India News – Dec 16-31 2022, Vol 3 Issue 10

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for diplomatic efforts as

trade blame for failure to negotiate

"India has called upon both sides to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, and also expressed its support for all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict," India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj told them in the Security Council on Tuesday.

have crippled the electricity and water supply networks in parts the country as winter approaches.

"Reports of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the recent weeks is deeply worrying.A We reiterate our grave concerns in this regard," she said.

Washington, Dec 9: Indian American friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and the ruling BJP are facing growing scrutiny from US authorities under a law that requires Americans working for or on behalf of foreign governments or entities to register themselves and their organisations as "foreign agents".

Investigations are currently understood to be underway

against an unspecified number of Indian Americans, who include one person who has claimed to be a long-time friend and supporter of the Indian Prime Minister and who has been at the forefront of many diaspora rallies and outreach involving Modi and senior members of his cabinet.

United Nations, Dec 7: Even as Russia and Ukraine faced off in the UN Security Council accusing each other of not wanting to settle their conflict through negotiations, India has reminded them of its call for dialogue and diplomacy and offered to support such efforts.

"India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at deescalation," she said pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine about diplomacy and dialogue. "We believe that no solution can be arrived at the cost of innocent lives," Kamboj said.

Without naming it, she also offered mild criticism of Russia for the attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine which

Briefing the Council during the meeting presided over by Kamboj, Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths said" "In Ukraine today, the ability of civilians to survive is under attack."

While the temperatures are already dipping below minus 20 degrees Celsius, "the attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including power stations and heating plants, have left millions of people without access to heat, electricity, and water", he said. Russia's Permanent

All J&K PM Package employees & kin living in constant fear, says report

New Delhi, Dec 5: A fact-finding report on 'Unabated Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits' said that nearly all of the Prime Minister (PM) Package employees and their family members are scared and living in constant fear, and feel that it is a matter of time before they will be targeted and killed.

The report by a three-member fact-finding delegation led by Rahul Kaul, Amit Raina and Vithal Chodwdhary in its findings said that they constantly face taunts directly and indirectly about their religion, their patriotism to India and are held responsible for the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

Seeing the revival of 1990 in Kashmir once again and worried about the safety of the Hindu

brethren in Kashmir, the factfinding delegation was nominated by the frontline Kashmiri Pandit organistaions like Panun Kashmir, Roots in Kashmir and Youth 4 Panun Kashmir.

The brief of the committee was to visit the camps of PM Package employees in the Valley, employees serving and families living in the Valley and PM Package employees protesting in Jammu. The committee was also authorised to meet various officials and political workers for a better understanding of the situation.

"The employees feel that they are discriminated by most of their colleagues and seniors. The women and children are forced

to wear dress in line with Sharia dress code. They are constantly taunted, eve-teased and even stalked in few cases. Women wearing 'bindis' or 'sindoor' or marks of Hinduism felt more vulnerable," the findings of the report said.

The employees currently stationed in Kashmir are not staying out of their own will, most of them are compelled because their children have schools and they don't want to jeopardise their education, it said.

The findings said that the children are the worst lot.

"They have to live within the four walls of the house in case of a rented accommodation or

New Delhi, Dec 7: Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday managed to wrest control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, ending the BJP's 15-year-long reign, but did not perform too well in wards comprising senior leaders' constituencies.

Another major concern for the party is that even though its vote share, at 42.05 per cent, was double of 2017's 21.09 per cent, it

There was no response from him to a request for an interview. A spokesperson for the National Security Division of the US

17,000 feet high peak in Arunachal Pradesh from October this year, and since then, has doubled its troops along its side of the LAC, an Indian Army source said on Wednesday.

China was not active just from October only but they were creating an infrastructure alongside the LAC in Arunachal

has lost around 12 per cent of its vote share since the last Assembly polls.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, the AAP secured 53.75 per cent vote share to win 62 out of the total 70 seats, while the BJP's vote share increased by about 3 per cent from the polls when it bagged 8 seats with 38.5 per cent votes.

The BJP also made its presence felt in constituencies held by senior AAP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, jailed minister Satyendar Jain, Environment Minister and Delhi state convenor Gopal Rai, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Food and Civil Supplies

offers support

Russia, Ukraine

Modi, BJP’s Indian American friends face growing US scrutiny

‘China was building up airbase, infrastructure near the LAC for last 2 years ’

MCD polls: AAP victory overshadowed by losing key ground to BJP, lower vote share

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was trying to get access to a

EDITORIAL TEAM

Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman

Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief

Ms Priyadarshini Rana, Bureau Chief, Victoria

EDITORIAL BOARD

Amrita Deshpande, Community News Editor Paras Sharma, Assistant Editor

Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India

Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India

INDIA NEWS TV

Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director

Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer

India offers support for diplomatic efforts as Russia, Ukraine trade blame for failure to negotiate

Representative Vassily Nebenzia said that Moscow was taking seriously suggestions from UN members for a diplomatic solution to the conflict and was willing to hold negotiations. But he asserted that neither Ukraine nor the Western countries were interested in a diplomatic settlement.

"Ukraine needs peace and Ukraine wants peace," Kiev's Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya said. "But we harbour no illusions about Russian readiness for peace."

"We also resist the Russian strategy of buying time under the guise of apeace efforts' to replenish its military arsenal, to build strongholds in the occupied

territories and to prepare for a new attack, be it in two or five or seven years," he said.

Nebenzia said that he is asking India as the President of the Council to convene a meeting on Friday on allegations that arms sent to Ukraine from the West are finding their way to "terrorists and bandits".

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said recently that the "raging war in Ukraine" was a major source of weapons and fighters for terrorists in the Lake Chad Region, but did not specify who was responsible.

Griffiths drew attention to the plight of children, and said: "Since February, 1,148 children have been killed or injured while millions

have fled, been uprooted from their homes, separated from their families or put at risk of violence.

"Some 765,000 children received psycho-social support to help them deal with the distressing effects of the war and displacement."

Kamboj said that children are "the most vulnerable to suffering, particularly in situations of armed conflict, and, therefore, need additional protection and care".

"The conflict in Ukraine is no doubt severely impacting the 7.5 million children across Ukraine," she said, adding that India has provided financial aid for the reconstruction of an educational institution.

"We stand ready to do more."

All J&K PM Package employees & kin living in constant fear, says report

within the transit camp areas, thus impacting their overall psychological health. They feel as if they are in jails and are in constant mental agony. Although not many were open about the same, few children and

parents did complain of being discriminated against by the teachers for their religious belief, the findings of the report said.

The fact-finding committee starting November 15, 2022, spent six days across Jammu

and Kashmir to meet various sections of people. During these meetings, the revelations were horrible, shocking and scaring.

The committee was aghast at the ordeals of the community brethren, the report added.

MCD polls: AAP victory overshadowed by losing key ground to BJP, lower vote share

Minister Imran Hussain, as well as senior leaders Amanullah Khan, Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Atishi.

Sisodia's Patparganj constituency has four wards. However, the party has won one ward only and the BJP the other three - the same as in 2017.

Jain, who has been in jail for over six months now on allegations of money laundering, is the MLA from Shakur Basti, which has three wards - all three were won by the BJP, just like in 2017.

Gahlot is the MLA from Najafgarh constituency whose all three

wards have been clinched by the BJP. Rai's Babarpur also has four wards - but the AAP has secured only one, while two went to the BJP and one to the Congress.

Similarly in Amanullah Khan's Okhla constituency, the BJP has won two wards, the Congress two and the AAP only one.

Of AAP spokesperson Bhardwaj's Greater Kailash constituency, the party has won two of the three wards and the BJP has won one.

In Ballimaraan constituency of Hussain, the AAP succeeded in securing two wards and BJP one.

In Atishi's seat Kalkaji, all three MCD wards went into the BJP's basket. In Model Town seat held by Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, all three wards were also won by the saffron party.

However, the AAP has achieved comfortable majority by securing 134 seats, an increase of 86 seats from last time when it got only 48 seats. In 2017, the BJP had won 181 seats of the then total 270 seats coming under Delhi's three civic bodies. This time the party has won 104 seats.

Modi, BJP’s Indian American friends face growing US scrutiny

country".

Department of Justice that administers the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) that has triggered these investigations, refused to confirm or deny whether two Indian Americans -specifically named in the request -- were being investigated under FARA.

"Please note that the FARA Unit does not issue advisory opinions to third parties, or provide comment on any activities the staff conducts in its efforts to enforce the Act," the spokesperson replied in a written response.

Just this past July, a Texas-based organisation became the second organisation set up by Indian Americans to register themselves under FARA - Ethos Foundation (DBA - Bharati Foundation). Its office-bearers are a USbased Indian citizen and two Americans of Indian descent. It was not immediately clear if the organization was forced to register itself under FARA by US authorities or did so voluntarily.

In its registration form, the organisation listed Kishore Poreddy, describing hims as the official Spokesperson of BJP, as the person it engages with, and listed the address of the foreign principal -- the BJP -- as Nampally Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

The organisation said its aim is to "communicate with NRIs (non-Resident Indians) and bring political awareness about their Mother country which is India".

To that end, it said, its activities are limited to "just helping the Foreign Principal (the BJP) to gain (the) confidence of (the) Indian diaspora so that it can help them in their elections in India".

About services rendered for the foreign principal -- the BJP, it said it "will help communicate with Indian diaspora which would help Indians have awareness of India and its politicians and cultural ambassadors, that would help Indian Diaspora get in touch with Indian cultural and political ambassadors and won't be in darkness about their native

Overseas Friends of BJP-USA was the first organisation formed by Indian Americans that was forced to register itself with the US Justice Department under FARA in August 2020, along with its three office-bearers, who are all naturalised American citizens of Indian descent. One of them shared the stage with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at a diaspora outreach during his last visit to Washington DC in September.

The Overseas Friends of BJP was embroiled at the time in a controversy arising from the use of a bulldozer in a rally it had organised in New Jersey state to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's independence. Critics slammed the bulldozer as a deliberate ploy to bring India's divisive politics to the US as it has become a symbol of the oppression of minorities in India. A coalition of advocacy groups of Muslims and African Americans is demanding a multiagency probe by the FBI and CIA of the growing visibility of Indian right-wing politics in the US.

The Overseas Friends of BJP cited the BJP as the "foreign principal" that it represents and works for in its FARA registration form declared in its FARA registration form, situated at 6-A Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi, India 110002.

Vijay Chauthaiwale, BJP office-bearer in charge of the department of foreign affairs, was listed as the person the Overseas Friends of BJP engages with. The organization said it engages with the foreign principal - the BJP - "on its own initiative and receives no compensation for its efforts".

It described its activities as setting up and supporting "local chapters in the US to project an accurate and positive image of India and promote the BJP in the US".

Lobbying the US government and Congress by American citizens on behalf of foreign governments and entities is legitimate in the US. But individuals and entities involved in these activities should register with the US Justice Department and also file quarterly disclosures with US Congress detailing their clients, services offered and fees charged.

‘Light It Red’ campaign targets dyslexia in Greater Springfield

Principal Sharyn Angel said a red paper aeroplane throwing competition was held to celebrate and support Code REaD Dyslexia Network’s campaign ‘Light It Red’ – running during the Dyslexia awareness month of October.

Ms Angel said more than half of the students at Mastery Schools Australia have dyslexia.

“Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that makes it challenging for people to process language,” Ms Angel said.

“About 1 in 10 people have dyslexia. People with dyslexia find it difficult to ‘decode’ letters and words.”

She said dyslexic people do not have any difficulty with speaking and listening to words, but they experienced problems making sense of reading individual words.

Ms Angel said Mastery Schools Australia has very proudly joined the Greater Springfield community this year. Enrolments at the school had significantly increased this year, with one teacher and five assistant teachers per class giving students targeted support.

“We opened with 27 students at the start of the year and now have 100 students and a further waitlist of more than 150 students,” she said.

“We use targeted programs daily to teach students to decode. All students are placement tested before enrolment and we teach from their point of readiness, rather than their year level.”

Ms Angel said Mastery School Australia was welcomed by other schools in the Springfield Learning Coalition, ensuring every student in the community had their needs met.

“We formed some amazing partnerships this year with neighbouring businesses and organisations such as University of Southern Queensland, Studio of Performing Arts and CrossFit Heart to name just a few.”

Mastery Schools Australia is located Level 3, 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, Springfield Central. If you want to learn more about MSA and how they can help your child with their academic journey, visit msa.qld.edu.au.

Springfield City Group Chairman receives global award

Springfield City Group Chairman Maha Sinnathamby AM has been recognised in global corporate leadership awards for the vision that has produced Australia’s fastest-growing city.

Mr Sinnathamby was named Property Founder & Visionary Chairman of the Year in the CEO Monthly’s annual Chairperson awards that feature recipients from the likes of the United Kingdom, Germany, Scotland, Canada and the United States.

Mr Sinnathamby was among 12 Chairs to be recognised in the awards that acknowledge the changing roles of Chairs.

“The bar is higher than ever,” CEO Monthly wrote when announcing the awards.

The magazine noted the

factors of climate and diversity commitments and increased scrutiny on the likes of equity and inclusivity in modern businesses.

The magazine applauded Greater Springfield’s achievement over 30 years as Australia’s first masterplanned city since Canberra.

“Instead of mimicking whathas been done elsewhere, Mr Sinnathamby and his Springfield City Group team have established themselves as trailblazers,” CEO Monthly wrote.

“Springfield city has been developed with partnerships built on the understanding of the founders’ vision, but these partnerships flowed only after hard work. This was a longterm project that would become the key to uniting the areas of Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan into

a complementary urban network. “Greater Springfield would have a CBD, an education precinct, a health precinct, an innovation precinct, excellent transport and many families who would live long, productive lives without the headaches of traditional cities built without planning coordination.”

Mr Sinnathamby said he was honoured to receive the award given the international contenders.

“This has been a team effort for decades and we are excited that Australia has been recognised for a visionary project,” Mr Sinnathamby said.

“This city has always been built on the goal to enhance human and social capital. Brain power is the

foundation of the world’s most renowned cities. When planning our city, I wanted to provide all the elements necessary for people and their ideas to flourish.”

Springfield city now includes 53,000 residents utilising schools, tertiary education, hospital and health services and innovative businesses in its booming Knowledge Precinct.

“And that’s just the beginning,” Mr Sinnathamby said.

“We have 65 per cent left to doubt the fundamentals are in place and as a city, we look forward to the future withopen arms.”

The full list of winners of the CEO Monthly Chairperson Awards can be found here: https://www. ceo-review.com/issues/2022chairperson-awards/2/

Abbot Point Operations parmi-prepared for what the wet season has to offer

Abbot Point Operations has everything from Bowen’s biggest tie down to a freezer filled with chicken parmis ready to go if a cyclone threatens the North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT) this summer.

APO Health, Safety, Environment, and Community Manager Kate Mee said the business activated its Severe Weather Committee each October to ensure the multibillion-dollar Terminal and the near 400 people who work there were ready for whatever the wet season had to throw at them.

Torches, tarps, and pre-packaged chicken parmigiana, lasagne, and vegetarian risotto meals all feature in the comprehensive onsite preparations alongside extra testing of APO’s state-of-theart water management systems and hands-on practice securing nearly 40-metre-high stackerreclaimers.

“We collaborate with NQXT, the port authority, and various State and Commonwealth departments to make sure we’re prepared for the wet season, and that approach works really well,” Ms Mee said.

“Living in tropical north Queensland means it’s important we know our site is clear of debris and we can safely and quickly store away equipment or lockdown our infrastructure, not just for a cyclone, but for any of the severe weather systems that can pop up during the wet season.

“It’s also important we look after our people. We make sure we have our contact details up to date and that there is food, water, and supporting facilities in place in case our team ever gets cut off from town.”

Project Supervisor Matt Kingwill implemented much of APO’s severe weather action plan and encouraged locals across the Whitsundays and Mackay to make sure they were cyclone ready at home.

“Alot of what we do at the port can

be repeated at home – just on a smaller scale – and now, before a cyclone is bearing down on us, is the best time to take action if you haven’t already,” he said.

“Removing loose sheets of iron or pieces of timber laying about your property and securing your outdoor furniture, LPG bottles, boat or caravan are some of the common sense things that can be the difference between someone being injured or your property or a neighbour’s property being damaged.”

About Abbot Point Operations

• Bravus’ Abbot Point Operations (APO) helps deliver high quality Queensland coal to the world through its safe, efficient, and responsible management of the North Queensland Export Terminal’s (NQXT) operations.

• In meeting the needs of Queensland coal producers, APO prioritises the safety of everyone on its site and protection of the local environment, while creating jobs and supporting local community programs.

• APO has the systems, people, and infrastructure in place to ensure the safe, efficient and responsible operations of NQXT. With 190 local employees and a supporting workforce of contractors, APO balances the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the terminal operations.

• APO is dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement of its systems and practices to help its people work safer, smarter and with great care for the local community and environment.

• APO embodies Bravus’ mission to support the communities in which it operates with its Grow Local Community Support Program providing significant funding to community groups, organisations, and initiatives in the local area.

• More than $1.7 million has been awarded under the program since 2017, focusing on education, health, community wellbeing and youth opportunities. Each year, APO consults with community stakeholders to determine issues, challenges, and priorities for support.

APO Project Supervisor Matt Kingwill securing torches and tarps as part of severe weather preparations at the North Queensland Export Terminal.

APO Environment and Community Officer Lauren Barber with some of the frozen meals that will keep the team fed should wet weather cut the road between the port and town

Meet our Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council board member Mr. Amey

deeply care about resolving issues in the community and those that can help people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Queensland brings me a step closer to what I hope to achieve along with an opportunity to learn over the term of this council.

Where are you living and working currently?

It is a pleasure to see young Indian diaspora representation on the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council Board. Mr. Amey Deshpmukh was recently appointed as Director of the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council board. The Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council (the Council) advises the Minister for Children, Youth Justice, and Multicultural Affairs on opportunities and barriers facing people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and how to promote the Multicultural Queensland Charter to support a unified, harmonious, and inclusive community.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs chairs the 11-member Council, which advices on: ·the needs, aspirations, and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds ·promoting the principles of the multicultural charter within the Queensland community ·developing and implementing government policies about multiculturalism

·how government-funded services and programs can be responsive to the needs of people from diverse backgrounds.

For more information and to know the other board members visit the website https://www. cyjma.qld.gov.au/multicultural-

India News Community News editor Ms. Amrita Deshpande had the privilege to exclusively interview Mr. Amey Deshmukh to know him and introduce him to the community. Here is the summary of the interview. Tell us briefly about your background, where are you from and what brings you to Australia.

Amey Deshmukh: I was born and raised in the historic city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra and completed my primary school education there. Throughout the years, with the developments of the internet, I was exposed to events occurring around the world and felt strongly about them. However, I did not know what I could do about it! Fast forward to my arrival in Australia in July 2018, I began pursuing a Master of Communication majoring in Social Change where I learnt the various tools of communication; how communication could be effectively used to leverage social change. I also realized that advocacy can act as a catalyst for one’s voice being heard on a greater magnitude. The opportunity to be a part of the Queensland Multicultural Advisory Council reflects the same. Sharing a common platform with members who

Amey Deshmukh: I have been living in the western corridor of Queensland in a remote town of approximately 80 people - Bedourie since April 2021. I work with the Diamantina Shire Council as a Training Liaison and Safety Officer. The initial challenge of living in the rural region followed by isolation was intimidating. But within a few days, I began to realize how strong the sense of community in this region is. These communities might not consist of a lot of people but most communities of outback Australia are very warm, welcoming, and tightly knit. It was definitely worth taking a break from the cities and experiencing a very different context of outback Australia!

How are you finding life in a rural area?

Amey Deshmukh: I have been living in a rural region for the last eighteen months and I have never been more excited to learn more about a context and its culture. While I was moving from Brisbane to Bedourie, an old mate at a motel in Longreach told me ‘when people get tired of the hustle-bustle of cities, they move out west. You seem to have taken it literally. To that, I laughed a lot because it really was the farthest out west anybody could go in Queensland. However, I arrived in Bedourie during the golden hour of sunset on an autumn afternoon and it has been a mesmerizing experience ever since then. Why did you want to be on the Multicultural Queensland Council?

Amey Deshmukh: Since I arrived in Australia in 2018, I have consistently tried to volunteer and put myself in extracurricular activities to make the most of my time, gaining

experiences in Australia. In 2019, I was appointed as one of the Brisbane International Student Ambassadors to represent the lifestyle and diversity in Brisbane (Communication for Social Change student is going beyond the classroom to make an impact - School of Communication and Arts - University of Queensland (uq.edu.au)). While I was a student at the University of Queensland, I also got an opportunity to work with my mentor and Professor Aparna Hebbani. We published a research paper on 'Exploring a mobile-based language learning intervention to improve English language acquisition and acculturation among migrants in Australia' (https:// www.jbeplatform.com/content/ journals/10.1075/aral.21017.heb).

In 2020, I was appointed to Study Queensland’s Queensland Student Advisory Panel which consisted of fifteen students across various educational institutes of Queensland. This was amidst COVID-19 and was a particularly challenging time to advocate for and help out students across Queensland. However, the panel assisted Study Queensland to raise $10 million through Study Queensland-Luhrmann appeal to help out families and students across Queensland during the challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic (Luhrmanns lend a hand for Queensland studentsMinisterial Media Statements). This was the point of inception where I began to realise the power of advocacy and how an agent can be a catalyst in creating a difference.

With my appointment at the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council, my aim is to help the council achieve the Multicultural Action Plan 2022-24 (Multicultural Action Plan: 2019 - 2019 (cyjma.qld.gov.au)) as it emphasizes working together on issues that I care about and would like to work on; and be the voice of as many people along the way. What more do you want to do to improve and make the living better for people in the rural areas of Queensland?

Amey Deshmukh: Along with

the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council, I have also been appointed to the Western Queensland Regional Community Forum earlier this year (Western Queensland | Advancing Queensland’s Regions (premiers.qld.gov.au)) which is led by Minister Nikki Boyd. This platform allows me to work closely with the communities of Western Queensland and to help in progressing them. I believe that the lives of people in rural areas of Queensland are equally important to that of any other parts of Queensland as we work towards a brighter vision and inclusivity for all the residents living and working tirelessly to benefit these regions of Queensland.

How do you think the Indian community should be involved in the work of the council?

What plans do you have to engage the Indian community in your work as the council Advisor?

Amey Deshmukh: I believe that the Indian community and the overarching umbrella of people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds have been pioneers in whatever field they chose to work in. However, my message to everyone working across different sectors in Queensland would be - whether they have been involved in the industry for several years or are recent graduates, it would be worth it to try out working and living in regional areas of Queensland. While the saturation of the workforce is comparatively lesser, the opportunities to grow are tremendous; and at the same time, the standard of living is equally good. Here is Sarmad’s story who has been working with Barcaldine Regional Council for the last few years (FarOut! (gofarout.com.au)). A skilled workforce can contribute so much more to the communities while carving a way to grow together. The life out here may or may not be for you but it definitely is worth a try and who knows, it might just click and you may find yourself a new place to call home!

was building up airbase, infrastructure near the LAC for last 2 years’

numbers and resisted them.

Fully prepared and aware Indian Army troops defeated the Chinese in their attempt, and in this clash, a total of 34 Indian and more than 40 Chinese soldiers got injuries, the army source said.

Six of the Indian Soldier who got injuries during the clash were admitted to the military hospital at Guwahati, but there is no reports of any serious injury.

The clash between Indian army and Chinese PLA on December 9 occurred along the section of the LAC at Yangtse, some 35 km north- east of Tawang in the western part of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the first physical clash between the two armies since August 2020 in eastern Ladakh. Satellite images also shows that China has built villages near the border with Tawang in Arunachal Pardesh. The Chinese

PLA army has also constructed a road on that side. Chinese Army had arrived near the Indian post on LAC on 9 December with 300 soldiers, under a well-planned conspiracy, an Indian Army source said on Tuesday.

After the tension erupted in Arunachal Pradesh, now Indian Air Force aircraft are patrolling the skies of Arunachal to prevent the Chinese Army from violating the LAC.

Pradesh since 2020. China built an airbases too at their side, near the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, the source said.

According to the sources, the building up of Chinese infrastructure, started just before

the Communist Party of China commenced its 20th Congress. After increasing its strength, the PLA on December 9 tried to get access to the strategicallyimportant Arunachal peak but India had also matched the

affairs/policy-governance/ multicultural-queenslandadvisory-council

‘China

Deshmukh…

Continuing battle against inflation, RBI hikes repo rate by 35 bps

domestic product (GDP) or the economic growth at 6.8 per cent this fiscal.

Das said the Indian economy was resilient and the inflation was moderate.

While the battle against inflation will continue, Das also said the aspect of economic growth will also be kept in mind.

He said 10 year benchmark yield may be in a broad range of 7.257.45 per cent, Thomas added.

"No real surprise with 35 bps indicating that the fight against inflation is not yet over but there is hope of downward trajectory. Therefore not 25 or 50 bps.

Continued divergence at RBI on battle against inflation

Chennai, Dec 7: The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Wednesday in a 5:1 decision increased the repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) to 6.25 per cent to contain inflation.

The repo rate, also called the policy rate, is the interest at which RBI lends money to the commercial banks.

The RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, heading the MPC, announced the rate hike and added that the battle against inflation was not over.

With this the MPC has increased the repo rate by 225 points this fiscal.

Pegging the headline inflation at 6.7 per cent for this fiscal, the RBI has also estimated the gross

The GDP growth of 6.8 per cent was resilient when the world was experiencing an acute slowdown.

The upward revision in the interest rate was in line with expectations of the economic experts and industry officials.

Reacting to rate hike K. Joseph Thomas, Head Research, Emkay Wealth told IANS: "The 35 bps hike in repo rate takes the base rate to 6.2 5 per cent. This will push the short term rates higher. In line with expectations but the overall stance looks relatively moderate compared to earlier policy pronouncements given the inflation outlook better."

Persistence of inflation due to higher oil prices still remains a risk. Also, the weak Rupee may transmit some inflation into the domestic economy, he said.

Growth projections lower at 6.8 per cent and while magnitude is marginal indicates still resilience on balance," Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda told IAN S.

"These are relevant observations given that the World Bank has scaled up projections just yesterday. Stance continues to be withdrawn which is relevant here as we are still in surplus though lower than three months back," he added.

"There is assurance that RBI will provide liquidity when required as it tracks standing deposit facility (SDF) and variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) balances. On the whole, it is good for markets - Sensex up with announcement. GSec yields up marginally mirroring the rate hike," Sabnavis remarked.

Indian techies to learn Japanese as Tokyo opens doors for jobs

a platform connecting Indian and Japanese businesses, said.

Kumar, who is familiar with the Japanese language and culture is likely to spearhead the programme.

ageing population.

A report by Japan Times published in September noted that 29.1 per cent of the country's population is over 65 years of age.

Chennai, Dec 7 (IANS) There is continuing divergence within the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on the way the battle against the inflation is to be fought.

In a 5:1 decision, the MPC decided to increase the repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) on Wednesday with RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das saying the battle against inflation was continuing.

The repo rate, also called the policy rate, is the interest at which the RBI lends money to the commercial banks.

While five members of the MPC -- Das, Shashanka Bhide, Ashima Goyal, Rajiv Ranjan and Michael Debabrata Patra voted in favour of 35 bps hike, the lone dissenting

voice was that of Jayanth R. Varma who voted against the majority decision.

As regards the withdrawal of accommodation to ensure inflation remains with the target going forward, while supporting growth, Bhide, Ranjan, Patra and Das voted in favour Ashima Goyal and Varma voted against this part of the resolution

Curiously at the September MPC meeting, Goyal voted against the resolution to hike the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.90 per cent. Goyal was for a hike of 35 basis points. At the same meeting, Varma had voted against the second part of the resolution on the withdrawal of accommodation to ensure inflation remains within the target.

Revival of traditional medicine in J&K

New Delhi, December 5: Nagpur based Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) will launch a special training programme on Japanese language, work culture and communication for its students. The programme will commence in January next year. This initiative, though one of the first of its kind, is likely to be replicated at several other education institutes. The programme is expected to facilitate employment of Indians in Japanese companies while also making it easier for them to relocate there. A public university, VNIT is among the 31 National Institutes of Technology in the country.

"Japan would now look to hire a large workforce from India and this would include both blue collared and white collared. We need to have a plan in place. The initiative undertaken by VNIT will be a big step," Aditya Kumar, promoter and chairman, Kizuna,

Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) under the aegis of the country's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), with the aim to boost economic activities and people to people connect is running a similar programme with IIT Hyderabad.

Suzuki Takashi, Chief Director General,

Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), India told India Narrative that more such programmes are needed to increase job opportunities for citizens.

"We have a programme with IIT Hyderabad but we are now looking to have similar tieups with other top education institutes in India, " Takashi said, adding that it is critical to increase people to people connect between the two countries especially at a time when the supply chain network is under pressure.

At present, the Indian diaspora in Japan is not a sizeable one.

Japan is currently dealing with an

Japan tops the world rankings for the oldest society by proportion of over 65s, well above Italy in second place at 24.1 per cent and third place Finland with 23.3 per cent, the report said, adding that a rise in elderly people is a problem for the country that affects health care system and efforts to reverse low birth rates and sustain regional communities.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to New Delhi in March this year and thereafter Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tokyo to attend the QUAD summit between India, Japan, Australia and the US.

The two leaders concurred to further develop Japan-India relations and work closely toward the realisation of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific, " Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Srinagar, Dec 7 (IANS) Kashmir has been the gateway to spiritual ascension for many saints and seers. They say the land has healing energy because the veil between God's abode and Kashmir is the thinnest here.

Perhaps this is the reason the best variety of herbs and medicinal plants grow wildly under His protection here.

For a long, J&K's medicinal and herbal plants have been important sources of income for the locals.

The high altitude of the region creates the right conditions for growing some of the world's rare varieties of herbs.

J&K is finally tapping the unexplored potential of Agri-tech Startups. The hopes are high after the success of the Purple Revolution of the Lavender herb.

The youth that had earlier left Kashmir for greener pastures and high-paying jobs in metropolitan cities of the country are running back to tend to their ancestral fields. People are making fortunes selling local medicinal herbs and aromatic plants which have a high export value. Non-timber forest produce (NTFP) is the new gold in J&K.

In a pine forest at Viji Top having an altitude of 1900 meters a herbal park, which was set up three years ago, is bearing fruits of abundance. Thousands of plants are scattered over 18 hectares of land waiting to be distributed to enterprising youth, schools, colleges, and other institutions.

Many such parks are coming up across J&K for conservation, commercial, and tourism purposes. Due to urbanisation, modern medicine, and political turmoil in the valley for the past three decades, countless species have almost vanished in the region. It was pertinent for Forest Department and the administration to make a repository of these species which were mentioned in the Rajatarangini.

The advantages of cultivating herbal plants in J&K are multifold: i) incredible diversity of medicinal plants since ancient times; ii) diverse agro-geo climate conditions; iii) potential of high altitude medicinal plants of high commercial value; iv) access to critical utilities at no cost; v) lowest power tariffs regime; vi) government offers zonal relaxation to investors; vii) government and NGO support to institutes developing conservation technologies.

Amit Shah takes proactive steps on demand for

the Rio government.

On Tuesday, Shah held the muchawaited crucial meeting with the ENPO leaders in presence of sitting BJP MP S Phangnon Konyak and two former MPs -Asungba Sangtam and Wangyuh Konyak.

He assured of taking multipronged time bound strategies to address the people's grievances.

New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) In a landmark development which was hailed by an apex Eastern Nagaland-based body as "a very successful" meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the delegation that time-bound steps will be taken to address the grievances of the far-flung region. "It is to be stated that the Union Home Minister had appreciated the Eastern Nagaland people for being a part of the nation building thus far, which, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also aware, he stated. The Union Home Minister said that the grievances and request for a separate entity is understood," a statement from the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) said. Eastern Nagaland, the native

home of the Konyaks, Sangtams, Changs, Phoms, Khiamniungans, Yimchungrus tribes, was included as part of the Nagaland state by way of the 16 Point Agreement inked in 1960.

At present, the region has six districts -- Tuensang, Mon, Shamatore, Longleng, Noklak and Kiphire.

The ENPO is stewarding the movement for the creation of Frontier Nagaland as a separate state.

These seven tribes have stayed away from this year's annual tourist extravaganza of Hornbill Festival being hosted in Kohima.

Some community leaders say the gesture could be interpreted as Eastern Nagaland's lack of trust in

"The Union Home Minister highlighted a clear Road-map for amicable, legislative and sustainable solution for Eastern Nagaland, which will include consultation with the people of Eastern Nagaland and the Nagaland state government.

Shah also assured to visit Eastern Nagaland personally by January 2023; for which, the ENPO eagerly awaits his visit," the ENPO statement said.

Sources said Shah is likely to visit Eastern Nagaland for in January 2023.

Among others, Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau, Additional Secretary Home (NE) and A.K. Mishra, the peace emissary in the Naga talks, also attended the meeting.

Naya J&K: PM Modi led regime fills in 70-year long void in 3-years

provision in the Constitution, being in vogue.

encroachment free city.

New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) The reach of digital technologies remains limited to largely male, urban, upper-caste, and upper-class households and individuals, said Oxfam India's latest 'India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide'.

The percentage of men owning phones is as high as 61 per cent while only 31 per cent of the women owned phones in 2021, according to the report.

Oxfam India has called on the Union government and state governments to ensure universal access to Internet connectivity by investing in digital infrastructure to not only make the Internet affordable but also push for greater accessibility to smartphones.

According to the report, 8 per cent of the General Caste have a computer or a laptop whereas less than 1 per cent of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 2 per cent of the Scheduled Castes (SC) have it. As per the Mobile Gender Gap report by GSMA, women are less likely to use mobile Internet by 33 per cent when compared to men in 20.

Ph.D. is 60 per cent more likely to have a phone than a person with no education. This is worrying because this digital divide can further deepen the existing socio-economic inequalities in the country. We urge the state and Union governments to immediately take necessary steps to universalise internet connectivity and treat digital technologies as a public utility, not a privilege", said Amitabh Behar, CEO of Oxfam India.

The report analysed primary data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE) household survey from January 2018 to December 2021.

The report looks at CMIE's data on Internet access, mobile ownership, computer, and broadband availability to assess the inclusivity of digital initiatives to deliver public services and entitlements. The report also used secondary analysis from the National Sample Survey (NSS).

The report revealed a digital divide based on the employment status where 95 per cent of the salaried permanent workers have a phone whereas only 50 per cent of the unemployed (willing and looking for a job) have a phone in 2021.

Srinagar, Dec 5: The Jammu and Kashmir administration is working hard to fill in the gaps and lacunas that were created due to the wrong policies followed by the former political regimes in the Himalayan region during the past seven decades.

Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) the government is mulling to build 2 lakh houses in J&K of which more than one lakh have already been completed.

Besides working towards realizing the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide housing to all, the Jammu and Kashmir administration after August 5, 2019 when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- has taken many small and big steps to bring J&K people closer to the government and fill in the void that was created by the big blunders committed by the former rulers.They are being provided with all the facilities which they didn't get for 70-years due to Article 370, a temporary

The J&K administration is putting in dedicated efforts to fill in the gaps between policies and implementation. Basic needs like electricity, toilet, drinking water, LPG connection and other facilities for all are being met through convergence of different government schemes.

The J&K administration has been focusing on the concept of Jan-Bhagidari which is emerging as the key pillar of development and an essential for economic and cultural rejuvenation in the Himalayan region.

The administration is taking multiple steps to decongest, rejuvenate and beautify the cities, towns and villages. Efforts are being put in to transform J&K into a vibrant economic zone. Steps and initiatives being taken by the present regime are in line with the aspirations of the common people in J&K as they remained deprived of the benefits since 1947. Seven action plans

In the urban areas the administration has farmed seven action plans under 'My Town, My Pride' initiative. The seven action plans are: city resource mobilization, finance plan, city livelihood plan, city smart vending plan, green city plan, city tourism & culture plan, city beautiful plan and plan for

The helmsmen want to integrate development concepts to improve urban sustainability, quality of life and urban welfare. The efforts are being put in to work on brand positioning of the cities as each city has its own unique cultural identity and heritage.

The government is also preparing a comprehensive plan to strengthen urban local selfgovernance, creating resources and to foster more inclusion and sustainability for future challenges.

The Housing and Urban Development Department is working out on a strategy for revenue generation and implementation of master plans of the cities to meet the needs of the growing population.

Old cities beautification plan, small initiatives like similar address boards, paintings, shops in uniform colour, municipal beauty competitions; City cleanliness program; beautification of parks are being implemented with public participation.

Elected members, including Panchayat representatives, members of District Development Council and others are putting in collaborative efforts to steer the development process and ensure resolution of the day to day problems of the people.

"Digital technologies were supposed to make public services and schemes more accessible. But the 'India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide' shows this isn't happening. The report highlights how digital technologies are accessible to the rich and privileged. The report shows that a person with a postgraduate or a

The report also highlights that contrary to popular perception the use of computer devices decreased in the rural areas.

Pre-pandemic, only 3 per cent of the rural population owned a computer. This has come down to just 1 per cent post-pandemic. Whereas in the urban areas, the number of people with computers is 8 per cent.

Fired for being ‘trans woman’, UP school denies

Lucknow, Dec 7 (IANS) A 29-yearold trans woman, hired as a teacher by a private school in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, was allegedly asked to resign after she revealed her gender to some of the school members and students.

The school management has refuted the allegations and said the woman was fired as she was no good at teaching one of the subjects she was appointed for.

The woman alleged that she was hired as an English and social science teacher and on seeing her documents, she was told to keep her gender identity a secret by the school management.

"After a three-stage rigorous interview, I was hired by the school and was given the position of a trained graduate teacher (TGT) for social science and English on November 22," she said.

She said she was asked to resign only over a week later, as she did

not follow the instructions about her identity.

"Due to my physical features which are unlike other women, I was subjected to trolling in the school by some staff and students. I often used to get undue attention from the people for my looks and was even laughed at and called a 'hijra'(eunuch). Then I tried to educate and sensitise the students about the community and laws being made for such people, also telling them that I represented that community," she added.

She further said, "This was unacceptable to the school administration and I was asked to resign on December 2, only 10 days after I was hired, on the ground that I was not competent enough to teach social science."

The woman, who was born a man, underwent a male-to-female sex reassignment surgery at the Bhandari Hospital and Research Centre in Indore in 2019.

‘Frontier Nagaland’

Women, unemployed, rural poor lag due to digital divide, says Oxfam India Report

Medical studies get tech edge with AI, machine learning, remote care What

now not being done on patients as well. All this has been possible only because of digitisation.

India has recognised health professionals and 53 related categories. Apart from this, India has also given a new shape to the needs of education and training.

is social-emotional learning

transforms an intellectually and academically competent student into a socially responsible as well as self-sufficient individual. The social and interpersonal skills not only help him navigate everyday personal and professional challenges better but also inculcate in his empathy and compassion for others.

New Delhi, Dec 4:Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there has been a big change in the learning methods at the medical colleges and other similar institutions in the country.

New-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have taken diagnosis, treatment, postoperative care, remote patient care and palliative care to a whole new level.

Ashutosh Niranjan, Dean of Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences (NIIMS), told IANS, "Traditional learning methods are going to remain in the coming times as well, but in the new age of technology, virtual reality, AI and ML are some of the new ways of learning."

New methods are being implemented to teach and train future doctors and physicians.

For example, AI will improve the ability of physicians to store digital data and make diagnosis and prognosis.

Experts believe that there are other new trends in teaching and assessment methods such

as computer-aided instruction, virtual patients, augmented reality, human patient simulation, and virtual reality for assessing students' competency.

Medlern's CEO Deepak Sharma said that the pandemic has proven to be a turning point for Indian healthcare. In the last century, it took 50 years for new information and knowledge to fully spread in healthcare, but in 2020, it took only 73 days for new knowledge to spread, Sharma said.

Earlier, the actual adoption of research-based knowledge in practical training used to be very slow. This was because new results in diagnosis and treatment had to go through rigorous testing and approval rules before knowledge could be widely implemented, and only when everything was in place, was it put into practice, he said.

But now everything is changing because of the pandemic.

Many such opportunities have also come to the fore in healthcare wherein new skills and training are being imparted to the professionals without any threat to the patients.Experiments are

There are many similar categories like mental health counsellor and therapist etc.

Apart from this, new professions like healthcare informatics, molecular genetics specialists have also been recognised by the government.

There is also a growing demand for telemedicine and home healthcare, the fees for which have also been kept low. The fees for the comprehensive skill upgradation course for nurses from the Royal College of Nursing, UK, is just Rs 3,000 per year and covers 60 essential subjects.

The fees for specialised courses from the Emergency Nursing Association, USA, range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000 per year.

Healthcare professionals can also improve their soft skills for Rs 500 to Rs 4,000.

Digitisation has made it possible to join American Heart Association courses that use state-of-the-art simulation equipment for basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support. The couses also offer internationally recognised certificates, with fees ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 11,000.

New Delhi, Dec 7: Education goes far beyond helping students in acquiring cognitive and intellectual abilities. The usual verbal and numerical skills, physical and motor competencies along with general and spatial reasoning that students pick up in a school-learning environment are not quite enough.

In an increasingly multi-lingual and multicultural classroom where learners come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, conventional academic learning must be complemented with social-emotional learning for students. Otherwise, their education remains incomplete and they remain under-prepared, if not unprepared, to take on the challenges of the real world in the future.

After all, students when they grow to be adults eventually have to function in a social context. This becomes particularly relevant in light of today's constantly and fast-changing learning, career, and economic landscape galvanised by the advent of new-age information as well as educational technologies. The socalled VUCA[1] world awaits them! What is Social-Emotional Learning?

Importantly, the imparting of communication skills as part of the exercise, both verbal and non-verbal, help the student express himself clearly and thereby connect with others better. Eventually, the student develops autonomy and a sense of self-dependence in everyday affairs and is all set to grow into a complete, self-assured, and socially-responsible individual.

Helps students understand the diverse and complex sociocultural milieu: For a student to succeed in any pursuits of his liking, he must fully grasp and appreciate that people around him - whether at school, the neighbourhood where he stays, or the workplace where he might work later - come from diverse socio-economic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. He must also understand that the frontiers of learning actually extend to the family and the wider community. This is very significant given the collective social and community settings that a student has to operate in the real world. As a result, the spirit of teamwork, an essential ingredient in any successful enterprise, becomes one of the critical learning outcomes of an exercise in socialemotional learning.

seek inspiration from the life of Dr Ambedkar. His life was full of struggles and there is a lot for us to learn from it to become better citizens of this country," said Kejriwal.

New Delhi, Dec 6: Taking inspiration from Babasaheb Ambedkar, we are emphasising on education through our government, said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while paying tribute to him on the occasion of his Mahaparinirvan Diwas on Tuesday.

"Today on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas of Babasaheb Ambedkar, I would like to appeal to all the people to

The Chie Minister participated in an event held at the Delhi Legislative Assembly to observe Babasaheb's Mahaparinirvan Diwas. Babasaheb envisioned that through good education to every citizen, we can alleviate poverty, establish equality and ensure dignity in the society, he said.

"His dream was to ensure that the basic facilities are provided even to the last citizen of the country. In his battles to improve the lives of others, he gave the most importance to education.

It is by taking a lead out of his books that the Aam Aadmi Party government has transformed the educational system in Delhi and we are working on doing the same in Punjab," Kejriwal said.

It is by providing good quality education to each citizen of the country that the lives of our citizens can be improved, Kejriwal said. He added further that those who are from the marginalised communities will also be given respect through this transformation.

Henceforth, education is extremely important and therefore we are following the steps of Babasaheb Ambedkar to improve the lives of every citizen of this country, the Chief Minister

New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) The Directorate of Education (DoE) of Delhi government has suspended the recognition of DPS Rohini for violating norms of hiking fees during the 2021-22 academic sessions.The DoE said that the school authorities were not complying with the directions

issued by the department as well as the high court and were charging hiked fees for 2021-22 session and also the hiked fee arrears for the session 2020-21 in contravention of various court orders. "The school authorities seem to be indulging in profiteering, commercialisation,

capitation and exploitation of parents by charging unwarranted fees, and violated Rule 50 (xvii) and 50 (xix) of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973 by not providing relevant documents and records to the inspection team who visited the school premises on November 7, 2022,"

Underpinned by the idea of emotional intelligence, advancement on the rather outmoded intelligence quotient, social-emotional learning envisages gaining a wide array of social skills, beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviour that a student can successfully apply in the real world where they also necessarily have to engage with other individuals. Typically, social-emotional learning trains a student in five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills. Why social-emotional learning must form a part of the school curriculum?

Makes a complete, self-sufficient, and socially-sensitive individual: Social-emotional learning

And as such, not only are they taught the value of keeping their spirits up and maintaining calm and composure in a challenging situation, but they are also equipped with practical strategies to tackle any situation. With social-emotional learning case studies and examples, they are trained in conducting assessments of an open-ended, conflicting, and subjective situation and taking objective problem-solving decisions eventually.

In sum, social-emotional learning helps students not only better 'actualise' or self-realise themselves, it also teaches them to live their lives with a higher social purpose. [1] Acronym for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

said the DoE in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The Directorate of Education further said that there were complaints against the school for collecting hiked fee and for not granting 15 per cent deduction on the annual school fees. The DoE had directed the school to not

(Aarul

Malviya,Founder and CEO of Zamit)

increase any fee for the academic session 2018-19 and 2019-20, and roll back the increased fee and refund or adjust the amount charged over and above the fee structure of the school submitted in 2015-16. However, the school's response was not satisfactory, the order mentioned further.

Taking inspiration from Babasaheb Ambedkar, emphasising on education: Kejriwal

Delhi govt suspends recognition of DPS Rohini for violating fee hike norms

MAKE IN INDIA

As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc in general, among others. India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destinations in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

India going all out to give necessary impetus to indigenous manufacturing

Manufacturing Programme (PMP).

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) In the last few years, India has been focussing a lot on indigenous manufacturing. The Central government has taken up various measures to facilitate manufacturing in the country. The Centre has undertaken various steps to boost domestic and foreign investments in India as well. These include introduction of Goods and Services Tax, reduction in corporate tax, interventions to improve the ease of doing business, FDI policy reforms, measures for reduction in compliance burden, policy measures to boost domestic manufacturing through public procurement orders and Phased

Keeping in view India's vision of becoming 'Aatmanirbhar', Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes for 14 key sectors have been announced with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore to enhance the country's manufacturing capabilities and exports.

In order to achieve India's vision of becoming 'Aatmanirbhar' and to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and exports, an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore has been announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 for PLI schemes in 14 key manufacturing sectors, beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2021-22.

With the announcement of PLI Schemes, significant creation of production, skills, employment, economic growth and exports is expected over the next five years and more.

The reforms taken by the Government have resulted in increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in the

country. FDI inflows in India stood at $45.15 billion in 2014-2015 and have continuously increased since then and India registered its highest ever annual FDI inflow of $84.84 billion (provisional figures) in the financial year 2021-22, reported NewsonAir.

The annual growth rate of the manufacturing sector as per the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), with base year 2011-12, for 2021-22 is 11.8 per cent. The government aims to make India the global manufacturing hub. It also aims to increase the sector's GDP share to 25 per cent from the existing 16 per cent, and create 100 million new jobs by 2022.

Make in India' is an initiative that was launched on September 25, 2014, to facilitate investment, foster innovation, build best-inclass infrastructure and make India a hub for manufacturing, design and innovation. It is one of the unique single, vocal for local initiatives that promote India's manufacturing domain to the world.

By Rashika Vij

Himachal Pradesh is one of the most popular and easily accessible hill states of India.

People from all parts of the country as well as from different parts of the world visit this beautiful state to enjoy its natural beauty.

From times immemorial, Himachal Pradesh has always been one of the greatest contributors towards building tourism resulting in better economic development and success for the nation.

Himachal Pradesh is a land of opportunities and has scaled new heights of development. The State has a legacy of being an investor-friendly region with an enterprising and approachable Government and is now emerging as a preferred investment destination in Northern India, on account of its enabling policy framework, complementing industrial infrastructure, and high Ease of Doing Business ranking.

Concessions: The Government of Himachal Pradesh is providing land at INR 1 per sqm per annum in the Medical Devices Park on a lease period of 33 years with an exemption of stamp duty and registration Fee.

Power Related Incentives/ Concessions: Himachal Pradesh supplies 24X7 reliable and quality power across the State. The Government of Himachal Pradesh is offering power at INR 3 per unit with an exemption of electricity duty.

Fiscal Support/Incentives: The Himachal Pradesh Government is offering an interest subvention of 7 per cent subject to a maximum of INR 52 lakh per annum with 12 years as the period of subvention from the date of operation of the Park. The Government is also providing assistance for the transport of plant and machinery to the tune of 50 per cent of the cost incurred on inland carriage and inland transit insurance of plant and machinery, subject to a maximum of INR 3 Lakh.

Founded in 1999, G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 nations around the world and the European Union. Formed in the wake of the Asian Financial Crisis, G20 is the leading forum for deliberation and coordination of core economic and policy issues at the global scale through dialogues, discussion, planning and implementation. It includes both developed and developing nations and these 20 countries account for 80% of the world's GDP, around 75% of the world trade, and 60% of the world's population. The group does not have a permanent secretariat and each annual meeting is supported and coordinated by the Troika - the past, the current and the incoming presidency. For the 2023 G20 summit, the Troika consists of Indonesia, India and Brazil. Up until now, the previous 17 Presidencies have delivered significant results while addressing the most pressing global issues of macro-economic stability, rationalisation of international taxation, relieving debt-burden on country, financial

stability, climate mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development. Following the presidency of Indonesia this year, India is all set to assume the presidency for 2023 from 1st December 2022. India will host more than 200 meetings at over 50+ locations across the country. The Finance Track will focus on key issues such as financing for infrastructure, financing for health care, financial sector policy changes, and financing for sustainable growth under the eight working groups. The Sherpa Track will focus on thirteen issues like anti-corruption, agriculture, the digital economy, and climate change and two initiatives - G20 EMPOWER (This initiative aims to empower women and accelerate their leadership in the private sector by leveraging alliances between business leaders and G20 countries) and RIIG (Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering aims to enhance and strengthen research and innovation collaboration among the G20 member countries). Finally, the eleven Engagement Groups, consisting of non-government

participants from G20 member countries, will provide towards the policy recommendations.

Building on the idea propagated by India’s age-old spiritual traditions, G20 presidency will function around the principles of the universal sense of oneness – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ – based on the adage Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning ‘that all of the world, universe or reality is one’.

One Earth: heal the planet by encouraging sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles based on Indian traditions.

One Family: promote harmony within the human family by depoliticizing pertinent supply chains of food, fertilizers, and medicines. This is done with the aim to prevent humanitarian crises due to geo-political tension. One Future: encourage honest conversations among the most powerful nations of the world regarding core issues of climate change and mitigation of risks posed by weapons of mass destruction to enhance global security.

The State is appropriately positioned for welcoming investment on account of surplus and affordable power, efficient law & order, congenial industrial relations, availability of skilled manpower, accessible government, and proactive governance.

On account of the above advantages and facilities, Himachal Pradesh has been sanctioned a Medical Devices Park, the first in north India, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Spread over 265 acres in Nalagarh, Solan, the Medical Devices Park is connected to global supply chains through road and rail networks as well as airports and is in close proximity to prestigious institutes of “National Importance” such as IIT-Mandi, NIT-Hamirpur, IIM-Sirmour, IIIT-Una & NIPER –Mohali. Availability of supporting infrastructure such as ICD, CETP, CIPET, MSME Technology Centre, Skill Development Centre, Gas Pipeline, etc also offers an advantage.

The Government of Himachal Pradesh is offering a bouquet of liberal incentives for investors for setting up enterprises in the Medical Devices Park. Some of the key incentives and concessions are as follows: Land-Related Incentives/

Common Infrastructure Facilities: The Medical Devices Park in Himachal Pradesh is set to emerge as a “one-stop facility” with an integrated ecosystem to facilitate manufacturing, stimulate innovation and R&D, and develop new technologies.

The Park is proposed to have Common Infrastructure Facilities such as 3D Design, Rapid Prototyping, Tooling Lab, Component, ESDM, EMC and EMI component testing and design facility lab, and Gama irradiation lab, resources which are seminal across the value chain of medical devices.

MoUs of more than INR 800 Crores have already been signed for setting up industries in this Medical Device Park. The Medical Devices Park in Himachal Pradesh is expecting an investment of over INR 5,000 Crore with a turnover of INR 20,000 Crore and gainful employment for about 10,000 personnel.

With excellent connectivity, competitive incentives, and proactive governance measures, Himachal Pradesh is set to emerge and establish itself as the #1 destination for Medical Device manufacturing in India and subsequently for the world.

Source: Invest India

India going all out to give necessary impetus to indigenous manufacturing

Himachal Pradesh - the next medical devices hub of India

Australian GDP up 0.6% in Q3 Report reveals wage theft problem for migrant workers in Australia

Canberra, Dec 7 :Australia has reported slower than expected economic growth for the third quarter of 2022.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday revealed that the gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.6 per cent in the three months to the end of September, reports Xinhua news agency.

In the 12 months to September the Australian economy grew by 5.9 per cent.

Economists had widely tipped a 0.7 percent increase in the third quarter of the year.

According to the ABS, growth was driven by a 13.9 per cent increase in transport services and a 5.5 per

cent jump in spending at hotels, cafes and restaurants.

Household spending increased by 1.1 per cent from the June quarter.

"The September quarter was the fourth consecutive quarter of economic growth, following a contraction in the September quarter 2021, which was impacted by the Covid-19 Delta outbreak," Sean Crick, ABS head of National Accounts, said in a media release.

The portion of Australians' earnings being put away into savings fell from 8.3 per cent in the June quarter to 6.9 per cent.

Employee compensation rose by 3.2 per cent, the biggest quarterly increase since 2006.

Responding to the data, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was a solid outcome amid substantial global uncertainty but warned of further challenges to come.

"This paints a picture of an economy which is relatively robust, despite the substantial challenges being thrown at it from around the world," he told reporters.

Australian IT firm faces court for underpaying Indian worker

without reasonable excuse, failed to comply with the compliance notices, which required it to calculate and back-pay the workers' entitlements.

It is alleged Smith was involved in the contraventions.

Sydney, Dec 5 : A new union report found on Monday that migrant workers in Australia are facing a disturbing wage theft problem and called for reforms to strengthen protection for the group.

Union NSW, the peak body for the state of New South Wales (NSW) trade unions, surveyed 7,000 job advertisements in foreign languages across more than 10 industries, reports Xinhua news agency.

Over 1,000 migrant workers also

shared their experiences when working or applying for work in Australia.

It revealed that over 60 per cent of the job ads audited offered illegal rates of pay, below the relevant award wage.

The retail industry was the worst offender, with around 85 percent of foreign language ads surveyed offering below the minimum award, followed by cleaning, transport, building and construction, hospitality and hair and beauty.

More than one-third of migrant workers surveyed also reported being paid or offered a lower salary because of their visa type, while more than one-quarter received lesser salaries because of their nationality.

Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey said it is disturbing that

employers were still targeting workers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

"It's alarming that employers unashamedly exploit and underpay vulnerable migrant workers, all while Australia experiences lagging migration rates and deals with claims of labour shortages.

"Our audit exposes this underbelly and demonstrates the need for the Commonwealth to bolster its efforts to stamp out bad employer behaviour while empowering workers to enforce their rights," he added.Unions NSW is now calling for a new substantive visa to allow workers with outstanding claims of reporting exploitation to remain in the country with working rights until their claim has been settled.

Ponting returns to the commentary box at Perth; details his health scare

treatment.

Ponting felt "all shiny and new" upon his return to Perth Stadium for day four action, according to a report in ICC.

Melbourne, Dec 6 :Australian regulatory authority Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has initiated a legal action against an IT company and its director for underpaying four of its workers, including an Indian, in 2021.

Melbourne Digital Pty Ltd, a software development company, and its director Julian Smith will face court after the regulator received requests for assistance from workers the company had employed in various information technology roles.

The workers -- a software engineer, a software developer, a user experience designer and a user interface/user experience designer -- included an Indian as well as a Pakistani national, who were on temporary graduate visas.

An FWO inspector issued compliance notices to the company in October and November 2021 after probing that it had underpaid four workers it employed for periods of between one month and just over four months in 2021.

FWO alleged in a press statement that Melbourne Digital Pty Ltd,

The FWO is seeking penalties in court for an alleged failure to comply with two compliance notices.

Melbourne Digital Pty Ltd faces a penalty of up to $33,300 per contravention and Smith faces a penalty of up to $6,660 per contravention.

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the regulator would continue to enforce workplace laws and take businesses to court where lawful requests are not complied with.

"Where employers do not comply, we will take appropriate action to protect employees. A court can order a business to pay penalties in addition to back-paying workers," Parker said in an FWO press statement.

"Any employees with concerns about their pay or entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free assistance," she added.

The regulator is also seeking an order for the software development company to take the steps set out in the compliance notices, which includes rectifying alleged underpayments in full, including interest and superannuation.

Perth, Dec 3: One of the most successful cricket captains in the world, Australia's Ricky Ponting has revealed he felt sharp pains and dizziness during his stint in the commentary box during Day Three action in the Australia-West Indies Test currently underway.

Ponting, after receiving hospital treatment on Friday, returned to the commentary box and detailed his heart scare.

A report in News Corp reported that Ponting's former Australian player, coach and now commentary partner Justin Langer (JL) helped the legendary cricketer walk downstairs to find Australian team doctor Leigh Golding, before the decision was made for him to leave to receive

Indian father of

"I probably scared a lot of people yesterday and had a scary moment for myself," Ponting admitted on the Channel 7 broadcast ahead of day four on Saturday. "I was sitting in the commentary box halfway through the stint (on day three) and got a couple of really short and sharp pains to my chest. I tried to stretch it out and get rid of it, and probably didn't want to give too much away when I was on air."

Dr. Golding drove him to the hospital, with Ponting praising the quick thinking of Langer and Channel 7 Executive Producer, Chris Jones.

"I had a couple of those incidents, got through the stint and went to walk to the back of the commentary box and got lightheaded and dizzy and grabbed the bench. I mentioned to JL on the

way out, who was commentating with me, that I had had these pains in my chest and Chris Jones heard me and just reacted straight away and got me out of there. 10 or 15 minutes later, I was in the hospital getting the best treatment that I possibly could," said Ponting.

Ponting said he had a "relaxing" afternoon in hospital and a good sleep to recover, though the 47-year-old great said he was on high alert given the year in Australian cricket, with Shane Warne and Rod Marsh dying from shock heart attacks and Ryan Campbell also at one stage placed into an induced coma."I think the bottom line is, the fact that I was willing to share it with JL and the fact that your mate looks after you, I think as people of our age, we are a little reluctant to share much or talk about our health. I think that is a good learning curve for me yesterday, especially with what has happened in the last 1218 months to really close people around us," added Ponting.

2 dies in Australian car crash

Melbourne, Dec 7 (IANS) A 34-year-old Indian man in Australia died on the spot after he lost control of the vehicle, leaving four other occupants, including his two children, injured in the mishap, police said. Sukhdeep Singh was travelling in the jeep along with his wife, two children

and a friend on December 4 in western suburb of Mt Cottrell in Victoria state when the accident took place."It's believed the vehicle with five occupants inside left Doherty's Road just after 4 p.m. The vehicle rolled several times and came to rest in a paddock near Sewells Road in Mount Cottrell," a Victoria police statement said."A male passenger has been taken to hospital in a critical condition. A female passenger and two children have also been transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," the statement read. Police said that they are

investigating the exact cause of the crash. This matter is also under investigation by the Coroners Court of Victoria. Cops requested witnesses of the accident, or those with dashcam footage or having any information about the mishap, to contact them.Meanwhile, family friends have organised a GoFundMe fundraiser for the surviving members of Sukhdeep's family. They hope to raise $100,000, which includes the funeral cost, bringing his parents to Australia and support his wife and children to "survive without the mortgage stress and the never-ending bills".

Australia’s densely populated states to see above normal bushfire potential in summer

reports Xinhua news agency.

Canberra, Nov 29: Two of Australia's top three populated states, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, have to face above-normal fire potential in summer, a new report warned on Tuesday.

The Seasonal Bushfire Outlook Summer 2022 was released by the Australian and New Zealand National Council for Fire and Emergency Services (AFAC),

According to the report, the above-normal fire potential is expected in central western and southern Western Australia, central Australia, southern Queensland and inland NSW due to increased fuel loads as a result of significant rainfall.

Western Tasmania also shows above-normal fire potential following a dry spring period.

Meanwhile, some coastal areas across Victoria, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory have below-normal fire potential due to increased fuel moisture, the continued wet outlook and reduced fuel loads following the 2019-20 bushfire season.

While most of Australia shows normal fire potential, the report noted that anyone living and working in these areas needs to be vigilant, as destructive and deadly fires can still occur during normal bushfire seasons across Australia.

"This outlook shows a diversity of fire risk this season, which reflects the diversity of Australia's landscape," said AFAC Chief Executive Officer Rob Webb.

"As we enter summer, we will use this outlook to guide our operational and strategic planning, and jurisdictional fire and emergency services will continue to monitor local conditions," he added.

2 cops among 6 dead in Australia shooting incident

taken to a hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.

The alleged offenders, two men and a woman, were fatally shot during a confrontation with police shortly after 10.30 p.m. on Monday.

for a service for a missing person, it was simply that ... as soon as they entered the property, they were inundated with gunfire and they never had a chance," he said.

Aus govt to overhaul environmental laws

Canberra, Dec 8: The Australian government on Thursday announced its plan to fix the country's broken environmental protection laws.

Earlier in the day, Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Environment and Water, released a 50-page plan to halt Australia's nature crisis, reports Xinhua news agency.

Brisbane, Dec 13: Two police officers were among six victims of a shooting incident in Australia's Queensland state, police said on Tuesday, adding that a major investigation is underway.

The incident took place in the Western Downs on Monday afternoon when four police officers were attending to a property on Wains Road at Wieambilla in relation to a missing person investigation, reports Xinhua news agency. As they were approaching the property, two police officers -Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29 -were shot dead by two armed offenders, and a member of the public was also shot and killed. Two other police officers were

An emergency declaration was announced around the neighbourhood and a crime scene has been established at the property.

The National broadcaster ABC news reported that local residents were told to stay indoors until further notice and multiple ambulances were called to the scene.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said this is the largest loss of life the Queensland Police Service has suffered in one single incident in recent times and a sad reminder of the unpredictable nature of policing.

General president of the Queensland Police Union Ian Leavers described the killing as a ruthless and cold-blooded "execution", said ABC news.

"Police were responding to a call

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed condolences to the victims.

"Terrible scenes in Wieambilla and a heartbreaking day for the families and friends of the Queensland Police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty," he tweeted on Tuesday.

"My condolences to all who are grieving tonight (Monday night) -- Australia mourns with you."

Australia introduced some of the world's strictest gun regulations after 35 people were killed in a massacre by a lone gunman at Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996.

Since then, there have been only three mass shootings -defined in Australia as those resulting in at least four deaths, excluding perpetrators.

Barty awarded Australian sport's highest honour

Entering 2022 as the world No. 1, Barty in January became the first homegrown Australian Open singles champion since 1978.

Barty described the decision to retire as her "perfect ending", shutting down suggestions she could return to the court.

It comes two years after the former government was handed a review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which found the laws are outdated, ineffective and incapable of producing good outcomes for flora and fauna.

Under the sitting Labor government's plan, an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be established with the power to decide whether developments that will affect natural assets should go ahead.

New environmental standards for conservation, protection and major development applications will also be introduced to underpin all decisions by the EPA.

"Our reforms are seeking to turn the tide in this country, from

nature destruction to nature repair," Plibersek told reporters. "We will build our legislation on three basic principles: clear national standards of environmental protection, improving and speeding up decisions, and building trust and integrity."A new traffic light system will identify areas that should be protected from development, developed with caution, or fast-tracked for development.

Legislation for the plan will be completed by the middle of 2023 and introduced to Parliament by the end of the year.Plibersek said shifting responsibility from politicians to a legislated independent body would restore Australians' confidence in the system.A national legally binding standard on First Nations engagement will also be developed to guarantee Indigenous Australians are involved in decisions relating to their country.The overhaul will also boost protection for native forests, which are currently exempt from national environmental laws, and close a loophole in which they can be logged without assessment.

Djokovic to begin 2023 in South Australia

Canberra, Dec 9 (IANS) Retired tennis star Ashleigh Barty has been awarded Australian sport's highest individual honour for a second time.

At the annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame event on Thursday night Barty became the third person to win The Don Award -- named after cricket great Don Bradman -- multiple times.

Less than two months later, the three-time Grand Slam champion announced her shock retirement from tennis at the age of 25, reports Xinhua. "This year was certainly my most enjoyable Australian Open, result aside, that had nothing to do with it. It felt free. I played without consequence, I played like a little kid," Barty said on Thursday night.

"In my eyes, there was no pressure. It was just about me trying to redeem myself, in a way, and playing how I'd always wanted to play - go out there and play like the kid that fell in love with sport."

The Don is awarded to the athlete or team that most inspired Australia through their performance and example.

Barty, who previously won in 2019, joins Olympic gold medalists Steve Hooker and Sally Pearson as multiple winners.

Middle and long distance runner Ron Clarke, who set 17 world records in a highly decorated career, and Shane Warne, widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket, who died in March aged 52, were posthumously elevated to legend status in the hall of fame.

Djokovic, a 21-time grand slam winner,

his first

in Australia in two years after the federal government overturned a ban on the Serbian superstar entering the country.He will be joined in the men's field by world

No 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No 7 Daniil Medvedev and No 8 Andrey Rublev, in addition to rising star Jannik Sinner and veteran Andy Murray.The women's field is headlined by top-10 players Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. We are thrilled to confirm such a world-class line-up for week one of the Adelaide International," Tournament Director Alistair MacDonald said in a media release."The caliber of both ATP and WTA players who have entered ensures that tennis fans are going to see the world's best in Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open."The 2023 Adelaide International will be composed of two tournamentsthe first running from January 1-8 and the second from January 9-14. The government in November announced it had granted Djokovic a visa to play in Australia in January.

Canberra, Dec 7 (IANS) Tennis great Novak Djokovic will begin his 2023 campaign at the Adelaide International ahead of his bid for a 10th Australian Open title, confirmed tournament organisers.The Adelaide International on Wednesday announced a star-studded field for the first week of the 2023 edition, featuring eight of the world's top 10 men and women, reports Xinhua news agency.

will play

tournament

Time to clean up Queensland’s footpaths

already overseen significant improvements in parking of share scheme e-scooters and e-bikes.

“E-scooters and e-bikes are a great for quick trips and can reduce congestion on our roads, but we need to manage the clutter issue,” Cr Murphy said.

“While we have set strict rules and designated parking spots for where the operators place share scheme scooters, users also need to be aware of how and where to best park these scooters to avoid inconveniencing someone else.

Premier sworn in as Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Brisbane, 12 December: Premier

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been sworn in as Premier and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This fulfills a commitment given to Paralympics Australia to make the change before the end of the year.

“Being Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games gives the recognition the Paralympic

Brisbane, 14 December:

Queensland paths are soon to be decluttered with the release of the e-Mobility Parking Plan, a joint initiative of the Palaszczuk Government and other members of the e-Mobility Parking Working Group.

The plan aims to improve the parking of e-scooters and other e-mobility devices, such as e-bikes, to ensure they are not left in a way which blocks paths and, creates safety and amenity issues for other path users.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was time to clean up our paths to create a more inclusive and accessible environment.

"E-scooters are a great way to get around, but too often I see them left in locations blocking paths which creates significant problems for people walking – especially those with limited mobility," Mr Bailey said.

"I have had to move badly parked e-scooters out of the way on several occasions, which some people cannot do like people who use wheelchairs and those with vision impairments.

“For them, it’s more than a minor inconvenience. It can mean adding significant time to a trip to detour around a misplaced e-scooter.

“I urge Queenslanders to keep our footpaths and thoroughfares clear so every person can walk, ride and scoot freely.”

Minister Bailey said the e-Mobility Parking Plan had been developed by Transport and Main Roads in partnership with the e-mobility Parking Working Group, which includes representation from local councils and industry as well as disability and road users advocacy organisations.

Brisbane City Council Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Ryan Murphy said Council had

Queenslanders with Disability Network CEO Michelle Moss welcomed the plan.

“Tackling the issue of e-scooter and e-bike parking will make a massive difference in the everyday lives of people with disabilities here in Brisbane, and right around the state,” Ms Moss said.

Minister Bailey said some localised e-mobility parking trials were already underway. "Lessons learned from these trials will be critical to informing future standardisation of parking infrastructure. I encourage all local councils to continue to roll out dedicated e-mobility parking trials to help users understand where to park their devices," he said. Longer-term actions under the Parking Plan include investigating standardised reporting mechanisms for poor parking as well as investigating whether there is a role for stricter regulation and road rules.

Conning cabbies caught out

out fines of varying amounts up to $575 to 181 drivers accused of doing the wrong thing.

“To see that around one in five drivers have been doing the wrong thing is completely unacceptable, and so we’ll be ramping up this operation even further over the Christmas and New Year period.

he said.

“We’ve also delivered a $100 million industry assistance package as part of the personalised transport reforms, alongside $23 million in support payments for taxi and limousine operators and licence holders and fee relief for the personalised transport industry during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brisbane, 11 December: An enforcement blitz through November has seen almost two hundred fines handed out to taxi and rideshare drivers, and they’re being warned it will ramp up over Christmas and New Years.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the huge number of fines is part of a targeted compliance operation launched to target dodgy drivers.

“In recent months, my office saw a big jump in the number of complaints against taxi drivers for fare refusal, and overcharging, so I instructed my department to ramp up enforcement operations through November,” Mr Bailey said.

“We launched a new round of targeted operations last month and the team did almost one thousand intercepts, handing

“Taxi drivers will be caught if they try and refuse fares or rip people off.

“And rideshare drivers will be caught if they tout for fares roadside and take trips that are not pre-booked.

“We’ll be conducting covert operations at all times of the day, so when a passenger gets in a taxi at 3am, the driver should expect it to be an enforcement officer, and they’ll be caught out if they do the wrong thing.”

Mr Bailey called on the taxi drivers to do the right thing.

“I acknowledge the industry has faced increased costs, which is why we gave taxis the ability to increase the maximum fare earlier this year, and they have access to things like taxi ranks and lift payments under the taxi subsidy scheme which ride share service don’t,”

“We’re also providing ongoing assistance to taxi operators to replace aging and written off wheelchair accessible taxis totaling $21 million.

“We’re doing what we can to support the industry, but I’m calling on taxi and rideshare drivers to step up and follow the rules that are in place.

“If they don’t, we’ll have no hesitation in handing out fines of up to $5,750.”

Mr Bailey said customers are entitled to insist their taxi driver turns on the meter, and drivers cannot demand a set fare.

"We ask for people to report any taxi driver who refuses to turn on their meter when asked."

Mr Bailey also reminded rideshare users to book their service through the app.

Games deserves,” the Premier said.

“I look forward to continuing to work together on this oncein-lifetime opportunity for Queensland and Australia.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has been sworn in as Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympic and Paralympic Games Infrastructure.

School’s out for 2022

Brisbane, 9 December: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Education Minister Grace Grace have congratulated all Queensland students, staff, and school communities for their success and resilience in 2022.

The Premier said she was proud of how students, staff and schools had handled the challenges thrown their way in 2022 and was delighted with their achievements.

“We may have started the school year with COVID-19 disruptions and then significant flooding, but we are definitely ending 2022 on a high,” the Premier said.

“School communities have proven their resilience once again by bouncing back from every challenge and continuing to deliver excellence in education.

“I wish all of our teachers, students, teacher aides, support staff – our entire school communities - a safe and happy summer holiday and congratulate them on a job well done this year.”

Education Minister Grace Grace said 2022 had seen new schools, a record infrastructure investment, and air conditioning delivering to every single school classroom, library, and staffroom in Queensland.

“We opened three new schools in our fastest growing communities and continued to deliver a massive program of works upgrading education infrastructure right across the state,” Minister Grace said.

“An investment of $1.9 billion this year alone has supported nearly 4,200 jobs, enhancing the great Queensland lifestyle.

“This year we also completed our $477 million Cooler Cleaner Schools Program, two months ahead of schedule. It means every single classroom, library, and staff room in Queensland is now air conditioned, and the 200,000 solar panels we installed through our Advancing Clean Energy Schools Program are helping to slash electricity costs and cut carbon emissions.

“While students and staff enjoy a well-earned break, construction will be ramping up over the holidays providing important work for tradies during December and January.

“In 2023 we will deliver more classrooms, new schools, and

even better facilities.

“South Rock State School at Yarrabilba, Ripley Central State School, Woogaroo Creek State School at Augustine Heights and Palmview State Secondary College will all open their doors to their foundation students on Day 1, 2023.

“These schools will take the total number of new schools opened by the Palaszczuk Government since 2015 to 25.”

Minister Grace said the Palaszczuk Government announced significant new education policy initiatives in 2022 that are going to make a huge difference to students, their families, and staff.

“Our game changing disability resourcing model will support 30,000 more students, the government’s $1 billion investment means free or cheaper kindy for 40,000 families, and every state school in Queensland will be able to install a Dignity Vending Machine providing free access to period products,” Ms Grace said.

“Our bolstered respectful relationships program is now live after a comprehensive review and includes a public hub for students and families as well as specialist advice and professional development for teachers.

“I launched targeted consultation on our new Equity and Excellence strategy, a vision for a high performing, contemporary education system that is unashamedly focused on learning outcomes, and ensures no child is left behind.

“Our $187 million partnership with Telstra is rolling out at lightening speed, with more than 400,000 state school students already able to access internet speeds 40 times faster than at the start of the year: it will be 200 times faster in 2026.

“None of what happens in our schools could happen without our excellent teachers, and I’m proud that 94% of them voted in favour of our EBA which will give them some of the best pay and conditions in the country once it’s certified by QIRC.

“I hope all our students and staff are proud of what we have achieved together this year: I know I am.

WORLD THIS WEEK

In Association with National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru Authored by Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh, Akriti Sharma, Ankit Singh, Avishka Ashok, Abigail Miriam Fernandes, Apoorva Sudhakar, Joel Jacob, Sethuraman Nadarajan, Bhoomika Sesharaj and Madhura Mahesh

China: President Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia hints at Beijing’s pivot to the Middle East

What happened?

On 8 December, China’s President Xi Jinping landed in Saudi Arabia for a three-day-long state visit.

Chinese media claimed the visit was the country’s “biggest diplomatic initiative in the Arab world.” Xi Jinping signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia and a series of investments and energy resources deals. Both countries signed 34 agreements on the following areas: information technology, genetics, mining, hydrogen energy and manufacturing. The Chinese delegation also agreed to set up an electric vehicle plant in Saudi Arabia. It also includes Huawei being allowed to provide cloud computing services and building high-tech complexes in Saudi Arabian cities.

On Iran, Xi agreed with the Arab concerns while Saudi officials agreed with Beijing’s one-China principle.

Xi engaged in two other summits during his visit to Riyadh: the China-Saudi-GCC Summit for Cooperation and Development and the Saudi-Arab-China Summit for Cooperation and Development. On 9 December, Xi Jinping met the Arab leaders from the Gulf, Africa and the Levant at

ALSO IN NEWS

China: CPC withdraws the zeroCOVID policy and introduces new norms for pandemic control

On 4 December, in continuation of the protests in China, students at Wuhan University gathered outside the administrative block and called for an open process and information transparency. The students protested against the zero-COVID policy of the Chinese government and expressed their discontent with the confusing regulations on returning to their hometowns. The numerous protests in cities across the country resulted in an emergency meeting where the authorities agreed to ease the COVID-19 restrictions. The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergencies Director Dr Michael Ryan appreciated China’s

a summit hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He also held bilateral meetings with the Kuwait Crown Prince, Egyptian President, Iraqi Prime Minister, Sudanese leader, and Palestinian President. He stressed on the importance of stability in the oil markets. Xi said: “China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in maintaining their own security and build a collective security framework for the Gulf. China will continue to import large quantities of crude oil from GCC countries on an ongoing basis.” More importantly, Xi announced that China would buy oil and gas in yuan instead of the US dollar.

What does it mean?

The increasing Chinese involvement in the Middle East is a cause of concern for the US and Russia. Media sources comparing the US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2022 observe a massive change in the Kingdom’s approach. Analysts hint at a growing discomfort between the US and Saudi Arabia’s relations, caused by the Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, the human rights issues and its energy policies.

The deepening relations between China and the GCC are also a cause of concern for Russia as it competes with the Gulf to sell oil to its largest customer. It has already been offering big discounts after the Ukraine war; competing with the Gulf may become deeply disadvantageous for Russia.

China’s internal affairs. Further, Mao pointed fingers at Japan’s aggression during the world wars and said: “Pointing fingers at other countries will not cover up Japan's past. Politicizing and instrumentalizing human rights issues to hurt China's image and stall China's development will not succeed.”

Sri Lanka: World Bank approves access to concessional financing from International Development Association

On 6 December, Sri Lanka’s President Media Division (PMD) reported that the World Bank had approved Sri Lanka to access concessional financing from the International Development Association (IDA). The financing offered at minimum interest rates will help the country implement government-led programs to stabilize the economy and protect millions of people’s livelihoods. World Bank also added that the approval makes Sri Lanka an IDA country. The World Bank Vice President for Development Finance, Akihiko Nishio, said that the World Bank is committed to helping Sri Lankan people when there are needs. He also added that the World Bank is ready to support Sri Lanka in implementing reforms and helping create the foundation of sustainable growth.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was sentenced to six years in prison under the charge of embezzling USD one billion through public works projects in her presidency. She has also been barred from holding a public office. The judgement does not come into effect until all the appeals filed by Fernandez de Kirchner are addressed.

Fernandez de Kirchner on her part has denied the accusations and has claimed that she is a victim of the “judicial mafia.”

Fernandez de Kirchner was the President of Argentina from 2007-2015 where she allegedly sanctioned many public works projects and diverted funds from these projects to the business of her associates.

Uruguay: Uruguay announces plans to sign free trade agreements, causes tension in Mercosur trade bloc

On 06 December, Uruguay at a Mercosur trade summit announced its intentions to pursue free trade agreements with China and join the TransPacific Partnership (TPP). This rattled the Mercosur trade bloc consisting of Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou said: "Uruguay needs to and has the ambition to open up to the world. Of course, if we go in a group, it is much better." The Presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay have opposed this move saying that it hampered the integration of the Mercosur trade bloc. The Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez said that Uruguay can proceed with the deals but it should share and consult with the bloc before it ratifies it. Uruguay has previously criticised the trade blocs restrictions and tariffs and added that it was affecting its economy.

elections.

The US: Annual NDAA passed by US house of representatives, USD 858 billion allotted for defense spending

On 9 December, more than two third of the representatives voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which paved the way for defense budget to hit the record of USD 858 billion. Around 10 billion has been allotted for the Taiwan Enhance Resilience Act (TERA), while mentioning China as the main threat to national security objectives in the bill. The 2023 NDAA includes USD 816.7 billion for the Department of Defense. The legislation also dropped the Covid vaccine mandate for active service duty personnel. The bill did not include provision for vendors to mention the software bill of materials (SBOM) on the technology they provided to government agencies.

law

Russia- US: Diplomats of both

countries meet at Istanbul to discuss ‘irritants’

in bilateral relations

decision to loosen its policy. On 7 December, China’s National Health Commission released a 10-point announcement withdrawing the zero-COVID policy and presented a new set of lenient norms to control the pandemic.

Japan: House of Councilors adopts resolution on human rights violation in China

On 5 December, Japan’s House of Councilors adopted a resolution on human rights in China and expressed concerns over the violation of rights in Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong. China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning referred to the resolution and reprimanded it for ignoring the basic facts, being based on disinformation and interfering in

On 9 December, on the wake of a high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the US, it was revealed that the diplomats of Moscow and Washington held talks in Istanbul at the Valdai discussion forum. Russian Foreign Minister told that the meeting was aimed at discussing the ‘irritants,’ in the bilateral relations between the two countries and stated that it was merely a routine issue and “not an indication of resuming dialogue with the US. The word ‘irritants’ is said to refer to the functioning of the Russian diplomatic missions in the US and vice versa. The US has not made any public comments on the meeting.

Argentina: Vice President sentenced to six years in prison

On 6 December, Argentinian Vice

On 6 December, Mexico’s lower house of Congress failed to pass the proposed electoral reform calling for a constitutional amendment to restructure the National Electoral Institute (INE). The ruling parties and their allies did not get a two-thirds majority to pass the bill with 269 votes in favour, 225 against and one abstention. On 07 December, Congress did pass an alternate proposal for electoral reform which called for reducing the budget of the INE and reducing its power. Both proposals were criticised by the opposition and the public saying that the government wishes to gain more control of the electoral commission before the 2024

On 8 December, Ukrainian Foreign Minister claimed that the US does not restrict Ukraine from using American-origin weapons for their strikes in Crimea. Ukraine is obligated to a promise made to the US to refrain from striking with the equipment supplied by the US, on Russian soil. During his conversation with the Wall Street Journal, Dmitry Kuleba accused Russia of not showing interest for the peace talks while arguing that Moscow has been preparing for new battles. The US and it’s NATO allies have been providing Ukraine with large quantities of weapons and military assistance since the start of the war. In this context, experts have claimed that these supplies have blocked the scope for a peace negotiation between the two warring countries.

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. Avishka Ashok, Abigail Miriam Fernandes, Apoorva Sudhakar, and Joel Jacob are Research Associates at NIAS. Sethuraman Nadarajan, Bhoomika Sesharaj, and Madhura Mahesh Research Interns at NIAS.

Mexico: Mexican Congress rejects proposed electoral reform but approves an alternate lesser electoral reform

Ukraine: Foreign Minister reveals that Ukraine can use American weapons in Crimea

New Delhi, Dec 9: More than 50 Uyghur groups have urged heads of states and leaders of international organisations meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in Saudi Arabia to condemn China's atrocity crimes against the Uyghurs and end the genocide in its far-western Xinjiang region, a media outlet reported.

Xi, who is paying a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, agreeing to hold a meeting between the two heads of state by turns every two years. During the start of the visit, Chinese and Saudi companies signed more than 30 investment agreements,

RFA reported.Xi will also attend summits with Arab countries and the Gulf states, including the first China-Arab States Summit. Xi last visited the Middle Eastern country in 2016."On various occasions, Uyghur organizations have expressed their great disappointment over the silence of Muslim-majority countries on the Uyghur genocide, which has involved the arbitrary detainment of millions of Uyghurs in concentration camps, where they are forced to renounce their religious beliefs and practices," a statement issued by the groups was quoted by RFA as saying.

The statement went on to say that authorities have destroyed or damaged thousands of mosques and cemeteries in Xinjiang, which Uyghurs call East Turkistan, while banning religious practices such as giving Islamic names to children, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and forcing Muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol.In October, many Muslim-majority countries voted against or abstained on a United Nations resolution that sought to raise debate at the Human Rights

Council over a report by the former U.N. human rights chief on rights violations in Xinjiang.

"The failure of these countries to allow a space for debate at the Human Rights Council, a body which was created to do exactly that, contradicts the core values and principles of Islam," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia is the site of Islam's two holiest places, Mecca and Medina, and the Saudi royal family has responsibility for their guardianship and facilitating religious pilgrimages there.

Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich, Germany-based World Uyghur Congress, or WUC, said China is not only committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims, but also has declared war on Islam.

"It is completely unacceptable that the leaders of the Muslim world will sit with China's dictator on the same stage and just talk about business and cooperation by turning a blind eye to China's attack on Islam," he told the media outlet.

San Francisco, Dec 7: Meta (formerly Facebook) has reportedly told its employees not to discuss sensitive issues like abortion, gun control, pending legislation and vaccine efficacy at workplace.

According to a report in Fortune, citing a leaked internal memo, Meta has banned employees from discussing "very disruptive" topics, including abortion, gun rights, and vaccines as part of new "community engagement expectations". "As Mark mentioned recently, we need to make a number of cultural shifts to help us deliver against our priorities," read the company memo."We're doing this to ensure that internal discussions remain respectful, productive, and allow us to focus. This comes with the trade-off that we'll no longer allow for every

type of expression at work, but we think this is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our internal community," it added.

According to an earlier document that was leaked earlier this year, Meta had said that "discussing abortion openly at work has a heightened risk of creating a hostile work environment."

Meta had banned using the word 'abortion' at its internal employee messaging platform called Workplace.According to a report in The Verge in May this year, a Meta executive told employees they are prohibited from talking about abortion on Workplace as per their policy.Janelle Gale, Meta's VP of HR, reportedly told employees at a meeting that that abortion was "the most divisive and reported topic" by employees on Workplace.Employees slammed the move, saying the policy is at odds with other policies at the company that allow discussion on 'Black Lives Matter', immigration and trans rights.

The policy banning discussion of abortion had caused division among the Meta employees, the report noted.

opportunities for citizens and business alike," said von der Leyen.

International based in Lebanon, the HRW report mentioned.

"Iran's state-backed hackers are aggressively using sophisticated social engineering and credential harvesting tactics to access sensitive information and contacts held by Middle East-focused researchers and civil society groups," said Abir Ghattas, information security director at HRW.

hink tank based in Lebanon, inviting them to a conference.

The joint investigation revealed that the phishing links sent via WhatsApp, once clicked, directed the target to a fake login page that captured the user's email password and authentication code.

New Delhi, Dec 6: Iran government-backed hackers have targeted at least 18 high-profile activists, journalists, researchers, academics, diplomats, and politicians working on Middle East issues in an ongoing social engineering and credential phishing campaign via WhatsApp, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed.

The state-backed hackers also targeted two HRW staff members, revealed an investigation.

The HRW attributed the phishing attack to an entity affiliated with the Iranian government known as APT42 and sometimes referred to as "Charming Kitten".

The email and other sensitive data of at least three of them had been compromised: a correspondent for a major US newspaper, a women's rights defender based in the Gulf region, and Nicholas Noe, an advocacy consultant for Refugees

"This significantly increases the risks that journalists and human rights defenders face in Iran and elsewhere in the region," Ghattas added.

For the three people whose accounts were known to be compromised, the attackers gained access to their emails, cloud storage drives, calendars, and contacts and also performed a Google Takeout, using a service that exports data from the core and additional services of a Google account.

Organisations such as Google and the cybersecurity companies Recorded Future, Proofpoint, and Mandiant have linked APT 42 to Iranian authorities.

In October, an HRW staff member working on the Middle East and North Africa region received suspicious messages on WhatsApp from a person pretending to work for a t

The research team investigated the infrastructure that hosted the malicious links and identified additional targets of this ongoing campaign.

HRW and Amnesty International contacted the 18 high-profile individuals identified as targets of this campaign. Fifteen of them responded and confirmed that they had received the same WhatsApp messages at some point between September 15 and November 25, 2022.

Google should also promptly strengthen its Gmail account security warnings to better protect journalists, human rights defenders, and its most at-risk users from attacks, said HRW.

"In a Middle East region rife with surveillance threats for activists, it's essential for digital security researchers to not only publish and promote findings, but also prioritize the protection of the region's embattled activists, j ournalists, and civil society

The summit -- the first held outside the EU -- was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, as well as heads of state or government of the EU member states and WB partners on Tuesday.

The EU leaders called for the acceleration of the WB countries' EU accession process based upon credible reforms by partners, fair and rigorous conditionality, and the principle of own merits, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The EU is more committed than ever to a common future, with our WB partners inside the EU. And we are taking every opportunity to bring our regions and our people closer together.

From addressing jointly the energy crisis to opening more

She added that the EU will allocate one billion euros (around $1.05 billion) to the WB countries in grants for energy and infrastructure.

The energy support package includes 500 million euros in immediate support for all WB partners to cushion the increase in energy prices for businesses and vulnerable households.

The package will be ready for disbursement in early 2023.

Another package worth 500 million euros includes short and medium-term support via the Western Balkans Investment Framework to advance the energy transition and energy security.

On Tuesday, EU leaders also witnessed the signing of a declaration by representatives of telecommunications companies from the EU and the WB countries on the first voluntary lowering of roaming charges between the region and the EU starting in October 2023.

The participants also discussed migration management, cybersecurity, education and youth policies.

Near the summit venue, hundreds of Albania's opposition party supporters staged a protest on Tuesday. Protestors accused the current government of corruption and links to organised crime, driving mass emigration and vote-buying. (1 euro = 1.05 US dollar)

Meta bars employees from discussing abortion, vaccine efficacy at work

As Xi Jinping visits Saudi Arabia, Uyghurs ask Muslim majority countries to condemn genocide in Xinjiang

EU leaders reaffirm commitment to integrating Western Balkans Iran govt-backed hackers hit 18 high-profile people via WhatsApp links

Tirana, Dec 7: The leaders of the EU reaffirmed their full commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkan (WB) countries on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans Summit held here.

Pak tops index measuring global Chinese influence

Beijing, coming in at eighth and ninth place on the index.

Meanwhile, Germany is the highest-ranked European country at 19th and the US leads North America in the 21st position.

ways, like with the military or a large Chinese diaspora that can be more influential," RFE/RL quoted Wu as saying.

US counterterrorism official visiting India for working group meeting

Islamabad, Dec 9: Pakistan is the country in the world that is the most influenced by China, according to a new study that measures Beijing's expanding global sway.

The China Index -- a database relaunched by DoubleThink Labs, a Taiwan-based research organization -- ranks Pakistan atop a list of 82 other countries around the world, saying that its links to and dependency on Beijing in terms of foreign and domestic policy, technology, and the economy make it particularly susceptible to Chinese influence, RFE/RL reported.

Behind Pakistan, Southeast Asia features prominently in the rankings, with Cambodia and Singapore listed in second and third, followed by Thailand.

The Philippines is seventh and Malaysia is 10th.South Africa is the first African country at No. 5, where it is tied with Peru, the highest-ranked South American country, RFE/RL reported.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which border China's western Xinjiang province, are the Central Asian countries most influenced by

"A major goal of (this database) is to raise awareness around the world about the different aspects of Chinese influence and what that can actually look like," Min Hsuan-Wu, the co-founder and CEO of Doublethink Labs, told RFE/RL.

"We've taken a much broader and nuanced look at what influence can be, which can tell us more about what Beijing is actually doing and the different ways it can apply pressure."

In compiling the China Index, the research team focused on nine categories to track influence around the world that include higher education, domestic politics, economic ties, foreign policy, law enforcement, media, military cooperation, cultural links, and technology.

Wu says that this type of system leads to a more subtle understanding that challenges some assumptions about the levers of Chinese influence, most crucially around economics and trade."There's no one clear pattern for how China influences a country, but from the data we compiled, the economy isn't the determinative one," he said.

"You can be economically independent but be tied in other

Given the diverse factors shaping the ranking system, Pakistan's leading position is no surprise to long-time observers of the country's relationship with Beijing, which was forged in the early days of the Cold War.

Islamabad is home to the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, a centrepiece of Beijing's globespanning Belt and Road Initiative in which Chinese entities have funded and built hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of infrastructure projects in the last decade.

Pakistan's ties with China, however, have ballooned across nearly every category used to compile its ranking in the index, especially when it comes to areas like military ties, technology, and foreign policy.

Shahzeb Jillani, a veteran journalist who helped compile research on Pakistan used for the database, says that many Pakistanis may be surprised to see their country ranking so high, but he hopes the findings will lead to greater debate and reflection about Islamabad's deepening ties with Beijing, RFE/ RL reported.

"One can only hope that this will encourage Pakistanis to debate the pros and cons of the relationship and what it could mean for the future," he said.

US universities add policies banning caste discrimination

New York, Dec 9 (IANS)

The US State Department's counterterrorism official Timothy Betts will be visiting India next week for the US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group's annual meeting.

Betts, who is the Department's acting coordinator for counterterrorism, will lead the US delegation at the meeting on December 12-13 The 19th meeting

of the Joint Working Group will "review regional and global terrorist threat assessments, collaborative bilateral and regional counterterrorism programming, and initiatives to strengthen law enforcement and judicial partnerships", the Department said on Thursday.

The group met in Washington in October 2021.

Betts was in Japan on Thursday for trilateral counterterrorism discussions with senior officials from Australia and Japan focusing on "the current terrorism landscape, including persistent threats in the IndoPacific", the Department said.

Before going to India, Betts is to stop over in Manila for talks on counterterrorism cooperation and security partnership between the two countries, it added.

New York, Dec 9: Nearly one million immigrants obtained US citizenship during the fiscal year 2022 -- the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report.

USCIS completed processing 1,075,700 naturalization applications and administered the oath of allegiance to 967,400 new US citizens during the year ended September 30. The number rose to 1,023,200 immigrants when considering children. The top five countries of birth of immigrants who became naturalized US citizens in fiscal year 2022 were Mexico, India, the Philippines, Cuba and the

Dominican Republic, according to the USCIS data.The immigrants who either have been green card holders (permanent residents) for 3-5 years or meet various military service requirements are eligible for US citizenship.The processing time, from the time you file your citizenship application to when you attend the oath of allegiance ceremony, is between 18.5-24 months.The current government filing fee for naturalization applications is $725, including $640 for processing and $85 for biometrics services.Military applicants are exempt from both the fees.Immigrants with US citizenship are allowed to vote in federal elections, eligible for candidacy in US elections, have greater access to government assistance programmes, like Medicare, sponsor relatives seeking permanent residency, and ensure automatic US citizenship for children. According to government data, USCIS oversaw more than 8.7 million immigration cases as on June 30 -- from green card applications to

asylum requests and work permit petitions. "Every immigration case entrusted to us represents an individual or a family seeking to build a better life in the US," said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. "We have made measurable progress towards building a more humane immigration system... There is more work to do, especially to reduce processing times for all people we serve, and congressional support is critical to achieving our ambitious backlog reduction goals in the year ahead."In the coming months, USCIS plans to build on this progress by implementing premium processing for all petitions for immigrant workers and certain employment authorisation applications for students and exchange visitors.

It hopes to establish a permanent biometrics exemption for all applicants for change of nonimmigrant status and extension of non-immigrant stay.adjustment of status, and naturalization will be simplified, the USCIS stated.

New York, Dec 9: Nearly one million immigrants obtained US citizenship during the fiscal year 2022 -- the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report.

USCIS completed processing 1,075,700 naturalization applications and administered the oath of allegiance to 967,400 new US citizens during the year ended September 30.

The number rose to 1,023,200 immigrants when considering children.The top five countries of birth of immigrants who became naturalized US citizens in fiscal year 2022 were Mexico, India, the Philippines, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, according to the USCIS data.

The immigrants who either have been green card holders (permanent residents) for 3-5 years or meet various military service requirements are eligible for US citizenship.

The processing time, from the time you file your citizenship application to when you attend the oath of allegiance ceremony, is between 18.5-24 months.

The current government filing fee for naturalization applications is $725, including $640 for processing and $85 for biometrics services.

Military applicants are exempt

from both the fees.

Immigrants with US citizenship are allowed to vote in federal elections, eligible for candidacy in US elections, have greater access to government assistance programmes, like Medicare, sponsor relatives seeking permanent residency, and ensure automatic US citizenship for children.According to government data, USCIS oversaw more than 8.7 million immigration cases as on June 30 -- from green card applications to asylum requests and work permit petitions.

"Every immigration case entrusted to us represents an individual or a family seeking to build a better life in the US," said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou.

"We have made measurable progress towards building a more humane immigration system... There is more work to do, especially to reduce processing times for all people we serve, and congressional support is critical to achieving our ambitious backlog reduction goals in the year ahead."In the coming months, USCIS plans to build on this progress by implementing premium processing for all petitions for immigrant workers and certain employment authorisation applications for students and exchange visitors.

It hopes to establish a permanent biometrics exemption for all applicants for change of nonimmigrant status and extension of non-immigrant stay.Several common forms, including the applications for employment authorization, adjustment of status, and naturalization will be simplified, the USCIS stated.

Nearly a million immigrants became US citizens in FY 2022

Tim Cook, Joe Biden plan ‘make in America’ chips at TSMC plant

Cybersecurity resilience top priority for Indian firms: Cisco

San Francisco, Dec 7: In their bid to cut the dependency on China amid the supply chain turmoil, US President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook have announced plans to start using chips made in the US, after opening a new processor factory in Phoenix, Arizona."These chips will power iPhones and MacBooks, as Tim Cook can attest. Apple had to buy all the advanced chips from overseas. Now we're going to do more of their supply chain here at home," Biden said during an event at the Arizona factory of chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). In addition to TSMC Arizona's first fab, which is scheduled to begin production of N4 process technology in 2024, TSMC has also started the construction of a second fab which is scheduled to begin production of 3nm process

technology in 2026.The overall investment for these two fabs will be approximately $40 billion, representing the largest foreign direct investment in Arizona history and one of the largest foreign direct investments in the history of the US, TSMC said in a statement."When complete, TSMC Arizona aims be the greenest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the US producing the most advanced semiconductor process technology in the country, enabling next generation high-performance and low-power computing products for years to come," said TSMC Chairman Dr Mark Liu.In addition to the over 10,000 construction workers who helped with construction of the site, TSMC Arizona's two fabs are expected to create an additional 10,000 high-paying high-tech jobs, including 4,500

TSMC Arizona's two fabs will manufacture over 600,000 wafers per year, with estimated end-product value of more than $40 billion.During the ceremony, TSMC revealed six semiconductor tools which are designed to support production of leading-edge semiconductor process technology."This project is truly a testament to the Grand Alliance TSMC has formed with customers, suppliers and partners to further our collaboration and unleash innovation," said TSMC CEO Dr CC Wei.In August, Biden signed the historic $280 billion Chips and Science Act into law that includes $52 billion to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.The Chips and Science Act is the Biden administration's bet to incentivise chipmakers to reverse course and build fabs in the US and cut the dependence on China.Cook said that the progress we've made with Apple Silicon has transformed our devices."When you stop and think about it, it's extraordinary what chip technology can achieve. And now, thanks to the hard work of so many people, these chips can be proudly stamped 'Made in America'," he said at the TSMC event.

Microsoft may build ‘super app’ to fight Apple & Google

Melbourne, Dec 7 (IANS)

San

dominance.The application might combine shopping, messaging, web search, news and other services all in one place, reports AppleInsider.Executives at Microsoft believe that the application will help to grow both Bing search and their advertising business.The tech giant aspires to emulate companies such as Tencent, which has all-in-one applications like WeChat.It is still unclear whether the company will ever release such an application. Meanwhile, last month, the tech

giant had introduced 'polls' that offer users a way to create polls right away with the Microsoft Forms app, making meetings more engaging in Teams. To post a poll in a Teams channel or get instant feedback in a chat pane, go to the channel or chat you want to include a poll in, then at the bottom of your Teams window, select Forms, then add your question - and - Answer options.

Cybersecurity resilience has emerged as the top priority for companies in India as they look to defend themselves against a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Around 62 per cent of these organisations say that the security incidents have impacted their business operations. This was revealed in the latest edition of Cisco's annual study, 'Security Outcomes Report' launched on Wednesday in Melbourne.Titled, 'Security Outcomes Report, Volume 3: Achieving Security Resilience', the study identifies the top seven success factors that boost enterprise security resilience, with a particular focus on the cultural, environmental, and solution-based factors that businesses leverage to achieve security. The findings are based on survey responses from over 4,700 participants across 26 countries.Resilience has emerged as the top priority since a staggering 61.5 per cent of organisations surveyed said they had experienced a security event that impacted business in the past two years. The leading types of incidents were network or data breach (69.1 per cent), network or system outages (55.3 per cent), malicious insider abuse (50.4 per cent) and accidental disclosure (47.2 per cent).These incidents resulted in severe repercussions for the companies that experienced them, along with the ecosystem of organisations they do business with. The leading impacts cited include IT and communications interruption, supply chain disruption, response and recovery costs and lasting brand damage.With stakes this high, it is no surprise that almost all executives (99 per cent) surveyed for the report said that the security resilience was a high

priority for them. The findings further highlight that the main objectives of security resilience for the security leaders and their teams are to contain the spread or scope of security incidents, adapt to unexpected external change events or trends, and to continue to mature and improve security capabilities."Digitization has been fast-tracked for several years, bringing new opportunities for people, businesses, and communities. However, to ensure that this progress is not delayed or derailed, it must be accompanied by a sharp focus on and investments in security. Their ability to anticipate, detect, respond to, and recover quickly from cyber threats and attacks will be at the heart of companies' efforts to build resilience in a dynamic world," said Samir Mishra, Director, Security Business, Cisco India & SAARC."Security resilience allows companies to optimize their resources and prioritize areas that add the most value to their business today and are critical to their success in the future," he added.Meanwhile, the report said that the companies whose technology infrastructures are either mostly on-premise or mostly cloud-based had the highest, and nearly identical, security resilience scores. However, businesses that are in the initial stages of transitioning from an on-premise to a hybrid cloud environment saw scores drop between 8.5 and 14 per cent depending on how difficult the hybrid environments were to manage.Further, businesses reporting an excellent security culture scored 46 per cent higher on an average than those without. Globally, the companies that reported implementing a mature Zero Trust model saw a 30 per cent increase in resilience score compared to those that had none.

"The Security Outcomes Reports are a study into what works and what doesn't in cybersecurity. The ultimate goal is to cut through the noise in the market by identifying

Probe into Musk’s move to convert rooms at Twitter HQ into bedrooms

San Francisco, Dec 7: The local authorities here are launching a probe into Elon Musk's move to convert some rooms at Twitter headquarters into small bedrooms.

Local TV channel KQED quoted representatives from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection as saying that they

are launching an investigation into "reports Twitter has converted several office rooms at its headquarters into sleeping quarters for employees".

"We need to make sure the building is being used as intended," they said.Musk replied on Wednesday that "City of SF attacks companies providing

beds for tired employees instead of making sure kids are safe from fentanyl. Where are your priorities," tagging a report about a 10-month-old baby who suffered an accidental fentanyl overdose at a city playground. One of his Twitter followers commented: "You're directly or indirectly forcing employees to

sleep at work (let's be honest, people generally don't choose to sleep at work) and your reaction to getting called out for it is a straw man argument? What happened to you, dude?"After his call to either be "extremely hardcore" at work or quit, Musk converted rooms at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco

into small bedrooms, featuring unmade mattresses, drab curtains and giant work monitors, the media reported.The beds are prepared for remaining "hardcore" staffers to be able to stay overnight at the office, Forbes reported.

Francisco, Dec 7 :Tech giant Microsoft will reportedly build an all-in-one 'super app' to compete with Apple and Google mobile

crude oil supply to Pakistan on discounted rates

Aus PM shuts down nuke power debate despite rising electricity prices Russia

products, petrol and diesel," said Musadik Malik.

"The negotiations with Russia regarding oil and gas supplies had been very positive."

Islamabad, Dec 6: In a major positive development, Russia has confirmed and agreed to provide at least 100,000 barrels per day crude oil to Pakistam on discounted rates.

Federal Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik confirmed the development after returning from Moscow.

"Russia has confirmed the availability of 100,000 barrels per day of crude oil supply but has not confirmed the rate yet which will be discussed in January," he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

Sources in the Petroleum Ministry also confirmed that the terms and rates will be finalized during the visit of a delegation from Moscow to Pakistan, which is scheduled to visit from January 23, 2023.

"Russia will give us crude oil at a discounted rate. Russia will give us a discount on refinery

Now, the complication for Pakistan lies on what import price cap will it comply with in order to get supplies from Russia through the important deal.

One on hand, a $60 per barrel cap imposed by the G-7 nations and the European Union (EU) on Russian seaborne oil is starting this week. On the other hand, Moscow has made it clear that it would not sell oil to countries which stand compliant with the mentioned cap.

Moreover, sources also confirmed that the US has also told Pakistan Finance Minister Ishar Dar to purchase oil from Russia under the same $60 per barrel cap.

This puts Pakistan in a difficult position as if it stays under the G7 and EU cap, then Russia may not agree to provide oil supplies to Pakistan. And if Islamabad decides to agree to different and separate terms with Russia, it will be putting its relations with US, G7 states and the EU at risk.

"Now, the question, whether

Russia will agree with Pakistan on selling at the capped price will be clear during the visit of the Russian delegation," stated a source in the Petroleum Ministry.

Pakistan's cash-strapped economy and tough financial situation makes it almost impossible for it to overlook concerns from US and the EU, especially after Washington maintained that it had no issues with oil purchase from Russia by Islamabad, as long as it takes its decisions in line with the "circumstances".

This development comes at a time when Pakistan's ninth review with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the tranche of $1.2 billion is delayed after Islamabad failed to satisfy IMF in its assessment report, which delayed the visit of the IMF assessment team to Pakistan.

It is believed that IMF bailout package to Pakistan was revived with the support and influence of the US and now with Pakistan dealing with Russia to cater to its worsening energy needs; the deal will have to be handled smartly in order to keep the balance of relationship with both countries alive and relevant.

Greek businesses, households shift to solar power amid energy crisis

He had recently declared that proponents of nuclear as a carbon-neutral energy source in Australia were wrong, reports Xinhua news agency.

His comments came after Peter Malinauskas, the premier of South Australia, urged both sides of politics to be more mature on the nuclear question, saying the

debate has become "consumed by culture wars" rather than based on evidence.

In response, Albanese told the local media that the case for nuclear power in Australia does not stack up, citing waste storage as a key problem.

"I haven't changed my view that it's a huge distraction from what we need to do," he said.

The federal budget for 2022-23 forecasts electricity prices will rise by 56 per cent over the next 18 months and gas prices by 44 per cent.

Under Albanese's plan, caps could be introduced on the prices of coal and gas.However, some state governments have pushed back against the proposal over compensation for producers.

Athens, Dec 6:

With more than 250 days of sunshine per year, Greece is rich in renewable solar energy potential.

According to a recent report by the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO), the output of the new photovoltaic projects that are interconnected with the grid rose by 59 per cent from 838 MWh (megawatt hours) in 2021 to an estimated 1,340 MWh by the end of 2022, reports Xinhua news agency. The total of interconnected photovoltaic installations in operation in Greece now reaches 5,466 MWh.

In Greece's energy transition, medium-sized photovoltaic investors (10-1,000 kW projects)

represent 71 per cent of the total market, large projects (over 1MW) 22 per cent and small investors 7 per cent. Stergiou Family S.A., one of the largest producers and distributors of confectionery and bakery products in Greece, took the plunge this summer.

The company installed a Chinesemade 250-1,000 kW photovoltaic system, interconnected with the grid, on the rooftop of their factory at their headquarters in Acharnes, an Athens suburb.

"Solar panel installation with the principle of net metering enables us to utilize 100 percent of the power generated by the panels," George Delis, factory manager, told Xinhua. "Our factory covers up to 30 per cent of its daily energy needs through the panels. On idle days, like Sundays or national holidays, the energy produced can be fed back to the public grid," he said.

By switching to photovoltaics,

Delis said the company could reduce not only its operating costs but also its carbon footprint amid the intense energy crisis.The Greek government is scheduled to unveil a series of subsidy programs in the coming months to support the public's shift to rooftop photovoltaic panels, the Energy and Environment Ministry said recently. A 200-million-euro ($207 million) program is to be launched in early 2023, which will subsidize 10 kW rooftop solar panels combined with power storage (batteries) up to 60 per cent. Those who choose to install photovoltaic systems without batteries will receive smaller subsidies (around 30 per cent), the Ministry said.

Thirty per cent of the program is planned to concern farmers (about 70,000 beneficiaries), 30 per cent small and medium-sized businesses and 40 per cent (some 100,000) households, according to Energy and Environment Minister Kostas Skrekas.

The Ministry has also announced two other subsidy programs, one to promote self-generation by businesses and another to help energy communities support vulnerable consumers.

Skrekas said that demand is expected to be high, as businesses and households are looking for ways to reduce their energy costs.

Berlin, Dec 8: More than a third of electricity produced and fed into the grid in Germany in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022 was generated by coal-fired power plants, according to a report based on provisional results and published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Amid the energy crisis, coalgenerated electricity in Europe's largest economy increased by 13.3 per cent year-on-year, according to Destatis on Wednesday.

Germany still aims to phase out coal as a power source by 2030. In order to ensure security of energy supply during winter, the German government has decided to temporarily return to coal-fired power plants. The first plant was already reactivated in early August, Xinhua news agency reported.

Despite the high gas prices, electricity production from natural gas in Q3 was 4.5 per cent higher compared to a year earlier, accounting for 9.2 per

cent of electricity fed into the grid, according to Destatis. Gas prices in Europe have more than doubled since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After peaking at almost 350 euros (368 US dollars) per megawatt hour at the end of August, European TTF (Title Transfer Facility) gas futures were trading at around 140 euros on Wednesday.

Due to Germany's nuclear phaseout, the total share of electricity generated from conventional energy sources declined to 55.6 per cent, according to Destatis. Only half as much nuclear power was generated as in the previous year.

The last three nuclear power plants in Germany were originally scheduled to be shut down at the end of this year. As with coal, however, the government had to make a U-turn in order to guarantee security of supply, allowing the remaining plants to operate until April 15, 2023. (1 euro = 1.05 US dollar)

Jakarta, Dec 5 (IANS) Indonesia aims to develop a nuclear power plant in 2039 to achieve net zero emissions and support domestic needs for energy, the country's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) said on Sunday.

The agency's Director for Nuclear Installation and Material Control, Haendra Subekti, said in a statement that to realise the target, Indonesia is currently looking for investors to help finance the plant's construction, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have drafted the regulations on the nuclear infrastructure safety, preparing the location for

the plant and formulating the trial operation. All of these have been nearly completed," Subekti said, adding that the location of the nuclear power plant will not be in earthquake-prone areas. "For now, there have been a few private companies that are willing to invest, but we're expecting more investors to come," he said. Indonesia's plan to establish a nuclear power plant has been stipulated under a government regulation on the operation of risky businesses. The plant aims to provide new and renewable energy for the Southeast Asian country so that it can reach its zero emissions target.

offer

Germany ramps up electricity generation from coal amid energy crisis: Destatis

Indonesia plans to build nuclear power plant, seeks investors

Canberra, Dec 6: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shut down calls for the country to consider nuclear power options despite rising electricity prices.

Facing soaring electricity and natural gas bills, Greek companies and households are turning to solar power en masse this year to cope with the ongoing energy crisis.

Pandemic has hit kids’ ability to perform physical activities

Tokyo, Dec 6: The activity restrictions during the pandemic have led to a decrease in children's ability to perform physical activities and maintain body balance, new research has found.A team of researchers from Nagoya University in central Japan investigated how restrictions on children's activities during the pandemic affected their life habits and their abilities to perform physical activities.By comparing medical examination data before and after the onset of the pandemic, they found that the physical functions among adolescents deteriorated, including their dynamic balance.The study, published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, also found that the children had higher body fat levels and worse life habits. Rather than a lack of exercise time, this may have been because of a lack of quality exercise due to activity restrictions.

"Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, children

have not been able to engage in sufficient physical education, sports activities, and outdoor play at school. It became clear that balance ability during movement was easily affected, lifestyle habits were disrupted, and the percentage of body fat was likely to increase," explained visiting researcher Tadashi Ito."This may have been because of shorter outdoor playtime and club activities, which impeded children's ability to learn the motor skills necessary to balance during movement," Ito added. During the pandemic, children, like adults, increased the time they spent looking at television, smartphone, and computer screens, exercised less, and slept less.Such changes in lifestyle can harm adolescent bodies, leading to weight gain and health problems.Ito and his team conducted a study of Japanese children and students in elementary and junior high schools, aged 9-15, by analysing data from physical examinations before and during the pandemic.

They evaluated the children's muscle strength, dynamic balance functions, walking speed, body fat percentage, screen time, sleep time, quality of life, and physical activity time.The researchers found that after the onset of the pandemic, children were more likely to have decreased balance ability when moving, larger body fat percentage, report spending more time looking at TV, computers or smartphones, and sleep less."Limitations on children's opportunities for physical activity because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus have had a significant impact on the development of physical function and lifestyle and may cause physical deterioration and health problems in the future," warned Ito.Especially, the risk of injury to children may increase because of a reduced dynamic balance function," the researcher noted.Even after the novel coronavirus becomes endemic, on the body composition of adolescents, they added.

Home air cleaners boost heart health among COPD patients: Johns Hopkins study

New York, Dec 6: Home air purifiers can also improve cardiovascular health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, a new research from Johns Hopkins University led by an Indianorigin scientist has revealed. Cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias, heart failure, stroke and heart attack commonly accompany COPD, and both COPD and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death around the world, according to the World Health Organisation.

The new six-month study, led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers and published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, is a secondary study of a larger Johns Hopkins-led project, the CLEAN AIR study.The CLEAN

AIR study, which investigated the effects of indoor air pollution on COPD, found that people with COPD experienced improved symptoms after using portable air purifiers indoors."We've seen that air pollution in the home, where people spend a majority of their time, contributes to impairments in respiratory health. We hypothesised that this pollution is a big driver of cardiovascular disease and cardiac events in people with COPD," says lead author Sarath Raju, an assistant professor of medicine who specialises in obstructive lung diseases.For the new study, researchers recruited 85 men and women from the original CLEAN AIR study, who were adults (average age 65) with COPD.The level of PM 2.5 indoors should stay at or below

12 micrograms per cubic foot for the air to be considered healthy to breathe. Participants' homes had an average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic foot of PM 2.5.Then, 46 randomised participants received two portable air cleaners with HEPA and carbon filters to use at home; the other participants received placebo air cleaners that circulated air but had the filters removed.Researchers tracked and measured several indicators of lung and heart health at the one week, three-month and six-month periods of the study using standard clinical tests, such as blood pressure and heart ultrasounds (echocardiograms). Additionally, participants wore heart rate monitors for 24 hours during each clinical testing period, to assess heart rate variability.At the end of the experiment, all 46 participants with active HEPA and carbon filters had improved markers of heart health, specifically a 25 per cent increase in heart rate variability. Participants without the active filters saw no increase. Among 20 participants who used the air purifiers with active filters 100 per cent of the time while at home, there was also a 105.7 per cent increase in a heart health variability measure, which is associated with improved heart fitness."In the future, air cleaners may be something to recommend to patients along with medications, but also can be part of a larger discussion about the importance of home environments," said Raju.

New Delhi, Dec 6: As millions of Indians strive to control their blood sugar with alternative means, a new study done by two National award winning startups -Jackfruit365 and BeatO suggests that incorporation of Jackfruit365 green jackfruit flour in medical nutrition therapy (MNT) combined with an online CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) counselling triggered by realtime self-monitoring of blood glucose levels on BeatO app using a smartphone-connected glucometer significantly reduced average blood glucose levels in three weeks with higher efficacy in the higher HbA1c subgroup. The study was presented at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.Green jackfruit flour has been reported to lower

glycaemic load (GL) because of its high fiber, both soluble and insoluble, lower carbohydrate and calorie content.ackfruit365 green jackfruit flour, used in medical nutrition therapy (MNT) along with pharmacological interventions, led to a significant reduction in HbA1c levels and PPG (post prandial blood glucose), demonstrating its efficacy in MNT in T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus) patients."Partnering with BeatO has led us towards the digital revolution in diabetes care. This study with closely monitored BeatO's smartphone integrated connected care service demonstrates reduction in average blood sugar level in just three weeks of consumption of green jackfruit flour," said James Joseph, Founder, Jackfruit365. com."We are glad the scientific committee of IDF accepted our joint study to demonstrate the opportunity to combine MNT with green jackfruit flour with a more frequent and affordable smartphone integrated monitoring of blood sugar levels with BeatO App. We commend BeatO for coming up with such an innovative, easy to use solution," he added.

Aging in eye can predict kidney failure risk, finds study

London, Dec 6: Every one-year increase in retinal age has now been linked with a 10 per cent higher risk of incident kidney failure over 11 years of followup, a UK study involving 35,864 residents has revealed.The one-year increase in retinal age was assessed by retinal microvasculature changes, according to the study published in the Peer-reviewed American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD)."There is a pressing need to identify early predictive biomarkers of kidney failure, given its associated substantial morbidity and mortality. Ageing biomarkers have been associated with kidney failure but their clinical application has been challenging," the researchers reported.The incidence of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) is

known to increase with age."We have previously developed and validated retinal age based on fundus images used as a biomarker of ageing. However, the association of retinal age with ESKD is not clear. We investigated the association of the difference between retinal age and chronological age, and the future risk of ESKD," said researchers.In the study, retinal age gap (retina-predicted age minus chronological age), a clinically validated and artificial intelligence powered ageing biomarker based on retinal imaging, This non-invasive and ageing biomarker may hold promise to assist in the identification of people at elevated risk for kidney failure, said the researchers.

New study highlights using BeatO app with Jackfruit365 green jackfruit flour reduces average blood glucose levels in just 3 weeks

Travel advice from Doctors of Indian Medical Association of Queensland

Topic: Vaccinations for travel

a) Vaccination for following infections should be considered -typhoid, hepatitis A and B, cholera, rabies, meningococcal Japanese encephalitis covid vaccination, influenza vaccination, BCG on a case basis.

b) Mosquito bite prevention (wearing long sleeves clothing and using mosquito repellant) is very important. Prophylactic anti-malarial antibiotics need to be started before you travel and continue after you come back.

c) General sanitations measures like hand hygiene are important to prevent infections.

Topic: Documents and insurance for travel

a) Refer to CDC website ( wwwnc.cdc.gov/ travel) for information and travel advice regarding your specific destination

b) Get appropriate travel insurance

c) Refer to Smart traveller website

3)

Dr Siddhartha Sarma - GP in Ormeau

Topic: First aid during travel

a) Take all your prescription medications for chronic health conditions for diabetes, asthma, heart conditions, anaphlaxis

b) Carry your Epipen if you have any anaphylactic conditions

c) Carry water purification tablets or drink bottled water only

d) Take common medications to take along - paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamine, antidiabetes and other regular medications and asthma puffers

Topic: Travelling with children

a) Talk to your children about travelwhat to expect, destination, what will happen at the airport and timing of travel.

b) Involve children in the process to keep them involved and excited, for example in packing their luggage.

c) Keep healthy snacks

d) Keep books, puzzles to keep them interested and avoid boredom

e) Safety on roads whilst overseas is very important to prevent road traffic accidents and injuries

Topic: Managing In-flight emergencies

a) In case of an emergency, check if there is a doctor on the flight.

b) Liaise with the ground staff staff and make decisions in consensus with them

c) In case of syncope, lie down unconscious patient lie the patient down . Check vital signs. Liaise with the ground staff.

d) Start CPR as needed. Give oxygen if needed.

e) For hypoglycemia ( low blood sugar), give glucose

7)

5)

Dr Abha Chikarsal - GP in Brisbane

Topic: Travel during pregnancy

Topic: Chronic health conditions during travel

a) Check vaccination requirements of the country you are travelling to ( yellow fever vaccination for certain countries, covid vaccination certificates)

b) Carry a letter of introduction in case you have multiple chronic diseases and are on multiple medications

c)Carry all your medications in your hand luggage or at least 1 week's supply in case your luggae gets lost

Wish you a safe journey, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Namaste

a) Safest time to travel in pregnancy is in second trimester

b) Avoid travelling if you have a high risk pregnancy ( like hypertension, preeclampsia and multiple pregnancy)

c) Check with your doctor if you need any blood thinners during travel to cover the risk of blood clots

d) Check airlines rules around travel

e) Check what medical facilities are available in the country you are travelling to in case you need medical help during the pregnancy

Travelling to India from Australia during Holidays, requires proper advance planning well in advance especially while travelling with family involving children and others

a) Booking a travel consultation with you general practitioner doctor 6 to 8 weeks in advance gives you adequate time to get travel information, vaccinations, advice on medications to carry along, medications list and a brief health summary

b) Having a read through Australian Smart Traveler and CDC(Centre of Disease Control) websites, getting advice from travel doctor at medical centres are good options

c) Preventive advice on waterborne, mosquito-spread and other contagious diseases and infections, including advice on animal such as stray dog bite prevention and vaccines, travel insurance, do’s and don’ts during your travel and stay in India or any overseas countries is a very important thing to adhere to Wish you a safe journey, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Namaste

Indian Medial Association

The doctors at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Queensland, Australian Chapter, Queensland branch, have issued their travel advices regarding safe travel overseas in the upcoming festive season. This advice is general in nature, and we recommend you see your regular doctor regarding medical advice about your specific medical conditions and circumstances.

Dr Snya Chadha - GP in Jimboomba

6) Dr Yogesh Apte - ICU specialist with Queensland Health

2) Dr Feroz Ameerjaan - GP in Brisbane and Aviation Medical Officer

Dr Shunil Sharma - Rheumatologist in Gold Coast

4) Dr Upasana Kapoor - Paediatrician in Brisbane

Dr Cyril Fernandez, General Practitioner (MBBS, FRACGP, DAME), Secretary IMAQ (Indian Medical Association of Queensland)

Chinese Intrusion or Chinese Confucianism? A Reality Check!

The Australia-India Free Trade Agreement

India and Australia have ratified the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which will come into force on 29 December 2022. This paper examines the key provisions of the agreement and highlights its value in further enhancing the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

The latest attempt by China to intrude into its neighbour’s territory starkly contrasts with its touted philosophy of Confucianism. Xi Jinping’s fondness for Confucianism does not resonate with China’s actions on the ground. The Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh has been a victim of China’s illicit expansionism and aggression for a long time. The latest attempt bravely foiled by the Indian Army led to injuries on both sides although there were no casualties reported. Chinese build-up of infrastructure including villages and roads on the border smacks a premeditated state-sponsored long-term strategy that should not be oversimplified as just another skirmish and should be dealt with solemnly in word and in deed.

Principles like “Long-Term GoodNeighborliness”, “Friendship and Cooperation”, “non-confrontation and not targeting any third party”, “regional cooperation”, “new contribution to peace and development in the region”, “promoting global peace and development”, “upholding international justice and fairness”, “strong vitality and momentum of cooperation”,

“mutual trust”, “mutual benefit”, “equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development” that form a bedrock of Confucius principles and staunchly espoused by Chinese Premier starkly juxtapose with Chinese repeated actions of brute barbarism, attacks and clashes on the Indo-Chines border.

Chinese acts of territorial impropriety severely impede the momentum of associations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and G20 among others to which India is a party and intensify the friction that is growing between China and the rest of the world in the post-COVID-19 era. China can indeed cite and explain the historic interpretations of Confucius looking down from the peaks of Dongshan and Tai mountains and relate them with unity and diversity and a peaceful world but it will surely have a daunting time explaining what principles reverberate from the peak of Arunachal Pradesh.

Signed on 2 April 2022, the IndiaAustralia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement will come into force on 29 December 2022. The agreement will provide duty-free access to Indian exporters in over 6,000 broad sectors, including textiles, leather, furniture, jewellery and machinery in the Australian market. Australia is offering zero-duty access to India for about 96.4 per cent of exports (by value) or 98 per cent of the traded tariff lines from the start. Around 113 remaining tariff lines – amounting to three per cent of Indian exports – will be phased out over the next five years. India has successfully negotiated protection terms for its dairy sector and sensitive agricultural items like chickpeas, wheat, rice, bajra, sunflower oil and sugar. In the non-agricultural sector, there is an exclusion list of items like silver, platinum, jewellery and iron ore.

Conversely, the agreement will give about 85 per cent of Australia’s exports zero-duty access to the Indian market, including coal, sheep meat and wool and lower duty access on Australian almonds, lentils and certain fruits like oranges, mandarins, pears, apricots and strawberries. Zero duty access for Australia is set to increase to cover 91 per cent of its exports by value and over 70 per cent of India’s tariff lines over 10 years. Australian liquefied natural gas, alumina and metallic ores will also not attract any tariff while tariffs on Australian avocados, onions, pistachios, macadamia nuts, cashews in shell, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries will see tariffs eliminated over seven years.

Import duties on Australian wines will be significantly slashed, but not fully eliminated, and gradually brought down over 10 years as per price per bottle.

The agreement will facilitate student exchange, professionals and tourists. Indian graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will be granted extended poststudy work visas with a bonus year of stay. Australia will also set up a programme to grant visas to 1,000 young Indians

to pursue working holidays in Australia. At the same time, 1,800 Indian traditional chefs and yoga teachers will be able to enter Australia as contractual service providers. Mutual recognition of professional services and other licenced/regaled occupations comprises elements such as the coverage of all licenses and regulated occupations, allowing for temporary/project specific license where feasible and establishing a mechanism of working groups to pursue obligations related to this issue. This has paved the way for the initiation of dialogues on mutual recognition arrangements in nursing, architecture and other professional services between the professional bodies of India and Australia. Australian service suppliers will benefit from full or partial access across more than 85 Indian service sectors and sub-sectors. Australian suppliers across 32 sectors and subsectors will be guaranteed the highest standard of treatment that India grants to any future free trade agreement partner.

India will grant access to Australian single brand retailing franchises and internet service providers. There is movement on increasing research collaboration between Indian and Australian universities, and dual degree programmes between universities are subject to regulations being discussed by both countries which will be finalised by the end of the year. In addition, there has been an agreement on an enhanced commitment on the movement of professionals as intra-corporate transferees. Australia is a major exporter of key resources, some of which India needs to import to sustain its economic growth. For example, coal accounts for 74 per cent of Australia’s exports to India and attracts a duty of 2.5 per cent. The elimination of duties on coking coal is expected to boost the competitiveness of Indian steel exports. India imports 54 per cent of its natural gas and Australian companies have an opportunity there.

India’s market of 1.3 billion, a diversified economy and growth trajectory presents a significant opportunity for Australian businesses, including in education, agriculture, energy, resources, tourism, healthcare, financial services, infrastructure, science, innovation and sports. The agreement could create enormous trade diversification opportunities for Australian producers and service providers bound for India, valued at up to US$15 billion (S$20.3 billion) each year. The Scott Morrison government had already unveiled plans to invest US$280 million (S$379.4 million) to further the growing economic ties and support jobs and businesses in both countries. The funding would support cooperation on research, production and commercialisation of clean

By Anil Wadhwa

technologies, critical minerals and energy, deepen space cooperation with India and launch a centre for AustraliaIndia relations. On 3 September 2022, the current Anthony Albanese government announced that Australia will increase its permanent immigration numbers by 35,000 to 195,000 in the current financial year to mitigate skill shortages. A memorandum of understanding between the two partners envisages US$6 million (S$8.1 million) as initial funding to be shared equally by both towards an ambition to develop secure, robust and commercially viable critical minerals supply chains.

Australian commitment to AU$8 million (S$7.3 million) to a threeyear bilateral critical mineral investment partnership with the aim of lowering emissions and boosting the use of renewable energy has also materialled.

Investments are bound to play a big role in the Australia-India relationship. Opportunities for Australian businesses are available under India’s national monetisation plan pipeline, which plans to monetise about US$81 billion (S$109.7 billion) worth of brownfield assets over the period of 2022-2025. Some interesting sectors for Australia are roads and railways, power, public warehouses, civil aviation and port infrastructure, sports stadia and mining assets. Australia has AU$2.3 trillion (S$2.1 trillion) pension fund sector that could be a regular source of investments in the Indian infrastructure and disinvestment story.

Besides the defence and space sectors, the Production Linked Incentive schemes, unveiled by the Indian government in 17 sectors, has a number of areas for manufacturing incentives for Australian companies.

Under the full Comprehensive Economic PartnershipAgreement, negotiations for which got underway in New Delhi on 26 September 2022, the two sides are looking at several other key areas , such as government procurement, investment, energy and resources, intellectual property rights, trade and gender, sustainability and digital trade. There is little doubt that the momentum in ties between the two countries is unstoppable.

Businesses on both sides need to get on this train in larger numbers.

Ambassador Anil Wadhwa is a former Secretary (East) in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Italy, Thailand, Oman and Poland, and is the author of India’s Australia Economic Strategy Report, commissioned by the Confederation of Indian Industry. He can be contacted at anilwad@gmail.com.

This article was first published by the Institute for South Asia Studies, Singapore.

Doha, Dec 13: Brazil legend

Ronaldo has lent his support to calls for Brazil to appoint a foreign manager following the team's elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Friday's quarterfinal loss to Croatia on penalties marked the fifth consecutive time that Brazil have been knocked out of football's showpiece tournament by a European opponent.

Tite reiterated his previously announced decision to step down after the World Cup, saying "the cycle has finished" after the match at Education City stadium in Doha.

"I would love to see names like (Pep) Guardiola, (Carlo) Ancelotti, or (Jose) Mourinho coaching Brazil," Ronaldo told reporters here. "But I am not the one who chooses, we will see what happens. These names have

emerged in Brazil, but I don't know if it's true.

"I don't see a problem with Brazil having a foreign coach. There is going to be a lot of discussion about who will be the next coach of Brazil. I see these names very favorably."

Ronaldo, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and 2002, said Brazil had paid the price for poor defending that led to Bruno Petkovic's 116th-minute equalizer for Croatia.

Neymar had given the South American side the lead in the 106th minute by starting and finishing a superb team goal after the scores were tied at 0-0 at the end of normal time, reports Xinhua.

"We weren't able to run down the clock in extra time after the goal," Ronaldo said. "We needed to be

smarter, it's the only thing we needed to get through the tie."

Ronaldo also said he was confident Neymar would play again for Brazil after the Paris Saint-Germain forward raised the prospect of ending his international career.

"He is very upset with the result," Ronaldo said. "It's normal for him to feel that right now, but I'm sure he'll come back stronger and continue playing for Brazil. He is still young and can play in the next World Cup. I am proud of how he showed his commitment in the last six months with Brazil.

"He played a great first game, suffered the ankle injury and made a lot of sacrifices to play for the national team again. He is very important for us and I hope that he returns even stronger soon," Ronaldo said.

safe environment in Qatar."

Once in Croatia, Marian went on a Church searching mission and she was amazed at what she discovered.

"When I arrived in Croatia, in my first six months I visited 40 churches only in the Split area. This itself will tell you how strong the Catholic faith is in Croatia. 80% of Croations are Catholics and I am overwhelmed to see that," she said about the Catholic faith in the country which was earlier part of Yugoslavia.

Mumbai, Dec 12 (IANS) Adidas on Monday unveiled Al Hilm -- the official match ball for the semifinals and final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Al Hilm, which translates as "The Dream" in Arabic, follows on from the Official Match Ball of the group stages, Al Rihla, which translates as "The Journey".

Both balls feature the same technology, engineered to support the highest game speeds as they travel faster in flight than any other World Cup ball. Al Hilm is revealed with a unique graphic design, befitting of an occasion as historic as the final matches of a FIFA World Cup.

The design is set on a textured gold base color which features a

subtle triangular pattern, drawing inspiration from the sparkling deserts of the region that surround the city, the color of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the pattern of the Qatar flag. Bold red accents complement the graphic, reflecting both the generative architecture of Qatar, and once again, the country's flag.

The ball encapsulates its namesake, Al Hilm -- "The Dream", as it connects to the twilight hours, where the red sky meets the desert sand at dusk -- a time when dreams are set to come true under the floodlights of the Lusail Stadium -- the stage for the Final.

"Al Hilm represents a beacon of light on the power of sport and football to bring the world together. Millions will tune in from almost every country around the globe, united by their passion for the game. We wish all teams involved in the final stages of the tournament the best of luck as they compete on the largest stage that football has to offer" said Nick Craggs, General ManagerFootball, adidas.

Doha (Qatar), Dec 13: On Tuesday when Croatia take the field against two-time champions Argentina in a FIFA World Cup semifinal at the Lusail Stadium, a small village in North Goa, having economic and religious ties with Dubrovnik town, will be hoping Zlatko Dalic's side becomes the first back-to-back finalists since Brazil in 2002.

But the villagers in the Gaundalim in North Goa are not the only Goans who will be supporting the Kockasti, meaning the chequered ones in accordance with the pattern on their national flag, in the last-four clash.

Miles apart in Split, Dalmatia, the Kovacic couple Marian Theresa De Souza Kovacic and her husband Ivo Kovacic will be glued to the television and following the match from their home and missing the action in Qatar.

Both of them were longtime residents of Doha, the capital city of the host country and moved back to Croatia in December 2020. Both of them are hoping the country of 4 million people will make it to the December 18 final.

"Yes we miss the football action, we are seriously considering and

planning to come to the final if we make it," said Marian, who worked in Qatar for nearly three decades.

It was in multi-cultural Qatar that Marian, who traces her roots to the Indian state of Goa, became friends with Ivo and tied the knot in 2008.

"Faith brought us together in 2008. We met in the church compound, and five months later we got married in the same church.

The marriage was officiated by his priest uncle Don Dr. Slavko Kovacic from Croatia and witnessed by both our families and friends," recalls Marian, who traces her roots to the coastal village of Calangute in North Goa, but was born and brought up in Mumbai.

"I spent most of my life in Qatar, almost 30 years. During which time besides my job I assisted and rendered service in the church and my husband too was actively involved in the church activities," she added. Recalling her time in Qatar she said: "I was fascinated with the multicultural environment, the Arabic culture, the beautiful churches and the hospitality and

Besides the Kovacic couple, there are still a few more things that connect Goa to Croatia.

The Gaundalim village in North Goa, which was once a small-time port from where trade flourished, brought many European traders in search of spices and other trading goods and a few of those traders happened to be Croatian from Dubrovnik.

Marian recalls that many Croatians are well-versed in the historic and religious ties between Gaundalim and Dubrovnik, with many Croatians making it a point to visit the village which is situated close to Old Goa, a village that houses some of the magnificent churches built during the 450 plus years of Portuguese rule in the state.

"The St. Blaise church in Gaundalim built by Croatians is a smaller replica of the St. Blaise church in Dubrovnik which uncle of my husband Don Slavko Kovacic, professor of Church history 'nlightened us when my husband's family learned he is getting married to a Goan," recalled Marian.

Doha

"I know Messi and he was always like that, he was always a winner and he has pride and a big desire to continue playing football that makes us happy. And also because the first year was difficult in terms of adaptation and now, from what they explain to me, their life in Paris is perfect. The children are happy, he and his family, his wife too," Scaloni added.

The Argentina captain is eyeing his second World Cup final after his team lost to Germany in 2014 and the only major title missing from his collection, which includes every big club and the national team title.

The Argentinian superstar had announced at the start of the tournament that he will retire from international football after Qatar World Cup but Scaloni feels there will be a change of heart and he will continue.

"We will hope he continues playing. Let's see if he does. We will keep enjoying him, that's important for us and for the world of foo"ball."

Scaloni's side faces Croatia in the first World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, after overcoming the Netherlands on penalties. The Copa America champions led 2-0 at Lusail Stadium yet were pegged back to a 2-2 draw by Wout Weghorst's double.

Croatia will be looking to become the first back-to-back finalists since Brazil in 2002

Scaloni said both Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul would be fit and the absence of the suspended Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel would not be a problem.

"We have our own system, our style. Of course, in certain situations we need to take into account how the opponents are playing," Scaloni said.

"We won't change our style beyond the system and that's what we're going to do. During the game, we will of course make decisions (based on situations) and rise to the challenge."

‘Al Hilm’, the official match ball of FIFA World Cup 2022 finals

FIFA World Cup: Ronaldo backs calls for Brazil to appoint foreign head coach

FIFA World Cup: Village in North Goa supports Croatia, hope they reach the final

FIFA World Cup: Messi will continue to appear for Argentina much after Qatar 2022, hopes coach Scaloni

(Qatar), Dec 13: Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is pinning hopes that Lionel Messi will continue to play for Argentina much after the FIFA World Cup is over.

Christmas in the Park at Calamvale

(From Newsdesk) The city of Brisbane celebrated Christmas in the Park at Calamvale in a big way this year. Cr. Angela Owen organized a community event in the Park to bring the community together to celebrate Christmas. The event was packed with Christmas Carols sung by children and adults.

Among the Carol singers were students of Sargam Music Academy who started the entertainment show with foot tapping Christmas carols Felice Nouvidad and Jingle Bells. The air

was soon filled with a pompous festive mood. Cr. Angela Owen has often encouraged and supported students of Sargam Music Academy. She has also bestowed them with certificates of encouragement for singing at various cultural festivals.

This was the Council's annual Christmas festival in the Park. It was attended by many local families of multicultural background. There were stalls of food, drinks, clothes, variety items and trinkets for Christmas presents and decorations.

Indian-origin science teacher wins PM’s prize in Australia

project leader, has been awarded for demonstrating practical application of STEAM to students, and how they can use their skills to make a real impact in the world.

Melbourne, Dec 5 (IANS) An Indian-origin teacher in Australia has received the 2022 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in secondary schools.

Melbourne-based Veena Nair, who is ViewBank College's Head of Technology and STEAM

"To be recognised in the Prime Minister's prizes for science, I am deeply humbled. I am very grateful to my school, to my colleagues, to my students, and to my family," Nair said in a video message.

"Many people know about STEM -- science, technology, engineering and maths, but STEAM is with an A, which is for Art. Art brings in out of the box thinking, and it brings in creativity because students

need steam skills to innovate, to become resilient and to take risks," she said.

As a leading educator in STEAM, Nair has more than 20 years of experience in teaching sciencebased subjects across India, the United Arab Emirates, and now Australia.

Through her work, she has increased the number of students who receive first round offers to study engineering and technology subjects at university, especially young women and students from diverse backgrounds.

Nair began her teaching career in Mumbai, where she provided computers to low socio-economic

schools and taught students how to code.

Nair's students participate in the Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge -- a 10-week program that sees secondary students competing to create the best experiment to launch into space.

The winning project is then sent to the International Space Station. She also supports the Young Persons' Plan for the Planet program, a STEMbased enterprise development program that gives students the opportunity to engage with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as changemakers at a global level. Via this program, she has

led a team of Australian teachers to conduct STEAM workshops for teachers in low socio-economic schools in Mumbai.

Nair is a BSc in Physics and a BEd in Science and Mathematics from the University of Mumbai and an MEd (maths education) from Deakin University.

She won the Educator of the Year Award by the Design and Technology Teachers' Association of Australia in 2018.

The annual awards celebrate the contributions of 12 of the country's leading scientists, innovators and science teachers.

Music brings local talents closer to the international Indian Artists

(From News desk) On December 9th, 2022 Brisbane Indian community came together to witness a blockbuster event which gave our local talents the opportunity to perform along with the international artists. It was organized by LKS events along with various other local groups who supported and

brought the audience to the show.

The show was a mixed bag of song, dance, and magic performances. It catered to young and old equally.

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2021-22 India winner Nilanjana Ray and Tanmay Chaturvedi traveled to Brisbane from India to perform along with our local artists.

They sang Asha Bhosale,

Muhammad Rafi Songs (among other songs) making audience slip into the yester era of good old songs. Sanchit Chanana’s dance performance was the best among all. And Javed Khan left everyone wondering about his magical talents.

It was interesting to see how he incorporated the mobile phone technology in his magical acts.

Our talented local Brisbane singers, students of Sargam Music Academy got the opportunity to open the blockbuster show with their mesmerizing singing. They sung the famous A. R. Rehman song “Maa tujhe Salam”. Another local group that got the opportunity to perform on stage was the “Tapori Dance Group” who left everyone

entertained by their special bollywood dance performances. More such local and international artists collaborative entertainment shows must be organized in the community to give that much needed opportunity and bigger platform to our local talents.

US universities add policies banning caste discrimination

research the issue said that the addition of caste to the policy "provides a framework for reporting incidents" of discrimination, according to the university.

Brown University avoided any mention of Hinduism or India and its statement only mentions caste as a practice in South Asia.

Carey-Butler said that Brown, with an enrolment of about 10,000 in Providence, Rhode Island State, is the first Ivy League university to specifically ban caste discrimination across the board.

institutions added caste to its non-discrimination policy under the "race or ethnicity" category and that has been challenged in a federal court by two professors of Indian origin who asserted that anti-discrimination policy itself amounts to discrimination against Indian origin and Hindu staff and students.

Sunil Kumar and Praveen Sinha said that they "fully and vehemently oppose all forms of prejudice and discrimination" butA "we simply cannot abide by a misguided policy".

and discriminatory caste system.

One of those who advocated for the addition of caste in the CSU anti-discrimination, Prem Pariyar, is from Nepal.

In India and among the diaspora, other religions including Christianity also practice the caste system.

New York, Dec 9: The Ivy League

Brown University has become the latest US institution of higher education to take action against caste discrimination, joining California State, Harvard and other universities that have targeted the practice.

Brown University announced this month that it was explicitly adding caste to categories like religion, sexual orientation and colour in its institution-wide non-discrimination policy.

The University's Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Sylvia Carey-Butler, asserted that as the South Asian population in the US increases, caste discrimination is a growing issue on college and university campuses.

"Our nondiscrimination policies exist to ensure we're protecting people and to ensure the University environment is free of hurt and harm," she said.

A group of students who helped

Last year, Harvard University's contract with the Graduate Students Union added caste as a "protected category", meaning that its members cannot be discriminated against based on caste status, but it is not a university-wide policy.

Brandeis, a highly regarded university which originated in the Jewish community's struggle against discrimination, likely became in 2019 the first major US university to add caste to its antidiscrimination policy.

In January, the California State University (CSU) System with 23

Executive Director Suhag Shukla and Managing Director Samir Kalra of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) asserted that the CSU policy violates the US constitution's protection for religious freedom and for ensuring due process and equal protection for all under law.

Although the non-discriminatory policy makes no mention of Hinduism, the professors' lawsuit maintains that by relying on resolutions by faculty and student bodies that mention the religion, CSU tries to illegally define Hindu religion and incorrectly assert that the religion mandates a racist

Equality Labs, a US organisation that opposes caste discrimination, said in a report that one in three Dalit students here reported being discriminated during their education, and that one in two Dalits and one in four Shudras "lived in fear of being aouted" about their caste.

Equality Labs in a statement congratulated Brown University for including caste in its antidiscrimination policy and said the anti-caste "movement continues to expand as caste-oppressed students, faculty, and staff stand up and demand an end to caste-based discrimination".

CSU also included a similar anti-discrimination provision in its contract with the faculty association.

Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Association (KPCA) Annual Function 2022

Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Association, Melbourne (KPCA) hosted their 13th Annual Function on Sunday, November 13th, 2022, at Spirit of India, Preston, Victoria, Australia. The function was attended by 150 members and featured Kashmiri music, dance, and talent. Performances included Kashmiri folk dance by seniors in traditional Kashmiri attires, duet singing by young children, powerful musical jugalbandi by young members, fashion show by kids and a classical dance.

The chief guests of the function

were Mr. Shankar Kasynathan, Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) and Mrs. Anuradha Sundaramurthy, Consul, Indian Consular, Melbourne.

Mr. Shankar is a public policy specialist and has worked closely with refugee and migrant communities in Victoria and other states. Mrs. Anuradha is a Consul in Indian Consulate and handles consular and community related matters.

The association also conducted their Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the KPCA

committee, led by Ms. Shivani Nehru (Current President of KPCA) presented the current year achievements and goals for the next year. KPCA Treasurer, Ms. Nirmal Mattoo presented the Yearly Financial Statement.

KPCA IT Lead, Ms. Sunanda Kaul provided information on KPCA IT activities and its future vision and, KPCA Secretary, Ms. Niha Dhar presented the membership information and membership enablement activities of the association.

KPCA also encouraged the young and growing entrepreneurs from

the community to showcase their products at the event. The two groups – The Spice Angel and Pure Pashmina promoted their products through stalls. These young entrepreneurs also sponsored the prizes for the performers who participated in the cultural activities. The function wrapped up with high spirits and a hope of meeting again in next event. As this was KPCA’s first face-to-face annual function since the pandemic, it was an event for all the KPCA members in Melbourne to bond and create wonderful memories,

new friendships and new hopes. Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Association, Melbourne (KPCA) was established and registered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, as an incorporated association in September 2006. The KPCA supports people of Kashmiri Pandit decent and strives to preserve, promote, and celebrate the Kashmiri Culture. Its members are professionals, lawabiding, prolific, and exemplary contributors to the Victorian Community. KPCA members feel proud and privileged to call Australia home (Home away from Home).

UK univs luring Indian students with ‘bring your family’ offers: Report

for money.

The British High Commission revealed recently that it granted 1.27 lakh student visas to Indians in the year ending September 2022, an increase of 273 per cent over the same period in 2019.

London, Dec 8: Universities in the UK are paying education agents that recruit Indian students to lure them with an offer, which allows them to bring along their families to the country, a media report said.

According to the Telegraph, commissions are paid to agents who market "graduate visas" and help potential Indian students get visas for their spouses and children.

A graduate visa, previously known as the post-study visa, gives one permission to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing a course in the country.

Indians received 41 per cent of the total number of Graduate Route visas after it was introduced in 2021, according to recent UK immigration statistics. While some agents come up with

offers assuring a "full-time job" for a spouse as well as a two-year "stay" in the country, others tell prospective students to hurry as the UK could soon put restrictions on dependents.

The report comes as immigration situation in the country is becoming a migraine for the Conservative party-led government with net migration numbers rising to an estimated record of 504,000 in the year to June.

While ministers are considering curbs on the number of dependents allowed into the UK and restricting foreign students attending "lowquality" courses, experts warn that the restrictions will bankrupt UK universities, which depend on foreign students

According to reports, India surpassed China to become the largest source of students for the UK with 161,000 students, including 33,240 dependents, coming to the UK last year. New Way Consultancy (NWC) says it works for more than 70 universities and is paid on commission for each student it recruits, the Telegraph reported.

NWC said that foreign students and their dependents contributed to the UK economy not just through fees of 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds but also via an NHS surcharge of 400 pounds a year for the student and 600 pounds for a dependent.

"International students are not migrants, they never stay here," Moe Sobahan, NWC's recruitment head told Telegraph.

He warned that curbs on graduate work visas will force Indian students to shift to countries like Australia and Canada, ultimately leading to the end of the student market in the UK.

Chandigarh, Dec 8: Punjab-origin Rachna Singh, a postgraduate in psychology from Panjab University here, has created a history of sorts after she was sworn in as Minister of Education and Child Care of British Columbia, Canada. She is the second Punjabi after Moe Sihota to handle the portfolio, but the first South Asian woman to be appointed to such an important position."I am proud to be a part of the government that listens and cares for the people. We are committed to free and accessible education to everyone," Rachna Singh told IANS in a phone interview on Thursday. "Our government has invested a lot of resources on education since 2017 and will continue to do the same in the coming years. Since I come from the family of educators and have worked on anti-racism in the past, I have a lens to see

the problems of the children of working people and those belonging to visible minority communities," she added. Both her parents -- father Raghbir Singh and mother Sulekha, besides sister Sirjana are teachers by profession. Her becoming an education minister overseas is therefore significant for the family. She had previously served the British Columbia government as Parliamentary Secretary for anti-racism initiatives. She hit the headlines after making a brief address in the provincial legislature on November 1 in her native Punjabi language.Singh had immigrated to Canada with her husband and a two-and-ahalf-year old son in 2001. She joined Information Services Vancouver as a referral agent to help the victims of substance and domestic abuse. She later joined Canadian Union of Public Employees and became an active trade unionist and political activist associated with the currently ruling NDP. She was first elected as a lawmaker in 2017 from Surrey-Greentimbers and re-elected in October 2020. She has worked as a drug and alcohol counselor, a support worker for women facing domestic violence, and a community activist.

External Affairs

Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday said he has raised the issue of an Indian baby living in foster care in Berlin in his discussions with visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

The German authorities had taken one-and-a-half year old Ariha Shah under their care, alleging sexual harrasment by the child's parents. "A specific issue, which came up...

This relates to a child called Ariha Shah. We have concerns that the child should be in a linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment. This is her right," Jaishankar said addressing a joint press conference with Baerbock. The couple has sought Indian government's help in repatriation of their child who has been living in a foster care in Germany for over 14 months.

They said Ariha's grandmother hurt her by accident in September last year after which they took her to the hospital, where the German authorities accused them of sex assault, and took away the child under Child Protection Rights.

Ariha then was only seven months-old, according to the parents. The Berlin-based couple informed that a criminal probe

was closed without charges in February, but they still haven't got their child back.

To add on to their woes, Berlin Child Services has filed a civil custody case calling for termination of their parental rights.

"Our embassy is pursuing the matter with German authorities," Jaishankar said.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs said that they have been "intervening and engaging with the German authorities on the "sensitive" matter for over a year, since September 2021".

Philipp Ackermann, the German ambassador to India, said last week that they are aware of the gravity of the issue, and have taken note of the Indian government's concern in the case.

Kohima, Dec 7: Nearly 66,135 tourists, including 702 foreign nationals, witnessed the first five days of the 10-day-long Hornbill festival being held at the Naga Heritage village, Kisama, in Nagaland's state capital Kohima, police said on Tuesday.

A Nagaland Tourism department official said that 44,382 locals and 21,049 tourists from other Indian states visited the picturesque Kisama to witness the various events and performances of the colourful Hornbill festival.

Inaugurated by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on December 1, the 23rd edition of Hornbill festival has been showcasing Nagaland's deep-rooted traditions and its diverse cultural heritage of different tribes among the tribals, and grandeur.The festival is a cultural extravaganza to revive, protect and preserve the richness and uniqueness of the Naga heritage.

Called 'Festival of festivals', the Hornbill festival, named after a

colourful forest bird, coincided with the 60th Nagaland Statehood day celebrations on December 1. The festival is also a tribute to the great Hornbill, which is an admired and revered bird by the Naga people, for its qualities of alertness and grandeur.

Organised by the Nagaland government's Tourism and Art and Culture department, the Hornbill festival is an opportunity for the tourists and guests to get a comprehensive understanding of the Naga people, their land and rich culture.According to the officials of Tourism and Art and Culture department, before the Covid-19 pandemic, on an average 2.5 to 3 lakh tourists, including 2,500 to 3,000 foreign nationals visited Nagaland to witness the grandeur of Hornbill festival and related events.

The G20 logo had been inscribed in all programme booklets, banners, cut-outs and publicity materials.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation, an apex body of seven major tribes in six eastern Nagaland districts, has decided to boycott the Hornbill festival to press for their demand for a separate state of 'Frontier Nagaland'.

‘We have concerns...’: Jaishankar on Indian baby in German foster care

‘Nagaland’s Hornbill festival crosses 65k tourists

Punjab-origin Rachna Singh becomes first South Asian Woman Education and child care minister in Canada

New Delhi, Dec 5:

Indian-origin Sushmita Shukla named First VP of Federal Reserve Bank of New York

the New York Fed," Shukla said in a statement.

New York, Dec 9: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has appointed Indian-origin insurance veteran Sushmita Shukla as First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

As First Vice President, Shukla, 54, will be the institution's second ranking officer.

Her appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the New York Fed said in a statement on Thursday.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to work for a mission-driven organisation like

"I look forward to applying all that I've learned in my career, including my technology, operations, and risk-focused experiences, to furthering the key activities and supporting the dedicated leadership of this critical institution," she added.

Together with the Bank's President and Chief Executive Officer, Shukla will establish, communicate, and execute the strategic direction of the organisation.

She will also serve as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

"Sushmita is a dynamic, inspiring, and highly effective leader who brings extensive experience leading large-scale enterprises and transformation initiatives to the Bank," said John C Williams,

President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Fed.

"She has an in-depth knowledge of technology and agile innovation methods and is passionate about creating a truly diverse and inclusive culture," he added.

Shukla has served in leadership roles in the insurance industry for nearly 20 years, primarily leading operations, technology, and enterprise-wide transformation efforts.

For the past five years, she has been Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for International Accident & Health at Chubb -- the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company.

Shukla, who resides in Connecticut, is an MBA from New York University and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mumbai.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple members meet CGI

India News Newsesk

Shree Swaminarayan Temple (Mandir) Committee members Perth met the Consul General of India, Perth (CGI) Amarjeet Singh Takhi and apprised him of their spiritual, social and community activities. They also invited him

to the week-long Asmita Parva on 9-15 January 2023 commemorating a decade of joyous service at their Temple at Bennett Springs WA.

CGI visits Wollongong City Council , meets Lord Mayor

Consul General of India, Sydney (CGI) Manish Gupta visited Wollongong City Council recently and met the Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery AM and Business Community in the region. Both discussed several priority areas for the City Council and opportunities for collaboration.

The Consul General had a warm interaction with the Indian students at University of Wollongong. He commended their achievements

and contribution in strengthening India-Australia relationship.

On his Facebook account the CG wrote, “Glad to visit University of Wollongong, Australia and meet Vice Chancellor Patricia M Davidson and faculty.

Discussed opportunities, for both India and Australia, to collaborate further in education and upskilling sectors for mutual benefit.”

and the wider Indian community

India News Newsdesk

ISKCON Rath Yatra organized

ISKCON Perth Sri Sri Gaura

Nitai Temple organized the Hare Krishna Chariot Festival of India, which is called Rath Yatra,

recently. The whole atmosphere was full of the drumming, singing and dancing. Breaking of coconuts on the ground before the chariot was pulled through

the streets was witnessed by many people. The multicultural Australia was on display with the backdrop of the city with Christmas decorations. CGI,

Session organized on purpose of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas

An interactive session with the past and present Heads of Indian community Associations

in Western Australia was held recently to reiterate and elaborate on the purpose, importance and the programme of the

forthcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2023 to be held in Indore on 8-10 Jan 2023.

The CG detailed various

initiatives of the Government of India to engage with persons of Indian origin and nonresident Indians abroad and on

consular services provided by the Consulate, including issuance of OCI cards.

Tributes paid to Guru Tegh Bahadur

Representatives of Hindu Council of Australia Perth and all its member associations in Western Australia, together with the Consul General, paid their humble tributes in gratitude to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji on Gurpurab marking the Shaheedi Divas at the Canning Vale Gurudwara Sahib, and sought the blessings of the Guru Granth Sahib. They participated in the langar seva at the Gurudwara sahib. It was a great initiative of the Sikh Association of WA, Perth for promoting universal brotherhood and amity.

India News Newsdesk

Perth Amarjeet Takhi wrote on Facebook, “I loved sharing some Indian culture with my kids, including the gorgeous flower necklaces.” Zaneta Mascarenhas

MP, Dr Jags MLA, H H Ramai Swami, Honorary Consul of Kenya, Amu Shah and a large number of Krishna devotees in central Perth.also participated in the Rath Yatra.

India News Desk

Corporate tape ball tournament off to a flying start

Brisbane, 9 December:

Queensland Cricket’s inaugural corporate tape ball tournament (CTBT) was organised at Chelmer in Brisbane on Thursday, 8 December 2022 under lights. It was huge success and embraced by teams which now want more of it. It galvanizes the love of Young Dads who still think can hit like Tendulkar in a competitive environment but are skeptical of facing the hard cricket ball. It is fast, entertaining and more competitive than you can imagine!

The teams included Rostron

Carlyle Rojas Lawyers, Sustainable Homes Star Promotions and Aarvee Associates.

Sustainable Homes won the tournament in a thriller beating Star Promotions. The prizes were presented by Bravus Mining COO Mr Samir Vora to the winner and runners up.

The tournament was organized by Queensland Cricket comprising Community Cricket Operations Manager John Butterworth, Project Manager Multicultural Ashutosh Misra, Metro Southwest

Area Manager Nathan Spencer, Project Officer Liam Green (umpire/scorer) and James (umpire/scorer).

Queensland cricket has launched Project Multicultural as a part of its larger Diversity and Inclusion portfolio and Community Cricket division to connect with the multicultural community across the state and encourage not only young boys and girls from the community to embrace cricket but also their parents who are passionate about the game.

3rd T20I: Perry, Harris and bowlers guide Australia Women to 21-run win over India

Rodrigues (16) struck three fours off Annabel Sutherland but couldn't continue longer and got out to Brown in the 5th over. Shafali, who was dropped by Ashleigh Gardner off Megan Schutt, helped India to 41/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Mumbai, Dec 14 (IANS) Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry (47 off 75), Grace Harris ( 41 off 18) and a disciplined performance with the ball guided Australia Women to a convincing 21-run win in the third T20I against India and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series at Brabourne Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Batting first, Australia posted 172 for 8 in 20 overs. In reply, India were restricted to 151 for 7 despite a 41-ball 52 by Shafali Verma.

Chasing a challenging total, last game's star performer Smriti Mandhana struggled to get going before she got out to Darcie Brown for 1 off 10. After her wicket, Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues struck regular boundaries to maintain the required run-rate.

After the end of powerplay, Shafali became more aggressive and hit a six off Alana King followed by three fours in a Nicola Carey over. She along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur took to 79/2 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Harmanpreet, who was reprieved by a missed stumping in a King over, capitalised on the missed chance by striking two fours in the next King over. On the other hand, Shafali got a lucky break in the 13th over as she hit a Brown delivery to extra cover, with Tahlia McGrath taking a diving catch, but the bowler had overstepped.

The opener brought up a 39-ball fifty but Australia hit back with quick wickets as Carey had Shafali caught at deep mid wicket while Gardner picked up the wickets of Devika Vaidya and Richa Ghosh in the same over.

Eventually, India needed 51 off the last four overs but they fell well short of the target as Australia kept the hosts in check, with Schutt bagging the important wicket of Harmanpreet in the 17th over. Gardner gave away only three runs in the 18th over and despite Deepti Sharma striking three fours of Carey in 19th, 27 off the final over was too big a task for India.

Earlier, put into bat, Perry was the backbone of Australia's batting effort. She came to bat at No.4 as early as the second over as Renuka Singh and Anjali Sarvani bagged the wickets of Alyssa Healy and McGrath respectively. Australia were reeling 5/2 but Perry and Beth Mooney led the recovery through a 64run partnership. Both Perry and Mooney dealt in regular boundaries as they helped Australia collect 43 in the powerplay.

Mooney finally got out to Vaidya for 30 off 22 and the leg-spinner also got rid of Ashleigh Gardner. But, Perry wasn't deterred by the quick wickets as she continued positively, bringing up a 33-ball fifty.

Porvorim (Goa), Dec 14 (IANS)

Arjun Tendulkar emulated his legendary father Sachin Tendulkar by slamming a century on his Ranji Trophy debut when he scored a hundred for Goa against Rajasthan in a Group C encounter here on Wednesday. Coming into bat at the fall of the fifth wicket, the 23-year-old Arjun completed his century on the second day of the match against Rajasthan being played at the Goa Cricket Association Academy ground here.

He emulated his illustrious father, Sachin Tendulkar scored 100 not out on his Ranji Trophy debut for Bombay, now renamed Mumbai, against Gujarat at Wankhede

on December 11, 1988. He became the youngest Indian to score a century on debut in first-class cricket aged 15 years and 232 days.

Arjun Tendulkar, who was batting on four at stumps on the first day of the match on Tuesday, reached the three-figure mark with a well-controlled knock and was eventually out for 120, caught by Kamlesh Nagarkoti off his own bowling. He faced 207 deliveries during his knock and struck 16 fours and two sixes.

He shared a partnership of 221 runs for the sixth wicket with Suyash Prabhudessai (batting on 187) at the time of reporting. In the 221-run partnership off 374 balls, Tendulkar contributed 120 runs while Prabhudessai contributed 99. Goa were 422/6 in 144th over when Arjun Tendulkar was out.

Arjun Tendulkar had earlier this year switched affiliation to Goa after representing Mumbai in age-group cricket.

Like father, like son: Arjun Tendulkar slams ton on debut in Ranji Trophy

At the end of half time La Albiceleste led 2-0 as Messi converted a spot kick in the 34th minute to give them the lead and Julian Alvarez struck with a sublime solo effort to give the South American side a comfortable 2-0 lead going into the half time break.

Argentina kept the scoring tempo to add a third one in the 69th minute with Alvarez netting his second of the match.

The Argentina captain, who will be playing his second World Cup final on Sunday, having finished as runner-up in the 2014 final to Germany, will be keen to hold aloft the trophy on December 18 at the Lusail Stadium.

The 35-year-old and his teammates will await the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between defending champions France and rank outsiders

Morocco to see whom they will take on in the title clash.

The PSG striker's fifth goal in Qatar took him to 11 World Cup overtaking Gabriel Batistuta in the process and making him the all-time top scorer for Argentina.

France's Kylian Mbappe too has scored five goals and both of them will be in the race for the Golden Boot award.

Batistuta only needed 12 games to reach his tally, while Messi was making his 25th World Cup appearance on Tuesday - that saw him equal Lothar Matthaus' all-time record of 25 at the tournament.

Nevertheless, Messi's strike highlights the Argentina star's remarkable longevity, playing his fifth World Cup. His first World Cup goal came in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro. At 18 years and 357 days, it made him Argentina's youngest ever scorer in the competition.

Coach Lionel Scaloni made two changes to the team that featured from the off against the Netherlands.

With Marcos Acuna suspended, Nicolas Tagliafico was selected at left-back, while Leandro Paredes came into the midfield with defender Lisandro Martinez dropping out.

Zlatko Dalic, meanwhile, stuck with the side that started against Brazil on Friday. Luka Modric became only the fourth player aged 37 or over to start six

matches at a World Cup, after Brazil's Nilton Santos in 1962, Italy's Dino Zoff in 1982 and England's Peter Shilton in 1990.

Croatia were fully in control in the opening 25 minutes or so with Argentina not being able to make any telling breakthroughs, but once Argentina were awarded their penalty they did not look back as the momentum shifted quickly.

Croatia dominated the ball, controlling more than 60 percent of possession. Still, they managed to do precious little with it, failing to register a single shot on target. Argentina were ready to sit back and battle as Croatia advanced up the field.

Messi scored the opening goal of the game against Croatia 11 minutes before half-time, blasting into the top-right corner from the penalty spot after Alvarez was fouled by Dominik Livakovic. After Ivan Perisic failed to catch Emiliano Martinez off the line at the other end, the counter was sprung and Alvarez was soon oneon-one with the goalkeeper. The goalie had no choice but to bring down the striker after he tried to find the back of the net, 1-0. Alvarez's first goal of the evening had shades of Diego Mardonna's greatest goal of the 1986 World Cup against England where he waved past a host of defenders from his own half to score one of the best individual goal of the Word Cup.

1st Test: Australia gear-up for pace test from

South Africa at Gabba

is the South African pace battery that their batters have not faced in Tests since 2018.

Senior Australian batter Usman Khawaja has raised the issue of facing the South African attack on a track that is likely to support pace.

whose record of 38 wickets at an average of 20.5 from his seven Tests against Australia places in him rare company among compatriots who are renowned for the quality of their pace attack.

Doha, Dec 15 (IANS) Reigning world champions France scored once in each half to overcome a spirited challenge of Morocco on Wednesday night at Al Bayt Stadium to set up a FIFA World Cup final showdown with Argentina on Sunday.

The Les Bleus took the lead through Theo Hernandez's scrambled fifth minute goal. Randal Kolo Muani wrapped up matters in the 79th, less than a minute after coming on, after a fine solo from Kylian Mbappe.

France ended the fairytale run of the Atlas Lions in the tournament, with Dider Deschamps side bidding to become the first team in 60 years to win back-to-back titles. Only Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962 have clinched back-toback titles.

France is the sixth nation to reach successive World Cup finals, the others being Italy (1934, 1938), Brazil (twice: 1958, 1962 and 1994, 1998, 2002), the Netherlands (1974, 1978), West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Argentina (1986, 1990).

Should France win, Didier Deschamps - who was a player when France won their

first title in 1998 - will join Italy's Vittorio Pozzo as the only coach to win two World Cups in a row.

The 1978 and 1986 champions Argentina beat 2018 runners-up Croatia 3-0 in the first semi-final on Tuesday and Lionel Messi now hopes for the trophy in his fifth and final attempt in what will be a big duel with his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Mbappe.

France beat Argentina 4-3 in the last 16 en route to the 2018 title, after losing the first two World Cup dates between the two in 1930 and 1978.

Morocco and Croatia will play for third place on Saturday.

On Wednesday night Morocco, backed by their legion of supporters, who outnumbered France, were pushed all the way by World Cup wildcards. The scoreline belies their performance and how close the game was.

The first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final refused to buckle despite suffering the early blows of losing key defender Nayef Aguerd to injury after he was named in the starting line-up, and then an early goal.

Steve Smith was the captain of the side while Warner was the mind behind the Australian scheme to use sandpaper to change the condition of the ball, which was caught on the television screens. Both of them were handed lengthy punishments.

The memories of the darkest period of Australian cricket came to the fore when Warner withdrew his application to lift the lifetime ban on his captaincy.

While the Sandpapergate is sure to figure in the banter as the two sides go hard at each other, the immediate concern for Australia

Khawaja never before faced South Africa's fastest bowler, Anrich Nortje, who was clocked sending down the fastest delivery of last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament at 156.2kph. Nortje made his Test debut in 2019, more than a year after Australia and South Africa last met at the Test level in the incendiary campaign of 2018.

Khawaja said he has gained the best possible preparation for his maiden encounter by recently doing battle with Australia's own 'wild thing'.

The 29-year-old Nortje has been the Proteas' second-most potent Test bowler with Kagiso Rabada in recent times and the pair is expected to provide a significant challenge to Australia's top-order than the modestly medium-paced West Indies, whom they played recently.

While the focus will be on Nortje, the bigger threat could be Rabada,

Only Mike Procter (41 at 15.02) can claim to have taken Australia wickets at a meaner average (among South Africans to have claimed 20 or more), which puts Rabada ahead of quicks in the calibre of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

But speaking ahead of the opening first Test between the two teams at the Gabba starting on Saturday, Khawaja claimed there was no additional preparation needed to counter the sudden spike in speed he'll be facing, said a report on cricket. com.au.

Khawaja was confident going into the match as he was recently part of a Sheffield Shield match playing for Queensland in which they faced a Western Australia bowling line-up led by Lance Morris, widely regarded as the quickest bowler currently operating in Australian domestic cricket and currently part of the national Test squad.

Mumbai, Dec 15 (IANS)

After treating the audience to the first song 'Besharam Rang' from the album, King Khan will now be seen during the final of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

SRK, who's a sports enthusiast and has played hockey in his college days, also owns an Indian Premier League team, Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Bollywood superstar will be present at a studio along with Wayne Rooney watching the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Lionel Messi led Argentina and Kylian Mbappe led France which is set to happen on December 18.

SRK took to Instagram on Thursday to share the news with his fans as he uploaded a video which has action shots from previous matches.

He wrote in the caption, "Field par Messi aur Mbappe... studio mein @WayneRooney aur main... #Pathaan!

18 Dec ki shaam hogi shaandaar! Dekhiye #FIFAWorldCup Final mere saath, LIVE"

Meanwhile, 'Besharam Rang' has been garnering a lot of positive response but is also getting criticised for its redundant visuals which are similar to 'Ghungroo' from 'War'.

SRK to appear during FIFA World Cup final between Argentina, France

Alvarez’s brace, Messi’s goal guides Argentina into final with 3-0 win over Croatia France end fairytale run of Morocco, reach final

Doha, Dec 14: Lionel Messi kept his World Cup dream on track as he scored one and set up another as Argentina romped home into the final of the FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 3-0 win over 2018 finalists Croatia at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday night.

The King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan is returning after four years to the silver screen with his upcoming spy-thriller movie 'Pathaan', and he's leaving no stone unturned to promote the film.

Brisbane, Dec 15 (IANS) Steve Smith and David Warner will be part of the squad when Australia take on South Africa as the two sides meet for the first time since the Sandpapergate scandal, the ball-tampering case at the Cape Town Test in 2018.

Srinagar makes it to the list of top places to visit in 2023

December 02, 2022: India's Srinagar makes it to the top places of 2023 to visit in Condé Nast Traveler's latest article, 'The 23 Best Places to Go in 2023.' The article describes Srinagar as, "an alluring and once hard-tovisit destination in the Kashmir Valley"... which, "is opening up to travelers in a big way in 2023, with new roadways making it easier than ever to get in and around."

When it comes to enjoying nature at its best, there is no better place than Srinagar. It provides a plethora of travel experiences including scenic views, monuments and architecture, handicrafts for shoppers, traditional feasts for foodies, and stays in off beat options like houseboats, glamping and

waterfront villas.

Saumya Ancheri, Features Editor at the travel magazine, details the improvements being made to the city's transportation, stays, and connectivity to create hassle-free travel experiences for both citizens and tourists, "The Capital is also about to get a boost in accessibility, with a spate of highways and tunnels planned to open in 2023 that will, among other connections, make it easier to drive from Kashmir—across breathtaking landscapes—to neighbouring Ladakh, even in winter. Other side trips that will be easier to reach, thanks to the new infrastructure: Sonamarg (which translates to “golden meadow”), a stunning hill station that is poised for substantial

tourism development in the years to come, and Pahalgam, an idyllic getaway that has long drawn travelers to its pastoral charms. The latter will see, in early 2023, the opening of Shepherd’s Barn, a cottage stay by Ramneek Kaur (whose family owns the Bollywood-favorite Pahalgam Hotel), which will add rooms to an existing program of craft tours and local activities under the auspices of the Shepherd Crafts Cultural Centre. With so much change underfoot, there is no better time to experience the area— and before everyone else starts to do the same."IANSlife has put together a list of places to visit in the valley to make your stay memorable in the new year, which is only a few weeks away:

is located in the Anantnag District of Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir.

Dachigam

the

Park

ParkDachigam

Jammu and Kashmir is home to a diverse array of flora and animals. While strolling through

variety of unusual Himalayan birds such as golden eagles, bearded vultures, red Togo pans, and koklass pheasants.

Four reasons to visit Incredible India at the onset of 2023

New Delhi, Dec 1: The mysterious country with unique elephants, mouthwatering cuisines, and a vibrantly colourful environment has always drawn and enthralled tourists. India is a cultural wonder and the ideal location to unwind while making lifelong memories.

India has become the top travel destination over the years,

allowing for exceptional shared experiences. Given that 30 nations have united to become one, it is safe to argue that if you have seen India, you have seen the entire planet. If you need more motivation to visit the most sought-after place on earth, we're here to provide it.

You can Eat-Pray-Love to your heart's content

Liz Gilbert may have chosen to pray but you can go a step ahead without a second thought and explore all three. Head to Punjab for the best of curries and Hyderabad for lip-smacking biryani, in fact each region has their own local specialty that will tickle your taste buds. To indulge your senses, pick a retreat either nestled in the scenic Hrishikesh or choose an Ayurveda detox in Kerala to relax, rejuvenate and feel refreshed. The warm hospitality and bright smiles that welcome you will leave you feeling loved and cherished irrespective of where you go. Home to Asia's biggest Music Festival

For high-octane razzmatazz, you can head over to Mumbai, India's entertainment and financial capital. If you are a music enthusiast or love live entertainment, this one is for you!

The country's gearing up for the biggest, iconic, mammoth music global festival for its inaugural edition in India and Asia both.

Featuring the first-ever performances of artists like Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, Greta Van Fleet and Jackson Wang on the Indian stage along with the massively popular Diplo, Cigarettes After Sex and AP Dhillon who make a comeback to the country on popular demand, Lollapalooza India is a cultural must-do and not be missed.

The iconic festival will bring to you sounds from across genres. Trust us when we say your Spotify playlist will never be the same again! A New Direction Means a New Picturesque Destination Goa's hidden beaches, the divine Andaman and Nicobar Island, the majestic Thar desert in Rajasthan to the breath-taking

Pangong lake, nature's filter will surpass your cell phone's. If you want to experience a cultural extravaganza at the start of the new year, then head to Punjab for Lohri, a popular winter Punjabi folk festival or Gujarat for Makar Sankranti, the famous kite-flying festival of India. The Literary Grandeur Literature and history are found in every nook and corner of India. Mumbai is home to cinema where iconic hits like Salaam Bombay and Slum Dog Millionaire were shot. Agra is home to the monument of love, the ever-glorious Taj Mahal. If this isn't enough then don't forget in the mountains of Mussoorie, is the most loved children's author Ruskin Bond and a few miles away from the Bay of Bengal, glimpses of Rabindranath Tagore will be found in the heart of Santi Niketan.

Dal Lake: Known as “The Jewel of Srinagar,” the Dal Lake is the most exquisite of sights to behold. It is surrounded by 26 square kilometers and in addition to the

famous Shikara rides, living on a houseboat is also an experience of a lifetime. You can shop at the floating markets and take a leisurely cruise.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden- With the largest Tulip garden in Asia, 74 acres in size, your best bet is to visit in March, April, and May. You can visit

Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden anytime between 7:00 am to 7:30 pm on all weekdays at just Rs. 50 for adults and Rs. 25 for children. Who needs Holland!

A ru Valley: If you enjoy activities and adventure, the Venice of the East has something for you. The

greatest time to visit Aru Valley is from July to September when you can go hiking, fishing, Aru Valley

Pari Mahal- Surrounded by lush green mountains Pari Mahal in Srinagar was built in the mid-

17th century by Dara Shikoh, son of Shah Jahan, it used to be the emperor’s summer retreat.

National

National

in

park, you may come across the critically endangered Kashmir stag (hangul), a red deer found in India, as well as musk deer, Himalayan black bears, and a

Art & Cultural Pop Up

All You Can Street is a concept based on the creation and celebration of culture, and it inspires changes by bringing you the newest trends in music, fashion, and visual arts. The event brings together a variety of cultural domains and gives a platform to the domestic artists and fashion houses of India. It is a carefully designed venue for your everyday creative.

n addition to a Murakami room, an Infinity room, a Chrome room, a basket ball court, and a 360-degree revolving bar, there is an exclusive immersive platform. Set to launch its 4th edition in Delhi on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, December 2022, says Abhishek Gandhi, "Delhi is the ultimate hub for a concoction of development and

fun. Delhi is a market where multiple events happen but we’re trying to provide an experience that stands out. We chose to have our fourth edition of All You Can Street in Delhi because we recognise that the people would love to experience something they haven’t before and that’s what AYCS does best. The one thing we try to bring to a city where AYCS has never happened before is to introduce its people to a part of the culture that they may have not encountered before. We can’t wait for Delhi to see what we have in store, for three whole days!"

Co-founder Yash Shetty says, "Delhi is a fast paced, new age city with startups, flamboyant minds and most importantly people that recognise the worth of the

The third edition

ALL SET TO TAKE OVER MUMBAI'S

ART AND DESIGN SCENE-By IANSlife December 02, 2022 (IANSlife) AD (Architectural Digest), is all set to host the third edition of their flagship event the AD Design Show (ADDS). Here’s what one can look forward to this year!

THE AD MUSEUM -The central highlight of the Show is the AD MUSEUM. As an ode to the country’s 75th year of Independence, the museum explores an inward gaze into post-independence art, design, textiles and architecture of India. It focuses on who we are, where we come from, what our milestones have been and where we are headed. The India Gaze — is a curation of 75 objects and photographs that piece together the history of art, design, and architecture in India post 1947.

From Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh, Monika Correa’s textiles, Dashrath Patel’s lacquerware to other stellar contemporary makers’ works.

POWER TALKS-The brings back its iconic Power Talks headlined by some of the most distinguished personalities in architecture, art and design. Some notable names part of the stellar line up include internationally acclaimed lighting designer, Michael Anastassiades in conversation with Bijoy Jain; Pinakin Patel and Ashiesh Shah talk about the late Dasrath Patel and his contribution to India’s design narrative, as well as their own contemporary practices in changing times; art historian and curator Naman Ahuja delves into ancient Indian architecture, and traces its relationship with modern architecture in India. The line-up is dotted with many more compelling speakers and conversations.

POWER TO THE KARIGAR-One of the biggest highlights of the show is the Power to the Karigar initiative, supported by JSW, which is a special interactive pavilion dedicated to 5 handmade crafts and innovation, where

brands we bring to the table. We noticed that the engagement of the audience with the experience we provide would be really high here given the nature and understanding of the people. We chose Delhi because we believe that the people here contribute to the culture in a lot of different ways but haven’t experienced AYCS before."10,000+ people visited the AYCS June edition in Mumbai to shop and take advantage of the tailored experience offered by more than 50 brands under one roof.

Celebrities, influencers, and well-known rap artists from the world of Bollywood attended the event, which brought in at least 1.5 crores in income in only one day.

of AD Design Show

visitors can watch how artisans give form to objects, engage in a dialogue with them, and even learn their techniques through observation. The country’s best and most talented karigars producing the finest textiles, furniture, ceramics, and

artworks are invited to showcase their distinguished skills and techniques. Each of the acclaimed studios present will also host interactive sessions, on each day of the fair, to share their expertise in the field.

Only reason I would go back to Partition is for healing: Filmmaker Bani Singh

and also uncover the traumatic memories of the Partition my father's generation was condemned to live with," says Singh on the sidelines of the recently-concluded Dharamsala International Film Festival (DIFF) that was back in its physical avatar after two years.

New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Her father, Nandy Singh, was a member of the hockey team that won Indias first gold at the 1948 London Olympics.In 2010, the ace sportsman suffered a stroke that paralysed his right side. That is the time when his daughter, filmmaker Bani Singh, conceived the feature documentary 'Taang' (Longing). After all, whenever she would talk to him about those days of glory, his body would relax, and a new enthusiasm would be seen."The film started as a very personal story with my father. Frankly, at that point, I thought it would stay as a conversation between us. However, this story assumed much importance for the entire sub-continent considering the fact how we talk history," she tells IANS.The Olympic medal in the film became a backdrop to something much bigger -camaraderie, friendship and roots.Released earlier this year, the film has already won awards for the best documentary at the 2022 New York Indian Film Festival and best film at Film South Asia 2022, Kathmandu.In the film, Bani takes a voyage to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and finally Lahore in order to meet Nandy's old friends and connect with them in both India and Pakistan, basically hockey mates who were once in the same team before the land was partitioned.

"The travels gave me a chance to connect with my family's roots

This Bengaluru-based designer, a pass-out from the National Institute of Design (NID), knows Punjab and its ethos well. She in fact worked on the prestigious Virasat-e-Khalsa museum in Anandpur Sahib.Talking about her visit to Pakistan, she says that what she really wanted to find out which were the elements that refused to be divided."Who could draw the line between love and friendship?"Adding that there are innumerable stories of hope even in the most catastrophic tragedy the subcontinent witnessed, Bani says, "When we explore those tales, new narratives emerge. The ones that will override the ones imposed by the establishments on both sides. And we desperately need those narratives, the tales of hope."While much work has been done on the Partition in terms of literature, cinema and oral history, Bani feels it is extremely important to revisit it.She says she would do that for healing and talking about other communities."

How does one open up a very difficult conversation? This has always been on my mind. This film has been difficult for me as well. My father was very vulnerable when I was shooting this film but he allowed me to go ahead. And this is a movie that an Indian and Pakistani can watch together. I got six days in Lahore. It was a beautiful experience -- I was treated with so much warmth," she concludes.

Delhi Poetry Festival to be held on December 10 and 11 Kerala Literature Festival to be held at Kozhikode beach from Jan 12 to 15

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) This year, the Delhi Poetry Festival (DPF), scheduled to be held on December 10 and 11 at India Habitat Centre will be celebrating poetry in four languagesHindi, Urdu, Punjabi and EnglishAnnouncing the festival, Dolly Singh, Founder & Festival Director, Delhi Poetry Festival said: "Delhi has always been a poets' playground. Its alleys still resonate with the verses of Khusro, Ghalib and Zafar. It's human to indulge in poetry and escapism. It sneaks in and finds a place in our thoughts. No wonder poetry is so immersive. Great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person's life. It can alter the way we see ourselves. It can change the way we see the world."

Punjabi poet Surjit Patar,

recipient of the Padma Shri honour will be inducted into the Delhi Poetry Festival Board of Patrons this year. Other names include Waseem Barelvi, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Farhat Shahzad and Uday Prakash.DPF will also host a workshop on the relevance of podcasts to poets in these times and the basics of setting them up in a DIY fashion. While this will be a close-door registration-driven interaction, the larger audience at the festival will get to hear the same speakers in a free-flowing conversation as well.Others who will participate in DPF include Anamika, Navtej Sarna, Nidheesh Tyagi, Amy Singh, Rahul Singh, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Rabbi Shergill, Dr Arshiya Sethi, Sudeep Sen, Nirupama Dutt, filmmaker Brahmanand Singh, Suanshu Khurana and Radhika Sood Nayak. Sanjay Arora, Executive Producer of DPF added: "Since its inception in 2013, DPF has been committed to creating a poetic expression and ushering in the winds of change. The festival is equipped to showcase varied hues of poetry in all its splendour."

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), one of Asia's largest literature festivals, will be held at Kozhikode beach from January 12 to 15. The festival is promoted by DC Kizhakemuri Foundation and supported by the state government.Poet and critic, K. Sachidanandan will be the Festival Director and speakers include Nobel laureates, Jnanpith winners, Oscar winners, Booker Prize recipients, film and theatre personalities, performers and artists, designers, and diplomats. KLF is part of the tourist calendar of the region with participation from across India and from other

Don Quixote was the inspiration for my autobiography

parts of the world for the fourday event. With an aggregate footfall of more than 3 lakh, KLF combines literary and popular cultures. The sixth edition will have over 400 speakers including the likes of Jeffrey chandra Guha, Palanivel Thiagarajan, Sanjeev Sanyal, Piyush Pandey, Shashi Tharoor, Prakash Raj, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Shobhaa De, Manu S. Pillai, Kapil Sibal, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Faizal Kottikollon, Sudha Murthy, Capt G.R. Gopinath, Meghnad Desai, Tushar Gandhi, Remo Fernandes, Usha Uthup, Yoko Ogawa, Emily Perkins, Jerry Pinto,

and P. Sai Nath among others. The sessions at KLF aim to map literature through discussions on aspects of science & technology, art, cinema, politics, music, environment, literature, the pandemic & its impacts, business & entrepreneurship, health, art & leisure, travel & tourism, gender, economy, culture genomics, history & politics, and various facets that shape human consciousness. Fireside chats at night, music concerts, and classical, theatre, and performing artists will make up the entertainment quotient at the festival.

New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) For former IAS officer Moosa Raza, an Advisor to the Uttar Pradesh Governor in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition, writing his autobiography, "of Giants and Windmills (Niyogi Books) was not only a jog down memory lane but a deep desire to highlight some of the personalities who impressed him and also was an opportunity to talk about some others who thought of themselves as giants but turned out to be only windmills, or rather windbags, on closer acquaintance.From the teachers who left formative impression on him to the events that left formative impression on our country's socio-political fabric, from finding innovative solutions to issues faced by public servants to being blindsided by the innovative tricks of cunning criminals, Raza's autobiography is an excavation of memories from a life spent in trying to maintain social order in a chaotic and unpredictable country.'Looking back on my IAS career, I realise

that the early officers in the service of independent India, had a unique experience. We were following in the footsteps of our British predecessors while trying to forge a new identity for the administration. Like Don Quixote, who was the inspiration for my autobiography, I encountered many giants, those who laid the foundation for an emerging nation, and tilted at many windmills, who even today are dotted throughout our landscape, blocking out the sun of our nation's success. This book is my homage to all the IAS officers like me, who might find themselves in the pages of my autobiography," Raza says of the book.During the early decades post India's independence, Raza, a young IAS officer hailing from a small village in Tamil Nadu, was tasked with governing huge, diverse and complex territories in the newly formed state of Gujarat. Raza had the distinction of heading four districts (todays' seven) as district magistrate and collector in Gujarat, and rose to become principal secretary to the chief minister of Gujarat.This book is an elaborately layered account of Raza's experiences and encounters with maharajas, politicians, tribals, tigers and a variety of other inhabitants of the country. With tongue-in-cheek humour, Raza details his headon collisions with public figures, gold smugglers and bureaucrats, and his attempts to deal with them with tact while trying to hold his own. Raza describes well-known figures, including C.V. Raman, Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi and others, with a lot

of wit, honesty and empathythey live again in these pages. Drawing on his experiences in the Indian public sector, Raza throws light on the workings of varied industries, such as fisheries, textiles, chemicals and fertilizers. His first-hand account of the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, in his capacity as Advisor to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, reveals the travails of maintaining social order in a chaotic and unpredictable country.On publishing the book Trisha De Niyogi, Director and COO, Niyogi Books, says: "This is a significant work and is so much more than simply the memoirs of an IAS officer. Mr Moosa Raza, in his long career, has dealt with famine, smugglers, riots, the Emergency and the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Readers will find much thought-provoking material in this book, which provides many insights into the challenges and promises of modern India.'Moosa Raza was born and brought up in a village in Tamil Nadu that had no electricity, no running water, no flush system and no doors to any house. During the first nine years of his life, he did not know the English alphabet and only learnt rudimentary Urdu. Today he writes poetry in English, Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. He has already published five books, including two collections of Urdu poems.An IAS officer of the 1960 cadre, he rose to become a chief secretary of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and secretary to the Government of India. After retirement, he heads a large educational trust with

‘Goblin mode’ pips metaverse to become

Oxford Word

Monday.New Delhi, Dec 5: 'Goblin mode', and not 'metaverse', has been chosen as the 2022 Oxford Word of the Year, the publisher behind Oxford English Dictionary announced on Monday.

The fight this year was among metaverse, Goblin mode and #istandwith, and metaverse just got 4 per cent of the public vote, despite being popularised by Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg by investing billions of dollars. The Goblin mode refers to "a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms

of the Year

or expectations".Goblin mode went viral on TikTok, Twitter and other social media platforms this year.he hashtag #goblinmode on TikTok is often used as a rebuff of the "that girl" trend, which is about being the "best version of yourself",

The Guardian reported.It received a massive 93 per cent of the public vote to become the Oxford Word of the Year.Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, was quoted as saying that "given the year we've just experienced, agoblin mode' resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point".

Hansika, Sohael Khaturiya set for marriage; pre-wedding pix go viral

Tamil and Telugu movie actress Hansika Motwani is all set to marry her business partner and friend, Sohael Khaturiya, in Jaipur. Their pre-wedding pictures and videos are going viral on social media with her fans and friends sharing best wishes messages.At the prewedding day party, Hansika can

be seen wearing a glittery dress in white, while Sohael opted for a white tuxedo. They can be seen dancing together on different numbers, including HrithikKatrina’s hit number ‘Tu Meri’ from the 2014 film ‘Bang Bang!’. For the ‘Haldi’ ceremony too, they had complimented each other with floral outfits in white. The

couple looked stunning and were seen having fun with their family and friends.Hansika also posted pictures from her ‘Sangeet’ ceremony, in which she looked gorgeous in a pink lehenga, while Sohael stunned everyone with his black sherwani.A few days back, Hansika also shared adorable pictures and videos from her ‘Mehandi’ ceremony and bachelorette party with her friends.Hansika launched her career as a child actor in Hindi films and went on to act in several Telugu movies, including ‘Desamuduru’, ‘Kantri’ and ‘Maska’. She has also appeared in Tamil films such as ‘Mappillai’ and ‘Engeyum Kadhal’.

Manoj Bajpayee wraps up shoot of untitled courtroom drama

Ridhi Dogra talks about ‘Pitchers’ returning after seven years

Ridhi Dogra is known for her work in ‘The Married Woman’, ‘Diya Aur Bati Hum’, Woh Apna Sa’ and ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 6’.The actress in now on board the second season of the web series ‘Pitchers’ and she is quite happy to be part of Season 2 coming after seven years.Ridhi

said: “I was surprised when I was approached to be part of ‘Pitchers Season 2’. It’s a cult franchise and is loved by the audience across the country.t featured Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Abhay Mahajan and Jitendra Kumar in lead roles and was streamed in 2015. Now, the second season is coming after the gap of seven years.Asked how she feels about joining the cast of the web series, the actress said: “I jumped on board as soon as I heard the storyline, especially because of how Arunabh Kumar, the creator of the show, has envisioned Season 2 and how the mad ride continues.“Without spilling much about the show, we can’t wait for the audience to watch the new season as the second instalment will surely your expectations.”

Before Malaika, 5 actress shied away from doing ‘Chhaiyya Chaiyya’ song

courtroom drama in Mumbai on Sunday. After completing its Jodhpur schedule, the untitled movie was shot in a start-tofinish format in Mumbai, and will soon enter the post-production

stage. The film’s makers are eyeing for 2023 release of the film.The powerhouse performer received a standing ovation by the cast and crew while filming the closing scene, which was an intense courtroom sequence. This was followed by cake cutting to celebrate the film’s wrap as Bajpayee and the entire team expressed their gratitude for the work put into the highlyanticipated film. The yet-to-betitled film marks the directorial debut of Apoorv Singh Karki in Hindi. A Zee Studios and Bhanushali Studios Limited presentation, Suparn S. Varma’s untitled courtroom drama is produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Asif Sheikh and Vishal Gurnani.

Akshay announces OTT project and to act in film on sex education

Akshay Kumar brought more Bollywood star power to the Red Sea International Film Festival and the in-demand actor and producer sat down with ‘Deadline’ where he revealed his long-awaited series with Amazon will commence shooting next

for the part. Five actresses had refused to perform to the song. The anecdote was shared by choreographer-director Farah Khan as she said that all the five actresses -- Shilpa Shetty, Shilpa Shirodkar and “two or three other people” said no to dancing to the song.The opening episode of the show, ‘Moving In With Malaika’ which is the OTT debut of Malaika, will see producerdirector-choreographer and Malaika’s dear friend, Farah Khan Kunder, coming over to Malaika’s place for a friendly visit. The two go back in time and reminisce about the making of Malaika Arora. They talk about her past, present and much more. During the conversation, talking about the song, Farah says, “You’re the ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ girl. But luckily for you some five heroines had year. Kumar kept details of the project under wraps but told ‘Deadline’ that the script was finished and the title (formally announced as ‘The End’) would change, with plans to begin shooting some time next year.

The project marks Kumar’s first foray into the streaming series arena and, he said, “it’s more on the science fiction” side of things with “a lot of action in it, I can say that.”Kumar also revealed that he’s working on a film about sex education, a topic he feels is important to talk about. “I like doing social films which can make a difference, especially in my country and in anybody’s life,” he said, according to ‘Deadline’.“I just pick up those topics and I make a film, but I make it in a very commercial way where obviously there are songs, there’s comedy, there’s drama, there’s tragedy. So, I take real stories and

adapt it and cover it up with all the commercial things,” Akshay added. He noted that while both Bollywood and Hollywood’s theatrical businesses are feeling the pinch of the post-Covid world, it was up to the industry to be smarter and work harder to get audiences back into theatres. “I think we have to try much harder than we used to do earlier, we have to try harder to get them out,” he said. “It’s our fault,” he added. “We need to know what they want and stop blaming (the audience) for everything because a lot of people have blamed the (audiences) and are saying they don’t want to come out, but I think it’s our turn to please them and bring them out.

Over the years, ‘Chhaiyya Chhaiyya’ has become an iconic song given the heavyweights involved in it -- the three aces Mani Ratnam, Gulzar and cinematographer Santosh Sivan, besides Shah Rukh Khan, Farah Khan and of course Malaika Arora.And who can forget Malaika grooving to the beats of the A.R. Rahman-composed song from ‘Dil Se’, which had the rhythm of a moving train? But, intrerestingly, Malaika wasn’t the first choice

her that the actor reminded of her son. It is a very special film for him. The 2013 film ‘Shahid’, which marked the start of a long association between Rajkummar and director Hansal Mehta, is a biopic based on the life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who was assassinated in 2010. Walking down the memory lane, the actor said, “I remember when Shahid’s mother came to meet us during the initial days of the shoot, and she just kept looking at me because I reminded her of ‘Shahid’, her son, and then she asked for a pen, , keep this pen because Shahid always used to carry a pen, and that was so emotional for me.

Slain lawyer Shahid Azmi’s mother gifted pen to Rajkummar Rao during ‘Shahid’

Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao, who is currently basking in the success of his recently released streaming movie ‘Monica, O My Darling’, recently recollected an incident where the mother of slain lawyer Shahid Azmi gave him a pen as a token of respect and was told by

Manoj Bajpayee, who has been enjoying the streaming response to his psychological drama film ‘Gali Guleiyan, wrapped up the shooting of his untitled

Ayushmann’s struggle at box office continues with ‘An Action Hero’

The just-released Ayushmann Khurranaled theatrical film, ‘An Action Hero’, has joined the list of movies registering a dismal opening-day turnout. The film, helmed by debutant director Anirudh Iyer, netted a paltry Rs 1.25 crore on Day 1 of its release, according to Box Office India.he actor had a grand debut in 2012 with ‘Vicky Donor’, and has since then delivered hit films such as ‘Badhaai Ho’, ‘Dream Girl’ and

‘Bala’, as well as the critically acclaimed ‘Article 15’ and ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’. But his recent releases -‘Doctor G’, ‘Anek’ and ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ -- have all come and gone, impressing neither critics, nor audiences.‘An Action Hero’ was expected to open at Rs 3-4 crore, but it could not tear through the grip of the Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Drishyam 2’ on the box office. And the score cranked up by ‘Drishyam 2’ is on its third Friday. Of course, even the Varun

Dhawan and Kriti Sanon-starrer ‘Bhediya’ is struggling to get foothold in the box office with ‘Drishyam 2’ not yielding any ground at the ticket windows.‘An Action Hero’, which also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, tells the story of an action star, Maanav Khurana (played by Ayushmann), who accidentally kills Vicky Solanki, younger brother of notorious gangster and Jat leader Bhoora Solanki (played by Jaideep Ahlawat). Khurana commits the act after refusing to act in the biopic of a gangster because he wants to stay away from the ‘bhai log’ -- the underworld. The first-day collections of ‘An Action Hero’ are lower than another Ayushmann Khurrana dud ‘Anek’, which managed to garner Rs. 1.7 crore on its opening day. on, Ayushmann’s film only

‘Cirkus’ made Pooja Hegde feel at home

New York Film Critics Circle award for Rajamouli raises ‘RRR’ Oscar pitch

Mumbai, Dec 3 : Actress Pooja Hegde, who is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming comedy movie ‘Cirkus’, has shared that the film and her co-actors made her

feel at home.The actress can be seen decked up in the 1960s-era Bollywood fashion in the trailer of the movie which was released recently.The actress shared that the film will bring much respite

to the already struggling Hindi film industry which didn’t have a great run at the box-office this year.‘Cirkus’ is directed by Rohit Shetty, who has an excellent track record at the box-office.She said, “’Cirkus’ is the ideal film to round up this stunning year.It is an out-and-out family entertainer. I always looked forward to going back the following day since Ranveer, Rohit Sir and the entire cast were so hilarious and humble on set.”She further mentioned, “hit the screens on December 23, 2022.Meanwhile, Pooja also has ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ in the pipeline in which she stars opposite Salman Khan, and the tentatively titled ‘SSMB28’ opposite Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu.

Salman wraps up shoot for ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’

Hyderabad, Dec 3 (IANS) S.S. Rajamouli bagging the best director award from the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) for his epic adventure film ‘RRR’ is yet another feather in the cap of the well-known filmmaker. The award has also set off the talk if this is a prelude to the filmmaker winning the Oscar award as well. Congratulations poured in for Rajamouli on winning the coveted award and many of his well-wishers hope that he will script history by bagging the world’s most prestigious movie award.‘RRR’ has been submitted for consideration

in various categories for the Oscars next year.Junior NTR, who played one of the two main characters in ‘RRR’ took to Twitter to congratulate ‘Jakkanna’, as Rajamouli is fondly called in film circles. “This is just the beginning of your journey to worldwide glory. It’s time for the world to know what I knew about you all along,” wrote the popular actor.The celebrated writer responded “Haha. Small correction Taraka Beginning of *OUR JOURNEY..:)”The award for Rajamouli coincided with recognition for Ram Charan, who played the lead role in ‘RRR’ alongside Junior NTR.

Mumbai, Dec 3: Keeping with his tradition, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s next film ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ is all set to release on the day of Eid next year. The actor wrapped up the film’s shoot on Saturday and updated his fans about the status of the movie on social media.The film, touted to be an

look from the film sporting long hair with the caption, “Shoot wrapped! #KisikaBhaiKisikiJaan arrives #Eid2023.”‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ is produced by Salman Khan Films and promises to have all the elements that one expects from a Salman Khan film - action, comedy, drama and romance.The film will bring the superstar on the silver screen in a full-fledged avatar after his last last two outings, ‘Antim: The Final Truth’, in which he shared the screen with his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, and the Telugu film ‘Godfather’, in which he was seen with megastar Chiranjeevi. Neha says: "You sang it so very well, you performed so cutely. When you sing, you deep dive into the performance and remind us of our adorable moments in life through your singing. It was an amazing performance. I liked it."

In With Malaika’. Malaika is set to make her foray in the digital space with the show which will feature unfiltered conversations. Her close friends and family members are praising and wishing luck to Malaika for her individuality and celebrating her confidence for being a part of a reality show.Congratulating her on the show, Kareena said, “We all know Malaika as a very guarded person. The fact that she is doing a reality show is super interesting. It will be amazing to see somebody as gorgeous as Malaika to kind of open up. As a friend, I think she’s rock solid, super hot and the original supermodel.”The actress further wishes Malaika saying, “Malla let your guard down and go for it. Be absolutely full of guts because ‘No Guts, No Glory’.”‘Moving In With Malaika’, produced by Banijay Asia, will start streaming from December 5 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Kareena has a word of advice for Malaika Arora ahead of ‘Moving In With Malaika’Malaika’

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is Malaika Arora’s BFF, is asking the latter to let her guard down and take the plunge with her upcoming OTT show ‘Moving

action-packed entertainer, is directed by Farhad Samji, who had earlier directed films such as ‘Bachchhan Paandey’ and ‘Housefull 4’. The film also stars Pooja Hegde, Jagapathi Babu, Bhumika Chawla, Shehnaz Gill, Palak Tiwari, Raghav Juyal, Siddharth Nigam, Jassie Gill and Vinali Bhatnagar.Taking to his Instagram, Salman dropped his