India News April 1-15, 2023

ISRO begins countdown for launch of LVM3 rocket carrying OneWeb satellites

36 satellites of the UK-based Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb) scheduled for Sunday.

"The countdown started at 8.30 a.m and is progressing smoothly," a senior ISRO official told IANS.

from the second launch pad at the rocket port in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh carrying OneWeb's final installment of 36 Gen1 satellites weighing 5,805 kg. The satellites will be slung into low earth orbit (LEO).

Chennai, March 25 (IANS)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday began the countdown for the launch of its LVM3 rocket carrying

During the countdown, the rocket and satellite systems will be checked, while fuel for the rocket will also be filled.

The Indian rocket LVM3 standing 43.5 metre tall and weighing 643 tonne will blast off at 9 a.m.

The LVM3 is a three stage rocket with the first stage fired with liquid fuel, the two strap on motors powered by solid fuel, the

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A Concert that won many hearts in Brisbane: Vasantotsav by Rahul Deshpande

The Vasantotsav by Rahul Deshpande was organized by Shaunara events in Brisbane under the ageis of MIT World

Peace University, School of Libral Arts. It was sponsored by The Nature Mukaiwadi exclusive living villament, Lokmanya multipurpose co-operative society, and co-sponsored by Kotibhaskar Group infrastructure and development pvt ltd and Suhana maja aa gaya. Humbly supported by Brisbane

Maharashtra Mandal and the Media Partners being Australia India News Pvt Ltd.

To make a concert a success, it takes a village to come together, and that’s what happened in Brisbane on 25th March 2023.

Fans of Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande, fans of singer, music director,

Multicultural Australia hosts a forum discussion on the Uluru Statement from the heart

In solidarity with the issue to include the aboriginal voice in parliament, Multicultural Australia held a discussion forum

“Changing the Conversation: Uluru Statement from the Heart” with amazing panelists,

Mick Gooda, Shireen Morris, Callum Ah Chee, Elijah Buol OAM- Community Advocate, Allira Davis, and Kym Korbe. The MOSAIC Multicultural Choir performed songs

Melbourne, March 29 (IANS)

Indian-origin politician Daniel Mookhey took oath on the holy Bhagavad Gita as he was sworn in as the Treasurer of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state by Governor Margaret Beazley in Sydney. Mookhey was sworn in on

Tuesday along with NSW Premier Chris Minns and six other ministers.

"Sworn in as Treasurer of the great state of NSW. Thank you to the people of NSW who entrusted us with this honour and privilege," Mookhey said in a statement.

Bhopal, March 31 (IANS) The death toll in Indore's Sri Baleshwar Mahadev temple tragedy has risen to 36, with the body of the

last missing person - a 53-yearold man - being retrieved from the deep stepwell on Friday afternoon.

With this, an over 24-hour-long rescue operation by around 140 personnel including 75 Indian Army men and SDERF (State Disaster Emergency Response

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KCR announces Rs 10,000 per acre compensation for crop losses

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Indian-Australian sworn in as treasurer of NSW, takes oath on Bhagavad Gita

Continued from Page 1

"I am incredibly honoured and humbled to be the first Australian Minister, state or federally, to take my oath of allegiance on the Bhagavad Gita. This is only possible because Australia is so open and so welcoming to the contributions of people like my parents, who I was thinking about a lot as I took my oath earlier today," he said.In 2015,

Mookhey was elected by the Labor to replace Steve Whan in the NSW upper house -- making him the state's first politician of Indian background, and the first to take oath of allegiance on the Bhagavad Gita.

In 2019, he became the Shadow Minister for Finance and Small Business and Shadow Minister for the Gig Economy."This is a time to relax and enjoy before the period

ISRO begins countdown for launch of LVM3 rocket carrying OneWeb satellites

Continued from Page 1

of really, really hard work starts again," Governor Beazley said addressing the ministers. Mookhey's parents had migrated from Punjab to Australia in 1973. Born in Blacktown suburb, Mookhey has three university degrees and has worked as a consultant to unions, charities and community groups.

A Concert that won many hearts in Brisbane: Vasantotsav by Rahul Deshpande

Continued from Page 1

actor Rahul Deshpande, fans of folk music, fans of Indian Classical music, Fans of Bollywood songs, and those genuinely interested in Indian music came together making the show at SunPac in Brisbane a sellout show and experienced a transcendental musical journey with the specially curated songs by Rahul Deshpande. The audience laughed, and cried, and were enamored and entranced by the melodious voice, and singing of Rahulji. Right from the first song till the last the audience swayed, tapped, and clapped appreciating the perfection with which Rahulji unfolded the songs. The musicians playing the musical instruments also equally made justice in giving the audience a perfect musical experience. Aditya Oke accompanied on Harmonium, Rohan Vanage on side rhythm, Vishal Dhumal on Keyboards, Nikhil Phatak onTabla, and Ritish Ohal on guitar, who together made that experience picture perfect.

There was only one language that prevailed in the auditorium which was the language of music. Rahulji sang different compositions, such as the dadra, the tumri, the bhaktigeet, the nirguni bhajan showcasing the versatility of his grandfather’s gayki, however, in reality its his own skills. Introducing the raag,

and the sargam in the songs he says that “its only a game of 12 notes and its permutations and combinations”... “the song is never yours because someone has already composed it before you and you are just rediscovering it.”

“the song becomes yours when within your realm, the range of notes you can explore, combine, and perfect it”

Rahulji sang a Pt. Kumar Gandharva rendition “Savare aai jaiyo” which gave the evidence of the influence of Kumarji in Rahulji’s singing as well as the inheritance of the legacy he receives from his grandfather Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande. He says apart from his Granfather’s records, as a child he heard records of Pt. Kumarji, Kishori Amonkarji who have influenced his singing on a big way.

Vasantotsav the show is a combination of classical, and semi classical songs. Being influenced by the melodious singer, Gan Samradni Aai lata Mangeshkarji, Rahulji unfolds two beautiful reditions. Most of the songs on his Youtube channel you will hear are Lata Didi’s songs.

He sang Lataji’s song “Bhaya Ithle Sampat nahi” a marathi song, the lyrics written by Kavi Grace, music composed by Hridaynathji Mangeshkar and “gele dyayache rahuni” sung by Ashatai Bhosle and music composed by

second by liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.

The ISRO's heavy lift rocket has a carrying capacity of 10 ton to theALEO and four ton to the Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The upcoming rocket mission code named as LVM3-M3/OneWeb India-2 Mission by ISRO.

Just over 19 minutes after the rocket's blast off, the process of satellite separation will begin.

The separation of 36 satellites will happen in phases.

The OneWeb is backed by India's telecom major Bharti Group

and with the successful launch of the satellites on March 26, the company will complete the global footprint of its Gen 1 constellation.

OneWeb has 582 satellites now in orbit. On March 26 the total number is expected to go up to 618.

By completing the constellation, OneWeb is taking a pivotal step forward in delivering global coverage including India, the company had said.

The upcoming launch will be the 18th one for OneWeb.

Indore temple tragedy: Death toll rises to 36, youngest victim 2 yr-old boy

Continued from Page 1

Force) was concluded. Initiating action, Indore police have registered a case of culpable homicide against Sevaram Galani, who is said to be head of Sri Baleshwar Mahadev temple trust. Meanwhile, the Indore Municipal Corporation said it had suspended two officers (a building officer and a building engineer), who were in charge of Patel Nagar area where the temple is located.

Hridaynathji Mangeshkar. It was a moment of tranquility from which one did not want to wake up. A moment where one reminiscences Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar singing. Complete mesmerizing experience keeping you spellbound.

Supported by his musicians, Rahulji took the audience into a world curated and created by his talent of singing. Doesn’t matter if you are a singer, or just a listener, a good musical experience is guaranteed. He did not disappoint the audience at all that day, also fulfilled most of the song requests sent to him yet carefully choosing them keping the transcendent state intact. In the end, he sang Kanada Raja Pandharicha by Babuji and Dil Ki Tapish from Katyar Kaljat ghusli which was the epitome of his craft that won the hearts of the Brisbane audience. His voice combined with the compositions of Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, and Babuji, made the show reach the zenith of the beautiful, spiritual experience. Perfect and Devine. The show was extremely successful and will remain in the memory of the audience for many years to come. This Vasantotsav has made the Brisbane audience hungry for more and definitely every soul who attended the show is looking forward to another one soon.

Out of total 36 people who died in the heart wrenching incident, the youngest victim was a two-yearold boy, Hitansh, while the eldest one was an 80-year-old woman identified as Jayvanti Devi, according to police. Most of the victims were women. At least 20 people, who were rescued safely in the first four hours of the incident, were admitted at Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital, popularly known as MY Hospital. Four to five of them were at a critical stage.

As per the official reports, over one hundred residents from several nearby localities thronged

the temple to offer their prayer on the occasion of Ram Navami on Thursday morning. While, were busy in chanting mantras as the 'havan' process at the temple was going on, around 11.30 a.m., a concrete area on which around 40-45 people were standing and were praying caved-in and they all fell into a deep step-well. The people were not aware that the place where they were standing was an actually a makeshift cover over the deep stepwell, which was illegally covered years back.

Sources told IANS that the the Indore civic body had issued a couple of notices to the temple trust directing to remove the concrete slab from the stepwell, including a fresh notice issued in January this year, but no action was taken.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accompanied by Home Minister Narottam Mishra, inspected the incident spot on Friday, where they were joined by Water Resource Minister Tulsi Silawat and Indore's Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav.

Multicultural Australia hosts a forum discussion on the Uluru Statement from the heart

Continued from Page 1

reflecting the issue. Community leaders Aparna Kanbur Amrita Deshpande, Ram Mohan, and Giri Sivaraman were present at the forum and also connected

and engaged with multicultural communities present at the forum. Multicultural Australia will be organizing more conversations in the coming months.

2023 IAIE/Bravus Eminent Person’s Oration intrigues the Indian diaspora

Brisbane, 20 March (India News Bureau): The Institute for Australia Indian Engagement in partnership with Bravus Mining and supported by Nice Loans and India News hosted the 2023 Eminent Persons Oration in Brisbane on 20 March at the SunPac Theatre. The oration was delivered by Professor Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor, the University of Sydney and CEO, Indian Century Roundtable in Sydney on The Numbers Game. How International Rankings Demonise India.

Guests including community leaders, members, business professionals, youth and entrepreneurs relished the captivating oration endowed with facts and evidence exposing shenanigans of international institutions and Indian academics maligning India. The audience was flabbergasted to know how international institutions demonise India by fudging data

and manipulating the ranking methodology to give India a low ranking. Institutions including the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ), Hindu Swayamsewak

Sangh, Bharatiya Samaj, Gandhi Salt March limited, Baps Swaminarayan, Queensland Arya Samaj Association, Hindu Mandir, Australian Hindu Association, Australia India Business Council, and Global Organisation of the People of Indian Origin among others were represented.

In his oration, Prof. Babones observed that the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) had published that the Indian democracy has been in decline ever since Narendra Modi took office in 2014, labelling India as a “flawed democracy”. He shared that the Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-DEM) ranked India even lower, at 101st in the world for electoral democracy (only two places above Myanmar!)

and 97th overall in the world for liberal democracy (one place above Papua New Guinea!). He highlighted that V-DEM claimed that India is no longer a liberal democracy at all, and become an “electoral autocracy” on a par with Russia. Another institution that professor Babones analysed was the American governmentfunded Freedom House, which described India to be only “partially free”, with an overall freedom ranking of 85th in the world. He shared that Freedom House lists the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir as “unfree”. Challenging the flawed methodology of these rankings— which are rather than being questioned are being sweepingly cited by many Indian academics and international media to target India, BJP and Narendra Modi— Professor Babones asserted that if Narendra Modi and the BJP are the barbarians of the Indian

democracy, assaulting liberal institutions from within and turning India into a Russianstyle “electoral autocracy”, Western governments certainly should become more wary of cooperating with India, which is not the case. He added, if it were the academics, intellectuals, and think-tankers themselves the barbarians at the gate of Indian democracy, maligning a poor but proud country in a bid to impose their own parochial political positions, then a moral reckoning is in order. Generally, non-Indians, parliamentarians, business leaders with little understanding of Indian affairs, lacking any capability to evaluate India’s credentials, inevitably turn to these rankings. Prof. Babones cautioned that it is breach of trust on part of these institutions and questioning their entire model of practice.

Prof. Babones asserted that these institutions are guilty of

cherry-picking and presenting alarming and sensationalist appraisals of the state of Indian democracy. Guests were appalled to know that India ranked poorly than Hong Kong and Iran in freedom rankings and electoral democracy! Howzat!?

Dr Ashutosh Misra, CEO of IAIE welcomed the guests, while Mr. Samir Vora, Executive Director, Bravus Mining delivered the vote of thanks. Acknowledgment to Country was delivered by Uncle Adrian Coolwell and Mr. Suman Nepal, Director, Nice Loans felicitated Prof Babones. The event was moderated by emcee Mr. Kartik Pratap Singh, Institute Secretary, IAIE.

Prof. Babones was also felicitated with the India Champion Award for his fact/evidencebased research work and public lectures on India over the years and dispelling much of the misperceptions and propaganda being peddled against India.

The next generation take centre stage of new Cowboys and Bravus Mining and Resources Platinum Partnership

Meet the little superstars of the 2023 Platinum Partnership between Bravus Mining and Resources and the North Queensland Cowboys.

Bijou Wilson, 11 months, and Estelle Sadlier, 14 months, have stolen the show as part of billboards and TV ads that are rolling out across north and central Queensland during the course of the 2023 NRL season. The adorable pair, daughters of Tully State High School friends, now co-workers at Bravus Mining and Resources, feature alongside some of the north’s biggest names in Jake Granville, Tom Dearden, and Heilum Luki – and they cast the towering Cowboys into their budding celebrity shadows.

Bravus Mining and Resources

Head of Community Kate Campbell said it was a real thrill for the company’s workers and their families to appear side by side with their local sporting heroes.

“As a Townsville-headquartered business we’re really proud to be able to get behind events and causes that are important to our people and our community,” Ms Campbell said.

“Our team members are big fans of what the Cowboys do on and off the field. On game day we all support them by going to the

stadium, the pub, or gathering around the TV at home or at site to cheer them on. It’s really something that brings our people together.

“Like the Cowboys, our Carmichael mine is going to be a part of regional Queensland for generations, so being able to recognise that by involving the children of some of the players and our local workers was the perfect celebration of our Platinum Partnership.”

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said the partnership was based on a shared focus of ’advancing the North’.

“I’ve said before that the Cowboys punches well above our weight with regard to our economic impact, not only through our community programs, but simply by pursuing our aim to elevate the lives of regional and remote people through the passion, practice and playing of football,” he said.

“In the same way, by going about their business of delivering innovative and integrated energy and infrastructure services, Bravus delivers jobs and supply chain opportunities which will see our future generations prosper.”

Bravus Mining and Resources

• Bravus’ Carmichael mine is producing high quality coal for export to nations around the world that want to lift their people out of energy poverty.

• The mine continues to safely and efficiently ramp up to its constructed level of production which is in the order of 10 million tonnes per annum.

• Townsville and Rockhampton remain the primary employment hubs for the Carmichael mine and we continue to recruit

workers who can drive to site from the Isaac Region.

• More than 2,600 people were employed and more than A$1 billion paid to regional Queensland contractors and businesses since construction began on the Carmichael project in 2019.

• Although the primary construction phase is finished, Carmichael still has more than 750 people on site at any time while another third are on days

off.

• Carmichael coal is high quality with low sulphur, low trace elements and low ash which meets the import requirements of many international markets, including those in the AsiaPacific region.

• Carmichael coal is sold into the international seaborne export market and its ultimate destination depends on market demand.

Bravus Mining and Resources’ partnership with the North Queensland Cowboys

• Bravus Mining and Resources (then Adani Mining) commenced its association with the Cowboys in 2019 as a supporter of the ‘Try for 5!’ program.

• In 2020 we elevated our association to Major Partner

and then Platinum Partner in 2021. This includes the delivery of the Adopt-A-School program, the Cowboys longest running community program. The Bravus Mining and Resources logo is also proudly displayed on the

Cowboys jersey sleeve.

• In September 2022 we extended our Platinum Partnership agreement, which will take our association with the Club to seven years of working in partnership for the benefit of regional Queensland.

Estelle Sadlier, 14 months, and Bijou Wilson, 11 months, are the stars of a new campaign celebrating the Cowboys and Bravus Mining and Resources Platinum Partnership.

The stars of the campaign: Bijou Wilson (left, in the arms of Cowboys

Five-Eighth Tom Dearden) and Estelle Sadlier (right, held by mum Dyhan Sadlier) along with Cowboys Hooker, Jake Granville.

Rhia Jewellers wins Stretton Small Business of Year 2023 on 1oth birthday year

Rhia Jewellers has certainly been making waves in the small business world this year by winning the Stretton small business of the year 2023. The award was the direct result of general voting of its community to pick out which business stood out from their point of view which has meant a great deal to Rhia Jewellers. This has certainly come at an opportune time as they earmark their 10th year of operation in the Jewellery Retail Business at the Calamvale Central Shopping Centre. From its humble beginnings in Stones Corner 15 years ago,

Rhia Jewellers has gradually strengthened its position in the jewelry market to become one of the leading retailers to its customers.

One key element that has been a major factor in its success has been its marketing prowess which has been aptly handled and executed by one of its owners, Mrs. Madhuri Azam. They are very active on the social media platform via Facebook, Instagram, and Google under Rhia Jewellers. Madhuri is no stranger to the jewelry world hailing from a family of jewelers in Fiji where they still run multiple stores

by the name of Anita Jewellers. She acquired the business acumen very early working in the factory with her father as well as managing the store. She has very successfully transferred that knowledge across to her business. Her husband, Mr. Abdul Azam is also no stranger to the business world having obtained a vast knowledge in Finance and Operations in his previous roles with Westpac and Gloria Jeans. Their combined experience has certainly paid dividends for their business.

Understanding customer expectations and evolving with

the market has been an essential focus for Rhia Jewellers. They really value the fact that we have to stand apart from its competitors in its style, quality and ultimately in its service. For this very reason, Rhia Jewellers have consistently gone outside the norm to various suppliers and distributors around the world to be unique. Their business slogan has been “Designs you will fall in love with….” and they actively try and achieve that. Apart from retailers of all things silver, 9ct, 18ct, and 22ct Gold from Dubai and Singapore, Rhia Jewellers are also renowned for their

manufacturing as well. Madhuri is also very proficient at creating designs from scratch, which has resulted in some amazing creations over the years, reflected in customer reviews. They do repairs, remodeling of jewelry, and even utilize your own gold to create your own unique designs. They also change watch batteries. So in essence, they specialize in end-to-end service. Looking towards the future, Rhia Jewellers will continue to aspire to meet our customer's needs and they sincerely thank everyone who has been part of our success.

KCR announces Rs 10,000 per acre compensation for crop losses

The chief minister told media persons that the unexpected rains and hailstorms damaged crops over 2,28,255 acres across the state. This includes maize crop over 1,29,446 acres, paddy over 72,709 acres and mangoes over 8,865 acres.

Visa applications from Delhi reach 80% of pre-pandemic levels

in the world.

Hyderabad, March 23 (IANS)

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday announced compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers who lost their crops due to recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms. After a visit to affected areas in a few districts, the chief minister assured the farmers that the government will extend them all the assistance.

He made it clear that the state will not send any report on crop loss to the Centre as the Modi government had provided no help to the state in similar situations earlier.

KCR, who left in a helicopter from Hyderabad, first visited affected areas in Madhira constituency of Khammam district. He spoke to farmers and enquired about the crop losses they suffered. Some of the affected farmers demand a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre.

KCR said that his government is executing irrigation projects with massive investment. Efforts are being made to expeditiously complete new projects. Stating that the state government is also implementing various schemes for the welfare of farmers, he claimed that such schemes are not being implemented anywhere

The chief minister also stated that as a result of the schemes being implemented by the state government, the agriculture sector has strengthened and farmers are coming out of debt trap. He remarked that some ignorant economists are saying that agriculture is uneconomical.

KCR also pointed out that Telangana's per capita income is higher than that of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states. He claimed that Telangana has established itself as an agriculture-based state.

The chief minister said under the policies of the present government at the Centre, affected farmers will get no compensation. "The policies are of no use to the farmers. The country needs a new agriculture policy," said KCR, who is president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

TN Assembly clears bill banning online gambling for second time

pass the bill unanimously not just with the mind but also with the hearts.

The bill, the chief minister said, would be again resent to the Governor for his consideration.

New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Visa applications from the national capital nearly touched the prepandemic levels last year, driven by pent-up demand, opening of international borders and eased Covid-related protocols, a report showed on Thursday.

According to VFS Global, the visa application volume from New Delhi reached close to 80 per cent of the 2019 pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and registered a 93 per cent growth when compared to 2021. This trend of rise in visa application volume from New Delhi is in line with the overall growth registered in India, which was also close to 80 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

"We witnessed unprecedented demand from India in 2022 which led to an extended peak outbound travel season with steady volumes witnessed until December. We are confident that the momentum will further grow and hence it is advisable for applicants to apply for their visas in advance to avoid last-minute surprises," said Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer-South Asia, VFS Global. Premium optional services such as Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) that enables travellers to book the entire visa experience at a location of their choice, witnessed

around 90 per cent year-on-year rise in 2022.

"Health considerations continue to be a key determining factor in the new normal. As a result, we see an increasing number of travellers opt for such services that provide a seamless visa experience and prioritise safe travel," Sen added.

According to the revised Schengen Visa Code, one can apply for a Schengen visa up to six months before the date of travel.

"Particularly this year with higher demand and limited appointment slots available, we urge applicants to apply for their visa as early as possible," said the company.

Visa applicants are advised to beware of fraudulent entities who charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments or providing any other services using VFS Global's name or independently.

VFS Global operates a global network with more than 3,400 application centres in 145 countries. The company has processed over 256 million applications since its inception in 2001. VFS Global is majorityowned by funds managed by Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager.

Maha Congress protests against jail sentence for Rahul

Chennai, March 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online games bill" for the second time on Thursday. The bill was passed unanimously in the House.

It was cleared again after Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi had returned it on March 8 asking the state government to furnish additional information with certain changes.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while reintroducing the bill in the Assembly for the second time, said that several people have lost their lives due to online gambling. He said, "I am standing here with a heavy heart. Fourty one people lost their lives due to online gambling in Tamil Nadu."

Some of the people who had committed suicide had left a note behind asking the government to ban online games, Stalin said. He called upon the legislators to

"We might have differences of opinion in ideologies and politics, but no one with a heart can have a difference of opinion over gambling that kills people," he said, adding that the state government had the right to discipline and protect people residing under its jurisdiction. Some of the DMK legislators also pointed out on the Governor's meeting with the representatives of the E- Gaming Federation (EGF) in December 2022, when the state government was awaiting his assent on the bill against online games.

Opinion poll projects Congress majority in Karnataka

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) An exclusive opinion poll conducted by ABP-CVoter in Karnataka in late March reveals that the Congress will probably win a majority of seats in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly, which will go to the polls on May 10.

According to an analysis of the survey data, the vote share of the Congress could rise from 38 per cent in 2018 to 40.1 per cent this time. Compared to 80 seats in 2018, the ABP-CVoter survey projects the Congress to win between 115 and 127 seats.

The survey also reveals that the party is leading over rivals BJP and JD(S) in all the regions of Karnataka. Even in the old Mysore region, which has been a stronghold of the JD(S), the Congress is projected to edge ahead of its rival while the BJP is projected to perform very poorly in this region.

Using scientific random sampling techniques, the survey interacted with around 25,000 respondents across all demographics, age groups and identities.

According to the survey, the BJP

will probably lose the state by some distance. The vote share of the party could come down from 36 per cent in 2018 to 34.7 per cent this time. The drop in vote share is small, but the projected loss of seats is far higher.

From 104 seats in 2018, the party is projected to win between 68 and 80 seats, far behind the Congress. Contrary to what some political analysts say, the JD(S) will not be decimated or wiped out, as per the survey. The vote share of the party remains virtually the same at 18 per cent while the number of seats won drops from 37 in 2018 to between 23 and 35 seats this time.

Mumbai, March 23 (IANS) The Maharashtra Congress protested against the jail sentence pronounced to party MP Rahul Gandhi by a Surat Court, saying he is being 'punished' for raising voice against corruption, here on Thursday. Congress leaders led by state President Nana Patole, Mumbai President Bhai Jagtap, former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Sunil Kedar, Naseem Khan, Charan Singh Sapra, Atul Londhe, legislators and other joined the protests. They carried placards and posters supporting Rahul Gandhi and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, and said the actions are being taken against him under 'pressures'. "Rahul Gandhi had spoken against corruption and highlighted the role of fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi... It's a fact that they ran away from India after looting public money

through the banks," said Patole. He accused the Centre of pressure tactics as "its afraid of the growing influence of Rahul Gandhi, the fear of defeat and because of that, they are trying to trap him". He warned that if it is a crime to speak against the scamsters like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, then the Congress will intensify its protests by taking to the streets and holding 'jail-bharo' agitations all over Maharashtra. Ashok Chavan said it is clear that the BJP is worried over the growing influence of the Congress all over India after Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and now they are retaliating with such action against Opposition leaders. Prithviraj Chavan said that the action against Rahul Gandhi has been taken maliciously, and that too from Gujarat, and said the Congress will move the Supreme Court to challenge the Surat Court verdict.

SCO-NSA meet: Doval’s firm message to Pak & China on terrorism, territorial integrity

members should not seek unilateral military superiority.

Addressing the 18th SCO meeting of NSAs here, "Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable".

Hyderabad police book 20 trolls targeting public representatives

states the path forward.

"The Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states, non use of force or threat of its use in international relations, and seeking no unilateral military superiority in areas," added Doval.

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS)

In a veiled attack on Pakistan and China, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday said terrorism in any form is a threat to international peace and security, and that the SCO

He said this in the presence of representatives from both Pakistan and China, who attended the event virtually. The meeting was being chaired by India. In an oblique reference to China, Doval invoked the SCO Charter that could show the member

"The global security landscape is faced with several challenges on account of development in recent years. The SCO region is also affected by the impact of these challenges. The charter calls upon the member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity of states," he added further.

Om Birla could become third LS Speaker to face no confidence motion

On Wednesday papers were hurled at the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair when Congress MPs were protesting against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification.

Hyderabad, March 29 (IANS)

Hyderabad police have booked 20 cases against owners of various trolling channels for objectionable, defamatory and insulting content with morphed videos against some public representatives, a police official said on Wednesday.

Kadapa.

Most of the trolls are young men 20-30 years of age who are either studying or dropped out and such attraction and craze of trolling in the long term can lead to and promote even indecency and encourage lawlessness among youth, the DCP said.

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) With the Congress planning to bring a no confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, he could become the third Speaker to face such a motion after G.V. Mavalankar and Balram Jakhar. All the three share a common factor that they headed the Lower House when the treasury benches had a brute majority.

Congress sources said that they are consulting like minded allies on the issue while the party MPs have already started signing the petition for the move.

The first resolution against the Speaker was brought in 1954 when G.V. Mavalankar was the Speaker and Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister. In 1987, it was against Speaker Balram Jakhar. Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister and the resolution was moved by Somnath Chatterjee.

In both the cases the Deputy Speaker presided over the House but in the current Lok Sabha there is no Deputy Speaker. Both the resolutions were defeated in the House. The opposition is now mulling to bring a no confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla for 'not allowing their leaders to speak in the Lower House' and for not accepting any adjournment notice, sources said.

The opposition is miffed with the disqualification of Congress

leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that the decision has been taken in haste.

The opposition is likely to bring the no confidence motion coming Monday and the signatures of MPs are being taken. The idea was mooted during an opposition meeting.

Gandhi was disqualified as a MP 24 hours after being convicted by a Surat court on Friday.

The Surat district court in Gujarat on March 23 convicted the Congress MP in a criminal defamation case over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark in 2019. He was convicted under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The maximum punishment under this section is two years.

The cybercrime wing of the police have traced eight persons and issued them notices under 41 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code, directing them to appear before the police.

DCP, Cybercrimes, Sneha Mehra, told reporters that about 20 cases have been registered against the owners/uploaders of various trolling channels, which are spreading objectionable, defamatory and insulting morphed videos against various public representatives.

Those who have been issued notices are Attada Srinivasa Rao of TrollerKurradu (@ trollerkurradu4308) from Vizianagaram), Sirasani

Manikanta of Massabbayi (@ MrMassabbayi) from Kadapa, Baddanj Sravan of Yankamma

Police observed that some youth are posting objectionable, defamatory and insulting content with morphed videos against some public representatives with an intention to increase their subscribers and increase their TRP rating, thereby earning money. Such acts attract various penal sections under IPC and Information Technology Act, the official said.

"In the chase of increasing their subscribers and likes they are sometimes posting content which even harms the basic modesty of women," she said.

Police recently noticed such trolls targeting K. Kavitha, a member of Telangana Legislative Council and daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

To avoid harassment, tourist vehicles entering Goa to be given unique stickers: CM

posts.

"In order to allow tourists a comfortable movement across the state, vehicles entering Goa will be thoroughly checked at the border for the documents and will be given unique stickers to fix on their vehicles. Such vehicles will not be stopped (by police) for checking documents anywhere in the state," Sawant said.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed the case against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname..." remark. coastal state.

"I see police constables standing at one corner only and giving challans to tourists and they do nothing more than that. They are basically here to solve the traffic problem, but they are not doing that," Monserrate, Panaji MLA, had said.

Tolls from Nizamabad, Motam Srinu of Telugu Trolls New from Warangal, Peraka Nagavenkata Jyothi Kiran of Chimtu Trolls from Krishna, Banthipuvvu Trolls Vadluri Naveen of Team of Trolling from Jagityal, Bolli Chandrashekar of Chandu Trolls from Karimnagar, and Billa Srikanth of Chevilopuvvu from

The police have warned all the owners/uploaders of trolling channels not to indulge in any type of such trolls/memes, which are outrageous, abusive and indecent to the modesty of the women in general and the individual in specific. Necessary penal action shall be initiated against all such trollers.

Panaji, March 29 (IANS) Goa

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that tourists entering the state will be given unique stickers to fix on their vehicles, so they are not harassed (by police) while moving across the coastal state.

Sawant, while presenting the budget of the fiscal year, said that documents of tourist vehicles will be checked at the border check

Of late, tourists have been raising complaints on social media that they were stopped to check documents of vehicles and were being harassed.

Few months ago, Goa Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate had said that traffic police were actually harassing tourists by fining them, instead of solving traffic problems existing in the

He said that to resolve the issue of traffic jams, he often discusses the issue with concerned traffic Police, but 4 to 5 constables stand at one place to challan tourists.

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had also claimed that the tourists are being routinely harassed in Goa by traffic police officials, and had said that efforts would be made to make the state and its environs more hospitable to tourists.

Students from Class 1 to 8 are to be promoted without exams in UP

next class without examinations.

A notification in this regard has been issued by Pratap Singh Baghel, secretary, of UP Basic Education Council.

Deakin appoints new Executive Dean of Arts and Education

the academic session 2022-23 will not be stopped in all council and recognized schools run under the council.

Lucknow, March 31 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government has directed that all students from Classes 1 to 8 studying in the schools under the Basic Education Council, will be promoted to the

The notification is issued every year as there is a provision to promote children from Class one to eight to the next class under the Right to Education Act. They cannot fail under any circumstances.

As per the order, the promotion of any student from Class 1 to 8 in

Instructions have also been given to distribute report cards of students based on annual examinations.

Director general, school education, UP, Vijay Kiran Anand said, "The state government has no retention policy. According to this, no child will fail. This order is in accordance with the same RTE Act."

Fighting in DR Congo disrupts education for 750,000 children: UN

to close because of a worsening security situation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Friday, 31 March 2023

translated into nine languages. During his term as Dean at the University of Bristol, Professor Tormey oversaw significant research and educational success in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, one of the largest and most diverse faculties of its kind in the UK.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said Professor Tormey would ensure the Faculty of Arts and Education continues its world-class research and inspiring Deakin students to reach their potential and achieve their goals.

United Nations, March 30 (IANS)

Fighting in two provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has disrupted the education of some 750,000 children, a UN spokesman said.

Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres, said new figures released by Unicef showed that between January 2022 and the present, in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, at least 2,100 schools were forced

Dujarric said, "the scale of the crisis means that the majority of children living in displacement camps are not able to have any educational services, only a minority of these children are able to access some Unicefsupported child-friendly spaces or temporary learning centers".

Unicef is supporting the construction of temporary learning spaces and providing school materials to students, in addition to training teachers on relevant topics, including psychosocial support, he said.

Insecurity has been especially damaging for the nearly 240,000 recently displaced children living

in the vast camps around Goma, North Kivu's provincial capital, the UN agency said in its report. "Violence by armed groups has forced thousands of families from their homes in search of safety, preventing their children from attending school," it said. The report said 119 schools have been attacked, occupied, or temporarily used by armed groups.

Nearly 1,700 schools closed due to persistent insecurity, mainly because they are in areas controlled by armed groups. However, according to Unicef, direct conflict or insecurity alone did not close schools. Nearly 300 schools couldn't operate because they are being used as shelters for people displaced by conflict.

Deakin University today announced that after an extensive national and international search, Professor Simon Tormey has been appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Education. Professor Tormey will commence at Deakin on 14 August 2023 and succeed Associate Professor Meghan Kelly, who has acted in the role since August 2022. Professor Tormey is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, a position he has held since 2019. Previously he was Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney from 2009 to 2018.

“On behalf of the university community, I look forward to welcoming Professor Tormey to Deakin in August as our new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Education,” Professor Martin said.

“I look forward to the contribution Professor Tormey will make both as Executive Dean of Arts and Education and as a member of my University Executive.

“As we look to the future, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Associate Professor Meghan Kelly for her excellent leadership of the faculty as Acting Executive Dean, which will continue until Professor Tormey commences.”

Media contact:

Glen Atwell

Director, University

Communications

M: 0428 597 468

IISER Bhopal

team

develops

AI-based tool to probe gut bacteria

enzymes to process what a human eats and provide the body with various metabolites that are essential for health and body functions.

An internationally renowned academic in political sociology, organisational studies, social theory and the history of ideas, Professor Tormey is the author or co-author of 7 books and over 60 scholarly articles, with work

E: glen.atwell@deakin.edu.au

T: @DeakinMedia

Bhopal, March 30 (IANS)

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based method to predict how the bacteria in the gut break down the various types of food and medication, the institute said on Thursday.

This AI-based tool called "GutBug" provides information about the specific bacterial enzymes, reactions, and bacteria involved in the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients by the human gut.

The human gut microbiome is made of over a thousand different species of bacteria, which have more than 3.3 million unique genes. These bacteria secrete

However, studying the complex host-microbial relationships is a challenge because of the vastness of the microbiome and the fact that the collection of bacteria varies among individuals.

But the tool GutBug, detailed in the Journal of Molecular Biology, can potentially predict all possible bacterial enzymes that act on bioactive dietary molecules as well as oral drugs, the researchers said.

"GutBug uses a combination of machine learning, neural networks, and chemoinformatic methods. We used a curated database of 363,872 enzymes from about 700 human gut bacterial strains and a substrate database consisting of 3,457 enzymes to train the AI model," said Dr Vineet K. Sharma, IISER Bhopal, in a statement.

"GutBug can help us better understand how the food we eat or medicines we consume orally

are processed by our gut bacteria and how this affects our health. Such understanding can be useful in designing diets, developing new prebiotics, creating nutraceutical products, and improving drug design depending on the nature of the gut bacteria each individual has, leading to personalised medicine," Sharma said.

To train the AI model the study used the largest enzyme substrate database. It contained information on the gut bacterial species from eight populations to understand how drug and food metabolism varies across populations due to gut bacteria activity.

GutBug was able to identify the specific enzymes involved in the breakdown of various molecules and the bacterial strains that carry them.

The tool was tested with 27 different molecules, including complex carbohydrates, flavonoids, and drugs, and was shown to be highly accurate, with success rates ranging from 0.78 to 0.97.

Assam govt to set up a separate board to recruit college teachers

forced the government to take this decision.

"We have now decided to forego any further academics-based hiring by colleges. This approach causes a lot of legal disputes," he said.

Replying to a question raised by AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain, Pegu said, "The education department has been facing at least 2,500 court cases related to the recruitment of teachers in schools and colleges."

Guwahati, March 30 (IANS) The Assam government informed the Assembly on Thursday that a central hiring board will be established to recruit teachers in colleges across the state. Accordingly, college authorities have been asked not to initiate any new hiring process on their own.

State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said a large number of pending court cases related to the recruitment of teachers has

The minister said a total of 640 teaching posts in colleges are lying vacant across the state.

"We have chosen to build a centralized recruitment board. After passing the selection test, a candidate will be posted to the college of his/her choice," Pegu added.

However, the colleges which have already initiated the recruitment process have been allowed to complete it.

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).

Wings for F-16 to be made by TataLockheed Martin JV in India

manufacturing and delivery of a fully-compliant fuel-carrying 9-g, 12,000 hour, interchangeable/ replaceable representative fighter wing, Lockheed Martin said on Friday.

according to the ICEA data. "Efficacy and maturity of an industry is only judged with robust exports. Mobile phones policy and outreach initiatives have been relentless and the results are in front of us," Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA, told IANS.

Chennai, March 10 (IANS)

Global defence aerospace player Lockheed Martin and Indias Tata Group have inked an agreement for the production of fighter plane wings at their joint venture Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL) in Hyderabad.

According to Lockheed Martin, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) envisions production of 29 fighter wing shipsets, with an option of additional shipsets, with deliveries commencing in 2025. "These wings are initially intended for the F-16 Block 70/72 jets and would be delivered to our US facility in Greenville, South Carolina, for inclusion into the production/final assembly line. However, the transfer of technology and manufacturing rigor that Lockheed Martin and Tata have demonstrated will transfer to the F-21 if/ when selected by the Indian Air Force. We are proposing the F-21 for India and these would be produced in India," a Lockheed Martin official told IANS.

Lockheed Martin formally recognised TLMAL as a potential co-producer of fighter wings in October 2021 after the latter's successful production and qualification of a prototype fighter wing shipset. Through this prototype project, TLMAL was required to demonstrate the capability to perform detailed part

"That achievement further strengthened Lockheed Martin's partnership with India, and supports its F-21 offering for procurement of 114 new fighter aircraft exclusively for India and the Indian Air Force by proving additional indigenous production capability. The India F-21 represents an unprecedented strategic and economic opportunity for the US-India relationship and represents a catalyst to future advanced technology cooperation," Lockheed Martin said. According to the Lockheed Martin official, the F-21 would serve as a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force with an unmatched capability-to-cost ratio compared to the competition.

"In addition, the F-21 is equipped with state-of-the-art systems and sensors that would allow the Indian Air Force to detect, track and engage multiple targets in a contested environment. The current and future state of warfare is and will be centered on gathering and sharing information across multiple domains (air, land, sea, space and cyber) to make effective decisions as quickly as possible. The F-21 will be able to integrate across these domains and across Indian services to provide current and future relevance," the official added.

The F-21 will leverage advanced technologies from across the Lockheed Martin fighter portfolio.

It is a single engine, low life cycle cost platform with an optimal max take-off weight right in between the Rafale and Tejas.

"Our F-21 offer is also 'Make in India' which addresses the goals of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' while providing India with an improved security cooperation relationship with the United States," ythe official said.

Also, the F-21's industrial offering will put India at the epicentre of the world's largest fighter production and sustainment market, creating thousands of highly-skilled jobs in India, the official added.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics had established TLMAL as a joint venture in 2010.

TLMAL serves as the single global source of C-130J empennage assemblies that are installed on all new Super Hercules aircraft. To date, TLMAL has manufactured and delivered nearly 200 C-130J empennages.

"I am proud of Tata Group's partnership with Lockheed Martin on this prestigious project. I would like to congratulate the TLMAL team for successfully industrialising and qualifying the fighter wing in spite of the technological complexity involved. I am confident the initiative of manufacturing fighter wings in India will go a long way in strengthening the aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem in India," said N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

India to cross $10 bn worth mobile exports in FY22-23, Apple leads at 50%

manufacturing, India is all set to reach a remarkable $10 billion (over Rs 82,000 crore) worth smartphone exports in the fiscal year ending March 31, industry data showed on Wednesday.

According to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), Apple's 'Make in India' smartphone now constitutes 50 per cent of total exports.

Samsung is second with 40 per cent mobile exports while other smartphone players constitute 10 per cent export share.

Smartphone exports from India have doubled from a corresponding period from last fiscal year, driven by productionlinked incentive (PLI) schemes.

The top five global destinations India currently exports mobile phones to are the UAE, the US, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy,

"The mobile phone industry will cross $40 billion manufacturing output and 25 per cent exports at $10 billion is a stellar performance," he added. Reports surfaced earlier this year that Tim Cook-led Apple will quickly shift some of its China manufacturing to India and Vietnam in the next 2-3 years. India is likely to produce 45-50 per cent of Apple's iPhones by 2027, at par with China, where 80-85 per cent of iPhones were produced in 2022.

According to estimates by DigiTimes research analysts, India and Vietnam are to become

the biggest beneficiaries of smartphone supply chain migration out of China. India accounted for 10-15 per cent of iPhones' overall production capacity at the end of 2022. Apple became the first smartphone player in India to have exported $1 billion worth iPhones in the month of December. It currently manufactures iPhones 12, 13, 14 and 14 Plus in the country. According to Mohindroo, the country is now moving in a different direction, "which is largely export-focused and led by the government's performancelinked scheme (PLI) push". The government is also working to strengthen the electronic manufacturing ecosystem beyond mobiles to boost its global share in hearables and wearables, IT hardware and electronic components etc.

India to achieve $750 bn of exports in 2022-23: Piyush Goyal

that India is playing a prominent role in the IT sector, including Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, as the world's largest source of human talent and outstanding engineers.

New Delhi, March 14 (IANS)

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India's goods and services exports are set to cross $750 billion mark in the current fiscal.

He also added that talks with some countries to expand rupee trade are in final stages. Goyal said this on Monday while addressing the CII Partnership Summit in the national capital. The three-day summit got underway on Monday.

"Sustainability has been at the core of G20 agenda for several years now, the core of all multilateral and bilateral engagements over the last few years, but for India, sustainability is a way of life," he said.

The Minister said that partnerships between citizens, communities and countries, when working together in the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and sometimes competition, collectively can contribute to a more stable and prosperous future.

Dukgeun Ahn, Trade Minister of South Korea, said on the occasion

He observed that India has been successful in creating favourable conditions for businesses with its 'Make in India' and 'Self-Reliant India' policies, playing a pivotal role in establishing a stable global supply chain.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, United Arab Emirates, said that global issues require global solutions and cannot be resolved by a single nation or a small group of nations, as they require significant concrete actions. The UAE, he said, is dedicated towards collaborating with international partners bilaterally and multilaterally in order to tackle world problems and build a more sustainable and prosperous future for everyone.

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS)

Buoyed by attractive government incentives towards local

Australian Defence Force to probe army chopper incident

army MRH-90 Taipan were rescued from the ocean off the coast of New South Wales (NSW) on Wednesday night and assessed at a nearby naval academy, with two sustaining minor injuries, reports Xinhua news agency.

the entire MRH-90 Taipan fleet grounded while the ADF investigates the cause of the incident. "Quick responses from ADF personnel and emergency services and well-drilled teams prevented a potential tragedy,"

Canberra, March 23 (IANS) The Australian Defence Force (ADF) said on Thursday that it has launched an investigation after a helicopter ditched into the water in the vicinity of Jervis Bay, injuring two people.

All 10 personnel on board the

The helicopter was taking part in routine counter-terrorism training when it lost power and ditched into the ocean.

The site has been contained by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and port services and

Australian PM reveals question for Indigenous Voice referendum

Canberra, March 23 (IANS)

Chief of the Army Simon Stuart said in a statement on Thursday. "We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to determine the cause and ensure the platform remains safe to operate."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP Welcomes Samoan Prime Minister

Wednesday 22nd March 2023; The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, welcomed the Honourable Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa to Canberra on 22 March 2023. The Prime Minister’s bilateral talks reflected the long-standing relationship between Australia and Samoa, underpinned by mutual respect and trust. The Prime Ministers affirmed their strong partnership and commitment to work together on shared challenges and priorities to support a stable, prosperous, and resilient Pacific region. Prime Minister Albanese also acknowledged Prime Minister Fiamē’s historic achievement in being elected Samoa’s first female Prime Minister, and her contribution to gender equality in Samoa and the region.

Prime Minister Albanese recognized Prime Minister Fiamē’s regional leadership and expressed his appreciation for her significant contribution to Pacific unity. Amidst an increasingly complex regional outlook, the Prime Ministers acknowledged the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum in driving collective responses to shared regional challenges such as climate change, economic recovery from COVID-19, and regional security. The leaders welcomed Kiribati’s return to the Forum. They also underlined their commitment to continue to work together to contribute to a stable, prosperous, and resilient Blue Pacific, based on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, regionalism, and a Pacific family-first approach to peace and security.

The Prime Ministers acknowledged the urgent need to accelerate international action to address the existential threat of climate change. Their discussions reinforced their commitment to work together to advance real and significant climate action and drive the transition to net zero, welcoming Australia’s commitment to place Pacific voices at the center of international climate discussions. Prime Minister Fiamē expressed support for Australia’s bid to

host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific. The Prime Ministers acknowledged their support and co-sponsorship of Vanuatu’s request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change.

The Prime Ministers discussed how Australia and Samoa could work together to strengthen climate resilience in Samoa and the region, recognizing the threat climate change poses to the livelihoods, security, and wellbeing of Pacific peoples. They reaffirmed Samoa and Australia’s close security partnership, which encompasses cooperation on maritime surveillance and ocean stewardship, policing, and cyber and transnational crime.

The Prime Ministers reflected on the impacts of COVID-19 on our economies and how Australia could support Samoa on its journey and reforms toward economic recovery and resilience. They discussed how the PacificAustralia Labour Mobility (PALM) program could best operate to ensure mutual benefit, including ensuring the program delivers for all Samoans. Prime Minister Albanese welcomed the work underway to refine Samoa's labor mobility policy settings, and outlined the steps Australia was taking to ensure the scheme provided further opportunities for skills development. The Prime Ministers agreed to reflect these developments in a Memorandum of Understanding that would guide the PALM partnership.

The Prime Ministers welcomed continued cooperation on Samoa’s human development priorities, including health, education, social inclusion, and tertiary scholarships.

They also welcomed progress towards support for Samoa’s infrastructure priorities through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.

The Prime Ministers welcomed the strong people-to-people links between Australia and Samoa, with some 98,000 people of Samoan descent living in Australia. They recognized the important unifying role of sports in our relationship –promoting excellence, health, gender equality, and social cohesion. They celebrated

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday revealed the question voters will be asked at the referendum on establishing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

In a press conference, Albanese announced that the Referendum Working Group has landed on a question for the referendum, which is expected to be held in the second half of 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.

If successful, the Voice will advise Parliament on issues relating to Indigenous peoples.

It will also be put to voters that the constitution be amended to include a new chapter titled "Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples". Making the announcement, Albanese pleaded with Australians to support the Voice.

the achievement of Australia and Samoa’s national teams in reaching the Rugby League World Cup final in November 2022. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the other ways in which people-to-people linkages bring Samoans and Australians together – in faith, business, and community. The Prime Ministers discussed Australia’s new Pacific Engagement Visa and its possibilities to further deepen people-to-people, business, and educational linkages.

The Prime Ministers expressed their support for the Pacific Islands Forum’s efforts to revitalize the Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration to advance gender equality and inclusion in the Blue Pacific. Formalizing this commitment to boost Australia-Samoa links, the Prime Ministers signed a Bilateral Partnership Arrangement, Ole fala folasia i lo ta va (‘’the map that guides us’). The Prime Ministers warmly welcomed the closer cooperation the Partnership Arrangement will engender across the pillars of climate and disaster resilience, security cooperation, economic growth, human and socioeconomic development, and people-to-people linkages.

The Prime Ministers reiterated that the partnership between Australia and Samoa is based on transparency and respect for sovereignty.

The Prime Ministers agreed to continue to work closely together to further strengthen the partnership between Australia and Samoa and cooperation in support of a stable, prosperous, and resilient Blue Pacific.

Australians will be asked whether they approve of an alteration to the nation's constitution to recognize the "First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice".

Any proposed amendment to the constitution must be passed by an absolute majority of each house of Parliament.

In order to pass, a referendum must be approved by a majority of voters as well as more than half of voters in at least four out of six states.

Aus zoo welcomes 1st southern white rhino calf born in decade

male Kifaru who were paired in 2019 as part of the Australasian rhino regional breeding and conservation program.

Werribee Open Range Zoo Director Mark Pilgrim said that the calf is being provided with around-the-clock feeds of colostrum obtained from its mother.

Canberra, March 23 (IANS) The Werribee Open Range Zoo in the Australian state of Victoria is celebrating the arrival of a southern white rhino calf, which is the first calf of this threatened species to be born in captivity in almost a decade.

The zoo said in a statement on Thursday that following a 16-month pregnancy, first-time mother Kipenzi gave birth just before 4 a.m. on Tuesday to the female calf who weighed just over 60 kg, reports Xinhua news agency.

Both Kipenzi and the newborn are being carefully monitored by veterinarians and zookeepers.

According to the statement, keepers observed an absence of healthy bonding after birth, with the calf not thriving as expected during the first hours of infancy. It was later brought to the zoo's vet clinic for medical checks and supplementary feeding.

This is the first calf born to nineyear-old Kipenzi and 13-year-old

"The calf's health has begun to improve, and it is now in the process of being reintroduced to mum," Pilgrim noted.

"However, it will continue to remain under veterinary care during these critical early days.

Southern white rhinos are currently listed as "Near Threatened" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List with their population in decline.

IUCN estimated that there is a total of 10,080 remaining in the wild, facing significant threats such as poaching and the illegal trading of rhino horn.

Pilgrim believed that the arrival of this precious calf is an important achievement in the fight to save the species from extinction.

"We are excited that visitors will be able to view the pair once we have navigated these typically high-risk early days following the birth," the zoo director said. The newborn calf will be also named in the coming weeks through a voting competition.

Fun & Friendship at the One and All Harmony Day Festival

Brisbane, March 30: It was laughter and friendship at the One and All Harmony Day Festival organised by Vedanta Centre in Springfield Lakes on Saturday 18th March. The fun and informative event on a beautiful sunny Saturday featured free entertainment for the whole family including a petting zoo, face painting, markets, food, the Brisbane Lions teaching AFL skills and live music from local artists.

Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, based on the successful integration of migrants into our shared community. With more than 400 people in attendance, the festival encompassed inclusiveness, celebration and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Charis Mullen MP said it was fantastic to see such a diverse group of community members come together in celebration

of friendship – “I think it’s a real strength to have diversity, and how lucky we to have all these incredible cultures living within a few kilometers of each other being able to share their incredible culture with each other.”

Swami Atmeshananda, resident monk of the Vedanta Centre said “It’s extraordinary to see so much energy here, we are really delighted that we are able to get

so many people on Harmony Day. The unity in diversity is what one should understand in life. We may be different but we all belong to the divine.”

Harmony Day is all about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. Menaka Thomas, volunteer production manager says, “Events like today

are really important because we live in a society that is so diverse. Australia is the land that welcomes and integrates people from all around the world and they call Australia home. I think it’s really important to acknowledge this is who we are, this is part of our landscape.”

For more photos visit: www. facebook.com/VedantaSpringfield

Queenslanders support Treaty with First Nations peoples

• New study shows most Queenslanders see the benefits and support the pursuit of Treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

• More than half of survey non-Indigenous respondents want to learn more about Indigenous culture, heritage and history.

• The study provides evidence that Queenslanders are ready to walk together to true reconciliation.

Brisbane, 25 March: Three out of four people (77 per cent) think Treaty will benefit all Queenslanders to some extent, exclusive research shows.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of those surveyed about

Queensland’s Path to Treaty agree that we need to acknowledge First Nations peoples as the original custodians of Queensland. And 66 per cent of Queenslanders agree that all Queenslanders should know the truth of First Nations culture and history.

The Palaszczuk Government today (March 25) publicly released the Path to Treaty market and social research 2023 report summary, commissioned by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

More than 2,320 Queenslanders were surveyed state-wide about their attitudes towards treatymaking, First Nations culture and history. The survey results provide a statistical baseline to inform future engagement

throughout Queensland on the Path to Treaty.

The study also shows more needs to be done to promote Treaty and explain truth-telling to engage all Queenslanders on the path to true reconciliation.

One-in-four (26 per cent) of those surveyed had heard of treaty and one-in-five (19 per cent) know what truth telling is.

Of the non-Indigenous respondents surveyed (78 per cent) have an average or lower understanding of First Nations culture and heritage while more than half (54 per cent) expressed a desire to learn more about First Nations culture and heritage.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister

Craig Crawford said: “It is extremely heartening to see the statewide survey found most Queenslanders see the benefit to Treaty in Queensland.

“It shows Queenslanders have got open hearts and open minds to the treaty process and most agree we acknowledge First Nations people are the original custodians of Queensland.

“Most of us want to know the truth about First Nations culture, heritage and traditions, and we want to learn more.

“But the study also shows we’ve got work to do to promote Treaty.

“It tells us we need to explain Treaty and Truth in bite-sized, digestible chunks of information.

“In my own words, a Treaty is a

formal seal of goodwill, a peace pact, a negotiated agreement for a reconciled future.

“We have more than 120 different traditional owner groups in this state, so rather than one treaty, it’ll likely be treaties.

“But Treaty it is not Native Title 2.0. No-one is coming for your home or backyard.

“Truth is simpler. Truth is about unearthing the brutal bones of our frontier wars. Truth is talking openly about our modern-day reality. Truth is about us being courageous and curious.

“Path to Treaty is a chance for us to unite, in equality, and move forward with respect, dignity, and optimism.”

Palaszczuk Government to triple the number of beds for Queensland mums experiencing mental health challenges

10 mother and baby beds, including eight public beds and two private beds. The beds will come online over the next month.

• Public patients will also have access to the variety of day programs and parenting support at Catherine’s House.

Brisbane, 23 March: A new centre for parents experiencing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression is set to open thanks to the support of the Palaszczuk Government.

invested $7 million towards the transformation of the old Convent on the Mater site into Catherine’s House, with community donations to the Mater totalling $17 million, making up the rest of the building costs.

Queensland is also committing $11 million dollars in annual operational funding to support the eight public beds.

The beds will support Queensland mums who are experiencing severe perinatal mental health disorders who require admission to an inpatient unit.

• Catherine’s House is a result of a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Mater

• Palaszczuk Government is investing $7 million in capital funding and $11 million annual operation funding.

• Catherine’s House will have

The establishment of Catherine’s House at the Mater in South Brisbane is the result of a partnership between the Queensland Government and Mater to provide 8 public beds to Queensland families suffering acute perinatal mental health issues.

The Palaszczuk Government

Care in a specialist mother and baby mental health unit is the preferred model to support colocation and safety of the mother and baby.

Catherine’s House eight public beds add to the four already located at Lavender Mother Baby Unit at the Gold Coast University

Hospital, which opened in 2017.

Like the Lavender Mother Baby Unit, Catherine’s House will support hundreds of new Queensland families each year through a range of day programs, group and individual treatments, home-visiting services, and emotional well-being support.

Funding for Catherine’s House comes from the Better Care Together Plan released by the Palaszczuk Government last year, with $122 million set aside to deliver mental health support services for new mothers.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath said: “I’m proud to be part of a government taking real action on addressing mental health issues faced by new mums.

“Evidence shows mothers experiencing acute anxiety and depression are better served by

having their babies with them as they receive the treatment they need.

“Catherine’s House will offer expert care in one place for the most serious cases of perinatal mental health issues.

“The facility will be accepting referrals from health professionals across the entire state.

“Hundreds of new Queensland parents will benefit from our investment with access to day programs and other support services on site.

“Last year the Palaszczuk government announced $1.645 billion worth of investment to treat mental health conditions over the next five years, from drug and alcohol addiction to suicide prevention and perinatal support for new mums.”

Paralympic Centre of Excellence – a Legacy of 2032

workforce and education

The Premier said the State Government’s support was an example of the Legacy hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is all about.

The Premier said her government’s support is on the table.

Key points:

3023 is our opportunity to build infrastructure and create legacy that will benefit Queenslanders for decades to come.”

Brisbane, 22 March: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will today (22 March) announce support for a Paralympic Centre of Excellence. The centre, at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, will be a world-leading facility helping participation and training for para-athletes in the lead-up to the 2032 Games. It would include:

• International standard sport venues

• A wheelchair/prosthetics workshop and

• Dedicated testing facilities

• Accessibility to student

“A Paralympic Centre of excellence inspires more parathletes to compete in 2032,” the Premier said. “But it also provides invaluable research and other opportunities for our community.

“This is what Legacy is all about: the long-lasting benefits to our community long after the Closing Ceremonies.”

The Queensland Government will provide $44 million towards the Centre of Excellence. The University will provide $44 million. It is asking the Federal Government for matching support.

• Construction is expected to begin in 2025-26 and be completed in 2027-28.

• Will cater for 20 out of 23 Paralympic Sports

• 22 fulltime staff

• Of 4.3 million Australians with a disability only one in four participates in sport while 75% want to participate

• Provides a possible long-term home for Paralympics Australia

Steven Miles, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning and Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympic and Paralympic Games Infrastructure said: “Brisbane

“A facility like this would train more Paralympians and provide education and research opportunities for more Queenslanders.”

Stirling Hinchliffe, Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport and Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement said: “This will be the first Centre of Excellence of its kind anywhere in the world combining leading research, sport technology, rehabilitation, and a potential runway to a Paralympics medal podium in 2032.

It will set a new international benchmark for inclusion and elite Paralympic sport as the first of many tangible legacies

Queenslanders have told us they want from the 2032 Games. With facilities at the University of Queensland already geared to 20 out of 23 current Paralympic sports, the St Lucia campus is a ready-made location for an enduring legacy.”

Jock O’Callaghan, President Paralympics Australia said: “This is an overwhelming demonstration from the Queensland Government that the Brisbane 2032 can deliver tangible outcomes before the Games and a meaningful legacy that will live on for generations to come.

“This proposed development can not only produce future Paralympic champions and develop world-leading sporting expertise, but importantly, provide a range of opportunities to improve the lives of Australians living with a disability.

WORLD THIS WEEK

In collaboration with National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Authored by

Rashmi Ramesh, Harini Madhusudan, Ankit Singh, Akriti Sharma, Avishka Ashok, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar, Padmashree Anandhan and Femy Francis

Saudi Arabia: Resumption of diplomatic ties with Iran

regional states/actors/territories including Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestinian Authority, Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen.

of NATO military infrastructure into Asia, while making a serious bet on many years of confrontation in the region.

What happened?

On 10 March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations seven years after the ties were severed. The delegations reached an agreement in talks hosted by China during 6-10 March. Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Council of Iran met Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban, Saudi Arabia’s national security advisor, in the presence of Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister. The Joint Trilateral Statement thanked Iraq and Oman for hosting multiple rounds of dialogues in 2021 and 2022. The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia will meet to implement the agreement. Regarding the practical aspects, the Statement mentioned that reopening embassies and missions within the next two months will be a priority. It also reaffirmed the commitment to non-interference in internal affairs, upholding sovereignty, and re-implement the 2001 Security Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement and said that this was an important step towards achieving regional stability. On 15 March, the UNSC held a meeting on the situation in Yemen, where the agreement was received positively. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen called on the parties to the conflict to carry forward the advantages of the agreement to ensure peace in Yemen. The rapprochement was welcomed by majority of

Israeli politicians denounced the development and the opposition blamed PM Netanyahu for failing to isolate Iran. Former PM Yair Lapid called the agreement “dangerous foreign policy failure of the Israeli government… a collapse of the regional defence wall” that was being built against Iran. The White House spokesperson remarked that Saudi Arabia informed it about the talks, but Washington was not directly involved in the process. What does it mean?

First, the regional impact. Lebanon’s PM Najib Mikati said that the agreement “is an opportunity to breathe in the region, and look to the future.”

Indeed, most leaders hope that this is a positive beginning and an end to the rivalry that manifested through proxy conflicts. Though there is a relative calm except in a few pockets such as Ta’iz and Ma’rib, the eight-year Yemen conflict is yet to find an end. A revival of ties between Iran and Saudi is a hope for concrete peace, and probably will be one of the priorities on the agenda. The UN-brokered truce has expired in Yemen, yet Saudi is now directly talking to the Houthi leadership. However, the conflict is a complex one, with multiple actors and interests involved. The reconciliation can provide a breakthrough, but the conflict cannot end until domestic actors consider peace as an option in Yemen.

In Syria, Saudi and Iran support opposing sides. Indicating a change, the Arab states are warming up to President Bashar al-Assad in recent times. Direct talks, and visits have increased

since the earthquake struck Turkey and Syria in February this year. The reconciliation can provide impetus to reintegrating Syria into the regional fold after a long period of isolation. In Iraq, Iran’s strong political hold has often dissuaded Saudi Arabia’s investments. It is in Iraq’s interest to see Tehran and Riyadh talking. The impact of the agreement is yet to be seen in Lebanon’s case. Saudi Arabia’s political landscape might improve, but Iran may not be ready to give up its political gains made through Hezbollah. Second, Israel’s tricky position. Israel works towards containing and isolating Iran and has lobbied strongly for it in the case of JCPOA. It has also regularly targeted Iranian installations, armament supplies and affiliated groups in Lebanon and Syria by conducting air strikes. However, Saudi Arabia talking to Iran has started a political blame game in Tel Aviv, projected as a failure of Netanyahu’s government. In his previous tenure, Netanyahu showcased Abraham Accords as his government’s most important success, and aimed for normalization with Saudi. But with Iran and Saudi warming up, it may not be an easy path to tread.

Third, waves of ground-breaking diplomacy. The Abraham Accords aimed at integrating Israel in the region. Iran and Saudi resuming talks, looks for bilateral and regional peace. The two comprehensive diplomatic initiatives in Middle East in recent years, are the defining moments in the foreign policies of many states involved. With both initiatives working simultaneously, it is clear that some regional actors are willing to engage with Israel and also not favour an isolated Iran.

AUKUS Submarine Deal

On 17 March, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a press conference said the US, the UK and Australia are putting up an Anglo-Saxon clique and creating the socalled AUKUS trilateral security partnership to advance nuclear submarine cooperation and other cutting-edge military technology cooperation and stated, "this is typical Cold War mentality and a move that opens a Pandora's box, which will seriously impact regional and global peace and security,”

What does it mean?

The pact is extremely costly but is certainly escalatory with the risk of overstretching capabilities and diverting resources. However, the nuclear submarine deal and the tomahawks deal are significant indicators of an Indo Pacific tilt. First, the emergence of bloc

politics in the Indo Pacific. AUKUS is among the few other initiatives of the US in the Indo Pacific region with an underlying focus on deterring China’s growth. The three countries are also active members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group. Together with the Quad, the changes in Japan’s security strategy and the AUKUS deal, there seem to be two strong blocs emerging in the Indo Pacific. Second, time for new IAEA standards. A loophole in the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty that allows nuclear fuel used for non-explosive military uses like naval propulsion to be exempted from IAEA inspections, has enabled the AUKUS pact. IAEA has announced that it would check fuel usage in sealed power units to ensure it does not conflict with its non-proliferation obligations. With seven countries already possessing these submarine capabilities, a case-by-case verification would not be an effective method in the long-run.

and Russia is not one of them. However, this would affect Putin from being unable to travel internationally.

France: Senate passes the pension reform bill amidst protests

On 11 March, before the senate meeting to vote on the pension reform bill, a set of protests was staged. Those who opposed the increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 gathered across France, majorly in Paris.

India: Pakistan engages “hostile and fabricated propaganda" says MEA report

On 13 March, MEA Annual Report 2022 stated that Pakistan engages in “hostile and fabricated propaganda" to vilify India to divert attention from its domestic and economic crises. The report also stated that there is no let-up in Pakistan sponsored terrorism. However, the report mentioned that India desires normal relations with Pakistan and all the issues should be peacefully resolved bilaterally. The report also mentioned China and India’s engagement are complex and Chinese transgression at LAC has seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity of border areas.

Russia: ICC issues an arrest warrant against Putin

According to France’s Interior Ministry close to 368,000 had took part while the CGT labour union reported one million. The nature of protests was observed to be massive due to France’s President Emmanuel Macron rejection to meet the union leaders.

On 11 March, using a quicker voting process to vote on entire bill than going by article and amendments, the upper chamber of the parliament voted in favour approving the pension reform. Upon the clearance, the final draft will be submitted for final vote of upper house and national assembly. Macron’s lacking majority, the challenge would be relied on Les Republicans to support in the vote.

About the Authors

What happened?

On 13 March, 18 months after the pact of AUKUS was signed in September 2021, the plan to build

a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines was revealed by the US, UK, and Australia. President Biden hosted the Prime Ministers of UK and Australia at San Diego naval base on the same day. Following this, a defence official revealed to the European media that Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program with the US and UK might cost up to AUD 368 billion (USD 245 billion) over the next three decades, making it the largest single-defence project in Australian history.

This investment is being seen as a significant move to confront China’s naval buildup in the IndoPacific, by supplying Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines. On 18 March, as part of the same pact, the Pentagon approved the sale of up to 220 of the Tomahawk missiles at a cost of $1.3 billion in a deal that will also include technical support.

In response to this, the Russian Foreign Minister stated that the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation is the advancement

On 18 March, The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging he is responsible for war crimes. The report has focused on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, saying it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, and accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported. Legally, the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within its member countries -

Rashmi Ramesh, Harini Madhusudan, Ankit Singh and Akriti Sharma are PhD scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Avishka Ashok, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar, Padmashree Anandhan and Femy Francis are Research Associates at NIAS. The report has been modified due to space considerations.

Courtesy-Middle East Eye

Trump indicted on charges relating to hush money to porn star

as lawyer's fees and illegally using the payments to further his election.

Trump on charges relating to hush money paid to a porn star.

Ukraine seeks to join EU within year after start of membership talks

New York, March 31 (IANS) Former President Donald Trump has become the highest-ranking former US official to be indicted as he pursues his bid to get the Republican Party nomination for next year's election.

While there has been no formal announcement from the Manhattan prosecutor that he has been indicted, several media outlets reported on Thursday that the grand jury had voted to indict

Michael Cohen, the former lawyer for Trump, who handled the payment and was the key witness against Trump, issued a statement confirming the indictment.

Trump in a call to ABC TV said that the indictment was "an attack on our country" and an attempt to "impact an election".The exact charges were not immediately known as the grand jury hearings and its vote are secret. Neither the alleged affair nor the payments are of themselves illegal and the potential charges he faces are falsifying business records for allegedly hiding the payments

Under New York legal procedures, a grand jury - a panel made up of citizens - holds a secret preliminary hearing on allegations to determine whether there is a prima facie case to bring charges for trial.

Stormy Daniels, the porn star, alleged that she had an affair with Trump in 2016.

On the eve of the election in 2016, Cohen paid her to buy her silence and he was himself convicted in relation to the payments.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @ arulouis)

Hong Kong’s economy to rebound by 4% in 2023

rating at "AA-" with a stable outlook.

Hong Kong's ratings are supported by large fiscal buffers, robust external finances, and high per capita income, Fitch said in a commentary about its rating action.

flight and the loss in market confidence".

The sector's capital adequacy ratio stood at 20.1 percent at the end of end-2022, near the top end of banking systems in the AsiaPacific region, said the agency.

Kiev, March 31 (IANS) Ukraine aims to join the European Union (EU) within a year after the start of the membership talks, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"Our goal is to start EU membership negotiations in 2023. I think it will take about a year for Ukraine to become a full member," Kuleba was quoted as saying by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ukraine is performing the tasks put forward by the EU for the membership "much faster than anyone expected", the minister stressed.

In June 2022, EU leaders accepted Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the bloc. The European Commission put forward seven requirements to be fulfilled by Ukraine for starting the accession talks.

Japanese PM to lead a panel on declining birthrate amid population crisis

Hong Kong, March 30 (IANS)

International rating agency Fitch on Thursday predicted that Hong Kong's economy would rebound by 4 percent this year, following a contraction of 3.5 percent in 2022. Removal of most pandemicrelated restrictions has led to visible improvements in business activity and cross-border connectivity since early 2023, the firm said, adding that "we believe the economic recovery will endure well into next year", reports Xinhua news agency Fitch forecasts growth of 3.5 percent in 2024, modestly above the pre-pandemic trend of around 3 percent.

Calling the region's credit fundamentals strong, Fitch affirmed Hong Kong's long-term foreign-currency issuer default

The ratings also reflect the closer alignment of governance and institutional management practices with the Chinese mainland, trends that have advanced steadily since 2019, said the agency.

In terms of currency stability, Fitch said it sees low risk to Hong Kong's linked exchange rate system with the US dollar.

The agency said Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserves totaled $429 billion as of February end, equivalent to roughly 1.8 times the region's monetary base and 119 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Hong Kong banks benefit from healthy liquidity buffers, strong capitalization, and stable funding, Fitch said, noting that "we believe these factors will make the sector more resilient to deposit

In terms of currency stability, Fitch said it sees low risk to Hong Kong's linked exchange rate system with the US dollar.

The agency said Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserves totaled $429 billion as of February end, equivalent to roughly 1.8 times the region's monetary base and 119 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Hong Kong banks benefit from healthy liquidity buffers, strong capitalization, and stable funding, Fitch said, noting that "we believe these factors will make the sector more resilient to deposit flight and the loss in market confidence".

The sector's capital adequacy ratio stood at 20.1 percent at the end of end-2022, near the top end of banking systems in the AsiaPacific region, said the agency.

Tokyo, March 30 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead a panel of experts to reverse the country's critical decline in birthrate, which dropped in 2022 to its lowest level since 1998, local media said on Thursday.

Along with Kishida, the expert panel will comprise Masanobu Ogura, the minister in charge of policies for children, groups working with children, and labour union representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.

Later this week, a policy to provide more support for parents, including raising child-rearing allocations and easing outlays on higher education borne by parents, will be compiled, public broadcaster NHK said. The draft policy will set the parameters of the budget and how it will be financed, with the plan to inform a subsequent

comprehensive policy package. According to recent statistics from the Health Ministry, the birthrate in Japan last year plummeted to a record low since 1889, with the number of newborns dropping 5.1 per cent from the previous year to 799,728.

The falling birthrate and rapidly aging population are simultaneously hollowing out Japan's taxpaying labour force, leading to Kishida vowing to double budget outlay for childrelated programs.

Money allocated to help with child-rearing, coupled with ever-increasing massive outlays for social security costs related to the increasing population of seniors, who comprise a higher proportion of the population than in any country globally, is adding to the country's fiscal woes.

Delhi HC grants six weeks to RBI to respond to PIL on Uniform Banking Code

New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday granted six weeks' time to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for filing a response in a plea seeking directions to implement Uniform Banking Code.

Filed as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, the plea brings up the need for a Uniform Banking Code for foreign exchange transfers to regulate benami transactions and the creation of black money.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted time to RBI for filing a response.

In the previous hearing, the

bench had given notice to RBI and directed that the entire set of documents be given to its standing counsel while taking into account the significance of the matter.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma appearing for Centre submitted that the plea raised a serious issue that required detailed examination.

The plea stated that the "immigration rules for Visa are same whether a foreigner comes in Business Class or Economy Class, uses Air India or British Airways and comes from USA or Uganda. Likewise, deposit details in Indian banks, including foreign bank branches for Foreign Exchange Transaction must be in the same format whether it

At 55.9%, IndiGo led the market share in Feb; airlines received 359 complaints

is export payment in a current account or salary, in a savings account or donation, in a charity's current account or service charges payable in YouTuber's accounts."

"Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC) must be issued and all international and Indian banks must send the link through SMS to get FIRC automatically in case the foreign exchange is being deposited in the account as converted INR," it stated.

"Moreover, only a person or company should be permitted to send Indian rupees from one bank account to another bank account inside the territory of India through RTGS, NEFT, and IMPS and international banks should not be allowed to use these domestic banking transactions tools," the plea further said.

Chinese app TikTok still has troves of personal data of Indians: Report

purposes, the report said, quoting the TikTok employee.

The Chinese short video-making app sacked its entire India staff -about 40 employees - in February.

The ByteDance-owned platform reportedly told its employees they would receive up to nine months of severance package. However, most of the staff will only get three-month severance.

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) While IndiGo flew ahead of the other airlines in February with a 55.9 percent share in the domestic aviation market, Air India and Vistara secured a second and third slot with a market share of 8.9 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

In February 2023, a total of 359 passenger-related complaints were received by the scheduled domestic airlines. The number of complaints per 10,000 passengers carried for the month of February has been around 0.3 percent.

As per the latest data issued for February by aviation regulator DGCA, IndiGo carried 67.42 lakh passengers during the month, followed by Air India (10.76 lahks) and Vistara (10.53 lakh). Similarly, GoAir with 9.63 lakh air passengers had a market share of 8 percent in February, while SpiceJet carried 8.58 lakh passengers with a 7.1 percent market share in the month under review.

airlines in February stood at 0.25 percent. The main reasons for cancellation have been identified as weather, technical, or operational issues.

The DGCA data said that the maximum number of complaints in February was received by Alliance Air (4.1/10,000 passengers), followed by Flybig (1.6/10,000 passengers), Air India (1.4/10,000 passengers), and SpiceJet (0.6/10,000 passengers).

The major reasons for complaints were flight problems (28.4 percent), baggage (26.2 percent), and refunds (12 percent).

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS)

Facing a nationwide ban in the US, Chinese short-form video making platform TikTok still have access to "troves of personal data of Indian citizens" who once used the app before it was banned in June 2020 by the Indian government over national security concerns along with several other Chinese apps.

According to a report in Forbes, the data of Indian users "remain widely accessible to employees at the company and its Beijingbased parent ByteDance".

Before the ban, TikTok had about 150 million monthly active users in the country.

"I don't think Indians are aware of how much of their data is exposed to China right now, even with the ban in place," a current TikTok employee told Forbes.

Almost anyone at the companies with basic access to their tools

can retrieve and analyse granular data about past TikTok users in India, "including everyone from prominent public figures to the average person".

ByteDance has more than 110,000 employees around the world, including in China, the US and Russia.

In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said they "have steadfastly complied, and continue to remain in full compliance, with the government of India order since it was implemented".

"All user data is subject to our robust internal policy controls surrounding access, retention, and deletion," the company spokesperson was quoted as saying.

This powerful demographic data, especially on TikTok's unmatched Gen Z userbase, could also be highly valuable for commercial

In a statement to IANS, a company spokesperson had said that "we have taken the decision to close our India remote sales support hub, which was put in place at the end of 2020 to provide support to our global and regional sales teams".

"We greatly appreciate these employees and their impact on our company, and will ensure they are supported at this difficult time," the TikTok spokesperson added.

In June 2020, the government banned TikTok along with 59 other Chinese apps citing security concerns.

Since then, the country has banned over 300 Chinese apps, including WeChat, Shareit, Helo, Likee, UC News, Bigo Live, UC Browser and many more.

The Centre in February blocked over 230 apps, including 138 betting and about 94 loan apps, which were traced to Chinese links.

As per the DGCA data released on Monday, the overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic

Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-February stood at 2.46 crore as against 1.41 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year, thereby marking an annual growth of 74.50 percent, and monthly growth of 56.82 per cent. As per the data released by the aviation regulator, nearly 1.21 crore passengers were carried by domestic airlines in February as against 76.96 lahks during the same period last year.

UP women entrepreneurs to get 100% rebate in stamp duty

Lucknow, March 23 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government will be offering incentives to women entrepreneurs who get into manufacturing in the state. This will be a major push for Mission Shakti.

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) coming up in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions of UP will be eligible for 100 per cent exemption on stamp duty.

Releasing the key exemptions being offered under the UP MSME Promotion Policy 2022, the government has announced that the state has been divided into five regions to encourage entrepreneurship in the manufacturing sector and will provide subsidies under various slabs.

The five regions in the state are going to be Purvanchal

(revenue divisions of Prayagraj, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Basti, Gorakhpur, Devipatan and Faizabad), Bundelkhand (revenue divisions of Chitrakoot Dham and Jhansi), Pashimanchal (revenue divisions of Agra, Aligarh, Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur and Bareilly), Madhyanchal (revenue divisions of Lucknow and Kanpur) and the fifth being Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar districts in the national capital region.

While 100 per cent exemption in stamp duty is going to be offered in Bundelkhand and Purvanchal regions, in Madhyanchal and Pashimanchal 75 per cent of the stamp duty is going to be refunded.

In Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar that comprises the industrial towns Noida and Greater Noida, only 50 per cent rebate is going to be offered.

"But if a woman entrepreneur opens a unit, she is going to get a 100 per cent rebate anywhere in the state," a senior government officer said.

Similarly, if an industrial park, estate, flatted factory complex is set up over 10 acre or more, the government is going to offer 100 per cent rebate.

Women’s Mentoring Foundation, with the support of the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants – Community Support is delivering our 1st workshop on:

further education opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants through grief and trauma coaching, professional skills development for employment, and career networking and mentorship. This discussion is open to all audiences.

By joining, you can expect to learn about the following:

1. Find their inner confidence, natural learning skills and desires to work

2. Learning to share the same value add with other friends and families

3. Form a comprehensive understanding of the health and wellbeing that requires attention to the economic and social issues affecting their lives

4. Health and wellbeing is not merely the absence of disease, but results from complex interactions between biological, psychological, social, economic and cultural factors

PRESENTER

Friends of Mithra Charity Organisation

From community News Desk:

The Women's Mentoring Foundation is organizing a workshop for the community to participate, and learn about the different skills needed for CALD migrants. These workshops are conducted to not only empower but also to connect the right people at the right time.

The workshop details are as follows;

Creating Pathways to Employment for Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Communities2:00 PM • COMPLIMENTARY •

AFTERNOON TEA * BRISBANE

BUSINESS HUB, LEVEL 2/155

QUEEN STREET, BRISBANE CITY

QLD, AUSTRALIA

In this workshop, we will explore opportunities to create pathways to employment and

About Pushpa Vaghela, CEOWomen’s Mentoring Foundation Pushpa is an internationally recognised expert in developing leaders, an author and executive peak performance coach priming her focus in transformational leadership, business success, trainer for leaders in fortune 500 companies and Holistic Cultural Change. Definitely a must attend workshop if you are from a CALd background and seeking employment. Check out the flyer for booking details.

Council helps makers craft better business strategy

Calling all makers! Applications are now open for Council’s next Maker Entrepreneurship Program; an initiative that helps Brisbane’s creative makers grow their business.

A maker is someone who creates a tangible item either by design or fabrication and could be an artist, sewist, potter, metalsmith, or jeweler.

Makers across Brisbane can apply for the program to equip them with the skills, tools, and resources to build a community and maintain a creative business.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the program helps designers and artists become more competitive and accelerate their business growth.

“Brisbane is Australia’s most small-business friendly destination and supporting our

creators during their early stages will help grow this sector,” Cr Schrinner said.

“This program is aimed at small makers, providing them a leg up so they can improve their business practices and take advantage of Brisbane’s rapid growth.”

Cr Schrinner said the program is fully funded by Council, and there’s no cost to successful applicants.

“Council has run the Maker Entrepreneurship Program since 2020, and there have been 39 graduates to date as well as 50 additional makers supported through workshops,” he said.

“This year we are offering a refreshed program with more places, meaning 45 local makers will be able to participate.

“We have also teamed up with

Creative Plus Business to deliver this program and help Brisbane makers grow the entrepreneurial skills needed to achieve business success.”

The 2023 course will run from May to mid-June with three cohorts of 15 makers, providing an engaging small group experience. Face-to-face and online options are available, but participants need to be able to set aside approximately 30 hours of time for the sessions and agreed activities.

Applications to be part of the 2023 Maker Entrepreneurship Program close at midnight on Wednesday 12 April.

For details, visit Council’s website and search Maker Entrepreneurship Program.

Friends of Mithra - https:// friendsofmithra.org - is a registered charitable organization that has teamed up with another registered charitable outlet, Charity TV Global, as part of an award-winning Australian Social Enterprise and leading Television Production. After two successful television episodes of Adventure All Stars with Charity TV Global, Friends of Mithra are now ready to embark on episode three and are putting out a Casting Call for interested participants. All cast members are required to raise the minimum amount of $1,000 per month across 10 months, with $10,000 being the ultimate fundraising goal. This amazing experience costs each participant ZERO, however, it is a requirement for every TV cast member to generate funds and exposure for Friends of Mithra through their fundraising efforts. Charity TV Global implements oversee and manages a seamless fundraising platform specifically designed for each cast member. As a champion of ethical media, Charity TV Global is flying the flag

for philanthropy and community initiatives, and in addition to Australia, Adventure All Stars screens on TV in over 25 countries to an audience approaching 100 million people. Charity TV Global rewards everyday people for their fundraising efforts by having them star in their international TV shows. What an adventure awaits!

The participating cast gets to star in this travel show with a difference. Every episode features 12 authentic cast members traveling to spectacular locations as they uncover the best and most exciting experiences on the planet! We would love you to be a part of this fabulous adventure. Contact us at helen@ friendsofmithra.org

A recent visit to Marina Beach in Chennai by the students of Mithra.

(Insert Photo)

9 Soden Street Greenslopes Qld 4120 0408 720 011 friendsofmithra.org

From the editor’s desk

India’s Reformed Multilateralism

D.C. Pathak talking about India’s civilisational confidence while describing India’s Reformed Multilateralism is enlightening. The complexity of the civilisation translates into unshakeable resilience and inexplicable confidence. India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent reprimand for the UK for failing to secure the Indian Mission is a testimony to the fact. A foreign policy of tit for tat for an empire on which the sun never sets, by a colony that was ruled by the empire for 200 years, speaks volumes of the tenacity of the Indian civilisation through the years.

Pathak also sheds light on the idea of multiplicity espoused by India in International Relations. It is pertinent to take cognizance of the fact that India is alike inside out. It practices what it preaches. With eighteen diverse political forces ruling the myriad landscapes of the very many states of India, it is no wonder that India is the genesis of the idea of multiplicity in International Relations. It is this innate nature of India that transpires into a foreign policy that envisions multipolar world order that seeks to liaise with Russia and Ukraine simultaneously while refuting watertight notions of East versus West, Global North versus Global South or Capitalism versus Communism in an evolving world order.

Motivation of faith stemming from extremism, radicalism, fundamentalism, Marxism and supremacism, eventually manifesting in terrorism, alluded

Reformed Multilateralism

By D.C. PATHAK

to by Pathak is juxtaposed with the mutually beneficial and pacifist foreign policy of Narendra Modi. It is this policy of holding out an olive branch to the enemy that led Deputy Leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Asle Toje to exalt Narendra Modi for propounding peace amidst the ongoing Russia Ukraine conflict. However, India’s relations with its neighbour China demonstrate a middle path professed by Buddhism where India continually strives to play the role of a hawk and dove whenever required. Also, in the case of Pakistan, India’s foreign policy has been more hawkish in order to neutralize the very motivation of faith that D.C. Pathak attempts to elucidate.

The idea of not equating multilateralism with alignment resonates well with India’s decades-old staunchness in the Non-Aligned Movement.

D.C. Pathak observes India’s participation in multilateral groupings such as the Quad for strengthening the security of the Indo-Pacific region while it simultaneously consolidates its one on one relations with the US, Japan and Australia. Not aligning with one major power bloc and asserting its position time and time again could also be seen in Pathak’s observation of India offering solutions to both Russia and Ukraine independently and not siding with any of the two contemporary US-Ukraine and Russia-China power blocs. India’s Reformed Multilateralism in International Relations is certainly a force to reckon with.

It is an established principle that if you get the 'macro-picture' right you will be less troubled by 'details' - even when some of them look unsettling at first sight. It is a sign of civilisational confidence of India that it has for its G20 Presidency adopted the motto - 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which means 'the whole world is one family'. Nothing can be more comprehensive and higher as the global mission for a world conference, than this thought embracing the entire humanity. A basic advantage here - from India's point of view - is that any 'small thinking' will show itself to all, producing if anything, a certain degree of embarrassment for the dissenter. It is in line with this approach that India favours reformed Multilateralism as a desirable idea to define international relations.

In one word this is multilateralism that produces a positive environment and no negative fall out at all. It goes to the credit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his foreign policy is marked by a consistent adherence to three seminal ideas that added up to this kind of multilateralism.

First is India's belief in a multipolar world. This helps to diffuse the danger of the reappearance of the Cold War that was basically the product of a bipolar world order.

Multiplicity of major powers makes it more likely that they would make a competitive contribution for improving the world economy and global peace - in their keenness to project a good image for themselves, internationally.

It is India's independent foreign policy that made Prime Minister Modi the first world leader to reach out to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and advise them upfront to stop the armed conflict in favour of negotiated peace.

Through the year long UkraineRussia confrontation, India has retained its image as a world counsel for peace because it maintained that 'this is not an era of war', abstained from antiRussia resolutions in the UN and also did not endorse the supply of war equipment and arms to Ukraine by the US-led West in the proxy mode that had only prolonged the war-like situation.

India maintains that concerns of both Russia and Ukraine have to be addressed for working out a peace pact between the two neighbours. Significantly, India has in this period maintained the best of relations with the US, the UK and Europe and with a strategic finesse checked the drift of the world towards another Cold War between US on one hand and the Russia-China combine, on the other.

The second point about India's foreign policy that paved the way for a reformed multilateralism is that the latter is a natural byproduct of India's favoured option of going in for bilateral relations which were mutually beneficial to both sides in terms of economic and security interests. This policy effortlessly pursued by the Modi regime had ensured that bilateral relations were not at the cost of any other country.

The Sino-Pak axis on the other hand follows an opposite philosophy as it is geared to executing plans 'against' India. The unholy alliance between a Marxist dictatorship and a fundamentalist regime is driven by hostility towards this country and is a perpetual threat not only to the security of South Asia but to that of the entire democratic order.

For upholding the case of Pakistan in Afghanistan, China has in fact entered into a giveand-take arrangement with Pakistan on Taliban Emirate and even gone along with the Paksponsored faith- based terrorism that threatened global security. Western democracies led by the US must realise that the motivation of faith that Islamic extremists and radicals brought to bear on the new global terror, has created a perpetual danger for the entire world. This threat had to be countered jointly by all peace-loving countries through exchange of Intelligence and coordinated action.

Extremism in the name of Islam can enforce an 'asymmetric' war because the motivation here was strong enough to produce 'suicide bombers' to take down the opponent. India with its transparent advocacy of 'all religions being given equal respect' provides a standing counter to the 'supremacist' outlook of a particular faith - in the process it is best placed to act as the anchor of world security against the new threat of radicalisation.

Even as the agenda of G20 is exclusively about economic growth and elimination of the crippling gulf between the North and South, security concerns plaguing the world have also to be addressed during India's Presidency of the event.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that G20 outreach is designed to fulfil the task of shaping both the global economy as well as world security. To go about it in a mission mode carries the stamp of the Modi government - the latter in fact was living up to the 'sabjan sukhaye sabjan hitaye' philosophy.

Finally, 'multilateralism' is not 'alignment' - it is in fact a negation of the latter. An alignment is always 'against' somebody or some country. Reformed multilateralism does not create conflict and India goes for it with that mindset.

India is an active participant in Quad because this forum stands for 'maintenance of rules based order in the Indo-Pacific' - it is not against any particular country but against unwarranted aggressiveness wherever it came from. It needs to be mentioned that India's bilateral relations with the US, Japan and Australia are on an upswing independently of the geopolitical objective of Quad.

If India also sees in it a preemptive arrangement to counter any hostile encroachment in the Indian Ocean, there is nothing wrong with it. Since China seeks to 'win a war without fighting a battle' through the strategy of salami slicing, India has every right to expose and put down that hidden agenda of the adversary and do whatever it takes to counter it.

India is working for the return of sanity in international relations and is set to improve upon the traditional thinking of somehow preserving national interests even when that meant not caring for the global commons. India has an opportunity of playing this profound role at the world stage and it is a matter of pride that Prime Minister Modi had the political will to rally the international opinion in favour of maintaining global peace so that the cause of economic advancement of the world as a whole, could be served.

In a way the slogan of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' at home is in complete sync with the G20 call of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. If it can establish the feasibility of reconciliation between national growth and human advancement across the globe, G20 would be achieving an unprecedented mission where the world would truly be one- eliminating the menace of conflict and divisions forced in the name of religion, region and race. This would be happening for the first time in the post- Cold War era. Think20 is providing the much needed ideation to the G20 events to enable the latter to fulfil this mission.

Bilateralism enlarging into multilateralism without causing harm to any national entity is perhaps a political philosophy whose time had come - it shows the determination at the national level, to do what was right. While every nation has to have military strength to safeguard its sovereignty, seeking prosperity and gains through arms export and economic destruction of a rival has its limitations - those having such a mindset should realise that.

Some countries will always be richer than others but they all must work for a sustainable human existence in order to minimise conflict and violence that detracted from the idea of making the world a better place for everybody.

The good news is that the continued on next page

Work begins on the city-wide playground shade program

Playgrounds to get sunshade within the 2022/23 financial year

Akuna Street Park

Austin Uhlmann Park

Bacton Road Park

Barwin Street Park

Beckett Road Park

Bliss Street Park

Breene Court Park

Broula Park

Buckley Street Park

Cannon Hill Bushland Reserve

Castamore Way Park

Chester Park Reserve

Crawford Road Park

Dianthus Street Park (South)

Doulton Street Park

Ed Kuepper Park

Ekibin Park East

Ekibin Park South

Fernwood Place Park

Ferny Grove Picnic Ground Park

Fiddlewood Crescent Park

Fig Tree Pocket Riverside Reserve

Frank Sleeman Park

Garrett Park

Gordon Crescent

Greenhills Park

Hamish Street Park

Harry Kirby Park

Heers Park

Kalinga Park

The Schrinner Council’s plan to ensure every playground in Brisbane has shade by 2025 is underway with work commencing on the installation of the first shade sails.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said local companies had been awarded the contracts to install the first sails under the new Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds program in a win for local jobs. Playgrounds in Morningside, Wakerley, Balmoral, Kenmore, and Bellbowrie will be the first to benefit from the new program with more to follow.

“Brisbane has an incredible outdoor lifestyle, but it’s also important to protect ourselves and our children from the sun,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Sunburn and skin cancer are serious concerns for Queenslanders, which is why I’m

continued from previous page

approach of India steers clear of ideological contradictions that had marred international and national politics so far and shows a new light to the world on the strength of its civilisational moorings.

Democracy ultimately is rule for the people and whether it is the regional setting that produced the Ukraine- Russia armed conflict or an alliance like Sino-Pak axis that was driven by malice against India, the vision set by the thought of universal good and human dignity would win the battle for the people.

making sure every single Brisbane playground has shade.

“Something as simple as ensuring residents have access to shade could potentially save lives.

“While many of our green spaces have areas of shade, some parks still need some extra form of cover.

“More shade sails mean more opportunities to get outside and enjoy our fantastic playgrounds.”

Under the Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds program, Council will deliver shade to all existing playgrounds over the next three years using locally-supplied shade sails and mature trees.

Cr Schrinner said the plan is to have shade cover in every single playground to ensure children are protected from the harsh rays of the sun and the playground equipment is cool to use.

India has set this higher mission and there is every hope that at the end of India's G20 Presidency it will make a difference to the world. The world can do with injecting some 'philosophy' of life in 'realpolitik'.

To sum up, India has come of age as a major power influencing geopolitical trends. It is an advocate of world peace but also a believer in a firm rebuttal of the attempts of a few to disturb it for their own vested interests or hegemonist traits. It looks upon multilateralism as a constructive pathway to economic well- being that would keep the international

“We estimate around 150 existing playgrounds will be upgraded with a shade under this program,” he said.

“On average, we currently add shade to around 10 playgrounds a year, but under this program, we are boosting that to about 50.

“This program is in addition to our ongoing investment in new and improved parks and playgrounds throughout Brisbane suburbs.”

The first five parks that are due to receive shade sails as part of the Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds program are:

Akuna Street Park, Kenmore

Kuranda Street Park, Balmoral Fiddlewood Crescent Park, Bellbowrie

Austin Uhlmann Park, Morningside

Gordon Crescent Park, Wakerley

community from armed combat and destruction.

Competitive success in the economy may bring in advantages but these should not lead to a temptation for usurping other 'territories' or 'subjugating' people. Prime Minister Modi's pithy reminder that this is not an era of war, has made an impact on the world and certainly checked the trend of third parties covertly adding fuel to the fire in an ongoing conflict.

Peace brings in long-term gains while wars produce losses for all parties. A complication in the

Kings Park

Kitchener Park

Kuranda Street Park

Lambertia Close Park

Linacre Street Park

Milton Urban Common

Mingoola Park

Moora Park

Narrung Street Park

Nixon Park

O’Callaghan Park

Orleigh Park

Robert Hanley Park

Robinson Park

Ross Park

Rotary Park

Sanananda Park

Selkirk Crescent Park

Sunset Place Park

Tryon Street Park

times we live in, has risen because of the advent of proxy wars that technology - particularly social media and cyber space - had aided. It enabled covert offensives to succeed in creating a sense of victory in combat because violence and destruction went undetected or remained unattributable in specific terms. Multilateralism has therefore, not only to facilitate mutual economic advancement but also highlight the importance of exchange of Intelligence for countering terrorism and other forms of proxy war. It stands to reason that liaison at the level

Kenmore

Morningside

Chandler

Wakerley

Mcdowall

Gaythorne

Carindale

Stafford Heights

Carina Heights

Cannon Hill

Richlands

Mount Gravatt East

Wynnum West

Wakerley

Calamvale

Oxley

Greenslopes

Annerley

Taigum

Ferny Grove

Bellbowrie

Fig Tree Pocket

Boondall

Runcorn

Wakerley

Alderley

Calamvale

Aspley

Manly West

Kalinga

Keperra

Wynnum West

Balmoral

Mount Gravatt East

Durack

Milton

Murarrie

Shorncliffe

Middle Park

Oxley

Zillmere

West End

Seven Hills

Richlands

Nundah

Heathwood

Darra

Upper Kedron

McDowall

Upper Mount Gravatt

of National Security Advisors so successfully achieved by India, is becoming the bedrock of India's international relations and foreign policy strategies. This confirms the reality that global security presaged the world's economic development and that the two had to be pursued with equal vigour.

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

Explained: What causes long Covid breathing problems

Academy of Sciences offers hope that, one day, targeted drugs could intervene to quell the genes behind the damage.

after the virus is gone -- similar to what happens in chronic pulmonary fibrosis.

US CDC warns of rapid spread of emerging fungus

data.

New York, March 21 (IANS) Post Covid-19 breathing problems are caused by a condition known as lung fibrosis, when damaged lungs form scar tissue, which makes it difficult for lungs to expand and contract, according to researchers.

Researchers at Stanford University showed that overactivity of genes that regulate inflammation and immune responses leads to lung fibrosis.

Long Covid cases can be severely debilitating and resistant to treatment, said Gerlinde Wernig, Assistant Professor of pathology, at Stanford University.

What's worse, lung function can continue to decline, even without a new Covid-19 infection, Wernig said.

The finding published in the Proceedings of the National

In the study, the team started by looking at lung tissue samples from five Covid-19 patients who had symptoms of the disease -such as shortness of breath -- for one or more months. The lungs of people who had symptoms after infection with SARS-CoV-2 looked like the lungs of people with endstage pulmonary fibrosis.

By analyzing single cells from the patients' tissue samples, the scientists also saw similarities in the pattern of RNA production -- which can hint a cell's overall function -- between samples of tissue from long Covid patients and samples from patients with pulmonary fibrosis.

"We saw this same pattern across all human Covid lung samples," Wernig said.

As with other lung infections, the initial Covid-19 infection in the lungs kicked off an inflammatory process. In the case of long-Covid patients, however, the immune dysfunction keeps going long

To test whether lung fibrosis could be firmly connected to Covid infections, they looked at lung fibrosis in mice infected with a SARS-CoV-2-like virus and found significant increases in fibrosis and immune dysfunction.

"Innate immune cells go crazy after that infection," Wernig said, referring to the part of the immune system that forms the first line of defense against pathogens.

In a mouse model engineered to more closely represent human biology, researchers showed that, when the mice contracted SARSCoV-2, scarring in the lung tissues shot up, as did levels of immune cells interleukin-6, CD47 and pJUN. There was also a bright side to these experiments.

"When we did the same experiments but blocked CD47 and Il-6, we saw very little fibrosis," Wernig said. "This hints at possible treatments for long Covid involving drugs that carry out targeted immune blockades."

Aus state warns of Japanese encephalitis virus infection among animals

positive samples reported in pigs last week, indicating the risk of JEV infection in the region is ongoing, according to the statement released by the state's Health Department.

JEV, transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, is a vaccine-preventable virus.

Washington, March 22 (IANS) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned of a rapid rise and geographic spread of an emerging fungus called Candida auris (C. auris).

C. auris is considered as an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat, because it is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, spreads easily in healthcare facilities, and can cause severe infections with high death rates, Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC as saying. The fungus spread at an alarming rate in US healthcare facilities in 2020 to 2021, according to CDC

"Equally concerning was a tripling in 2021 of the number of cases that were resistant to echinocandins, the antifungal medicine most recommended for treatment of C. auris infections," the health body said.

The CDC said C. auris is not a threat to healthy people. But people who are very sick, have invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities are at increased risk for acquiring C. auris.

"The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasises the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," said CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman.

TB treatment time to be reduced

percentage develop severe illness including encephalitis (brain inflammation), which can lead to serious complications and death," she said, adding that anyone who develops a sudden onset of fever, headache, vomiting, seizures or disorientation should seek urgent medical attention.

Canberra, March 22 (IANS) Health authorities in Western Australia state have issued a warning to residents and tourists in the Kimberley region to avoid contact with mosquitoes, following an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in the area.

Positive samples were collected in February 2023 from chicken flocks in Kununurra and Wyndham in the region, along with other

Jelena Maticevic, the Department's acting director of communicable disease control, has warned of the significant risk that JEV poses to the human population, urging anyone with symptoms to seek urgent medical advice, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Most people infected will have no or very mild symptoms and will fully recover. However, a small

Since January 2021 in Australia, 45 cases of human JEV have been reported in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory, with seven deaths recorded. There have been no reported human cases of the mosquitoborne disease in the state of Western Australia.

Gaming apps can help detect effects of traumatic brain injuries

Canberra, March 22 (IANS) Health authorities in Western Australia state have issued a warning to residents and tourists in the Kimberley region to avoid contact with mosquitoes, following an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in the area.

Positive samples were collected in February 2023 from chicken flocks in Kununurra and Wyndham in the region, along with other positive samples reported in pigs last week, indicating the risk of JEV infection in the region is ongoing, according to the statement released by the state's Health Department.

JEV, transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, is a vaccine-preventable virus.

Jelena Maticevic, the Department's acting director of communicable disease control, has warned of the significant risk that JEV poses to the human population, urging anyone with symptoms to seek urgent medical advice, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Most people infected will have no or very mild symptoms and will fully recover.

However, a small percentage develop severe illness including encephalitis (brain inflammation),

which can lead to serious complications and death," she said, adding that anyone who develops a sudden onset of fever, headache, vomiting, seizures or disorientation should seek urgent medical attention.

Since January 2021 in Australia, 45 cases of human JEV have been reported in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory, with seven deaths recorded.

There have been no reported human cases of the mosquitoborne disease in the state of Western Australia.

Lucknow, March 22 (IANS) The treatment period for patients of tuberculosis (TB) will soon be reduced from six-nine months to three-four months which will be possible after the addition of some new drugs, said experts at King George's Medical University (KGMU) here.

Prof Ved Prakash, head of the pulmonary critical care medicine (PCCM) department, said: "The trials of these new drugs have brought hope to reduce medication to three to four months."

Faculty of respiratory medicine, Prof RAS Kushwaha said: "Investing in research and development for TB can lead to the development of newer, more

effective tools and treatments. The family members of TB patients, who are below 5 years of age or above 65 years or having immune-compromise conditions should start taking preventive medication after getting recommendation from doctor as it can prevent them from getting infected."

He said this way the transmission can be stopped and also informed that the PCCM department has adopted 24 children and one village for healthcare and overall development.

KGMU Vice Chancellor Bipin Puri said: "We should make sure that all the TB patients are reported and patients do not leave medicine courses so that TB can end before 2025."

Prof Rajendra Prasad, professor, respiratory medicine, Lucknow Medical College, said we can progress towards a single universal regimen in our fight against all kinds of TB.

Anupama Mohan delves into her debut novel and the legacy of ‘Tamizh’

New Delhi, March 5 (IANS)

Growing up in the vibrant surroundings of Central Delhi's Karol Bagh, Anupama Mohan began writing at the age of nine -- "at least, that's how far back my memory of something tangible -a diary, a journal -- goes".

Not surprisingly, her debut novel "Where Mayflies Live Forever" (Picador) is as much a suspenseful mystery as it is a story about one woman's self-discovery in the natural world, with a disillusioned but probing, and ultimately triumphant, heart -- completed during a residency in Kerala at the height of the pandemic.

Written in fiery yet sublime prose and rendered with extraordinary power, "Mayflies" is an absorbing exploration of violence and trauma, choice and identity, and the journey to find oneself in the wild.

"As the only child of immigrant parents in Delhi, I was solitary for long stretches of time and turned to books. Reading, thinking, and writing were, therefore, a big part of my adolescent and then adult life," Mohan, an Associate Professor at IIT Jodhpur's School of Liberal Arts, told IANS in an interview.

"I was born in New Delhi and spent my early formative years in Karol Bagh, a vibrant community of people from all states in India. As a result, I grew up around Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamizh, Malayalam (my mother tongue), Hindi, and English, making for a rich tapestry of sounds and words and images from my very childhood on.

"It was also a colony of refugees both from the 1947 Partition and then, during my childhood,

the 1984 Sikh riots, so I grew up surrounded by old men and women whose stories of lost homelands mingled with the nostalgic remembrances of my parents' Kerala," Mohan added. She went to school at the lovely St. Thomas School on Mandir Marg, its gulmohar tree-lined avenue a powerful memory of the natural beauty of Delhi in the 1980s and 1990s.

Then, she went to Jesus and Mary College for her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English Literature, eventually moving in 2004 to the University of Toronto in Canada for a PhD in English literature.

"I think my love of writing creatively and critically coalesced early and I continue to write and publish poetry, short stories, and now, my first novel, along with my academic writings, which, of course, one has to do as part of one's research commitment to the University (and now Institute) that one works in," Mohan said.

Tracing some of the highlights of her life abroad and her decision to return to India, Mohan said: "In 2010 when I graduated from the PhD program in U of Toronto, the economic recession of 2008 had begun its chokehold on jobs and career opportunities for humanities graduates, in particular."

"In that year, I was the only one in my cohort to secure a tenuretrack position at University of Nevada Reno in the United States, so off I went in 2010 to the deserts of Nevada where the oasis of Reno was to be my first academic home.

"I worked and stayed in Reno for three years when I decided, with my spouse, to return to India to accept a position at the newlyresurgent Presidency University (erstwhile Presidency College) in Kolkata. I have lived and worked for the past nine years in Kolkata, having taken to the city and to its incredible culture like a fish to water," Mohan elaborated. In so many ways, her life as a

teacher, researcher, writer, poet, and novelist came together in the last decade. She picked up Bengali and it opened a whole new language and literature for her, and transformed my mindscape.

At the height of Covid, she had the "incredible opportunity" of being selected as the 2021 Writer-inResidence by Samyukta Research Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, and despite her family's misgivings (and her own), she took the plunge and headed out in September 2021 to Kerala to "spend three fantastic months to read and travel and write".

Mohan said: "I can safely say, there would have been no novel without Samyukta -- the space offered to me along with the sustaining friendships went a long way in opening up my mind and I wrote and wrote in a kind of single-minded devotion to the project.

"I was also teaching online, according to COVID protocol, in those days, and the intensity and beauty of Samyukta, Kerala, provided a panacea from the dark world of Sittanavasal that I was creating in my novel.

"And then, even as I wrapped up the novel in 2022, I was already making plans to accept a position at IIT Jodhpur. So, with the publication of the novel in December 2022 and my new job and relocation to Jodhpur, I had an exciting but very hectic endof-2022. And, that in a nutshell, has been my journey thus far."

About the journey of this book from concept to conclusion and the research that went into it, she said: "Would you believe me if I told you that the plot of the novel came to me in a dream? I got up from sleep one night quite suddenly and woke up my partner and told him the whole story and he, groggy and alarmed, heard me fully before crashing to sleep again.

"When I woke up the next morning, I had a vivid recall of the narrative I had told him and pretty much the contours of the

main storyline became fixed in my conscious mind. After that, it was a matter of finding time and space to write, and when I was awarded the residency at Samyukta Research Centre, I jumped at the opportunity. Samyukta's library archives were very useful to me, and much of the research for the book was done there, and online." What is the message she is seeking to convey through this book?

"Message? I don't know, really. When I started the book, it was titled 'A Quiet Place', and at its core was a very simple idea: of a woman rushing out of her home looking for some quiet. The book was always, for me, a philosophical meditation on what it means to be human and what happens when something occurs that completely shatters your sense of your own humanity. Can one recover from such dispossession? If yes, how? And what comes after?

"So, these were the questions I was pursuing. The frame story of a violent act provided a kind of extreme limit at which one is forced to assess the point of one's existence and come up with an answer," Mohan said.

Residents of a small town in Tamil Nadu are stunned by the beheading of a prominent man, whose head is missing from the scene of the crime. Everyone suspects Veni, a geography teacher at the local school, but she appears to have vanished from the face of the earth.

As the police gather testimonies from those who closely knew Veni, unsettling truths about this seemingly unknowable woman's past gradually come to the fore. Where is Veni?

The question haunts her family and other townsfolk, but the investigating officer has a different problem: Who is Veni? Language plays a key role in the novel.

"The key to the novel," according to Mohan, "was the construction

Indian students ask Sunak to clear their names

allegations of cheating at two of the UK's language testing centers for international students.

London, March 21 (IANS) A group of international students, including many Indians, who had their visas revoked almost 10 years ago after accusations of cheating in English language tests in the UK, have called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to help them clear their names after years of living in limbo.

According to a Guardian report, the visas were revoked after a 2014 BBC documentary reported

Following a probe by Educational Testing Service (ETS), a company that ran the test at 96 exam centers, the UK Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of more than 34,000 overseas students, making their stay in the country illegal overnight.

A further 22,000 were told that their test results were "questionable".

These students' were thrown out of their universities with immediate effect, and with no right to stay, work or in a few cases to appeal.

They struggled with homelessness, huge legal fees,

stress-induced illnesses and many others returned home, according to Migrant Voice, an organization, which is supporting these students.

After judges and watchdog reports highlighted flaws in the evidence of cheating, a few students won their cases, but many others, who are still stuck in limbo, will be presenting a petition to Downing Street on Tuesday afternoon.

The affected students include a 46-year-old Indian woman who has been separated from her children for more than a decade because her community asked her to clear cheating allegations over her before returning home.

It also includes an Indian man

of a 'language-world' for its main cast of characters that will read to the Anglophone reader as a kind of translation of a vernacular (in this case, Tamizh). I was very clear, from the beginning, that their utterances had to be conveyed in an English that was shaped by the local language. And of course, Tamizh is a world language with an unbroken history of nearly 2,500 years. It is a language that is much, much older than English and beats to very different rhythms. The challenge was to write the story in an idiom that would come closest to its characters and their milieu. "In its everyday avatar too, Tamizh is a very literary language, bursting with colourful idioms, imagistic word-pictures, and witty and clever word-play (as many other Indian languages also tend to be).

"My challenge was to capture these aspects in English but in a way that convinced the reader that these belonged to Tamizh and not to English. Indeed, in the speech style of one of the characters, it is English that becomes vernacularised."

What next? What's her next book going to be on?

"I'm finishing up a book of poetry, which is about poetic form -classical forms like the sonnet, sestina, pantoum, the Sapphic, etc, given a modern treatment. Books of poetry are much harder to find publishers for, but I'm hoping this one will see the light of day.

"I'm also working on my second book of fiction -- which will be very different from this one. If you've read my short stories, you'll know my penchant for the weird and the eccentric existing alongside the everyday and so-called normal. So, right now, these are my two creative projects," Mohan concluded. (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

in English test scandal

who is being sued by the company that sponsored him to come to the UK, the Guardian report said. In their petition to the UK's Indian-origin Prime Minister, the students have called for a simple, free mechanism to apply for a decision or reconsideration of their case.

They also want the immigration record of every student cleared of cheating, and facilitate their return to study, or support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses -- by removing barriers created by the cheating allegations.

"The students came here to get a world-class education and the best student experience in the

world, but instead their lives have been wrecked. It is time for the government to step in and end this nightmare," Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, told the Guardian.

According to a 2019 report by the Public Accounts Committee, the Home Office "rushed to penalize overseas students, and did not bother to find out whether ETS was involved in fraud or if it had reliable evidence".

"It is entirely unacceptable that, despite now recognising that hundreds of people maintain their innocence, the Home Office has not acted to put right the wrongs caused by its actions," the Guardian said quoting the report.

International Women’s Day by GOPIO Gold Coast

GOPIO Gold Coast organized their iconic International Women’s Day Sparkling Hi-Tea on 19th

March 2023 at the beautiful Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast. The theme this year was “Embracing

Equity”. The event had an amazing presentation by Pallavi Mandke and Paddy Krishnan. Thought-

Indian cook went unpaid for more than two years in Australia

Pawanjeet, who moved to Australia in 2008 as a student, was underpaid by almost AUS $200,000.

leave, asking her to come to work even when her appendix burst in August 2015.

provoking Q&A and interactive fun activities kept the attendees on their toes. They were treated to an abundant array of delicious

Hi-Tea with a wide variety of savories and sweets. It was well attended by ladies across Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Domestic & Family Violence Prevention & Awareness Seminar

GOPIO Gold Coast launched the Domestic & Family violence prevention & awareness campaign and seminar at their recent International Women’s Day celebration on 19th March 2023.

They are organizing a seminar on 14th May 2023 at the Southport Community Centre. It is free to attend but registration is required for catering purposes.

Melbourne, March 15 (IANS) A cook from India employed with a restaurant in Australia's Adelaide remained unpaid for two years after the owners threatened her with deportation if she reported the issue, media reports said.

Pawanjeet Heir received no wages, no overtime, no annual leave and no superannuation while working at Darshana's Curry and Tea House, an Indian restaurant in Mawson Lakes between 2013 and 2015, the ABC News reported.

According to her lawyer,

After finishing a course in cooking and hospitality management, Kiranbahai Patel offered her a position as a cook at the Darshana's Curry and Tea House restaurant in May 2013, to which she agreed. He initially paid her for four weeks in June and July 2013, the South Australian Employment Tribunal heard.

Further, Patel told Pawanjeet that she had to pay him AUS$30,000 for fees needed by the Department of Immigration and the Australian Taxation Office or he would get her visa canceled.

Patel also refused Pawanjeet's requests for sick leave and carers'

The tribunal also heard that Patel would credit salary into Pawanjeet's bank account, and she would withdraw it from the ATM and hand the money back to him to create a record showing he was paying her the correct amount, ABC News reported. Another hearing will be held to work out the penalties Patel will have to pay to Pawanjeet. Pawanjeet, meanwhile, has to take separate civil court action to reclaim her unpaid wages and superannuation.

The Department of Immigration audited the business that owned the restaurant and barred it from sponsoring any more visa holders.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple, Brisbane welcomed more than 200 plus women on Saturday 25th March 2023 to celebrate IWD 2023 with an inspiring conference, titled ‘Make It Happen’. International Women’s Day, was ratified by the United Nations, as a way to honor the significant contributions of women throughout the course of history.

BAPS Brisbane held this event for a second year in a row through the conference to acknowledge the achievements of women and aimed to empower them with new skills, values, and motivation. The delegates’ aimed to reinforce resilience, build their self-belief, and harness their inner strength.

The keynote Speakers of the event were, Christine Castley, CEO of Multicultural Australia, Veena Goverdhan, Magistrate of Brisbane Court, and Jacqui Honeywood, Multicultural Unit lead QPS.

Addressing the gathering, Christine Castley expressed her feelings by saying she was “delighted to be here” and shared her experience through personal examples to explain what International Women’s Day means to her – “passion for helping” and being “mentally and physically prepared to take and face challenges.” She discussed her journey to reach the current level and urged the audience to have self-confidence and belief in their own efforts.

The second speaker of the evening was Jacqui Honeywood, who shared her inspiring experiences of resilience in balancing various roles as a woman and urged others to also fulfill their dreams and duties.

She instilled the importance of communal harmony and commended the efforts of BAPS towards working hard for spreading Love, Peace, and Harmony, and appreciating the values of tolerance taught at the BAPS temple.

The last keynote speaker of the evening was Veena Goverdhan and she lauded the efforts and initiatives of BAPS women volunteers for organizing such a wonderful and inspiring event. She showed her readiness for helping and supporting the women to make their dreams come true.

Other guests attended the event including Vernita Pennington, PLO Logan Police, and her team along with other invited community leaders. The event proved highly educative and inspirational for the delegates, as one young attendee later shared: “I genuinely believe in myself more now. The keynote addresses and the many informative video & activities have given me the tools to achieve more and make a greater impact in life.”

Upon departing from the temple, Veena Goverdhan further shared: “The temple is simply beautiful, divine, and very peaceful. The work done by women of all ages is equally inspirational and the spirit of volunteerism is unmatched.”

The theme “Make it Happen”, were artfully conveyed through various activity, video presentation, cultural performances, and addresses by esteemed guests who shared their inspiring testimonies and experiences.

BAPS celebrates IWD 2023 with an inspiring Conference, Titled “Make it Happen”

ECCQ Meeting and presentation by Professor Paul Harris on Issues with leadership roles

On March 20th, 2023, ECCQ during its regular member’s meeting presented the results of the research conducted with community leaders in Brisbane on How can ECCQ better support community leaders to continue to build on their strengths, and help them address any weaknesses or challenges?

This question was asked at the Member's Meeting on Monday to all leaders present at the meeting as well as to leaders of various organizations in focus groups. It was an energetic meeting that highlighted the strengths of Queensland's multicultural communities. Community leaders voiced their thoughts

and concerns about each of the questions posed to them. The discussion brought the reality forward that there is still a lot to be done and how far everyone has to go to make it better.

ECCQ CEO Lisa Ward thanked Griffith University for collaborating on this research and for presenting the findings. She

also thanked all who attended the focus groups, the meeting, online and in person.

Some of the key issues that came out of the discussions were the recognition of the challenges of drugs and alcohol, poverty, employment, and housing insecurity added to the priority areas. Mental health was voted as

the highest priority, along with intergenerational conflict, Child Protection & Family Violence, as well as youth disengagement. Griffith University professor Paul Harris will be finalizing the journal article with the published findings.

Tri-Nation football tournament: India crowned champions after 2-0 win over Kyrgyzstan

the target in the 34th minute. As Brandon Fernandes put the ball in style in front of the rival goalmouth off a free-kick, Jhingan pounced on it like a panther to find the back of the net.

Imphal, March 28 (IANS) The Indian team played inspiring football against the higher-ranked Kyrgyzstan to snatch a 2-0 victory and bag the Tri-national international tournament trophy with an all-win record and without conceding a goal, in front of around 30,000 crowd at the Khuman Lampak Stadium, here on Tuesday.

With the tournament played during the FIFA window between March 22 and 28, Croatian coach Igor Stimac and his wards made the best out of it by winning both matches in the competition. The Sunil Chhetri-led side began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Myanmar and a rather emphatic scoreline against Kyrgyzstan put them in the enviable position of finishing the tournament with six points from two encounters.

Against Kyrgyzstan, the opening goal came from a rather unexpected quarter -- centreback Sandesh Jhingan found

If the Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Tokotaev Erzhan had an inkling that the tall Indian defender would go for a header, then he was terribly wrong as Jhingan waited for the ball to land and then swung it with a deft touch to give India the lead. It wasn't for nothing that the crowd turned the merriment into a rather wild one that lasted for a few minutes.

Indian coach Stimac, on the eve of the match, spoke about going for all-out attacks even though a draw would have been enough to keep the trophy home. He certainly kept his word as India launched a series of raids on the opposition goal whenever they had the opportunity.

One such attack in the 84th minute saw the Kyrgyzstan defence crumble under pressure as Naorem Mahesh Singh was brought down inside the penalty box by Davydov Nikolai.

The award of the spot-kick certainly came as a matter of double delight for the home fans. It wasn't only the second goal for India, but also the 85th

international strike in his career for the Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. As the legend of Indian football stepped up to take the kick and then strike it to the corner of the net, the joy of the spectators knew no bounds. While Chhetri coolly walked back to his position after doing something that he has been doing regularly for the Blue Tigers since 2006, Stimac was spotted having a broad smile on his face and hugging his assistant coach Mahesh Gawli, who once was Chhetri's teammate in the National Team.

Overall, India were the deserving winner, their fifth straight win on home turf. Stimac made six changes from the team that started against Myanmar, but it didn't at all break their rhythm. India could have won by a bigger margin -- the Kyrgyzstan goal had a few close shaves as a couple of attempts from Chhetri and Chhangte missed the target by a whisker. If preparations for the AFC Asian Cup in January next was the chief purpose of hosting the tournament, then it was definitely a success -- the Indians clearly displayed that they were growing in confidence before they take up the all-important continental challenge.

Steve Smith

the significant role played by former Indian skipper MS Dhoni in that season.

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS)

Former India captain Anil Kumble, who served as a mentor of Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2013 season, has revealed that the then newly-appointed captain of the team Rohit Sharma was not afraid to say what he had to say, used to reached out to the experience players but took his own decisions.

Bringing home the trophy five times for Mumbai Indians, Rohit is the most successful captain ever in the history of the TATA IPL. A prolific run-getter as well, Sharma has been around since the inaugural edition, having represented the Deccan Chargers in the first three seasons.

Since then, he has been an integral part of the Mumbai set up and will look to win them a historic sixth title as he leads the team in the 2023 edition.

"He was not afraid to say what he had to say. He had plenty

of experience around him and he reached out to them as well but then but took his own decisions. That's what you want from a captain," said Kumble on JioCinema's Insiders Preview show.

The 52-year old Kumble also spoke about Rohit leading a new team in 2017.

"2017 was a new team and the kind of captaincy we saw from him in terms of defending low scores, that's when your true leadership comes out," he said.

Meanwhile, former India pacer Zaheer Khan emphasised on how a captain's role is the most important.

"The captain's role is of utmost importance, the way he is thinking and taking decisions in crucial stages in a cool manner and the right decisions, and if it doesn't go your way, how he is handling the situation. It is a long tournament and every game's performance can have an impact in the next game," Zaheer said.

"Rohit has the ability and personality to absorb pressure very well. The way he communicates in a cool way, not just with players but also in press conferences, I think that is his biggest strength," he added.

prodigy Litchfield rewarded with Ashes call-up for Australia

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS)

When the reigns of captaincy were handed over to Steve Smith ahead of the 2017 edition of the IPL, the spotlight was on how the Australian cricketer would lead a side that had MS Dhoni, one of the most successful IPL captains, as its member.

However, with the constant support and guidance of Dhoni, Smith successfully led the franchise to the finals of the tournament, narrowly missing out on the title by just one run. Now, as Smith returns to the IPL 2023 as part of the expert panel on Star Sports, he fondly recollects his experiences of working with Dhoni and leading a team with the legendary Indian cricketer as his teammate.

In an interview with Star Sports, Smith spoke about his experience of captaining the Rising Pune Supergiants in the 2017 IPL and

Smith, who was initially daunted by the idea of leading a team that had Dhoni in it, expressed his gratitude towards the legendary cricketer for his guidance and support on and off the field. He also spoke about the valuable lessons he learned from Dhoni's calm and composed demeanor, which he has since tried to emulate in his own leadership style. "Of course, you know he's been able to achieve so much over such a long period of time, he's going to go down as one of the best leaders to play the game for sure. So, you know, when I got the call to say that they wanted me to captain, it was a little bit daunting. But that season, MSD was just wonderful. You know, he helped in any way that he could and, he's a terrific guy. It was a great experience being able to captain him, but also very daunting as well," Smith said.

He also spoke on the emotions he went through when he got selected as the captain of the RPS team and how he felt leading a side which had MS Dhoni in it.

"Yeah, I, I didn't really know what to expect initially, you know, MS had captained every team he played for, obviously throughout the IPL with Chennai, every season should I say. But yeah,

when they came and asked me, I was a little bit shocked first, and then I didn't really know what to say. It was like, have you spoken to MS about this? This is a little bit strange from my side, but after we sorted everything out, MS was just wonderful. And the way he helped me and helped guide that team that year was incredible. And yeah, I couldn't thank him enough." Smith recalled how it was to work on the field with Dhoni, he said, "Well, it was a while ago now, but yeah, look out on the field. He was someone that I was bouncing ideas off. You know, being behind the stumps, he's got a great, great view of the game. He understands the angles really well and obviously playing in India also, you know, it's his home and he understands those conditions as well as anyone would. So, you know, I would've been stupid if I wasn't trying to get as much knowledge as I could out of him in the middle. And yeah, he was very helpful and certainly helped us achieve what we did that year."

"I think just the calmness that MS shows, we saw it throughout his career, just how calm he was. It didn't look like he was flustered by any emotions or anything like that. something that I learned off of MS."

Melbourne, March 29 (IANS)

Teenage batter Phoebe Litchfield has been rewarded for her recent white-ball form by winning a place in Australia's 15-player squad for their Ashes tour of England.

Australia will play one Test match, three T20Is and three ODIs in the multi-format women's Ashes series, to be held in England from June 22. The Meg Lanning-led have held the women's Ashes since 2015 and won by 12-4 margin in 2021/22 at home.

Litchfield, the 19-year-old batting prodigy, who caught attention by hitting back-to-back halfcenturies in her first two ODIs against Pakistan in January, is the only addition to the Australian squad who secured a recordextending sixth T20 World Cup title in South Africa in February.

"Following the success of the side at the recent T20 World Cup, the focus now turns to the exciting challenge of retaining the Ashes away from home. We've been fortunate to have a consistent side across all formats over the past couple of years and as a result

we have selected a similar group to the squad which won the T20 World Cup in February.

Phoebe Litchfield has taken her game to the next level in the past 12 months, we view her as a longterm player for Australia and it's pleasing to reward her progress with selection in an Ashes squad," said Shawn Flegler, CA's Head of Performance (Women's Cricket) and National Selector on Wednesday.

Litchfield replaces allrounder Heather Graham, who has instead been named in the Australia A squad, which includes a mix of senior and developing young players. Australia A will play three T20s and three 50-over fixtures which run concurrently to the women's Ashes.

In addition, Australia and England will each play a three-day warmup match against England A and Australia A respectively, in preparation for the Test match which begins on June 22 at Trent Bridge.

Courtney Webb, the 2022-23 WNCL Player of the Year, has been selected alongside tearaway pacer Tayla Vlaeminck, who is continuing her rehabilitation from a significant foot injury suffered in early 2022.

I’ve learned to be calm and levelheaded because of Dhoni:

Rohit wasn’t afraid to say what he had to say: Anil Kumble

Teen

Dr. Magic Hands to take over Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

From 23 March to 15 April 2023, the resort will be home to renowned wellness expert Dr. Gopal Govindasamy

Brij Hotels launches Brij Bageecha in Jaipur

This is the seventh Brij building nationwide and the fifth in Rajasthan.

March 27, 2023 (IANSlife) Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is an island paradise that blends meditation, spirituality, fitness, and wellness to strengthen the mind, body, and soul. It is situated within the serene turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. From 23 March to 15 April 2023, the resort will be home to renowned wellness expert Dr. Gopal Govindasamy, who will provide visitors with holistic ayurvedic treatments.

During this residency, Dr. Gopal, who has earned the moniker "Dr.

Magic Hands" globally due to his track record of successfully treating and resolving chronic physical issues, will provide a range of holistic consultations and treatments that relieve physical and mental health issues. His wellness menu includes:

Ayurvedic Consultation

Head and Full-body Massage

Sinus Care Treatment

Back Pain Care

Traditional Kalari Marma Massage

Shiro Dhara Treatment to relieve hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia

Chinese Acupuncture

Chi Facelift Acupuncture

Abdominal Detox Massage

Yogic Detox to cleanse the body and mind

The resort takes an innovative approach to integrate holistic wellness into the guests’ holiday experience at Conrad Maldives with a planned calendar of wellness practitioners visiting the property throughout 2023.

Key tips to plan destination wedding

Destination Weddings are considered to be luxurious and yet have the perfect dash of coziness and privacy attached to them

special day.

Drawing up the guestlists

Drawing up your guestlist in good time is really important.

March 25, 2023 (IANSlife) An immersive stay experience that is nothing short of exceptional, Brij Hotels introduces the opening of Brij Bageecha in Kukas, Jaipur.

Nestled within 11 acres of nature's bounty, Brij Bageecha displays modern architecture and stateof-the-art design combined with Brij's legendary hospitality to create a genuinely opulent retreat from the bustle of city life. The resort's 20 villas overlook a tranquil lake, making it the ideal place to relax and rejuvenate with loved ones, friends, and canine pets. Udit Kumar, Co-founder of

Brij Hotels said, “At Brij, we're dedicated to creating not just hotels, but destinations that offer authentic experiences rooted in local art, culture, and people. Rajasthan is a land of varied locales and rich experiences, and we're proud to showcase the vibrant colors of this region through our unique properties. Brij Bageecha, Kukas embodies our vision to craft spaces that allow you to reconnect with nature and embrace slow living, savoring every moment and feeling truly in sync with the destination and all it has to offer."

March 25, 2023 (IANSlife)

The charm and charisma of destination weddings are unmatched and surreal. A backdrop of the ocean or the mountain valleys as a picturesque setup makes the celebration of the union a memorable one, leaving a memory etched in the minds of people forever. Destination weddings are considered to be luxurious and yet have the perfect dash of coziness and privacy attached to them.

Find out a few tips to bear in mind shared by Priti S. Sidhwaani, Founder and CEO of DreamzKrraft, when planning your destination wedding:

Plan in time

Destination weddings are a lot of fun and can really be the perfect moment to spend time with your loved ones who gather together from all parts of the world to spend time celebrating your

Planning a destination weddings guestlist is a lot more compressed and closer, this helps narrow down on those people you really want around with you on your special day rather than inviting just about anyone and everyone. It's important to draw up your guest list well in advance for smooth planning.

Invites to go out on time

Since destination weddings involve travel and a complete break from work it is important to send out the invites in good time so that people can plan their calendars around the wedding dates to make sure nothing is clashing with D-Day.

Hiring a Wedding Planner helps

When dealing with a destination wedding there are a lot of intricate and minute details that need to be taken care of.

From knowing the local vendors, understanding the location demands and challenges, and making the most of local food offerings, flower vendors, etc is not an easy task, hiring a good wedding planner becomes very vital when planning a destination wedding and optimising the location and the

local offerings in the best possible way.

Block the Hotel at a good time to get good deals

However luxurious and bigbudget a wedding is, Indians love saving every little buck that they can, and why not! Planning the nuptials in good time is just the right way to save unnecessary money on booking hotels late. Also, all that money spent can then be used for creating lavish decor that people won't stop raving about in times to come, which is what we call money spent in the right way!

The Wedding planners are your one-stop destination for all your wedding planning and decor needs.

Whether the royal weddings of Rajasthan mesmerise you or the beaches of Antalya, Turkey, and help lay all the eggs in the right basket leading to an immaculate and well-planned wedding. These are some comprehensive tips that we believe work well.

Nevertheless, dive deeper and we can open a pandora's box on tips galore when it comes to planning the perfect destination wedding for you because, without the fear of sounding pompous, we definitely believe we ace this one!

The 1,250 sq ft. private villas at Brij Bageecha offer tranquillity and a chance to unwind at one's own pace. These spacious villas are designed with unique and thoughtful details such as floorto-ceiling glass windows that let natural light flood in, heated sit-in central water bodies that serve as the focal element in each villa, and private sit-outs that overlook a serene lake. The resort boasts four distinct

luxury villa categories, from a villa with a heated plunge pool, private heated pool, and private jacuzzi, to a villa with a courtyard, guests can choose from a range of options. Each villa features a private veranda with a lake view, ensuite he/she washrooms, individual shower cubicles, study space, a living area with separate powder rooms, and a fully equipped pantry.

The pet-friendly, all-villa resort, which is less than 4 hours from Delhi, is a tranquil and sustainable green heaven full of

flourishing gardens and orchards, sizable water bodies, and a veggie farm.

Melbourne, March 28

When he sings, one is lost in ecstasy. And when we refer to such a soulful music, it has to be the mellifluous voice of the one and only Hariharan, who is scheduled to enthral the audience at the prestigious and iconic The Palais Theatre, Melbourne on 8 April, 2023 at 7 PM. He will be accompanied by his full band of musicians from India.

Hariharan is now a legend in the Indian music industry, especially since his career spanning over 40 years has left behind an indelible impression in the hearts and minds of his countless listeners. The yearning that he leaves behind after listening to him, increases in intensity, and there is always a desire to welcome him back to this country or any

other every time an opportunity presents itself. As he grows in stature as a singer, Hariharan has made a name for himself for his versatility. He amazes his fans when he delves deeply into any genre of song and music, with singing style coming effortlessly to him. That’s why he is widely hailed as an Indian-fusion trailblazer.

Of course times have changed in the music industry, and so has the Bollywood industry. But some singers have, as it were, proved themselves to be timeless. His timeless classics in the Bollywood through his collaboration with AR Rehman, including Bombay, Roja, Rangeela, Taal, Swades, and Guru, continue to entertain the audience. His contributions to cinema are many, some of which are Maachis, Khamoshi, Laksyha, Sapnay, and Lamhe.

Hariharan shot to fame with his collaborations with Leslie Lewis and their sublime creation Colonial Cousins, which was a wonderful fusion of Eastern and Western music. The success encouraged them to collaborate

Legendary singer Hariharan to enthral Melbourne audience on April 8 Hariharan’s singing career- an inspiration for young aspirants

on four albums. In fact, together they have won numerous awards, such as the MTV Indian Viewers’ Choice award and Billboard Award for the Best Asian Music Group, catapulting them to new heights of musical excellence. Besides Hariharan’s 30 solo albums have been phenomenal. The global success of Hazir, Gulfam, and Kaash was outstanding. Hariharan has never been short of experiments, and in a bid to prove to himself that he can embrace the classical as effortlessly as other popular genres, he has also worked with tabla maestro ZakirHussain on his album Hazir.

For his lifelong contribution to Indian music, he was awarded Padma Shri in 2004, which is one of India’s highest national civilian honours. Therefore, his concerts will be a joyous experience worthy of attendance.

Hariharan is an Indian playback and ghazal singer, and he has sung and continues to sing mainly in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Bhojpuri films.

forte

Melbourne, March 28 Hariharan, a prolific singer, was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on April 3, 1955. But he was brought up in Mumbai in a Tamil Brahmin family. His schooling was accomplished at Don Bosco High School in Matunga. He has a distinguished academic career behind him with a bachelor's degree in science and a law degree from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. He learned his Carnatic music skills from his parents who were deeply into this form and made quite a name for themselves in the same field. His mother was the noted vocalist ShrimatiAlamelu, and his father was late AnanthaSubramani. Both his mother and father became his music mentors. However, as it so happens in Indian culture, in an earlier interview to a news magazine, Hariharan had credited

his mother for all the success he possesses today.In fact, according to him, the quality of versatility in music in him came from his mother who loved good music irrespective of genre. Her teaching was that true music touches one’s soul.

The inspirational part of his career is of course paying heed to the call of his heart, which is often ignored or compelled to ignore in India, when it comes to choosing a career option for the youngsters. Hariharan pursued his academics seriously and completed his degrees inscienceandlaw. But his heart’s calling was for music, and it was so loud and clear that he decided to make a career in music. The commitment he made to himself was fulfilled through sheer hard work and passion. Taking lessons in Hindustani music from the

renowned UstadGhulam Mustafa Khan, learning ghazal-singing skills, even learning Urdu for a year, shows his unflinching commitment to music. In fact, his determination to pursue singing made him dedicate nine hours of his everyday routine to singing.

In 1977, Hariharan had won the winner's trophy in the singing reality show, All-India Sur Singaar. This win brought him to limelight as he was offered a singing assignment for the Hindi film, Gaman by music director Jaidev. Hariharan’s debut song was AjeebSaanehaMujh Par Guzar Gaya Yaaron in that movie. The song became a hit and he was given an Uttar Pradesh state award for his endeavour in singing the song. Besides, he also bagged the Best Singer National Award nomination.

Hariharan has also given many hits to Bollywood, and he attributes much of the credit for that to maestro AR Rahman. Hariharan has sung many songs for AR Rahman, which have been hits. The movies he has sung for are Roja, MinsaraKanavu, Jeans, Indian, Mudhalvan, Taal, Bombay, Rangeela, Indira, Iruvar, AnbeAaruyire, KangalalKaithuSei, Sivaji, Alaipayuthey, KannathilMuthamittal, Guru, and many others.

He has been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to music. Hariharan has sung 500 Tamil, 200 Hindi songs, and nearly 30 ghazal albums till now.

Melbourne, March 28 Hariharan’s name evokes memories of his soulful songs across genres. He has proved himself to be wellverse with a diversity of genres, from classical, semi-classical to fusion. The effortless ease with which he unleashes the best of songs in his mellifluous voice, reverberates in the hearts of his audience. But his tryst with ghazal has been the most interesting one, and very much close to his heart, as he has told many of his interviewers. He feels the charm of ghazal is undeniable. While learning khayalgayaki from Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan saab, Hariharan was inspired by Pakistani legendary singer Mehdi Hasan’s style of music around 1976. His natural urge was to follow his style because he used the khayalang beautifully in his singing. And in one of the interviews done in 2022 with The Times of India, Hariharan said that Mehdi Hasan became his ruhaani guru then, and he started learning from him in 1985. In fact, Hariharan reminisces, that Mehdi Hasan taught him a lot of things, and being conversational in style, listening to Mehdi would feel as if he was only singing for you. Praising Mehdi HasanHariharan says the maestro was like a university, and he learned a lot from him in terms of the gharana and his style. And it is not just about singing alone. Hariharan paid attention to every detail, language in particular, that ought to be impeccable if he were to scale the heights of ghazal singing. That’s why he learned Urdu for one year before he sang for Jaidev, a great music composer of yesteryears. In one of the newspaper interviews published earlier, Hariharan says that Jaidev was his friend philosopher and guide. He sang his first Hindi song for Jaidev, which was the ghazal Ajeeb sane ha mujh par ghuzar gaya yaaron/

Maine apne saaye se kal raat darr gaya yaaron for Muzaffar Ali’s film Gaman. Since the Urdu lyrics by Shahryar were complex, Jaidev made him learn Urdu for one full year. Hariharan feels that one year of Urdu coaching has made him a professional ghazal singer. Though he is one of the most famous classical singers of his time and continues to entertain audiences, he is not averse to contemporary music, and feels it cannot be avoided. He is of the view that the music of today has followers, and hence, whatever genre it belongs to, it will remain. However, he believes that while performing on stage, there ought to be a balance between all forms of music. All he asks for is that the music, whatever it may be, should have a soul. He opines that if the rhythm of traditional Indian music mixes well with the beats of the contemporary, then the charm, timelessness and beauty of the oldsong and music shall remain undisturbed. Though originally he was trained in Carnatic as well as Hindustani classical music, Hariharan, in collaboration with Leslie Lewis, created his pop-rock bandColonial Cousinssuccessfully in the ’90s. For Bollywood he has given outstanding songs like ‘Tu hi re’ (Bombay; 1995) and ‘Baahon ke darmiyan’ (Khamoshi: The Musical; 1996). However, he has repeatedly maintained that his forte is ghazals.

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Hariharan- a versatile singer, who feels ghazals are his

Sari inspiration from March-born Bollywood actresses

Alia, Kangana, Janhvi and Shraddha in their desi best

Rashmika Mandanna talks fashion

The actress is Onitsuka Tiger’s first fashion advocate

March 19, 2023 (IANSlife) A saree appearance is always an option for a Bollywood heroine

when she wants to look dazzling. These March born beauties wear and style their saris differently,

here's some desi inspiration for your next traditional outing

Withthe launch of its Spring Summer 2023 Collection, themed "Japanese Minimalism", Onitsuka Tiger, the Japanese fashion brand, known for for bringing forth the best of contemporary collections combining fashion with sports and heritage with innovation, announces the nation’s heartthrob and style icon, Rashmika Mandanna as India’s first brand advocate.

Rashmika tells IANSlife about her association with the Japanese fashion brand and how their contemporary collection resonates with her sartorial sense - unique, minimalistic, and artistic.

You always manage to dress in style, what is that one fashion mantra that you stick by?

Fashion Week for the very first time. How was your experience and what is that one fashion inspiration that you have taken back?

RM: The experience was nothing short of incredible. I absolutely loved Onitsuka Tiger’s entire Autumn/Winter 2023 collection showcased at the Milan Fashion Week. The theme of the collection was “Urban Layering” representing the central part of Japanese culture - dressing in layers. The new AW23 collection builds on the essence of this Japanese tradition by filtering it through Onitsuka Tiger's sporty DNA - presenting a collection that, while maintaining its active spirit, is more focused on an urban aesthetic.

Rani Mukherjee From shimmering Manish Malhotra styles in her films to Sabyasachi florals for Durga Puja, Rani Mukherjee looks best in sarees.

Shraddha Kapoor Pastel blues, baby pink and vivd hues, when it comes to stairs, Shraddha Kapoor focuses on colour rather than print or regional styles.

Exploring ins and outs of

Alia Bhatt Keeping it classy

The Gangubai Kathiyawadi star chooses handlooms, organza and chiffons, both on and off the screen. Be it in her movies 2 states, Gangubai Kathiyawadi, Raazi or RRR, Alia pulls of traditional weaves in style.

consumer behaviour

Psychological motivators, decision drivers and more

March 21, 2023 (IANSlife) The Indian D2C industry is at its peak, with a market size of more than 800 D2C brands and a projection to be a 100 billion US dollar industry. In this dynamic space, a brand has to solve the modern Indian consumers’ ever-evolving needs and build a strategy that will make them become a disruptor.

Smytten, a tech-enabled D2C product discovery and trial platform conducted a large-scale consumer survey to provide key insights into consumer behaviour and decision-making. The survey collected data from 15,000 Indian customers across various demographics, via Smytten Pulse, the country's first AI and machine learning-backed platform for D2C brands.

Through their comprehensive analysis, the D2C product discovery and trial platform have delved into the key factors that influence how customers

evaluate brands and the drivers and barriers to their purchase. The study further dissects consumer behavior across 5 focus categories - personal care, makeup, fragrances, health and wellness, and food & beverages - to provide key insights on basket expansion and categoryfocused implications to build and optimize business strategies.

According to Smytten's survey, consumers’ purchase behaviour is influenced by various factors such as price, effectiveness, transparency, and authenticity. Additionally, the survey found that consumers are increasingly interested in products that align with their belief in “function over emotion,” especially when it comes to the ingredients being used. The survey also shed light on the importance of customer experience, when it comes to consumers shopping directly from the brand’s websites. Brands that can provide attractive deals, free or low delivery fees, product information, and a hassle-free shopping experience are likely to gain a competitive edge.

Swagata Sarangi, Co-Founder, of Smytten said, "We wanted to build a platform for the next generation

of founders who are truly going to disrupt the consumer brand space. With Smytten Pulse, you can now get consumer data at your fingertips within 72 hours. Gain information on emerging trends from over 15 million users driven by AI, track how the consumer basket is moving on a real-time basis, and find insights cut across demographics and psychographics. This research was the first large-scale survey conducted, and we're elated to share the insights with everyone in the D2C space.”

The key findings are across all five categories:

In the Personal Care category, 93% of consumers actively seek verbalisers like dermatologist verifications, detailed information on how the product formulation works, suitability for all skin types, and brand authenticity.

33.3% of consumers take supplements daily with half of them willing to pay more for ready-to-consume protein.

This makes Health & Wellness a category with a lot of potential for growth.

RM: My go-to fashion mantra is not to go after trends but to wear what makes you feel comfortable and happy!

What made you collaborate with Onitsuka Tiger? What are your favourite pieces from the collection?

RM: I am extremely excited to be associated with Onitsuka Tiger as their contemporary collection completely resonates with my sartorial sense - unique, minimalistic, and artistic. The brand allows me to showcase all aspects of my personality while experimenting with fashionforward styles and silhouettes.

From the latest collection, I absolutely love mega anoraks, the oversized coats made of crafted faux fur, tailored, oversized three-button jackets, and coats. These items can also be worn on top of each other to make the silhouette voluminous, but less bulky.

You recently attended the Milan

From creating a positive fashion impact in Tollywood to Bollywood and now even globally, how do you manage to be confident with what you wear to create a statement with your looks?

RM: Fashion for me is a reflection of my personality with a lot of comforts involved. So to be comfortable and confident in what you wear is the only way to put your best foot forward. What’s your personal favourite style when it comes to footwear? How important is it to choose the right footwear for your look?

RM: Opting for the right footwear allows me to be confident, not conscious. Choosing the right footwear is such an essential part of everyday life, something so simple that can go such a long way. My go-to footwear style is vibrant hues with modern styling. Onitsuka Tiger’s footwear collection keeps me supercomfortable and super-stylish throughout the day.

How to nail the ‘No-makeup’ look

Perfect the minimalist look like a Pro

water based formulas like cream based or water-based blush, highlighters, lip tints, cheek tint, eyeshadow, mascara etc. They are ideal to give you a natural finish, as they melt into your skin and sink right in, unlike powder formulations. This will make your makeup look more natural and effortless.

Love Fancy Nails?

Eat these biotin-rich foods to avoid brittle nails

By Anubha Vashisth

March 19, 2023 (IANSlife) These days, a lot of us opt for a minimal makeup look rather than wearing full-on makeup, and the style is becoming increasingly popular among younger people. There has been a sudden change in people's preferences, and no makeup is now the go-to option for both special occasions and everyday makeup routines. Indian brides have always favoured a fullglam bridal makeup appearance for the wedding. However, if current bridal makeup trends are to be taken into account, the "no makeup" makeup style is garnering the most attention. On their wedding day, brides effortlessly pull off their subtle, dewy complexion and flushed cheeks. Numerous famous brides have also chosen a natural makeup appearance for their wedding day.

The same style is given many labels by various individuals. You may be familiar with the "clean" makeup style or have heard it referred to as a "natural" appearance. It doesn't matter; everyone wants a piece of the new, low-maintenance mindset that is pervasive and in vogue. Here are some pointers to help you create a flawless, natural, minimal makeup appearance. Hydrate, hydrate & hydrate: The ‘no-makeup’ makeup look is all about the healthy and natural look. Hence, you need to make sure your skin is thoroughly moisturised, looks bouncy, and doesn’t have any dry patches before starting off with your

makeup. The more hydrated and healthier your skin is, the better this makeup look will turn out to be. If your skin is not hydrated properly, it will make your makeup look cakey and dry. Drink water in proper quantity and apply a good amount of moisture that suits your skin.

Follow a proper skin care process: Flawless makeup starts with a good skincare routine, and the same goes for no-makeup makeup. Hence to nail a nomakeup makeup look, you need to have a strong skincare routine. After you are done cleansing, toning, and moisturizing your skin, go in with a blurring primer to visibly reduce large pores and get a smooth and even base. Depending on your skin type, pick between a dewy or mattifying primer and give your skin a soft and smooth look. Double cleansing is a very ideal process. Having a good regimen will keep your skin looking healthy without needing to add too much makeup.

Go Easy on Foundation: This part is all about personal preference. The key to perfecting a naturallooking makeup look is to have the least amount of coverage so that your real hydrated skin shines through. For a simple no-makeup makeup look, we recommend skipping the foundation. If you still want to add a light layer of face makeup, look for a nomakeup makeup foundation that has a sheer to light coverage and matches your undertone and skin tone correctly.

Use cream based or water based formulas: Use cream based or

Conceal correctly: Just like foundation, concealer isn’t always critical for this look. If you want to cover up your dark spots or dark circles (letting them go uncovered is also absolutely fine), opt for a lightweight hydrating concealer and apply only where required. Try not to go overboard with it. The trick to a flawless no-makeup makeup is using a concealer to strategically cover up blemishes and brighten up your complexion. Blend it with your fingers for a natural effect.

Brush up your brows: Do not ignore your eyebrows as they play a very important role in making your face look put together. Comb your brows, plug in some extra hair growth, fill them lightly and apply transparent mascara so that they stay in place for a long time.

Shave your face before makeup: Shaving your face removes hair, debris, excess oil, and dead skin cells, which can brighten the look of skin. This helps makeup go on smoothly and last longer. This is the most underrated but most effective process that one can do to achieve flawless skin.

Importance of a lightweight setting powder: Just like everything else, your makeup deserves a happy ending too. And for that, we have finishing powders! Having the best finishing powder for your skin tone is as crucial as having a foundation and concealer. Finish your look with dabbing a lightweight setting powder on the areas which are more likely to secrete more oil. Overall, using setting powder after your entire makeup is done to make it look natural.

Realising the dreams of young girls

March 17, 2023 (IANSlife) Yuvati, an ancient Ayurvedic concept, describes the period of a teenage girl's life when she begins to come of age in a variety of ways and forge her own personality and route. She starts to develop into a woman as she absorbs various life experiences and when her dreams start to become more vivid than ever. With the introduction of the Yuvati Selection, Forest Essentials has taken this ethos to the next level by supporting and contributing to the aspirations of young females and children nationwide.

15-years-old, Maleesha Kharwa, a rising content creator is on a mission to dispel social stereotypes and the constraints of class and caste, presents Yuvati by Forest Essentials. Maleesha has been laying the foundation to realise her goals of a better living, a better education, and financial independence for her and her family. Through this program, Forest Essentials gives Maleesha the opportunity to receive an education, assist her in realising her goal of becoming a supermodel, and expand her vision by giving other young girls the same opportunity.

A portion of the proceeds from the Yuvati Selection will go to Project Paathshala, a social initiative project sponsored by Forest Essentials and operated by the non-profit Simple Education Foundation (SEF) in New Delhi. Commenting on the initiative, Mira Kulkarni, Chairman & Managing Director of Forest Essentials said, “At Forest Essentials, we have not only given careful thought to our products, ingredients, and packaging but also directed efforts towards empowering women via employment,

By Dr. Rohini Patil

March 15, 2023

(IANSlife)

Even though the visible part of our nails are just dead cells, we enjoy playing with them. We add a pop of colour to them, get nail extensions, lengthen our nails, and give them a trendy chic aesthetic. Who knew so much could be done in such a small space as our nails? Nails are also an important aspect of the fashion industry, with many spending hundreds of dollars to have their nails appear attractive and Instagram-worthy. We frequently wonder why our nails break easily as they grow, or why they appear pale and fragile. The reason is simple: negligence. Yes! If you want to have elegant and healthy-looking nails, you must take care of them. Nail care is frequently underestimated as an important element of self-care. Maintaining your nails might help you avoid infections and other health issues. Also, as nails are a part of your visible appearance, keeping your nails in good condition can boost your image and make you feel more put together.

Furthermore, we spend so much on fancy nail treatments to make them look good. But regardless of how much money you spend on those sophisticated nail treatments, it is just as necessary to feed your nails with the correct nutrition as any other body part.

So, if you love fancy nails and nail art, you may want to consider incorporating biotin-rich foods into your diet to help avoid brittle and pale-looking nails. Biotin is a B vitamin that is important for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails. It encourages optimal cell growth and assists in the synthesis of protein-building amino acids, which are required for nail growth. Thus, we must consume foods that are high in biotin, as biotin makes nails stronger and prevents brittle nails.

Here are some biotin-rich foods that you may want to add to your diet

Eggs

We're all aware that eggs are a high-quality protein source. Those who work out, try to grow strong muscles, and even lose weight prefer eggs. Little did we know that eggs were a great source of biotin. In fact, there is

10 mcg of biotin in a big egg. Now, if you enjoy having elegant nails, you should think about including eggs in your diet.

Almonds

"Eating almonds is helpful for your memory," we've all heard this expression at some point in our lives. Almonds are regarded as healthy since they are rich in proteins, fiber, and minerals. It is also a fantastic source of biotin and vitamin E, both of which are necessary for strong nails. Almonds have a biotin content of 1.5 mcg per ounce.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potato is another wonderful food that is rich in biotin. Sweet potatoes make our winter days complete and are packed with nutrients such as vitamin A and fiber. One medium-sized sweet potato has roughly 2.4 mcg of biotin. Thus eating a delicious sweet potato dish is enough to supply biotin for your lovely nails.

Spinach

We Indians love saag recipes, and there is every reason to love them. Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that belongs to the saag family and has numerous nutritional qualities. Also, cooking spinach is simple, and the flavor is delicious. Spinach is a good source of biotin, as well as other nutrients like iron and vitamin C. One cup of raw spinach contains about 0.5 mcg of biotin.

Salmon

Next on the list is salmon fish, which, despite its fancy name, is widely available in any Indian fish market. Furthermore, salmon oil, which is generated from salmon fish, is well-known for its healthy fats and other benefits. This fish is also high in biotin and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are beneficial to overall health. Biotin levels in a 3-ounce plate of salmon are around 5 mcg. A spoonful of salmon oil could provide you with numerous benefits for healthy skin, thicker hair, and stronger nails.

Avocado: Avocados are a good source of fiber, healthy fats, and biotin. A medium avocado has roughly 2 mcg of biotin in it. Thanks to the excellent fats in avocados, they allow the body to absorb vitamins and minerals more quickly, which are also required to deal with pale and weak nails.

Master poet who wove Hindustani poetry with Hindi film songs

Literary traditions need to evolve to remain relevant, and the onus is on its paladins to ensure that they move in step with social norms and particularly, don't miss out on technological advances.

In Urdu poetry, this 'shair' can be credited for not only using more simple -- and natural -- language to broaden his art's appeal but also went on to initiate its enduring tryst with Hindi films. 'Arzoo Lakhnavi' was, if not the first, among the leading mainstream poets to begin writing lyrics for the fledgling film industry -- beginning with Calcutta's New Theatres in the 1930s before shifting to Bombay in 1942 -- recognising how this association would preserve -- and extend -- the reach of Urdu poetry beyond its organic followership.

Much before Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi, or Shakeel Badayuni became known, he was crafting lyrics for Indian cinema's first superstars -- K.L. Saigal ("Karun kya aas niras bhayi" from "Dushman", 1939) and Kanan Devi ("Lachmi murat daras dikhaye" from "Street Singer", 1938) as well as for emerging stars like Madhubala ("Aayi Bhor Suhani" from "Beqasoor", 1950), and more. An outstanding standard-bearer of 'Dabistan-e-Lakhnau' or the Lucknow School of Urdu poetry, Syed Anwar Hussain 'Arzoo Lakhnavi' (February 16, 1873 to April 16, 1951) seemed destined to be a poet.

Both his father Mir Zakir Hussain 'Yas' and elder brother Mir Yusuf Hussain 'Qayas' were poets, his mother Amna Begum also belonged to a scholarly and literary family, and he took to poetry from a young age with gusto. Like his father, he was a 'shagird' of Syed Zaman Ali 'Jalal Lakhnavi' (1831-1909), showing his prowess then only, going to guide the other disciples during his mentor's lifetime and becoming their 'ustad' after his death.

But, he also struck out on his own path -- while retaining the tradition's motifs and focus, he chose a straighter style over its intricate flourishes, and to use only Urdu without recourse to Arabic or Persian -- despite his considerable knowledge of both languages.

And while he exhibited his talent

in all genres of poetry -- geets, masnavis, rubai, as well as marsiyas, naats, salams, and qasidas, and also wrote stage plays and dialogues, and songs for over two dozen films, it is his ghazal-goi that he is most known for.

'Arzoo' acknowledged his work was reminiscent of his illustrious predecessors Mir and Ghalib but also contained his desire of being different from them or his contemporaries like Dagh Dehlvi and others.

As his work shows, he did succeed in striking his own distinctive course -- take the opening lines of his collection "Sureeli Bansuri" which are one of his most famous: "Jis ne banayi bansuri, geet usi ke gaaye jaa/Saans jab tak aaye jaaye, ek hi dhun bajaaye jaa".

As a prominent critic pointed out, 'Arzoo' "by bringing the language of ghazal closer to the language of conversation, made it clear that the language of poetry is not different from the language of the world, nor is it always captive in the captivity of ancient traditions". Even when dealing with beauty, love and courtship -- a staple though not the sole focus of the Lucknow School or the whole tradition itself, 'Arzoo' could be different: "Dafattan tarq-e-taaluq mein bhi rusvaai hai / Uljhe daman ko churhate nahi jhatka de kar", or, "Kis ne bheegi huye baalon se jhatka pani / Jhoom ke aayi ghata, toot ke barsa paani" or even "Allah Allah husn ke ye

parda-daari dekhiye / Bhed jis ne kholna chaha voh deewana huya".

'Arzoo' could also create some unique imagery in those familiar settings, be it the tavern: "Haath se kisi ne saghir patka mausam ki be-kaifi par / Toot ke itna barsa badal dhoob chala maikhana bhi" or the mehfil: "Awwal-e-shab voh bazm ki raunaq shama bhi parvana bhi / Raat ke akhi hote hote khatam tha yeh afsana bhi", or even encounters: "Baat karne mein vo un aankhon se amrit tapka / 'Arzoo' dekhte hi munh mein bhar aaya paani".

And then, he had the playfulness of the Lucknow school and was deft in changing the mood in succeeding couplets. Take: "Zamana yaad tera ai dil-enaakaam aata hai / tapak padhte hai aansu jab wafa ka naam aata hai", go on to "Wafa tum se karenge dukh sahenge naaz uthayenge / Jise aata hai dil dena use har kaam aata hai" and end "Haseenon mein basar kar di jawaani 'Arzoo' ham ne / Lagaana dil ka seekhe hain yahi ek kaam aata hai".

But his verse didn't have these pleasant diversions only and like Mir, he could strike a melancholic touch too: "Dil hai voh ujda huya ghar bujh chuka jis ka chiragh / Aankhen kuch dekhen to batlayen ke kya kya lut gaya" or "Jab koyal kook sunaati hai to pati pati lahrati hai / Ham kisi se kahen aur kaun sune, hamdard hamara koi nahi".

This could also extend to a sort

of hopelessness towards life and its purpose: "Hamari zindagi to ek guzar gah havadis hai / Ajab hai shamaa ka aandhi ke jhonkon main basar karna" or: "Har gul ko is chaman mein kya zarq barq paya / Dekha to ek jana sungha to farq paya" and "Koi hasrat mein dil ka sarmaya / Kuch kahi kuch kahi padha paya" or even maybe: "Hasti ki haqeeqat ko gar bad fanaa jaana / Ab soche to kya soche ab jaana to kya jaana".

There is all this and much more in the 25,000 ghazals attributed to him and collected in seven 'divans' ,

In his film career, he was as versatile. If in Saigal's "Street Singer", he could pen "Jeevan been madhur na baaje jhoote padh gaye taar / Bigde kaath se kaam bane kya megh baje na malware", he could also compose the ghazal "Sukoon dil ko mayassar gul-osamar mein nahi / Jo aashiyaan mein hai apne vah bagh bhar men nahi".

Conferred the title of 'Allama' -- restricted to less than halfa-dozen literary giants of the modern age, Arzoo and his poetry epitomise how Urdu ghazal and other forms of poetry is intricately linked with the Indian ethos, whose essence is a vibrant diversity, not a stagnant uniformity. That is cause enough to remember him.

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

Man-animal conflict confrontation gets noted at Kochi Biennale Women artistes dazzle at Kochi Biennale

Kochi, March 14 (IANS) Artworks of two female artists is the center of attraction at the fifth edition of the ongoing Kochi Biennale.

Kochi, March 16 (IANS) An emotive artistic work that has an underlying reference to violence stemming from man-animal confrontations, exemplified by the brutal killing of a pregnant elephant by feeding it with explosive-laden pineapple, is getting noticed at the Kochi Muziris Biennale.

The tusker met with a horrific death at Ambalappara in Kerala's Palakkad district on May 27, 2020, after eating the fruit filled with country-made crackers which exploded in its mouth.

The blast was so powerful that the poor animal ran around the village in searing pain, unable to eat for days. Finally, it entered a river and

stood there with its trunk and mouth immersed in water till it breathed its last two days later.

Shikh Sabbir Alam, a contemporary artist from Bangladesh, has now recreated this incident, which received worldwide attention.

Shikh Sabbir has put up a total of six acrylic paintings on display at the Biennale, including the works about the Garden; Magic House 1,2,3; Elephants and Fruit; and White Rabbit.

The creations which showcase the flora and fauna from tortoises to elephants and fruits resemble much like a dream. At the same time, it is mystical as well.

"My pictures resemble the vision

that slowly materialiaes before you when you open your eyes after a long sleep.

The attempt is to guide viewers through the display of pictures using pastel colours to experience the wonders being depicted on the canvas.

The colour of a flower or a fruit is enough to inspire original creations," said Alam.

Nature and life are the main elements reflected in Alam's creations for the Kochi Biennale.

A distinctive video installation by noted Finland artist Martta Tuomaala is a harsh critique of existing socio-political scenarios with wide-ranging themes like misuse of power, administrative bias, unemployment, insecurity among workers, gender bias, moral policing, capitalism, rising inequality, and protest.

A black comedy, the video 'FinnCycling-Soumi-Perkele!' has been written, directed, and anchored by Martta. Though it mainly manifests the darker regions of Finland, viewers could make out a much broader perspective and connect with similar situations elsewhere.

Martta explains the theme of the video through the expert use of indoor cycling. Martta appears in the video, continuously pedaling her cycle. Despite sweating

profusely, she couldn't gain an inch. This image is used to raise harsh criticisms and hurl arrows of black comedy reflecting the intolerable conditions prevailing in the socio-political field. The second one is about a young Malayali artist Mithra Kamalam reflects and recreates the hard struggles endured by women who are forced to stand within the boundaries imposed upon them in the real world, through her awe-inspiring creation at the Biennale.

The artwork, belonging to the series 'Corrective Measures' and put together using paintings and sculptural installations, stand apart with its uniqueness in layout as well. The unique inferences drawn by Mithra Kamalam that gets passed on to the viewer are thought-provoking.

The display at the Biennale by Mithra Kamalam is based on the painting on the subject of 'Sati' by Dutch illustrator Jan Huygen van Linschoten from the 16th century.

"To bring out the ideas churned inside, definitive themes, relevant quotes, and documents from history are sometimes assimilated.

Delhi Literature Festival’s 11th edition is more than just writers and publishers

and giving an opportunity to meet over books year after year, he said: "An informed mind is by nature an efficient mind. It is a positive mind and hence a more productive mind."

"Over centuries while Delhi has remained a site for geographical conquests, it has also morphed itself into a muse for poets and warriors alike," he added.

As he swiftly shared shayaris in between, Yadav made sure to highlight the importance of literature festivals.

Booknerds: The nerdist podcast

- which, even in an era of e-books and short attention spans, have kept alive a reading culture. You have Amrit Book Company in Connaught Place, you have Bahrisons in Khan Market. And then you have Daryaganj, which is the most sought after destination in the city for book lovers," Yadav rejoiced.

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS)

While few make books their best friends, few relate to the stories as their own. For one to easily unfurl his or her love for books and incredible stories, literature festivals are a great place to be. The three-day Delhi Literature Festival is back with a bang dedicated to India's Presidency at the G20.

At the inaugural ceremony on Friday, the 11th edition kickstarted with Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Bhupender Yadav setting the stage with positivity and shayaris. While he congratulated the organisers for curating the event

He said: "Literature festivals are not just about writers and publishers trying to promote books. These are events that promote an educational and cultural exchange, which plays a crucial role in building healthy societies that believe in a culture of debates and discussions."

All those who read and, of course, love reading books, have at least one book very close to their heart. And just like we fall in love with people and places, we fall in love with books and book stores, so much so that some book places have become important sites of cultural and personal memory for the city over time.

"Delhi, on its part, is home to many book stores - including some of the oldest in the country

The festival that is taking place in the heart of the national capital, at the India Habitat Centre (IHC Amphitheater) and DLF Avenue, Saket will see many eminent personalities like historian William Dalrymple, filmmaker and designer Muzaffar Ali, singer, Padmashri Awardee and Member of Parliament Hans Raj Hans, writer Anand Ranganathan, Samantha Kochhar, and more At the ceremony, Yadav felicitated publishers and authors. Ajay Mago of Om Books, Ajay Jain of Kunzum, Milee Ashwarya of Penguin India and others were felicitated with the Delhi Literature Festival Awards '23.

The sessions on March 18 and 19 will be held between 2:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the DLF Avenue, Saket, New Delhi.

The Delhi Literature Festival started in the year 2013 with the then Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit inaugurating it 11 years ago.

Japan’s Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe dies at 88

Podcasts have been around and have assimilated into our daily lives for a while now. There is a podcast for the morning, for the commute, for the afternoon hump, for running, and so on. Unfortunately, book podcasts have been few and extremely hard to sustain due to quality dips. Well, until now!

The Nerdist Podcast - Booknerds Podcast is all set to fill that gap by showcasing some wonderful books, authors, and engaging stories.

Booknerds, a literary startup based out of Dehradun, brought its podcast from online to inperson and shot its first season of sit-down conversations with some of your favorite authors, editors, and publishers. The podcast has something for everyone whether you adore books or not! This season is packed with information for every kind of reader. They have fantasy, fiction, contemporary, non-fiction, and so much more.

The Booknerds team recorded the podcast at a boutique bookstore, Kunzum in the heart of Delhi in Jorbagh. Kunzum has the aesthetics, the beautifully curated bookshelves, and delicious coffee and is becoming book lovers' favorite haunt in the Delhi-NCR region.

Season 1 Guests

You can listen to the conversations with the stellar line up which included Ajay Jain, author, photographer, traveler and founder of Kunzum, a chain of boutique bookstores set up in mid-2022, the Habit Coach

Ashdin Doctor whose newly launched debut book 'Change your habits, Change your Life', which is truly a brilliant mentor for people to inculcate habits to become our best version, Editor and Book Influencer Shreya Punj, best selling author Stuti Changle, author, columnist and podcaster Vasudha Rai, Publisher at Om Books International Ajay Mago, astrologer and author of '91 Predictions' (he predicted the downfall of Adani) Greenstone Lobo, and author, speaker and youth influencer Yash Tiwari. The podcasts are thoughtprovoking, carefully curated, and well-rounded. You will imbibe the podcast guests' personal experiences, industry details, what to do as a new author, and a lot more.

Podcast Host

The host of the podcast is a seasoned podcaster, reader, and co-founder, of Booknerds, Rohan Raj who has moderated over 250 book sessions since the inception of Booknerds, a literary startup that he co-founded with his wife Neha Raj in October 2015 to revolutionize how book lovers read and engage with authors. In the past eight years, he has interviewed eminent authors like Namita Gokhale, Anand Neelakantan, Deepak Ramola, Vir Sanghvi, Devdutt Pattanaik, Mayank Shekhar, Alan Rosling, Easterine Kire, John Keay, Kevin Missal, Moin Mir, Andy Griffiths, Kabir Bedi, Rashmi Bansal, Sudha Murty and many more on the online avatar of the Booknerds Podcast. The resident booknerd read the books page to page and made sure to bring you what you desire as a reader as well as a writer.

The podcast is streaming now on Booknerds Youtube and the audio version shall stream on Spotify in April.

Lucknow Book Fair will also exchange old books for new

Rampur Raza Library will be a part of the fair.

Convenor of the LBF, Manoj Chandel, said that the fair, which intends to give bibliophiles an opportunity to update their book shelves, will offer free entry.

Tokyo, March 14 (IANS) Japanese author and Nobel Prize laureate Kenzaburo Oe has died at the age of 88, local media reported.

According to publisher Kodansha Ltd on Monday, Oe died of old age in the early hours of March 3. Born in Japan's Ehime prefecture in 1935, Oe graduated from the French literature department of the University of Tokyo. He was the author of several works including "The Catch", "A Personal Matter" and "The Silent Cry", and won the 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature, Xinhua news agency reported.

In his 70s, Oe said he intended to continue living as a novelist until he died and that the aim of his life's "late work is to write grotesque novels that defy the present time and society," Kyodo News reported.

As a leading figure in Japanese literature after World War II, Oe had long opposed the revival of Japanese militarism and actively advocated peace.

The peace-loving author had also made unremitting efforts in promoting cultural exchanges and friendship between Japan and China.

Lucknow, March 15 (IANS) The 10th edition of the Lucknow Book Fair (LBF) this year, will have a unique feature -- it will give customers an option to exchange their books with new ones at a nominal cost, apart from also buying new ones.

The book fair will be held from March 17-26. Spread in a 10,000 square feet waterproof and air-cooled hanger, the book fair will house about 30 book stalls.

Several famous publishers and booksellers like Amar Chitra Katha, National Book Trust, Osho Tapovan, UP Hindi Sansthan and

"The main idea behind providing people an opportunity to exchange their old books is to help them get new ones at an affordable price. For the book exchange the visitors will be required to speak to the organizers," said Chandel.

The theme of the fair is the G20 summit. Various cultural programmes and youth related competitions on the theme will be organized during the fair.

This year, the city residents will also be able to connect with Indian Book Market, which is a free platform launched by a chest specialist from

People who find ‘joy in missing out’ are high on anxiety: Study

care to check what friends and family were doing.

Adobe launches new generative AI to transform customer experiences

not socially anxious, this high JOMO group still reported some moderate feelings of loneliness.

teams will have a co-pilot to help increase their productivity without having to increase their workload.

New York, March 21 (IANS) Most people who find "joy of missing out" or JOMO also have high levels of social anxiety, according to a study.

The term JOMO has been popularised as a healthy enjoyment of solitude in almost direct opposition to the negative FOMO, the "fear of missing out" people may have when seeing others having fun experiences without them.

In an analysis of two samples of adults, researchers from the Washington State University in the US found that some people were enjoying missing out, not for the solitude or a Zen-like, calming experience of being able to regroup, but more to avoid social interaction.

This might also explain the correlation found between JOMO and social media use, a result that surprised the researchers who expected people who wanted to miss out on social events wouldn't

Lead author Chris Barry, a psychology professor at the varsity, said a possible explanation is that for those with social anxiety, social media may feel like a less intense way to connect than in-person interaction.

In the paper published in Telematics and Informatics Reports, Barry and his team conducted surveys with two different sets of about 500 participants each who were asked a slate of questions around enjoying spending time alone and disconnection, and to assess loneliness, social anxiety, social media use, personality traits and life satisfaction.

The study of the first sample revealed connections among those high in JOMO to social media use and life satisfaction, but social anxiety had the strongest correlation.

With these mixed results, the team designed a second study to see if they could find a group of people high in JOMO but without social anxiety.

They found them, but that group was small, representing about 10 percent of the participants. While

While other research has linked the fear of missing out to low self-esteem and loneliness, these findings indicate that the experience of the joy of missing out is not as clear.

Barry suggested that JOMO might not be a stable state or linked to personality traits but rather a momentary phase of needing to disconnect.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions like 'what's a good dosage of social interaction versus disengagement?' I think that's going to differ for everyone," Barry said.

Previous research has shown that for people with anxiety, continued exposure to the thing they are anxious about can help lessen that stress -- so for those with social anxiety, more interaction, not less, is better.

"The motives matter," Barry said. "Why are people missing out? If it's because they need to recharge, that's maybe a good thing. If they're trying to avoid something, that is probably not healthy in the long run."

WhatsApp’s new update gives admins more control over who can join group

offers larger, more structured discussion groups.

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS)

Software major Adobe has announced new generative AI innovations across its Experience Cloud that aims to redefine how businesses deliver customer experiences.

In Adobe Experience Cloud, customers will be able to move seamlessly between Sensei GenAI services and existing features, right within their workflows, the company said during the 'Adobe Summit'.

"Adobe has a long history of unlocking AI as a co-pilot for marketers, and we have a vision for generative AI that covers the full lifecycle of customer experience management, with the enterprise-grade security and data governance that our customers expect," said Amit Ahuja, senior vice president, Digital Experience Business at Adobe.

With Sensei GenAI, marketers and other customer experience

The company will bring Adobe Firefly, a new family of creative generative AI models, directly into its Experience Cloud.

Adobe's first model, trained on Adobe Stock images, openly licensed content and public domain content where copyright has expired, will focus on images and text effects and is designed to generate content safe for commercial use.

In the future, marketers will be able to also train Adobe Firefly on the brand's own collateral, generating content that reflects the brand's style and design language.

Sensei GenAI will enable brands to instantly generate and modify text-based experiences across any customer touchpoint and leverage different large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT through the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and FLAN-T5. The selection will align with the unique needs of each business, stemming from brand guidelines, product vocabulary and customer insights.

Amazon to shut go-to camera reviews site DPReview

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced two new updates for "groups" on WhatsApp -- new controls for admins, and easily see groups in common.

The new features, which will start rolling out globally over the coming weeks, come just a few months after WhatsApp launched Communities, a feature that

Patna, March 22 (IANS) The Economic Offense Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police on Wednesday arrested an aide of infamous YouTuber Manish Kashyap in connection with the sharing of fake videos of purported attack on Bihar migrants in Tamil Nadu, an official said.

The accused has been identified as Nagesh Kashyap, who campaigned extensively for Manish Kashyap on social media after the latter's arrest.

Manish Kashyap has a number of friends who were involved in

"Last year, we rolled out Communities to help people get the most out of their groups on WhatsApp. Since launching, we've wanted to build even more tools for admins and users alike. Today we're excited to roll out a few new changes we've made to make groups more manageable for admins and easier to navigate for everyone," the company said.

It has built a tool that gives admins the ability to decide who is able to join a group, giving admins more control over their group privacy.

uploading fake videos on social media and creating propaganda, the official further said.

"We have arrested him and an investigation is underway. After a brief questioning, he will be sent to jail. We have established links with some of the coaching institutions of Patna and raided them as well. The EOU sleuths have seized some documents. On the basis of those documents, Manish Kashyap will be quizzed further," he said.The YouTuber is facing seven criminal cases in Bettiah and as many in other districts and EOU of Bihar.

"When an admin chooses to share their group's invite link or make their group joinable in a community, they now have more control over who can join," the company said.

With the growth of Communities and their larger groups, the tech giant said it wants to make it easy to know which groups you have in common with someone.

"Whether you're trying to remember the name of a group you know you share with someone or you want to see the groups you're both in, you can now easily search a contact's name to see your groups in common."

According to Bettiah SP Upendra Nath Pandey, Manish Kashyap is booked under the IPC sections of 153, 153A, 153B, 505, B, 505C, 468, 471, 120B, and 67 of IPC. Majority of the charges imposed on him are non-bailable.

Besides, 13 more cases have been registered against him in Tamil Nadu. A team headed by a DSP and an inspector rank officer are camping in Patna to take transit remand of Manish Kashyap and take him to Tamil Nadu for further legal process.

San Francisco, March 22 (IANS)

Amazon has announced that it will be shutting down its go-to camera reviews website "DPReview" in the near future after nearly 25 years of operation.

"The site will remain active until April 10, and the editorial team is still working on reviews and looking forward to delivering some of our best-ever content," said Scott Everett, General Manager of DPReview.com. Moreover, the company said that "the decision is part of the annual operating plan review that our parent company shared earlier this year".

DPReview was founded in 1998 in England and was purchased by Amazon in 2007, who relocated the team to Seattle in the US in 2010 to be closer to its headquarters.

Meanwhile, Amazon has stopped selling magazine and newspaper subscriptions through Kindle

Newsstand as of March 9, and also stated that it will stop delivering current Kindle Newsstand subscriptions in September.

Kindle Newsstand lets people read Kindle-specific versions of publications right on their devices.

Further, Amazon announced to lay off another 9,000 employees in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Twitch, advertising, and HR earlier this week.

In a memo, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that as the company concluded the second phase of its operating plan ("OP2") this past week, "I'm writing to share that we intend to eliminate about 9,000 more positions in the next few weeks a" mostly in AWS, PXT, Advertising, and Twitch".

Amazon initially eliminated 18,000 positions in January.

GUMRAAH

RELEASE DATE: 7th April 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Cine 1 Studios, T-Series Films

DIRECTOR: Vardhan Ketkar

CAST: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Ronit Roy

SYNOPSIS: The murder investigation of a young man takes an unexpected turn when the cops discover that the prime suspect has a lookalike.

HESH PATA (LAST PAGE)

RELEASE DATE: 14th April 2023

LANGUAGE: Bengali (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Firdausul Hasan, Prabal Halder

DIRECTOR: Atanu Ghosh

BHOLAA

RELEASE DATE: 30 March 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Ajay Devgn Ffilms, Dream Warrior Pictures, Reliance Entertainment

DIRECTOR: Ajay Devgn

CAST: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Raai Laxmi

JAWAN

RELEASE DATE: 2 June 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada (With English Subtitles)

CAST: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Vikram Chatterjee, Gargi Roy Chowdhury

SYNOPSIS: Balmiki, an arrogant non-conformist writer of fiction. Explores the very basic concept of debt and idea of freedom attached to the word.

DIRECTOR: Atlee Kumar

CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Yogi Babu

Massive set to be constructed for SalmanSRK action scene in ‘Tiger 3’

planned this to be the biggest surprise element of the film. YRF has quietly commissioned to build a massive set that will take about 45 days to build to shoot a scene in which Salman and SRK are set to do mind-boggling action!" informed a source.

The source added: "When Salman appeared in 'Pathaan' to help SRK, all hell broke loose in theatres and people went into frenzy seeing their biggest cinema idols beat people to pulp! Now, it's encore time in Tiger 3 and expect Salman and SRK to pull off crazy, adrenaline pumping, highintensity action sequences that will blow people's minds.

someone who scares easily because he knows how to play the game of death. He's ready for any kind of deadly challenge.

Mumbai, March 22 (IANS)

The makers of the upcoming actioner 'Tiger 3' will be constructing a huge set for Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's action scene in the film

and it will take 45 days to build it.

"Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan will be seen on screen again in 'Tiger 3' and Aditya Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma have

'Tiger 3' also stars Katrina Kaif as super-spy Zoya and Emraan Hashmi as the villain. It is set to release on Diwali.

SRK flaunts his biceps to announce ‘Pathaan’ OTT premiere

OTT premiere and the Bollywood superstar had his own funny way to share the announcement.

In a clip shared by Prime Video, SRK was seen talking to actorcomedian Bhuvan Bam in a promo, which revealed the release date.

The clip shows SRK in front of the camera as 'Pathaan', deciding on the opening line.

He is heard saying: "Aapni kursi ke peti bandh lo, kyun ki Pathaan aa gaya hain, sirf Prime Video par (Fasten your seat belts, Pathaan is coming)..."

He then gets irritated with the lines and tells Bhuvan that they need to try something new.

Bhuvan throws in a couple of lines, but SRK does not like them. Taking matters into his own hands, he tells Bhuvan: "I'll show you."

The superstar goes in front of the camera, and flexes his biceps.

He then says: "Pathaan dekhiye sirf Prime Video par"

The film will have its digital premiere on March 22. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in lead roles.

Shilpa Shetty returns to Kannada films after 18 yrs with ‘KD - The Devil’

Wrote the actress, who was born in Karnataka: "On this auspicious day of new beginnings, I'm thrilled to share with you a new character entering the war in KD's battlefield as Satyavati." Shilpa made her acting debut with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Baazigar' in 1993. 'KD', directed by Prem of 'Kariya' fame, is yet another gangster film in Kannada. The period action film is said to be based on the events that took place in Bengaluru in the 1970s. It also stars Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles.

Meanwhile, on the Bollywood front, Shilpa has 'Indian Police Force', an upcoming Hindi language cop action drama streaming series.

The series is created and directed by Rohit Shetty. It also stars Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi in the lead. The series is set in Shetty's fictional Cop Universe.

Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn says that in his upcoming film

'Bholaa' the hero is crazier than the villains.

The villains in the film are a mixed bunch riding and clashing fast and fearlessly. They also have some talked-about dress codes. Ajay wanted a deadly bunch and he went about selecting them systematically. The biker gangs have stylish hoods, face masks and helmets. There are others in more desi attire.

The character of 'Bholaa' is not

Speaking of how he got stylist Radhika Mehra to dress his villains up distinctively and differently, Ajay adds: "I wanted the menace to travel deep. The objective was to carefully construct different identities for the various baddies who show up in Bholaa's path."

"In the world of Bholaa the only one who is crazier than the villains is Bholaa himself..".

Of course, while the villains are all deadly and create lifethreatening obstacles for Bholaa, Ajay plays a hero who will shake up each one of the villains beyond imagination.

'Bholaa' will release on March 30.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, who is known for his films such as 'Mulk', 'Article 15', 'Tum Bin', 'Dus', and 'Thappad', is awaiting the release of his upcoming film, the pandemic drama 'Bheed'. The director, on Tuesday, took to his Instagram to share a lengthy note about the film and made a heartfelt and honest appeal to the audience to judge the film for what it intends to convey.

He shared that the film's work related to its release was completed on Monday and that he himself saw the whole film for the very first time after all the work was done.

Sharing the film's trailer, he wrote in Hindi, "Hello friends, 'Bheed' is coming to theatres on March 24. The work was going on for the film in the run up to its release till last night. I myself saw the final output for the first time after it was done in the night. I felt good and it gave me an affirmation that I have managed to make the film that I intended to make. It's quite good. I also wanted to seek your help. All those people, whom you think would want to watch this film, please share this trailer with them. Share it with them, call them up and remind them about the release date of March 24 and make a plan to see it".

He added, "Films like these are very difficult both in terms of their making and their subsequent release but it's our responsibility to make such films and more than that it's important that the audience watches such films. I need one more help,

please don't stress yourselves on how did it get censored, how will it get released why the trailer was removed from the YouTube channel of T-Series, why Bhushan Kumar's name was removed, how much is the advance booking, how much would it earn by the end of first week."

He said that these are multi-front fights that a filmmaker has to put up with and this is no different. He wrote, "These are the fights of filmmakers, we are fighting and we will do it on our own. All these thoughts rob the audience of the connection that the film aims to establish with them. Bhushan is my friend, we will make many more films together. These are pointless debates that find their way on social media".

"As an audience, your responsibility is to watch the film and tell us if you liked it or not. If you liked it, then tell other people about it, if you didn't like it, please share your feedback with us as our sole motive is to make a film that touches your heart. 'Bheed' is a story of human relationships, of the people, it's your story and mine. Help the film travel to its audience and support such films. Thank You", he concluded.

Ajay Devgn: In ‘Bholaa’, the only one crazier than the villains is the hero

‘Bheed’ director Anubhav Sinha says such films are difficult to make

Shah Rukh Khan's blockbuster 'Pathaan' is all set to have its

Actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra is all set to make a comeback in Kannada films after almost 18 years with the upcoming film

'KD- The Devil'. Shilpa took to Instagram to announce the news on Ugadi.

Stars shower their best wish on fans for Ugadi, Navratras and Gudi Padwa

prosperity & happiness!

Ram Charan: Wishing you all a Happy Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Chaitra Sukhladi.

Anupam Kher: Aap sabhi ko, 22 March se shuru hone wale nav varsh Vikram Sawant 2080ki hardik shubhkamnaayein

HappyNewYear HappyNavratri

Navreh ChetiChand Ugadi

GudiPadwa ChaitraNavratri.

Sunny Deol: A new beginning of dreams, hopes and happiness. May this wonderful year bring health, happiness & success to you. Have a blessed GudiPadwa Navrati Ugadi ChetiChand & RamadanKareem.

Randeep Hooda: Hope the new year has all the colours of happiness and laughter for you and your loved ones! Wishing everyone a happy & blessed Navrati GudiPadwa Ugadi ChetiChand & RamadanKareem.

Indian actors such as Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, Sunny Deol, Madhuri Dixit and others have wished a year full of happiness, peace and prosperity and more to their well-wishers on the festival of Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and the first day of the Navratras.

The celebrities took to Twitter to extend their good wishes.

Gudi Padwa marks the New Year of Hindu luni-solar calendar

among Maharashtrians. Ugadi is New Year's Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Goa. Here's what they have to say:

Jr.NTR: Wishing everyone a Happy Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Chaitra Sukhladi.

Mahesh Babu: Wishing you all a very happy Ugadi! Let this festive time usher in new hope,

Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor-starrer

‘Bawaal’ to release on October 6

Themakers of the Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoorstarrer 'Bawaal' have announced that the romantic action period drama film is all set to release on October 6.

Post their successful innings with 'Chhichhore' starring late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, filmmakers

Sajid Nadiadwala and Nitesh

Tiwari announced their next project- 'Bawaal', took to their

respective social media handles to announce the release date. Nitesh tweeted: "My second association with Sajid sir and a rather intriguing one BAWAAL starring Varun_dvnA & JanhviKapoor will hit the theatres on 6th Oct 2023. SajidNadiadwala NGEMovies earthskynotes ashwinyiyer WardaNadiadwala." The release of the 'Bawaal' had been pushed to a later date. It was earlier scheduled to release in April. According to reports, the reason behind it was said to be the VFX and other technical requirements of the film. 'Bawaal' is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson, and is coproduced by EarthSky Pictures.

Ajay Devgn: In early 90s, directors used to give an idea of scene without script

Madhuri Dixit Nene: A single marks for so many new cultural beginnings. Wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy New Year! IndianNewYear

GudiPadwa ChaitraNavratri Ugadi ChetiChand.

Nani: Wish you all a very happy ugadi HappyUgadi.

Sai Pallavi: I wish you all a very Happy Ugadi.

Tha', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', among others, made a comparison of that era from today, and said that certain times he used to be given idea about a particular scene without specific script.

He said: "In the early 90s, it was not uncommon for directors to give actors a general idea of the scene and then allow them to improvise their lines and actions without a specific script. I have even performed in such movies as well."

Ajay is coming along with Tabu and Deepak Dobriyal to promote their film 'Bholaa' on 'The Kapil Sharma Show'.

me. That gave me confidence."

"I have never felt competitive towards anybody. I have never felt that I am better or worse than anybody. I feel like I am running my own race. I feel like I have very strong views on how and what I want to do in my life, the kind of films I want to do."

"The kind of characters I want to portray and of course I am going to see a lot of failures."

Ranbir believes that "failures have always taught me more than my successes."

Ranbir said: "More than being in a film school, I learnt from being on a film set. When I assisted Mr Bhansali in 'Black' that one year period that taught me so much about movies. I was seeing actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji perform. I was seeing Mr Bhansali direct a movie."

That experience really "grounded" Ranbir.

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn recalled the era of the 90s and shared how he has done several movies without even getting proper script.

He has also shared his experiences when the writer used to come to give a narration and they used to act out their script as if they were auditioning.

He shared his experience of how certain times writers enact an entire scene while explaining it to the actor as if they are giving an audition.

Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor has seen more highs than lows in his career which spans over 15 years. However, the actor believes that his failures have always taught him more than his success and that he's running his own race.

Ranbir made his acting debut in 2007 with 'Saawariya'. He was then seen in hits such as 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', 'Wake Up Sid!', 'Rockstar', 'Barfi!', 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', 'Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva' and 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar'.

Asked about when did he feel he's a star, Ranbir told IANS: "My first film itself was a very big disaster, the disaster-ness was celebrated but somewhere as an actor and artiste I had a deep conviction that flops and hits won't matter to

"Whenever your films work, I promise you the only feeling you get is 'phew!' till the next one. But when you have failure, you understand, you introspect and come to perspective."

He added: "I have had a very blessed 15 year career and I have a lot of self confidence in myself that I am the best ofcourse I don't like to put that energy out and say it but I tell myself I am the best because that keeps me going."

Before making it big as a Bollywood star, Ranbir worked behind the camera as an assistant director for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the 2005 film 'Black' starring Amitabh Bachchan.

Does behind the camera experience gives more edge to an actor?

He added: "I come from a little bit of a sheltered film family so going out - and Mr Bhansali is a hard task master, if you make a mistake he will reprimand you in front of everybody - I think that kind of training was important for someone like me. So, it prepared me for any failure in the world."

Ajay, who has delivered several hits in the 90s including 'Phool Aur Kaante', 'Jigar', 'Suhaag', 'Diljale', 'Pyar To Hona Hi

He added: "I have experienced this many times where directors or writers have come to me and started narrating the story. However, during the narration, they began acting out certain scenes as if they were auditioning for the role themselves."

'The Kapil Sharma Show' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

The trailer of the upcoming film 'Gumraah' was unveiled on Thursday. It begins with a "well planned murder" by an unidentified assailant during a rainy night. Actress Mrunal Thakur then appears in the role of a cop, who is on a hot pursuit of the killer.

Aditya Roy Kapur's character is shown to be the suspect but then it all changes when it is revealed that Aditya's character has a doppelganger.

The trailer promises unmissable drama, lots of twirls and a mystery that will unfold as it

releases for the big screen. 'Gumraah' stars Aditya Roy Kapur in a dual role along with Mrunal Thakur who will essay the role of a lady cop for the first time.

Helmed by debutant director Vardhan Ketkar, the film is being produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series and Murad Khetani's Cine1 Studios.

The film will have a theatrical release on April 7.

Ranbir Kapoor: ‘I have never felt that I’m better or worse than anybody’

‘Gumraah’ trailer has Aditya Roy Kapur in dual role