday here.

"Power of the Parliament to amend the constitution and deal with legislation is not subject to any other authority. This is life line of democracy," he said "Democracy sustains and

The case was initially registered at the Shivamogga Rural Police Station in Karnataka's Shivamogga district and later the probe was taken over by the NIA on November 4, 2022.

"Investigations revealed that accused Maaz Muneer had radicalised and recruited Mazin Abdul Rahman while

blossoms when the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive act in tandem and togetherness to fructify constitutional goals and realise aspirations of the people. The Judiciary cannot legislate as much as the Legislature cannot script a judicial verdict," the Vice President added.

"In this capacity we are not stakeholders in politics. The primary concern is optimisation of the contribution of the elected representatives in Parliament and Legislature for welfare of the people.

"People in the executive, legislature and holding senior political positions must take care that high constitutional offices are kept away from their political stance."

While praising the country, he said that India is a favoured

accused Syed Yasin radicalized and recruited Nadeem K.A. for furthering the terror activities of the Islamic State in India.

"The accused persons recced and attempted/committed acts of sabotage/arson as part of the larger conspiracy, to further the activities of Islamic State. Four other accused persons were arrested earlier in the case," the official said.

Further investigations in the matter are on.

destination for investment, innovation and opportunity in the post- pandemic world and the country has shown resilience and Aatmanirbharta in the wake of Covid. The world is surprised that we provided 230 crore vaccine doses largely free.

He said, "Bharat is on the rise as never before. The world has acclaimed our Covid handling. Some of the recent milestones make us hold our heads high."

Washington, Jan 11 (IANS) NASA mission has discovered a second Earth-sized, rocky planet within the habitable zone of its star -- the range of distances where liquid water could occur on a planet's surface.

Using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the astronomers found "TOI 700 e" which is one of only a few systems with multiple, small, habitable-zone planets that we know of. Astronomers previously discovered three planets in this system, called TOI 700 b, c, and d. Planet d also orbits in the habitable zone, but the scientists needed an additional year of TESS observations to discover TOI 700e.

"That makes the TOI 700 system an exciting prospect for additional follow up. Planet e is about 10 per cent smaller than planet d, so the system also shows how additional TESS observations help us find

smaller and smaller worlds," said Emily Gilbert, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California who led the work.

TOI 700 is a small, cool M dwarf star located around 100 lightyears away in the southern constellation Dorado.

In 2020, Gilbert and others announced the discovery of the Earth-size, habitable-zone planet d, which is on a 37-day orbit, along with two other worlds.

The innermost planet, TOI 700 b, is about 90 per cent Earth's size and orbits the star every 10 days.

TOI 700 c is over 2.5 times bigger than Earth and completes an orbit every 16 days.

"The planets are probably tidally locked, which means they spin only once per orbit such that one side always faces the star, just as one side of the Moon is always turned toward Earth," the US space agency said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Rourkela, Jan 10 (IANS) All set to play his fourth World Cup for India, experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh emphasised that it's the results that matter more than the number of times a player turns up for a marquee event like the World Cup.

While he admits it's a huge honour to turn up for his fourth World Cup, Sreejesh knows very well that this is a great opportunity to change India's fortunes at the ultimate tournament for hockey, in which India awaits to finish on the podium since 1975 triumph when the illustrious Ajit Pal Singh-led team won the tournament beating Pakistan in the Final.

"It is a great honour for me to play my fourth World Cup for our country and the special part is, this is my third World Cup on home soil. I don't think any player has had this privilege of playing three World Cups at home," expressed Sreejesh who was instrumental in India's Bronze Medal feat at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

While this achievement in itself puts Sreejesh among the world's greatest players, he was quick to add that results are what make one great. "Most of the time, I have always felt it's not about how many times you have played a tournament but whether you have won it or not is what matters the most for me. This time too, it's important for me to give my 100

per cent and get the desired result from the tournament," he added.

Sreejesh also got nostalgic about his first outing at the World Cup when his former Coach asked him to pad up to guard India's post against nemesis Pakistan. This was during the FIH Men's World Cup in New Delhi back in 2010.

"My first match in the World Cup was against Pakistan. I still remember, during the team meeting, our coach said that Pakistan will come fully prepared for goalkeeper Adrian (D'Souza) so he decided to put me in the match against them. When he asked me to pad up, the feeling of getting a chance was simply incredible," recalls Sreejesh feeling nostalgic.

"To play my first World Cup match in front of a packed home ground against Pakistan felt like a dream. I can still feel the atmosphere, how the stadium was, how people reacted and how we won that match. That was the best moment for me as a youngster." added the ace who will be India's cynosure in defence at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.

He also recalled India's outing in the following World Cup events.

"Every World Cup is special for a player but I distinctly remember the 2014 World Cup in Hague. We finished 9th unfortunately but we fought really well in that tournament. Personally, for me, I thought that was a great performance.”

Judiciary, executive required to confine to their domains: Dhankhar

Huge honour to play my 4th World Cup for India - goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

NASA mission spots 2nd Earth-size world within ‘habitable zone’

Holding space as a lesbian trans woman in STEM

sets, AIML, and allied areas at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and a senior member of the International Rough Set Society.

access.

"There were no discussions about mental health, gender, LGBTQI+ issues, or sexuality in schools.

Dr A Mani describes her career as atypical and rightly so. From creating her own world with science and mathematics while reading Pavlovian texts in high school to choosing not to be part of mainstream academia, she has asserted her place in a world that still upholds exclusion of nonconformists.

Growing up in Kolkata, Mani was a curious, imaginative child wanting to understand all the hows and whys of the world through science. "I learned mostly from books and science magazines, and remember doing experiments with chemicals, performing electrolysis, and even making insecticides," she said.

Today, Dr Mani is a research scientist in algebra, logic, rough

However, her journey in academia was accentuated by gender barriers, lack of mental health support, and exclusionary policies.

Life in a gender binary society Mani was assigned male at birth who knew she was a girl at the age of six. But her conservative family and 'gender-is-binary' school left her little choice regarding gender expression.

"I understood femininity and had a vague idea about sexuality by the age of 10 by reading women's magazines. But the available resources were not well-written or aimed at making you aware," she said. Resources about gender expression remained inaccessible to most, a way to control the narrative by controlling the

They were considered taboo. So, students and teachers held on to various subsets of views and misconceptions and were not sensitised," Mani recalled.

She didn't feel safe to express her gender until class 12 when she opened up to her parents. While their negative reactions made it clear that acceptance was not an option, they perpetuated a toxic environment by doing pujas and turning to witchcraft to find a 'solution'.

"My parents are narcissists and were never supportive, and caused many hindrances at various times. They were dismissive of my identity and extremely superstitious, indulging in wild rituals among other things," Mani said.

Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) Rebekah Sood, who appeared along with her sister Ariella Blank, on the business reality show 'Shark Tank India 2' and pitched for their kombucha drinks startup, talks about her journey so far.

She said being the daughter of a mechanical engineering professor, she always gave importance to education and considered it to be the "ultimate benchmark", but her view changed after she became an entrepreneur.

in grit, experience and gumption and I have learned so much more from them and my time as entrepreneur than I did in school. While degrees are printed and handed out to those who can afford and earn them, the gyaan we get from #zindagikischool is something that no one gives us and no one can take away from us."

On the show, initially, they started speaking in English, but later when Anupam Mittal insisted on it, they replied in Hindi and impressed the sharks.

Rebekah and Ariella discussed their business pitch, which involves rectifying health issues with their pan-India brand.

Anupam said: "You actually spoke in Hindi, I had just joked because after seeing you I didn't think that you would be able to speak."

New York, Jan 6 (IANS) Public schools in New York City have restricted access to ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)powered chatbot developed by Microsoft's OpenAI, that has become quite a rage for giving human-like text answers to questions.

New York City students and teachers can no longer access ChatGPT on education department devices or internet networks, agency officials confirmed, reports Chalkbeat.

The education department blocked access to ChatGPT, citing "negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content".

"While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success," a New York City Department of Education spokesperson was quoted as saying. An OpenAI spokesperson said the company is developing "mitigations" to help anyone spot text generated by ChatGPT. "We made ChatGPT available as a research preview to learn from real-world use, which we believe is a critical part of developing and deploying capable, safe

AI systems. We are constantly incorporating feedback and lessons learned," said the spokesperson.

The chatbot has sparked fears among some schools and educators that their writing assignments could soon become "obsolete" -- and that the programme could encourage "cheating and plagiarism".

One high school English teacher argued in The Atlantic that the chatbot spells the "end of high school English". OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, is reportedly trying to raise capital at a valuation of almost $30 billion.

Microsoft acquired OpenAI for $1 billion and is now pushing ChatGPT applications for solving real-life problems.

In a recent post on her Instagram handle, she shared a reel from the show and wrote in the caption: "When I was young, as the daughter of a professor, I viewed education as the ultimate benchmark. However, these last few years as an entrepreneur have challenged that mindset. At Atmosphere we have a lot of women on our team who didn't have a chance to finish school or pursue education. Not because they were unintelligent but because zindagi didn't give them that option.

"What these women lack in degrees, they make up for 100%

Sharing her story on the show, Rebekah said: "My family came to India in 1992 from America. My father is a mechanical engineering professor and was working at IIT Kanpur. We loved India and Indians and we settled here. Both our parents are American."

The sharks said that the price of the drink -- Rs 220 -- was rather high. Later, Aman, Peyush and Namita decided not to invest in the product.

Anupam said before they left the show: "I wish you all the best and let me tell you, you are more Indian than Indians."

Hyderabad, Jan 8 (IANS) Madrasai-Aliya, the alma mater of the nobility of Hyderabad and which later churned out cricketers like Ghulam Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, Abbas Ali Baig, Mohammed Azharuddin and former Indian football captain Shabbir Ali, has completed 150 years.

Azharuddin, Shabbir Ali and other eminent alumni of the institution gathered for a reunion. Nearly 250 alumni of Madrasa-I-Aliya, now known as Aliya Government School, came for an evening

of nostalgia. Established in 1872 by the Sixth Nizam Nawab Mir Mehboob Ali Khan, the institution's sesquicentennial celebrations took place at the 138-year old Nizam Club, another historic institution of the Nizam era. The reunion event was organized by a group of Aliyans whose efforts brought together students from the 1949 batch to the 1980s. Many Aliyans were posthumously remembered on the occasion.The alumni revisited the remarkable history and

legacy of the institution in a short documentary produced by Media Plus Foundation. Zahid Ali Khan, Chief Editor of Urdu daily 'Siasat' and an alumni of Aliya released the souvenir in the presence of senior alumni including noted businessman and Nizam Club President Abdul Munim, and Sultan ul Uloom Education Society Secretary Zafar Javeed. Madrasa-i-Aliya was established in 1872 for the noble and the aristocratic families. Its eminent alumni includes Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, his grandsons Prince Mukarram Jag Bahadur, Prince Muffakham Jah Bahadur, former Prime Minister of Hyderabad State Maharaja Kishen Pershad, Nawab Ali Yavar Jung Bahadur and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif.

Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Jan 8: It is said that any goal can be achieved if it is pursued with endurance and perseverance.

In an era where every parent wants their child to work for white-collar jobs, a progressive farmer of Sakra block in Bihar's Muzaffarpur dared to dream off the beaten track.

He wanted his son to become a successful farmer and his expectations have been fulfilled.

Sonu Nigam Kumar, a 21-year-old youth of Machhia village, tried his hands at farming to fulfill his father's dreams, and was selected for the Rashtriya Udyan Ratna award within four years of his endeavour.

Kumar will receive his award in Jalgaon, Maharashtra on May 28, and has already got the letter issued by the government, regarding the same through mail.

Kumar told IANS that his father, Dinesh Kumar had received several awards, including the President's Award for his

remarkable contribution in the field of agriculture, died in an accident in August, 2019. He wanted his son to make the villagers aware about farming after pursuing his education. The young man started working to achieve his father's dream after his death. He cultivates different types of vegetables, but rose to fame for hiscultivation of seedless lemons and pointed gourd (parwal).

Kumar said that he brought a Parwal plant from the Indian Vegetable Research Centre, Varanasi and a lemon plant from Jalgaon, Maharashtra about four years ago. At present, he cultivates parwal in five acres and has 60 lemon trees.

NYC public schools restrict access to ChatGPT that gives human-like answers

Hyderabad’s Madrasa-i-Aliya, alma mater of cricketing greats, turns 150

American IIT prof’s daughters and kombucha makers on ‘Shark Tank India 2’

Seedless lemons did it: 21-year-old from Muzaffarpur gets Rashtriya Udyan Ratna

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).

MAKE IN INDIA Invest India @G20

The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. India will hold the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023. The theme of India’s G20 Presidency –“VasudhaivaKutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

Why Invest in India?

throughout their business journey

Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra, through its mission of handholding domestic investors, will propel the country towards realizing Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi’s vision of building a selfreliant New India

Promenade 68: India Lounge

The World Economic Forum Annual meeting has long brought together the world’s top politicians, business, academic, youth and civil society leaders to engage in addressing the most pressing issues on the global, regional and industry agendas.

In celebration of India’s ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, 75 years of Independence and the assumption of our G20 Presidency, DPIIT has strengthened India’s presence at this year’s WEF in Davos for all global investors looking to make a home in India, one of the world’s most liberal investment destinations. The objective is to showcase a consolidated India presence with the Centre & States while projecting India as a strong, resilient economy, acting as a problem solver at the global stage. Robust structural reforms have strengthened India’s macro-economic stability and made the country an attractive global investment destination. The Government of India has undertaken multiple policy interventions over the last few years to fast-track grounding of foreign investments across sectors. As a result of these efforts, India witnessed the highest ever inflow of Foreign Direct Investment worth $83.57 Bn during 2021-2022. This FDI came into 57 sectors, from 101 countries and across 30 states and UTs.

estimates point towards a $5 Tn economy by 2025.

Despite global headwinds, India’s aggregate demand conditions have remained stable buoyed by simplified access to bank credit as well as continued consumer and business confidence lending credence to India’s economic resilience.

A high-level delegation from the Indian side coupled with senior State Government representation will be present at WEF 2023 to strengthen India's position as an important stakeholder shaping the global narrative.

This year also marks 36 years of the Forum’s collaboration with India. The WEF Annual Meeting, with the theme of “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, would provide a platform for leaders from across the strata to address the state of the world and discuss priorities for the year ahead while engaging in constructive, forward-looking dialogues and help find solutions through public-private cooperation.

One of the world's fastestgrowing economies

• India attracted the highest ever FDI inflow of $83.57 bn during financial year 2021-22

Source: Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Govt. of India

• Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi announced a special economic and comprehensive package of more than $270 bn - equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP, under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India).

Source: Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Finance

• India’s economy is projected to grow at 6.7% in 2022, the fastest in the world during the year

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD) Trade and Development Report 2021

• India’s real GDP is projected to grow at 9% in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 and at 7.1% in 2023-24. This projects India as the fastest growing major economy in the world in all these three years.

• Source: Ministry of Finance

Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra, a dedicated digital investment promotion and facilitation cell, has been constituted at Invest India to aid domestic investors and help the local businesses become global brands. The cell aims to

• Connect domestic investors with sector experts

• Provide robust information regarding the doing business ecosystem

• Support MSMEs & investors

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan or Self-reliant India campaign is the vision of new India envisaged by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. On 12 May 2020, our PM raised a clarion call to the nation giving a kick start to the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan (Self-reliant India campaign) and announced the Special economic and comprehensive package of INR 20 lakh crores - equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP – to fight COVID-19 pandemic in India.

The aim is to make the country and its citizens independent and self-reliant in all senses. He further outlined five pillars of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat – Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand.

Finance Minister further announces Government Reforms and Enablers across Seven Sectors under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

The government took several bold reforms such as Supply Chain Reforms for Agriculture, Rational Tax Systems, Simple & Clear Laws, Capable Human Resource and Strong Financial System.

Real GDP Growth across FY21-22 was an unprecedented 8.7% and absolute GDP value in FY2122 reached $3.1 Tn and recent

Over the course of 5 days, Invest India has organized several roundtables, panel discussions and fireside chats to deliberate on policy action and investment support in renewable energy, sustainability, infrastructure, healthcare and medical devices, startups, trade and logistics, technology, institutional investments, and so on. The agenda for the same is listed below.

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The India TV market grew exponentially in the festive season last year and 'Make in India' TV shipments grew 33 per cent (on-quarter) in the July-September period to reach 5 million units, a report showed on Tuesday.

Dixon led the 'Make in India' TV shipments, followed by Radiant. In the electronic wearables category, the true wireless stereo (TWS) segment led in terms of local manufacturing with almost 37 per cent of its shipments being manufactured in the country, according to Counterpoint Research.

Bharat FIH led the 'Make in India' TWS shipments, followed by Padget, while Optiemus led the locally manufactured smartwatch

shipments.

"The top five manufacturers contributed to more than 55 per cent of the locally manufactured TV shipments in Q3 2022. Local manufacturing continues to stay robust for segments like smartwatches, TWS, tablets and neckbands too," said senior research analyst Prachir Singh.

Bharat FIH, Padget, Avishkaran and Optiemus were the top four brands and cumulatively contributed to almost 90 per cent of the locally manufactured TWS shipments.

More and more efforts are being made to make the country a significant player in the global value chain.

‘Make in India’ TV shipments grow 33% to reach 5 mn units

‘Resistance of Aboriginals’ a hit at Kochi Biennale

"Can it be blamed if, to express their strong displeasure, the aboriginals open an embassy in their own land? The embassy has been taken up as a symbol reflecting the pitiful condition of aboriginals at an international level," Bell pointed out.

Kochi, Jan 4 (IANS) 'Embassy', an installation set up by noted Australian artist Richard Bell as a symbol of the resistance of the aboriginals, is making waves at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international exhibition of contemporary art being held here.

The 'Embassy' has been created by putting up a tent outdoors at the Biennale venue in Fort Kochi.

The installation reflects a theme that brings to light the discrimination and exploitation faced by Australia's aboriginal population even after the colonial period, and calls for the defence of the aboriginal perople all over the world.

A descendant of the aboriginal tribe, 70-year-old Richard Bell decries the owner-slave mentality still existing deeprooted in certain human minds, as something that should be most despised.

The tent, 'Aboriginal Embassy', has been envisioned as a place for holding exhibitions, video presentations, and discussions to ensure the survival and welfare of aboriginals and to support institutions fighting on their behalf.

The exterior of the tent exhibits posters depicting the sharp outcry against discrimination and exploitation.

One of them reads: "Why is democracy being celebrated when life as an aboriginal is forbidden?"

Bell, reputed as the topmost contemporary artist in Australia, is also a well-known activist.

'Embassy' has been exhibited at prominent contemporary art expos worldwide. Big canvas paintings made by Richard Bell in response to racism and land conflicts involving aboriginals can also be seen at the venue.

Canberra, Jan 3 (IANS) Australia's housing markets finished the 2022 calendar year on a weaker note, as a national home value index showed a 1.1 per cent fall in December, taking the annual drop to 5.3 per cent -- the largest since 2008.

In a report, the multinational property information provider CoreLogic revealed that the 5.3per cent drop through 2022 marks the largest calendar year decline since 2008, when values were down 6.4 per cent amid the global financial crisis and successive interest rate rises, reports Xinhua news agency.

Annual value falls were the most significant in Sydney, which slid 12.1 per cent, followed by a 8.1 per cent drop in Melbourne.

Hobart, the Australian Capital Territory, and Brisbane also recorded an annual decrease.

Meanwhile, three capital cities -- Adelaide, Darwin and Perth -- saw values rise over the year, marking 10.1 per cent, 4.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively.

According to the report, despite the downturn across many areas of the country, housing values generally remain 11.7 per cent above where they were at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tim Lawless, CoreLogic's research director, pointed out that 2022 has been a year of contrasts, with housing values mostly rising through the first four months of the year, but falling sharply as the

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) commenced the fastest ratetightening cycle on record.

"Our daily index series saw national home values peak on May 7, shortly after the cash rate moved off emergency lows. Since then, CoreLogic's national index has fallen 8.2 per cent, following a dramatic 28.9 per cent rise in values through the upswing," he added.

After lowering the cash rate target to 0.1 per cent in a bid to boost economic recovery, Australia's central bank has launched a spate of consecutive rate hikes since May last year, pushing the rate to a decade-high of 3.1 per cent.

Australia's Consumer Price Index is currently running at 7.3 per cent, with the RBA expecting further rate increases to return inflation back to the 2-3 per cent range.

Covid reduces Australian life expectancy: Report

129,000 total deaths in Australia between January and August -- 17 per cent more than the historical average.

In the first week of August alone there were 4,200 deaths -- 20 per cent higher than the historical weekly average.

intake, the 2061 figure could be brought down to 19.9 per cent.

"Because migrants arriving in Australia are relatively young, overseas migration has helped slow Australia's population aging amid declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancies," it said.

Australia's population is expected to grow from 25.7 million people in 2021 to 39.2 million within two decades.

Canberra, Jan 2: Australia's fertility rate has rebounded from an all-time low to pre-Covid levels.

According to the government's annual population statement, which will be released in full on Friday, the national fertility rate in the financial year 2020-21 was 1.66 babies per woman, reports Xinhua news agency.

It marks a similar rate to 2018-19 after it fell to an all-time low of 1.58 births per woman in the early stages of the pandemic and 1.61 for 2019-20 as a whole.

The report noted that Australians adapted to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and caught up on delayed childbearing plans.

The median age of the population is projected to rise from 38.2 to 42.8 by 2060, prompting a warning from Treasurer Jim Chalmers over the challenges of an aging population.

"We really welcome the rebound in the fertility rate since the worst of Covid-19," he said on Monday.

"It is a good thing to see that fertility rate edge upwards but we are still aging as a population and as a society, and so we need to make sure that we've got the workforce to support our society as it changes, as it evolves, and as it ages."

Chalmers said the measures included making early childhood education cheaper to make it easier for parents to work if they want to, and investing substantially in skills and training to get that workforce of the future needed.

The Centre for Population report said that almost 80 per cent of Australia's Covid-19 deaths occurred in the first eight months of 2022, when the restrictions were lifted in the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

There were approximately

As a result, the life expectancy for Australians fell by 0.4 years in 2021-22 and is not expected to recover until 2023-24.

By 2033, life expectancy is forecast to reach 87 years for women and 83.5 for men.

The portion of the population aged over 65 will grow from 16.8 per cent in 2020-21 to 23.1 per cent by 2061.

However, the report noted that by doubling Australia's migrant

Liz Allen, a demographer from Australian National University (ANU), said the country was facing years of slow population growth and the report showed the impact of Covid-19.

"In the not too distant future, deaths are predicted to increase and births will decrease, which will see us more reliant on migration as an economic requirement, to ensure our workforce is sufficient," she said.

Canberra, Jan 9 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday announced federal support for victims of severe flooding in Western Australia (WA) state.

Earlier in the day, Albanese toured communities affected by unprecedented flooding in the state's remote Kimberley region with WA Premier Mark McGowan,reports Xinhua news agency.

Since December 30, 2022, parts of the region have received up to 500 mm of rain as former tropical cyclone Ellie made landfall, causing the Fitzroy River to break its banks.

Hundreds of residents have been airlifted out of affected communities after roads were inundated, leaving farms to rely on airdrops to keep livestock alive.

Albanese announced joint federal

and state disaster recovery funding for four WA shires and one in the Northern Territory (NT).

Affected residents will be eligible for grants to repair their homes and replace damaged goods. The Prime Minister said the biggest challenge would be repairing heavily damaged infrastructure. "Quite clearly there's going to be massive infrastructure investment

Australian police arrest, charge 4 in illegal drug trafficking case

Canberra, Jan 12 (IANS) Australian police arrested and charged four men as part of ongoing investigations into the largest detection of methamphetamine at the Australian border.

The police of the state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Thursday that strike force detectives executed four search

warrants at homes in western parts of the Greater Sydney on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The police seized approximately 1.5 kg of methamphetamine, about A$100,000 ($69,169) cash, 100 kg of illicit tobacco, electronic devices and documentation. This is part of an ongoing

investigation, in which more than 2,000 kg of "ice" that has an estimated potential street value of more than A$1 billion has been detected and seized, and seven men were arrested.

The NSW police said three of the four men were refused bail to appear at court, and they are facing charges including

attempted possession of a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs and participating in criminal activities.

A 35-year-old man was charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and was granted conditional bail to appear at local court next month.

Australia’s fertility rate bounces back, challenged with aging population

Australia’s housing prices mark largest annual decline of 5.3% since 2008

Aus PM announces support for victims of record flooding

Canberra, Jan 6 (IANS) The Covid-19 pandemic drove a fall in Australia's life expectancy and a historic spike in death rates, a government report revealed on Friday.

Australian businesses call to boost migrant intake

Canberra, Jan 9: Australian businesses have called on the federal government to increase the permanent migration cap.

In its submission to the government's review of the immigration system recently, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) called for a post-pandemic migration "reset", reports Xinhua news agency

It urged the government to increase the annual migrant intake for the next two financial years to 220,000, with 70 per cent of places reserved for skilled workers.

In 2022, the new government announced it would increase the cap from 160,000 to 195,000 places in a bid to address workforce shortages, particularly in the technology and healthcare sectors.

Arguing for an even bigger increase, the BCA said more migrants would be a significant economic and social boon to fill skills' gaps and offset Australia's aging population.

"Australia should aim for a reset on migration that not only attracts migrants back to our shores and tackles workforce

shortages, but also helps set the country up as a high productivity, high-skill and high-wage frontier economy," according to the submission.

"To give certainty for long-term planning, the government should consider setting Australia's permanent migration intake at a percentage of the total population over the long term."

Additionally, the peak body said employers should be allowed to bring in any skilled worker from overseas for jobs with a salary above the national average.

Australia’s population smaller, older after Covid-19

Canberra, Jan 4 (IANS) Australia's population is smaller and older than previously projected as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the data released on Wednesday from the government's annual population report, the Australian population grew by just 0.1 per cent, or 33,000 people, in the first full financial year of Covid-19, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Centre for Population now projects the population will grow to 26.3 million by the end of financial year 2022-23, down 600,000 from pre-pandemic

expectations.

Australia's population is now on track to hit 29.9 million in 203233, two years later than previously projected, while the median age of Australians will be 40.1 years.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said news that the population would be smaller and older was concerning.

"As the economy recovers from the worst of the pandemic, crippling skills and labor shortages are holding our businesses and our economy back," he was quoted as saying by

the Australian Associated Press on Wednesday.

As a result, Australia will likely become more reliant on migrants to fill work shortages.

In 2022 the newly-elected government agreed to increase the annual migrant intake from 160,000 to 195,000 and is now undertaking a review of the immigration system.

Chalmers said well-managed immigration policy is key to Australia's future economic development but is not a substitute for training local workers.

Aussie police seize $1mn cash, cocaine, meth

Sydney, Jan 9: Police in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has charged four men after seizing more than 5 kg of cocaine and methylamphetamine, and cash worth $1.03 million in Sydney.

In a statement released on Monday, the NSW Police said that the officers stopped a sedan at Strathfield, a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, at about 3.40 p.m. (local time) on Sunday and spoke

with the two male occupants, aged 23 and 28, reports Xinhua news agency. During a search of the sedan, officers detected about 2.3 kg of cocaine and A$24,000 in cash. A subsequent search of a hatchback parked nearby located a further 550 g of cocaine and 140 g of MDMA. Following that, investigators executed two search warrants at related properties, where they located and seized a further A$1.5 million cash, 2 kg of methylamphetamine, 2

liters of methylamphetamine oil, almost 700 g of cocaine as well as cannabis and steroids.

Three vehicles, two hydraulic press machines, two ballistic vests, a firearm and ammunition, multiple driver's licenses and other items consistent with the manufacture of illicit drugs were also found on site. Two more men, aged 18 and 35, were arrested at one of the properties and taken to the police station.

Australia’s oldest Test cricketer Norma Johnston dies aged 95

more female participation in her region. Norma returned to Bathurst upon her retirement in 1951 where she became an integral part of her local sporting community.

Sydney, Jan 9 (IANS) Norma Johnston (nee Whiteman), Australia's oldest living Test cricketer, has died aged 95. Norma, a fast bowler in her playing days, played seven Tests from 1948-51 apart from playing for New South Wales in domestic cricket.

A middle-order batter and medium pace bowler, Norma scored 151 Test runs at 25.16 and took 22 wickets at 17.26 and is remembered as a valuable and highly popular member of the post-war Australian Women's team.

"Everyone across Australian Cricket will be saddened to hear of Norma's passing. As a pioneer, Norma not only made a wonderful contribution as a player but helped set the platform for the many thousands of women and girls now playing the game."

"On behalf of everyone in Australian Cricket I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Norma's family and friends at this sad time," said Nick Hockley, CA Chief Executive, in an official statement.

Her outstanding potential was first recognised in the annual NSW Country Week tournament and her selection for NSW and then Australia helped inspire

The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) called Norma as a dear and much-loved member of the association and a trailblazer who helped lay the path for all of the women playing the game today while adding that only last year, the sightscreen at the Bathurst Sportsground was named in her honour.

"Norma was regarded as a players' player, a sound middle-order bat, and a second- or thirdchange bowling option. Off the field, she was remembered by her teammates as a beautiful personality who was always fun to be around."

"Her inspiration and influence extended across generations - including Ellyse Perry, who Norma fondly recalled meeting when the Australian star was just 15 years old."

Australia Men's Test skipper Pat Cummins also paid tribute to Norma through Twitter. "This morning I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Norma Johnston. Norma was a pioneer of the women's game and until her death was Australia's oldest Test cricketer."

"She was passionate about cricket, about her home town of Bathurst and the many women who would follow in her footsteps representing their state and country. Her contribution to Australian cricket and the friendships she made with so many within the game will live on forever. My thoughts are with her family and many friends."

Australia Day plans underway across Queensland

The Queensland Government is partnering with local councils to deliver a range of Australia Day activities, including the famous Great Australian Bites events celebrating homegrown produce.

Acting Premier Steven Miles encouraged Queenslanders to reflect, respect and come together this Australia Day.

“Australia Day is an opportunity to recognise our past and our shared history, to acknowledge this land and its traditional owners and to take pride in our multiculturalism,” he said.

“Queenslanders have the opportunity to get together with family and friends and visit the Great Australian Bites events which will be delivered in partnership with regional councils in Bargara, Hughenden, Ipswich, Rockhampton, St George, Roma, and Winton.

“These lively, multicultural food and music festivals showcase homegrown talent and support

local cafes, restaurants and food outlets, so that Queenslanders can enjoy quality produce and entertainment within their communities.”

Brisbane will also host a Great Australian Bites event on 26 January at Southbank, through the National Australia Day Council’s Capital City funding program.

The family-friendly afternoon will feature live stage entertainment, kids activities and a range of food vendors.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minster, The Honourable Patrick Gorman said the Australian Government was delighted to support the new Brisbane event.

“The Australian Government is proud to support the delivery of the Australia Day 2023 capital city events program,” Mr Gorman said.

“We are committed to bringing our nation and people together. This is one step on our journey towards reconciliation and

working in genuine partnership with First Nations people.

“Every Australia Day, we reflect on 65,000 years of history on this land. The nation we are committed to continue building is one centred on respect, inclusiveness, multiculturalism and diversity.

“This is an opportunity for all Australians to come together, and be a part of this particularly important Australia Day in returning our arts, music and culture back to the heart of our wonderful cities.”

Acting Premier Steven Miles said Queensland would also participate in the Australia Day Ambassador Program, in partnership with the National Australia Day Council and local government across the State.

“Our ambassadors volunteer their time and energy to participate in a diverse range of activities, including the presentation of Australia Day awards, judging

competitions and engaging with Queenslanders,” the Acting Premier said.

“Ambassadors are inspirational guests at Australia Day events and include past recipients of the Australian of the Year Awards, athletes, medical professionals, business leaders and community leaders.”

Australia Day 2023 ambassadors will include musician Chris Tamwoy, the co-founder of Doctors with Disabilities Australia Dr Dinesh Palipana, child safety advocates Bruce and Denise Morcombe and Paralympian Lakeisha Patterson.

North Queensland will once again host the annual Flag Raising Ceremony which has been held at Townsville’s Jezzine Barracks since 2015.

Councils participating in the Australia Day Ambassador Program include:

Balonne Shire Council, Burdekin Shire Council, Cassowary Coast

Regional Council, Central Highlands Regional Council, Charters Towers Regional Council, Cloncurry Shire Council, Cook Shire Council, Etheridge Shire Council, Flinders Shire Council, Goondiwindi Regional Council, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Isaac Regional Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Logan City Council, Longreach Regional Council, Maranoa Regional Council, Mckinlay Shire Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council, Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, Paroo Shire Council, Redland City Council, Rockhampton Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, South Burnett Regional Council, Southern Downs Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Toowoomba Regional Council, Torres Shire Council, Western Downs Regional Council and Winton Shire Council

Boosted summer police patrols nets 1,300

Brisbane, 13 January: Queensland

Police have arrested more than 1,300 people, including 500 youth offenders as part of a major high visibility summer blitz in key locations across the state.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said officers attached to Operation Uniform Theta had laid more than 2,700 charges and conducted more than 3,200 hotspot patrols in the first four weeks of the operation.

“Police have been on the front foot conducting high visibility patrols in known hot spots and engaging with young people over the holiday period,” Minister Ryan said.

“The operation has seen thousands of extra officer hours dedicated to preventing and disrupting anti-social and criminal behaviour on our streets.

“We know that a high police presence in public spaces and suburban areas has a strong deterrence effect and sends a clear message to would-be offenders.”

Since the operation commenced on December 19, 742 adults have been arrested on 1,329 offences while 574 juveniles have been arrested on 1,408 offences.

An additional 2,200 police shifts have been allocated on top of normal policing services for the duration of the operation.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler said Operation Uniform Theta was having a significant impact on key policing districts.

“Traditionally, we do see an increase in property crime and anti-social behaviour over the summer holiday period,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Wheeler

said.

“Through this operation, officers are employing a number of strategies to proactively prevent and disrupt criminal activities including walking through shopping precincts, engaging with business operators and patrolling residential areas.

“While we have seen a high number of arrests, particularly with young offenders, our officers are stopping and engaging with hundreds more people and conducting bail checks to ensure there is compliance.”

Minister Ryan said the temporary high visibility patrols being undertaken in select locations would be expanded beyond the operation as part of tough new measures to crackdown on youth crime.

“The Premier announced tough new actions to further strengthen Queensland’s response to youth crime including extreme high visibility police patrols,” Minister Ryan said.

“Operation Theta is an example of how we can boost police visibility in areas where it is needed most.”

Cairns MP Michael Healy said the police crackdown was welcomed by the Cairns community.

“The Cairns community has made it very clear to me that crime and law and order is a big issue in our city,’’ he said.

“That’s why proactive policing operations like this are so important, and clearly a very effective way to reduce criminal behaviour.”

Barron River MP Craig Crawford said high visibility police patrols were important.

“Community safety is our number one priority and along with the tough new measures announced

by the Premier we are committed to combating the cycle of crime on our streets,’’ he said.

Member for Mundingburra Les Walker said the Queensland Police Service continued to support the Townsville community.

“Our police do a fantastic job keeping our community safe and as a government we will always continue to support them,” Mr Walker said.

Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said high-visibility operations like this were important.

“Community safety is our number one priority and the tough new action the Premier announced to combat youth crime builds upon the work the police continue to do,” Mr Harper said.

Member for Townsville Scott Stewart said the Palaszczuk Government and Queensland Police Service were committed to tackling youth offending and breaking the cycle of crime.

“Our tough new measures include extreme high visibility patrols because we know proactive police actions like Operation Theta make a difference,” Mr Stewart said.

Operation Uniform Theta Statistics

Overall

• 742 adults arrested on 1,329 offences

• 574 juveniles arrested on 1,408 offences

• 3,211 crime hotspot patrols

• 964 business walk-throughs

• 1,357 service station drop-ins

• 2,610 bail compliance checks

• 122 referrals to support agencies

Townsville 108 adults arrested on 271

offences

• 81 juveniles arrested on 230 offences

• 257 crime hotspot patrols

• 950 bail compliance checks

Far North

• 71 adults arrested on 88 offences

• 19 juveniles arrested on 54 offences

• 701 crime hotspot patrols

• 82 bail compliance checks

Be a Voice for Generations Brisbane, 12 January: Queenslanders are encouraged to apply now for a share of the Celebrating Reconciliation Grants Program 2023.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Craig Crawford said the $100,000 grants program will support events being held in or around National Reconciliation Week 2023.

“Reconciliation must be alive in our hearts, minds, and actions on the Path to Treaty in Queensland,” Mr Crawford said.

“National Reconciliation Week’s theme for 2023 is: “Be a Voice for Generations”.

“It is an opportunity for all of us to learn about our shared histories and cultures, and how we can all contribute to a reconciled Australia.

“Grants of up to $3,000 will support local initiatives that bring together Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples.

“These initiatives could include cultural displays, art exhibitions, story-telling, community activities and more.”

National Reconciliation Week is held each year from 27 May

to 3 June and commemorates two significant milestones in Australian’s reconciliation journey—the successful 1967 referendum and the 1992 High Court Mabo decision.

Since launching in 2018, the dedicated grants program has supported more than 150 reconciliation initiatives in communities across Queensland, including a 2022 event run by the Gold Coast Titans Community Benefit Fund.

Titans General Manager of Community Renee Cohen said the grant supported a pre-game dinner for school students and guests involved in Titans Indigenous education programs, and a larger event held at CBUS Super Stadium.

“With more than 10,000 people in attendance, our goal going into the event was to educate as many people as we could through performances and speeches,” she said.

“Community members and NRL fans told us they had learned more about First Nations history, which was a great outcome and exactly what we were hoping for.

“The Gold Coast Titans is committed to greater promotion and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and supporting the community, so we were proud to have been able to host this event during National Reconciliation Week.”

The Celebrating Reconciliation Grants Program is proudly funded by the Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. Apply now or find out more at www.qld.gov. au/recgrants Applications close next Monday, 16 January 2022.

WORLD THIS WEEK

In collaboration with National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru Authored by Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh, Akriti Sharma, Ankit Singh,Padmashree Anandhan, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar,Joel Jacob, Sethuraman Nadarajan, Bhoomika Sesharaj, MadhuraMahesh and Sayani RanaJoel Jacob, Sethuraman Nadarajan, Bhoomika Sesharaj, MadhuraMahesh and Sayani Rana

The return of Lula and China's relaxation of travel rules

from China. Countries like the US, France, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and others have imposed restrictions against Chinese travellers in last week.

China: Relaxation of international travel rules and opposition towards Chinese travellers

What happened?

On 26 December, China's National Health Commission announced that travellers arriving in China will no longer need to quarantine to enter the mainland.

On 4 January following this announcement, the European Union directed all travellers from China to undergo a Covid test before departure in response to rising virus levels. The European Commissioner for Health stressed on taking actions such as pre-departure inspections, increased monitoring of aircraft wastewater, and intensifying monitoring of Covid-19. The Commissioner’s spokesperson said: “These measures would need to be targeted at the most appropriate flights and airports and carried out in a coordinated way to ensure their effectiveness.” Not only has the EU taken steps against China, but countries worldwide are discussing restrictions or imposing them on travellers

On 4 January, South Korea’s Health and Welfare Minister said: “We must keep vigilant to prevent China’s spread of the coronavirus from affecting Korea.” The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said that anyone arriving from China regardless of nationality would be denied entry. In response to the restrictions from countries against China, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said: “We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the Covid measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity.”

On 4 January, WHO’s Emergency Director said: “There are certainly issues in terms of the criteria for recording and reporting deaths attributable to COVID-19. We believe that definition is too narrow, which requires respiratory failure in association with COVID-19 to be registered as COVID-related death.” China has recorded only 22 deaths from Covid since December 2022. What does it mean?

First, the Lunar new year might create the peak in covid cases. The Guardian quoted tthe British health analytics company Airfinity, which predicts the infection is likely to hit rural

areas when people travel to their homes. As the lunar new year approaches on 22 January and the international borders are opened. Chinese citizens who live outside of China will visit China after three years of lockdown and restrictions. Officials expect 2.1 billion passenger trips by road, rail, sea and air during the holidays within 40 days, double the 1.05 billion travelled during the same period last year with restriction. For the same reason, the local people will also celebrate the Lunar new year in larger gatherings. This will expose more people to the virus and might mark the highest Covid cases of the current wave.

Second, to boost business sentiment. China is experiencing an economic slowdown right now, which IMF head Kristalina Georgieva warned. Many businesses came out of China because of the zero Covid policy. Relaxing Covid restrictions was a step taken to boost businesses, service industries and tourists inside China, Hong Kong and Macau. Chinese experts have been talking with Pfizer Inc for one month to produce and distribute a domestic generic version antiviral drug Paxlovid. This reflects that China is willing to allow international vaccines to disperse the hesitation of investors on Covid variants and a transparent exit strategy from pandemic.

terrorism, cyber security, defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, besides other issues of mutual concern.”

India: Jaishankar calls for dialogue to address the Ukraine war

On 02 January, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s stance on the Ukraine conflict and called for a dialogue between Ukraine and Russia. Speaking at a press conference in Vienna, Jaishankar stressed that this era is not an era for war and added that all differences should be addressed through diplomacy and dialogue. He added that India along with the Global South is concerned regarding the availability of food, fertilizers and fuel which have been restricted due to the conflict.

Pakistan reassures China investors through CPEC, says the business ‘completely secure’

On 5 January, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a cordial exchange with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. PM Shehbaz Sharif assured Li of creating a “completely secure and conducive business environment for Chinese investors” in Pakistan and the timely progress of CPEC and further expressed gratitude for helping the floodaffected Pakistanis. The two sides also discussed the upcoming International Conference on Climate Resilient also took place in this telephone exchange.

Pakistan: United States extends ‘support’ to Pakistan’s ‘right’ to guard itself against terrorism

On 3 January, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price in a weekly press briefing said that Pakistan has “suffered tremendously” from the recent terror attacks in the country and that the country has the “right” to defend itself from terrorism.

and asked the members- “what red line does Israel need to cross for the Security Council to finally say, enough is enough?” Though the Council emphasized on the two-state solution, it fell short of taking action.

Russia: Putin's new year address reflects determination to strengthen

Russia

On 31 December, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his new year’s address to Russia called 2022. “A year of difficult, necessary decisions, the most important steps towards gaining the full sovereignty of Russia and the powerful consolidation of our society.” Putin said that the events of 2022 are milestones for a common Russian future and Russia’s total independence. He added that 2022 was filled with anxiety, unrest and experiences which brought great, key changes to Russia and the world. He criticized the West saying that while they lied about wanting peace all along, they had planned to use Ukraine to weaken Russia. On the sanction imposing on Russia, Putin said that despite the intention being to destruct "industry, finances, transport," did not materialize as the Russian society strengthened its economy to ensure sovereignty.

Ukraine War: US to arm Kiev with anti-aircraft Sea Sparrows

Asia-Pacific: Increasing militarization

On 5 January, the Australian government decided to spend USD 684 million on buying HIMARs from US and Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) from Norway.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated, “the Naval Strike Missile and HIMARS launchers will give our Defense Force the ability to deter conflict and protect our interests.”

Australia has now become the fourth country in Asia-Pacific to

increase its military spending for this year. On 23 December, the Japanese Cabinet decided upon increasing its defense budget by 26.3 per cent. Later on, 28 December, the South Korean government announced spending USD 261 billion over the next five years, resulting in an average annual growth of 6.8 per cent in its defense budget. Upon entering the new year, North Korean President Kim Jong Un too has announced “an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal.”

Indonesia: President passes emergency regulation on job creation law.

On 4 January, Joko Widodo signed an emergency regulation to replace the controversial job creation law which was ruled as flawed in 2021 by the constitutional court. The move was to ensure legal certainty and achieve the government's investment target amidst global

geopolitical tensions. It was flawed due to a lack of public consultations and ordered lawmakers to make a new law within two years. the law was seen as unconstitutional, otherwise. The government opted for emergency regulation as the routine procedure would make the process too long.

India: Strategic dialogue with France held

On 5 January, India and France held the 36th round of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue. Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Bonne. Both sides discussed working towards “strategic autonomy.” Indian Ministry of External Affairs said: “The two sides held discussions on a variety of issues, including the current global security situation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, regional security in the context of Afghanistan, counter-

Responding to Pakistan’s National Security Committee’s (NSC) claims that the country “might resort” to targeting the terrorist outfits across the border if Afghanistan “did not take the appropriate action,” Price said that the US would sustain its efforts to “call out the Taliban” to maintain its commitments to curb the spread of terrorism in the region. This comes after the NSC sent an “unequivocal” message to the Taliban and said that it disallowed Afghanistan “to provide sanctuaries and facilitate terrorists.”

Israel-Palestine: UNSC meeting over Al-Aqsa Mosque

On 6 January, the UN Security Council convened to discuss Israel’s Security Minister BenGvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. UAE and China had called on the UNSC to meet publicly regarding the status and recent developments in the Mosque. The members voiced their concerns over the same and stressed the need to maintain the status quo. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian UN Envoy addressed the Council accusing Israel of “an unprecedented provocation”,

On 7 January, it was revealed that the US plans to deliver an unspecified number of RIM-7 Sea Sparrow short-range anti-aircraft missiles among the set of military technology that it has offered to Ukraine. This is in context of a massive new $3.75 billion military aid package for Ukraine announced by the US. Among the recent deliveries to Ukraine, one has seen the US-made shortrange NASAMS systems, German IRIS-T air defense systems offered. It is believed that at least one battery of the US Patriot system, which is seen as the backbone of NATO’s anti-aircraft defense, will be transferred to Kiev in the coming months.

About the Authors

Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh, Akriti Sharma, and Ankit Singh are PhD scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Padmashree Anandhan, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar, and Joel Jacob are Research Associates at NIAS. Sethuraman Nadarajan, Bhoomika Sesharaj, Madhura Mahesh and Sayani Rana are Research Interns at NIAS.

Chinese academics facing huge backlash for studies on how Marxism can help fight Covid

Social Science Fund of China, focused on studying "the great spirit of fighting Covid-19".

New Delhi, Jan 6: Prominent Chinese academics are facing a huge backlash online for their studies on how Marxism can help fight Covid-19, with critics accusing them of wasting time and money at a time when the country is battling a surge in infections, according to a media report.

Analysts said these ideologically motivated projects and others dedicated to studying the Communist Party's achievements were unlikely to contribute anything meaningful to the public policy debate and were likely to increase public resentment, South China Morning Post reported.

Ideological studies on topics such as the great anti-pandemic spirit' have triggered angry response from public facing a surge in infections and shortage of drugs, SCMP reported.

One of the most-discussed projects, funded by the National

The project leader, Wang Guanzhong from the Marxism College at Capital Normal University, told a conference last month that this was in tune with the spirit of the Communist Party and a continuation of China's traditional culture in the new era.

Other professors, mostly from colleges dedicated to studying Marxism, told the conference that Wang's project should also look at how the party led the fight against the pandemic, how different regions performed and compare the "great Chinese spirit" with that of foreign countries, SCMP reported.

But when the college posted an article about the conference on the social media platform WeChat, it triggered a strong public outcry that prompted it to delete the article.

Internet users, angry at the timing of the project, said it was a waste of funding. "While you were busy buying drugs, the experts are spending large sums studying how great the anti-pandemic spirit is," one comment read, SCMP reported.

their obligations.

"We don't want to be in this kind of situation, not meeting the obligations, for too long. That is not good for the country and for us. That's not good for investor confidence in Sri Lanka."

Since the abrupt U-turn last month that completely scrapped the zero-Covid policy, the public has faced a tsunami of cases, amid a shortage of drugs, hospital beds and lack of official guidance on how to fight Covid-19.

The advice given by the authorities in the past few weeks had been confusing and contradictory. The lack of information about case numbers and low official death toll at a time when funeral parlours and crematoriums are overwhelmed have further fuelled public anger, SCMP reported.

The backlash comes at a time when the number of institutes dedicated to ideological studies is growing rapidly.

Alfred Wu, an associate professor with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said such propaganda is not doing anything helpful in the fight against Covid.

"People will not think [these projects] will actually produce anything meaningful because they are not a public policy project.

They are not going to make any contribution to public policy," he said, SCMP reported.

The Sri Lankan government had initially hoped to agree a new payment plan with China and India by the end of 2022.

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) US President Joe Biden's legal team has found a fresh batch of classified documents at a second location following the initial discovery of confidential material dating back from the time when he was Vice President at his former think tank office in Washington, media reports said.

Since the original batch of about 10 documents was discovered in November 2022 at the Penn Biden Center think tank near the White House, but only came to light this Monday, Biden's aides have been searching for any additional classified materials that might be in other locations he used, an informed source told CBS News on Wednesday.

The classification level, number and precise location of the fresh batch of documents was not immediately clear.

It was also not known when the additional documents were discovered and if the search for any other classified materials Biden may have from the former Barack Obama administration is complete.

questions about the first cache of files during her daily press briefing, the BBC reported.

"This is under review by the Department of Justice" she said.

"I'm not going to go beyond what the president shared yesterday."

On Tuesday, Biden said he was "surprised to learn there were any government records that were taken there to that office" which he periodically used from mid2017 until the start of his 2020 presidential campaign.

The President said he doesn't know "what's in the documents" that were found in a locked closet.

"They found some documents in a box in a locked cabinet, or at least a closet. And as soon as they did, they realised there were several classified documents in that box," Biden said.

The attorneys "did what they should have done" by immediately calling the National Archives, he added.

The classified documents found inside the Penn Biden Center closet are reportedly US intelligence memos and briefing materials that covered topics including Ukraine, Iran and Britain.

The controversy comes as Biden faces scrutiny from a new Republican majority in the US House of Representatives, the BBC reported.

Colombo, Jan 12 (IANS) The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has urged creditors India and China to agree a write-down of their loans as soon as possible in an effort to "help us to start repaying their obligations".

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday night, the bank's Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said: "The sooner they give us finance assurances that would be better for both (sides), as a creditor, as a debtor. That will help us to start repaying

Sri Lanka, which is currently amidst the worst-ever economic crisis since its independence in 1948, defaulted on its debt repayments and negotiated a $2.9 billion bailout.

But the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will not release the funds until India and China first agree to reduce Sri Lanka's billions of dollars of debt.

China's lending to Sri Lanka stands at around $7 billion while India is owed around $1 billion.

The Israeli casualty sustained moderate wounds and was taken to a hospital, the rescue service added.The assailant was shot and killed by a civilian passerby, state-owned Kan TV news reported.

Weerasinghe told the BBC that it was possible an agreement could come later this month but added "this all depends on the other parties -- our creditors really have to make that decision".

"Sri Lanka had now provided them with all the information on the country's borrowings they needed," he added.

But if India and China agree to write down their loans to Sri Lanka another potential problem looms in the form of private creditors, who account for 40 per cent of the country's external debt stock.

The White House has not yet commented on the newly discovered batch.

Earlier on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to answer

"Now that Democrats no longer have one-party rule in Washington, oversight and accountability are coming," James Comer, the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Wednesday.

Statistics (INE) announced. Last year, the CPI rose 6.5 percentage points compared to 2021, when it was 1.3 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel has kept controlling the territory despite a Palestinian struggle and international criticism.

Jerusalem, Jan 12 (IANS) A knifewielding Palestinian man stabbed and wounded an Israeli settler before being shot and killed at a settlement in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said.

The Palestinian, a resident of adDhahiriya city near the flashpoint city of Hebron, stabbed a 30-yearold Israeli man in the southern West Bank, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said in a statement on Wednesday.

The attack took place at the Yehuda Farm, an illegal outpost near Hebron, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a 21-yearold Palestinian man during an arrest raid in the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank, according to a statement issued by the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The incidents were the latest in a surge of violence in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Lisbon, Jan 12 (IANS) The consumer price index (CPI) registered an average annual variation of 7.8 per cent in 2022 in Portugal, the highest since 1992, the country's National Institute of

Rising energy and food prices were the main elements contributing to the increase in the CPI.

Portuguese inflation rose more intensely in the first half of last year, with prices slowing down in the last two months of 2022.

Biden’s legal team finds fresh batch of classified documents

Inflation in Portugal hit 30-yr high in 2022

Sri Lankan central bank urges India, China to reduce debts

Palestinian stabs Israeli settler, killed: Israel

PoGB solidarity protests in PoJK

January 10, 2023 will be remembered as a solidarity day when the oppressed people of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) staged protests in all three divisional headquarters in support of the on-going social upheaval in Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB).

This is an important development. The protests held in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Mirpur cities were organised by students and civil society.

None of the so-called nationalist parties such as the JK National Awami Party, United Kashmir People's National Party, JK People's National Party, the National Equality Party JKGBL, the JK liberation Front or those who are collectively referred to as pro-Pakistan parties like JK

People's Party, JK Muslim League (N), Jamaat-e-Islami or the ruling party in PoJK the JK Tehreek-eInsaaf have raised their voice for the people of PoGB.

It is not a coincidence that all of the above mentioned nationalist parties are staying aloof from crucial political developments taking place in PoGB.

Intrinsically, (whether consciously or by default) these parties follow the general line of the Pakistan military establishment when it comes to the so-called Kashmir issue.

Pakistan military establishment promotes the ideology of Jinnah's two-nation theory. Therefore, being a Muslim majority region, Kashmir is considered part and parcel of the false concept that all Muslim majority princely states

at the time of partition of India would accede to Pakistan.

The second doctrine that the Pakistan military has been promoting is the idea that somehow the State of Jammu and Kashmir should become an independent state and therefore be ruled by a Muslim majority and thus become anatural' ally of Pakistan.

Both of the above mentioned narratives regarding Jammu Kashmir are promoted vigorously through the Pakistan media and ISPR. And have conveniently been adopted by every political party in PoJK.

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is and author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK.)

Thousands of nurses go on strike for 3rd day in New York City

requirements while complaining heft salaries and bonuses for management of the hospitals.

New York, Jan 12 (IANS)

Thousands of nurses from New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore Bronx continued to be on strike the third day on staffing shortage, low wage and other issues.

Hundreds of nurses wearing red hats continued to line both sides of Madison Avenue near the entrance of Mount Sinai Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, another smaller group of nurses rallied at the 5th Avenue on another side of Mount Sinai Hospital complex, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nurses called for more nurses and enforcement of safe staffing

Technical

Washington, Jan 12: As a result of a massive nationwide technical glitch, some 10,000 flights in and out of the US were delayed, while more than 1,300 others were cancelled, according to the country's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Wednesday's disruption was due to a "damaged database file", the BBC quoted the FAA as saying, adding that "at this time, there is no evidence of a cyber attack".

Although normal air traffic operations were slowly resuming, further delays are expected to continue through at least Thursday and possibly longer, as airlines try to get planes in and out of crowded gates.

Airports nationwide were affected, from Denver to Atlanta to New York City.

Minna Scott, a registered nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Xinhua, "99 percent of nurses have voted to authorise the strike and we're all out here rallying on the street."

Mount Sinai is a private hospital, so it is not under the laws of the New York State to enforce any of the labour laws, including that on staffing ratio, according to Scott.

At present, there are more than 500 vacancies of nurses and nurses have to work overtime because of short staffing, said Scott.

"Every day there are more nurses leaving the hospital, not only because they are tired, not because they have enough, but because they are refusing to practice under unsafe labor," added Scott.

"Nurses do not get paid enough.

The head of this hospital, according to the Internal Revenue Service, makes 12,437,000 dollars a year. Sure, they could support the nurses and give them raises," said Lorraine Skeen, a retired teacher, who came out in solidarity with nurses.

It's reported that around 7,000 nurses from the two hospitals joined the strike while Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West reached a tentative agreement with the state nursing union on a new contract Sunday with a strike avoided.

The strike will continue until agreements can be reached and the key sticking point in negotiations is making sure there are enough nurses at the bedside to safely care for patients, said a release by the New York State Nurses Association on Wednesday.

Goyal mocks ‘mini’ trade deal with US, concedes no FTA on offer

at the 13th meeting here in Washington D.C. of the Trade Policy Forum, which is the highest platform for trade talks between the two countries.

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India was not interested any longer in the "mini" trade deal that was once under discussion with former US President Donald Trump and a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is not on the table because President Joe Biden's administration in not currently interested in negotiating one with any country. India and the US have decided to focus instead on greater market access, ease of doing business between the two countries and a larger footprint regarding trading, investment and business, the Minister said on Wednesday. Two specific targets for this elevated engagement were semiconductors and defence production.

Goyal made the remarks while speaking with reporters after discussions with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai

Recent trade relations between India and the US have been marked by lack of significant progress, specially after President Biden took office, in stark contrast to the frenetic pace set by the two sides just a year before in the run-up to Trump's visit to India in February 2020, in anticipation of a deal.

Talks collapsed and Goyal had blamed the Trump administration for it, saying the former administration kept shifting the goal-post.

"In terms of the mini trade deal, I think it was too mini to really merit any great effort on both sides," Goyal said of the negotiations. "And we have even forgotten most of those issues. We are looking at much much bigger ambitions in our trade with the US."

Goyal had himself led the talks on the Indian side then, as now, and he had at one stage exuberantly declared that the deal was "just a phone call away".

Pakistan faces threat of hunger

Institute for New Economy and Societies Platforms of the WEF, said: "The Global Risk Report 2023 identifies that for Pakistan, both the affordability and availability of basic necessities can stoke social and political instability.

Islamabad, Jan 12: The World Economic Forum (WEF) sees Pakistan facing a huge threat of hunger and distress amid a prevalent cost-of-living crisis, warning that it may be further aggravated by extreme weather events and constrained supply.

The technical issues marked the first time in nearly two decades that flights across the US were grounded.

President Joe Biden has called for a "full investigation", the White House press secretary said.

Meanwhile, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN that the FAA had grounded flights out of "an abundance of caution" after it noticed irregularities with its Notice to Air Missions System which provides real-time safety information to pilots "about closed runways, equipment outages, and other potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight".

"My primary interest, now that we've gotten through the

immediate disruptions of the morning, is understanding exactly how this was possible and what steps are needed to make sure it doesn't happen again," Buttigieg said.

Major US airlines said they were still closely monitoring the situation. While American Airlines said it was working with the FAA to minimise customer disruption, United Airlines said it would waive change fees and any difference in fare for customers rescheduling flights departing on or before January 16, the BBC reported.

Delta said it was "safely focused on managing our operation during this morning's FAA ground stop for all carriers", adding it would provide updates as soon as possible.

About Pakistan, the report identifies that a combination of extreme weather events and constrained supply could lead the current cost-of-living crisis into a catastrophic scenario of hunger and distress for millions. This can also turn the energy crisis towards a humanitarian crisis, Geo News reported.

Energy shortages -- because of supplier shut-offs or natural, accidental, or intentional damage to pipelines and energy grids -could cause widespread blackouts and fatalities if combined with seasonal extreme weather. Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer Mishal Pakistan, the Partners

"Last year, the increase in fuel prices alone led to protests in an estimated 92 countries, some of which resulted in political upheaval and fatalities, alongside strikes and industrial shutdowns.

"The impact of insecurity will continue to be felt in Pakistan and may also exacerbate instability due to simultaneous food and debt crises, resulting in the emergence of a possible more technocracy-based decisionmaking leadership framework."

The report identifies that the cost-of-living crisis is the biggest short-term risk while the failure of climate mitigation and climate adaptation is the largest long-term concern, Geo News reported.

The geopolitical rivalries and inward-looking stances will heighten economic constraints and further exacerbate both short and long-term risks.

glitch delays 10,000 flights in & out of US, cancels 1,300

Piyush

Google backs Indian agritech startup Cropin in its Rs 113 cr funding

"By making farms and harvests traceable, predictable, and sustainable, Cropin aims to transform how food is grown.

We are excited to partner with global technology innovators like Google, which further validates our capabilities and solidifies our position as a leader in the digitalisation of global agriculture," said Krishna Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO, Cropin.

business model. This investment underlines our strong belief in their growth," said Sudhir Sethi, Founder and Chairman Chiratae Ventures India Advisors.

The goal of Cropin AI Labs is to bring predictive intelligence to every acre of the world's cultivable land.

New Delhi, Jan 9: Google has funded homegrown agritech startup Cropin in its latest Rs 113 crore round that also saw participation from JSR Corporation and existing investors ABC Impact and Chiratae Ventures, the platform said on Monday.

The funds will aid in expanding Cropin Cloud, the company's intelligent agriculture cloud platform, to cater to the growing demand for digitisation and predictive intelligence in the global agriculture sector.

Launched in September last year, Cropin Cloud has become a leading platform in the digital transformation of agriculture.

With the support of this funding round, Cropin will be able to further invest in its go-to-market efforts and expand the platform's capabilities, including developing next-generation predictive intelligence solutions through Cropin AI Labs.

"Cropin is poised to be the largest agritech company globally with its cloud-based, SaaS

In addition, Cropin plans to expand its business presence in new regions and industries, focusing on creating solutions that promote sustainable agriculture practices and address global food security challenges on a large scale.

Cropin has partnered with more than 250 B2B customers and has digitised 16 million acres of farmland, benefiting over 7 million farmers.

Cropin Cloud's intelligence platform has already provided predictive intelligence for over 200 million acres of farmland worldwide, said the startup.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Bengaluru topped the startup funding chart in India with $10.8 billion in 2022, followed by Mumbai at $3.9 billion, and Gurugram at a distant $2.6 billion.

Startups based in Delhi and Chennai registered $1.2 billion each in funding, followed by Pune at $1 billion, according to data provided by Tracxn, a leading global market intelligence platform.

In 2021, Bengaluru-based startups had raised $20.8 billion in funding and Mumbai-based startups had pocketed $5.2 billion in the same year, showing the impact of the deepening funding winter last year.

There were 22 unicorns in 2022, compared to 46 in 2021, and average funding before the unicorn round was around $160 million.

It is now taking an average of 5.1 years from Series A funding to the Unicorn round for the Indian startups.

"India started experiencing funding winter in Q4 of 2021 and it has been on a declining trend since. Because of rising interest rates and fear of a worldwide recession, investments across all industries have been impacted," said the Tracxn annual report.

The months of April, October and November in 2022 saw no new unicorns.

A total of 11 tech IPOs were launched in 2022, matching the number from the same period in 2021. Some of the major IPOs are Delhivery, Tracxn, eMudhra, among others.

LetsVenture, AngelList, and Y Combinator have topped the list of most active investors in 2022 to date, said the company.

Despite the impact on funding in edtech, Byju's has topped the list of highest funding raised in 2022. It raised over $1.2 billion in 2022 from existing investors. This amounted to almost 50 per cent of the total funding received in the edtech sector.

lockdowns.

However, the number of takeovers has dropped significantly as interest rates have risen and company valuations have plummeted, The Guardian reported.

the bank are likely to be affected.

The 3,200 job losses would represent about 7 per cent of the bank's global workforce of 49,000.

Bloomberg News, which first reported the proposed extent of the job cuts, said the bank would continue hiring at junior levels.

London, Jan 9: Goldman Sachs is expected to start one of the biggest rounds of redundancies in its history this week, with as many as 3,200 jobs to go as it looks to cut costs, the media reported.

The bank is expected to begin informing people that they will lose their jobs on Wednesday, The Guardian reported.

The world's big investment banks enjoyed a boom in 2021 and early 2022 as companies embarked on a huge number of mergers and acquisitions after coronavirus

Goldman Sachs expanded rapidly faster than its rivals during the boom, and did not institute its usual practice of firing the lowest performers. The chief executive, David Solomon, late last month told staff that the cuts were necessary to "weather the headwinds" caused by rising interest rates.

The cuts are expected to be concentrated in the investment banking division, where fee income has fallen, and its consumer arm, where it has scaled back ambitions for the underperforming Marcus brand -- though most divisions across

Goldman had reportedly been considering as many as 4,000 job losses. It is also thought to be considering cuts to its bonus pool of up to 40 per cent.

The job and bonus cuts will allow Solomon to offer signs of action to the bank's shareholders when it reports its full-year earnings on 17 January.

Goldman is expected to report its second-best annual profits since 2009, but investors are concerned that the bank's shares are trading at a discount relative to rivals such as Morgan Stanley, The Guardian reported.

Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) Drone-asa-Service (DaaS) company Garuda Aerospace and Rallis India Ltd inked a MoU to spray pesticides on crops in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

According to Garuda Aerospace, the drone pilots will conduct demonstrations on approximately 1,000 acres of land on crops such as paddy, onion, Bengal gram, wheat, and vegetables.

The partnership with Rallis India will demonstrate end-to-end drone service solution to farmers and the channel partners. This shall also make agri operations convenient for drone pilots to conduct better demonstrations for the farmers, Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said. "With the technology revolution up on us, we are moving towards a tech-adapted environment rapidly. At Rallis India, we have initiated trials and experiments of our product approvals for label expansion for drone spray," Rallis India Chief Operating Officer, S.Nagarajan said.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) The Asia Internet Coalition, that has Meta, Amazon, Twitter, Google and other Big Tech companies as its members, has raised questions on the digital competition law recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, that "may dampen digital innovation in India".

In a statement, the Coalition urged the Indian government to conduct wider stakeholder consultations to ensure that any new legislative proposals meet international best practices, are evidence-based, and are for the

purpose of benefiting innovation, growth, and consumers.

"Otherwise, transplanting legislative reforms designed for a foreign jurisdiction with high digital penetration into India, could lead to disproportionate costs to consumers in India and an impact on innovation and investment by businesses in India -- especially at a time when the government is rightly focusing on bringing connectivity to all under the Digital India initiative," said the Coalition.

Last month, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recommended that the Centre

should formulate a digital competition act to regulate anticompetitive practices by Big Tech companies.

The Coalition said the report put forward by the Committee is "prescriptive, absolutist and regressive in nature".

The Indian government has recently proposed two significant bills -- the revised Digital Personal Data Protection Bill and the Competition Amendment Bill (CAB), both of which seek to protect consumers, preserve competition and promote tech innovation, with a special focus on digital markets.

Goldman Sachs expected to start one of the biggest rounds of redundancies in its history

India’s new competition law may dampen digital innovation in country: Big Tech

With $10.8 bn, Bengaluru top city on startup funding in 2022

Garuda Aerospace inks agreement with Rallis India

Shilpa Shetty to make a killing in Mamaearth IPO

valuation of the Mamaearth IPO, angel investors are going to multiply their investment with this IPO.

New Delhi, Jan 9: Angel investors, including Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, stand to make a killing in the forthcoming IPO of Mamaearth as the company is being valued at Rs 24,000 crore. Sources said keeping aside the unrealistic high revenue multiple

"The reported valuation for the Mamaearth IPO is at Rs 24,000 crore which is almost 25x FY22 revenues and 1600x FY22 profits (PE). These are incredibly premium valuations compared to established brands like Marico or Dabur that trade between 50x to 60x PE with legacy brands and deep offline distribution," a source said.

Sources said investors have already burnt their fingers in IPOs like PayTm, Nykaa, Zomato and assorted smaller issuances.

Angel investor Devansh Lakhani,

Director and Startup Fundraising Expert of Lakhani Financial Service has provided a blow-byblow account of Mamaearth's lukewarm profit run in a LinkedIn post, Indian Retailer reported. "In FY23, H1 the company made a sale of Rs 684 crore with a marketing spend of Rs 272 crore. This gives them an ROI of 2.5 which isn't that alluring. The company recorded a restated cumulative profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.67 crore in the first and second quarters of FY23, according to filings filed with the SEBI. I doubt that investors would be interested in investing in a company that is worth 1,000 times its profit," Lakhani stated.

LinkedIn becomes go-to platform for those sacked in worst layoff season

LinkedIn is full of job hunts, offers of support for laid off friends and colleagues, and advice for coping with career hurdles as several companies trim their workforce to navigate through an uncertain macro-economic environment.

growth in the September quarter.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said in the earnings call that LinkedIn was witnessing a "record engagement" among its 875 million members.

BMW recalls over 14K electric cars over crash risk

control unit to reset.

"If a reset occurs, this could cause an interruption of electrical power," according to the company.

The owners of these cars can drive vehicles while waiting for a software update to fix the problem.

San Francisco, Jan 10: Automaker

BMW has recalled over 14,000 electric vehicles for a software malfunction that may lead to a loss of power and an increased risk of a crash.

The recall covers certain iX SUVs and i4 and i7 sedans produced between October 14, 2021, and October 28, 2022.

The software issue relates to the high voltage battery electronic control unit, according to BMW.

"The high voltage battery electronic control unit (ECU) software may cause an interruption of electrical power," it said in the recall notice.

Last year, the automaker recalled a "small number" of 2022 i4 sedans and iX SUVs due to the risk of battery fires.

According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a shortcircuit in a high voltage battery increased the risk of a fire.

The recall was issued after BMW became aware of "a non-US field incident involving a 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40".

In June last year, Ford Motor recalled nearly 49,000 Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers over battery safety concerns, and told dealers to temporarily halt selling the popular electric vehicle.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) As more companies, especially in the tech sector, lay off thousands in New Year, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has become a go-to platform for those who have been sacked, with some affected users forming groups to provide assistance to others.

Some LinkedIn groups are providing assistance around signing exit paperwork and aiding with connections for new jobs.

"One LinkedIn group of employees affected by the November layoffs at Facebookparent Meta, for example, now has more than 200 members," reports CNN.

Even employers have turned to LinkedIn, explaining their decisions and even seeking advice.

"A group of Twitter employees created a spreadsheet of laidoff workers from the company alongside recruiters hiring for other firms, and used LinkedIn to help facilitate sign-ups," said the report.

According to market research firm Sensor Tower, LinkedIn app was downloaded an estimated 58.4 million times in 2022 globally across Google Play Store and Apple App Stores -- up 10 per cent from 2021.

According to the CNN report, posts on LinkedIn about "open to work" were up 22 per cent in November compared to the same period in the prior year.

This has also resulted in profits for LinkedIn. The Microsoftowned platform posted 17 per cent year-over-year revenue

As thousands of techies continue to lose jobs at Big Tech companies amid recession fears, most of them are finding it difficult to get jobs, as there is a freeze on new hirings at nearly every top firm, amid global macroeconomic conditions and recession fears.

Amazon, Salesforce, Meta, Twitter, Uber and other tech companies have laid off employees as well as put a total freeze on new hiring.

Fortune reported on Sunday that global financial services company Goldman Sachs is set to lay off about 4,000 employees starting this week.

"Goldman Sachs is expected to lay off thousands of employees this week, just months after unveiling a major reorganisation," said the report.

ICICI-Videocon case: Bombay HC bails out Kochhar couple, pulls up CBI

appearance before the police official concerned.

Accordingly, the high court ordered the couple's release on a cash bail of Rs 100,000 each and furnishing a bond with surety of Rs 100,000 each within two weeks.

High Court, which pronounced its verdict on Monday, and posted the matter for further hearing on February 6.

Mumbai, Jan. Jan 9: The Bombay High Court on Monday granted interim bail to former ICICI Bank honcho Chanda Kochhar and her businessman husband Deepak Kochhar, while pulling up the Central Bureau of Investigation which arrested them flouting the provisions of the law.

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Prithviraj K. Chavan ruled that the Kochhars' arrest violated the CrPC's Sectiob 41A which mandates sending a notice for

Another co-accused in the same case, Videocon Group Ltd. Chairman V. N. Dhoot, who was also arrested later, continues to remain in judicial custody.

The Kochhar couple was nabbed on December 23, after which a Mumbai Special CBI Court initially sent them to CBI custody and later on December 29, sent them to judicial custody.

Soon afterwards, the Kochhars had challenged their "illegal and arbitrary" arrest in the Bombay

The high court pulled up the CBI for the "casual and mechanical and perfunctory" manner of arrest without application of mind and absence of a woman officer when Chanda Kochhar was nabbed.

Referring to the grounds of arrest as cited by the CBI's Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare that "the petitioners (Kochhars) were not cooperating and not disclosing true and full facts of the case", the division bench said it cannot be the sole reason for their arrests and appears to be contrary to the facts on record.

Specifically, a misdiagnosis can sporadically occur within the battery management electronics, which could cause the electronic

The battery issue affects MachEs that were built from May 27, 2020, through May 24, 2022, at the automaker's Mexico plant.

the e-hammer with a reserve price of Rs 62 crore, besides unpaid maintenance charges for five years coming to over Rs 1.17 crore till May 2022.

Mumbai, Jan 9: Finding no takers for fugitive diamantaire Nirav D. Modi's one property, its price has been slashed and the DRT has ordered its re-auction, along with certain other prime assets, in one of the cases pertaining to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

Last week, the DRT-I Recovery Officer Ajeet Tripathi put up the HCL House in Marol for e-auction -- plus three other lots of properties -- to recover a portion of the outstanding of a staggering Rs 22,13,16,39,411.

When it went on the block in September 2022, the unsold HCL House, comprising the entire building with the land, carried a reserve price tag of Rs 52 crore, which has now been slashed to Rs 40 crore, as per the DRT-I announcement.

Besides, the DRT-I has put on the auction block other assets of Modi, including Offices No. 2001-2002 on the 20th floor of the posh Peninsula Park B in Lower Parel with a reserve price of Rs 66 crore, plus over Rs 1.72 crore outstanding maintenance dues till December 2021.

Another property of Modi, the 6th floor of the Mafatlal Centre in Nariman Point along with four parking slots will also go under

Modi's huge residential 4-BHK flat in Grosvenor House at Peddar Road is going up for auction sale with a reserve price of Rs 15.87 crore, further details of which are not available. Modi also has another address in the prestigious Al Shera Towers, Dubai.

The encumbrances or outstandings on HCL House and Grosvenor House are not known and all the properties shall be auctioned off on the basis of 'as is where is' and 'as is what is'.

The e-auction is scheduled for February 10 -- a week after the DRT-I ordered the sale of Modi's two tony flats in the YOOPUNE housing scheme in Pune, valued at a total of Rs 18 crore, on February 3. In the fresh auction list concerning PNB versus Firestar International Ltd, the names figuring are Modi and his group companies like Bentley Properties Pvt. Ltd., MAK Business Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., ANM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., NDM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Neeshal Trading Pvt. Ltd. -- all operating from a common address at Opera House.

The other companies are: Firestone Trading Pvt. Ltd., Paundra Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and Radashir Jewellery Co. Ltd. -- all registered in a single address at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Bandra Kurla Complex.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

Diamantaire Nirav Modi’s HCL House price slashed, DRT orders re-auction in Feb

From the editor’s desk

FROM BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD

The four walls that I live in, The four walls that I breathe in, The four walls that I have grown in,

Are not just walls of bricks, Are not just walls of stones, They have ingrained in them, The values of my parents, The warmth of my parents, The protection of my parents, The limitless love and strength and the bosom of my parents, And so as I transit from boyhood to manhood, I must build my own walls, The walls of my courage, The walls of my thoughts, The walls of my dreams, The walls of my life, But Oh! The soul of souls, The walls may be painted in the shade of my choice, They will always have the heart of my parents.

At this point in midnight, When alcoholism and smoke hover around me, When the thickly lit cigarette fumes startle me, May the fire within me prove to be mightier than those fumes, And burn me in the teachings of my parents.

With a sea of stress and a mountain of worries, With the monotony of each day when my heart starts pounding in dejection, May the boy in me awake to the man in my father, The man in my father that has given me birth,

The man in my father that has infinite ingenuity, The man in my father that has relentless youth, The man in my father that has grown old enough to succumb but that springs up each day, And fills my heart with euphoric energy and ideas, May that man bury my dejection, As I transit from boyhood to manhood.

As I see those orphans, As I feel their pain, As I realize the worth of this majestic money, As I see those pavements laden with poverty, As I feel their struggle and toil, As I realize the worth of this majestic money, May the boy in me grow into the majesty in my mother, That builds his own empire but also harbours the miseries of this world.

As this virtual world around me crushes me, May the real world within me be as strong and firm as the blessings of my parents, Whenever I stand on the sea of druthers, Where I can either drown in the deathly entanglements of the common, Or else I can fly high and high, Touch and feel the uniqueness of the lit-up star of my soul, May I always find myself in the sacred skies of my parents, As I transit from boyhood to manhood.

A scam called film reviews

stars, but, usually, they all carried a film review every Sunday following a film's release. By that time, the people had decided if the film was a hit or a flop and in some cases, a film fared so poorly that it was withdrawn from the cinemas even before the review appeared!

The critics were a privileged lot. The filmmakers trusted them enough to hold special screenings for them a couple of days before the film's theatrical release; the practice still continues with most makers.

So what are the new film critics all about? Simply put: Money. There is also another breed, the ones who want to see themselves being acknowledged as critics!

This kind gives all films reviews '5 Stars' and brings this to the notice of the PR concerned. The PR concerned, in turn, would use them to publicise the film! These are not really critics, nor do they belong to any publication.

VINOD MIRANI

Film critics too can have a history. Really? Of course they do and it is a long one. Not surprisingly, it is a chequered history with mostly grey shades.

Once upon a time, this was entirely a print media domain. There were some popular critics who people followed and believed but not enough to spend on a film. The genuine critics left their mark on the reviews they wrote. The print media does not enjoy the privilege alone anymore. Now we have online critics and FM radio critics. Initially, these online critics wrote for an established portal, but, soon,some realised that they need not belong or be answerable to an editor.

The Net gives one all kinds of freedom. Some decided to start their own blogs or video reviews. Thanks to social media, these online critics started gaining mileage, so much so that a few of them have a following of more than the circulation of some print media publications!

There are a few online, independent film critics who enjoy hits in some lakhs. This one who goes by the name Deeksha Sharma has as many as 34.4 lakh followers; KRK, the Dubai-based film producer-turned-online film critic, has 11.7 lakh followers, while the other two, Palat Tera Dhayn and Suraj Kumar, both have over 7.2 lakh followers. Don't think any official media critic enjoys this kind of numbers, not even the so called trade experts. Now, that is what is called 'The times are a-changing'.

Film reviews have always been about a quid pro quo. Critics used to be a small community. The broadsheets never cared about films except for obits of major

Once the press screening was done, it was left to a film's PR man to do the rest, such as getting a preferred headline and picture to be used. Then an envelope, or lifafa, would reach each critic, who did the needful in exchange for the favour.

A reader mostly checked the picture and the caption. Few bothered to read a review in detail. But, for all those critics, this money never reached home. It was spent on bar hopping. Easy come, easy go. This was all hush hush.

The filmmakers have one perpetual weakness. They like to hear only good things about themselves and their films. If you do otherwise, you are an enemy for life.

Very soon, the critics as well as the media understood this and started exploiting the weakness. Not only the critics, but also the media organisations started saying what the makers liked to read. Now, it was no more a matter of passing a petty cash lifafa. Deals were struck officially. Actually, film reviews in the media were never taken seriously. People who loved cinema always counted on word of mouth. Anybody could become a critic, but a rare few could be objective. A film review was the point of view of an individual. There were critics who judged a film by its maker's name. For instance, a Hrishikesh Mukherjee or a Gulzar film would get high ratings, while a Manmohan Desai film would be panned, merit and commercial success notwithstanding.

Logically as well as practically, a critic should be able to judge a film from the audience's point of view. Except the trade papers, no other critic had that capacity!

It is all a scam, this business of film reviewing. It always has been. One particular critic comes to mind. A former high-level government employee, he reviewed films for a major newspaper. When we came out of press screenings, a Hindi media critic would explain everything to him, from what the title meant to what the film was all about! No wonder, sometimes, I enjoyed his conversation with the Hindi critic more than the film I had watched.

Then there was a Delhi-based critic. For a '5 Star' review the price was Rs 5 lakh for some actors; others got only four stars for the same amount.

The final blow came when the management of publications decided to hop on to the review business. No more the critic, the marketing department called the shots. The stars a film review earned was now commensurate with the ad budgets! The corporate houses running the film industry were easily convinced. Besides, the critics were no longer reviewing a film for their readers, the people; they were doing it to please the filmmaker or the star. Earlier, a press screening for a film would be held in a limited capacity, say, 30 to 50 seats, preview theatre, now it needs a 200-to-400-seat multiplex screen, thanks to the digital media as well as to self proclaimed '5 Star' critics. Some of them literally seemed to be obsessed with the number of stars they would give a film, the rest invited to a press screening knew what was expected of them.

Looks like nobody trusted the moviegoer to judge a film, but sadly no critic ever decided for people and, among numerous others, the 1975 film 'Sholay' is the biggest example of this. The film was panned by all critics, but it went on to create a history.

India for world peace

When the Cold War ended consequent on the dismemberment of USSR and the termination of the Warsaw Pact, the emergence of East European states as independent nations, besides the rise of Central Asian Republics (CARs), left the residual Soviet Russia as a much smaller empire.

in 2014 - with the West beginning the spell of sanctions on Russia to express its support to Ukraine then - is also linked to the aggravation of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict this time.

The development regarding Crimea - a territory of vast strategic import for Russia on the Black Sea - had preceded an antiRussia uprising there in which Islamic fundamentalists blessed by the West had played a major part.

where Russia and China would jointly deal with the West and accelerate the reemergence of Cold War between two matching powers.

D.C. PATHAK

One of the great foreign policy feats of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that he stood upfront on the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine -- sparked by the launch of Russian military operation in February 2022 to support the Russian-speaking eastern provinces of Ukraine against the alleged suppression of their rights by Ukraine -and took a line that both sides had concerns which should be resolved through peaceful negotiations.

The US-led West joined the fray in support of Ukraine amid appeals from President Volodymyr Zelensky for grant of NATO membership to Ukraine and the conflict went on to assume the proportions of a 'war' with no end in sight.

The US and its allies are merely supplying arms, ammunition and sophisticated war material to Ukraine, creating an impression that they were conducting a 'proxy war' against Russia.

It is possible that the US saw in its strategy a parallel with the anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan that had ultimately led to the withdrawal of the Soviet army and the demise of the USSR. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that Vladimir Putin's Russia is not getting worn down and it is Ukraine that is taking the real hit in terms of loss of life and assets.

President Putin has referred to the effectiveness of tactical nuclear weapons, but clearly not betrayed any desperation about using them in this conflict. He is still pursuing the original aim of protecting the eastern provinces of Ukraine closely identified with Russian interests and has again gone on record to claim that he wants to end the conflict.

The total scene around this military confrontation of geopolitical significance suggests that it is still not an irreversible case for return to peace. What is needed is a credible global level mediation acceptable to both sides.

It is noteworthy that beyond the

UN that faced resolutions critical of Putin in the Ukraine- Russia conflict, India's position as a possible mediator acceptable to both sides, has been acknowledged more than once by the unbiased sections of the international community.

Prime Minister Modi became the first world leader to call for cessation of hostilities and recourse to peaceful negotiation to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He told the Russian President that 'this is not an era of war', and subsequently voiced India's firm opposition to use of nuclear weapons when there were speculations about possible induction of tactical nuclear missiles by Putin to achieve his goal in the war with Ukraine. These responses made India the sane voice in the world and established Prime Minister Modi as a global counsel on issues of war and peace.

Modi has spoken to the two Presidents more than once and has kept up hopes in the prospects of return to peace sooner than later.

The success of India's foreign policy in the Modi regime can be measured by the fact that India's friendly bonds with Russia do not come in the way of the deep and natural strategic friendship of India with the US, which was the hallmark of convergence between the two largest democracies of the world and - what is even more significant - by the fact that US President Joe Biden and Putin both understood India's geopolitical position.

Interestingly, Putin now taking decisions on the readings of his own intelligence set up would be doing so with much greater confidence since he has a firsthand experience of the flaws and strong points of the latter and perhaps could see things in the wider global perspective even better than before.

Any attempt at mediation between Russia and Ukraine can hope to succeed only if the background of the conflict is clearly understood and steps recommended to establish lasting trust among the two neighbours accordingly.

The US-led West might have done well to work for peaceful coexistence between Russia and its neighbours. Certainly, a high-pitch combative alliance like NATO did not hold the earlier ground as American hostility towards Russia did not have to exist at the level of the Cold War era.

In fact, in the unipolar world order, the US was expected to work for world peace while militarily safeguarding American interests across the globe.

Former US President Donald Trump treated Russia at par with European nations and seemed to have little problem with Putin - he was in the process able to deal with China on a stronger note of military and economic deterrence.

The advent of Biden Presidency saw a reversal of US attitude towards Russia - this could be in part because of the controversy that the crucial Presidential poll had left behind on the issue of Russian 'interference' in the American elections.

Biden declared Russia as the prime adversary for the US and underlined the trans-Atlantic alliance with Europe in a manner that underscored the continued use of NATO as a deterrent against Russia.

Putin's action against Ukraine gave Biden a justifiable ground for confronting Russia.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict precipitated in February 2022 as Putin ordered 'military operation' in eastern Ukraine, ostensibly to safeguard the rights of the Russian speaking population there in the face of a simmering agitation continuing in those parts.

The situation rapidly worsened because of the declared policy of Zellensky to seek NATO membership to militarily respond to Russia and the decision of the US-led West to join the Ukrainian side by pumping in arms and ammunition into Ukraine.

The backdrop of the continuing tension between Russia and Ukraine going back to the annexation of Crimea by Russia

Significantly, Putin also supported Syrian President Assad in the 'civil war' precipitated by Islamic militants against himwith US backing.

Russia might have been specially sensitive to the 'destabilisation' of Crimea because of what the USSR had experienced in Afghanistan - perhaps Putin considered it legitimate to get the territory 'back to Russia' since it was earlier 'gifted' by Nikita Khrushchev to Ukraine internally, according to some authentic accounts.

The whole point is that there was no push back on the part of the West from the Cold War confrontation even after the USSR had collapsed in 1991 and international Communism on which it rested, had ended.

An international team of negotiators, including Indian representatives, can start a dialogue with Ukraine and Russia with their consent.

As mentioned earlier, mediators have to acknowledge the security concerns of the two warring nations and try to find their redressal in a mutual peace agreement that neighbours with different governance models could adhere to.

An immediate ceasefire pending a negotiated settlement would be necessary and supply of armament and ammunition to Ukraine from outside would has to be halted.

Restoration of democratic government in Ukraine based on 'one man one vote' and equal rights for all citizens regardless of language, community and region is extremely important.

Ukraine must declare that it is not seeking NATO membership. Lifting of sanctions against Russia may be considered consequent on a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine to their side of the border.

An effective peace pact between Russia and Ukraine governing their future relationship should be the final outcome of the mediation.

The US would do well not to create a geopolitical situation

This will, among other things, impede the processes of international economic cooperation already set in motion. The virtual summit between Putin and Xi Jinping on December 30 reaffirmed that Russia-China strategic friendship is deepening further and blamed those who were, according to them, instigating the Cold War mentality.

The meeting acquires special significance in the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine military conflict. The polarisation between the US-led West and China-Russia combine will no more be totally 'ideological', considering the 'Sinicization of Marxism' initiated by Xi Jinping and the emphasis placed on Russian national pride by Putin, and this would minimise the possibility of internal differences cropping up among them over claims on Marxist-Leninist thought.

The two countries shared a system of dictatorship that opposed the US - and this in fact would act as the more important binding element for them.

As far as India is concerned, Indo-Russia friendship is one reason why China at least pretends that it wants to maintain good relations with India.

India has to watch out against China continuing to practice its 'two steps forward one step backward' policy in spite of such pretences.

In the final analysis, the US and Europe should work to return to democracy in all countries that were once a part of the USSR. This will be a useful long-term strategy for the US to maintain its geopolitical hold and global acceptability.

Enlargement of the democratic order can be an effective counter to Chinese expansionism and Russia's possible strategic aim of bringing back the former USSR territories under its influence.

This provides an additional non-military route for the US for maintaining its supremacy as the leader of the democratic world.

Prime Minister Modi's mandate that 'this is not an era of war' in fact strengthens Biden's hands. India must continue to press for a peace negotiation between Russia and Ukraine without any preconditions being set by either side.

(The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau. The views expressed are personal)

Balochistan runs out of wheat, sends SOS

governments are responsible for this crisis, the minister said, adding that despite the promise to provide 600,000 bags of wheat by Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi, not a single bag was sent to the province.

accelerated after the floods, particularly in rural areas, Dawn reported.

Islamabad, Jan 9 (IANS) Despite an SOS sent by the Balochistan government, no consignment of wheat reached the Pakistani province, the media reported.

At a press conference on Saturday night, Food Minister Zamarak Khan Piralizai had said that the food department had run out of its wheat stock and called for help from other provinces and the Centre, reports Dawn news.

"We are facing a very serious crisis and need 600,000 bags of wheat on an emergency basis," he said as he sent an SOS to the federal and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh.

He said Balochistan needed immediate wheat supply to deal with the worsening situation.

The federal, Sindh and Punjab

"Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh have refused to provide wheat to Balochistan," he claimed.

A severe crisis of food items is likely to hit Pakistan in days to come as inflation will further soar by 40 per cent if the coalition government accepts the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions to finalise the ninth review of the loan programme, warned former energy minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar, The News reported.

He accused the PML-N-led coalition government of taking the country to the verge of economic collapse in just a span of nine months.

Food inflation that was already high before the 2022 monsoon floods in Pakistan further

In rural areas food inflation rate crossed 30 per cent in August amidst super floods and remained above that level for the next four months, peaking at 37.9 per cent in December 2022.

In urban areas, people witnessed food inflation rising past 30 per cent in September, then touching an all-time high of 34.7 per cent in October before slipping to 29.7 per cent in November.

But in December, urban food inflation again rose to 32.7 per cent.

Such persistently high rates were primarily the outcome of domestic food shortage that aggravated after the floods, higher food prices in the international market in most of 2022, rupee depreciation, disruptions in domestic supplies and delays in imports due to import restrictions, and the failure of authorities in enforcing administered prices, Dawn reported.

South African Prez vows to address energy challenges, fight against crime and corruption

the ANC's highest governing body, has decided to give top priority in 2023 to the energy crisis, ANC renewal initiatives, better service delivery, collaboration with social partners to boost job and investment creation, and the fight against crime and corruption, according to the President.

industries, including electricity, telecommunications, water, rail, aviation and road infrastructure.

A strategy to combat energy depletion in India

net emissions commitment by 2050. Consequently, Ratul Puri noted, economic growth will get a boost and new employment opportunities will eventually be created.

Johannesberg, Jan 9 (IANS)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to address energy challenges and enhance efforts to fight against crime and corruption.

Ramaphosa, also President of the African National Congress (ANC), the country's ruling party, made the remarks in his address to mark the 111th anniversary of the ANC at Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium in Mangaung, Free State Province on Sunday.

The National Executive Council,

The unstable electricity supply remains one of the biggest barriers to economic growth and disturbs the lives of all South Africans, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The ANC calls for Eskom and the government to immediately focus on restoring additional units to operation as quickly as possible," he said.

Ramaphosa said the government should prioritise infrastructure investment over other expenditure items, alongside the structural reform of network

In order to address South Africa's persistently high unemployment rate, which is particularly acute among young people, grants must be linked to opportunities for jobs, self-employment, training, and other types of economic development, he added.

Ramaphosa pledged that the ANC will take action to strengthen law enforcement agencies and public participation in the urgent task of restoring peace and stability across the country.

"Additionally, immediate action must be made to restore the capabilities of law enforcement organisations and other criminal justice system institutions that have been compromised by state capture and corruption," he said.

Defunct US satellite may possibly fall around Korean Peninsula

Seoul/San Francisco, Jan 9

(IANS) The South Korean science ministry on Monday warned that a retired US satellite could possibly fall on the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity.

Launched in 1984, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was set to fall on Earth around 5.10 a.m. India time on Monday (plus or minus 17 hours) after completing its decades-long mission to study how the Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the sun.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said the ERBS is forecast to crash back down to Earth and the Korean Peninsula is included in the regions that the satellite

would fall toward, reported Yonhap news agency.

The ministry said the majority of the satellite will burn up upon re-entry to the atmosphere but asked Korean people to remain cautious about some components that will likely survive the process and reach the surface.

Meanwhile, NASA predicted that most of the 5,400-pound (2,450 kilograms) defunct satellite will burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive the reentry.

"The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is very low -approximately 1 in 9,400," a NASA

official said.

ERBS, part of NASA's threesatellite Earth Radiation Budget Experiment mission, was launched to low Earth orbit aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1984.

ERBS used three scientific instruments to study how our planet absorbs and radiates solar energy.

"It was designed to operate for just two years but kept ticking until 2005, after which it became a hefty hunk of space junk. Drag has been pulling the spacecraft down gradually ever since," reports Space.com.

Global warming and the energy crunch are the two biggest challenges countries face. With the transportation and industry sectors growing rapidly, energy needs have surged drastically over the last 200 years. In such a scenario, says Ratul Puri, Chairman, Hindustan Power Projects, natural gas, coal, and other energy sources cannot suffice to meet the world's energy requirements, thereby leading to a global energy depletion.

As we have witnessed, the prices of natural gas have spiked globally. The high energy costs have impacted economic scenarios through supply chains. Unable to cope with the rising costs, a number of companies in Europe and Asia were forced to shut down their operations. In sync with the increasing international prices, natural gas prices have also peaked in our country, Ratul Puri pointed out.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), global energy consumption will increase by 50 per cent by 2050. It also projects that global investments in clean energy must triple to $4 trillion by 2030 if we wish to achieve the zero-

A combined study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and Skill Council for Green Jobs (SGGJ) predicts that India's renewable energy sector is on a growth path. As per their research, a million people will be employed in India by 2030, and most of these jobs will be generated from smallscale renewable energy projects. Sharing his views on the issue of energy shortage, Ratul Puri further said, "Ensuring energy security and preventing global climate change is the need of the hour. Transitioning towards clean energy and green mobility, adopting eco-friendly construction practices, climateresponsive urban design, and low-power electronics design are some ways to help us deal with the issue of the energy crisis at the global level. Developing a circular economy, ensuring electronics repair, digitalisation, climate law, carbon capture, afforestation, and efficient utilisation of resources can be some of the others."

Ratul Puri also believes that the digital sector is our ideal partner if we wish to achieve the zero-emission target. The global digital transition induced by the pandemic has been critical for the continuity of business operations in contactless times.

inflation accelerated slightly to 13.8 per cent from 13.6 per cent a month earlier.

Brussels, Jan 7: Inflation in the eurozone is expected to have dropped for a second consecutive month in December 2022 to 9.2 per cent year-on-year, according to preliminary data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU).

December's lower inflation rate was driven mainly by moderating energy prices and actions by governments to cushion households from rising utility bills, Xinhua news agency quoted the office as saying on Friday.

Eurozone inflation stood at 10.6 per cent in October, the highest level since records began in 1997.

The energy price surge cooled significantly in December.

However, Eurostat still estimated the annual energy price inflation at 25.7 per cent, compared with 34.9 per cent in November.

Food, alcohol and tobacco price

The core inflation rate, which excludes the more volatile categories of food and energy, rose to 5.2 per cent from 5 per cent in November.

Commenting on the report, ING economist Bert Colijn said that the drop in energy inflation was the result of the price caps and the lower oil and natural gas prices.

"It is likely that the peak in inflation is behind us now, but far more relevant for the economy and policymakers is whether inflation will structurally trend back to 2 per cent from here on," he wrote in his blog.

He expressed concern that core inflation continued to show little sign of relief, showing sizable increases for both goods and services.

"The next two months will be critical as many businesses traditionally change prices at the start of the year. It could therefore be that core inflation rises further from now," he said.

Eurozone annual inflation eases to 9.2% on lower energy prices

British-Indian doctor saves man’s life twice on flight to India

Apart from oxygen and an automated external defibrillator, Vemala, with the help of other passengers, managed to get hold of a heart-rate monitor, blood pressure machine, pulse oximeter and glucose meter to keep an eye on the patient's vital signs.

was able to speak.

"I don't think I have ever treated a cardiac arrest during my job... Obviously during my medical training, it was something I had experience dealing with, but never 40,000 feet in the air!"

Vemala said.

London, Jan 6: A British-Indian doctor battled for five hours to save a fellow passenger, who almost died twice during a 10hour Air India flight.

Vishwaraj Vemala, a consultant hepatologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, was flying from the UK to Bengaluru with his mother when a 43-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest.

Vemala attempted to resuscitate the passenger, who at the time did not have a pulse and was not breathing.

"It took about an hour of resuscitation before I was able to get him back. Luckily, they (the cabin crew) had an emergency kit, which included resuscitative medication to enable life support," Vemala said while sharing his experience.

The passenger then went into cardiac arrest for a second time, and this time it took longer to resuscitate him.

"In total, he was without a good pulse or decent blood pressure for nearly two hours of the flight, alongside the cabin crew, we were trying to keep him alive for five hours in total," Vemala said in a statement released by University Hospitals Birmingham.

Concerned for the passenger's chance for survival, Vemala and the pilot tried to get permission to land at the nearest airfield in Pakistan, but their request was denied.

Instead, they were able to arrange for landing at the Mumbai airport, where an emergency crew was waiting for them on the ground.

By the time the flight landed, the passenger was resuscitated and

He said that it was the first time in his seven years as a consultant that his mother saw him 'in action'. "She was crying a lot."

Vemala was able to leave the patient safe and stable with the emergency team at Mumbai Airport, with very detailed notes and observations he'd shown cabin crew how to take.

"This was indeed a moment that I will remember for rest of my life," he said.

Vemala graduated from Bangalore University in 1999, and completed post-graduate training in Bangalore in 2002.

He completed basic specialist training in London (2006) at St George's University Hospital.

Later, he undertook a period of research in the Dame Sheila Sherlock Liver Unit at the Royal Free, London (2009).

Sub-chronic psychological stress affects male fertility

worldwide.

BHU researchers have come up with an interesting finding. They have carried out a research to study sub-chronic psychological stress and its impact on male fertility.

tail. The study discovered abnormalities in the basic structure of the sperm with the frequency of spermatozoa with tail abnormalities higher than that of spermatozoa with head abnormalities.

San Francisco, Jan 6 (IANS)

Walking between 6,000 to 9,000 steps daily may significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults, a new study has shown.

According to the study published in the journal Circulation, researchers found that individuals walking between 6,000 to 9,000 steps daily had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes, by 40 per cent to 50 per cent.

The study analysed data from over 20,000 people in the US and 42 other countries, in which the average age was 63.2 years, plus or minus 12.4 years, with 52 per cent being women, reports Medical News Today.

The study found that for every 1,000 steps added, there was an incremental reduction in CVD risk.

"There was no upper limit at which there was no additional benefit in our study. Each incremental increase was associated with lower heart disease risk in older adults," said Dr Amanda Paluch, a physical

activity epidemiologist and kinesiologist at the US-based University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The study discovered a progressive reduction in CVD risk for people who walked up to 15,000 steps per day.

Moreover, the study suggests that people who want to reduce their risk of CVD should set goals that feel more attainable than the commonly cited 10,000-steps-aday target, which is not based on scientific research.

However, the study found no association between increasing one's steps and lowering CVD risk for younger adults.

Dr Paluch believes this is not surprising given that CVD is primarily a disease of the elderly.

According to the study, only 4.2 per cent of younger adults had a subsequent CVD event, compared to 9.5 per cent of older adults.

"This does not mean that younger adults shouldn't be exercising for their cardiovascular health," said Dr Paluch.

"For younger adults, being physically active benefits many of the precursors of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. These conditions are more likely to develop in younger adults, and are important for early prevention of cardiovascular disease," she added.

New Delhi, Jan 6: A latest study in the BHU Central University found that sub-chronic psychological stress adversely affects male fertility.

Earlier, research has shown that a global crisis in male reproductive health is indicated by evidence of a decline in sperm count and an increase in abnormalities of the male reproductive system. However, many unknown factors account for nearly 50 per cent of the cases. Now researchers have come up with this interesting finding.

Various scientific studies have suggested that in recent years, modified lifestyle, including psychological stress, nutrition, diet, physical activity, caffeine intake, and high scrotal temperature contribute significantly in the development of infertility and impotency.

The relationship between stress and infertility has been debated for years, with a number of studies being conducted

The study conducted on rats found out that the adult rats, who were subjected to stress developed symptoms which could adversely affect fertility.

The research team exposed rats to sub-chronic stress for 1.5 to 3 hours every day for a period of 30 days and measured the quality and quantity of sperm. The researchers observed that there was a severe deterioration in daily sperm production.

Raghav Kumar Mishra, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, and Anupam Yadav, who is pursuing his PhD. under the guidance of Mishra, have done this research.

They also found morphological or structural abnormality in the sperm. Specifically, the epididymal spermatozoa (the sperm stored and matured in one of the male reproductive accessory structures called epididymis) were adversely affected by stress exposure.

Normal sperm morphology contains three parts which are named as head, neck and

According to Mishra, the internal structural organisation of the testis, subjected to stress was also found altered. This exposure adversely affected testicular daily sperm production by disturbing the meiotic and post-meiotic germ cell kinetics (the processes involved in the formation of sperm out of germ cells) in the testis.

The stress also disrupted male hormone (testosterone) synthesis and increased oxidative stress (imbalance between harmful molecules and antioxidant enzymes) in testis.

This is one of the few detailed works studying the relationship between sub-chronic stress and its effect on male reproductive health.

Mishra said that the study could pave the way for new areas of analysis with regard to psychological stress and reproductive well-being. The findings of the study have been published in the globally reputed journal of male reproductive physiology -- Andrologia.

Sonia Gandhi stable, recovering

New Delhi, Jan 6: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who has been admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital for a respiratory tract infection, is stable and recovering.

"Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA, who is admitted at Sir Gangaram Hospital for a viral respiratory infection is stable and is making a gradual recovery," said Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman,

Board of Management, at the hospital on Friday. Earlier, Dr Swaroop said: "Sonia Gandhi has been "admitted in the Department of Chest Medicine under the care of Dr. Arup Basu and his team."

Kanpur, Jan 9 (IANS) The figures are scary enough to give a shock. In the past five days, 98 persons have died due to heart and brain stroke in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

Of the 98 deaths, 44 died in the hospital while 54 patients died before treatment.

These statistics have been given by the L.P.S Institute of Cardiology.

According to data released by Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Kanpur, 723 heart patients have come to the emergency and outpatient department of the hospital in the past one week.

Fourteen patients suffering from severe cold, died of heart attack on Saturday while six people died during treatment at the Institute of Heart Disease.

Eight persons were brought dead in the institute.

Within the past 24 hours, 14 patients have died at the city's

SPS Heart Institute.

A total of 604 patients are under treatment at the Heart Disease Institute. These include 54 new and 27 old patients.

Vinay Krishna, Director of Cardiology, said that patients should be protected from cold in this weather.

A faculty member in King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow said, "Heart attacks in this cold weather are not restricted only to the elderly. We have got cases when even teenagers have suffered heart attack. Everyone, irrespective of age, should keep warm and stay indoors as far as possible."

Can walking 6,000 steps a day improve heart health in the elderly?

98 people died of heart attack in a week in Kanpur

Indian-American in House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries’ team

She has served as a Senior Policy Advisor and the Director of Outreach and Member Services for the Committee on Small Business in the US House of Representatives under Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez.

Connecticut Technology Council, and the Connecticut Judicial Branch.

A Masters in Economics from the University of Connecticut, Sharma holds various positions on a few volunteer boards.

Indian-American takes oath as Texas county judge

impressive 8.24 per cent margin, making history as the first IndianAmerican woman elected to the bench in the US.

New York, Jan 5 (IANS) IndianAmerican Moh Sharma is part of the senior leadership team announced by Hakeem Jeffries, who was recently elected as the Democratic Party's leader in the new US House of Representatives. Sharma will join the team as director of member services, the Politico reported.

Sharma was previously a Legislative Aide for the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and a Senior Policy Advisor for the House Democratic Caucus.

She has also worked at the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, the

She is currently the president of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association, and the vice president of the Congressional South Asian American Staff Association.

She was president of the D.C. chapter of the South Asian Bar Association in 2019 and has served in the roles of general director and VP of programming.

Indian student bags Ambassadors of Change Award in Australia

the award for his volunteer work with the university's mentor programme through its student support initiative, UC Thrive.

Melbourne,

2 (IANS)

Vishal Mittal, who recently completed his final year of a Master of Data Science, received

"It was quite helpful for me to have a mentor -- I learnt a few tips and tricks, and more about the course. So, after that, I knew that I too wanted to be a mentor," Mittal was quoted as saying in a university statement.

He said that his time as a mentor helped him grow and develop his own skills.Before coming to Australia, Mittal did his Masters in computer programming from Gujarat Technological University

and Bachelors from a university in Baroda.

"Before I started this, I was very much an introvert. I got to learn many things, how to interact with people, how to talk with others, and how to communicate. So it's actually helped me a lot too," he said.Nine Ambassadors of Change were recognised by the university for their work.

The university's student mentor programme provides individual support throughout a student's first semester, answering their questions and helping them make connections.

New Zealand no more a safe place to live: Indian store owners

devastated Sharma, who left India 23 years ago, told Newshub.

Sharma said he thought New Zealand was one of the safest countries in the world, adding: "I was sadly mistaken. It is not. I regret coming here."

worth, and for what? It will cost about $10,000 to get a new strong door and replace and repair everything," Patel told NZ Herald.

"They do this because they know there are no consequences for them. The law is really weak about this."

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) IndianAmerican Democrat Juli A. Mathew took oath as a judge in Fort Bend County, Texas, for a second consecutive term.

Mathew, a native of Thiruvalla in Kerala, was sworn-in via videoconferencing from Bheemanady in Kasaragod, and will continue to serve as presiding judge for Number 3 of the Fort Bend County Court for a period of four years.

She ran for re-election and won with 123,116 votes, beating Republican Andrew Dornburg.

"I'm grateful for every supporter, prayer warrior, and voter during this journey," Mathew said in a Facebook post after winning the election.

"However, it is bittersweet this morning. Many qualified and outstanding candidates and colleagues that I know made huge sacrifices to run and some have not obtained the office they were seeking while others are still awaiting results. Thank you for standing up to accept the call of public service and your work and time is always remembered and honored," she wrote.

Mathew won her 2018 electoral bid for the bench against Republican Tricia Krenek by an

A practicing attorney for 15 years with experience in mass tort, civil litigation, probate, and criminal matters, Mathew also heads the first Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court.

Judge Mathew grew up in Philadelphia and attended Penn State University before attending Delaware Law School for her Juris Doctorate.

A few of her academic achievements include -- in January 2021, she founded the Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court to assist young people with mental health issues.

Fort Bend has a large population of Indians, including Malayalis.

According to Mathews, 28.6 per cent of Fort Bend County are foreign born and of those 51 per cent are Asian-American.

The state of Texas had the most Indian-Americans running for judicial positions in the November 8, 2022, midterms.

Apart from Mathew, two other Democrats -- Judge K.P. George and Sonia Rash -- won their re-election bids from Fort Bend County.

A month prior to the election, the three had her campaign signs stolen, defaced and vandalised. Sharing photos of her vandalised campaign signs on social media, Mathew wrote: "What happened to integrity, sportsmanship, being fair... This just makes me work even harder."

Australia beach murder: Indian nurse moves court for extradition to Australia

Wellington, Jan 6 (IANS) As incidents of crime and robbery continue unabated in New Zealand, distraught Indian retailers and small business owners say that they no longer feel safe in the country and "regret" coming here.

According to police, multiple robberies have hit retail businesses in Auckland and Hamilton cities over the past 24 hours, including those of Indians.

In a latest incident of spiralling crime, Kanna Sharma's GAS station on Kaurilands Road in Auckland was ram-raided by robbers for a third time in a row in the early hours of Thursday morning, a police statement said.

"This is the third time I've been ram-raided and I'm shattered. My family is shattered. It's hard to believe a place like New Zealand can be such a nightmare," a

Police said in a statement that "at 2.11 a.m., they responded to reports of the burglary on Kaurilands Road, where it is understood a vehicle was used to gain entry".

According to security footage, a green car was seen ramming into the front door of the shop at least three times, shattering the glass and damaging the front grille in the process.

Sharma said the thieves stole cigarettes, vapes and many other products from his shop.

Close to the New Year, dairy owner Jayesh Patel's store was targetted causing damage worth nearly $10,000.

Even though the offender has been caught, according to Patel, the incident has left him and his family scared and worried about the damage.

"He smashed through the door and stole some lollies. About $50

The incident comes just days after four men entered Puneet Singh's dairy store in Hamilton and cut off two fingers of his employee, Nabin, with a machete.

"It is very scary, when I open my shop, my parents in India are scared, they don't sleep because of the time. When I open the shop it's 2 a.m. in India and they keep texting me asking about my wellbeing," Singh told NZ Herald.

Exactly a month before, Janak Patel, 34, was stabbed to death by robbers at Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham, Auckland, where he worked.

Following Janak's death, New Zealand erupted in protests with people turning up in huge numbers shouting "enough is enough" and holding placards reading, "change the law", in front of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's electoral office in Mt Albert.

New Delhi, Jan 7: The Indianorigin nurse, who is accused of killing a woman at a beach in Australia's Queensland in 2018, has moved an application in Delhi's Patiala House court seeking to give his consent for extradition to Australia.

Link Metropolitan Magistrate Swati Sharma listed the matter for further consideration on January 10.

Talking to media, accused Rajwinder Singh, who had earlier wished to go to Australia and contest the case there, claimed that he did not kill the woman.

"Australian Police should investigate the case," he said.

Toyah Cordingley was walking her dog on Wangetti Beach, 40 km north of Cairns in Queensland, when Singh allegedly killed her in 2018.

Around three months ago, the Australian police had declared a million dollar reward for any information leading to his arrest. Singh, who originally hails from Buttar Kalan in Punjab, used to work as a nurse in Innisfail, Queensland.

"On November 4, via Twitter, the Australian High Commission had declared a reward of one million Australian dollars on the arrest of Singh, an Indian-origin Australian citizen, who had committed the gruesome murder of an Australian woman on October 21, 2018 in Queensland and had been absconding ever since," said police.

According to a senior police official, the Interpol had also issued Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the accused and the CBI had got a non-bailable warrant, under the Extradition Act, issued against him from the Patiala House court on November 21, 2022.

Singh was arrested from near GTKarnal road in Delhi on November 26 last year by the Delhi Police's Special Cell.

Jan

An Indian student has been recognised as an Ambassador of Change by the University of Canberra in Australia for his outstanding work as a student mentor.

Indo-Canadian to take oath as premier of Yukon province

of Indian descent to take oath after Ujjal Dosanjh who became the Premier of Canada's British Columbia province between 2000 and 2001.

A deputy in Premier Sandy Silver's government, Pillai was elected as the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party unopposed.

"I am committed to working hard, seeking common ground, acting strategically and to fiercely defending the interests of the Yukon. I look forward to serving all Yukoners as our dedicated team continues to make this territory one of the best places to call home," he added.

Brand Himachali handicraft in Canada: Indian diaspora

Japan.

Earlier for the first time in history, 'natti' of the hill state was performed in Parliament Hill in Ottawa by the HPGA members during celebration of Hindu Heritage Month in November.

Toronto, Jan 10 (IANS) Indianorigin cabinet minister Ranj Pillai is set to be sworn in as the tenth Premier of the Canadian province of Yukon.

He will be the second Premier

"I am honoured and humbled to be acclaimed as the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party. We have so much to be proud of and I'm very excited for what the future of the Yukon holds," Pillai said in his campaign statement.

Pillai, who hails from Kerala, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as MLA for Porter Creek South in November 2016, and was inducted into the Cabinet as Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, and Economic Development.

Surrey proclaims day in memory of Sikh victim of racist attack

Singh Gill Day'.

Locke, who also addressed the congregation, was presented with a robe of honour by gurdwara officials for raising her voice against a controversial bill in Quebec that prohibits people from wearing religious symbols in public service.

An author of The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist's Journey from Violent Extremism to Radial Compassion, McAleer has visited the gurdwara in the past to repent the episode.

Shimla, Dec 31: For popularising and establishing market in Canada, members of the Himachali Pravasi Global Association (HPGA) met High Commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Verma, in Ottawa to brand Himachal Pradesh's handicrafts and artifacts in the country that contains the world's eighth largest Indian diaspora.

"We discussed various topics, including One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, to promote Himachali handloom, Kangra tea, morel and state tourism in Canada," Himachalorigin Bhagya Chander, HPGA President, told IANS over phone.

The hill state is known for the art of embroidery on the Chamba rumal (handkerchief), as it is known, that originated and flourished in the princely hill state of Chamba (now Chamba district) in the 16th and 17th centuries where the Chamba school of miniature paintings got royal patronage.

The state government has got the Chamba handkerchief, the Kullu shawl and Kangra tea registered under the GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

The registration of these items under the GI Act helped the artisans, producers and others in marketing their original products around the world.

Surrey (Canada), Jan 8 (IANS) On the 25th anniversary of the brutal killing of Nirmal Singh Gill by the white supremacists, one of the fastest growing municipalities of Canada made a proclamation to recognize the incident.

Gill, who was a caretaker at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, laid down his life in the line of duty on January 4, 1998, when a group of neo Nazis came to attack the place of worship.

On Saturday, Mayor of Surrey, Brenda Locke, presented the proclamation to the relatives of Gill at a commemorative event held inside the gurdwara. Gill's maternal grandson Paramjit Singh Sandhu came from Toronto to accept the proclamation that declares January 4 as 'Nirmal

The law has affected turbaned Sikhs and hijab-wearing Muslim women, besides other faith groups and fuelled racial tensions.

Minister of Education and Child Care Rachna Singh, who has previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for anti-racism initiatives, was also in attendance and presented a certificate recognising the sacrifice of Gill to the temple officials for keeping the history of resistance against racism alive.

Last year, Gill's picture was installed at the seniors' centre located on the temple premises.

Among those who paid tributes to Gill on the occasion was anti-hate educator and former Neo Nazi Tony McAleer.

Although he was never directly involved, he has taken moral responsibility for contributing to the hate through his activities that culminated into the death of Gill. He had apologised to the son-inlaw of Gill when the former was visiting Canada in 2015. He had also donated money through the proceeds of the sale of his book to the gurdwara.

Imtiaz Popat, co-founder of Coalition Against Bigotry, also spoke at the event. He has made a documentary on Gill.

The speakers unanimously called upon everyone to contribute to fight back against racism that refuses to die. A message from Gill's daughter in India, Ranjit Kaur, was read out at the event, while Sandhu recalled the memories of the last days of his grandfather in Surrey in a choked voice.

Indian-American named NASA’s chief technologist

He said Verma assured them that his office will support and guide them on ODOP, geographical indication (GI) linkage and other ways to promote Himachal and its culture in Canada.

HPGA members on Friday discussed the HPGA's vision and mission with Verma and made him aware about the projects which the HPGA is doing along with its associated counterparts across the globe in 18 countries, comprising the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands and

Neighbours

The GI registration is a community patent in which instead of an individual, the entire community of artisans, producers and other stakeholders of a particular area are benefited.

The state-run Himachal Handicraft and Handloom Corp is also conducting special training for artisans in the art of embroidery on the Chamba 'rumal', Chamba and Kangra schools of miniature paintings, metal artifacts and leather products, mainly Chamba chappals.

the paper reported.

New York, Jan 10 (IANS) NASA has named Indian-American aerospace industry expert A.C. Charania as its new chief technologist to serve as principal advisor on technology policy and programs at the agency's headquarters in Washington.

In his role, Charania will align NASA's agency wide technology investments with mission needs across six mission directorates and oversee technology collaboration with other federal agencies, the private sector, and external stakeholders.

The role is housed within NASA's Office for Technology, Policy, and Strategy.

"The rate of advancement we seek in the 21st century is dependent upon selecting and maturing a portfolio of technologies into systems to execute our missions," Charania said in a NASA press statement."With this in mind, there are incredible opportunities in partnerships within and outside of NASA. I now look forward to the opportunity to work with the entire community to increase the rate of space and aviation progress," he added.

Charania will serve as principal advisor to Administrator Bill Nelson.Prior to joining NASA, he served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable Robotics, a firm that works to bring certified autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation. His previous experience also includes working at Blue Origin to mature its lunar permanence strategy, Blue Moon lunar lander program, and multiple technology

initiatives with NASA.

"A.C. is an experienced leader in managing large, rapidly shifting technology portfolios. I am eager for him to apply his knowledge and enthusiasm at NASA," Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, said in a press statement.

Lal served as acting chief technologist prior to the appointment of Charania, whose first day working at NASA Headquarters was January 3.

Charania has also worked in strategy and business development for the Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit) LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle program.

He also served in multiple management and technology roles at SpaceWorks Enterprises, including helping to incubate two startups, Generation Orbit and Terminal Velocity Aerospace.

New

Jan

a "likely moment of insanity".

Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, a radiologist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Pasadena, was arrested this week on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse after he deliberately drove his Tesla off a 250-foot steep cliff.

"They're a beautiful, idyllic family, no indication of issues," Roger Newmark told The Los Angeles Times. "It's so strange because he is a great guy. Maybe it was a moment of insanity." The Patels had moved to the neighbourhood five years ago, and were often seen walking with their children and giving cookies to neighbours,

"He's just so present. Dharmesh and I would wave 'hi', but he would always come over and have a conversation. He was always happy and ready to talk," another neighbour, Sarah Walker, told The Times.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a statement that it was alerted to "a vehicle over the side of the cliff on State Route-1" at around 10.50 a.m. on January 2. Once the CHP and other responding agencies got to the scene, they saw a white Tesla that had plunged 250-300 feet off the cliff, the release said.

Authorities managed to reach the vehicle and recover two adults and two children, aged seven and four, who were rushed "to a local hospital with serious injuries".

Neighbours described the Patel family as "perfect", with no issues of domestic violence ever reported, according to a Pasadena city manager spokeswoman. "Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act," CHP said in a statement.

call Indian-American who drove Tesla off cliff ‘great guy’

York,

6 (IANS) Neighbours of the IndianAmerican, who 'intentionally' drove a sedan off California cliff with his wife and children inside, have expressed their shock at the unfortunate incident, calling it

Come along! Join Pongal Festival 2023 in Strathpine

Queensland Tamil Mandram and Thaai Tamil School are jointly organising the Pongal Festival 2023 in Strathpine on Jan 21.

Pongal Festival (the harvest festival) is celebrated by Tamils all over the world in the form of thanksgiving to the nature, agriculture, farmers and livestock animals which help in farming and cropping. This annual celebration exhibits loads of fun, ethnic food, art, competitions, fun rides, cultural events, folk music and dances. The event is free event and promises to be a fun event for the entire family.

Dr Ram Mohan, Event Ambassador for the Pongal Festival 2023 invites multicultural communities, along with the Tamil community, to partake in the festivities: "Thanks to Queensland Tamil Mandram and Thaai Tamil School for the opportunity. I warmly invite all the Tamil and multi-culture communities to join and celebrate the Pongal festival."

CERN

scientist

dedicates Pravasi Bharatiya award to Indian students

knowing no boundaries, a philosophy so much rooted in my cultural upbringing in India and my Indian philosophical makeup."

New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS)

Dedicating her Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award to the students of India, senior CERN scientist Archana Sharma said her Indian roots and upbringing has helped her serve the world as one family.

Sharma, is among the 27 recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards that will be conferred by President Droupadi Murmu during the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention from January 8 to 10 in Indore this year.

"I feel humbled that the government and people of India thought of me so kindly," Sharma, who has been working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, for more than 30 years now, said in a statement.

"In my work as a scientist, I have served the world, the world as one single entity, as a family -- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,

Sharma first came to CERN from Jhansi to participate in a workshop in 1987 and ever since she has been instrumental in building one of the most sensitive detectors -- the Muon detectors -- critical for the search of the origin of the universe.She was part of the team that discovered the elementary particle Higgs Boson in 2012 and is globally recognised for her work on gaseous detectors for research in High Energy Physics.After India became a member state of the CERN in 2017, Sharma has been guiding Indian interns there apart from coordinating collaborations.

"I dedicate this award to the students of India, with confidence that the cradle of science would be carried dedicatedly forward, not only for India, but for the world," Sharma wrote in her statement.According to Sharma, a total of 130 Indians are registered at CERN.In a Twitter post, she described the recognition as a "humbling moment".

Over 30 British-Indians in King’s New Year Honours List

Sharma was previously Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and President for COP 26 between February 2020 and January 8, 2021.

London, Dec 31 (IANS) Cambridge professor Partha Sarathi Dasgupta and COP26 President Alok Sharma are among the more than 30 people of Indian-origin who have been honoured by King Charles III in his first New Year Honours List released in London.

Former Minister Alok Sharma, 55, has been honoured with the Order of St Michael and St George for his contribution to combating climate change through his role as the President of 26th UN Climate Change Conference.

Agra-born Sharma, who moved to the UK when he just five years old, has been recognised for "driving the UK to agree a historic agreement from individual countries that will have a major impact in addressing climate change in the future".

"His (Sharma) commitment, leadership and diplomatic skill were crucial in delivering the Glasgow Climate Pact and enabling the Conference to agree significant and historic commitments from individual countries that will have a major impact in addressing climate change in the years to come," a UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) statement read.

Cambridge Professor Partha Sarathi Dasgupta, raised in Varanasi, has been honoured with a Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for services to Economics and the Natural Environment.

He was named Knight Bachelor in 2002 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

More than 1,100 people were honoured in the annual list, released late on Friday, who have given exceptional service to the UK abroad and internationally.

Among other British-Indians knighted by the monarch include business chief Ivan Manuel Menezes, CEO of Diageo; Dr Mayur Keshavji Lakhani, Chair of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and General Practitioner at the Highgate Medical Centre in Loughborough; Vengalil Krishna Kumar Chatterjee, Professor of Endocrinology, University of Cambridge and Dr Ramesh Dulichandbhai Mehta, President, British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO); Dr Gurdial Singh Sanghera, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc; and Jasvir Singh, Chair of City Sikhs, have received the Commanders of the Order of the British Empire.

Experience

7 Instagram-able

places

in the city of joy Soak in Aotearoa’s Nature and Landscape

New Zealand has attractions for all kinds of tourists

By IANSlife

January 03, 2023 (IANSlife)

Social Media has been ruling our lives for over a decade now. Instagram has been doing it with style by providing an indulgent experience, from witnessing picturesque destinations to a melting pot of flavourful regional cuisines. While you are on a spree

to travel and explore different Instagram-worthy destinations across India, you must visit these places, for a feast to your camera, if your destination is Kolkata - the city of joy.

From colonial-era Bungalowturned-Café to India’s oldest functioning Paddle Steamer that

presents quintessential river cruising indulgence, Kolkata is a dreamy destination if your Instagram wall demands to be painted with beautiful pictures of the bygone time architecture, locales, and local art, music, food, among others.

January 10, 2022 (IANSlife) We all need a break to refuel after a busy year that was packed with both huge and modest victories and difficulties. We may require more than simply a soothing massage or a mindful yoga session to restore our mind, body, and spirit, as demonstrated by centuries-old traditions. A break could mean practising mindfulness and introspection for many travellers, while for others it might mean exploring the forest to engage in forest bathing to

reenergize.

Fortunately, New Zealand has attractions for all kinds of tourists who want to get in touch with their authentic selves.

New Zealand is a wonderful utopia for a great health and wellness retreat, with wide-open landscapes, still rivers crossing the country, off-grid areas to cuddle in, and more. Take some time out to unwind, relax, and enjoy nature, or treat yourself to a dip in one of New Zealand's many renowned spas and retreats.

Listed below are a few wellness experiences one may enjoy across New Zealand:

Ohakune Hot Tubs: You can experience wellness amongst the elements at the newly opened Ohakune Hot Tubs. Take some time to relax, rejuvenate,

The Bengal Paddle: India’s longest surviving Paddle Steamer from 1945 is restored to its lost glory to sail again in Hooghly River (Kolkata). With a capacity to house 500 people, the boat offers an immersive experience

of Hooghly’s grandeur. One of the key attractions of the boat is the first-of-its-kind Riverine Museum which has been curated in the vessel’s erstwhile boiler room presenting the history of the Hooghly and the Paddle

Steamers that sailed on it. With a dedicated F&B space - both indoor and outdoor – the boat is equipped with global cuisines to aid the patrons with flavourful creations as they enjoy the river’s expansive view.

Scarlet, AAURIS: This elegant patisserie housed in the AaURIS hotel on Robinson Street, is drool-worthy not only for its freshly baked creations but for its shimmery, luxe décor too.

An #InstaWorthy location for

desserts, satiate your sweet cravings with an exhaustive menu of donuts and artisanal Ice cream Sundae to choose from. Amid the city yet away from the noise Scarlet lets you unwind peacefully as you scroll through their new

sumptuous menu to choose your favorites from. More than just desserts, you must tantalize your tastebuds with their American breakfast, crispy bagels, and more.

Polynesian

crisp

geothermal

He

Hot PoolsLocated just 15 minutes away from Christchurch, visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views while soaking in one of the five

luxurious hot pools. He Puna Taimoana also has aplunge pool, steam room, and a sauna with beachside views

and immerse yourself in a hot, healing soak while breathing in that

alpine air. Tucked away at the foothills of Mt Ruapehu in Ohakune, these open-air, woodfired hot tubs are available for private bookings during the day or under the stars.

Spa: The iconic Polynesian Spa in Rotorua is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. It is the perfect place to relax and unwind - they have 28

hot pools, and their award-winning spa has a variety of packages and treatments to choose from.

Puna Taimoana

Hockey World Cup: India begin campaign with 2-0 win over Spain

the two teams dominating phases of the game. However the final few minutes of the first quarter saw India take control and capitalise with an all-important first goal.

dimensional skills to weave past four defenders. His attempt at goal from a tight angle took a deflection off a Spanish defender and rippled the net. India took a 2-0 advantage into the half-time break.

Rourkela, Jan 13: The Indian hockey team began their FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Spain 2-0 in their opening Pool D match of the tournament at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, here on Friday.

Amit Rohidas (13') scored India's opener in the first quarter while Hardik Singh (27') netted India's second goal. The win takes India up to the second place in Pool D standings behind England, who beat Wales 5-0 in the other Pool fixture earlier in the day.

Both teams started the match on equal footing and the first 10 minutes ebbed and flowed with

After captain Harmanpreet Singh's shot was blocked by the Spain defence, Amit Rohidas latched onto the loose ball and drove his shot past a helpless Adrian Rafi in the Spanish goal to score India's first goal of the Hockey World Cup 2023.

It was also India's 200th goal in the tournament. Only Australia, the Netherlands and Pakistan have scored more.

Spain increased their attacking intent to try and restore parity but India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak pulled off some fantastic saves to keep India's lead intact.

India also created opportunities of their own and found a second goal from a counter attack.

Hardik Singh broke in pace and showed some stunning three

Shortly after the restart, Akashdeep Singh won India a penalty stroke but Harmanpreet's shot from the spot was just about snuffed on the line by Adrian Rafi. India came close to scoring a third on several occasions in the third quarter, including from two Harmanpreet PCs, but the scoreline remained 2-0 heading into the final quarter.

India were dealt a blow early in the final quarter after Abhishek was shown a yellow card. The 10 minute suspension reduced India to 10-men and allowed Spain some leeway.

However, the Indian team defended diligently to see the match off. India will play England next on Sunday.

Kolkata, Jan 12: Chasing 216 against Sri Lanka in the second ODI at Eden Gardens, India were in a precarious situation at 86/4 when KL Rahul came in and stepped up in an under-pressure situation to slam a gutsy unbeaten 64 and take India over the line for an unassailable 2-0 series lead, here on Thursday.

In his 64 not out at Kolkata, Rahul played out 60 dot balls and hit six sixes, while taking 34 singles and three twos. India's run-rate in chasing 216 was never an issue, thanks to an early rush of boundaries.

But this was a knock where Rahul had to be cautious and then open up with a calm head to get India over the line, something which is needed of a number five batter in ODIs during a tricky situation.

read the situation when you go in, it helps you and the team."

"Batting at No. 5 has helped me understand my game better. At No. 5 you have to face spin straightaway; I like balls coming onto the bat but Rohit has been pretty clear that he wants me to bat at No. 5, so that's what I am trying to do," the right hander batter said in a post-match chat with broadcasters.

Rahul and Hardik had to weather the early storm and then cash on the loose balls from the Sri Lankan bowlers to stitch a crucial 75-run partnership off 119 balls, before putting stands of 30 and 28 not out with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

"I won't say it was a flat wicket, or it was doing a lot that it was impossible to bat. When Sri Lanka started, I thought it was a 280-300 wicket. But our bowlers bowled really well to keep them to 220-odd."

report.

New Delhi, Jan 13: India

wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who underwent a knee ligament tear surgery on January 6, is recovering well and was mobilised from bed for the first time.

A report by the mid-day newspaper quoted its sources saying that with some support, Pant, currently admitted at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Andheri West, Mumbai, got up from his bed for a few seconds on Tuesday.

"Post-surgery on day 4 (Tuesday), Rishabh was mobilized from the bed for the first time after the surgery. He got up from the bed and with support, stood for a few seconds. He will further be mobilized with the help of a walker and he will be in the hospital for another week. He will require extensive rehab," said the

On December 30 early morning, Pant suffered multiple injuries when his car collided with a road divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The horrific car accident happened between Manglaur and Narsan in the Haridwar district in the state of Uttarakhand.

The 25-year old Pant was initially taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre, before being admitted to Max Hospital, Dehradun. He was on his way to his hometown Roorkee from New Delhi and was alone while driving his Mercedes car.

On January 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced that Pant would be shifted from Dehradun to Mumbai via an air ambulance for surgery and further treatment, where he is now under direct supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the head of the Centre for Sports Medicine, and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service, at the hospital.

Experts who treat athletes for such injuries were quoted as

saying in the report that it will take at least four to six months for the left-handed batter to get back on the field, while adding that the time of recovery also depends upon person-to-person, required medical infrastructure, and physio.The first medical update from the BCCI hours after the accident on December 30 said Pant suffered two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe apart from abrasion injuries on his back after the car accident.

Later that evening, a medical bulletin said the results of Pant's MRI of the brain and spine came out as normal. It added that Pant also underwent plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions.

Pant, who made his international cricket debut in February 2017, was part of the India Test squad that sealed a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2022. In that match which ended on December 25, he hit a match-winning 93 in the first innings of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

In 15 innings at number five, Rahul, once seen as a backup opener, now averages 54.25 and has a strike-rate of 102.23, reminding everyone of what he brings to the table in Kolkata, at the position for which there are many contenders, including Suryakumar Yadav.

"The good thing about batting at number five is you don't have to rush. You can take a shower, put your feet up and watch the game. But I always think about what the team needs from me. If you can

Melbourne, Jan 14: Ignored for the upcoming Test series against India, Australia's white-ball leg-spinner Adam Zampa has vowed not to give up on making his debut in the latest version of the game but would prioritise doing well in white-ball cricket and excel for Australia in the ODI World Cup in India later this year.

But they put up a good fight, got early breakthroughs to put us under pressure. But I had a good partnership with Shreyas and Hardik. We always try to find a way to win, and it was nice to cross the line in the end," added Rahul. Soaking the pressure and then steering a gritty chase means choosing which bowlers to go after and to be under control against who. At Kolkata, Rahul played out overs of leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, which resulted in him giving away just 28 runs in ten overs, while keeping the scoreboard moving against pacers.

on a Test debut even though he admitted that he is not sure what his red-ball future holds.

Zampa revealed on Friday that chairman of the national selection committee George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald informed him his omission from the touring squad was one of the toughest calls they had to make.

Melbourne, Jan 12: Spain's World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, the most successful men's singles player in tennis with 22 Grand Slam titles, was on Thursday handed a tough draw at the year's first Grand Slam with an opening round encounter with Britain's in-from Jack Draper at Melbourne Park. The 2021-winner Novak Djokovic,

who is close on Nadal's heels with 21 Grand Slam titles, and Australia's Nick Kyrgios are in the same quarter of the draw in the bottom half and are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals. Defending champion Nadal will need to be sharp from his first match against Draper, a 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor.

The 21-year-old, who owns two Top 10 wins, has made a quick start to his season. The World No. 40 will compete in the Adelaide International 2 semi-finals on Friday. Nadal, on the other hand, has struggled in the United Cup, losing to Cameron Norrie, Draper's compatriot, as Spain failed to advance in the United Cup.

Australia's national cricket selectors on Wednesday selected a four-man spin arsenal for the upcoming four-Test tour of India with rookie spinner Todd Murphy making the grade on the back of some superb performances at the domestic level and for Australia A. Murphy joins experienced campaigner Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson as potential spin partners for Nathan Lyon on a tour. Agar has recently made it back to the Test squad and played the third and final Test against South Africa and continues to be preferred as the national selectors confirmed an 18-player squad for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar series.

A bitterly disappointed Adam Zampa isn't prepared to give up

Zampa has not played much red-ball cricket at the domestic level too. The white-ball spinner played his first Sheffield Shield match in three years last month, collecting 3-106 for New South Wales across both Victorian innings to show selectors he was keen to play a role in the fourTest Border-Gavaskar series.

"I'm very disappointed, I would love to have been on it," Zampa was quoted as saying by Australian media. "I thought with the way that I've been going in international cricket in particular that this was going to be my opportunity (to play Test cricket).

2nd ODI: Batting at number five has helped me understand my game better, says KL Rahul

Ignored for India Test tour, Adam Zampa looking forward to ODI World Cup

Rishabh Pant recovering well, stands up for few seconds after knee ligament surgery: Report

Australian Open: Nadal handed tough draw; to open against Draper; Djokovic, Kyrgios in same quarter

Inclusivity has become the crux of everything we do across the board: Vicky Kaushal

Does the credit go to your stylist or yourself for being open to experimentation?

Vicky Kaushal: Kunal and I spoke before I decided to come on board for the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour.

How men should design their wardrobe?

By IANSlife

December 31, 2022 (IANSlife) The 16th edition of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour, powered by the Fashion Design Council of India, brought a power-packed, reverberating experience to Gurugram on December 17, 2022, at the Library Ground, Gymkhana Club. Designer Kunal Rawal presented ‘Pride in Celebrating Diversity by Defying Labels’, showcasing a collection that was inspired by the power of individuality, presented through unique musical storytelling in energetic compositions by Harrdy Sandhu, one of India’s most trending, multifaceted music artists. Closing the evening on a high note as a showstopper was actor Vicky Kaushal, who magnified the experience with his energy and dapper looks. IANSlife caught up with the Bollywood actor to get his thougts: Your fashion game is strong.

Vicky Kaushal: I would say I'm evolving with each passing year. So fashion for me is everchanging and I love it that way. Of course, my stylist ( Amandeep) brings a lot to the table and I truly respect the synergies we have developed over the years which helps me keep my game.

On the work front, what are you looking forward to in 2023

Vicky Kaushal: On the work front, I'm looking forward to 2023 with a lot of excitement. I have a few films on release and of course, the current film that I'm filming SAM Bahadur directed by Meghna Gulzar is also set to release in December 2023. The film is based on the life of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

I get to wear the uniform again after URI which is exciting and there are other projects with Dharma, YRF, and Maddock films so I'm really looking forward to all these releases.

Time out at home or on holidayyour preference

Vicky Kaushal: Both. Tell us about your collaboration with Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour. What does Pride mean to you?

And everything that we spoke about in that conversation just got me excited to be a part of his show as a ShowStopper. Kunal has been a dear friend and I rarely do shows like this the last two times I have done it has also been for Kunal only. So we are technically hitting our hat trick with this one. Pride for me means my own thoughts, my actions, and my words, with all their flaws because those flaws and imperfections make me unique, and to celebrate just this uniqueness gives me a lot of pride and happiness.

What synergies of the brand complement you? How do you resonate with the brand?

Vicky Kaushal: This year at the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour we saw inclusivity and gender neutrality and I feel that is such an evolving thought and to incorporate that in fashion was truly wonderful. Inclusivity has become the crux of everything we do across the board.

Attention to detail- celebrating uniqueness and accepting diversity are a few things I could resonate with the current show theme.

Pair your denims in quirky ways

The top six must have clothing essentials of a man’s wardrobe

By IANSlife

January 08, 2023: In this world of ever-changing fashion trends, picking the right clothes for a man’s wardrobe is not easy.

“Instead of blindly following fashion trends, one should buy clothes mindfully and invest in a quality wardrobe,” says Ashish, co-founder of BeYours, a clothing brand that specifically caters to mens’ fashion.

Beyours houses a complete range of minimalistic clothing for men. This brand stands out for its timeless essentials - clothes that don’t lose their charm in the name of changing fashion trends.

Nilesh, co-founder at Beyours states that, “A man’s wardrobe should have a combination of both casuals and formals that can be worn at multiple occasions, when paired with the right combination.That’s why we have got everything covered - from a pair of golfer shorts to a formal linen shirt.”

According to him, these are the top six must have clothing essentials of a man’s wardrobe: Air Trousers and a Classic Shirt

Linen Trousers and Linen Shirts Linen is an all season fabric that keeps you cool during the summers and warm during the winters. Bearing a natural shine, a pair of Linen Trousers and a Linen shirt in vibrant colors can make you look utterly attractive at your friend's wedding reception.

Air Shorts and Soft Crew Neck

T-shirts

A pair of Air Shorts will be a man’s favorite - they shout effortless style and comfort. Paired with a tri-blend, crew neck soft t-shirt, they can beat the heat in the summer, if you are looking to spend a day at the beach.

As corporate spaces all over the world adopt an easy going culture, a pair of Everyday Shorts in subtle colors can rock the smart casual workwear look on a friday.

24 Hour Trouser with Renew Shirts

A pair of ordinary trousers is never easy to carry for long hours, owing to the thick fabric. The 24hour trouser is designed to give you maximum comfort -such that you can even go trekking down a hill, or have a goodnight’s sleep without the fit bothering you.

When teamed up with a Renew Shirt, it can be your go-to outfit for finalizing that business deal you had been looking forward to for months.

Smart Hoodies, Bold Sweatshirts and Sweatpants

A pair of blue denims can never go wrong

By IANSlife

January 03, 2023 (IANSlife)

Without a doubt, denims are a wardrobe essential for everyone, because they are so versatile and easy to style.

A pair of blue denims can never go wrong, but some people make this simple garment so glamorous that they turn heads everywhere they go. What distinguishes it is how well it is styled!

Denims come in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and styles. While it's simple to pair your favourite denim with a graphic tee for a casual look, figuring out how to dress up jeans to make them appropriate for any occasion requires a little more ingenuity.

Fortunately, there is a plethora of street style experts, fashion bloggers, and influencers who have cracked the code for us. When we lack sartorial inspiration, we can look to these fashionistas to inspire us with their effortlessly cool and classic ensembles.

Don't be afraid to try something new, and shake things up. You

may discover that the top you relegated to the back of your closet looks fantastic with your high-rise flare jeans. There is no dearth of ways to make your denim look chic, from elevating boyfriend jeans to creating the perfect office-ready ensemble to transitioning go-to skinnies from day to night. Whatever style of jeans you prefer, there is a way to make them look as polished as you want.

Sushmit Shubham and Pratishtha Gohain ,Denim Designers, Spykar rounded up a bunch of different ways to dress up all your favourite pairs of jeans to give us all some inspiration.

Denim on denim

Go for the Denim-on-denim look – If you’re wearing the same shade, top and bottom, make sure to break the monotony with accessories and layering pieces; like dark blue jeans look best with brown pair-ons or black really compliments light indigo washes the best, making the style classy and timeless. Even elements like a silk scarf with double denims look chic.

Dress up your casual ripped jeans A chic blazer is one of the simplest ways to dress up a pair of distressed jeans. The juxtaposition of the damaged grunge look and the elegance of a blazer is chef’s kiss. Ripped jeans in any fit with a shimmery top and heels is a perfect evening look.

Have some fun with newer trends like corsets and platform boots, or go with all-time classics like a biker jacket.

Dress up your jeans with a silk top Jeans are known for their versatility and casual appeal, but with a little imagination, you can dress up and style your denim in a comfortable yet formal way. Silk tops are a no-brainer for such situations. The elegance of the silk top balances the casualness of the jeans very well. With the right accessories, you can make this look appropriate for a range of occasions, right from business meetings to leisure-some Sunday brunch.

The Indo-Western quirk

While the Kurti-jeans trend remains popular, there are several ways to give the jeans an Indian twist. For a family gathering, wear your favorite bandhani dress with skinny jeans and jewellery.

Revamp the Denim Skirt

Ditch your jeans this fall in favor of the denim midi skirt. A midi skirt, as opposed to your go-to pair of casual, comfy jeans, is instantly polished. Make them “gen-Z” cool with oversized tees, the brand’s cropped truckers, canvas shoes & a trendy bucket hat or go for the classic “borrowed-from-the-boyfriend” look with an oversized shirt. Opt for thigh high boots to add an extra layer of warmth.

If you want to show off your personality, then a pair of Air trousers is really what you need. When teamed up with a classic shirt, they surely give you that much wanted - confident yet charming look. Nothing like your normal pants, these Air trousers are super comfortable and can be worn all day long at work, or through the night for a dinner date.

Every Day Pant with Polo T-shirt

Over the years, Polo T-shirts have earned their name as a fashion classic. When tucked under a well-fitted pair of Every Day Pants, they are the perfect choice, if you are looking for a range of smart casuals.

Hoodies and Sweatshirts are no longer limited to just winter wear. When worn over a pair of Sweatpants, they give you the perfect athleisure look, when worn with a shirt, they give you a semi-formal look.Sweatshirts in basic colors and pairyy of slouch joggers look good regardless of the occasion.

Thus,if you are looking to revamp your wardrobe, Beyours is your go-to destination. The team at Beyours carefully crafts each design after thorough research and analysis. So make sure to check out Beyours - it has every piece of clothing that you will ever need to complete your wardrobe.

Stay up-to-date with the latest Diamond Jewellery Trends

Rainbow Sapphire Jewelry works as a seamless transition of cool to warm hues

By Bhavya Shah

January 07, 2022 (IANSlife) For a variety of jewellery designs, diamonds are a popular choice because of their value as well as their beauty and brilliance. Diamond jewellery is a stunning way to display your individuality and grace. A gorgeous bracelet or pair of earrings is always the ideal way to complete an ensemble, and diamonds are the accessory that can be worn day and night all year long and is the most adaptable in your wardrobe.

Because they are regarded as the most valuable and sought-after of all precious stones, diamonds have a timeless allure. This is so because diamonds are uncommon and frequently linked to opulence and wealth. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, diamonds are one of the hardest gemstones due to their excellent facets. They are a well-liked option for engagement rings and other types of everyday jewellery as a result.

Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour 2022, powered by FDCI, celebrates diversity & inclusivity

Heal winter skin care with aloe vera What is hungover skin?

Ingredients like Aloe Vera, argan oil, arnica flower extract, soften skin while boosting hydration and smoothness

By Harish Singla

January 02, 2023: Aloe Vera has been used as a seasonal remedy because of its healing and moisturising qualities, which make it the ideal replacement for dry skin. The skin loses moisture in the winter because of the cold air, which causes the skin to become dull and dry.

In order to maintain a glow on your face during the winter,

one can maintain the following recommendations to keep their skin healthy and smooth. Chemical moisturisers are only a temporary fix. They just moisten the skin's outermost layer temporarily. But this effect is transient. Aloe Liquid Soap is a strong, kind, and adaptable cleanser for the entire family that may be used to clean and retain the moisture of skin. Your skin will feel clean and refreshed after using their creamy, iridescent product. Aloe Liquid Soap combines the power of aloe with other high-quality ingredients to offer a flexible full-body cleansing experience for the whole family, whether it's on your kitchen counter or in the shower. While argan oil supplies vitamin E and natural fatty acids to condition and support healthy skin, aloe calms and softens the skin. It is safe for the entire family and gentle on skin that is sensitive. Aloe body wash is a mild, effective

cleanser that also conditions the skin. Aloe Body Wash will nourish and cleanse your skin with the best of nature. With skinconditioning ingredients and vigorous yet gentle washing, this sulphate-free product will wash away grime and leave your skin feeling soft and renewed.

PH-balanced aloe body wash aids in hydration and moisture retention of the skin. Aloe Vera, a key component, promotes moisture while vitamins A, C, and E nourish and encourage healthy-looking skin, helping anti-aging. Their composition has a deep, enticing perfume of woods, amber, and a warm combination of herbs that is pleasing to everyone. You could detect a slight difference in Aloe Body Wash's distinctive tint. Ingredients like Aloe Vera, argan oil, arnica flower extract, and hydrolyzed jojoba esters, which soften skin while boosting hydration and smoothness, enable the gentle washing.

The beauty boom in 2023

Skin which looks dry dehydrated pale and sallow, after a night of drinking

By Dr. Jaishree Sharad

January 03, 2023 (IANSlife) When you have had alcohol the previous night, you do develop a hangover and so does your skin. Hungover skin looks dry dehydrated pale and sallow.

Let’s see how alcohol consumption and lack of sleep affects our skin

Remedies:

First of all hydrate by drinking 3 to 4 litres of water. Supplements of vitamin C or citrus fruits, pure lemon shots and antioxidant supplements such as glutathione help to neutralize the free radicals that accumulated due to consumption of alcohol. Use hyaluronic acid serums to hydrate the skin. Use Ceramide based moisturisers to repair the barrier layer of the skin. Medicated creams such as oxymetazoline, tacrolimus or pimecrolimus are prescribed when there is excessive redness. Use a salicylic acid or azelaic acid-based serum if you have breakouts. Take pro biotics to cleanse your gut.

The beauty industry in India is expected to INR 2,463.49 billion by 2024

By Sandhya Sakhuja Director

January 01, 2023 In India, the wellness, beauty, and personal care industry is going through a significant transformation. The spending propensity has expanded enormously as Indians in metro and upcountry areas become more aware of many facets of beauty and wellness. Per capita spending on cosmetics and personal care items was reportedly around INR 450 in 2017; between 2019 and 2024, this figure is predicted to nearly double. The Indian beauty and wellness industry was estimated to be worth INR 901.07 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.40 percent between 2019 and 2024 to reach INR 2,463.49 billion.

The industry growth has been driven by increasing product access, rising disposable income levels and growing awareness about skin care products and their usage. Covid too has been a catalyst to the growth of this sector. With the growing trend of working from home, people started spending more time with themselves. As a result, there has been a growing need towards self-care and skin care, which also ramped up the industry’s growth in the last two years in India. Additionally, with the

growth of the women workforce in tier 1 and 2 cities, purchasing power has increased regardless of gender, and earning women are no longer dependent on their families to fund their personal care spending. This growth trend is expected to witness consistency for the next one year and receive a bigger push by 2024. By 2023, India should see an increase in the number of domestic and foreign beauty and wellness businesses expanding there. In 2022, there were a tons of new product launches in the Indian beauty retail sector as a whole; this tendency will pick up speed in 2023.

Below are some interesting trends expected in the wellness industry in 2023:

Natural or chemical-free ingredients- Ingredients derived from plants and other natural sources are becoming increasingly popular in India.

Consumers are increasingly moving towards chemical free products, as they see the benefits without any visible impact on product efficacy, with the additional attraction of zero side effects. As a result, Brands and their manufacturers are focused on creating products which are natural, environmentally sustainable and use lesser synthetics. This trend towards natural/ chemical free products will only escalate in 2023.

Increased product knowledge: Consumers today are more aware of the products they use. They get into the minute details of product ingredients, understand the importance of environmental sustainability, and give importance to sustainable packaging. This is also changing companies and brand outlook, as they have to cater to the changing consumer behaviour.

Today, companies cannot create just a product that looks fancy, smells good and have great packaging. Companies are working hard to use ingredients which cater to the well-informed millennial audience.Increased use of E-commerce platform: E-commerce is playing a significant role in the growth story. The biggest advantage brought about by e-commerce is the accessibility to upcountry and remote markets. The inventory holding required has been reduced, enabling faster upgrades. E-commerce has also ensured that companies are getting faster feedback from consumers, which has increased the rate of customization in the market. Companies have been forced to innovate at a faster pace to meet consumer requirements. E-commerce has been a true enabler for the beauty and wellness industry, providing greater geographical reach, a wider audience, and greater interest from segments that were not traditionally catered to. Going in Tier 2 and 3: No longer are the demands for beauty and wellness products limited to urban centres. The growth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities is almost outpacing the demand in certain categories. Around 30-40 percent (approx) of consumer demand has been witnessed from the smaller cities in the last year. All thanks to e-commerce, which has been a catalyst in pushing the demand and supply of wellness products in the Tier 2/3 markets and even beyond. Added to the increased consumer knowledge, the personal care market is witnessing fast and consistent growth in smaller towns and cities. 2023 will also witness a good penetration of the latest innovations and trends in upcountry India.

Alcohol is a diuretic, so it dehydrates your skin making it dull and pale. Sugar in certain alcoholic drinks enables a process called glycation which leads to breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers. Sugar can also cause a spike in androgen hormones and sebum secretion resulting in pimples. Alcohol also results in inflammation of the skin and aggravates conditions like rosacea, psoriasis or even acne. As a pro-inflammatory, alcohol contributes to puffiness, redness and flushing. Alcohol also results in accumulation of free radicals in the skin which make the skin look dial and dehydrated. Lack of sleep results in stress which can increase the cortisol hormones which intern results in dark circles. It also causes breakdown of collagen fibers leading to fine lines and dilated pores. Melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone is released while you are sleep and it helps in skin repair. Lack of sleep will also deprive the skin of its normal repair mechanism.

Cosmetic procedures which are going to gain popularity in 2023

In terms of skin care people are going to be ingredient conscious and minimum makeup will be the trend. hence the need to have clear, even toned skin with smaller pores and no fines lines , no blemishes is what people will look out for.

Treatments in terms of micro needling radio frequency, platelet rich plasma, Laser toning , derma pen, oxygeneo facials will be sought after procedures to get the above minimum make up or no make up look.

In terms of beauty treatments, younger females upto the age of 30 are opting for fillers and the eye to treat hollow under eyes and look fresh. non-surgical nose jobs with fillers and fillers injected into the lips to volumize the lips will also be popular.

Botox injection into the masseter muscle, to reduce jaw clenching, tmj pain and obtain a smooth Oval facial contour will also be sought after.

Should you colour your hair after a Keratin Treatment?

A thin coating of keratin takes two weeks to bind and deeply permeate your hair

By Bhavin Bheda

January 05, 2023: Can you picture yourself with a hideous colour patch in your hair that resembles a thatched bundle? That is indeed what occurs when you colour your hair immediately following a Brazilian. Thus, the subject is raised.

Can you colour your hair after a keratin treatment?

Professional hairstylists advise waiting two weeks following a keratin treatment before colouring your hair. Before that, don't even try your luck! If you're fascinated with hair colour, personally wait three weeks to be cautious. Then you'll be certain that adding a little touch of hue to your silky, smooth waves might transform their entire appearance from stunning to mind-blowing! It immediately gives your hairstyles a completely new depth and makes your hair shine with

an intensity that is unrivaled. You must follow the rules, though! What takes place when your hair Is Coloured after a Keratin Treatment?

After a recent keratin treatment, your hair will have a thin coating of keratin that takes two weeks to bind and deeply permeate your hair. It envelops your hair and fortifies every fiber right down to the core. As a result, the first two weeks are crucial since they determine how well and how long your keratin hair treatment will endure. Anything that disrupts the setup process at this point may result in unanticipated outcomes like Areas of tangles Uneven hair or even keratin that has been prematurely washed out For the first two weeks, you need to do nothing with your hair and let the keratin do its job.

Because of this, your hairstylist also advises using a mild sulphate free shampoo after receiving a keratin treatment.

The brushstroke styles that will paint the 2023 art form trends Bringing back the euphoria of live theatre

northern Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The Children’s Art Museum of India shares six works of art

By

N.

Lothungbeni

Humtsoe January 12, 2023 (IANSlife) The method by which we portray or exhibit art to the world is universal, even though the mediums through which it is practiced and presented might change. They say it is difficult to foresee the future of any sector, but particularly the field of art. It's hard to believe, but 2023 has arrived, and with it, a new year of artwork and creativity is all set to be unleashed. So, what will the most popular trends be in 2023? What fascinating new developments will captivate the art world? Manya Roongta, Co-Founder of The Children’s Art Museum of India shares with IANSlife six various works of art that are designed to emulate an emotion, concept, or reality.

The parade of painting

Many people argue that painting is the pinnacle of visual art.

Slapping paint on a wall or canvas is what this is all about. Painters use a wide variety of hues and brush types to convey their concepts to the viewer. As a visual art form, painting is also very ancient. Prehistoric cave painters depicted hunts on the cave's walls.

Paintings gained prominence in ancient Egypt when they were used to decorate pharaohs' tombs with depictions of daily life.

In the period known as the Renaissance, painting rose to prominence as an art form.

Artists from all across Europe flocked to Italy to participate in the Renaissance. Masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian were created during this time period. There was a resurgence of Italian culture throughout

Many different schools of painting—expressionist, classical, surreal, cubist, impressionist, etc.—have emerged and flourished throughout history. The supreme art of sculpting The sculpture is used in a variety of ways to represent politics, society, history, religion, rituals, and memorial tributes; it is not only an aesthetic art form. As a tactile, imaginative expression that resides in the same location as its viewers, the work changes across time and space. Gazing at a sculpture is far different from observing a flat, painted painting set up on a wall. Uniquely, a sculpture allows viewers to see through, above, beneath, or right into it. Observers may encircle the lifelike figure to get unique views or acquire new insights. By infiltrating the space of humanity, this symbolic enrichment provides an immersive experience in which one may intellectually engage.

Body Art: The body of wondrous art

First, body art may increase a person's self-awareness, which is the understanding of one's own physical characteristics, emotions, and actions. Human vision and spirit are profoundly affected by body art because it can always capture human nature and embodies the publicity of human nature. In reality, the body is the most primal and natural form of human expression, and body art is an exterior form of expression that emphasizes human nature. Since body art mirrors the essence of the human body, it allows us to observe the most authentic and fundamental aspects of human civilization. The ceramic charisma Through the process of pottery, clay and other raw materials are shaped into ceramics. The term "ceramic" is derived from the Greek word "keramos," which

means "clay." Nearly 5,000 years ago, human societies across the globe began producing ceramic artifacts. Historically, ceramic artifacts have served both aesthetic and functional objectives. Ceramic as an aesthetic medium flourishes alongside its relevance in several technological areas today.

Ceramics are still valued for their traditional aesthetic and practical qualities.

Drawing: a simple yet elegant form of art

Drawing is among the most widely acknowledged kinds of visual art. Using equipment to construct lines on paper or another two-dimensional surface, an artist creates drawings. Pencils, chalk, charcoal, pen and ink, colored pencils, crayons, pastels, inked brushes, erasers, markers, styluses, and even metals are common drawing implements. The word "drawing" is a general phrase that may be used in a variety of works whose techniques differ considerably. The perception and concept of a drawing have evolved throughout time, making it difficult to describe. In contrast, the current definition of drawing is the production of lines on a surface by the use of tracing equipment. The grip of graffiti on modern art

Graffiti art is a revolutionary style of contemporary art. Graffiti artists are influenced by Modern art styles such as Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, and Surrealism, which came before Graffiti. Graffiti also enables individuals to express their opinions on significant issues that might influence the community. This kind of communication provides individuals a voice on the topic and enables more people to learn about other perspectives and ideologies. It is a peaceful method of disseminating ideas across the community that will help unite people, hence reducing disagreements.

How to host a perfect celebration

Plan the interior experience all the way to its details

By IANSlife

January 05, 2023(IANSlife) TThe passing of the old year and the coming of the new calls for a flurry of activity that is both enjoyable and controlled. Your interior decor can be a tasteful blend of cosier material tones and more striking colour schemes that create a feeling of exclusivity, making the evening a memorable occasion. Here are some suggestions to help host a celebration from interior designer Punam Kalra, creative director of I'm the Centre for Applied Arts.

Bring in the colour of the year If anything is close to the dynamic

vibe of a new year’s eve, it is Viva Magenta—the rare red shade of magenta that is surprisingly traced back to nature. As Pantone’s colour of the year, it rightly captures the picture of 2023 with a bold and pulsating shade that is sure to leave a trance effect. When used in the lustrous face of velvet upholstery or lacquered glass cabinets, the colour casts a deep, moody vibe into the interior. It can also come out as its creatively-charged self while setting a solid backdrop, giant light fixture or a simpler piece of modern art, without much effort. In an interior moodboard, you can bring out its electrifying side by pairing it with bejewelled blues, tropical greens and sunset oranges or give it a

more intimate yet social spirit with a combination of muted pastels and dim greys that rather create a mood.

Keep up with the shine

A party wouldn't be complete without some hype. A celebration may speak for itself by using stimulating materials, innovative forms, and an unashamed coating of sheen. It's time to look past the minor elements, like as the fringed curtains and confetti balloons, and focus on the sequined accents, such as ottomans, pouffes, and throws, which subtly hint at maximalism.

It is the muted sheen of metal components, polished surfaces, fine-spun linens, etc. that enter larger pieces of furniture and

Since its inception in 2015, Aadyam has entertained over 140,000 audiences

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

January 12, 2023 (IANSlife) The stage is set. The wait is over. Aadyam Theatre, an exciting initiative by the Aditya Birla Group, is now back on stage after 2 years of hiatus. Theatre venues will soon be filled with laughter, suspense, and excitement as it celebrate its sixth season in 2023. This new season is all about bringing back the joy of live theatre into the lives of people across the country. There will be a mix of the proscenium and experimental shows that will be performed in both Mumbai and Delhi. Adding to that, there will also be a bunch of new theatrecentric activities, housed under its Spotlight, such as theatre

podcasts, workshops, a theatre club, and an exclusive theatre blog. Aadyam Spotlight is a budding community for theatre lovers, which aims to make theatre more accessible to people. The curation committee, this year, comprises four renowned theatre personalities, namely, Shernaz Patel, Kyla Dsouza, Purva Naresh, and Ira Dubey. They have shortlisted this year’s plays after a careful analysis of the numerous proposals submitted by production houses across the country. What’s even more special about its 6th season is the fact that it is going to be led by Artistic Director Duo - Shernaz Patel and Nadir Khan. They will help to ensure a more sincere delivery of the various initiatives of Aadyam that are being introduced this year.

The curated lineup of Aadyam, 2022-2023 will consist of4 proscenium plays - 24 shows in Mumbai and 12 shows in Delhi - A total of 36 shows.

2 experimental plays - 20 shows in Mumbai and 8 shows in DelhiA total of 28 shows.

Apart from collaborating with exceptional theatre artists, it has also joined hands with several homegrown illustrators, doodlers, and graphic designers, to work on their plays’ posters and other assets. Theatre Ink, which was created by in 2020, will continue in 2023 as well, to keep their conversations around theatregoing.

According to Aadyam Theatre's Creative Director, Brian Tellis, "Aadyam has, over the years, keeping the legacy of theatre alive and abuzz, by providing a substantial canvas to theatrical artists. A canvas that allows their creative thoughts to be brought to life, tales that would otherwise remain unexplored. This is Aadyam’s sixth year, but its first post-pandemic. It almost seems

like we are starting all over again. As artists and theatre aficionados, we feel more obliged than ever to give the audience a more stimulating and captivating live performance experience. We want them to have a completely new and never seen before theatrical experience.”

"Today more than ever we are surrounded by stories... On OTT, on podcasts, on social media... both fact and fiction. But the only medium that allows us to be completely immersed in a story is the theatre. Because it unfolds in front of us. It is immediate. It is live. We all yearned for this collective sharing through the pandemic and now, thanks to Aadyam, we are back... with stories that make you laugh, think and feel. This time around we don't want you to only be a spectator. So we have created exciting ways to make you an integral part of our story. We hope you join us this season. Let's all share the joy of the theatre together.” said Shernaz Patel, the Artistic Director of Aadyam.

January 3 marks the birth anniversary of one of the world's greatest teachers, Savitribai Phule. Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is set to release Savitribai's first biography, titled 'Savitri and Fatima', with a focus on her friendship with Fatima Shaikh. The announcement was made by Harper Collins in November 2022.

The question that remains is why is the first book about Savitribai Phule coming 125 years after her death? Here's an interview with the author who also wrote the

bestselling biography of Sanjeev Kumar in 2022.

Q: Why is the first biography on Savitribai Phule coming so late?

A: As a matter of fact, there are many books about Savitribai in Marathi. I have seen some compilations in English as well, but nothing that qualifies as a biography. I do wonder why there haven't been attempts to write her story in English before or whether I might have missed them.

Savitribai Phule is a part of every listicle on the world's greatest teachers. She's one of the greatest revolutionaries and guiding lights to have been born in India.

Q: Which again brings us to why there's no book about her.

A: Destiny maybe. Also, remember that there is an awakening of

sorts in our country at present.

India's writers, filmmakers and business leaders are reclaiming India's history in a decisive manner. I also see India taking pride in its own stories and artists like never before.

This unapologetic pride is possible because on the one hand, we haven't been acquisitive or predatory towards other lands.

On the other hand, from Gandhi to Buddha, Narendra Modi to Rishi Sunak, Mukesh Ambani to Gautam Adani, and Mother Teresa to Priyanka Chopra, some of the world's most inspirational icons across different fields are from India. India has come into her own.

(The writer of this article can be contacted on badoniashmita72@ gmail.com)

Apple quietly launches new audiobook catalogue narrated by AI

According to Apple's website, the feature is currently only available for romance and fiction books, with two available digital voices - Madison and Jackson - and two more voices - Helena and Mitchell - on the way for non-fiction books.

and fantasy are not currently supported)," reads the website.

If users search for "AI narration" in the Books app, they will find a series of romance novels with a small notice saying they're "Narrated by Apple Books".

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 (IANS) Iconic cricketer M.S.Dhoni said that he has always been a big fan of teachers, as he released the autobiography of technoeducationalist, Prof K. K. Abdul Gaffar's 'Njaan Sakshi'(me as the witness) that reveals many interesting details.

Expressing gratitude to his teachers, Dhoni said that the autobiography will provide an insight into Prof Gaffar's journey and how education and students have changed over the years.

Dhoni.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in a video message said that Prof Gaffar's autobiography highlights his life, knowledge, and dedication.

According to the Governor, this work will serve as inspiration for everyone.

In addition to teaching at REC Kozhikode and TKM Engineering College Kollam, Prof Abdul Gaffar served as the principal of the Engineering College in Bhatkal, Karnataka.

San Francisco, Jan 5 (IANS) Tech giant Apple has quietly launched a catalogue of books narrated by artificial intelligence in a move with potentially huge implications for the multi-billion dollar audiobook industry.

The feature represents a major shift in audiobook publishing, which involves authors narrating their own books, a process that can take weeks and cost a publisher thousands of dollars, reports The Verge.

"We're starting with fiction and romance, and are accepting ebook submissions in these genres," said the company.

At the moment, the service is only available in English, and Apple is unusually picky about the types of books its digital narrators can read, said the report.

"Primary category must be romance or fiction (literary, historical, and women's fiction are eligible; mysteries and thrillers, and science fiction

"This is an Apple Books audiobook narrated by a digital voice based on a human narrator," reads each audiobook listing that uses the company's digital narration service.

Listings include a mix of free and paid audiobooks available, and the artificial voices are about as good as users would expect -- perfectly intelligible but with an unmistakably artificial edge that lacks the warmth of a human storyteller, the report added.

‘Poems of Rajasthan’ brings forth nuances from the desert state

The poetry transcends languages and is written in English and Hindi with some usage of Rajasthani words. It is a coloured book with illustrations for some poems. Most of the poems are in English and very few in Hindi, with a translation.

Saxena took to writing and drawing inspiration from literary works of the Victorian Era.

"As a teacher, you have to make it as simple as possible for the students to understand. In a class, you have to consider every student as all of them have different IQ levels. So I feel teaching is not only a profession, it is an art where you discipline students and also tell them about their strengths and weaknesses to groom them. So, I have always been a big fan of the teachers I had throughout my schooling. I have never been to a college, but I think I did quite well," said Dhoni who came all the way from his hometown Ranchi to Kasargodthe northern most tip of Kerala. Marwan Al Mullah, the CEO of Dubai health authority (DHA), received the first copy from

Incidentally, the book includes the infamous disappearance of P. Rajan, an engineering student from Kozhikode REC, during the emergency period and recalls the pressure put on him on behalf of the government and the police to influence him as a witness in the case.

He was the last person who saw Rajan before the latter was taken into custody by the police from the REC hostel on March 1, 1976.

According to Prof Gaffar, he had met Rajan and his friends at his place as they were coming back after winning the university youth festival.

His emotional account of Rajan waving at him as he walks into the night is one of the most heartwarming passages of the book. The book has a lot of such details about the case, both known and unknown to Kerala society.

on Friday with much fanfare in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's native city Haveri. However, the literary conference has run into controversy for sidelining Muslim authors and litterateurs.

New Delhi, Jan 8:

She finds solace in poetry. It is a form of art that helps her to create a refuge for herself by penning experiences, imagination, and emotions.

the Victorian

penned this collection of poetry between 2019 and 2019 after extensively travelling through Rajasthtan and reading a lot about it, bringing forth nuances from the state that will give readers an immersive travel experience.

'Poems of Rajasthan' comprises 39 poems which capture images from different aspects of the state. It is an amalgam of the poet's thoughts and feelings related to the people, art and craft, rural life, the flora and fauna of the desert, architecture, food, ethnicity, misfortunes, and the current situation.

The book can be categorised as a travel/leisure - poetry book. The style of writing is narrative and is easy to grasp with footnotes explaining some words. You will enjoy reading this book with a hot cup of coffee in your hands.

"Supriya's strength is her keen sense of observation and a near total recall of scenes witnessed," says writer, historian and archaeologist Rima Hooja.

Supriya Saxena grew up in North India. Her interest in poetry goes back to her school days where English Literature was given high prominence. Under the guidance of excellent English teachers,

Saxena now lives in Navi Mumbai. She has developed her career as a communications practitioner, and when she is not at work or writing poetry, spends time as a welfare worker.

Bengaluru, Jan 6 (IANS) Karnataka Minister of Kannada and Culture, V. Sunil Kumar, on Friday objected to a parallel literary festival for sidelined Muslim writers in the 86th All India Kannada Literature Conference. "Organisation of the parallel literary conference is not a good development," Sunil Kumar said. Speaking on the controversy, the Minister added, "There will be small mistakes in a large-scale event. That should be discussed and sorted out."

The Kannada literary festival will help give a good message to the people. The festival is important in the view of development of the Kannada language, he said.

The 86th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (All India Kannada Literature Conference) organised by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat was inaugurated

Condemning this literary event for sidelining Muslim writers, Kannada activists and like-minded litterateurs have organised a single-day parallel literary conference in Bengaluru on January 8.

It has been decided to make wellknown Kannada writer Bhanu Mushtaq as the President of this parallel literary event.

Dalit writer and retired bureaucrat, Moodnakoodu Chinnaswamy will inaugurate this conference which will be held at the premises of Alumni Association near K.R. Circle in Bengaluru. The convention is named as "Jana Sahitya Sammelana" (People's Literature Convention).

‘Teaching is an art,’ says Dhoni at Kerala professor’s book launch

K’taka Minister opposes separate literary festival for sidelined Muslim writers

Savitribai Phule, one of the world’s greatest teachers, to get 1st biography 125 yrs after death

Supriya Saxena, who draws her inspiration from

era,

RELEASE DATE: 26th January 2023

LANGUAGE:

PRODUCER:

DIRECTOR: Rajkumar Santoshi

CAST: Deepak Antani, Chinmay Mandlekar, Tanisha Santoshi & Others

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

RELEASE DATE: 26 January 2023

LANGUAGE:

PRODUCER:

CAST:

SYNOPSIS:

RELEASE DATE: 25 January 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Aditya Chopra

DIRECTOR: Siddharth Anand

CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, John Abraham

SYNOPSIS: Make. Some. Noise! PATHAAN is here! The high-octane spy thriller 'PATHAAN' starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John

TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAR

RELEASE DATE: 8 March 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg

DIRECTOR: Luv Ranjan

CAST: Ranbir Kapoor,Shraddha Kapoor,Dimple Kapadia,Boney Kapoor

GANDHI GODSE EK YUDH

Manila Santoshi, Ram Santoshi

Abraham, directed by Siddharth Anand is set to release on January 25, 2023. The action spectacle will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.Celebrate Pathaan with YRF50 only at a big screen near you

Jemima Goldsmith, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Nicky

Kentish Barnes

DIRECTOR: Shekhar Kapur

Shabana Azmi, Shazad Latif, Lily James, Emma Thompson

A filmmaker decides to document her best friend's journey toward arranged marriage.

Uprooted during partition thousands of Hindus & Sikhs, from Pakistan are refugees in Delhi. The Indian Government struggles to provide for them. Godse holds Gandhi responsible for the partition and misery of Hindus. He shot Gandhi on 30th January 1948. But Gandhi is miraculously saved. He pardons Godse. Gandhi suggests to congress leaders that the congress party should be dissolved

Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal on Friday shared that he has reached "city number 10" to resume shooting for his upcoming film 'Sam Bahadur'.

Without revealing the city's name, Vicky took to Instagram, where he shared a selfie and wrote: "Touchdown city no.10... Time to meet Sam again!"

In the image, he is seen sitting in a plane looking outside the window dressed in a grey sweatshirt paired with a baseball cap and sunglasses.

The film also stars Sanya Malhotra as Sam Manekshaw's wife Silloo and Fatima Sana Shaikh as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

'Sam Bahadur' is based on the life of India's first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, and his career in the Indian Army over four decades and multiple wars.

Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film also stars Neeraj Kabi, Edward Sonnenblick, Richard Bhakti Klein, Saqib Ayub and Krishna Kant Singh Bundela, among others.

Randeep Hooda faints while horse riding, gets severely injured

Khan for which the Highway actor had to undergo knee surgery on his right leg. The surgery happened during the shoot of his series 'Inspector Avinash'.

Randeep had also posted pictures from the hospital to keep his fans updated with his health developments.

Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) Actor Randeep Hooda was reportedly hospitalised at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai for treatment after he fainted while riding a horse and got severely injured.

The actor was injured in the incident that occurred few days back and rushed to the hospital immediately, he has been advised complete bed rest for now.

Last year, Randeep suffered an injury while shooting an action sequence for 'Radhe' with Salman

Now, the actor was drastically losing weight for 'Savarkar' for a long time. While during the promotions of his recently released Netflix original 'CAT' which garnered him a lot of praise, the actor went easy on his diet. As soon as he was back on the sets of 'Savarkar', to fit in the role of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, he went back to follow a strict and maintained diet.

As he has lost 22 kg for his role, there is hardly any muscle left around his knee due to which the fall had a major impact on his knee and leg. The actor injured his left leg which may require surgery.

Vicky Kaushal reaches ‘city no. 10’ to shoot for ‘Sam Bahadur’

Mumbai, Jan 8: Rewati

Limaye, who made her Bollywood debut with Madhur Bhandarkar's 'India Lockdown', will next be seen in 'Kuttey', playing the role of Arjun Kapoor's wife in the action thriller. She spoke about her role and praised Arjun.

"Working with Arjun Kapoor was fantastic. Actually, I was a little nervous when I went on the set the first day because he is a very big star and this was just my second project. Arjun Kapoor is one of the most down-toearth actors I've seen. The first time he came on set, he actually introduced himself to us. It was very kind of him. Also, he

doesn't have any attitude and is a gentleman," she said.

"He is not like one of those actors who would come on the set, complete their work and go. He would usually stay with everyone and was concerned about the scene and outfits that he and his partner were wearing. He thinks of everything from a 360-degree perspective. I really appreciate him for that," she added.

Sharing details about her character and her experience, she said: "My character is of a simple lady who takes care of the house and the family. Her husband (Arjun Kapoor) is a cop and he has a busy lifestyle but like any wife, she has expectations from her husband and keeps nagging him about not spending enough time with her."

She added: "My part of the film has been shot in and around Mumbai. We shot it in studios, auditoriums, roads, big apartments and most of it was in car. That was a very unique experience for me because shooting in a moving car also

comes with its challenges. However, it gave me a chance to interact with Arjun more. Though all my scenes are only with Arjun, I also wanted to share the screen with Tabu ma'am, Naseeruddin (Shah) sir, and Konkona Sen. However, I am grateful for whatever I got."

Rewati complimented director Aasaman Bharadwaj too for making it a smooth journey for her. She said: "Initially, I was a bit nervous to even start a conversation with him but he is so approachable and he lets you be who you are. He would always give you the space to try new things. He made the whole set so comfortable for everyone which made a lot of difference."

"In fact, I remember when there was a dialogue and I told it my way, he appreciated me and told me that this was better. When it was my last day of the shoot I went to change and when I came out I saw everyone stayed back for me and they praised me. It meant a lot because giving so much importance to every character is a big thing," she concluded.

Priyanka hosts screening of ‘Chhello Show’ for

Oscar voters in LA

'Holy Spider' and Pakistan's 'Joyland', on the Best International Feature Film short list for the 95th Academy Awards.

The Los Angeles event was attended by the film's lead actor, Bhavin Rabari, along with director Pan Nalin and producer Dheer Momaya and a host of Academy members.

Los Angeles, Jan 8: Priyanka

Jonas hosted a special screening of 'Chhello Show' (Last Film Show), India's official entry for the Academy Awards, for the voters who decide the Oscars in Los Angeles.

The screening was followed by a

'Last Film Show' is one of 15 movies, along with the Korean 'Decision to Leave', Denmark's

Bengaluru, Jan 8: Superstar

Yash turns a year older today and there is no better celebration of his birthday than Hombale Films hinting a yet another film with him. Hombale films, who have given Yash a phenomenal break in his career with KGF and KGF 2 has taken the Kannada industry a notch higher with this big feat at the box office. Now taking to social media, they wished Yash a very Happy Birthday and hinted on joining hands for a new project.

Sharing her thoughts, Priyanka told the guests at the event: "I feel it's a really great time for our movies and I feel so great to be able to always be the shoulders for people from my country, from my industry. Obviously Pan Nalin, he is one of the most prolific filmmakers from our country. He made a movie that I love, 'Angry Indian Goddesses'."

She added: "I have been a fan of his since I watched that movie.

I was very excited to see 'Last Film Show' that he made with Dheer Momaya, and Siddharth Roy Kapur who is not here. I've

They wrote: "#KGFChapter2 was a Gargantuan one, waiting for another Monster soon. To the man who shaped up the dream and took it beyond. Wishing you a very happy rocking birthday our Rocking Star @ TheNameIsYash. Have a rocking one and a phenomenal year ahead!

#HBDRockingStarYash #HombaleFilms" Yash and Hombale Films both have basked in a very successful 2022 with their film KGF2 being one of the highest grossers of the year. Yash

done many movies with him. He's also a producer on this movie. So whether I knew them or not I am a fan of 'Last Film Show' and those who have watched it will remember it."

Director Pan Nalin and Producers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Dheer Momaya said in a joint statement: "Priyanka is a global icon, a tremendously talented actor and most of all, a very generous person. We are very moved that she extended her support to Last Film Show by hosting this screening. The team was most thrilled by how much she loved the film, especially the performances of the child actors."

The film was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in the U.S. and by Roy Kapur Films in India. Orange Studios is releasing the film in France, while Shochiku Studios and Medusa are bringing it to Japanese and Italian cinemas respectively.

booked a phenomenal success at the box office with Hombale KGF 2's first-day collection of Rs 54 Cr. in the Hindi market and marked big on the global front by collecting 1200 Cr. Hombale Films has truly owned 2022 with just 2 releases. KGF 2 and Kantara have emerged as the two biggest hits of the year that not only ruled over the hearts of the masses but also booked massive success at the domestic and global box office. Ahead of this, Hombale Films is all set to bring yet another

Mumbai, Jan 8: Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, who recently celebrated her birthday and is also enjoying motherhood with her baby girl Devi Basu Singh Grover, is aiming for a terrific 2023 which also involves "great acting work".

The actress, who has been on an acting sabbatical for sometime, recently took to her Instagram and shared a picture of herself in a beautiful aqua outfit.

In her caption, she wrote: "2023 you will be an amazing year. New beginnings. Adventures of new mommy and baby ...looking forward to great acting work ... 3 of us travelling the world and the list goes on and on. #manifestingdreams #manifesting #2023 #newmommy #monkeylove."

In addition, the 'Race' actress also shared a set of pictures with her husband, Karan Singh Grover, and their newborn daughter Devi.

The celebrity duo had welcomed their daughter in the latter half of 2022. The infant's face wasn't revealed. However, she could be seen wearing an outfit with the words "I love mom" written on it.

cinema?)"

Yogi Adityanath recently visited Mumbai and held a meeting with Bollywood celebs including Suniel Shetty, Manoj Joshi, Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam, Boney Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.

Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS): Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff asked UP's CM Yogi Adityanath to lower the prices of popcorn at cinemas. He said that if the charges of popcorn is very high, the audience's inrerest in coming to theatres and watch movies will be affected. He conveyed his thought that lowering the prices may help in bringing movie buffs to cinema halls.

He said: "Theatre ke popcorn ka keemat kam karo Sir. 500 rupiya lete hai popcorn ka. Picture banayenge, studio banayenge, lekin andar aayega kaun? (Please reduce the price of popcorn, sir. They charge Rs 500 for popcorn. We will make films, studios, but who will come to watch them in a

The 'Hero' actor also welcomed the Chief Minister and invited him for home-cooked food.

"Welcome to Mumbai. Kabhi bhi ghar ka khana chaiye toh hukum karna, mil jayega (If you want home-cook food, just order and you will get it)."

Jackie also posted a picture on his social media handle expressing his gratitude to the CM.

He wrote in the caption: "It was nice to meet Yogi Adityanath Ji today along with Subhash Ghai Ji and my friends Suniel Shetty and Rahul Mittra, and learn about the UP film policy and film city. My best wishes!"

Later, Suniel Shetty also asked him to request PM Modi for putting a stop on boycott

Meer Foundation is a philanthropic foundation named after Shah Rukh's father Meer Taj Mohammed Khan which aims to effect change at ground level

works to build a world that empowers women.

In the past, Meer Foundation has supported and contributed to various causes that provide support to disadvantaged women and children.

A statement read: "Shah Rukh Khan's Meer Foundation donates an undisclosed amount to the family of Anjali Singh. Anjali, a 20-year-old, lost her life in a brutal hit and run that took place in Delhi's Kanjhawala. The aid by Meer

Anjali Singh, a 20-year-old woman, died a painful death after being dragged by a car for about 12 km in the national capital in the early hours of January 1.

Jackie Shroff’s plea to Yogi Adityanath: Get cinemas

to lower popcorn prices

Delhi Horror: SRK’s NGO donates undisclosed amount to Anjali’s family

‘KGF’ makers hint at new film with Yash in their b’day greetings

Chopra

dinner reception in Los Angeles for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS): Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's philanthropic NGO Meer Foundation has come forward and supported the Delhi accident victim Anjali Singh's family by donating an undisclosed amount.

foundation aims to help the family, especially the mother with her health issues while providing adequate relief to Anjali's siblings."

and

Kejriwal, Akshay, Rashmika, Samantha join the ‘Naatu

Naatu’ celebrations

whole country is dancing to #NaatuNaatu today.

Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS) Delhi

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined the chorus of compliments pouring in for the Golden Globes win of the 'RRR' track 'Naatu Naatu'.

He took to Twitter and wrote: "Congratulations to the whole cast and crew of RRR on this fantastic achievement. There can not be a prouder moment for our country than our art getting recognition in the highest global arenas."

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar also tweeted: "The

Congratulations to @ mmkeeravaani @ssrajamouli @ tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan and the entire team of 'RRR'. Proud moment #GoldenGlobes2023".

Rashmika Mandana, who became famous as 'Srivalli' in 'Pushpa: The Rise' shared the clip of the 'Naatu Naatu' being feted at the Golden Globes and wrote: "You did it #RRR so so proud and happy for you." Samantha Ruth Prabhu exclaimed: "Proudest moment ever!" Added Venkatesh Daggubati: "Absolutely phenomenal win."

'Pushpa' star, Allu Arjun also sent his best wishes to the 'RRR' team through Instagram. Sharing a

picture from the awards evening, he wrote: "Prideful moment for all of us. Congratulations to the entire team of 'RRR'."

Reacting to the win, 'Arjun Reddy' star Vijay Deverakonda was the first to give a "shoutout to Prem Rakshit master for the incredible choreography!"

He continued: "Sitting back and taking a moment to celebrate and absorb what @ssrajamouli sir, @tarak9999 anna @ AlwaysRamCharan anna and the entire team of #RRR is doing. Absolute Legends! Incredible moment for Indian Cinema. Lots of love and power to all of them. They are bringing attention and eyeballs to Indian Cinema. I believe it's just the start."

Aishwarya Khare brings home a furry friend

place.

Aishwarya, who hails from Bhopal, shared what motivated her to keep a pet.

"I've always been fond of dogs, and I also have one in the Bhopal house whose name is Noddy. But since I have been away from home, I never really got to spend enough time with him."

makes my parents, so I thought of getting this bundle of joy for myself too."

Vidya Balan’s hilarious reel leaves everyone in splits, Shubhangi says, ‘sahi pakde hai’

we both have made and I feel that we have similar choices when it comes to this.""I was waiting to see what she will make now. But today I heard my own voice in her reels and I was super excited. She has done such great work and I hope to work with her some day. I want to thank her and I loved it, 'aap sahi pakde hai'."

Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS) Bollywood actress Vidya Balan recently shared a reel on Instagram in which she can be seen enacting Angoori Bhabhi's dailogue from the show 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain'.

Vidya captioned it: 'Angrezi ek sensuous bhaasha". Shubhangi expressed her excitement over it and also wished to get a chance to work with Vidya.

Angoori, played by Shubhangi Atre, in the show, shared: "I saw this reel as soon as I woke up. I was very happy and excited. Sometimes, there are some reels on such trending audios which

Producer Binaiferr Kohli also added that getting positive response and attention for the content you are creating always gives a special feeling and the way Vidya shared a reel is like an honour for her.

"When I noticed Vidya Balan's reel on 'Bhabiji', I felt good. It's an honour when one gets appreciation for the good content we are making. The reach of the show is phenomenal. I am grateful to audiences for the love and yes, I am thankful to my most loved Vidya for making such a reel," she added.

'Bhagya

has

Aishwarya, who has become a pet parent to 'Barfi', got candid and shared her excitement about getting this new member at her

The actress has received a lot of fame from her TV shows such as 'Vishkanya Ek Anokhi Prem Kahani', 'Yeh Hai Chahatein', 'Saam Daam Dand Bhed', 'Naagin 5' and others.

Aishwarya added that after noticing how the pet keeps its parents always happy and gives them good company, she also thought of having a pet.

"I have noticed how happy Noddy

However, she said: "I am so excited to become a dog parent for the first time, but honestly, it is a very big responsibility. Initially, I got very scared, my sister and I were not very sure if we could take up this responsibility, but then, we just decided to go for it."

At last, the actress said that she hopes to take proper care of 'Barfi'.

"I think we will be good parents to Barfi, he indeed is a baby who makes us feel like parents of a new-born. We are already so attached to him and in a positive way, he has turned our world upside down", she concluded.

Andhra minister hits back at Adnan Sami for lashing out at CM

one to pass judgement on our patriotism," tweeted the minister. "My pride in being Telugu does not take away from my identity as an Indian," he added.

Amaravati, Jan 11 (IANS) An Andhra Pradesh minister hit back at singer Adnan Sami after the latter lashed out at Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for Telugu flag flying high message on "RRR" bagging a Golden Globe award.

Industries, Infrastructure and Information Technology Minister Gudivada Amarnath told Adnan Sami that he is no one to pass judgment on their patriotism. "We are proud of our language, our culture and our identity. And I proclaim again, WE ARE TELUGU. @AdnanSamiLive, you are no

Adnan Sami, who became an Indian citizen in 2016, had found fault with the Chief Minister's congratulatory message. While congratulating the "RRR" team for winning the award for the "Naatu Naatu" song, Reddy tweeted: "The Telugu flag is flying high".

"Telugu flag? You mean INDIAN flag right? We are Indians first & so kindly stop separating yourself from the rest of the country. Especially internationally, we are one country! This 'separatist' attitude is highly unhealthy as we saw in 1947!!! Thank you Jai HIND," wrote Sami.

However, the singer received flak for his remark from many Twitter users who defended the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and reminded him that being proud Telugu does not make one less Indian.

"If only you cud read the underlying emotions of a telugite expressing his ethnic pride ,u wudn't hv com up with ur Nationalism platitudes . Being REGIONAL makes us no less INDIAN than any of our Northern counterparts nor it leads to fissiparous tendencies keep ur gyan to urself," wrote a netizen.

"With that logic, being Indian doesn't make you any less regional," argued Sami.

"But you have taken an innocent statement of regional pride out of context and are now forcing 600K fellow Indians to see your perspective through a separatist lens just because it was not aceworded politically correctly", wrote another ATwitter user.

"A Chief Minister of a great State has all the means, facilities & responsibility to word a statement as aPolitically Correct'!!aPeriod!!," responded the singer.

Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS) Anurag Kashyap has turned into a great admirer of Amit Trivedi's music, which he composed for his upcoming film 'Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat!'.

He appreciated the hard work put by Amita and Amit Trivedi and lyricist Shellee who worked on the music album for four long years and finally produced the tracks. Anurag, best known for movies such as 'Gangs of Wasseypur', said: "I and Amit go a long way, it has been a friendship of 15 years and everytime we have collaborated he has given me some of the unforgettable melodies and this one is no exception. Amit has put his heart and soul for the album of this movie and his extreme patience with me in every situation is what I adore the

most."

He added: "Amit and Shellee spent four years working on the music because it's a very different world to belong to lyrically. It was hard work as Shellee had to let go of the poet in him and sat with his son and my daughter to use the lingo of today's generation."

Amit rose to fame with his work in 'Dev D', and later also composed music for 'Wake Up Sid', 'Aisha', 'Udaan', 'Chillar Party' and many more films.

Sharing his experience of working with Anurag, Amit said: "Anurag has a distinct vision for his films. 'Dev D' was a turning point in my career but we approach each film from a fresh lens and attempt to crack something new with every collaboration and that's exactly what audiences can expect from the 'Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat' album."

'Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat,' starring Alaya F and Karan Mehta is slated to release on February 3.

Mumbai, Jan 11: Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu has started shooting for the sequel of

"phir aayi hasseen dillruba" kia @taapsee tujhe bola tha na 9 baje poster dalne ke liye.. dala kyun nahi abhi tak ? #PhirAayiHasseenDillruba," he wrote. To which Taapsee replied: "Sir i'm not ready yet... Is baar toh le gayi hai character ko @ KanikaDhillon! Pata nahi kya kha ke likhi hai yeh kahani. Aur har baar mere saath hi kiyun aesai..PhirAayiHasseenDillruba." 'Haseen Dillruba' is a 2021 romantic thriller film directed by Vinil Mathew and written by Kanika Dhillon. It stars Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane.

'Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba' starred Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey in lead roles.

Anurag Kashyap heaps praise on Amit Trivedi’s music for his film

Taapsee starts shooting for ‘Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba’

Mumbai, Jan 11 (IANS)

Lakshmi' actress Aishwarya Khare

brought home a fury friend which is a Shih Tzu.

'Hasseen Dillruba', which is titled 'Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba'.

Filmmaker Anand L. Rai took to Twitter to announce that the shooting has commenced and also asked Taapsee as to why she hasn't shared the poster yet. "O hamari haseen dillruba Aaj shooting shuru ho gai hai